Freezermeal Friday: Shepard's Pie

Hey now! Here's a shocker, did you know there are several different ways to spell "shepard"...The way I spell it may or may not be one of them. I saw it mostly as "shepherd", but that's like, SO hard to type, that it just took me 3 tries. So guess what? Screw it! It's "shepard" to me! This is another great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. This is a nice, healthy, lower fat comfort food, since all the fat comes from turkey and olive oil, and the rest is veggies.

Today is probably the nicest day (almost) so far this spring. It's really beautiful outside, and you can tell that everyone is in such a great mood because it's warm. My superintendent Ismael was hangin' on the stoop next to mine, and he seemed pretty happy. Guess what he did next? Carried some packages up to the 3rd floor and put them in my apartment for me so that I didn't have to make 400 trips up and down with the packages and the baby. How nice! I mean, he'd be as helpful even if it were cold, but I think the weather helped his mood. Great stuff!

I'm just in the best mood today, and am getting a lot done. Too bad Mike will be home in 3 hours and probably ruin it all. (Ha! JK Mike - oh wait, I forgot, you don't read my blog anymore...so you won't even see this!)

I've gotten a lot done today:

1. Grocery Shopped


2. Got $.99 Whole Foods Organic Sale apples (about 7 lbs) for homemade applesauce and lunches


3. Got a case of mason jars to jar said applesauce


4. Made mashed potatoes


5. Made shepard's pie


6. Made myself breakfast and lunch


7. Blogged about 1-6

Here's your recipe for the day! OK, and do you want to know something ridiculous? As soon as I got done spreading the potatoes, I realized I forgot to add frozen corn and peas...like the best part. So, anyways, please don't follow in my footsteps. I am an idiot. On a lighter note, I just saw the commercial for tonight's SuperNanny, and man, is she bringing it. There's a "sex-talk" involved, which is all I needed to know. I guess I'll make Mike go down to one of the college dining halls to watch NCAA basketball.

I've included the measurements in pieces of vegetables you need (6 carrots) and cups (4 cups), which means you could EASILY make this entire thing with frozen vegetables. That would be so EASY + FAST + THRIFTY of you!

don't forget the peas and corn like I did!

From here on, the spacing is doubled, and I have no clue why, sorry.

Shepard's Pie

(you can easily make this vegetarian by omitting the turkey and adding a few extra veggies!)

serves 6

1 lb. ground turkey (on sale at Whole Foods - $2.99)

1 lb. carrots chopped (organic - about 5 medium - 4 cups - $.75)

2 stalks celery chopped (about 2 stalks - 1 cup - $.20)

1 medium onion ($.07)

1 c. frozen peas (organic - $.50)

1 c. frozen corn (organic - $.50)

2 cloves garlic ($.04)

2 t. dried basil ($.12)

1 t. dried parley ($.06)

1 t. dried oregano ($.06)

1 1/2 t. salt (<$.01)

1/2 t. black pepper ($.03)

2 T. olive oil ($.24)

1 T. cornstarch ($.06)

1/2 c. water ($.00)

4 c. mashed potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes $1.00 Haymarket + 1 T. olive oil ($.12) + 1/2 t. salt (<$.01) + 1/4 c. milk or soymilk (organic - $.09) = $1.22)

Total is $6.85 that's $1.14/serving, yum!

1. In a medium covered pot, over low heat cook until softened:

• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• basil, parsley, and oregano
• chopped carrots
• chopped celery
• chopped onion
• chopped garlic

2. When celery and onion are translucent (I like to keep the carrots a bit firm to the bite), add the ground turkey, and cook until browned.

3. When turkey is browned, add frozen peas and corn (unless, like me, you're deciding to forget to do that).

4. When meat is browned, mix 1 T. cornstarch with 1/4 c. water and add to pot, stir and let cook until thickened a little bit.

5. Pour meat and vegetables into a dish, and top with mashed potatoes. Rough up the top of the potatoes to make nice little peaks that will get nice and brown and crunchy.

6. Let the dish cool. Then freeze. I think the easiest way to do this is to wrap the entire dish in plastic and then again in aluminum foil. If you put it in bags it'll get all messy, but still taste great nonetheless!

