Pop Your Own Popcorn

Here at the Hub, we usually start our cooking workshops with the following statement:
The best way to save money and eat better is to cook more meals at home, from scratch, using whole food ingredients. The same goes for snacks. Stove top popcorn is an affordable, whole food snack, and one that satisfies a craving often filled with junk foods like potato chips.

With the advent of the microwave, it seems old-fashioned stovetop popcorn popping has become a lost art. Old-fashioned (stovetop) popcorn tastes better, and you don’t have to settle for those fake butter products, which can be high in unhealthy fats. When you make it yourself, you get to decide how much, and what kind of fat is best for you. At less than a dollar a pound, the price can’t be beat! It's easy and lots of fun to make, too—kids of all ages get a kick out of listening to and watching it bounce around the pot. Eat it plain, drizzle with olive oil or butter, or dress it up with spices — the possibilities are endless! Just follow these easy instructions.

Super Bowl Snacks on a Budget

Did you know that Americans spent over $1 billion on snacks for the Super Bowl in 2012? Over a billion dollars! On snacks! For one afternoon! Yes, it’s fun to have special snacks while you watch the game, but it doesn’t have to be that expensive.

The specials on groceries aren’t great this week (except for the ham and I’m tired of it!), so I’m going to do something different. Instead of presenting recipes and menus for inexpensive dinners using meats that are on sale, I’m going to give some ideas for making less expensive Super Bowl snacks.

But first, this week’s specials.

IGA has ground chuck for $2.69 a pound in 3-pound packages. 8-ounce packages of shredded cheese are 3 for $5.00, or $1.67 each. That’s $3.33 per pound. Canned tomatoes are three 14.5-ounce cans for $2.00, or 67 cents each. 28-ounce cans are 99 cents each. Tomato juice is 10 for $10.00, or $1.00 per can. These prices are good through Sunday, January 26.

Marsh has regular ground beef for $2.49 a pound in the family packs. Hormel Cure 81 Spiral Sliced Hams are $1.27 a pound, which I think is even better than it was around the holidays. Turkey thighs are $1.79 a pound. I don’t know if that’s a good price, but it should be mostly meat with little bone, so I’m guessing it’s not bad. Prices should be good through Wednesday, January 29.

I don’t know what it is with Aldi and pineapples, but they’re still 99 cents each. Cantaloupe are $1.89 each this week, and avocados are still 49 cents each. Cherry tomatoes are 99 cents a pint, celery is 89 cents a head, and baby carrots are 69 cents a pound. Prices are good through Tuesday, January 28.

Kroger has split chicken breasts for 99 cents a pound (that’s bone-in and skin-on). Eggplant is 10 for $10.00, or $1.00 each, which is probably a good deal, depending on the size. Select varieties of cheese are $3.29 each, for 12 to 16 ounces. 24 ounces of cottage cheese is $1.79.

I don’t know what you traditionally eat while you watch the game, but sandwiches, Buffalo wings (or wings of other flavors), chili, nachos, and chips and dips seem to be pretty standard. I’ll work with those. And I know you don’t want to be stuck out in the kitchen while the game is on (on the other hand, maybe you do!), so I’ll keep things simple and with as little last minute work as possible.

Let's start with sandwiches. Ham and cheese are both on sale, which is handy since HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICHES are usually popular with everyone. You can easily make a few without the ham for any vegetarians who may be watching with you. In fact, you might want to leave a few without the meat just in case.

Wings used to be practically given away, until someone came up with the idea of marketing them as special snack food. Now they’re often more expensive than boneless, skinless chicken breast! But they are traditional for a lot of Super Bowl parties, so let’s see what we can do with them. It’s going to be cheaper to make your own than to buy them ready made. I’m sure that doesn’t come as any surprise to you. Here are a couple of fairly easy recipes that don’t require a lot of last minute work. FYI, you should figure on about 15 raw wings per pound, or about 30 wing segments, plus the wing tips you should save to make CHICKEN STOCK or BONE BROTH. And another FYI – you can do something fairly similar with drumsticks or with strips of chicken breasts (99 cents a pound for bone-in, skin-on breasts, and don’t forget to make GRIBENES (baked Chicken Crisps) with the skin and to save the bones to make CHICKEN STOCK or BONE BROTH).

I think Buffalo Wings pretty much started the wings craze, but they're usually fried which is messy and time consuming. UNBELIEVABLE BAKED BUFFALO WINGS are baked (duh!) instead of fried but still come out nice and crispy. Much easier and tidier!

