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Meatless Dinner in Five Minutes Flat: Avocado Salsa Verde Chilaquiles!

February 21, 2011 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegetarian Entrees

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Five Minute Avocado and Salsa Verde Chilaquiles

When I’m strapped for time even more than my usual frantic pace, I sometimes turn to a traditional Mexican peasant dish – chilaquiles. Some Latino markets carry chips made especially for chilaquiles called “duritos,” because they are harder and thicker than regular chips. (HEY! Do you think that’s where they got the name “Doritos”? One food blogger thinks so.) But don’t worry – this dish is great using regular tortilla chips, and is great for using up the broken chips that wind up at the bottom of the bag.

This dish fits perfectly with so many things we believe in here at FFF – eating less meat; avoiding drive-thru meals by making desperation dinners with five ingredients in five minutes; focus on healthy ingredients; cooking with your family in the kitchen.

Could this be a Fab Frugal signature dish?!

There are many fabulous things about this dish – 1) You can get it on your table in 5 minutes flat, and that includes grating the cheese!; 2) It uses up leftover tortilla chips and salsa; 3) It is traditionally a vegetarian dish, perfect for Meatless Mondays; 4) It can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner; and 5) You can customize this dish easily to fit your taste.

Sold yet?

Okay, here’s one more reason: You can teach even small children to make this dish! Kids will have fun breaking up tortilla chips and tossing them in the pan. They can also grate cheese and help assemble.

An avocado is not a traditional ingredient, but I like it paired with salsa verde to add creaminess.

I added a poached egg on top in place of traditional scrambled eggs, but, - Hey! – choose your own style!  You can adjust the heat level by picking the style of salsa you love.

Salud!

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Carribean Vacation in a Bowl: Coconut Curried Shrimp and Mango Stew

February 9, 2011 in Entrees, Gluten Free

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These days I constantly feel like I am in a scene from Doctor Zhivago in the Siberian wasteland – trudging the frozen trek from my house to my car. From my car to my office. From the grocery store to my house. Wind howling around me. Snow drifts shifting. Polar bears stalking me.

Ok, I exaggerate.

But truly, I am sick of winter!!! Aren’t you? I am daydreaming back to a family after-Christmas trip we took where the Carribean waters were warm, the sun was shining and all was well in the world. Now THAT is how winter should be.

So, to cheer myself up, I decided I could at least have the Carribean in a bowl.

I used curry powder in the broth, but added just a touch of allspice for that Carribean flavor. Delicious. The aroma that fills your house while you’re simmering this stew made me want to put a fruit hat on my head and dance the conga. I swear I heard marimba music in the background!

Shrimp and mango go well together in a salad – so why not a stew? And, yes, I know mangoes are not at their most frugal this time of year, but we only used one here. And they are one ingredient that just screams “Par-tay” to me, so they are a sure bet for beating winter-itis. Hey! They’re uber-healthy too!

Make this and I promise it will banish the winter blues. At least for one meal.

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Cornbread Waffle Chili Stacks Recipe for a Superbowl Sunday Gluten-Free Feast

February 2, 2011 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Vegetarian Entrees

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A football is the brown ball with the pointy ends, right?

Confession time: I know nothing about football. Less than nothing. However. Lest you think I sit and read Shakespeare sonnets in a corner while the rest of the country is high-fiving and whoop-whooping in front of a flatscreen on one particular winter Sunday every year, read on frugal football fans.

I am a once-a-year football fan. OK, truthfully, it’s not the game I enjoy. I like the rubbing shoulders with friends and loved ones. I like being an unashamed couch potato for a whole day. I like the smorgasbord of decadent foods. I like the stress-relieving outbursts of cheering and booing intermittently. So for one day once a year I am an uber-obnoxious football fan.

And I love make-your-own buffets for large festive gatherings. No whining about what is on your plate, because YOU put it there.

Anne and I had the joy of being together at my home for just one day recently, and can you guess how we spent that day? Cooking new culinary creations, of course! Isn’t that how every mom loves to spend a too-rare day with her  daughter?

We decided to go for chili and fixin’s this year with a twist: cornbread waffles to ladle the chili onto. Let me assure you all, chili has just met its soul mate: cornbread waffles!

Of course, we used Anne’s Ultimate Veggie Chili, which made it to the top 2 of the hundreds submitted for the Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown.

My son’s girlfriend Sarah, who has been eating at my house every week for several years proclaimed: “This is the best thing I ever ate!” Do you think they’ll put her on the show?

