Margarita Chicken and Succotash Tostadas

This healthy-ish meal has a lot of fiber, complex carbs, and protein. I made the succotash and chicken to serve together, but also happened to have some leftover tostadas and sour cream. (Does the last two components cancel out the healthful aspects of the first two?) Anyhow, combined together, they made a great summer dinner.

I'm currently in an American food craze, using a lot of indigenous American ingredients and combining succotash with a fried tortilla, aka tostada, which incorporates black beans and pumpkin seeds fits into this phase. I also served the tostadas with new purple potatoes, boiled in heavily salted water, sprinkled with olive oil and dill. Succotash is native to the northeast U.S., tostadas come from Mexico, and potatoes originated in Peru.

The succotash uses butter beans instead of lima beans, which I don't like, but also edamame can be used. I used Goya* products because I think their frozen vegetables taste freshest and their beans the best. The tostadas were from a small pack of 10 I found. I don't know the brand. The oil and butter can be left out and fat-free sour cream used to make this nearly perfectly healthy (besides the tostada.) You'll have a lot of succotash left over but the chicken makes 4-5 tostadas.

Succotash
1 bag frozen *corn, thawed
1/2 bag frozen *peas, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup toasted shelled pumpkin seeds
1 tbls melted butter
1 tbls olive oil
1 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper to taste

Margarita Chicken
1 lb chicken breast tenders

marinade
l/2 c. lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbls *adobo seasoning
2 shots tequila
pepper

Tostadas
sour cream

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the chicken for at least 90 minutes while making the succotash.

Combine all the vegetables and pumpkin seeds for the succotash. Melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the dill, salt, and pepper. Fold into the veggies being careful not to mush up the beans too much. Adjust the seasonings and herbs to taste.

Grill the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Top the tostadas with a thin layer of sour cream, a generous scoop of succotash, and dot with the chicken, in that order.

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

i'm not even a big fan of oatmeal cookies but these tasted incredible! i used less chocolate chips than the recipe calls for since it tends to get really rich.



Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs best-quality vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup best-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups quick-cook oats, or rolled oats zizzed in a food processor for a few seconds

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease cookie sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter and brown and granulated sugars until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, mixing until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients, working until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and oats by hand, using a wooden spoon. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour. Use a table knife to scoop and press dough into ¼-cup measuring scoops, and plunk the mounds onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be three inches apart.

3. Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove and Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes.

4 formagi bolognese lasagna

I made lasagna yesterday that has so far fed 13 people and there are still left overs. The total bill was $109 for 4 pans of lasagne. I bought too much tomato, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, too so the total is less than $100. This party recipe is enough to easily feed 15 people for less than $7 per person. The prices below are per unit.

I chopped everything that needed to be chopped in the food processor, in this order: garlic, onions, and Parmesan and Romano cheeses, so that I didn't have to wash out the processor bowl. Jarred chopped garlic tastes funny and has extra oil, shredded or grated cheeses are more expensive than block and also I'm suspicious of the taste of the stuff in the green can.

$1.50 3 boxes of oven-ready Barilla lasagne

Tomato sauce
$1.59 3 500 g. boxes strained tomatoes
$2.00 1 750 g. box of chopped tomatoes
$0.69 1 small can of tomato paste
$0.20 1 1/2 heads garlic, chopped
$0.10 3 medium onions, chopped
3 tbls veg oil
Italian seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
parsley flakes

Cheese filling
$4.99 16 oz mozzarella cheese, grated or chopped
$2.89 5 oz. Stella Parmesan cheese, chopped
$2.69 5 oz. Stella Romano cheese, chopped
$8.59 3 LARGE containers of ricotta cheese
$0.25 4 extra-large eggs
pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, parsley flakes, to taste

Other fillings
$1.00 4 lbs ground beef
$0.99 6 pkgs frozen chopped spinach
2 onions, chopped
1 1/2 heads garlic, chopped
Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flake, parsley flakes

Topping
16 oz. mozzarella cheese, chopped

Make the sauce first, so that it can simmer while preparing the filling. Put the oil in a large, heavy pot. Sweat the onion, garlic, and herbs with the salt & pepper. When the onions are transparent and just starting to brown, add the strained and chopped tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste. Let it simmer until you are prepared to layer the lasagna.

Chop the Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Process them in a food processor after cutting into 2-inch cubes. After each one is done, add to a large mixing bowl. Add the herbs and spices to the cheese mixture along with the ricotta cheese and eggs.

Brown the ground beef with seasonings and salt. Drain.

Thaw the spinach. Using your hands and a colander, squeeze out as much water as possible.

Put one cup of sauce in the bottom of four medium foil lasagna pans. Place 3 sheets of lasagna pasta. Spread spinach over the layer. Spread a fairly thin layer of the cheese filling over the spinach. Pour another cup of sauce and spread it to cover the cheese. Place 3 more sheets of lasagna pasta. Spread the beef over the pasta. Add another layer of cheese mixture. Another cup of sauce and top with the mozzarella cheese to top the lasagna.

