Empamosas

I attempted to make samosas for the first time the other night.  Correction, I successfully made samosas, however the shape looked more like empanadas - but that's okay, right?   

They were absolutely delish!  I could not eat them fast enough.  

I used the recipe over at Veg Recipes of India, I'm not going to repost it here, because there is already a fabulous step by step instruction on how to make them.  The cost for the samosas came out to less than $1 per samosa.  You can't beat that cost at any Indian restaurant - at least not in the  United States.  

Broccoli with brown sauce

I was craving broccoli with brown sauce tonight after work and almost stopped at the Chinese restaurant.  Then remembered I am broke and went to Shoppers instead to buy broccoli.

So glad I did because this meal is alot cheaper than the $6 or more I would have paid.

Did you know that brown sauce was so easy to make??

1 1/2 c. cooked. Jasmine rice $0.50
2 c. Steamed broccoli $0.98
3 garlic cloves. $0.10
1 Tbsp sesame oil $0.10
2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.10
4 Tbsp soy sauce $0.16
1 1/2 c water
1-2 Tbsp corn starch $0.10

Brown garlic in oil.  Add brown sugar, soy sauce, water.  Cook until sugar dissolves.

Add corn starch.  Cook until sauce thickens.  It will brown up some more as you cook it.

Ass broccoli.  Serve over rice. 

Enjoy!

Total cost $2.04

I thought I was going to eat all of this, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach. So I have lunch for manana! Cost per serving. $1.02

 

Veggie Cous-Cous

I may have posted this recipe before only because I love this dish.  I am all about the quick and the easy and this dish is both.  The crunchy veggies mixed with the soft cous-cous is a perfect combo. 

I used Israeli cous-cous for this recipe.  I cannot get enough Israeli cous-cous.  I enjoy it more than the small pearled cous-cous.  Up until I moved I was a member at Costco and could buy huge 5 pound bags for around $9.  I still have about half a bag left. 

You could use any mixture of veggies, I used what I had left in the fridge.  I am guessing on the cost for the cous-cous because I have no idea how many cups are in the bag.  I don't keep the bags and have it stored in a metal container.  Also the carrots are a guess, I bought a 3lb bag and I didn't count how many carrots are in the bag.   I will need to pay attention more on the next trip! 

I also can't keep track of how much spices costs, especially everyday spices like salt & pepper.  You can pick up everyday spices for super cheap at the Dollar Store or even Big Lots. 

Veggie Cous-cous

1 1/2 cup dried cous-cous $0.56
3 c. Water $0
4 carrots $0.75
1 sm onion $0.37
1 red or yellow bell pepper $1.50
1/2 bag spinach (couple of handfuls) $1
Salt & pepper to taste
Italian seasoning to taste

Total cost: $4.18

I can get about 4 meals out of this, cost per meal: $1.05

Noms noms!

Vegan Pancakes

I woke up this a.m. craving french toast with Kings Hawaiian bread. However I am out of eggs and bread, so pancakes it was!

I originally got this recipe from a vegan cookbook and love it! It's super quick to make and has a mild sweet taste without added sugar.

1/2 cup rice flour $0.25

1/2 cup buckwheat flour $0.18

2 Tbsp coconut oil. $0.10

2tsp arrowroot. $0.12

Dash cinnamon

1/2 can peaches. $0.50

3 Tbsp Maple syrup. $0.49

1 1/2 cup almond milk. $0.56

Cook peaches in a pot until soft.

As peaches cook, Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add more or less depending how thick you like your pancakes.

Add some coconut oil to the skillet and drop about 1/4 of the batter onto the skillet. Cook til done.

I topped off my pancakes with walnuts adding about $0.50 to the cost. Any other type of nut would be just as yummy!

Noms noms!

Total cost $2.20

I get about 8 pancakes out of the batter making my cost per pancake $0.27!

Homemade kombucha

Several years ago I hopped on the Kombucha bandwagon and became addicted.  I knew that brewing homemade kombucha was possible, but it was just one more item to add to my "Becoming a Domestic Goddess" wishlist.

Until I started grad school and became super broke.

