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

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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

Lamb Shanks & Bean Stew

Lamb Shank with Bean Stew

I am addicted to lamb. We went to a Mediterranean Buffet in Houston and found some new dishes. This is my version of their Lamb Shanks. Lamb is one of the best meats for a “B Type” blood. I have really been trying to keep to the “Blood Type” diet as much as I can. I have not had. It is a good way to eat all around. Eating whole foods and cooking from scratch may be more expensive, especially when I buy organic, but I would rather pay for good ingredients than good doctors.
Enjoy this stew/soup.

LAMB SHANK WITH BEANS      4 servings

2C Dried twelve bean soup mix
Water
1 large lamb shank frozen
package of chicken broth
¼ of large sweet onion
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 Cloves garlic minced
1 Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon pepper
1 Teaspoon jalapeno pepper minced

Soak dried beans overnight in water. (at least 4 inches above the beans in a bowl).
Next day combine beans, shank (frozen), chicken broth, onion, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in slow cooker. Cover with water at least 2 inches above mixture.
Cook 6-8 hours on high
Turn off or put on warm and add jalapenos. Take meat off bone and shred. (Use a fork)
 Let stew sit for 1-2 hours on warm giving the jalapenos time to spice it up. You can eliminate this if you do not want it hot or you can add more if you like hot stew.

You can add carrots and celery to this mix if you wanted. It is basically a stew.

Serve with warm crusty bread or cornbread.

FAMOUS TACO SALAD

This is a good recipe for a hot summer day when you just don't want to cook or just need something fast to make.

15 ounce can black beans    If you dont like black beans buy organic refired beans
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 lg onion chopped
1 cup red wine (or broth if you desire)
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
1 Pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons taco seasonings
3 C Romaine lettuce
2/3 Salsa
4 Tablespoons diced or shredded cheddar cheese
2 Dollips sour cream (your choice)
1 Avocado sliced ( or makd Guacamole dip by smashing up the avos and add salsa)
Tortilla Chips

Combine beans, brown sugar, onion, and wine (or broth) in small pot and cook till most of the liquid is gone. Salt and pepper to taste. Let them cool while you brown the meat mixed with taco seasonings.
Build your salad:
Half the beans on each plate
In order top beans with:
Half lettuce, one serving of ground beef, half salsa, 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 dollip of sour cream, 1/2 avocado sliced.
You can substitute ground beef for any meat.
Hubby adds Salsa Verde to his salad.

ONE POT MEAT LOAF

I am always looking for ways to not cook in my toaster oven, since my real oven is awful and only for pan storage.
This time I took a meatloaf recipe and tried it out in my "One Pot Pan".
I use a 2" chicken fryer pan, because it is deep enough for meat loaf logs.
I suppose I should have taken pictures but didn't. I will next time.
Putting both oblong meat loafs in this pan is just right. Remember not to handle the loaf much when mixing. Just get it together and softly form two loafs.

ONE SKILLET MEAT LOAF

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped                 
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoon chili sauce
1/3 C chicken broth
3 tsp Worchester sauce
1/3 C chicken broth or left over tomato sauce
½ C dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2# 91% or higher ground beef ( you could subsitute 1/2 lb of lamb)
4 tablespoons ketchup

In large medium hot chicken fry skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion cook 2 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, chili sauce, broth, Worchester sauce. Cook 5 minutes. Take out of pan and set aside to cool.
In large bowl, combine ground beef, parmesan, bread crumbs, and eggs. Add onion mix. Be careful not to mix or pack meat.

Heat large chicken fry pan. Add 1 tablespoons olive oil. Make two large loafs and set side by side in pan.
Top with 2 tablespoons ketchup on each loaf. Cook on low for 1 hour. Add a little water in the beginning. Keep the lid on and cook until done.

Makes 6 servings

White Bean and Ham Hocks

Now that I have a permanent job, I have to be far more organized. Choosing one-pot meals and using the slow cooker will be essential. My hours are either 8am-2pm or 3pm-9pm.

One good thing about finally being employed means that we can shop exclusively at Whole Foods and farmers markets. Now my challenge will be buying food frugally. Yep, meals that take only a few ingredients. I looked up the "Five Ingredient" girl on FoodTV, but the ingredients are just something I would only use once in a while. I try to keep ingredients I will use often. I even refill my spice jars with bulk spices in small quanities. This way my dried spices stay fresh. Occasionally I buy fresh herbs like basil for Itallian meals.

Tonights meal is a slow cooker meal. I forgot to soak my white beans last night so I cooked them on the stove.

White Beans and Ham Hocks

3C dried White Beans

1 onion chopped

3 celery stocks including the tender leaves (optional)

Ham Hock (what ever size you like)

salt and pepper to taste

You can either soak the beans over night in water, 4" of water above the beans, or you can cook the beans on your stove with water at least 2 inches over the beans. Heat on the stove until it boils then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover for 2 hours.

