Cranberry Pot Roast, Potatoes Romanoff, Cooked Carrots

Dinner tonight is all leftovers, so here are the links.

The Cranberry Pot Roast was excellent the first night. I froze the leftovers and am reheating them for tonight.

Mashed potatoes are always a hit. But we're in fall swim team mode now, which means practice is until 6:45. I need to walk down and get the girls and like to have dinner ready to go as soon as they've showered and changed. Dishes I can do ahead of time and have warm in the oven are in high demand right now. Potatoes Romanoff to the rescue!

Cooked carrots are easy to do in the last few minutes. In this case, I saved the water I cooked the potatoes in and am cooking the carrots in the same water, which I will then save for broth. My mom was a firm believer that when you boiled vegetables, the water was left full of nutrients. At the least, it is left full of flavor and is an easy way to enhance soups and other things that can use a light broth. If I haven't done anything with it by the time I make chicken broth, I add any leftover vegetable water to that.

Dessert is a new one. I'll post that later.

Potato Pancakes and bratwurst

Potato pancakes are a favorite around here in the fall. I serve them with applesauce and sometimes some chicken or sausage. The other night I had some bratwurst that I thawed.

Simmered and Grilled bratwurst
1 can cheap beer
1/2 onion, chopped
a few bratwurst

Looking on the Internet, I saw that a common way to prepare them was to simmer them in beer and chopped onion, then grill. I did that and they were pretty good. Not sure what the beer simmering added though...

Potato Pancakes
3 medium or 5 smallish potatoes, peeled and grated and drained
1 onion, grated (optional)
3 Tbs flour
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

I use the grater on my Kitchen Aid mixer to grate the potatoes. Peel, grate, and wrap them in paper towels to absorb some of the moisture. Heat the oil while you're doing this, just a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. It should be pretty hot but not smoking. If it's not hot enough, the pancakes will absorb too much.

Grated the onion into a bowl. Add the egg and mix a bit, then add the potatoes, sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper, and mix up. Drop by large spoonfuls into the oil. They should "sputter" a bit if it's hot enough. Flatten with the back of the spoon or a spatula and let cook about 5 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pan too much.

As they're done, place them on a paper towel in an oven proof dish and place in a warm oven until you're ready to serve. Serve with applesauce, sour cream, or ketchup.

Better Times Cookbook and Almanac of Useful Information for Poor People

Better Times Cookbook and Almanac of Useful Information for Poor People Here's an interesting site that goes along with the CheapCooking ideas. Recipes, shopping lists, emergency preparedness ideas, and more.

Leek and Potato Soup

I grew leeks this year and just picked my first batch. I'm hoping they can stay in the ground until I want them. I decided the first dish should be somewhat traditional and went with Vichyssoise, but served it hot rather than cold.

If you're new to leeks, cleaning can be difficult! The best way I've found is to cut off the root (assuming you picked them, otherwise this will probably already be cut off) and cut off the green ends. You want mostly white.

Then starting from the green end (or what was green) slice the leek down the middle to within about 1/2" of the root end. Turn and slice it again, so it's in 4ths but still intact. Then hold it under running water and separate the leaves so the dirt is washed out. Then lay it on its side and slice.



3 Tbs butter
3 large leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 sprigs of fresh parsley or equivalent dried
1 cup cream
chives for garnish

Melt the butter and slowly saute the leeks, onion, and celery about 15 minutes until softened. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, and parsley and simmer another 15-20 minutes, until the potato is soft. Use a hand blender to make it smooth or put batches of into your blender and puree.

Add some hot soup to the cream and then pour it back into the soup. If you're serving hot, keep warm until serving and garnish with a few chives. If you're serving it cold, add the chives and then chill.

I served this with tuna melts for a great Sunday supper.

Cornmeal for Breakfast

My dad hates "mush" of any type, sweet or savory. Puddings, hot cereals--anything--but I always loved them! Both my girls love puddings (rice, tapioca, chocolate, etc.) and hot cereals but only my eldest loves cornmeal mush! It makes a good filling breakfast and is much more frugal than those prepackaged instant oatmeal packages. Sometimes I make a double batch the night before and chill it in a loaf pan, then slice it and fry it up the next morning for breakfast. Both girls will eat it that way.

1 cup cornmeal
4 cups water, divided
1 tsp salt

Mix the cup of cornmeal with a cup of water in a bowl and let sit while you bring the other 3 cups of water and the salt to boil. (This keeps the meal from getting lumpy when you cook it.) Stir the moistened cornmeal into the boiling water and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Serve in a bowl with your sweeteners of choice. We prefer maple syrup but brown sugar works too.