After several months of not drinking the sparkling sweetness, I decided to try out the brew.  I did not want to, or rather afford to buy a SCOBY so I grew my own from store bought kombucha.  Now there are a ton of resouces online about  growing SCOBYs and not  growing SCOBYs from store bought kombucha.  I decided what they hey, I should just try it.

And I think it worked!

After about 8 weeks my jar had a leathery 1/4" thick mass floating on top of my liquid.

I added what I hoped was my SCOBY to my tea/sugar mixture topped it off with cheesecloth and set it in my cabinet to brew away. I used Irish Breakfast tea and organic sugar for my tea.  If you do want to brew kombucha, please do lots of research as to what type of teas and sugar to use.  I'm not going to bore you with dos and don'ts - there is better info out there than what I can give you. Cultures for Health has a plethora of info on kombucha (and lots of other yummy stuff too).   http://www.culturesforhealth.com/kombucha 

After about two weeks (which was yesterday), I checked in on my experiment.  And this is what I found.

My kombucha is turning into kombucha!!!  I  tasted a bit and oh my it is delish.  It smells like kombucha, tastes like kombucha - so it must be kombucha right???  It's starting to carbonate and has a lovely smell.

I'm going to let it sit for about two more weeks, but so far I am pleased.  I sent this photo to my friend who is not on the kombucha bandwagon and her response was "Gross! Are you going to drink that?"  LOL!

I'll keep you updated on my kombucha progress.

Have you tried homemade kombucha?  Do you have any favorite flavor combos?

Veggie egg rolls

Since I am on the go a lot I like making easy finger foods that transport well and do not need to be reheated.  Today I made a delish batch of veggie spring rolls.

I baked mine, but you could just as easily fry them.  You can also fill them with whatever veggies you have in the fridge (or meat).

I use egg roll wraps from the produce section.  They are usually near the herbs.  You can also use wonton wrapers and make dumplings.  There were 16 wrappers in the package and I was able to make 14 egg rolls.  I guess I'll need to find something to do with the other two wrappers now!

Whatever you decide to fill them with, you will not be able to eat just one!

1 package wraps. $1.50
1 small onion $0.37
2 carrots. $0.32
1/4 head small cabbage $0.50
1/2 package mushrooms. $1.00
1/2 carton tofu diced. $0.75 1 inch piece ginger $0.05
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil $0.10
3 Tbsp soy sauce. $0.05
3 Tbsp fish sauce. $0.05
1 Tbsp sugar. $0.05
2 Tbsp rice vinegar $.10
2 Tbsp oyster sauce $0.10

Total cost: $4.94

Saute onions, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms in sesame seed oil until soft. Add tofu and sauces. Cook for about 3 minutes more. Turn off heat and let veggies marinate in sauce. Add a spoonful to eggroll sheet and wrap. Bake at about 350 degrees until tops of rolls are brown.

Cost per egg roll - just $0.35!!  You can't beat that anywhere!

Black bean & corn burgers

So if you hadn't noticed this is my second burger post in a week.  I love making burgers.  Not only can I whip out a weeks worth of lunch, they are cheap to make.  In addition the ingredient possibilities are endless.
Today I made spicy black bean and corn burgers.   I love black bean and Cuban combo and the added paprika topped with avocado makes it all more delish.

The other, more like third great thing about burgers is they are easy to transport and do not need me to reheat.  This means I can throw one in my bag for class or work in a cinch.

I used dried beans and frozen corn in this recipe because it's cheaper.  But you could certainly use canned beans and fresh corn (when in season of course).

Spicy black bean burgers
2 1/2 cups cooked black beans  - $0.59
1 cup corn - $0.30
1 sm onion - $0.50
2 clove garlic $0.26
1 cup oats  $0.72
Olive Oil  $0.25
paprika, cumin, salt, pepper to taste  $0.10

Total cost:  $2.72
Package of hamburger buns $2.99

Cost per burger + bun: $0.84

Can't buy such a cheap delish burger at any restaurant!!

Saute onion in  a little bit of oil until soft.  Add garlic and spices.  Cook about 2 minutes longer.
Pulse oats in food processor until they look like flour.
Combine beans, corn, onion mixture into food processor.  Pulse until smooth.
Form mixture into patties the size that you want. I made about 8 patties.  Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Butternut squash bread

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but since I have it has replaced zucchini bread in my kitchen.

