RE: What can you knock up cheap?

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/17/2012 6:12:12 AM

xssve

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChatteParfaitt

I buy cheap wine or sherry to use just for cooking, since I don't drink wine except as a special thing (although I love good wine). Over the holidays I do buy brandy for brandy balls, since it's one of my xmas cookie staples. They need to made 2 weeks ahead.

So I use the rest of the brandy for my ham glaze and for my corn pudding (yum), so it's all good.

Lol, I use Mogan David for cooking wine, it's cheaper and sweeter, but not nearly as salty, slightly fermented grape juice pretty much.

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/17/2012 6:32:05 AM

xssve

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When it comes to eating cheap, nothing beats Brown rice and lentil stew with some onion garlic,and whatever veggies you have lying around - if you can splurge, a thick slice of sharp cheddar melted on top, delicious.

Brown rice can be the basis for all kinds of stir fry, and with a rice cooker, really easy to make, and there are many traditions besides Chinese to borrow from, Red beans and rice and gumbo, Middle Eastern, Thai, etc., mostly a matter of spices and sauces.

Carne Adovada and Green Chile Stew are pretty much staples in my house however, I use Carnitas from Wal Mart for both, it's just odd chunks of pork, cheaper than Hamburger or even Chicken, less than $2 a pound, and no bones.

Just add red chile and bake for Adovada, you can add onions, roasted garlic etc., the Green Chile Stew is Green chile, onion, tomatoes, roasted garlic, Cilantro if you like that. I use a tub of Green chile I get from Sams, already has the other stuff in it, so I just cook the meat until most of the fat is rendered and add the Chile - it fills the pot, but you can add pintos the next day if you want to stretch it.

Try either one with a couple of fried eggs on top, and some grated cheese, it's addictive.

Carnitas can also be used for pulled pork, or any other type of meat dish, but it is on the fatty side, so you might want to blanch and\or braise it thoroughly and drain before you add the BBQ sauce or whatever, makes great BBQ sandwiches.

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/17/2012 6:41:59 AM

kalikshama

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quote:

BRANDY BALLS

I make this with 100 proof Captain Morgan spiced rum. One of these years they will actually get to cure the week or two suggested :)

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/17/2012 6:46:40 AM

xssve

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I make a lot of soups and stews in the winter especially, Potato with bacon is popular - if you really like onions, adding a leek will make a really strong soup.

I have a meat grinder I picked up at the thrift store so I buy the ends and pieces and grind them up, I cook the whole box at once in my big stir fry pan (also great for large batches of hash browns) and freeze it, handy for omlettes and breakfast burritos, quiche, or even salads.

My fave though is probably Chicken and Dumplings, just basic chicken soup, chicken and veggies, carrots, celery, onion, roasted garlic (I also have a garlic roaster, keep a jar of paste in the fridge), thyme, etc., and when it's about done, add big spoonfuls of biscuit dough, delicious and very filling, you can keep diluting the stock and making dumplings Two or Three times if you have a lot of mouths to feed.

With St. Patrick's around the corner, I'm finishing off the corned beef from las year, and getting ready to fill the freezer again when it goes on sale, lol. I start with Corned Beef and Cabbage, make Ruebens the next day (I have a meat slicer too), and all the leftover bits and pieces go into corned beef hash.

Same with any roast really, roast beef au jus the first night, French dip the next day and all the bits and pieces can be used for Beef Barley soup, or just thrown in with a pack of Raman in a pinch.

< Message edited by xssve -- 1/17/2012 6:47:19 AM >

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/17/2012 6:52:56 AM

xssve

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Making too much can be a real problem since the bigger the roast the cheaper it is by the pound, I have the biggest Crock Pots and Cast Iron roasters that will fit in my oven, so I usually freeze about half of it, small batches in disposable Tupperware tubs, soups you can just drop in a bowl and microwave, and you can get some variety, as well as having something on hand when you don't feel like cooking.

I do have a large freezer, so I can get carried away, but things on the bottom shelf at the very back of the fridge will keep longer, just don't forget about it, lol.

< Message edited by xssve -- 1/17/2012 7:00:44 AM >

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/17/2012 7:06:52 AM

tameeks

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One of my favorite quicky cheap meals is chicken salad. I got the idea from a catered lunch we had at work one day. It was delish!

Boil frozen chicken breast (shred when done)
bowtie pasta noodles
peas
mayo
mustard
relish
capers

Combine all ingredients in a bowl to your taste. Either serve as is or over a bed of rice. Yummy and cheap.

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/17/2012 7:28:08 AM

Clickofheels

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Delilya

For company I use 8 pieces of chicken, bottle of Russian dressing, jar of apricot preserves and 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup. Mix the ingredients, pour over the chicken and bake. Serve over rice. Cheap but makes a heck of an impression.

What time is dinner, Delilya?
Yummmmmy! (Smiles)

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/18/2012 6:58:07 AM

Fornica

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xssve & Tamale, can I add your recipes?

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/18/2012 9:00:21 AM

LaTigresse

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I just 'created' a new soup this winter. It's loosely based on Vietnamese Pho, which I make and love, but tweaked to be easily thrown together with stuff I nearly always have.

I start with whatever cheap cut of beef I have. Last night I used about a poundish of a beef chuck roast. I defrost it just to the point that a really good sharp knife can cut into it, and cut it into thin, bite sized slices. Dump a few tablespoons of sesame oil and a few shakes of hot chili oil into the wok and give it a quick sizzle.

I added about a cupish each of very thinly sliced carrots, celery, onion and a couple big cloves of minced garlic. Then poured two of the big containers of beef broth over it. (like swansons.....I didn't have any home made in the freezer or I would have used that. I also put in about a teaspoon of dried, crushed, red chilies. A little blub of rice vinegar, a wee bit of miso (optional). Sometimes I add a little bit of fish sauce if it needs more 'savory' flavour. Not enough to actually BE fish saucy, just to add the savory flavour. Let that simmer until the carrots and celery are not crunchy.

To the above I added one large head of bok choy chopped. And my wok was FULL. As soon as it's reached a good simmer, it's ready to eat.

In another pan I boiled some water and threw in a few handfuls of rice noodles. If you've never cooked rice noodles, be careful. They cook much more quickly than semolina flour pasta and turn to mushy ickiness. Drain, rinse in cold water.

Put some rice noodles in a bowl, a few ladles of the soup, a swirl or two of that wonderful red rooster hot sauce on top. And enjoy.

It makes enough to feed 8-10 people easily. G.D. and I had big helpings last night and I've got nearly a gallon left in the fridge.

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RE: What can you knock up cheap? - 1/18/2012 11:46:14 AM

nortons

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Barbecued Ribs.
Ingredients.

Homemade rub. I made it so long ago I can't remember what went into it. Heres one off the internet.

2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1/4 cup paprika
Couple pounds of spareribs.

some barbeque sauce in a bottle.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Unwrap the ribs and discard the plastic.
Put ribs in lined cookie sheet.
Sprinkle rub mix all over the ribs, then rub it in.

Put it in the oven and bake it 1 1/2 hours.
After one hour of baking, cover the ribs with barbecue sauce and spread it evenly. I use a throwaway 2" paint brush.

You can cut it into serving portions by poking at it with a sharp knife until you find the gap between bones and cutting across there.

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