Written by Donna on March 12, 2010 in Uncategorized
With a name like KELLY, it may come as no surprise that March 17th is one of my favorite days of the year. As part of the celebration, I have been making soda bread for the last 32 years and have tried dozens of versions – experimenting as I went. My favorite soda bread recipe in 32 years of experimenting is Silver Palate author Sheila Lukins’ Irish Soda Bread Rolls. Why rolls and not just a loaf of bread? Because the rolls give you more of that delightful, rustic crunchy crust!
I make these using the Celtic tradition of cutting a cross in the tops to ward off evil spirits for the year to come. The Society for the Preservation of Soda Bread would like you to know that the humble bread has survived centuries of time because it is simple, frugal and just plain delicious. Traditional soda bread has only four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk.
Irish Americans later added raisins to fancy things up for holidays. Sheila added oats, too, which I think is a brilliant rustic addition of an Irish ingredient. The only thing I have changed from Sheila’s recipe is that I brush the rolls with butter before baking for a nice golden brown crust. This year, I am making these rolls not only because they are Irish, but also as a tribute to Sheila, who died too young a few months ago of cancer. Her fun (albeit NOT Irish) spirit lives on!
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Written by Donna on March 10, 2010 in Entrees, Healthy Fare
Who says you can’t turn out a healthy and flavorful meal in less than 20 minutes? I saw this idea in Sunset magazine and thought the mellow tastes of corn and tarragon would pair well with white fish. I like tilapia because it is a sustainable fish, it’s exceedingly frugal and has a firm white flesh. Tilapia farmed in the USA or Central America is eco-friendly and uber healthy, so buy tons when it’s on sale and keep a few fillets stashed in your freezer.
To learn about sustainable fish issues, I like the Seafood Watch Site, and you can even doanload a Pocket Guide to eating sustainable fish in your area!
We love tilapia here at FFF, and we’ve featured it before in a Spice Rubbed Tilapia and Tilapia with Sopes and Raw Corn Salad.
With this new tilapia recipe, all you need to add is some crusty French bread and a salad – what-the-heck, you can even use the bagged stuff with a little vinaigrette – and Voila! – dinner is still less than 20 minutes from grocery bag to table!
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One of the ultimate comfort foods – slowly simmered stuffed cabbage rolls – has the power to take me back to the early 80’s when I was a new bride learning to cook for my little family. So, I wondered if I could make a more enlightened vegetarian version that was just as tasty and comforting for Meatless Monday.
Cabbage seems like it was invented for making cabbage rolls – they have a perfect taste and texture for these. And a huge bonus: cabbage is packed with nutrients. Cabbage is one of the most versatile cruciferous veggies. We use it in so many strikingly different ways and transform it into so many different substances: raw cabbage in slaws, boiled cabbage with sausages, pickled for sauerkraut, and on and on . . . .
The secret to the success of this recipe is in the braising: I used a rich vegetable broth ( I like Kitchen Basics vegetable stock) with a little vinegar and brown sugar and My, Oh My! did my house smell yummy! These turned out glorious: sweet and tart and flavorful – they just melt in your mouth! I promise you won’t miss the meat – not even a little bit!
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I received this entreaty from reader and friend Danielle:
I went hunting on fab frugal for cabbage recipes. At 59 cents per pound green cabbage is the cheapest produce going at the grocery store and yet nothing on the site? What’s up with that? I already know how to do red- so don’t re-direct me there. I am still suffering post traumatic stress from Cabbage and Potatoes with Polish Sausage Night when I was a kid. So- no boiling, please! Any ideas?
Danielle makes a fine point, as we do have a lovely braised RED cabbage recipe but nothing green. Cabbage really is a fantastic frugal produce choice, as well as being chock full o’ vitamins, fiber and important minerals. Continue Reading…
Some vegetarian versions of classic dishes are BETTER than the originals. Case in point: Stroganoff.
Sour cream, sauteed onions, beef strips – Okay, sounds like a good combo, right? But the problem is that the meat (back in the day when I was eating beef) was always rubbery and tough and the only taste in the dish was the sour cream sauce. I have tried making a veggie version of stroganoff numerous times over the years, but the veggies were always limp and watery and slimy.
Use a combination of Cremini, Shitake and Oyster Mushrooms
Then it hit me: ROAST the veggies! And by veggies, I mean MUSHROOMS. And lots of them in different varieties. Then add the mushrooms to the sauce at the very last minute so they’re not soggy and slimy.
Our FFF Meatless Monday pledge made me determined to try again!
This works perfectly! If you’ve always disliked Stroganoff, give this recipe a try and you will be a convert like me.
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Written by Donna on February 26, 2010 in Uncategorized
We were all thrilled to see Bode Miller on the platform at the Olympics, but did you know we have another reason to applaud him? Miller is a sustainable eating advocate, an organic farmer and lifelong vegetarian!
Michael Pollan’s recent interview on NPR was both entertaining and enlightening: Just one favorite quote: “It’s not food if it arrives through the window of your car.” This got me thinking. . . Is good, healthy, sustainable eating a luxury only for the upper middle class and the rich, or is it something we all can achieve?
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