Thrifty Recipes Blog - Living On Food Banks

Easy Shrimp Scampi

6/17/2017

I know this is not a typical meal you'll see at Living on Food banks do to the addition of delectable shrimp. But, with shrimp sales going on like crazy, you can pick up a bag for $4.99 at Save a Lot. All you need to do is add a pound of noodles for 79 cents, and an iceberg lettuce salad.

Before you know it, you've got a meal for four for under $8. So, don't give up on your love of shrimp just because the economy may be squeezing your budget a bit.

1 pound of shrimp
1/2 stick of butter
2 -3 cloves of garlic chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of pasta
parsley optional

Put butter in medium saucepan with garlic and sauté on med./low until just softened. Add peeled shrimp and cover with lid. Let cook until shrimp just turns pink (this is the key). Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Toss with one pound of pasta cooked to manufacturers directions. Yum!

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Root Beer Pork Nachos

6/16/2017

I came upon this recipe on a fun-filled weekend that left no time to cook. Two small pork roasts were recently purchased from my DDS (Deep Discount Store) and sitting in my freezer. They were a bit too small to make a dish that would last a few servings.

So I spied this one and didn't have high hopes, but it was way too easy and would get something on the table in flash when I returned home later that day.

I can tell you I was beyond pleasantly surprised. In fact, plans are underway to make this more often. The subtle sweetness of the pork blends exceptionally well with the sharp cheddar. All of your favorite toppings then add even more tasty pleasure when you bite into each chip.

1 boneless pork roast about 3 lb.
1 can (12 ounces) root beer
12 cups tortilla chips
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Pico de gallo, guacamole, chopped sweet onions, lettuce, and sliced jalapeno peppers, optional

In a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine pork roast and root beer. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 8-9 hours.

Remove roast; cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred meat with two forks. Return to slow cooker; keep warm.

To serve, drain pork. Layer tortilla chips with pork, cheese, tomatoes and, if desired, optional toppings. Serve immediately.

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BBQ Chicken Rub

6/6/2017

Before that summer wave hits, now's the time to get a few more of those whole chickens, that are on sale, in the BBQ for a delicious Sunday dinner.

Sunday's have always been a favorite time around this house especially during the best meal of the day, dinner. It's a good time to gather the family together after a hectic week and rejoin by focusing on what's important in life. Those people who are sitting right in front of you!

Try this rub early afternoon and let it sit on your chicken about 1/2 hour in the refrigerator. Then just pop them on the grill and sever with some Stir'em and Forget'em Baked beans. Who said a great dinner had to be time consuming?

1 package of thighs or drumsticks (3 lb.)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder

Place spices and sugar into bowl. Mix well. Rub on chicken and let sit a 1/2 hour in refrigerator to marry spices. Grill till no longer pink inside. That simple! YUM!

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Slow Cooker Read Beans and Rice

6/3/2017

There is nothing healthier than combining a grain with the delicious red bean.

This recipe was given to me by a Cajun and packs a delicious punch when meeting your taste buds. It is reasonable, and makes quite a pot full that can be enjoyed for snacking later on. It must be made in advanced, allowing the beans to marinate in the required mixture.

1 lb. red beans
2 large onions
2 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp. Tabasco
½ cup red wine
Water
Olive oil
¼ pd. ham ( I keep a bag of leftovers in the freezer)
Salt/pepper to taste
1 lb. Kielbasa sliced
Cooked Rice

Wash beans and place in a bowl. Add onion, garlic, pepper, wine, and hot sauce. Cover with water to ½ inch over beans. Slip in the refrigerator overnight.

Coat slow cooker with olive oil and add bean mixture, kielbasa, and ham. Cook 8 hours on low until beans are tender. Serve over rice.

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Arroz Con Polo

5/20/2017

With hours that dwindle away leaving little time to prepare a nutritious meal for your family, finding one dish meals can be ideal in this economy. Here is a version of a popular Spanish dish that will definitely tantalize taste buds young and old. It uses just a few ingredients and can produce a mound full allowing a good container of leftovers to be ravaged the following day.

By the way, turmeric can be found in your local health food store in bulk for only a few pennies. If spices seem a bit out of your reach, do visit your local health food stores that sells spices in bulk. You can purchase just an ounce for under a dollar.

1 tab. oil
1 small onion chopped
2 cups white rice
1 tsp. turmeric
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups of water
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup peas
4 chicken legs with thighs

Place bouillon in water and microwave on high until dissolved. Set aside. In a fry pan sauté onion in garlic in oil till translucent. Fry chicken until just browned, set aside. Add white rice and sauté briefly with onion, salt, pepper and garlic. Toss with turmeric. In a 13 x 9 inch baking pan place rice mixture and add bouillon. Stir gently. Top with chicken and peas. Bake at 375 for 55 min. and cover with aluminum foil. Take foil off the last 15 min. to allow browning.

Fried Pork Chops

3/16/2017

--Did you know that pork is now 16% leaner than it was 15 years ago?

--Look for the word "loin" in the name for the leanest cuts of pork.