Put Ham Hock in the slow cooker, add chopped onions, celery, and beans. Salt and Pepper to taste. Don't add much salt, because the ham hock is salty. Cook on high for 4 hours or until the beans are cooked. Test the beans and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with home made cornbread and honey.

Makes 4 servings.

Stuffed Turkey Rolls

Yes, another hot day. Can you believe it, THUNDER and no rain. I was told it had something to do with the heat today. I need to find out more about that.
And again, another one pot entree. Easy to clean when you use paper plates. Just the pan, utensils, and glasses.

Stuffed Turkey Rolls                        Serves 3

4 green onions diced
1/4 of a bell pepper cut in small pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 small mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 C fresh spinach
6 turkey fillets or tenders
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (divided for 6 fillets or a pinch of parmesan cheese per fillet)
6 teaspoons ricotta

Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Add green onions and bell peppers. Sautee for 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms. Cook until soft then add salt and pepper. Add spinach and cook till wilted.
Set aside in a bowl.
Pound turkey fillets thin sprinkling with salt and pepper to taste and fill 6 turkey fillets with vegetable mixture, 1 teaspoon ricotta, and a pinch of parmesan cheese. Roll up using tooth picks to close. It doesn't have to be pretty. If it takes 5 tooth picks its okay. You will take the tooth picks out when you are done. The turkey will stay in place after its cooked.
Add 1 tablespoon to pan and brown turkey rolls on each side. After they are browned add 1/8 C water and cover to steam. This won't take long. Probably 10 minutes, depending on how thin your fillets are.
TAKE TOOTH PICKS OUT and serve.

You can substitute chicken if you want. I don't eat chicken. It is not good for my type B blood
See my oher blog PreventionWithoutDrugs.

We had left over fresh steamed beets. I had brown rice and hubby had corn on the cob.

Skillet Lasagna

Like I told you before it gets hot in our Tin Can. You really do not want to cook inside and since we have not bought a new BBQ I need to be creative.
I have a propane oven but it heats the place up and does not cook well. I could use the toaster oven but that pulls a lot of electricity and REALLY heats the place up. Therefore, "One Pot Cooking" seems to be what I do most.

I bought all the ingredients to make Lasagna, but it is 104 today and our air conditioning is going strong. The interior temperature stays about 80 until the sun goes down. There is no wind here to cool us down at night like our home state of Nevada. I feel bad wishing for tropical storms that will bring rain here to cool us off. Just a bit of rain....maybe a slow half hour sprinkle?

Skillet Lasagna

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 lb hamburger
1/4 sweet onion cut up
2 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Teaspoon: oregano, Tarragon, Basil or 1.5 teaspoons of Italian Seasonings
1-14.5 can tomatoes with Italian seasonings.
1 Tablespoon sugar (I use cane sugar because all my ingredients are organic or natural)
8 ounces noodles (use what you have)
4 ounces of Ricotta
6 ounces of Mozzarella
Handful of parmesan cheese

Cook noodles and drain.
In separate large pan add olive oil then add hamburger. Cook until there is no more pink. Drain and add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes and add spices, sugar and cook for 15 minutes.
Set aside half of meat mixture.
Spread half of the noodles over meat mixture top with half of the ricotta (put teaspoon drops all over the noodles). Top with half the mozzarella, Repeat ending with noodles. Top with parmesan cheese and put lid on pan. Cook on low until cheeses melts.

Serves 4

Serve with tossed green salad with Italian dressing along with crusty bread. Oh yea, and a good bottle of wine.



Easy Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie is like a goulash to me. Whatever meat I have left over I make this recipe.

For this recipe I used left over pulled pork from a recipe on Pioneer Woman on Food TV. The name of the recipe is Spicy Pop Pulled Pork. Of course, her recipes are for an army since she cooks for four children, husband, and some ranch hands. I cut this recipe in half and still put 1/3 of it in the freezer. Trying to cook for two always gives me something to put in the freezer.

Tamale Pie       Serves 4-6

3C water
1C corn meal
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 large onion minced
1/2 bell pepper sliced
1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kernel corn
1 sm can sliced olives
21/2 Tablespoons chili powder
up to 2 C leftover meat

Heat large skillet (the chicken fry pan that is 3" deep), add olive oil. Sautee onions and peppers.
Meanwhile combine water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cornmeal and 1/2 tablespoon chili powder and cook stirring constantly until thick.
To onion  mix add tomatoes, corn, remaining salt, meat, and remaining chili powder. Cook enough to heat up then add a couple scoops of cornmeal to thicken sauce, add olives.
Spread half of the cornmeal in an 8" square glass-baking dish after spraying with oil. Add the meat mixture and top with the remaining cornmeal.
Cook at 375 for 40 minutes.

If you want to spice it up you can add jalapeno. I had left over corn/bean/homemade salsa relish left over and put that in.

