Tuna Melts

Bad picture but good tuna melts! A good friend sent me some English Muffins from Wolferman’s for Christmas. We started working together, whoa, something like 23 years ago I think and got along great.  Then  I quit work for a while to stay home with my kids and we drifted apart but still stayed in modest touch. Then she had her kids and quit work, but around that time  I was divorced and a single mom so the opportunities to get together were slim, although we still managed at least a yearly something I think. Just the past year or so, we’ve reconnected on a more regular basis for lunch and it’s been great.

And what a treat these muffins are! Big thick hearty fresh muffins.  We’ve been enjoying them from breakfast and I froze some for later. Tonight my youngest asked for tuna melts for dinner and I thought to use up the last of the “original” flavored muffins.

For 4 large English muffins, mix together:

• 12 ounces canned tuna, packed in water, drained
• enough mayonnaise to moisten
• capers if you like (my kids don’t, so I just add a few capers to mine

Toast the English muffins while you preheat your broiler and mix up the tuna.

Line a small baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and put the toasted muffin halves on it, then divide the tuna among the muffins and spread out. (I had some leftover so you could easily do 6 halves. We only ate 1 each of these, along with some broccoli and cheese sauce.)

Top the adult portions with capers. Top each muffin half with a good slice of Cheddar cheese. If you added capers to any, add a caper or two to the top of the cheese so you can tell which have capers in them after they’re cooked!

Slide under the broiler for a few minutes, until the tuna is warmed and the cheese is melted.

We’ve got one leftover which one child has claimed for lunch tomorrow.

Beans and Greens

I first got this recipe from the newspaper quite a few years ago. I’ve since lightened it a bit by using fewer breadcrumbs and less cheese. I also typically halve it so it serves 3-4 as a side dish, so feel free to double to serve 4-6. It goes great with many things. I’ve served it with hamburgers, roast chicken, barbecued pork tenderloin or chops, etc.  The spinach is there but very mild, so it’s a nice way to get a few more greens into a meal.

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 15-oz can white beans
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups raw spinach, blanched, squeezed dry and chopped (or use a 10-oz package of frozen spinach if you’re doubling)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (or cheddar or Gruyere)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 425.

Grease a small gratin dish with a small bit of olive oil. The dish should be smaller than 9×9.  I think I used about a 5×7″. A 9×9 works if you double the recipe.

In small bowl, put the can of beans (undrained, include the liquid), 1.5 tsp olive oil, vinegar and salt. Mash together with a bpotato ean masher or mix with a mixer to mush up some of the beans.

Add the chopped, squeezed dry spinach and the red pepper flakes and stir together.

Put the beans in the gratin dish. Sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and drizzle another small spoonful of olive oil over the top. Bake 20 minutes or so.

If you’re new to trying to save money in the kitchen and need to learn how to shop wisely, take advantage of sales, plan menus and the like, you’ll love the front section of this book. I skimmed through that part because that’s pretty much what I’ve been writing about on CheapCooking.com for over 5 years.  Not that there aren’t some fabulous ideas–there are!  It’s just that I bought the book for the recipes.

The recipe collection is a great one, that will expand your culinary horizons in delightful ways. The migas recipe is one of my favorites so far.  And I know I’m going to be exploring a lot of recipes in this book!  Definitely a worthwhile purchase and a book that will more than earn its keep in my kitchen for many years, I’m sure.

There are a spate of new cookbooks from bloggers these days, but this one belongs near the top for any curious cook. Whether you’re after money-saving ideas, and who isn’t these days, or just want to expand your repertoire in the kitchen, this book fits the bill.

Ham Panini with Roasted Red Peppers and Cheddar Cheese

First up was a Panini sandwich with some thinly sliced ham, roasted red peppers, mustard, and cheddar cheese. I think that was all but this was a few days ago. Unlike most of my posts, I didn’t note the recipe but DID take a picture! I was just rooting through the frig to see what would taste good.

