Archive for the 'Healthy Fare' Category

Hot Pink Hummus with Fresh Beets

Hummus with fresh beets

As many of you know, if you’re Facebook-friendly with me, I am a bit of a hummus addict. I would eat it every day if I could, I do believe. I love garlicky hummus, lemony hummus, hummus with and without tahini, hummus with avocados and coconut oil,  hummus with roasted red peppers, hummus with pine nuts, hummus with “40 spices”, hummus with sundried tomatoes. I love it in wraps, I love it as a dip for crudite or tortilla chips, I love it spread on toast, I love it just plain eaten by the spoonful. You could say I’m a little obsessed. So when I saw  hot pink hummus in the prepared food section of my local co-op, I knew I had to give it a try. Continue reading ‘Hot Pink Hummus with Fresh Beets’

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Corn Fritter Salad Stack Recipe – Celebrate Summer’s End with a Meatless Monday Labor Day Feast

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Corn Fritter Salad Stack with Tomatoes and Arugula

“Sex is good, but not as good as sweet, fresh corn.”  — Garrison Keillor

I agree with America’s favorite radio host that corn – while sweet and fresh – is one of the very best simple pleasures of life. When I bite into a steamy ear dripping with butter and salt, I  just want to stand up and shout “Life is GOOD!” Naturally, I am always looking for easy recipes that will enhance corn’s golden goodness. Especially easy, flavorful and healthy meals. Yes, I did use the word “healthy,” which corn is when eaten in its whole state. I was inspired by this month’s Cooking Light recipe, but skipped the flavored mayo and left out the meat for Meatless Monday.

(**Food Trivia Question: Is corn a vegetable or a grain? See the end of this post for the answer!)

There are two schools of thought on corn fritters: deep fry them so they’ll be globe shaped, or make them pancake style. I think you can tell by the photo which style I chose. That way, you can make a pretty stacks with a little dressed arugula and some ripe tomatoes. And, a bonus: this easy dinner takes 20 minutes, max – even if you have to shuck the corn!

Continue reading ‘Corn Fritter Salad Stack Recipe – Celebrate Summer’s End with a Meatless Monday Labor Day Feast’

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Zucchini Recipe Festival: Charred Salsa Verde Recipe for Fab Frugal Friday

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Charred Zucchini Salsa Verde served over Cottage Cheese

It’s the end of summer – time for a foodie zucchini festival!

With gardens overflowing with zucchini and several of my neighbors anonymously leaving large summer squashes at my doorstep and then running before I could catch them, I decided to char the zukes on the grill and blend up some salsa verde. Verdict: zucchini and chiles: a match made in heaven!

(Nostalgic Note: I used to eat salsa as a child served over cottage cheese (pictured above). I know,  I know. It sounds weird, but the salty mild cottage cheese pairs perfectly with spicy salsa. Yum! Serve any salsa this way, especially if you have kids!)

Yes, Fab Frugal Food and zucchini go way back. Check out our Zucchini Crudo Salad, Wholegrain Zucchini Cakes, or our Oven Fried Zucchini Crisps.

And, everyone knows in their bones that  zucchini should be on our “must-eat-more-of” lists. They are packed with nutrients and yet are low-calorie and low-carb. And few things are more frugal than zucchini in season. So. What’s not to love?

Continue reading ‘Zucchini Recipe Festival: Charred Salsa Verde Recipe for Fab Frugal Friday’

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Simple Tabbouleh Recipe with Millet and Fresh Parsley

This has always been one of my favorite sides, and alas, I’m currently in a land without Middle Eastern restaurants. I happily make hummus all the time, but haven’t been making my own tabbouleh (a.k.a. tabbouli, and other transliterated variations) due to the cracked wheat factor,  since we have some gluten issues around here. Rice would be too heavy. I like quinoa a lot, and Kalyn’s Kitchen recently did a very good one using quinoa, but I decided to try millet, and I think it turned out to be a great substitute. Do try!  Continue reading ‘Simple Tabbouleh Recipe with Millet and Fresh Parsley’

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Meatless Monday: My Vegetarian Bookshelf’s Greatest Hits


I thought we’d do a little something different this Meatless Monday, and give a shout-out to the vegetarian cookbooks that have inspired us.

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Fab Frugal Friday: Penny-wise Corn Cob Vegetable Stock

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I dare you to find a recipe that is more frugal than one that uses spent corn cobs as the main ingredient. Go ahead. Try.

I saw this idea a while back on Eats Well with Others, a fabulous food blog I follow religiously. A few nights ago we had sweet delicious fresh corn with dinner, leaving kernel-free cobs at the end. Perfect timing to try this unusual recipe. Joanne, I put you to the test and you did not fail me! I was afraid the stock would be too sweet, and too, well, corn-y. It was not at all either of those. It reminded me a bit of chicken stock, actually, but just a tiny bit sweeter.

