Monthly Archives: April 2010

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Fab Frugal Friday: Let Your Taste buds Have a Fiesta! Grilled Pineapple Mango Salsa Recipe

April 30, 2010 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes

Grilled Pineapple Mango Salsa

Grilled Pineapple Mango Salsa

With Cinco de Mayo coming up, I naturally have been looking for fun fiesta recipes and  ideas. I grew up a few miles north of the Mexican border, so celebrating Cinco de Mayo is in my blood!

Then, two surprises greeted me at the produce department recently: Mangoes at 99 cents per pound and pineapples at 88 cents per pound. I swear they were screaming at me as I walked by: “Buy us, please! Make us into Pineapple Mango Salsa!!!”

This is such a delightful and refreshing fruit salsa. Pineapples and mangoes are so delicious that you forget how healthy they are. Pineapple has a positive anti-inflammatory effect and aids in digestion. Mango is an antioxidant powerhouse.

This tropical style salsa is perfect for so many things – Here’s just a few ideas: topping pan seared fish fillets, spooning into soft tacos and stirring into black beans for a side dish. Or, seriously, just serve with chips!
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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Roasted Garlic Guacamole Bar!

April 28, 2010 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes

There is no such thing as the “perfect” guacamole recipe. To me, guacamole is one of those dishes that is – and should be – a unique creation every single time. My guacamole depends on my mood, the occasion, who the eaters are, and what is in my fridge and pantry. Avocados are good for you and have such a mild, creamy texture that  they pair well with, well, pretty much  anything. (( Note to self: try chocolate chip guacamole next . . . ))

For Cinco de Mayo I will be making a roasted garlic guacamole with do-it-yourself garnishes. I have used the basic recipe of Rick Bayless, a south-of-the-border anthropologist/chef I admire, featured in this month’s Eating Well magazine. My hat’s off to you, Chef Bayless – the addition of roasted garlic is genius! The only thing I changed from Chef Bayess’ recipe is that I used lemon juice instead of lime because I think garlic and lemon is a fabulous flavor combination.

Just set this out in bowls and let everyone scoop up the guacamole onto chips and then sprinkle with toppings of choice: diced cilantro, diced red bell peppers or jalapeño peppers, sliced green onions, crumbled queso fresco, grated pepper jack, pepitos (toasted pumpkin seeds), etc., etc.

Arriba! Arriba!

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Meatless Monday: Black Bean Soup with Coconut & Cilantro

April 26, 2010 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Entrees

In spring, a cook’s fancy naturally turns to the beginnings of fresh produce . . . but even as the buds are bursting into bloom and shoots are emerging from the earth, some cloudy, drizzly, and even chilly days still happen from time to time. On such days, a creamy, hearty soup is just the thing. Read the rest of this entry →

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FFF Giveaway – Donna's New Book: Quesadillas!

April 23, 2010 in Uncategorized

We here at FFF are celebrating the publishing of Donna’s new book Quesadillas! This beautiful cookbook with photographs (14.99 retail value) published by Gibbs Smith publisher is out this month and we want to share the joy with our FFF followers and thank you for following our blog.

In Quesadillas, the gooey little snacks we all used to make as kids have grown up into flavorful, hearty meals and desserts bursting with flavor. Quesadillas at a whole new level! Favorites include Roasted Veggie and Goat Cheese, Thai Peanut, Parmesan-Crusted Italian, Chicken Caesar, Philly Cheesesteak, Peanut Butter Apple, Triple Chocolate Decadence, and Pecan-Crusted Pear. And, Hey! – what could be more fab and frugal than quesadillas?!

We are giving away ten books to readers chosen by random.org – all you have to do to enter is leave a comment to this post and we will choose our winners on – how appropo! – Cinco de Mayo – May 5, 2010, Mexican Independence Day.

You can earn a chance to win four ways: leave a general comment, leave a comment here with a link to a twitter post about this giveaway, leave a comment here with a link to a mention on facebook, leave a comment here with a link to a mention on your blog. Please feel free to leave up to one general comment every day if you like – the more you comment, the better your chances to win!

Good Luck to all our fab frugal friends!

– posted by Donna

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Can't roll sushi? No problem! Try Our California Roll Cold Rice Salad

April 21, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes

Califronia Roll Cold Rice Salad

California Roll Cold Rice Salad

California rolls were the first sushi I ever tried, and I love the flavors, but can’t quite get the hang of rolling those little rolls. I decided the taste would be the same whether rolled into cute little rolls or just tossed together like a cold rice salad. I gave it a try. Result: SUCCESS! This California Roll Salad is every bit as yummy as the authentic sushi rolls, and super easy to throw together.

You don’t need to buy expensive Japanese sushi rice – just plain long grain white rice will do. But be sure to start with cold cooked rice because if the rice is hot or even warm, this salad will turn into a gummy mess.