I just used sweet French bread rolls, not a ciabatta loaf as usually called for in Paninis. And I made these in my very simple George Foreman Grill, Black.

When the sandwich is done. unplug the grill and then put a wet paper towel or washable cloth on it and close the lid. The steam will clean that grill in no time!

Ham Panini with Basil and Jack Cheese

Next up was the same ham, but this time with a honey mustard, some balsamic vinegar on one side, some jack cheese and some fresh basil from the garden. I was going to put some sweet pickled peppers on it but I couldn’t find them in the pantry  so opted for the last of the roasted red peppers again. Different with the basil and jack cheese, more mild and sweet somehow.

Both made a great simple meal with a simple tossed salad. I usually think of sandwiches as lunchtime affairs but don’t really want to cook at lunch, so these were a nice treat.

White Bean and Ham Soup

This is from The Supper Book: 10th Anniversary Edition by Marion Cunningham. Kind of funny–you can buy a hardcover of this on Amazon (used) for $3 (plus shipping) but the paperback version, that I have is $8 (still a deal!). This is so simple, but so delicious. Certainly frugal, let’s see $1 for the beans, two onions for 50 cents maybe. The ham is the expensive part and that’s only because I actually did buy a small piece of ham just to make this. Normally I would have cooked a ham and used a ham bone but that’s hard to do with just the two of us! So I used about $2.50 of ham. Her recipe says 4 servings but I know we’ll get at least 6, likely 8. I’ll likely serve with a small sandwich, like a tuna melt.  So $1 / serving or less.  You’d pay more for a can of ham and bean soup and it wouldn’t be half as good and you’d get two small servings.

• 1 pound white navy beans or Great Norther beans
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cups or so of chopped ham or smoked pork butt or a leftover ham bone with some meat on it
• water to cover
• salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans, either overnight or by the quick soak method: cover with water, bring to a boil, cover, turn the stove off, and let the beans sit in the hot water for an hour or so. Then drain and use.

Put the beans, onion and ham in a large stockpot. Cover with water by 1 1/2″ . Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover partially and simmer 2 hours or so, until the beans are tender. Watch the water level and add a bit more if needed. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

This is ham and bean soup at its simplest and it’s delicious. If you want more in it, you could think about adding some carrots and celery (I would saute first in a bit of oil with the chopped onion then add the other ingredients.)  You could also use chicken broth if you wanted. But I think you will be surprised at how delicious this is in its most simple form.

• 1 Tbs oil
• 1 Tbs minced onion
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 pinch saffron

Put the rice cooker on cook and heat a Tbs of oil, then add 1 Tbs of minced onion and cook a few minutes until softened. Stir in the rice and cook a few minutes, then add the broth and saffron, Stir then put the lid on and reset to start the rice cooking process if needed.

For my rice cooker, it automatically turns itself to warm. 20 minutes later I can stir and keep on warm for a while or serve.

First, I had some leftover Sort of Mexican Chicken Soup.  I added a large spoonful of this avocado pico del gallo and some crushed tortilla chips. Mmm!

I also used the last of the cooked chicken to make a chicken salad sandwich.  I am totally guessing at the measurements just to give any new cooks a starting place. You must taste and adjust!

• 1 cup diced cooked chicken
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1-2 Tbs sweet pickle relish
• 2-3 Tbs mayonnaise
• 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
• a dash of sweet curry powder
• a dash of salt

I toasted up some sliced sourdough for the sandwich part. Had I wanted a salad without the bread I might have added some diced apples and/or diced grapes.  I kept the curry powder very light. I just wanted a hint of it.  Really quite nice!\

Oh, and I don’t mean to imply this only made one sandwich!  There is more chicken salad for tomorrow!

For all of the potatoes, I peeled them first. I don’t always but did tonight for some reason. I cut them into 1/3″ slices or so, not quite thin fries but not thick either. Then I tossed with some olive oil until lightly coated. I put them in two different small bowls so i could season them differently.