I have to make sure I make some sort of bread or muffins each week or I spend a ridiculous amount of money buying muffins.  Since my 2nd seasonal job is finished today I have to eliminate the extra money I allocated for eating out.

To say that this bread is delish is an understatement, moist, sweet, and fluffy all make this a excellent choice for a breakfast bread or an afternoon snack with a cup of tea.

The original recipe calls for 1cup sugar and 1/4 cup water.  Today I substituted honey for the white sugar and omitted the 1/4 cup of water.  The original recipe also calls for white flour and I used some white/wheat combo bag I accidently picked up. 

Every time I make this bread it only lasts about two days before I eat it all.

Total costs for the loaf $4.33.  Much cheaper than buying $2 muffins every day.  I included .25 for the spices.  They have been in my cabinet and I don't remember how much I paid and calculating cost from a bottle of salt gives me too much of a headache now.  I buy my spices from an Indian grocery and get huge bags of cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, etc for about $2. 

Recipe

1 c. Butternut squash puree (see recipe below)
2 eggs - .66
1/2 c. Oil (I used olive) - .44
1/2 c. Honey - .68
1/2 c brown sugar - .38
1 3/4 c. Flour - . 34
1 tsp baking soda - .04
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamon

Butternut squash puree
1/2 cooked butternut squash $1
6 Tbsp butter - .56
2 Tbsp brown sugar -  .05
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Head oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil a loaf pan (or muffin tin).
Combine ingredients for puree in food processor and combine until smooth.  You might have to add a bit of water. 

In mixing bowl, mix eggs, puree, oil, honey, and brown sugar until smooth.  Add flour and spices and mix until just combined.

Pour mixture into an oiled loaf pan, bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until done.

Delish Korean Lunch

I decided to treat myself today and try one of the many Korean restaurants near my house.  The place I picked has insanely cheap lunch deals and I decided on Korean Rice cake and dumpling.

The restaurant is in a house and very warm and cozy on this freezing January day.

Which apparently is a soup.  I am not sure what else is in it, i don' think it's vegetarian so hopefully my stomach will like me afterwards.

I really love the cute spoon cover.  I apologize for the photo not showing it clearly.  Oh! The cost of my delish lunch? $6.99. For sure grad school friendly!

Time to dig in!

Delish veggie burger

I am always on the hunt for a yummy veggie burger.  Eating the same same all the time gets more than a little boring for me.  As a grad student veggie burgers on the cheap are always an A+.  That means the staples for the burger will be beans, something that I eat o'plenty.  This recipe uses chickpeas and red lentils.  I really threw in what I had left in the fridge, hence the 1/4 sweet potato (leftover from breakfast)

I don't remember where I adopted this recipe from, but there are a ton of chickpea & lentils in the land of internet.

I am estimating the measurements below, you can add or subtract for your taste preference. 

You can use can or dried chickpeas.  I used dried, well because they are cheaper and I can flavor them as they cook. 

Makes about 8 palm size burgers

1 1/2c. Cooked chickpeas
1 c. Dried lentils (not sure how much this is cooked)
1 sm onion
2 carrots
1/4 sweet potato
1 c oats
Cumin
Salt & pepper
1 Tbsp Tahini
Cilantro
Garlic
1 egg
Olive oil

Cook the lentils.  As the cook sautee the onion, carrot, and garlic until the onions are tender.  Season with cumin, salt, & pepper.

Grind oats into flour in a food processor.  Dump into a bowl. 

Grind chickpeas, onion mixture, tahini, cilantro, and egg in food processor.  Dump in a bowl.

Grind sweet potato in food processor.  Dump in bowl.

Add lentils to bowl (this is the same bowl with all of your other ingredients).  This is where you get dirty...mix everything with your hands.  Add more oats as needed.

You want the mixture to be moist, but not soggy. 

Form into patties, lay on wax paper and stick in the fridge for about 1/2 hr - 1 hr. 

Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan and brown patties on each side.

Serve with your favorite toppings.  And yes tator tots are okay! I am a fan of spinach and avocado! 

Noms noms!

What do you add to your veggie burger?