Serve with a green salad and cottage cheese.

Stocking Up

This is the time of the year where you can get great fresh produce. Now is the time to stock up for those days you either just don't want to cook or because winter is to harsh for a garden and the stores are to expensive.

Here is a real good list of items you should always keep in your home. I can't do this because my frig is very small. I used to stock up when I had a house.
Both of these links are from my new found foodtv host, Ree Drummond.
Check out her kitchen. Wow cement for counter tops. Do you need an engineer for that? hehe

Stocking up
Stocking up printable list.

Like I said in my previous post. If you are making chili or spaghetti for dinner make enough for another meal and freeze it.
A good way to freeze veggie or fruit:
Clean the fresh produce
Chop them into sizes you want
Set fruit on a sheet pan in one layer in your freezer (this is flash freezing)
After it freezes put in air tight bags or use vacuume bags ( my choice is vacuume seal them)
LABLE the bags. Make sure you put a date on it too.

The Frugal Shopper

How I stay within a weekly food budget:

1. Check your cabinets and see what you could use for this week.
2. Check the sales at your favorite stores and farmer's markets.
3. Make a weekly menu. This includes breakfast and lunch, especially if you take a bag lunch as we do. If you make waffles, from scratch, make a double recipe and put the rest in freezer for another day.
4. Try to make meals with similar ingredients. Example: chili and chicken parmesan, or broths and beans. If round steak is on sale think of a couple similar meals you can fix. Same with chicken.
5. NEVER buy what isn't on your list. Double check the ingredients for each meal.
6. Make your deserts and snacks. It doesn't take that much time.
7. Wash all produce before putting it away. INCLUDING YOUR CANS. Lots of germs on them.
8. Eat in season. Here is a list of produce in season by month.
Snack ideas that are easy.

1. Popcorn in a popcorn maker. You can put spices on them or cheese.
2. Granola Bar. See recipe below
3. Make cookies. Only bake enough for a couple days. Put the rest of the dough in the freezer.
4. Cut up veggies and make a simple dip.
5. Peanut Butter on crackers or veggies. I like it on celery.

No Bake Granola

3-4 C oats, nuts, coconut, packaged granola cereal mix.
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 C honey
1/2 C brown sugar
You can toast the nuts and coconut a bit for a deeper flavor. Remember watch them carefully they burn fast.
In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the honey and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add granola mixture.
Transfer the granola mixture to a 9-by-13-inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly to evenly fill.  Let the granola mixture set in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into 2 1/4-by 3-inch bars
Suggestion; individually wrap the bars in plastic wrap to eliminate over snacking. I have a hubby who will snack snack and snack. You could put half the batch in the freezer. Might be a good idea. hehe

Apricot Chicken

Notice my fine dinning plate

2 Chicken quarters (leg and thigh combo with bone and skin)
2 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Mrs Dash Original
1/2 Teaspoon Basil
1 Red Bell Pepper sliced
4 Green Onions
1 C Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Apricot Preserves
1 Jalapeno Pepper minced

Combine: Paprika, Mrs Dash, Basil, 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil. Divide in two. Massage under the skin of both chicken quarters.
Heat chicken fryer pan (large enough for 2 chicken quarters) over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil. Rub Chicken with oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
Brown on both sides. Sking side first.
Remove from pan to platter. Take out all the grease except for 1 Tablespoon. Add Butter.
Add Bell Pepper and Green Onions to pan. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add Chicken Broth and scrape up bits on the bottom of the pan. Add Chicken to pan. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile combine chopped Jalapeno Pepper and Apricot Preserves in small bowl. Put in microwave for 5 minutes until the preserves melt.
Baste Chicken with pepper mix several times.

Serve with brown rice. I used chicken broth instead of water for my rice cooker. Remember 1 C of brown rice to 1 1/2 C liquid. I added 1/4 C frozen peas.

What is Tin Can Cooking

No, I don't cook in tin-cans. I live in a 30" travel trailer. Yes, for the last 3 years, 4 months, and 26 days we have been living in what I call a Tin Can, with fond affection of course.

Uprooted from a western state due to a slow economy we moved south near a large city looking for employment. Living in 300 square feet is a challenge after moving from an 1870 square feet home.
The purpose of this blog spot is to give you some incite on RV living. Every thing in its place and a place for everything, is our motto.
I cook mostly from scratch using organic/natural/sustainable produce, grains, and beans, meats, and dairy. Living in the south provides many farmers markets and roadside stands. On my other blog spot called PreventionWithoutDrugs I explain what organic is and why their products are more expensive. The way I look at it, I would rather pay for good wholesome food than for doctor visits.
I hope I can give you some tips on how I shop frugally to make a dollar stretch. We live on a tight budget.
Please give me any suggestions or ask any questions you may have. Enjoy this sight. Humor and good friendship enables hubby and I to live in a small space for so many years.