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Win/Win Comforting Sugar-Free Pan-Roasted Apples – A 20 Minute Healthy Dessert Recipe

January 25, 2011 in Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes

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Some foods feed your soul as well as your belly. Case in point: baked apples.

There is something about the smell and taste of baked apples that give you that “AAaaaahhhh” feeling. Love! Comfort! Joy! Baked apples!

This time of year, there is another reason I eat apples: weight loss. New research out there says ”An apple a Day Keeps the Doctor AND THE POUNDS Away.” You just can’t beat low in carbs, high in fiber plus YUM! As proof positive, I cite my favorite low-glycemic food blogger Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen: check out her Low Sugar Apple Crisp, for starters!

I decided to come up with a quicker, simpler enlightened apple recipe with all the soft luscious comforting quality of the slow baked version.

Turns out apples “bake” just as well in a covered skillet! Who knew? All I did was sprinkle the cut sides of the apple halves with cinnamon and then put them in a skillet cut side down with a little water. I cooked them covered over medium heat for 5 minutes, and they turned out just as yummy as the slow baked version. Minus the time and hassle. AND minus the sugar!

Don’t make the mistakes I did the first few times using the wrong varieties of apples. Granny Smiths = firm but too tart. Red Delicious = sweet but bland and mushy. Golden Delicious, Braeburn and Jonagold = perfect sweet/tart balance and great soft and creamy but firm texture. Yes, I know. A bit excessive to try 5 different varieties. But worth the effort.

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Think These Look Like Classic Ground Beef Tacos? Surprise! It’s Tofu!

January 16, 2011 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Entrees

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If you think these look like classic ground beef tacos, I have done my job. (( Smiles smugly to self. ))

This recipe was originally created for the book that Anne and I wrote “101 Things to do with Tofu,” and I share it here with you updated just a bit. (( Hey! I add Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce to most every recipe now. ))

Lauren, a fabulous young food blogger, emailed me recently and asked if I had some suggestions for her to incorporate tofu into everyday dishes. Boy Oh Boy – kind of like asking Paula Deen if she has any recommendations for fried foods. (( Let us count the ways . . .)) So, Lauren, thanks for the email and for getting me craving these delicious veggie tacos once again! I decided a Meatless Monday post was in order!

This filling is fabulously flavorful and has a texture similar to classic ground beef taco filling, but is 100 per cent vegetarian, in fact – it’s even vegan! If you are like me and are making resolutions for the New Year to eat less meat, this is a perfect recipe to start with. I like it even BETTER than the traditional spiced hamburger taco filling. It is softer and has less of that ground beef “gristle” taste. I promise: Even the most dedicated carnivores will love this healthy substitute for ground cow! Try it out on your favorite carnivore and go ahead and TRY to prove me wrong!

There are countless benefits, say the Mayo Clinic researchers, to eating less meat.  But let’s just all admit right now that Americans eat much more meat than they need to. Enough said. With fab and frugal ways to cut back on meat like this taco filling, why would you not cut back? Amen! to the Meatless Monday folks, who point out that less meat consumption reduces heart disease, lowers risk of cancer and helps fight obesity. ((HOLY COW! **Pun intended!**))

The combination of soy sauce, peanut butter and spices, mostly chile powder and cumin, turns crumbled tofu into one of those “I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Meat” kind of recipes. It is a magical concoction.

This is a great thing to have on hand to make a quick Desperation Dinner – so I like to keep some small zip lock baggies of this magical stuff in my freezer. This stuff makes great sloppy joes and last-minute spaghetti sauce!

Happy Less-Meaty New Year to all!

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Skillet Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes for a Meatless Monday Breakfast

January 10, 2011 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Vegetarian Entrees

Skillet Baked Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes

When I latch onto a recipe that’s a) healthy, b) delicious, and c) easy, I tend to get carried away, making it over and over and over for weeks. The current obsession? This egg dish, inspired and based on a recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen. I have recently been able to add eggs back into my diet, and am happily celebrating this, since I’ve always loved them AND they also have lots of nutritional advantages. Read the rest of this entry →

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A Healthy Green Smoothie Cocktail to Ring in the New Year – - Here’s to YOU!

January 4, 2011 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes

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I must have been asleep at the whisk. How did I miss Oprah’s Green Smoothie Revolution?