7. When you are ready to enjoy this delicious dish, let it thaw a bit in the fridge (like, put it in the fridge in the morning), then bake it at 350 until it's bubbling, probably about 20 minutes. Then crank it up to 400 to brown the potatoes.

scrimpyTips:

- I use cornstarch and water here instead of broth to form a gravy. Some people use beef or chicken broth, but I don't think you need to spend the money. All the flavors from the turkey and vegetables are in the oil at the bottom of the pot, so all you need to do is add a thickener, in my opinion.

- You can use any type of ground meat for this dish. Actually, I think you could use any leftover meat.

- You could easily make this vegetarian, which I mentioned before...I just don't know if anyone reads my pre-recipe ramblings.

- Remember to keep the heat low and the cover on the pan, that way the moisture from the veggies comes down to help them cook and form a little broth at the bottom. Doing this allows you to use less fat.

- I would looooove this with mushrooms added. Talk about yum.

- You could add some breadcrumbs mixed with butter on top, too!

Freezermeal Friday! $5 Organic Red Beans and Broccoli

Good evening, all! This week's Freezermeal Friday is Red Beans with Broccoli. My mom would make this all the time for us when I was younger. It packs quite the nutritional punch, with high fiber beans, broccoli, and whole wheat pasta along with tonssss of anti-oxidants! Nice.

Red Beans with Broccoli

serves 6

5 c. organic red beans (I made mine from dried, if using cans you'd need about 3 - $2.79)
4 c. organic broccoli (on sale $1.99/lb at Whole Foods this week - $1.00 - about 4 c. of florets)
1/2 medium onion, chopped ($.04)
3 cloves chopped garlic ($.06)
2 T. olive oil ($.24)
2 t. dried basil ($.06)
1/2 t. black peper ($.03)
1 T. salt ($.01)
1/2 lb. organic whole wheat penne (Trader Joe's - $.65)

Total: $4.88 or $.81/serving. Not bad, people!

1. Saute garlic, onion, olive oil, basil, and pepper over low heat until onion is translucent.
2. Add beans and sauteed onions, garlic, etc. to a large saucepot and fill with about 10 c. of water (you need enough in there to cook the pasta). It should cover beans by about 3 inches, it depends on the pot you're using!
3. Add salt to the water with the beans, cover, and bring to a boil.
4. When boiling, add the pasta, and cook until just tender.
5. Add broccoli and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat, pour into freezer container, allow to cool to room temperature and freeze.
7. When you're ready to eat it, rinse it with hot water to free it from container, and defrost in a large saucepot over low heat.

scrimpyTips:

- This would be great with white beans, too.

- You could use frozen broccoli, easily, or replace the broccoli with spinach.

- This would be good with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

- You could replace the whole wheat penne with any macaroni you like.

- If yours turns out too watery due to too much water used to cook the pasta, you can take out a cup or two and puree it, then return it to the pot to thicken the dish.

Freezermeal Friday!

Hey all! I've been a bit absent from the blogosphere because I've been away in New York and I now have my mother-in-law, Debbie, visiting. Needless to say, I've had my hands full. This Freezermeal Friday recipe is for Vegetarian Lasagna!

Vegetarian Lasagna

serves 4 pigs, 6 normal people

1/2 T. butter ($.05)

1/2 batch tomato sauce (about 5 cups w/ organic tomatoes - $2.03)

1/2 lb. lasagna noodles ($.99)

1 1/2 lb. ricotta cheese ($2.62 on sale at S & S, $4.19 regularly around the city)

1 lb. mozzarella cheese ($4.79 - TJs - about 5 cups shredded)

1/4 c. Romano cheese, shredded ($.37)

Total: $10.85, DAMN! That's expensive! Cheese is so expensive, so it's best bought on sale...That's $1.81/serving. Not bad, but still...pretty pricey for one of my meals...I'm sad.

1. Butter dish (I use a deep square 10 x 10 dish).
2. Ladle enough sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Layer noodles, sauce (about 1 c.), ricotta cheese, and mozzarella (about 1 cup). You should have 4 - 5 layers. Be sure to reserve a cup of cheese for the top!
3. When you've built the last layer, top with lasagna noodles, sauce, and the final cup of cheese.
4. Sprinkle top with 1/4 c. Romano cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes (approximately) until it's bubbly, then remove foil and continue to bake until it's golden brown.
6. Cut into portions, bag it up, cool it to room temperature, and freeze it until you're ready to eat it. When you're ready to eat it, reheat in the oven on 350 until hot.

scrimpyTips:

- This welcomes the addition of ground beef or turkey, cooked mushrooms, or sauteed squash and spinach (a combo of all 3 is my favorite!

