Monthly Archive for January, 2010

Discover the Magic of Spice Rubs: FFF's Top Three Favorite Spice Rub Recipes!

Published on January 30, 2010 in Entrees, Frugal Tips and Healthy Fare. 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .
Spice Rubbed Tilapia for your New years Resolutions!
Twenty Minute Dinner: Spice Rubbed Fish Fillets

You just can’t have a frugal cooking blog without at some point featuring spice rub recipes. (( I’m pretty sure there is a law somewhere requiring frugal foodies to use spice rubs!)) The Mother of all Spice Rubs is Spike Seasoning, which boasts 39 ingredients – no, I am NOT making that up! – and has been around since my mom was a kid.

Spice rubs are so very handy, healthy and frugal, whether you just use them as a shortcut to spice up a dish or as a rub.  I use three rubs pretty frequently and try to keep them mixed up and on hand. Even in the dead of winter (hello – right now!) these rubs will make you feel like you are having a backyard barbecue. So here, beloved frugal readers, are Donna’s Top Three Spice Rubs of all time – with a bonus: Donna’s Techniques for cooking Spice Rubbed Fish Fillets!

Fish is on many “I Should Eat More of” Lists. White fish fillets are perfect as a canvas for spice rubs! Here’s an easy, budget-friendly fish recipe to do just that – and only takes just 20 minutes total time.  Using small fish that are lower on the food chain is an environmentally friendly thing to do – they are sustainable fish, AND – more good news: they’re less expensive than larger varieties. For this technique, you could use tilapia, snapper, trout, cod or any other firm white fish fillets.  (Pictured above is tilapia.)  This technique is one that can be used with most any spice rub – try one of our three different  spice rubs with different flavor profiles – Indian Tandoori Spice Rub,  Southwest Chile Cumin Spice Rub and Jamaican Jerk Spice Rubs. All three are delicious – but feel free to use your own creation or purchased spice rub. Just make sure to watch the salt content so your fish isn’t too salty.

SPICE RUBBED FISH FILLETS

Serves 4
Prep and cook time – 20 minutes

3 tablespoons Spice Rub
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 white fish fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Mix spice rub with cornstarch and then coat one side of each fish fillet with 2 teaspoons of spice mixture, pressing down with fingers to adhere spices to fish. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet. Place 2 fillets in pan, spiced side down. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned on bottom. Carefully turn fillets over, so that uncooked side is down. Cover and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until fillets are cooked through. Repeat this process to cook remaining 2 fillets. Serve warm with spiced side up on rice or pasta.

INDIAN TANDOORI SPICE RUB
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

SOUTHWEST CHILE CUMIN SPICE RUB
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

JAMAICAN JERK SPICE RUB
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cayenne pepper to taste

Other food bloggers do white fish:
White Fish en Papillote, Guilty Kitchen
White Fish Citrus Salad, The Kitchn
Grilled Halibut with Southwestern Rub, Kalyns Kitchen
Panko and Mustard Crusted Fish, The Perfect Pantry
Harissa Braised Fish, The Perfect Pantry
Fish Picatta, Serious Eats
Tilapia with Pimiento Sauce, Simply Recipes
Baked Fish with Chorizo, Yum Sugar

– posted by Donna


  • Share/Bookmark

Fab Frugal Friday: Ginger in a snap!

Published on January 29, 2010 in Frugal Tips. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

We have been loving the frugal tips given to us by readers for our blogiversary giveaway! Freida reminded me of a great one for getting the most out of your ginger. I learned this one a while back, after countless chunks of fresh ginger sadly went to waste after not being used in time. (I do use it in a lot of recipes, but sometimes you just can’t get to it all!)

The easiest and most efficient way to store ginger is to simply peel it and pop it in the freezer. So when you’re first prepping it for a recipe, go ahead and peel it all. (I find the best way to do so is with the edge of a spoon, like so:)

Once you’ve used what you need, pop the rest into a ziploc bag, and into the freezer it goes. Then, once you need it, you can grate it straight out of the freezer with a microplane. No need to thaw it first!