Sure, I like to think that I keep up with food trends. Eat healthier. Eat more veggies. Green is good. All of these feel right to me. So  a few days ago when I discovered Oprah’s green smoothie invented by Dr. Oz and its all-green ingredient list, I knew it had to be good for you. But. Could it also be just plain good tasting?

So, it was experiment night at Donna’s Test Kitchen. With the New Year and those holiday pounds upon me, anything low-cal and healthy sounds fabulous to me. This time of year I am craving celery, grapefruit and egg white omelettes. Isn’t everyone?

There are dozens of versions of this smoothie out there – but this is the most basic version. It is surprisingly refreshing and delicious. And, you just can’t put anything more healthy in your mouth. Some people claim they felt better within 24 hours of drinking this magical concoction. Something about the blending action breaking down the cell walls of the plants and making the nutrients more accessible.

In a few later versions, I added a spoonful of Greek yogurt – you can even try our make-at-home version. I found that if you chill all the ingredients first, you don’t need to add ice. Also, it work best to put the cucumbers in the blender first, making the mixture liquefy much more quickly. DON”T remove seeds or skins from any ingredient (even the apples) because these have tons of nutrients in them.

Healthy New Year, Everyone!

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Lucky New Year’s Dessert: Cardamom Pistachio Rice Pudding Recipe Two Ways – Creamy and Dairy Free!

December 29, 2010 in Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes

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Cardamom Rice Pudding with Pistachio Garnish

I didn’t know what I was missing. In my past, pre-foodie life, I always turned my nose up at rice pudding. How boring. How bland. Ho-hum, thought I.

But 2010 was my year for many things, including discovering rice pudding.

It’s not just about taste. It’s about texture. Creamy, rich, unctuous texture. It’s that “Aaaaaahhhh” feeling when it hits your tongue. So. I have seen the light. I am a rice pudding convert!

I made rice pudding for the very first time a few weeks ago. A friend of mine was among the Kelly Family Sunday Diners. She has lived all over the world, including India, Nepal, and Morocco. She claims to be a rice pudding connoisseur. I was so thrilled when she raved about my pudding. “Best I’ve ever eaten!” she gushed.

So, my Fab Frugal Friends, with the dawn of 2011, my New Year’s gift to you is my take on Rice Pudding – my favorite version is with lots of milk and a little coconut milk. And the cardamom is what makes this pudding. So fragrant and delicious! The dairy-free version is fab, too!

The Chinese use “rice porridge” as a part of their two-week New Year’s feast. I say Amen! and Hallelujah! to this tradition!

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New Year’s Twist on Hoppin’ John for Meatless Monday: Hoppin’ Gianni Risotto

December 27, 2010 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Vegetarian Entrees

New Year's Hoppin' Gianni

Though I’m not from the South myself, I absolutely adore many Southern food traditions, and one of my absoute favorites is the annual New Year’s Day feast, including greens for prosperity and blackeyed peas for further abundance and luck! (The Urban Luddite also informs me that you DON’T want to eat chicken on New Year’s, as it represents regret and backwards motion. So no chicken stock allowed!) I had the idea for this risotto sometime last year, and have been looking forward to trying it ever since. Read the rest of this entry →

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Raspberry Linzer Cookies – Once Again, Gluten-free and Vegan

December 22, 2010 in Desserts, Gluten Free, Vegan Recipes

Contender for my favorite cookie of all time: Raspberry Linzers

Gluten-free Vegan Christmas Cookie Series, Part 2 of 3!

I have a bit of a hoarding problem. Only a touch, nothing that would get me hauled onto the show or anything, but it’s true that with a few select items, I have a bit of a problem. One of them, along with cookbooks,  is cooking magazines. I still have pretty much every cooking magazine I have ever either purchased or received by subscription. Yes, it’s a little excessive, and yes, I really should go through and do some serious clearing out – but sometimes it pays off. And this weekend was one of those times.

Some of my very favorite food magazine editions are the holiday collections or specials (rivaled only by the grill & garden spectaculars of summer), and three such holiday specials are front and center for me every year since they came out: a holiday issue of Bon Appetit, a cookie compilation from Cook’s Illustrated, and the December 2005 issue of Gourmet (RIP, sniff). In each, I’ve found versions of what might be, if forced to choose, my very favorite cookie of all time, the raspberry jam-filled sandwiches made with a hazelnut dough, rolled out and cut beautifully, then showered in powdered sugar. I have a major weakness for raspberry anything, and this is the perfect setting for it. Read the rest of this entry →

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