If you have any leftovers, you can fry it up the next morning in a bit of butter.

Chicken Pot Pie

Our weather out here can't quite make up its mind what it's going to be doing from one day to the next. It makes menu planning a bit of a dicey game! Am I going to make that leek and potato soup I had in mind (and in fact even picked the leeks from the garden) or should I make bacon and tomato sandwiches (with tomatoes still from the garden, of course!)? Summer or fall? Which is it?

Last weekend I made another batch of Carrot and Pasta Soup since I'd collected enough chicken bones and veggie scraps in the freezer for a fresh pot of chicken broth. I had thought it would make a nice lunch for me all week but we had a few extra for dinner and the kids ate it all up! I barely had enough broth left to freeze, although I did manage to freeze a few 1 cup portions but I had expected more. So when I was at the market and saw a a whole cup-up chicken marked down $2 I snatched it up and made more broth the other day. In fact, I had gotten some little seasoning package as a sample and threw it in the broth and it came out quite good! I often make the broth from leftover bones (necks, wings, etc.) but this time I ended up with fresh chicken so had a few cups of cooked chicken to use up. Eldest requested a chicken pot pie.

2 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 cup peas or peas with pearl onions
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
6 Tbs butter
6 Tbs flour
1 cup cream (or milk if you'd rather)
2 cups or so cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a simmer and add the carrots. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the celery and peas and cook another 3-4 minutes. Drain the vegetables, reserving the broth.

Melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour, using a whisk. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes, then slowly whisk in the reserved broth, stirring constantly. Raise the heat a bit and bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook 4-5 minutes. Add the cream and cook another 5 minutes to thicken. Stir in the herbs and add the chicken and vegetables and mix.

Pour the creamed chicken into a 9x13 pan (or reserve half and freeze for another day like I did). Top with a pie crust or biscuits, making sure to leave some vents. Cook at 400 for 25-30 minutes (or slightly less if using biscuits as they cook faster).

IMBB-8: Welsh Rarebit with Beer

It's my first time being a part of Is My Blog Burning and it's really quite hard to choose a recipe! So many good things are made even better with a bit of wine. I love a beef stew with red wine recipe because I'm always attracted to anything with artichokes. And a Chicken with Sherry and Sour Cream has become a favorite around here. Then there the many soups I make with a bit of white wine in addition to the chicken broth, the marinara sauce with some red wine, the chicken piccata...but in sticking with the theme of my CheapCooking I decided to go pedestrian and offer up one of the kids' favorites: Welsh Rarebit. Perfect for a weekend that has managed to change seasons mid-stride, from baking hot to cool and rainy! It's really nothing more than a glorified cheese sauce with the beer adding a nice bite to it.

3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 Tsp dry mustard
1 3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup beer
12 oz shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
paprika to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the dry mustard and stir and cook another minute. (I typically put the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes while I'm doing this as it's easier to make a smooth white sauce if the milk is warmed a bit.)

Gradually add the milk, using a whisk to mix it in so you get a nice smooth sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring the whole time so it doesn't scorch. When it's thickened up a bit, reduce the heat to low and add the beer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring.

Turn the heat way down or off and add the grated cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted. Stir in the Worcestershire and cayenne.

Toast some English muffins or sourdough bread or whatever you have around and spoon the cheese sauce over the top, sprinkling with paprika. Serve to cold and starving children for instant happiness.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

I was going to enter this for the Is My Blog Burning entry, but the brandy is such a small part of it, it hardly seemed right. However, I did make this last night and since I took pictures I thought I should share.

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
2 Tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbs melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs dark rum or brandy

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
1 2/3 cup hot water

Mix together the dry ingredients, then add the milk, butter, vanilla, and brandy or rum and mix until just combined.

Spread the batter--it will be a bit thick--into an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.

Mix together the brown sugar and cocoa and sprinkle over the batter, then pour the hot water over it all.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at least an hour before serving so the pudding that has formed at the bottom has a chance to set up.

This is delicious with a bit of whipped cream on top but I didn't have any last night.

Lunchbox treat - frozen Jello

My girls pack lunch most of the time so I'm always looking for some lunchbox ideas. Played around yesterday by making a batch of Jello and freezing it in muffin tins. We pulled one out after it was frozen to taste test. One loved it; one thought it was okay. I'm thinking I can make a batch and freeze them in sandwich bags so they can just grab one when they're making lunches in the morning. I'm guessing it will be partially thawed by lunchtime but we'll find out tomorrow!

Cooked Carrots

Put carrot chunks or baby carrots in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer until soft (10 minutes maybe). Drain (saving the water for soup if you keep a container in the freezer or refrigerator).