Real crab can be spendy, but I don’t like the imitation crab for this so I used the real deal in a very small amount. You can add more if you like crab.

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Sesame Street Shindig

April 19, 2010 in Appetizers, Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes

We must interrupt our regularly scheduled Meatless Monday offering to share with you our weekend collaboration: The second birthday of Lily! Lily (Anne’s daughter and Donna’s granddaughter) has become an ardent fan of Elmo, also known in this household as The Red Menace, and we decided to thrill her with a Sesame-themed party – our favorite part being, of course, the food! We worked with quite a few food blog recipes to make the theme food, and have to share the love here.  Read the rest of this entry →

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Fab Frugal Friday: Spring Veggie Puree Recipe – or is it a Mash? – Instant Springtime in Your Mouth!

April 16, 2010 in Healthy Fare, Side Dishes

Spring Vegetable Mash Topped with Pan Seared Salmon
Spring Vegetable Mash Topped with Pan Seared Salmon

I go crazy when I stroll though the produce department these days – the bins are bursting with spring fruits and veggies. I want to take home armfuls and eat them all! Hooooo-ray for the chance to  buy produce when it is seasonal, fresh and frugal!

I have discovered that purees, or chunky purees – more like a “mash” – are simple, flavorful and easy to get on the table in minutes. Hey! Why should potatoes have all the fun? I sauteed asparagus, peas and green onions and then pulsed them in the food processor (leaving it in small chunks) with a spoonful of sour cream and mint leaves. This only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. This amazing “mash” can be topped with a chicken or fish fillet that has been pan seared for an almost effortless entree. And, take a look at that plating – A Four Star Quality restaurant entree in minutes!

I made a bed of the mash and then topped it with pan seared salmon – Fresh! Flavorful! Fabulous!

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Our First Daring Cooks Challenge: Brunswick Stew Recipe

April 14, 2010 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare

The Southern Classic Brunswick Stew

The Southern Classic Brunswick Stew

I had not only never tasted Brunswick Stew – I had never even heard of this classic Southern dish. This is our first challenge since joining Daring Cooks. We joined to challenge ourselves, and this first recipe definitely did that.

The biggest challenge for me was the protein element.  The recipe called for rabbit, which I just couldn’t bring myself to use. (Where does one even buy a rabbit to cook?) Rabbits are cute and furry and — Hey! C’mon. It’s Easter  time —who can eat a bunny at Easter time?

So, I used chicken thighs. Not a bad thing, it turns out. The thighs were perfect in this. And I used a turkey leg as well.

The thing that is so amazing about this stew is the broth. It is sublime! Rich and flavorful, but refreshing at the same time. Being a southern Arizona girl, I added diced chipotle peppers, which added nice smoky heat. Yum.

MY husband LOVED this stew – he ate FIVE bowls the night I made it. No, I am not making that up. He still raves about it constantly and begs me to make this again. (NOTE TO HUBBY if you’re reading this: Perhaps a good quid-pro-quo would be a clean car in trade for more Brunswick Stew!)

I would definitely make this stew again and recommend it to all my fab frugal friends!

** See the end of this post to learn why the spoon is standing in the middle of this bowl in the photo!

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Fab Frugal Friday: How To Make Your Own Greek Yogurt (Good News – It's a Cinch!)

April 9, 2010 in Frugal Tips

It had to happen. You just can’t have a frugal food blog without at some point having a post about making your own yogurt. And, yogurt is a natch for this blog – it is both frugal and healthy and can be eaten by almost anyone.  It has natural weight loss and anti-cancer powers and some researchers say it actually improves lactose intolerance. So, Here it is – FFF ‘s take on home made Greek yogurt!

I was intimidated by the process – fears of messing up the accurate measuring, exact temperatures and timing. But, it turns out it really isn’t that complicated. Just heat, stir and keep warm for 6 hours. That’s it. Really.

One of my favorite new products in America’s food world is Greek yogurt. It is tangy but less acidic than regular yogurt and has a beautiful thick creamy texture. The Greek style may be even healthier than regular yogurt. So, I decided if I was going to try making yogurt, it had to be Greek style. I added instant dried milk powder to help thicken the yogurt and hopefully mellow the tartness. I am happy to report success! The result was a thick and creamy tart – but not acidic – yogurt at a fraction of the cost of purchased Greek yogurt. Whip up your own – it’s a snap!

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Engagement Chicken

April 8, 2010 in Entrees, Healthy Fare

This chicken recipe is about as simple as they come, yet it’s taken on almost mythical, or at least urban legend-like, status. It was originally published in Glamour magazine and has been passed around from girlfriend to girlfriend, due to its alleged proposal-inducing effects on their beloveds. Read the rest of this entry →

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