That's all for today. I went to Whole Foods yesterday, but didn't see anything too good on sale. I did, however, get a corned beef and a head of cabbage for a slow cooker St. Patrick's Meal that I'll share with you this week in honor of the holiday. It's delicious. And look out for this week's scrimpySnack of the week: Coffee Cake (Probably...if not, something equally good!). Oh, and this Monday I'm going to continue teaching you guys how to stock your pantry, so keep your heads up for that!

Have a great Friday night, and weekend!

Stop and Shop Sale Alert!

Sorrento Ricotta cheese is on sale $3.49 for a 2 lb. container. This is a great deal!!!

I'd buy 2. Use one fresh (and make the Turkey and Spinach Manicotti recipe in my Freezer Veggie post), and make a big lasagna with the other and freeze it for later (using my Tomato Sauce recipe found here). Next Freezermeal Friday will be lasagna, so buy one of these if you plan to make it!

Freezing Fruit and Vegetables

This is kind of a cop-out, but when researching methods for freezing vegetables, I came across a link that had everything you need to know about it. Basically, most things can be blanched (quickly boiled for 3 minutes, then immersed in an ice bath to immediately stop the cooking and set the color) and then packed in freezer bags/containers and frozen (after being cooled - which will mostly take place in the ice bath).

I would use this method to take advantage of this week's produce sales on asparagus (Whole Foods) and Zucchini and Mushrooms (Stop and Shop and Shaw's).

Fruit can also be frozen...here's an article on it. Basically, most things are well frozen in a container, and things that go brown are dipped in lemon juice and then frozen. I love using frozen berries and bananas in smoothies. I usually buy my berries frozen, but if they ever go on a sale that's too good to be true, you can bet I'll be stocking up and stocking my freezer with these babies. I break bananas up into 3 pieces, then I put them in a freezer bag. I always re-use this bag and keep it stocked with frozen banana pieces for smoothies or baking.

Frozen veggies and fruits are usually almost always cheaper than fresh, but when fresh occasionally goes on sale cheaper than frozen, I will buy a bunch of fresh and freeze it myself. This is also a great technique for when you just happen to buy too much produce and won't get a chance to use it all up. Ooh, and if you have a garden, and just have way too much (you could give it away to friends - like generous people do - but screw that, I grew it, and I'm keepin' it!) you could use these freezing techniques to have garden fresh veggies all year long. Just freeze it, and take your time using it! Voila!

Frozen Veggies are great: added to soups, stirfries, fritattas and omelets (just steam them quickly - don't add them frozen), stews, and rice/other grains as a side dish.

Frozen Fruit is great for making: fresh ice cream and pancake toppings, muffins, pies, ice cream, smoothies, and snacking on. I love to take a cup of frozen mangoes or cherries and eat them for dessert. Since they're frozen, they take forever to eat, and since it's fruit, it's filling and low calorie.

I hope you find the above 2 links helpful. I will work on developing recipes that use frozen fruit and veggies to share with you!

Ooh, and in case you're wondering about the nutrition of frozen versus fresh, I found this from Elaine Magee, a WebMD Weightloss Clinic:

"Nutritionally speaking, frozen veggies are similar to -- and sometimes better than -- fresh ones. This makes sense, considering that these veggies are usually flash-frozen (which suspends their "aging" and nutrient losses) immediately after being harvested. Frozen veggies were often picked in the peak of their season, too.

I ran a nutritional comparison on both fresh and frozen broccoli florets (uncooked), and the frozen broccoli contained a bit more vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and folic acid. A recent government study found no change in amounts of folic acid found in veggies after 12 months of freezing. So don't let nutrition stop you from buying frozen!"

Ooh, and I'll leave you with a recipe I just got in my inbox: Turkey and Spinach Manicotti (you could also use shells and stuff them with this filling). This is a pantry-friendly meal, and contains ingredients on sale in Boston this week. If you're crunched for time and have no sauce, just use 1 1/2 c. pureed canned tomatoes. The flavor won't be exactly the same, but it's just as good in a different way.