Couscous Goodness

I have been in love with Israeli Couscous lately.  Costco of all places sells this jumbo bag for less than $10, so I couldn't pass up picking up a bag (or two).   I like the chewy texture of the pearls more than the smaller varieties.  Plus is so fun mixing with lots of new ingredients.  

My latest recipe involves tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, onions, garlic, olives, romano cheese, spinach, olive oil, basil, salt & pepper. That's it and it's pure delishness! 

Start by cooking 1 cup dry couscous in 2 cups water or veggie broth.  As that's cooking, saute the diced peppers and onions in some olive oil. 

Add the garlic and spices and let the veggies cook  down.  

Dice the garlic, tomatoes, and olives. Don't they just look lovely!  

Add the garlic, olives, tomatoes and couscous to the onions and peppers.  

Add the spinach and cheese, turn off the heat.  Mix, plate, and enjoy! I like to add the spinach at the end because I don't like it to cook down too much.  

Easy Peazy pickles

I found this super easy pickle recipe on Punk Domestics they other day, so when I saw 5 for $1 cukes at the farmers market I grabbed a bunch to try my first ever batch of pickles!

They were delish after just one day! Oh my god, I can't stop eating them.  I can't wait to get more cukes to make more pickles, it's an addiction!

 

 

Small Batch Refrigerator Pickles
makes two pints
1 quart kirby cucumbers (approximately 1 1/2 pounds)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup filtered water
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons dill seed
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 spring onions (whites only), chopped

Wash and dry kirby cucumbers. Chop ends off and slice into spears. Set aside.
Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Equally divide the dill seed, garlic cloves and chopped onion between the two jars. Pack the cucumber spears into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them.

Pour the brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put lids on the jars and let them cool on the counter top. Once they’re cool, put them in the refrigerator. Let cure for at least a day before eating. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Note: Your jars may seal during the cooling process. The USDA will tell you that this doesn’t mean that your pickles are then shelf stable. However, there are people who flout those rules. Use your best judgment.

First Cabbage Fermentation

One of my intentions this year was to make more stuff from scratch: bread, cheese, yogurt, etc..  I can now add sauerkraut to that list.  I haven't tasted it yet, but it's in the jar, sitting on my kitchen table looking delish.

I used the basic recipe, cabbage, carrot, salt.  Packed it into a jar and now have to wait.  I don't like waiting, my patience is non existent so waiting for food to ferment is going to seem likes years for me. And although the cabbage looks really good, I am not sure if this type of cabbage makes for good sauerkraut.  I picked it from the summer program that I volunteer.  The school planted a lot of veggies with the kids and I have been going down a couple days a week to work with the kids in harvesting all this food that is ready.  They planted a lot of cabbage that I had not seen before.  It's a dark green, loose head cabbage.  It doesn't grow in a tight head and it's for sure not Napa cabbage.

So I chopped it up, salted it, put it in a bowl and started squeezing to get the juices out.  After a minute I discovered this type of cabbage doesn't have much juice or it's already gotten to tough while growing. So, I added more salt and let it sit on the counter for a bit hoping the salt would draw the juices out.

 After about 2 hours I had a couple of tablespoons of juice, so I packed it into the jar.  Now I must wait.

I will taste it tomorrow to see if the fermentation is taking place.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Week in review

Last week was a super fab week and since I still haven't bought a new camera (I know one of these days), hardly any of it is captured in still life.  My apologies, I just need someone to tell me what type of camera to buy. 

Here's a snap shot:

It was a berry picking week for me; blueberries and raspberries are in season and I picked about seven pounds of both last week.  My freezer is stocked full of delish berries ready to be made into something amazing.  This week I plan on picking more, not sure yet where I am going to fit it all.

Taking a ride on a steamboat that is supposed to be relaxing is not so relaxing with about 400 kids. 

The Belle of Louisville is almost 100 years old and used to be names Idlewild. 

I learned that da Vinci took about 20,000 pages of notes and was the first to document hardening of arteries.   The Frazier Museum is hosting an exhibit on the life of Leonardo da Vinci, so  I popped on in for a visit.  If you are in town or this exhibit comes to your town, you must go see it.

A local radio station hosts outdoor concerts on the last Wednesday of every month, so a friend and I took a blanket, some wine, and goodies down to enjoy the sounds of Scars on 5, Nicole Atkins, and Abigail Washburn.