Another kind of baked wings is SWEET HOT MUSTARD CHICKEN WINGS. They're not particularly messy to make but, because the sauce is added at the last minute, they are messy to eat. And the sauce may get flung around the room with an exciting play! They are, however, very good.

I’m not going to give you a recipe for Chili. I assume you have your own favorite recipe. Instead, I’ll tell you where to get some of the ingredients on sale. IGA has ground chuck for $2.69 a pound, and regular ground beef is $2.49 a pound at Marsh. IGA has tomato juice, canned tomatoes, and tomatoes sauce on sale. Avocados are 49 cents each at Aldi. Three 8-ounce bags of shredded cheese are $5.00 at IGA, and 12 to 16 ounce blocks of cheese are $3.29 at Kroger. Sour cream isn’t on sale this week, but it’s usually cheapest at Aldi. These same ingredients are used in making Nachos, too. Add the COPY CAT FRITO LAY BEAN DIP to your Nachos.

Chips and dips are popular, too. Chips of all sorts, and dips of all sorts. I’ll give you recipes for SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP and COPY CAT FRITO LAY BEAN DIP. They’re both ridiculously expensive if you buy them pre-made. Or try one of the other dips posted here, like PESTO, HUMMUS, or CREAMY WHITE BEAN DIP. Don’t forget raw veggies as alternatives to chips. Aldi has 1-pound bags of baby carrots for 69 cents, celery for 89 cents a head, and grape tomatoes for 99 cents a pint.

You can make your own chips, too, if you want. They’ll probably be cheaper and will definitely be healthier. (I know – “healthy” isn’t necessarily a priority for watching the Super Bowl.) PITA CHIPS, TORTILLA CHIPS,  and FRENCH BREAD CHIPS are all super easy to make. Or, for a change of pace, how about serving GARLIC BREAD as a base for the dips, and spread it on the bread instead of dunking it?

So there you have it – a plentiful spread for Super Bowl Sunday, and for way less than a billion dollars!

Baba Ganoush with Slow Cooked (or Baked) Eggplant

1 whole eggplant

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup sesame tahini

2 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 whole lemon (about 2 tbsp)

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika, parsley, and Greek olives to garnish (optional)

Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, prick skin with a fork, and place in crock of your slow cooker, skin-side down. Replace lid and cook on high for 2 hours. Let cool. When eggplant is cooled, remove pulp and place into a bowl. Set aside. Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend well (you can also mix it thoroughly by hand, but mince the garlic first). Stir the mixture into the eggplant until well combined. Garnish and chill until serving.

If you don’t want to use a crockpot, you can just bake the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prick the eggplant with a fork, place it (whole and unpeeled) on a baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, or until it collapses when lightly pressed with the back of a spoon. Cool, then scoop the insides out of the skin and proceed with the recipe.

A lot of recipes call for the eggplant to be food processed as well. Resist the temptation. Stirring it by hand ensures a thick, well-textured dip that the pureed version doesn’t hold a candle to.

Don’t have a slow cooker or a food processor? No problem. Borrow them from the Hub Tool Share Program. Ask any MHC staff for details.

Cucumber Ice Pop with Lime and Chile

(http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/A-chef-perfects-the-paleta-of-childhood-3224996.php)

2-4 cucumbers (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon habanero chile powder*

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions: In a food processor, pulse all but 1/2 cup of the cucumber until smooth. Strain into a bowl; you should have about 2 cups juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and pour about 1/3 cup of mixture into each mold. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

*A reviewer suggested using a milder chile powder and/or less of it

Roasted Watermelon Seeds

(based on a recipe from about.com)

1 c raw watermelon seeds (black seeds only, not the small white ones)

1 T salt

Water

Rinse thoroughly to remove any remaining watermelon. Drain, then spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet to dry. Drying outdoors in direct sunlight is recommended, but not if you have as many birds and critters as I do who would love to help themselves to the seeds! Roast seeds in a 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Spray with oil or cooking spray and sprinkle lightly but evenly with salt. Allow to cool completely before eating.

Note – other melon seeds can be used, too, like cantaloupe and honeydew.

Ham and Cheese Sandwiches on the Cheap

(Note - this post was written in January of 2014, and is based on prices at that time. However, the basic ideas for making cheaper sandwiches are likely to hold all of the time. Even when not on sale, spiral sliced hams are likely to be a lot cheaper than deli ham, and slicing your own cheese will be cheaper than buying sliced deli cheese. Cooking and slicing your own roast beef and turkey breast will be cheaper than buying deli meats, too.)