Alternately, you can slice the ginger and cover it with mirin or dry sherry in an airtight container, which will keep for a few months in the refrigerator.

Thanks Frieda!

– posted by Anne

  • Share/Bookmark

Superbowl Specials Series: Cajun Chili Cups

Published on January 28, 2010 in Appetizers, Entrees and Healthy Fare. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

I should state straightaway that I am NOT ordinarily a football fan at all – most years I don’t even know who’s in the Superbowl until after it happens, if ever. But this year, a friend of mine is absolutely ecstatic about the fact that the New Orleans Saints are playing, as he’s been a loyal fan his whole life (a Louisiana native) and this is apparently their first time making it all the way! I also happen to adore New Orleans and hope to go back there many more times in my life, for so many reasons, not the least of which is the cuisine.

So this is my tribute to Chuck and his beloved Saints. It’s somewhere between a chili and a gumbo, and I hope Cajun purists don’t balk at my machinations. Continue reading ‘Superbowl Specials Series: Cajun Chili Cups’

  • Share/Bookmark

Fab and Frugal Homemade Chips: Sweet Potato Chips Recipe

Published on January 26, 2010 in Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .
Healthy! Easy! Yummy! Sweet Potato Chips

Healthy! Easy! Yummy! Sweet Potato Chips

Don’t you just LOVE it when one of your favorite foods goes on sale? Yesterday sweet potatoes were 88 cents a pound at my favorite store – so I loaded up and decided to try making chips out of them since specialty chips in the gourmet section of the store are so, so spendy – about $5.00 a bag.

These turned out great and this sweet potato recipe is so easy that I was hesitant to even put it on this blog. But hey! I wanted to share these chips with all my fab frugal friends. If you’re looking for healthier super bowl snack recipes, you have come to the right place!

At the very end, you can make them either sweet or savory, depending on your mood – just season while they’re still hot with either cinnamon sugar (sweet version) or salt and a savory spice like cumin (savory version).

Continue reading ‘Fab and Frugal Homemade Chips: Sweet Potato Chips Recipe’

  • Share/Bookmark

Meatless Monday: Vegan Posole

Published on January 25, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 12 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Yes, I know, posole is most commonly enjoyed with pork. And Donna had already brought it down a notch in the food chain with her Weeknight Chicken Posole. But consider this: The original posole was determined to have been made with human flesh. Continue reading ‘Meatless Monday: Vegan Posole’

  • Share/Bookmark

Fab Frugal Friday: Enlightened Butter Canola Spread Recipe

Published on January 22, 2010 in Frugal Tips. 3 Comments Tags: , , .
Enlightened Butter Canola Spread

Enlightened Butter Canola Spread

Our First Anniversary Giveaway has yielded so many fabulous and frugal tips that we have decided to feature some of our favorites in upcoming Fab Frugal Friday tips.

Our first was left by Jim of Jim Heywood Photography fame. He suggested whipping up a half-butter half-canola spread that will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

I LOVE this spread. It has a buttery taste but is smooth, light and maintains its spreadable texture even when chilled. I used unsalted butter because to me it has a fresher taste, and then added kosher salt. And, this spread cost only about $1.50 to make at home, compared to similar purchased butter spreads of the same quantity for about $5.00.

It is so easy to make: just throw equal amounts of butter and canola oil in your mixer (HEY! you could use the mixer you win in our giveaway!) and whip until it looks just like whipped cream. (See photo above!)

Thanks, Jim, for this fab frugal tip!

– posted by Donna

  • Share/Bookmark

Another French Dessert Made Easy: Shortcut Individual Tart Tatin Recipe

Published on January 21, 2010 in Desserts. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .
Individual Shortcut Tart Tatins

Individual Shortcut Tart Tatins

Julia Child was not the only master of French Desserts – before Julia were the Tatin sisters. They created the now famous apple dessert recipe “Tart Tatin”  that has stumped many accomplished home cooks and even chefs for several generations now – including me!

