Living On Food Banks - Thrifty Recipes Blog

Fabulous Beefy Burritos

10/20/2019

It's fall, and thank goodness ground beef has dropped a bit in price! This is the season to be on the lookout at Winn Dixie for all those by one get one specials this season. Roasts will soon be in your circulars toting prices that can't be seen during the summer months. Roasts can be a God-send if you ensure you are able to get a couple of meals out of them.

With ground beef on sale this week, I picked up a pound and a half and made 8 big whopping burritos that gave me a free lunch for the following day. These beefy beauties are made on those extra large 10 inch tortillas so they are a true rib stick'n meal. Filled with one pound of potatoes, that ground beef extends to two pounds of pleasure. Give these a try and reap the leftovers the following day!

1 1/2 pd. ground beef
1 taco seasoning packet
3/4 cup water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Juice 1/2 lemon

2 medium potatoes, about one pd. peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 tab. oil

(8) flour 10 inch tortillas
(1) 8 oz. block of cheddar cheese shredded

Fry ground meat and drain when cooked and no longer pink. Add taco seasoning, water, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, and lemon juice. Cook 8-10 min. Set aside.

In a non-stick fry pan, cook potatoes in oil. When golden, about 5-6 min., drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to ground beef mixture.

Place about 2/3 cup of beefy mixture onto each tortilla shell. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. Fold bottom and sides of tortilla over filling and roll up. Wrap each burrito in tin foil and bake for 15-18 min. at 400 degrees.

Cotton On (US)

Black Bean Dip

10/20/2019

With the joys of fall in full swing, it's important to have great protein filled snacks ready in the fridge to keep your energy reserves high. Days seem to turn into endless hours that often tempt us to reach for the easy snack sections in our pantry when hunger rises. But with a bit of preplanning, you can have luscious snacks ready at your fingertips for easy snacking. Here's one that is thrifty and satisfying.

2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 medium onion chopped
tsp. oil
Sauté above ingredients in a saucepan until soft

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans drained
3 tab. lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne or pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tab. water

Add above ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend slightly. Top with sauteed ingredients and blend until smooth. Grab some pita chips!

halloweencostumes.com

Air Fryer: Apple Tartlets

10/13/2019

Got a few extra apples from your food basket? Here's a great way to utilize this amazing dish in your air fryer.

Crisp and delectably succulent inside, this will be a winner!

1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 medium Granny Smith apples, diced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
1/2 (14 ounce) package pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
cooking spray
1 large egg beaten

Combine apples, butter, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Unroll pie crust on a lightly floured surface and roll out slightly to smooth the surface of the dough. Cut the dough into circles small enough so that 4 can fit in your air fryer at one time. Repeat with remaining crust until you have 8 equal circles, re-rolling some of the scraps of dough if needed.

Wet the outer edges of 4 circles with water and place some apple filling in the center about 1/2-inch from the edges. Roll out the remaining 4 circles so that they are slightly larger than the filled ones. Place these rectangles on top of the filling; crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Cut 4 small slits in the tops of the pies.

Spray the basket of an air fryer with cooking spray. Spread each tartlet with egg mixture.

Insert basket and set the temperature to 385 degrees F (195 degrees C). Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove pies from the basket and repeat with the remaining 2 pies.
Mix together powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl. Brush glaze on warm pies and allow to dry. Serve pies warm or at room temperature.

diet.mayoclinic.org

Easy Enchiladas

10/12/2019

If you don't enjoy the usual spicy fare of these types of entrees, you're going to love this one! Feel free to omit the green chilies, and you've got one meal that will offer a tasty amount of protein in one dish.

Easy to put together, this one will take minutes to pop in the oven.

1.5 pounds lean ground beef
salt and pepper
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies, optional
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans or lentils, rinsed and drained
8 large flour tortillas
3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
1 large can enchilada sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook the ground beef and onion in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until it is browned and completely cooked through, using a spatula to break up the beef into small pieces as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a separate bowl and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the remaining grease, and discard the rest.

Stir in the green chilies, if using and beans, and cook for 1 minute to warm, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat, and stir the ground beef and 1/4 cup enchilada sauce into the mixture until combined. Set aside.

To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, ground beef mixture, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Portion about 1/8th of the ground beef mixture and spread it in a line down the center of the tortilla, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Spread any of the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas, then sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top.

SwimOutlet.com

Air Fryer: Apple Pie Chips

10/6/2019

It’s happening. Air fryers are big this year. And I’m very into it. Crispy food without submerging it in oil? No heating up the oven? Homemade chips and chimichangas and mozzarella sticks?! I’m in.

2 large apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter

Prepping the apples: Slice an apple using a mandoline slicer (preferred method) or a knife, making slices about 1/8 of an inch thick. Remove seeds and stems from middle slices. Toss apple slices in a bowl with cinnamon and oil. I prefer to add the cinnamon in small dashes to get some on every apple slice, instead of dumping it all on one apple. In the same way, I prefer to spray the oil lightly over the top, stir, and then give another light spray to try and disperse the oil evenly. Preheat your air fryer for about 2 minutes at 300F.

Drying the chips: Place all the apple slices into the air fryer basket. Cook at 300F for 20-25 minutes, flipping and rotating apples every 5 minutes. Make sure slices in the middle of the pile are rotated out and all slices are exposed to the hot air at some point. Continue cooking at this temperature until the apples appear completely dried out, with no more shiny or “wet” spots remaining. The edges of the chips will begin to shrivel. If your chips are burning at all during this drying phase, lower the temperature of the air fryer by 25 degrees F.