Marsh has Hormel Cure 51 Spiral Sliced Hams for $1.29 a pound. True, there’s a big bone in it, so the meat itself probably costs about $2.00 a pound. Compare that to meat from the deli, which will probably run you anywhere from about $4.99 on up. The ham is sliced, which means you’ll get nice even slices, and a lot thinner than if you were slicing it yourself – or at least if I were slicing it myself! Cheese to go with the ham is on sale in various forms at most of the grocery stores. Aldi has 8-ounce blocks of several kinds of cheese for $1.79 each. Kroger has block cheese for $3.29 for 12 to 16 ounces. They also have some sliced cheese at $3.29 for 24 slices. Personally, I would go for the sliced cheese because the slices are thinner and more even than I could cut them, and they’ll go further. It depends on what kind is sliced, though. I’d rather have real cheese than a processed cheese. Even if I cut the cheese myself, it will probably end up cheaper than buying it at the deli counter. Beyond the meat and cheese, the last time I looked, Aldi had mayo and “whipped salad dressing” for $1.99 for almost a quart. I think it was 30 ounces instead of 32. A few different varieties of mustard were $1.19 a bottle, I think. When it comes to bread, remember to compare the price per slice rather than the price per loaf or the price per pound. Unless the slices are unusually large or small, two slices of whatever size you get will make a sandwich. If you go for a hoagie type roll, think about how many sandwiches – how many “servings” – you’re going to get from them, and compare the price to the same number of “servings” of regular bread. 

Garlic Bread Snacks

You can take a loaf of French bread that is split in two, spread each side with garlic butter, and bake until hot. Or take that same loaf of French bread, cut it vertically into slices (but not all the way through) and spread garlic butter in between the slices, and bake until hot. Or go ahead and cut the slices all the way through, put them flat on a baking sheet and spread the top side with garlic butter, then bake until hot and somewhat crispy. Or take regular old bread (or sliced sour dough would be good, too), spread one side with garlic butter, put them in a single layer on a baking dish, and bake until toasted and crisp. Or make your garlic bread however you like to. Or even buy a loaf of garlic bread! However you make your Garlic Bread, it makes a good base for spreading either the SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP or the COPY CAT FRITO LAY BEAN DIP on top of. Or other dips, too, for that matter. You may need to spread the dip instead of dipping the bread, depending on the dip.

French Bread Chips

I assume that there’s a name for these, but I don’t know what it is. Take some French bread and cut it into “fingers.” You might need to cut the bread into about 4 slices first. Then put the fingers on the baking sheet, brush very lightly with a bit of olive oil in which you’ve had a clove of garlic soaking, and then bake until crisp. You could use regular bread, too, if that was what you had on hand. Or maybe rye bread? Try baking different kinds of bread at different temperatures. You want them to dry out and get crisp without burning. Watch them closely!

Tortilla Chips

Cut small (5 or 6 inches?) wheat or corn tortillas into wedges, put then on a baking sheet, spritz them or brush them very lightly with a bit oil (actually, you don’t really need any oil), and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes to crisp.

Pita Chips

Buy a pack of thin pitas (round bread that separates in the middle). Separate each pita into two rounds, then cut each round into six or eight wedges. Put the wedges on a baking dish in a single layer. Spray them with a bit of oil if you have a spritzer, or brush them very lightly with a bit of oil. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes to crisp.

Copy Cat Frito Lay Bean Dip

(from food.com/recipe/frito-lay-bean-dip-68861)

1 can (15 oz) refried beans                       

5 slices bottled jalapenos (nacho slices)

1 T brine, from the jalapenos                    

1/2 t salt                                                        

1/2 t sugar

1/4 t onion powder

1/4 t paprika

1/8 t garlic powder

1/8 t cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and puree on high speed until smooth. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

(based on food.com/recipe/spinach-artichoke-dip-1209 including reviews)

1 c shredded parmesan cheese               

1 c shredded Italian cheese blend (or mozzarella or another cup of parmesan)                

1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2/3 c sour cream

1 c cream cheese

1/3 c mayo

2 t minced garlic (or more to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together parmesan, Italian cheese blend, spinach, and artichoke hearts. Combine remaining ingredients, mix well, and add to spinach mixture. Mix well. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Serve hot. If you have a small Crockpot, use that to keep the dip warm. On the other hand, it may disappear so fast it doesn’t have time to get cold!