For the sweet potatoes, I sprinkled with salt, cinnamon and paprika, as inspired by Sarah’s Cucina Bella blog.

For the Russet potatoes, I also sprinkled with salt and then some Penzey’s Sandwich Sprinkle.

I baked them on a jelly roll pan at 425 for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so and watching at the end to see when they hit my desired crunchiness. Your mileage will vary of course depending on how small you cut the potatoes and how hot your oven really is. I pulled some of mine out early as they were thinner than the others and were done sooner.

Both kinds of fries were excellent and the perfect accompaniment to a barbecued hot dog, along with some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden.

Last night I was making tacos for 7 and I was worried perhaps I didn’t have enough taco meat and shells so in addition to refried beans I wanted some Mexican rice as well. I have a recipe for Mexican rice I like that I do on the stovetop but I decided to try one in the rice cooker. I used the one in The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook : 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker and it came out great!  I especially liked that it used fresh tomato since my garden is still producing.  And just like on the stove, it was a one-pot recipe!

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 tsp)
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup peeled and chopped tomato
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 2 tsp ground chili powder
• salt to taste (maybe 1/2 tsp)

Turn the rice cooker on and put the oil in. Add the diced onion and stir for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring. Note: I had to put the lid to weigh the cooker down enough to keep the heat on but could then lift it up to stir.

Add the rice and cook 5 – 10 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden. Add the tomato, stir and cook a few more minutes. Add the water, chili powder and salt. Stir, cover and either reset to cook or leave it alone if it’s still on the cook setting.

When the machine switches to the Keep Warm mode (mine does, not sure what to do if yours doesn’t), cook another 15 minutes. Take the lid off, stir and fluff with a wooden or plastic spoon, then put the lid back on and leave on the warm setting until the rest of your food is ready.

This went great with my normal recipe for tacos, which I doubled for last night. It doesn’t use the seasoning packet so many folks spend a dollar or more on at the store but some garlic, onion and cumin. Just as easy and way cheaper than the packets! (But when I just reviewed that I realize I do a few things different these days. First, I always use diced fresh onion and minced fresh garlic. I’ve also gone to using just an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce and adding 1/3 cup or so of water, basically rinsing the can out and just eyeballing the measurement. But if I only have a 15 oz can I use it all up.) Either way it comes out good! And I use either ground beef or turkey, depending on which is cheaper.)

You can, of course, always make your own taco seasoning mix if you like it that way better.

If you have leftover taco meat (we did NOT last night!), make up some taco meat pies (great for lunches) or taco salad.

Meatball sandwich

In truth, there’s hardly a recipe for a meatball sandwich. At its simplest, you take a French or hoagie roll, put a few meatballs on it, ladle some spaghetti sauce on it and eat.

If you want to get a bit fancier, you’d use your own homemade meatballs. My favorite recipe uses ground pork and ground beef, plus cheese.  But if ground pork is hard to find or too expensive, just use all ground beef. These days I prefer to bake them rather than fry them. I make a lot, then flash freeze what i don’t need so I have a handy stash in the freezer.

The other night we had company and I went all out and made Sunday Gravy a la the Soprano’s. I made double the meatballs though and froze the extra sauce and meatballs, plus sent some sauce and sausage and meat home with a guest plus sent some over to the neighbor with a broken leg. The recipe makes a lot!

My youngest has been loving having spaghetti and meatballs for lunch every day this week, although she took a break today. Then she came home and asked if we could have meatball sandwiches for dinner! Ha!  Sure…

I put some meatballs and sauce on the stove to heat up, then took the French rolls and opened them up, spread with some butter, sprinkled with some garlic powder and broiled until crispy.   By then the meatballs and sauce were warmed through. I put 3 meatballs on each French roll, ladled some sauce on top, then put some grated Mozzarella over it and put the sandwiches back under the broiler for a bit.

Mmmm.  We broke with tradition and ate dinner while watching Glee on TV.  Served the sandwiches with a green salad and it was a lovely dinner.  What a great way to use up leftovers.