I love this dessert so much, I decided to come up with a fool-proof version – perfect for your superbowl buffet or a special sweetheart dessert – this is your stress-free Valentine’s Day recipe!

I used three basic steps (I remember it by “CAP”): C) caramel in the bottom, A) apple slices next, then P) pastry on top. I used purchased frozen puff pastry here for convenience, or you can make this dish even more frugally by making up a batch of my Five Minute Puff Pastry!

If you are not an actual French pastry chef yourself, these little yummies will fool you – the taste is that close to the Real Deal!  And, instead of hours of frustration, usually involving tears and cursing, you will be singing and smiling because they are a snap to throw together! The apples have that same slow-braised taste and the crust stays crispy and delicious!

Continue reading ‘Another French Dessert Made Easy: Shortcut Individual Tart Tatin Recipe’

  • Share/Bookmark

Braised Red Cabbage a la Top Chef – on a budget

Published on January 20, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

With yesterday’s AMAZING Brussels sprouts slaw, it seems to be Cruciferous Veggie Week around here. Perhaps some broccoli and cauliflower coming up?  Anyway, on to today’s recipe from the archives. It doesn’t sound very sexy, but I thought it was just delicious. I adapted this from a Top Chef recipe, in fact! I saw contestant Stefan Richter (kind of the villain of the show, but undeniably talented) from the most recent season make this and was intrigued by the concept. So I snagged Stefan’s original recipe from the Bravo site, did a little tinkering, omitting more expensive ingredients like rendered duck fat, and simplifying it a bit, and voila.

Continue reading ‘Braised Red Cabbage a la Top Chef – on a budget’

  • Share/Bookmark

Alton Brown's Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Slaw Recipe (Slightly Tweaked)

Published on January 19, 2010 in Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 14 Comments Tags: , , , .
The most delicious Brussels Sprouts you have ever eaten!

The most delicious Brussels Sprouts you have ever eaten!

That Alton Brown is a genius. On one of his newest episodes, he features Brussels sprouts recipes and he explains why they can taste nasty if cooked too long. (Remember those blobs of mushy sulfur-y grossness your Mom made you eat?)  The key, he explains, is to cook them over very high heat with oil – no water – for a very short time, which inhibits the sulfur-y taste.  He made this fabulous-looking warm slaw and I just couldn’t wait to get in the kitchen and try it. It is amazing! The earthiness of the sprouts is perfect with the crunch of nuts and the sweetness of Craisins.  These little cabbage gems are anti-cancer powerhouses, so I WANTED to like them – but I never had them cooked correctly – UNTIL NOW!!!

And, since the Serious Eats food blog recently declared Brussels sprouts to be the “Ingredient of the Year” for 2009, that confirmed my resolve to give them a second try.

Continue reading ‘Alton Brown's Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Slaw Recipe (Slightly Tweaked)’

  • Share/Bookmark

Join us in the MEATLESS MONDAYS MOVEMENT! Our Meatless Makeover: Two Enlightened Bolognese Sauce Recipes

Published on January 18, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare and Vegetarian Entrees. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .
Annes Lentil Bolognese Sauce

Anne's Lentil Bolognese Sauce on Gluten-Free Spaghetti

Donnas Enlightened Bolognese Sauce

Donna's Enlightened Bolognese Sauce on Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

We at FFF have pledged to go meatless on Mondays!

The Meatless Mondays Movement is gaining momentum! Eating less meat makes sense in every possible way: health-wise, environment-wise and (note the emphasis of our blog) budget-wise!

We endorse Michael Pollan’s philosophy: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

To do our part, we will feature a delicious vegetarian recipe every Monday that traditionally was made with meat, but we will do a makeover and make it meatless: Meatless Monday Makeovers! Today we feature the classic meat pasta sauce – Bolognese.

Continue reading ‘Join us in the MEATLESS MONDAYS MOVEMENT! Our Meatless Makeover: Two Enlightened Bolognese Sauce Recipes’

  • Share/Bookmark
UA-10519837