Crisping the chips: Once the apple slices appear completely dry, increase the air fryer temperature to 325F. Check, flip and shake the apple chips every 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Chips will take 4-8 minutes total to crisp up, depending on thickness and amount. (If they’re cooking too slowly, up the temp by 10 degrees. If they’re cooking too quickly, lower the temp by 10 degrees.) The chips will begin to fly around the inside of the air fryer during this phase. They will begin to curl and gain color quickly. Remove any chips that are browning quicker than others.

Let the chips cool for at least 5 minutes and then enjoy! For maximum crispiness, enjoy the apple chips 10-20 minutes after they come out of the air fryer. They will last up to 5 days in a container at room temperature but will become soft overnight.

halloweencostumes.com

Air Fryer: Onion Rings

10/6/2019

Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings are perfectly seasoned, dipped in batter, dredged in panko breadcrumbs and then cooked to crispy-perfection in the Air Fryer! These faux-fried onion rings are tender on the inside and so crisp on the outside, just how we love them.
They make a great healthier but so delicious snack or side dish. Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauce for the perfect party appetizer or game day snack!

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt, divided
1/2 cup buttermilk, see tips above for making your own
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow sweet onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick and separated into rings
Oil Spray, optional

You need three shallow bowls or deep plates. In the first one combine flour, paprika, and ½ tsp salt. In the second combine buttermilk (or milk and vinegar/lemon juice) and egg, then add ¼ cup of the flour mixture from the first bowl. In the third combine panko breadcrumbs, ½ tsp salt and olive oil with a fork until the oil is evenly distributed.

Dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture, drop them in the buttermilk mixture and then dredge them in the panko mixture.

Place onion rings in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket. You can place smaller rings inside bigger rings if necessary, just make sure there is space between them.

Cook at 400°F until golden brown and crispy, about 12-15 minutes. Spray with some cooking spray after about 6 minutes.

BioTopic

Air Fryer: Crispy Fries

9/29/2019

IS USING AN AIR FRYER HEALTHY?

Yes, it’s healthier that deep frying because you use less oil.
An air fryer is an excellent way to reduce a massive amount of fat and calories without sacrificing taste.
Since air fryers use air to cook food, it doesn’t require the extra calories that submerging food in oil would add.

nonstick spray
1 medium potatoes, 6 oz, Yukon gold or russet, washed and dried
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat the air fryer 380°F.

Cut the potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch thin slices; then cut each slice into 1/4 inch fries. (A mandolin is helpful here).

Soak potatoes in ice water for one hour. Drain and dry with paper towels.

In a medium bowl toss the potatoes and oil. Season with salt, garlic powder and black pepper to taste; toss to coat.

Place the potatoes in the basket in an even layer without overlapping or crowding, cook the potatoes 12 to 15 minutes, turning halfway until crisp.

Brandable

Camping Recipes: Corn and Corn Fritters

9/28/2019

These are delicious when out in the great outdoors. Make extra and store in a Ziplock bag for an easy snack removal.

2 Cups Corn Bread Mix
½ Cup Water
½ Cup Canned Corn, Rinsed and Drained
2 Tablespoons Sugar
¼ Cup Cooking Oil

These tasty treats are good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just a snack. Add the Corn Bread Mix and the Sugar into a bowl and mix. Then slowly add the water and keep mixing. While you want constant mixing, you do not want to over-mix. Next, add the drained Canned Corn and give it one more mix.

The secret to making Fritters is to make sure the Cooking Oil is super hot when we start. Start off with a skillet and add a little bit of oil to cover the bottom, it'll probably be around one-fifth of the ¼ Cup of Cooking Oil. Ladle some of the batter into the oil and cook until crispy on the bottom side, about 3 minutes. Then flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Drain them on paper towels as you finish off the rest of the batter.

Panda Planner

Camping Recipes: Bannock Bread

9/28/2019

Here's a great family recipe that everyone can get involved in. Nothing like the smell of fresh baked bread even if your camping!

Just premeasure dry ingredients in a Ziploc bag, and all you need to do is dump when its time to fry.

3 Cups Flour
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
Dash of salt
3 Tablespoons Fat, either oil, lard, or butter
? Cup Warm Water (depends)

Bannock Bread is one of the most famous and easy camping recipes in the world. Some eat it as dessert, some eat it for breakfast, others share it as a snack. Either way it is a perfect microcosm for simple campfire cooking.

Making Bannock Bread is all about feel. The more you make it, the better you get. Start off by adding all the ingredients, except the water, in a bowl. Mix this with your fingers. You want the dough to feel crumbly, like breadcrumbs. Don't use the palm of your hand, instead just use your fingers; over-mixing produces gluten and that is bad.

Now is the time for the water. Slowly add some water and then mix with your fingers. You're looking for a dough that's soft and malleable. Odds are you will not need more than 2/3 cup of water, so stop there. Keep mixing the dough, with your fingers, until it holds together and seems sticky and bouncy at the same time.

For cooking you can add it to a skillet with a little bit of oil or butter and cook each side until it's nice and crispy. Or, for the kids, you can take some dough and wrap it around your perfect Marshmallow roasting stick and have them cook it over an open fire. Just make sure you work the dough so it sticks and doesn't fall while cooking.

eLuxury Supply

Tangy Grilled Pork Chops

9/22/2019

Still time to crank open that BBQ grill before the cold weather starts. This is a fantastic, smack-your-lips recipe that's easy fare.

Just pull together a few ingredients and allow them to marinate those succulent pork chops, and you've got a great dinner this evening.

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6 bone-in pork loin chops (8 ounces each)
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, chili sauce and garlic powder. Remove 1/4 cup for basting and refrigerate. Add pork chops to the remaining marinade; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, turning once.

Drain and discard marinade from chops. Grill, covered, over medium-hot heat for 4 minutes. Turn; baste with reserved marinade. Grill 4-7 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Brandable