--Pork is a great source of important nutrients, such as B-vitamins and protein.

--Pork tenderloin is just as lean as a skinless chicken breast.

--Pork's mild flavor goes well with many ethnic seasonings, spice rubs and marinades.

--It takes about eight minutes to broil, grill or sauté a pork chop.

--Pork chops are America's favorite cut of pork, and because they come from the pork loin, they are also a healthful choice.

--Because pork is so lean, it is important not to overcook it.

1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless pork chops (2-3 ounces each)
Oil

Heat oil to 1/2 inch in fry pan on medium. Place milk and egg in a shallow bowl and stir until mixed well. In another shallow bowl, toss crumbs with cheese and seasonings.

Dip pork chops in milk, then coat with crumb mixture. Place in fry pan and cook about 10 minutes on each side.

Drain on newspaper or paper towels.

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Best Ever Meatloaf

2/25/2017

Who knew meatloaf wasn’t just the invention of thrifty housewives during the Great Depression? It turns out the idea of mixing meat with a tenderizing filler traces back to the fourth or fifth century AD, when the Roman cookbook Apicius presented a recipe for patties made of chopped meat, bread, and wine. But it wasn’t until the late 1800s that American meatloaf was born, inspired by recipes offered by manufacturers of the newly invented meat grinder.

The Depression only increased meatloaf’s popularity, along with developments in food manufacturing that produced flavorful, inexpensive mix-ins like mustard and bouillon. In the 1940s, World War II rationing spawned meat-free loaves, whereas postwar creativity in the 1950s and ’60s produced the likes of Bacon-Dill Meatloaf and Spicy Peach Loaf (Good Housekeeping Cook Book, 1955). In the 1970s and ’80s, veal, pork, and beef “meatloaf mix” came into vogue, elevating the dish to dinner party-worthy status. In the 1990s, restaurateurs marketed upscale versions, and today, innovations continue as loaves are stuffed, wrapped, or laced with international flavors.

3 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
1/2 cup beef stock
2 large portobello mushrooms (about 6 ounces), cut into chunks
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
1 celery rib, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/4 pounds ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper

GLAZE:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground mustard

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine bread and stock; let stand until liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, pulse mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushroom mixture; cook and stir until tender and liquid is evaporated, 5-6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute longer. Cool slightly.

Add next seven ingredients and cooked vegetables to bread mixture; mix thoroughly. Place a 12x7-in. piece of foil on a rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking pan. Transfer meat mixture to the foil and shape into a 10x6-in. loaf.

Bake 1 hour. Mix together glaze ingredients; spread over loaf. Bake until a thermometer reads 160°, about 15-25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

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Skillet Hoppin John

2/18/2017

Across the South, many people are familiar with a dish called Hoppin’ John, a mix of rice, blackeyed peas and ham hocks or bacon. Though eaten throughout the year, this meal is usually served on New Year’s Day because many southerners believe that eating black-eyed peas on the first day of the year will bring good luck. Cabbage is also often served with Hoppin’ John because some people believe that those who eat cabbage on the first day of the year will earn more money than those who don’t.

Nobody knows the true origin, or beginning, of the name Hoppin’ John, but some believe it may have originated in Louisiana from the French Creole name for pigeon peas, a pea similar to a black-eyed pea. The French Creole term for pigeon peas is “pois a pigeon,” which is pronounced “pwah peeJon.” This may have sounded like “Hoppin’ John” to English speaking Southerners. The dish has been called Hoppin’ John ever since the early 1800s.

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute pepper, celery and onions in drippings until almost tender. Add rice, water and seasonings. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add peas and bacon; simmer 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf.

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Classic Swedish Meatballs

2/11/2017

Here's an oldie but goodie. Haven't had a pot of these in years. Great recipe to add this weekend to the usual dinner fare.

All you need is a warm pot of noodles and a salad and dinner is served!

1-2/3 cups evaporated milk, divided
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Dash pepper
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine 2/3 cup evaporated milk with the next five ingredients. Add beef; mix lightly. Refrigerate until chilled.

With wet hands, shape meat mixture into 1-in. balls. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Brown meatballs in batches. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Pour over meatballs; bring to a boil. Cover; simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together cold water and flour. Remove meatballs from skillet; skim fat, reserving juices. Add flour mixture and remaining evaporated milk to pan juices; cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring until sauce thickens.

Return meatballs to skillet. Stir in lemon juice.

Serve with egg noodles.

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Thrifty Stuffed Pasta Shells

1/22/2017

There is nothing better than a tray of stuffed shells for a weekend dinner. Sad point is that these can be a bit too expensive to make on a thrifty budget.

But here's a recipe that is wonderful and uses cottage cheese than the expensive Ricotta. You'll have the same power-packed taste with less dollars to spend.

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups hot water
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups (16 ounces) cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
24 jumbo shell noodles, cooked and drained

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in water, tomato paste, bouillon and oregano. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine egg, cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Stuff shells with cheese mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange shells in a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Pour meat sauce over shells. Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer.

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