Monthly Archive for August, 2009

CAMPFIRE-FREE S'MORES: Easy One-Bite "S'more Puffs" recipe

Published on August 29, 2009 in Desserts and Uncategorized. 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

We have been blessed with many Fab Frugal Friends who love to cook with us – and we are happy to feature them on our blog!

My son’s friend Amber Simmons is a Domestic Goddess-in-training and has dreams of going to culinary school. She is a fabulous cook and once in awhile our family is lucky enough to be blessed by the bounty of her recipe creations.

Recently Amber came over and shared her wonderful latest recipe creation: S’more Puffs. These are little meringues that are baked and then their bottoms are slathered with a chocolate ganache and dredged in graham cracker crumbs. They are a one-bite  s’more sensation! So delish and – you don’t even need a campfire! Another 5-ingredient recipe that is FABULOUS!

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Fab Frugal Friday: Zero Carb Zucchini "Noodles"

Published on August 28, 2009 in Entrees, Frugal Tips, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

A fabulous discovery: Homemade Zero Carb Zucchini Noodles.

I love to order the “No Carb Noodles” at Pizza Factory, a local family favorite. With zucchini being so prolific and cheap right now, I decided it was time to add these healthy version of noodles to my list of Ways To Get Rid of All That Zucchini. And, health -wise there are very few things better to put into your mouth than zucchinis.

Turns out it is very, very easy. Just slice the zucchini into long planks on a mandoline (or use a large chef’s knife). I like the 1/8 inch thickness, but 1/4 inch is more substantial and yummy, too.  Then, steam them for just a minute or two. Really. They get too soggy if you steam them any longer. And don’t even think about boiling – just turns them into a pile of mush.

You can use them just like you would cooked spaghetti, or my favorite way: while they’re hot, stir in some butter and pressed garlic, salt and pepper.  Instant Zucchini Heaven.

– posted by Donna

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Crispy Berry Napoleons – from only FIVE ingredients!

Published on August 26, 2009 in Desserts and Healthy Fare. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

Once in awhile, browsing through random magazines while getting your hair done pays off. This post proves that!

This month’s Good Housekeeping magazine had a recipe that looked good enough to try: Lemon Blush Napoleons. I made a version of it and it is truly Fab Frugal Food! All the things I look for in food are in this recipe: 1) fabulous (ie, interesting, different, unique); 2) delicious; 3) quick; 4) easy; 5) frugal; 6) healthy and 7) flexible, because you can use any fresh sliced fruit or berries and it will turn out wonderful!

I made it even simpler by using flavored Greek yoghurt, which has a delicious taste and creamy texture.

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Good Ole' Summertime Summer Rolls

Published on August 24, 2009 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Whether you call them Fresh Rolls or Summer Rolls or Thai Salad Rolls – these are a fresh and fabulous treat, especially good in summer because they are cool, light and fresh. And, they are so, so easy to make!

My take on summer roll recipe calls for lightly marinated julienne veggies and some fresh veggies, too.

And, don’t be afraid of those rice paper wrappers. You can buy them in some grocery stores now, and you can always buy them at any Asian mart. All you do is dip them in warm water for about 10 seconds and then lay them on your cutting board and proceed as if you were rolling a small burrito.

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Fab Frugal Friday: Jazzed up Store-Bought Salsas

Published on August 21, 2009 in Frugal Tips. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

If you’ve ever bought a tub of one of those convenient store-bought salsas and brought them home to discover they had almost no taste – this tip is for you!

Stir in some salt, pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. Seriously, the olive oil makes tomatoes taste so much better and also increases their nutritional value, so you can’t lose!

And, always serve salsa at room temperature – the warm temperature improves its flavor tremendously as well.

– posted by Donna

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TOMATO FEST: Tomato Chile Jam

Published on August 19, 2009 in Healthy Fare, Uncategorized, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 8 Comments Tags: , .

I know. I thought it sounded weird at first, too. Jam? From Tomatoes???

I’ll admit, I was desperate. I had so many tomatoes coming on over the weekend screaming “Pick Me! Pick Me!” that I began to get a bit desperate.  I came across a tomato jam recipe and gave it a try. It is great spread on a toasted baguette slice over a thin layer of ricotta.

I decided to spice it up quite a bit, so the jalapenos were my idea. And, I only used about half of the recommended sugar so the jam would have a more tangy savory feel. And, don’t be tempted to squeeze out the seeds and liquid from the tomatoes – that is where all the pectin is that will thicken the jam.

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TOMATO FEST: Sassy Smoky Salsa

Published on August 17, 2009 in Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , .

“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”
–  Lewis Grizzard

Each summer I can hardly wait until I start seeing red globes peeking out from between the green leaves of our tomato plants.