Put a pat of butter on the carrots and sprinkle with a spoonful of brown sugar and stir until melted.

Cranberry Pot Roast - Crockpot

As is my usual these days, I combined a few different recipes. The basic idea is to cook a roast (pork or beef or some even said they use chicken parts) with a can of cranberry sauce (some said jellied, some said whole) with an onion or a package of onion soup mix. Some recipes had mustard and cloves added; another had a bit of French salad dressing. Some thickened the gravy with cornstarch on the stove; others thickened it in the crockpot. I mention all this because it sounded like a great flexible recipe. I always like it when I find some "idea" that has morphed into infinite variations.

1 beef roast
1 onion, sliced
1/3 cup Catalina dressing
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
2 Tbs butter, softened
2 Tbs flour

Trim the fat from the roast and put in the crockpot. Put the onion slices on top of the roast.

Mix together the cranberry sauce and dressing and pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low all day, until done. (Or cook half the day on high.)

Remove the roast from the crockpot.

Mix together the butter and flour and whisk into the gravy. Turn the crockpot on high and cover for 10 minutes or so.

Slice the roast in 1/4 slices and serve with the gravy. I served this with mashed potatoes and cooked carrots.

All the variations I found of this were on a freezer-cooking list. Most suggested freezing leftover slices in gravy. One variation, by the way, mentioned that you could do this same sauce with a couple of cans of white beans rather than meat for a vegetarian version.

It was a big hit. Lucky for me, it turned kind of cool tonight and the wind cooked up so this was a perfect meal!

Black Bean Soup

I started with the recipe off the bag of black beans I had in the pantry, but it was a little bland frankly. Here's about what I ended up with, which was good, but still a little milder than I'd prefer.

* 1 pound black beans

Rinse and soak overnight in water, or bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit one hour.

* 8 cups water
* 3 bay leaves
* 1/2 tsp celery seeds
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1/2 tsp dry mustard

Simmer about an hour, until starting to soften.

* 1 onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbs oil

Heat the oil and then saute the onion and garlic until softened. Add to the beans along with:

* 2 Tsp chili powder

Simmer another hour.

If you'd like add 1/2 to 1 cup diced ham for some more flavor. I did.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. Add some salsa if you'd like!

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs

This recipe is also from Mama Dip's Kitchen but she called it "Spicy". That made my kids nervous when saw the name but I cut the pepper down a bit and they loved it. I also had no garlic salt so used garlic powder and a bit of extra salt. I also cut the recipe in half, roughly, from her original and just froze the 6 extra thighs for another night.

6 chicken thighs
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup soy sauce

Most of the chicken recipes in this book call out for soaking the chicken pieces in salted water for 20 minutes, then patting dry. I have always just rinsed off the chicken but I did do the soaking this time. Not sure if that contributed to the wonderful flavor or not.

Soak the chicken pieces in salted water for 20 minutes (or just rinse if you're in a hurry), then pat the pieces dry and lay them in a baking dish. They should be a bit crowded, touching each other.

Mix up the rest of the ingredients and pour over the chicken, then let stand for 20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

She says to turn off the oven, cover the pan, and let the chicken sit for 15 minutes but I didn't have time for that. This was a definite 3 star recipe, with all of us loving the flavor.

Summer Squash Casserole #2

Another version of the summer squash casserole I tried earlier. This is from Mama Dip's Kitchen.

1.5 pounds yellow and green summer squash, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 stick butter
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Simmer the squash and onion until soft (10 minutes or so) then drain. Cut the butter up and mix it with the squash, then add the milk and Parmesan and stir, then stir in the beaten eggs.

Pour this into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. I was making the Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs at the same time so I baked the squash at 400 and it was fine.

Summer Menu

Sometimes I actually plan my menus out for the week. Since school started last week, I sat down on Sunday and made up my plan, a mix of old favorites and some new recipes. I had bought a big bag of broccoli at Costco so experimented with several new broccoli recipes. The kids favorite? Plain old microwaved.

Sunday:
Pork tenderloin, marinated and barbecued
Steamed broccoli
Rice

Monday:
Steak and tomato kebabs
Baked potatoes
A cheese and soup broccoli baked dish

Tuesday:
Breaded and pan-fried cod filets (recipe from The Supper Book)
some starch, can't remember what I did
steamed broccoli with olive oil and Parmesan

Wednesday:
homemade macaroni and cheese
sliced tomatoes

Thursday:
leftovers

Friday:
barbecued hamburgers
pork & beans
birthday cake and ice cream for my eldest