I couldn't go a week without thrifting and scored a fabulous table at a newly opened wine and beer store which also has some pretty cool second hand furniture.  I have been looking for a new kitchen table for years and fell in love with the yellow top on this one.  The sides pulls out or can be tucked away when not in use.    I also got some great new vintage sheets.  I can't decide if I want to make dresses from them or just use them on the bed. 

How was your week?

The things you miss when you're not looking

I have lived in my current apartment for 3 years and just noticed not one, but two mulberry trees near me.  And one is in the back of my building! This has me thinking of how much other amazing finds I am missing because I am just not paying attention.  The other day I was walking my dog and we went to this part we always go to and Sadie decided to pee under this tree, I looked up and noticed berries resembling blackberries.  They weren't blackberries but mulberries; all ripe and delish.  Then today, again walking Sadie, I noticed another tree as she was doing her business. 

So of course I will be picking mulberries and making some jam and muffins and whatever else I can come up with.  I plan on freezing what I don't use, so I guess I need to pick a lot.  I am also thinking I need to go ahead and buy one of those vacuum sealers because I also got a plot in a community garden that is huge, so I will be growing a lot more than what I thought. 

I decided to eat a few mulberries today and I had the darnedest time getting those stems off the berry.  I just ate them, but surely there is an easy way to remove them. 

Do you have a favorite mulberry recipe?

My bi monthly trip to India

India is on my top 3 list of places to visit.  I am in love with the food, culture, traditional dress, everything! I do a lot of Indian cooking and recently fell in love with the Aarti Paarti show on the Food network. She was the winner of their show, the next food tv start, or something like that.  Here is her blog if you haven't heard of her: http://www.aartipaarti.com/  She is from India living in L.A. now and combines Indian and American cooking, has the bubbliest personality and is totally adorable. 

Anyway, there is a Indian grocery here in town that I visit  several times a month to stock up on samosas, rice, and an array of Indian spices.  It's so much cheaper buying them there than at other grocery stores.  Today I picked up a bag of basmatti rice from Pakistan and fell in love with the bag.  It's not a plastic bag, but cloth, with a handle!

I'd seen these before, but not at Patel Brothers and I'm thinking about some pillow cases, or a quilt.  What do you think I could make with it?

I also picked up some other items I was low on, including Milo which I am totally addicted too! There was a new tea in the beverage aisle, Chai Gold Saffron Tea.  It's an instant tea that kinda reminds me of those powered flavor drinks that come in tin cans, I am totally having a brain fart on the name.  Anyway, I just made some and it doesn't taste much like saffron, but has a creamy taste.   It's good, but I'm not in love with it, I might just stick to Milo.

That bag in the lower right hand corner is chick pea flour. I plan on making some spicy chick pea balls with it, they are so good, kinda like little biscuits.  I'll keep you posted on when I make those!

My passionate love affair with Farro

Several months ago I bought a bag of Farro, curious as to what it was, but it looked delicious.  The bag actually sat unopened in my kitchen for a month or two, then one day when I had nothing else to eat, I remembered Farro.  Had I known how delicous Farro  was, I would have opened it the day I bought it.  If you don't know what Farro, also called Emmr Wheat, has a very close reltionship to Spelt.  It is thought to have been first domesticated in Turkey, but is now widely grown in Europe especially in Italy.  Farro is low in  calories and fat, but high in fiber.

Farro has a slightly nutty, chewy texture and can be used in sweet or savory dishes.  My new favorite breakfast food is Farro and blueberries.  

In it's uncooked form, it almost looks like large pieces of brown rice.  Wash the Farro off, and add 1 Cup Farro to 2 cups water in a saucepan. 

Bring to a  boil, then let lower the heat and let it cook for about 15 - 20 minutes, careful not to let the water evoporate and burn the Farro (not that I've ever done that).

Add a couple of tablespoons maple syrup and some walnuts (hazelnuts, almonds will also work).

Scoop into your favorite bowl, top with some blueberries and enjoy! Fresh blueberries are best, but hard to come by in Kentucky in December so I used frozen. 

This would also be delish with strawberries, peaches or pears.  Let me know which of your favorite fruits you add to this.  What's your favorite Farro recipe?