Witten 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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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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Breakfast Love on a Plate
Eggs that are easy, whimsical and delicious – what better way to show love at breakfast?
Eggs are delicious paired with sauteed spinach – I like this approach better than folding spinach into an omlet – you get more spinach and less egg with the same fantastic flavor combination! Yummmmm . . . low-carb festive goodness!
Eggs are a low-cost high-quality protein bonanza – 5 grams of protein for only about 60 calories that have been found to be healthy for your heart, brain and eyes! And fresh flavorful eggs are available to all of us 365 days a year in any grocery store. A high-protein breakfast has been associated with weight loss – So eggs are a fab frugal choice!
If you don’t have a large heart-shaped cookie cutter to make this festive Valentine breakfast, no worries – just use folded aluminum foil like I did! I used the non-stick Reynolds foil for this.
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This is a treat from our collaborative cookbook, “101 Things To Do With Tofu”. Note: FOUR INGREDIENTS total, including the “secret”. Couldn’t be easier! It would be a perfect Valentine’s dessert if, like me, you’re still needing to keep things on the light side. And I’ll bet your sweetheart will be none the wiser. (It’s always fun to see if people can guess the secret ingredient!) Continue Reading…

Sweetheart Shrimp on a bed of Couscous with a Balsamic Reduction Drizzle
What sweetheart wouldn’t be swooning over a meal with a first course that is heart shaped?
Usually we advocate for all things frugal, but not on Valentine’s Day recipes. BUY THE MOST GIGANTIC SHRIMP YOU CAN FIND!!! These were about 16 per pound, and well worth it for a once-a-year splurge! Your sweetie’s worth it, no? (You only need four of them for a cozy dinner for two, after all.)
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