There is a fabulous blog celebrating home-grown goodness – Andrea Meyers at Andreas Recipes – she hosts a twice-monthly “Grow Your Own” feature where she highlights recipes from food blogs that feature cooks using ingredients they have grown (or foraged or were gifted) themselves. This salsa post was featured on her blog – check it out to see this and other “GYO” goodness!

There are a million salsa recipes out there, and I have tried my share of them over the last 30 years. Trust me on this – I grew up a few miles from the Mexican border and I have eaten hundreds of salsas. If I am a connoisseur of any one thing, it has to be salsa! This Roasted Tomato Salsa recipe is my absolute all-time favorite!  Roasting about half of the tomatoes quickly at a very high heat give a wonderful roasted smoky flavor, but keeping half of the tomatoes raw gives it the perfect freshness and texture. And, the chipotle chile powder and smoked paprika are delicious in combination with tomatoes.

Don’t skip the EVOO. Olive oil used with tomatoes improves BOTH their flavor and health benefits exponentially.

I love to make gallons (literally) of our family’s favorite salsa and then cruise around the neighborhood like “The Salsa Fairy” handing out pints to friends or leaving them on doorsteps as a surprise treat. Everyone raves about salsa that has roasted tomatoes in the recipe!

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CORNUCOPIA: Elotes Taste Test

Published on August 13, 2009 in Side Dishes and Vegetarian Entrees. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Whenever I’m in Mexico those street-cart “elotes” are such a treat. There is something about rolling up your sleeves and munching on a fresh-roasted rustic ear of corn slathered with crema and crumbled fragrant cheese that makes you feel like you are experiencing the real culture and cuisine of Mexico.

I decided to try my hand (and grill) at making a homemade version, but the recipes out there in the food blog world were quite varied. Most recommend mayonnaise (Homesick Texan), and (Serious Eats) or sour cream (Big Oven) and (Serious Eats). All recommended lime juice, fragrant cheese (either Queso Cotija, Parmesan even Feta) and a sprinkling of chile powder. One recommends cutting the corn off the cob into a styrofoam cup just like “the best freaking thing on earth you can buy on a street corner.” Amen!

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CORNUCOPIA: Crisp Corn Salad

Published on August 10, 2009 in Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 3 Comments

You just cannot beat getting a DOZEN ears of corn, picked just a few hours prior, for four bucks!

Another simple summer corn recipe, this time using RAW corn. If you’ve never tried it, do! I promise you’ll love it. (The other items in the photo are some sopes with tilapia and tomatillo salsa, and calabacitas, a.k.a. zucchini, Mexican-style.)

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Thank you, Julia. And Paul.

Published on August 8, 2009 in Desserts. 10 Comments Tags: , , .
Julia Childs Favorite Chocolate Almond Cake

Julia Child's All-time Favorite Dessert: Chocolate Almond Cake

I was lucky to attend the premiere party for Julie and Julia hosted by Kalyn of kalynskitchen fame yesterday.

Hanging with a group of fellow food bloggers is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, let me tell you.  And the food . . . these women can cook!!!

I had read the book awhile ago and liked it, but to me the real star of this story was Julia, and there was not enough of her in the book. Not so, it turns out, with the movie. This is one of those rare, RARE occasions when I liked the movie much better than the book.

Meryl Streep was, of course, amazing. She was more Julia Child than the actual larger-than-life Julia Child. She portrayed Julia’s playfulness and charm without doing a caricature – a fine tribute to her memory.

What struck me about the movie was the tribute to married love. Too often Hollywood glorifies lust and fleeting attraction. Traditional marriage and lifelong devotion is too ho-hum, too blah, unworthy of any acknowledgment whatsoever, it seems, by Hollywood.

Not so with this film. The life-long love affair between Paul and Julia was the most moving aspect of this movie. Without his love and devotion Julia Child, the real person, never could have achieved the status of Julia Child, the icon. I was moved to tears several times by their love and devotion to each other and am still awe-struck as I write this post.

I have fond memories of  watching The French Chef with my mom when I was little.  Julia had a wonderful way of conveying her genuine joie de vivre through every word and gesture. Her  approach to life was so inspiring to women and young girls everywhere – she made you feel like you could live joyfully and fearlessly in the kitchen or anywhere else your life might take you. She took what life gave her and she made it enough!

My contribution to the party was Julia Child’s “all-time favorite” dessert (so she says in the introduction of Mastering the Art of French Cooking): Chocolate Almond Cake. I don’t often think myself competent to make one of Julia Child’s recipes. But, this recipe makes even a non-baker like myself into an instant French Pastry Chef. It is unbelievably flavorful – creamy in the center and crispy on the outside.

One way we can honor Julia is by participating in the Julia Child Birthday Event sponsored by the blog Champaign Taste by making one of her recipes. What a fabulous tribute to her legacy to have bloggers and foodies everywhere making her recipes!

Thank you, Julia. And Paul.

– posted by Donna

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