Sweet Hot Mustard Chicken Wings

(based on allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Hot-Mustard-Chicken-Wings/Detail.aspx?evt19=1)

2 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints, tips saved for making stock

Salt to taste                                                  

2 T Dijon mustard                                        

2 T prepared yellow mustard

3 T honey (or maple syrup)

2 t cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 t hot pepper sauce                                   

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; coat the foil with cooking spray. (The foil will make it a lot easier to clean the baking dish!) Arrange the wings on the baking sheet so they do not touch; season with salt. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and crispy on top, about 20 minutes. Flip the wings with tongs and cook until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes more. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the cooked wings and toss with a spatula to coat evenly. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes, then toss again to recoat. Transfer to a plate and serve. (These are messy to eat. You might try cooking them the same way as the Buffalo Wings, above. Or at least try baking them again for a few minutes after you put the sauce on them.)

Unbelievable Baked Buffalo Wings

(based on food.com/recipe/unbelievable-baked-buffalo-wings-155021 and reviews)

1 lb chicken wings, separated at the joints and wing tips saved for broth

1 T cayenne pepper                                    1

1 t crushed red pepper flakes

2 t salt, or to taste

1/2 c Louisiana hot sauce

1 T butter or margerine

Fill a large pot halfway with water and then add the chicken, cayenne, red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring the water and wings to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. (It’s this initial boiling before baking that makes the wings so crispy.) Coat a baking dish with cooking spray (or better yet, line it with foil or with parchment paper or you’ll be scrubbing that pan for a long time!), then add the wings in a single layer. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, turn, then bake them for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the hot sauce and butter in a microwave safe dish and nuke for 2 minutes. When the wings are done, add them to the sauce and coat thoroughly. Put the wings back on the baking dish and cook for another 2 minutes on each side. This will make the wings extra crispy and will make them less messy to eat. Serve with ranch dressing and celery sticks. 

Stove Top Popcorn

·       2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, sunflower seed, peanut oil or refined canola oil

·       1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Preparation: Add the oil and popcorn kernels to a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan with a lid. Shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. The kernels should cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.  Cover the pan and place it over medium high heat, shaking the pan occasionally until you begin to hear popping. When the corn begins to pop, lift it slightly from the heat and shake the pan continually, holding the lid in place, until the popping begins to slow, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Leave the lid on for 1 minute — some kernels will continue to pop. When the popping stops, pour the popcorn into a large bowl. Enjoy plain, or season as desired with olive oil, butter, salt, or spices.

Pumpkin Seeds

Or any kind of winter squash seeds, actually. I've used pumpkin, spaghetti squash, and delicata squash, and have read that other kinds (acorn, butternut, buttercup, hubbard, etc.) work, too. 

Put the seeds in a bowl of warm water and rub them thoroughly to get rid of the slimy stuff. Most of the seeds should be pretty clean anyway, but some will be stuck in the strings. If you squeeze the end that’s stuck in the strings the seeds should squirt right out. (It’s kind of fun, actually!) When the seeds are clean (don’t forget to save the water and the slime and strings for the compost pile), put them in some salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer them for 10 minutes. Drain, and spread them out in a baking sheet that you greased with a tablespoon or so of oil or drippings. Bake on the top shelf of the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until they start to brown. Smaller seeds, like from delicata squash, may be done in as little as 5 minutes, so check them frequently. 

What I like about this way of fixing the seeds is that you eat the whole thing, shell and all. No fussing around trying to shell them, though of course you can if you want to. I was very doubtful about that when I read it and expected to shell the seeds whatever the recipe said, but it turned out that they were right and I was wrong.

They're free, except for the salt and the oil, since you got the pumpkin for Halloween or the squash for the squash-ness of it.

Variations:

1.      Sprinkle a bit of any of the following over the roasted pumpkin seeds (http://www.chow.com/galleries/38/10-ways-to-spice-up-pumpkin-seeds#!562/old-bay-pumpkin-seeds ): cinnamon and sugar, seasoned salt, jerk seasoning (add before roasting the seeds), Old Bay Seasoning, Creole seasoning, wasabi powder and ground coriander, barbeque seasoning (add to seeds before roasting), or jalapeno powder.

2.      Or try these (http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/10/roasted-pumpkin-seeds-spicy-sweet-salty-recipes.html ): Ginger-Orange Zest Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Cheesy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, or Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

3.      Or try your favorite spice blend, either sweet or spicy. I wonder how they’d be with a bit of pumpkin pie spice and sweetener?