Joanne, I hope you don’t mind that I added a few touches of my own: cumin seeds because – hey! – cumin is great in everything; a few dashes of Frank’s; some fresh lime juice. And, OK, it’s confession time: I went to watch the new episode of The Next Food Network Star and accidentally left it simmering the whole time. So, it simmered much longer than you recommended, Joanne – but – I found that that somehow gave it a more “toasted” flavor, if that makes sense. A happy accident!

Next time you’re tempted to buy that veg stock at the store and spend a fortune for a few cups, try this trick and you’ll have a flavorful broth for only pennies!

Continue reading ‘Fab Frugal Friday: Penny-wise Corn Cob Vegetable Stock’

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Panini-Grilled Ratatouille Salad

This time of year, a lot of fellow food bloggers have me shamefully coveting their outdoor grills. From the old-fashioned round kettle-style charcoal barbecues of yore to handy little Hibachis to the swanky flattop Weber grills of today and everything in between, I covet them all. It’s the one major appliance I don’t have. But a truly fabulously frugal person is a resourceful person.

I realized that, thanks to a lovely gift from Santa, I DO have something like a close, indoor cousin to the grill – a panini press (quite a nice one, too, a Breville). This was the perfect solution, really – I loved how it cut the time in half by grilling both sides at once! Continue reading ‘Panini-Grilled Ratatouille Salad’

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Meatless Monday: A Light, Cool, Refreshing Summer Salad – Crispy Tofu Cubes with Mango and Avocado in Sweet Chili Sauce

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I make a cold shrimp salad with avocado and mango in an Asian sweet chili sauce. It is a great go-to quick main dish salad for the summer – cool, refreshing and so flavorful.  Crispy tofu cubes in place of the shrimp is a wonderful switch up – added at the last minute, of course, to preserve their crispiness.

Anne and I have been huge tofu fans since writing 101 Things to do with Tofu a few years ago. It’s a fab frugal source of protein – and has a mild flavor that plays well with pretty much any other flavors. And, this sweet chili dressing is bright and flavorful with a touch of heat. If I wasn’t in mixed company when I ate this salad last night, I would have licked my plate. No, really.

Perfect for a summer Meatless Monday!

Continue reading ‘Meatless Monday: A Light, Cool, Refreshing Summer Salad – Crispy Tofu Cubes with Mango and Avocado in Sweet Chili Sauce’

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Tangy Summer Slaw

Slaws are absolutely EVERYWHERE these days. I had been tinkering with different ones for a while when I happened upon a spicy slaw from Elana’s Pantry, and it sounded like almost exactly what I had been looking for! I wanted a little more tang and a little less heat and adapted it accordingly, but I think either version of the recipe is perfect for a summer side. Continue reading ‘Tangy Summer Slaw’

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A Soup That Uses Your Outdoor Barbecue Grill: Coconut Red Curry Summer Soup with Raw Veggies and Grilled Shrimp

Grilled Shrimp Thai Coconut Curry Summer Soup

Grilled Shrimp Thai Coconut Curry Summer Soup

I love any recipe with coconut milk. If you add coconut milk to pretty much anything, my theory is it will always taste delicious.  A few years ago, I discovered how wonderful the soups are at Thai restaurants, because veggies in the soups are added in at the last minute, adding a nice fresh taste and texture. So, with a soup that’s not slow simmered, why not add a grilled element and make it a backyard summer style soup? Hmmmm . . . First, the broth.

It does sound very strange – making broth  without heating up your kitchen. But by just letting the flavors steep, your kitchen will not reach the sauna stage. Not even close. Then, you add raw fresh vegetables, whatever pasta or rice you have on hand, and grilled shrimp and – VOILA! - an almost effortless summer soup that is refreshing and flavorful.

I saw this idea in the August issue of Fine Cooking magazine (one of my all-time favorite cooking magazines!) I simplified it a bit and added a fun “grilled” taste.  Instead of “tea smoking” the shrimp I simply threw them on the grill. Amazingly easy and flavorful! The broth is made by steeping the aromatics with coconut milk and red curry paste. So, so, SO flavorful with so little effort!

I made this soup with shrimp, but you could use grilled chicken or grilled white fish fillets. I’ll bet even grilled tofu cubes on skewers would be delish as well for a vegetarian and vegan version. Must try a veggie version soon . . .

Cheers!

Continue reading ‘A Soup That Uses Your Outdoor Barbecue Grill: Coconut Red Curry Summer Soup with Raw Veggies and Grilled Shrimp’

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