Cheap eats - dinner with recipes for a couple of golden oldie cheaps

[Guest guest]

It's just the two of us now, so it's already cheaper to feed us, but this can be

adapted to meet your family 's needs. When all the kids lived here, I used 6

cups of rice, which was pretty good for 9 people.

 

Yesterday I made Spanish rice using one cup of rice. We got two dinners. The

first night we had baby butter beans, fresh from the garden (Henderson bush baby

limas - superb) and sweet corn (one of the super sweets) and biscuits. If we had

to purchase the veggies and biscuits, add on an extra $2.50. Tonight I reheated

the Spanish rice and served it with seasoned collard greens, fried apples and

corn tortillas. The fried apples were from one of our apple trees and I made

tortillas. Our collards aren't quite ready so I used a big can of Margaret

Holmes seasoned collards. That is one brand of canned greens which are really

good. The greens were .89 cents. (.89 at Wal Mart, almost $2.00 at Winn Dixie)

 

When I want what my mother used to call Texas Hash, I throw a cup of beef

flavored TVP. So Monday's dinner was about $3.00 and tonight's, using apples

from last year's crop. I make up foil packets with apples, a few slices of

butter, cinnamon and sugar and toss it in the freezer. Each packet of fried

apples is formed in the skillet I'll use to cook, so it's just a matter of

opening the foil and popping it into the the skillet. Keep the lid on till the

apples are defrosted, crank up the heat and gently toss as the sugar

caramelizes.

 

The Spanish Rice isn't as spicy as I'd like but my gut is in charge. You could

always add heat of your choice.

Spanish Rice

1 cup rice

1, 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained with juice saved

2 tablespoons Tone's Taco Seasoning (or whatever you like)

1/2 green pepper, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced (hide it in plain sight)

1 medium large sweet onion, diced

Water to make up 2 cups of liquid

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

 

Saute onion, green pepper and celery together till the onions are cooked. Pour

uncooked rice over veggies, and saute together till the rice starts getting some

color.

 

Put sauteed rice and vegetables in heavy pot and add 2 cups water (measure

liquid from tomatoes, add water to it to make 2 cups). Bring it to a boil, turn

down to simmer and put a lid on it. Cook till rice is tender (about 20 minutes.)

Fluff with fork.

 

Variation:

Dice a small zucchini and saute with other vegetables.

Add sweet corn to the veggies and saute.

Add 1 cup of drained, cooked black beans.

Or add half of everything above with a little more seasoning.

 

Cheap eats.

 

Fried Corn

1 can corn, drained

1/4 green, red, yellow or orange sweet pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon butter

Melt butter in skillet. Saute sweet pepper, onion together. Add drained corn and

cook, stirring occasionally, till corn is lightly toasted.

 

Jeanne in GA

[Guest guest]

You're making me hungry!  I did not understand about the apple packets??   Tell

us again what you do after taking out of freezer.

 

 

 

 

________________________________

Jeanne B <treazured

;

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 5:51:49 PM

Cheap eats - dinner with recipes for a couple of

golden oldie cheaps

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's just the two of us now, so it's already cheaper to feed us, but this can be

adapted to meet your family 's needs. When all the kids lived here, I used 6

cups of rice, which was pretty good for 9 people.

 

Yesterday I made Spanish rice using one cup of rice. We got two dinners. The

first night we had baby butter beans, fresh from the garden (Henderson bush baby

limas - superb) and sweet corn (one of the super sweets) and biscuits. If we had

to purchase the veggies and biscuits, add on an extra $2.50. Tonight I reheated

the Spanish rice and served it with seasoned collard greens, fried apples and

corn tortillas. The fried apples were from one of our apple trees and I made

tortillas. Our collards aren't quite ready so I used a big can of Margaret

Holmes seasoned collards. That is one brand of canned greens which are really

good. The greens were .89 cents. (.89 at Wal Mart, almost $2.00 at Winn Dixie)

 

When I want what my mother used to call Texas Hash, I throw a cup of beef

flavored TVP. So Monday's dinner was about $3.00 and tonight's, using apples

from last year's crop. I make up foil packets with apples, a few slices of

butter, cinnamon and sugar and toss it in the freezer. Each packet of fried

apples is formed in the skillet I'll use to cook, so it's just a matter of

opening the foil and popping it into the the skillet. Keep the lid on till the

apples are defrosted, crank up the heat and gently toss as the sugar

caramelizes.

 

The Spanish Rice isn't as spicy as I'd like but my gut is in charge. You could

always add heat of your choice.

Spanish Rice

1 cup rice

1, 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained with juice saved

2 tablespoons Tone's Taco Seasoning (or whatever you like)

1/2 green pepper, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced (hide it in plain sight)

1 medium large sweet onion, diced

Water to make up 2 cups of liquid

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

 

Saute onion, green pepper and celery together till the onions are cooked. Pour

uncooked rice over veggies, and saute together till the rice starts getting some

color.

 

Put sauteed rice and vegetables in heavy pot and add 2 cups water (measure

liquid from tomatoes, add water to it to make 2 cups). Bring it to a boil, turn

down to simmer and put a lid on it. Cook till rice is tender (about 20 minutes.)

Fluff with fork.

 

Variation:

Dice a small zucchini and saute with other vegetables.

Add sweet corn to the veggies and saute.

Add 1 cup of drained, cooked black beans.

Or add half of everything above with a little more seasoning.

 

Cheap eats.

 

Fried Corn

1 can corn, drained

1/4 green, red, yellow or orange sweet pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon butter

Melt butter in skillet. Saute sweet pepper, onion together. Add drained corn and

cook, stirring occasionally, till corn is lightly toasted.

 

Jeanne in GA