BROCOLLI BEEF STIR FRY

Serves 2

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large frying pan or chicken fryer on medium heat.
Add:

1 sliced onion
1 large minced garlic clove
1 Tablespoon grated ginger (1tsp dry)
½ sliced bell pepper
½ C sliced mushrooms
Cook 5 minutes (if it gets to dry add a bit of water)

Remove from pan, set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ pound sliced beef (you a less expensive cut)
2 C beef broth
2 tablespoons lite salt soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Cook on low heat until beef is tender.
Take two tablespoons of liquid out and add 1 tablespoon corn starch to it. Add to pan. This will thicken the mixture

Add veggie mix, ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, and a handful of Canton Noodles. Mix and cover for 5 minutes until noodles are soft.

If you don’t want noodles serve beef mix over rice.

POST-GROCERY SHOPPING –PREP WORK

The work week can be busy enough as it is. By preparing your produce you can save time.

Here are some hints for post-grocery prep work that saves me time.

1.     ALWAYS wash produce when you get home. You don’t know who has touched your produce.

2.     Wipe off your cans and boxes. During flu and cold season these containers spread germs.

3.     Buy meat in bulk for the week and break it down covering it with aluminum foil and place in freezer bags. Always label your freezer goods and add a date. Note: Buying in bulk when an item is on sale

4.     Never wash off mushrooms. You can take a damp cloth and brush off the dirt or purchase a small basting brush or small soft painting brush and get rid of the dirt. Wrap them in paper towels and seal in bag.
Note: Mushrooms absorb water. When you cook them they release water as do onions.

5.     If you make salads during the week chop up the vegetables you use like carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, and such. This way you just grab a handful of produce to top your salads.

6.     Leftover bread is buttered or brushed with olive oil and garlic then chopped up and made into croutons or toasted for bread crumbs.

7.     In winter or summer if I have to heat up the oven I use it for multiple projects.
Note: croutons, broiling peppers, cookies, bread, muffins for the week. I try to make all my dressings and sauces on the weekend or the day I grocery shop.

8.     I buy my oatmeal, flour, sugar, rice, nuts, and snacks in bulk. Make sure you put the new product on the bottom.

9.     Wash lettuce, dry off leaves, and wrap in paper towels the put in zip lock bag.

10. If you use cabbage for stir fry’s, soups, and slaw or mostly chopped up, slice cabbage and soak in water with 1 teaspoon salt. Drain on towel and wrap in paper towel and again store in plastic zip lock.
NOTE: ALL ORGANIC PRODUCE WILL GO BAD FASTER. EAT WITHIN A WEEK.

 Save paper bags for shipping paper or use the same bags next time you shop

Salmon Patties with Corn Relish

Even though it was a bit to done it was still great. I sauté all my veggies for the pizzas I make. I don’t have the oven pizza joints have, (the extreme heat) so cooking most of the liquid out first helps. It even helps to nuke or cook your meat first too...less grease.

Ingredients:

One single serving pre-cooked pizza dough

(I used Tandoori NAAN Roasted Garlic )

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic grated

Tablespoon butter

1/4 sliced onion

4 sliced mushrooms (I buy roons with very small stems since I cut them off.

(It must be the frugal in me)

1 diced roma tomato

salt and pepper to taste (remember salt brings out the flavor of these veggies)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

4 large basil leaves diced

Parmesan cheese

Put olive oil in small glass container with grated garlic and microwave for 20 seconds.

Saute onions in butter for 2 minutes, add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, add salt and pepper, tomato, oregano, and basil.

Put pizza dough in toaster oven on broil for 4 minutes. Flip over and repeat.

Brush on garlic olive oil, including the garlic, on the toasted pizza dough then add the veggies.

Top with parmesan cheese. As much as you want.

Put back under broiler and cook until cheese is melted.

Makes one serving

One-Pot Cabbage Rolls

One-Pot Cabbage Rolls served with cottage cheese.