7/9 ingredients in this recipe are already in my pantry (stay tuned for my upcoming posts on building your pantries):

-pasta
-romano cheese (that I substitute for parmesan in all recipes - you can too!)
-frozen spinach
-tomatoes (for sauce)
-garlic
-onions
-italian seasoning (make your own with mix of 1 part dried oregano + 2 parts dried basil + 2 parts dried parsley)

*Sorrento ricotta is also on sale $3.49/2 lb. That's a great deal. 1 lb is usually $2.49 at TJs (which would put TJs at $5 for 2 lbs...if the prices beats TJs it's usually a steal. Ricotta can be frozen, too!)

*Turkey (on sale this week at Shaw's - their natural brand is $4.29/lb and S & S - $2.99/lb...it may even be on sale at Whole Foods, but I'm not in the city so I can't check. If anyone knows, please leave it as a comment!)

If you stock up on sale meat, turkey may already be in your freezer pantry, too.

This meal is freezer-friendly, as well.


Goodnight :D

Freezermeal Friday!

Hey PEOPLE! Welcome to the second weekly Freezermeal Friday, where I put together a simple, healthy meal that's easy to freeze and reheat. This week's recipe...(obligatory drumroll, please)...Split Pea Soup.

My mom is the one who taught me how to make soup. During the winter for dinners, she'd often be simmering a pot of turkey, lentil, or split pea soup all day. Now, while this conjures up images
of homey-goodness and a warm, happy family, do not be fooled. We were just as messed up as any normal (or not so normal) family, my mom just happened to make some damn good soup. Props to deb!


Anyways...soups are a great way to add vegetables and legumes to your family's diet while sticking to a tiny budget. While a lot of recipes will call for broth or stock, I never use it. I fashion my own stock by cooking a mirepoix (a fancy French word for a combo of onions, celery, and carrots) and adding cold water. I then bring the cold water (I use cold water because the longer the water takes to heat, the more flavor it extracts from the ingredients) to a boil and simmer that for a half hour. This creates a type of veggie broth suitable for use as a soup base. I'll then add my pre-soaked beans, or whatever I'm using, and cook until they're done. Then - if I'm feeling especially sassy - I'll add some pasta. Watch out, America, here I come...pasta in hand, ready to add it to your soup. BAM! Ok, anyways...I will post more about this technique later.


Here's the recipe, which is all you're here to read, I'm sure. And here I am..."Blah, blah, blah..."

We'll give my mom a shout out on this recipe, too, since she's the one who taught me.

deby's Split Pea Soup

makes about 7 servings
(or "Soup-a-Doups", if you're my mom...or if you're me, because I now use this term, because like all women, I have turned into my mother.)

2 c. carrots (organic - Whole Foods - $.54)

1 c. celery (organic - TJs - $.40)

1 medium onion (1 c. chopped - $.07 - Haymarket)

3 T. olive oil ($.36)

3 cloves garlic ($.06 - Haymarket)

3 T. salt ($.01)

1 t. black pepper ($.06 - CVS)

1 t. dried parsley ($.06 - CVS)

1 t. dried basil ($.06 - CVS)

1/2 t. onion powder ($.03 - CVS - optional, if you don't have it, it's not a big deal)

1 bay leaf ($.01 - optional, I really don't know what bay leaves do...if they even DO anything...)

120 c. water (nah, just kidding - 12 c. cold water - still a lot)

3 c. hot water

1 lb. split peas (organic - $1.99 - I got these in NY but I think they have them at WFs...I'll check for you let you know in an UPDATE)

1/2 lb. small pasta (pastina, mini shells, pearls) $.50

4 fresh whole wheat rolls homemade by moi (bread-making workshop coming soon! - $.60)

Total: $4.15 ($4.75 with homemade bread)...for a HUGE pot of mostly organic fresh, healthy, delicious soup. Not freaking bad!

1. Chop carrots (about 5 medium), celery (about 2-4 stalks depending on whether you're using stalks or hearts - you can include leaves, they have a ton of flavor...mmm...mmm...), onion, and garlic.
2. Add it to a huge pot over low heat along with olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, parsley, and basil (and the bay leaf, if you have one).