Bake at 375 degrees, uncovered for 45 minutes.

New England Chili con Carne

This recipe doesn't use chili powder because the seasoning comes from the adobo and chipotle chilis. It's spicy and meaty but also lean and mostly vegetables. I served with whole-grain wild rice to be even more nutritious. I started the rice before cooking the chili and both were done at the same time. Apparently beans in chilli like this are more of a New England thing because in other regions the meat is the emphasis. This is a great recipe for keeping on the stove to serve as people arrive at various times and for big groups, especially on cold days.

$4.99 3 1/2 lbs ground turkey
$1.79 1/4 to 1/3 to taste of small can of chipotle chilis in adobo, pureed
$0.69 1 small can Cento tomato paste
$4.58 2 boxes of Pomi strained tomatoes
$1.00 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
$1.00 1 can sweet corn, drained
$0.50 2 green bell peppers
$0.10 1 medium onion, diced
$0.10 5 cloves roasted garlic, minced
$0.05 2 tbls oil
salt to taste

For garnish:
$1.50 per bunch chopped cilantro
$1.50 8 oz. sour cream
$3.50 shredded cheddar cheese

$22.00 Total cost
$3.66 Per serving. (Served with rice, pasta, tortillas, or bread this makes enough for about 6 meal-size bowls.)

In a large, heavy pot with a tight lid, sweat the onions and garlic in the oil until slightly browned and soft. Add tomato paste and cook until slightly darker in color. Add the turkey and brown. Add the tomatoes, chipotle puree and peppers. Simmer at least 20 minutes or until everything is hot but a longer cooking time will give better results. 20 minutes before serving, add the beans and corn. Garnish and serve with rice, pasta, tortillas, or bread.

Better, Cheaper, Faster

OK, Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee of the Food Network are horrible, horrible cooks who are doing bad things to American cuisine. But the premise of good, cheap, quick food is laudable. The recipes here are already reasonably easy and fast (although no ridiculous absolute limit, like 30 minutes or less) but from now on, I will also include the estimated price of the groceries and amount of servings. The idea is to prove that home-cooked food compared "convenience" foods is easier and cheaper than frozen, canned, or packaged food.

Shopping
The advice to shop the perimeter of the supermarket is one I try to follow. The produce, diary, meat, and breads are generally on the outside walls. The canned shit and Hamburger Helper are in the middle. In the frozen food aisle, I generally only buy frozen vegetables, ice cream, and ravioli.

I don't go to gourmet or trendy supermarkets like Citronella or Whole Foods. The closest ones are smallish local chains (Bravo and Food Village) that cater to the Latino community here in Sunset Park. These are not mega-marts. They have food, a few household products, and a deli. As a result, the produce is hit-or-miss and the selection is limited. Still, even in the 'hood, you can make good, fast, cheap, nutritious food.

Read labels. Not just nutrition facts but also the net weights which can let you compare prices. Sometimes bigger is not cheaper.

Ravioli avec ratatouille

This recipe took about 15-20 minutes, start to finish. It cost about $8 for 4-6 servings because Celli marinara is a little expensive but uses about 1/3 of the jar. (I like this sauce because it tastes good and has no high fructose corn syrup or sugar.) You can use Pomi diced or stewed tomatoes which are cheaper, and add more seasonings, but it's quicker and easier to use marinara sauce. This can be eaten hot, cold, or room temperature.

$3.99 1 13 oz. pkg of Celentano large cheese ravioli
$1.00 1 large zucchini, about 2 inches in diameter
$1.00 1 medium Italian eggplant, about the same size as the zucchini
$0.20 1 medium onion
$4.89 1 1/2 c. Celli marinara sauce
$0.02 2 tsp garlic, crushed

salt & pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
garlic croûtons for garish

Set a large pot of water to boil for the ravioli.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Julienne the onion and toss into the skillet. Add the garlic. Slice the two halves of the zucchini into half-inch slices and toss them in. Increase the heat to medium-high. Peel and halve the eggplant and slice into half-inch slices, too. Toss into the pan. Add salt, pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the marinara sauce. Add the ravioli to the boiling water. Cover the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes, which is the same amount of time that it takes for the ravioli to cook. When the ravioli are done, use a slotted spoon to add them to the vegetables. Serve garnished with croûtons.

Greek Ceasar salad

A fusion between two great salads.

Salad
1 small heart of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 small onion sliced very thin
1 can of anchovy fillets, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin (bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover for 15 minutes)
1/2 cucumber peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 lb feta cheese crumbled
2-3 tbls grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic croûtons
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Dressing & garnish
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Pickled hot cherry peppers

Combine all the salad ingredients. Top with the dressing. No salt is needed because of the salty cheeses.