Frugal recipes (comfort food, brown sugar, ginger, onion)

[seattlerain]

Hamburger Soup

1.5 pounds ground beef
1 onion diced
1 green pepper
2 stalks celery
1 clove garlic
1 28 ounce can tomato sauce
2 15 ounce cans kidney beans
1 cup grated green cabbage
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup macaroni
5 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Brown meat and drain excess fat.

Saute onion, pepper, celery and garlic, add meat, diced tomatoes tomato sauce beans cabbage, chili powder, macaroni and water, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Salt to taste.

[Kele]

Split Pea Soup

2 whole carrots, chopped fine
3 stalks of celery, chopped fine
1/2 medium onion chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 bag rinsed split peas
1 bay leaf

In a stewpot, saute above veggies until soft. Add split peas and stir until peas are throughly mixed with veggies. Add enough water to cover peas plus about 4 inches along with bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer.

Check frequently and add water as needed, stirring each time. As peas soften, add salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add some dried sage.

Cook until peas are mushy and soup thickens. Serve with a crusty bread or cornbread.

I'm a vegetarian so I don't add any ham but I suppose you could. It's cheaper not to and tastes just great. All in all, the pot of soup costs about $3.00 to make and will feed four with leftovers.

[Rathagos]

Garlic Chicken Fried Rice (or without the Garlic if your kids won't eat it).

4 cups rice
1 box (32 oz) Swanson Chicken Broth
Boneless/skinless chicken (breasts, thighs, mix)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 stick of butter
(Optional: soy sauce)

1. Boil the chicken until cooked. Set aside to cool
2. Cook the rice in the chicken broth (instead of water)
3. When chicken is cooled, cut into bite-sized pieces
4. Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic
5. In a large skillet, in med-high heat, melt butter and saute garlic until it starts to brown
6. Add rice and chicken stiring to mix chicken, rice, and garlic well.
7. Add soy sauce and cook 2 more minutes.
8. Serve.

This is a quick, easy and fairly cheap recipe per serving. My kids love it.

[hutch5]

Pasta recipes can be quite cheap and you find endless sauces to go with pasta.
One of our favourite is :

steamed Broccoli
raw tomatoes and mozzarella cheese cut into cubes and marinated with some garlic, olive oil.

When the pasta is cooked just stir everything together and serve.

Here in Spain I have alse learned to make great recipes with cheak peas or lentils.

[NicoleJ]

WOW. You guys are amazing! Thank you.

[Rathagos]

Originally Posted by NCN

"...make a dumpling mixture of 2 cups self rising flour, 1 cup milk, and 1/4 cup mayonnaise."

NCN... I'm allergic to mayonnaise... do you think ranch dressing might be a substitute? If not, do you have another recommendation?

[NicoleJ]

I just use milk w/ no mayo.

[Kele]

Originally Posted by Rathagos

NCN... I'm allergic to mayonnaise... do you think ranch dressing might be a substitute? If not, do you have another recommendation?

My Mama's Homemade Dumplings

2 C unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Sift together dry ingredients and add:

1/4 C (4 tbsp) butter or margerine (I like Land O' Lakes butter with canola oil)
Cut into flour mixture until crumbly. Add enough buttermilk to make a stiff dough. Drop by spoonfuls into gently boiling liquid. Lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.

You can add some garlic powder and shredded cheddar cheese to make cheddar garlic drop bisquits as well. Just drop the dough by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake until golden.

[hutch5]

Have you thought of using eggs and potatoes. There are a few very nice recipes with this ingredients.

Spanish tortilla
Omelette
scrumbled eggs on toast
Scumbled eggs on potatoes that have been fried/sauted and a with bit of bacon on top.

These are just a few ideas

[Kele]

Macaroni and Beans Italiano

1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C chopped bell pepper (any color)
2 garlic cloves-chopped fine
Olive oil

Saute the ingredients until the onions are transparent, careful not to burn the garlic.

Add:

1 can chopped tomatoes (15 oz)
1/2 tsp dry oregano (rub in palm to release flavor)
1/2 tsp dry basil (rub in palm....)
simmer until fragrant (about 3 to 5 minutes)

Mix into 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with:

1 - 16 oz can of Heinz Vegetarian Baked Beans
1-1/2 C cooked macaroni

salt and pepper to taste

Cover and bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. During last few minutes of cooking, add 1/4 C of shredded parmesan cheese to the top of the casserole and cook uncovered.

Serve with a crusty bread and more parmesan cheese.