This is a real easy dish. It's much easier than boiling cabbage and rolling meat inside. Besides remember my propane oven doesn't cook well and the toaster oven makes it so hot inside. I try to make most of my meals one-pot recipes. You can substitute tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, garlic, and Italian seasonings for marinara sauce and pork instead of beef.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 chopped onion

1 clove garlic grated

1 # ground meat (80/20)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

(left over rice or additional veggies optional)

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon cane sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 head of cabbage

Brown onion in olive oil and cook for 3 minutes then add garlic cook one more minute. Add meat, salt, pepper, paprika, and optional rice and veggies. Remove from pan when brown. Drain grease. 

Add to pan: tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Add salt and pepper if desired. If you want it a bit heat add chili flakes or mild chili without seeds. Cook for 15 minutes.

Add meat mixture and mix. Top with cabbage and cook till cabbage is done.

Makes 4 servings.

One Pot Meat Loaf Revised

I am always updating and revising my meat loaf. This time hubby said it was so much better. I added red gravy and red spuds. I add salt and pepper in various stages. It's up to you how much you need. Always taste the gravy and adjust seasonings.
I hope you try this one.

Two cooked meat loaf logs

Meat loaf served with red potatoes and red gravy along with fresh wedges of cucumbers.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion
1 large garlic clove grated
salt/pepper to taste
One Slice homemade bread diced
1 egg
1/4 C milk
salt/pepper
1 large roasted bell pepper from a jar diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ItalianSeasonings
2 tablespoons basil pesto from jar
1.5 pounds 80/20 ground beef
1 beef seasoning packet
1/2 C water
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoon flour
1/2 C ready tomato soup
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon cane sugar
salt pepper
2 large baked or nuked red potatoes cut in 1/4" slices.

Sauté onions in olive oil for 2 minutes add garlic cook 2 more minutes on medium heat add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Combine: Bread, milk, egg, bell pepper, oregano, Italianseasoning, basil pesto, meat and onion/garlic mixture.
Make two logs and put in pan where onions were. Brown on both sides and add beef seasonings and water. Cook 20 minutes on low covered.
Take logs out. Add butter, flour and add more to thicken. Add tomato soup, basil, chili sauce, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 10 minutes. Add sliced red potatoes.
Slice one meatloaf log and set on top of gravy and potatoes.
I saved the second log for lunches.

Easy Veggie Pizza

This is a bit on the DONE side. I got side tracked. 

Even though it was a bit to done it was still great. I sauté all my veggies for the pizzas I make. I don’t have the oven pizza joints have, (the extreme heat) so cooking most of the liquid out first helps. It even helps to nuke or cook your meat first too...less grease.

Ingredients:

One single serving pre-cooked pizza dough

(I used Tandoori NAAN Roasted Garlic )

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic grated

Tablespoon butter

1/4 sliced onion

4 sliced mushrooms (I buy roons with very small stems since I cut them off.

(It must be the frugal in me)

1 diced roma tomato

salt and pepper to taste (remember salt brings out the flavor of these veggies)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

4 large basil leaves diced

Parmesan cheese

Put olive oil in small glass container with grated garlic and microwave for 20 seconds.

Saute onions in butter for 2 minutes, add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, add salt and pepper, tomato, oregano, and basil.

Put pizza dough in toaster oven on broil for 4 minutes. Flip over and repeat.

Brush on garlic olive oil, including the garlic, on the toasted pizza dough then add the veggies.

Top with parmesan cheese. As much as you want.

Put back under broiler and cook until cheese is melted.

Makes one serving

Shopping & Organization

.
I have found over the years that making a shopping list is VERY important on a budget or just because it's easier. Each week I make a menu of the week’s dinners, what I need for lunches, breakfast, and snacks. This saves from duplication and an unending supply of ITEMS ON SALE.
Living in a Tin Can I can't buy much in bulk so I try to be VERY frugal.

My cabinets are organized and I have some bulk items in buckets like flour and sugar. Living in a humid area and surrounded by possible Sugar Ants and Red Ants I put all my bags of noodles, cookies, crackers,syrup,honey, cereal....anything from a bag or box in plastic containers or large sealed bags.
Here is my way of organizing. Thank goodness for those plastic wire stackables and buckets.

Upper Cabinet Storage

Lower Cabinet Storage

Updated Organized Counter