3. Simmer vegetables until tender, about 30 minutes. Keep the top on, or else they will dry out. The top keeps the steam in.
4. When the veggies are tender, add 10 c. of cold water, and then put the top back on and put the heat up to high. Bring to a boil.
5. When the water is boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer this make-shift "stock" for 30 minutes (with the top on, also).
6. Add the split peas (after you rinse them to make sure there's no sticks or pebbles in there - talk about stone soup!).
7. Simmer soup until split peas are cooked (about an hour, depending on the consistency you like). If you want the soup to be thick and creamy, keep simmering until it's how you like it.
8. Add in the 3 additional cups of hot water and the pasta. On high, bring to a boil until pasta is done.
9. Serve with fresh bread or croutons (fresh bread cut into big chunks and toasted a bit with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic). YUM, right???

scrimpyTips:

-To this soup, you can add a ham hock (ask your butcher, or use leftover) and ham meat, or even a few strips of bacon, for extra flavor. Add it with the veggies and olive oil.

-You can substitute barley for pasta.

-This soup is better the next day, so even if you're not freezing it, it's a great make-ahead. Just reheat when you're ready to eat it. Stays in the refigerator for a week.

-Don't think you're going to make this soup when you get home from work. This takes a good amount of time to simmer, prepare the veggies, etc...do this on a weekend when you have time to chill and wait for it.

All Hail the first Freezermeal Friday!

my camera isn't too good with food pics (neither am I)


Welcome to Freezermeal Friday! I'm so excited you're here and I hope to help you prepare a healthy, organic meal that you and your family can enjoy in a pinch. This serves 4 hungry adults over brown rice ($.81).

Black Bean Confetti Chili

1 28 oz. can organic tomatoes ($1.67)
1/3 bag dried organic black beans (about 2 1/2 c. prepared) ($.66)
2 cloves garlic ( $.04 - Haymarket 5 heads garlic/$.75)
1/2 medium onion ($.07 - Haymarket bag of 13 onions/$1)
1 T. olive oil ($.24)
1 T. salt (<$.01) 1 dash black pepper ($.06)

1 t. dried basil ($.06)

1 t parsley ($.06)

1 1/2 t. cumin ($.28)

1T. chili powder ($.06)

1/4 t. cayenne pepper ($.06)

1 c. frozen organic corn ($.99)

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic and add it with the oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley to a pot on low heat. Half of this medium onion chopped is about 3/4 c. Keep the top of the pot on to keep the moisture in, if you don't the moisture will evaporate and your onions and garlic will burn. Here is a picture of what I consider a medium onion:

Here is another picture portraying what I consider to be the easiest way to peel an onion:

I cut off the ends, slice the outermost layer, and then peel it off, along with the skin! (God, looking at these pictures makes me realize how badly I need a manicure. Good thing my mom is taking me out for one when I visit her in NY next week - thanks Mom, love you!).

2. Cook the onions and spices and garlic and oil until the onions are translucent.

3. Add can of tomatoes and stir together. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne (which can be omitted or increased for personal preference).

4. Simmer the tomatoes and spices for 10 minutes and then add the beans. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes on low, or until the consistency is to your liking.

5. This makes about 4 servings for dinner for adults. To freeze, portion out in your bag(s) of choice, and bring them to room temperature by either leaving them out (maybe on the windowsill with an open window) or putting them in a cold water bath (make sure those bags are sealed well, or you'll be damn sorry).

6. Oh, I should've mentioned this before, but if I go back and add it the whole recipe will be ruined because I'm on my fiance's computer that is a little messed up --- LABEL THE BAGS WITH SHARPIE - include date the food was cooked, how many portions are in it, and what it is.

7. Lie the bags flat (so they take up less room and are easier to manage in the freezer) and allow them to freeze. Lying them flat also allows them to freeze quicker, reducing the chance that the food in the middle will grow bacteria before it's frozen.

There's your first scrimpy Freezermeal! I hope you enjoy it. Here's some tips to make it even better:

• You can add a pound of any type of ground beef to this. Just brown it in a pan and add it to the tomatoes with the beans. It will then serve 8 I think...right? (if you do this let me know how many hungry adults it serves)
  
• I love to add sour cream and hot sauce on top of mine.


• It's good on over orzo pasta, too.


• You could add chunks of grilled chicken to it, too.


• To reheat, just soak bag in hot water and dump the frozen brick into the pot and warm over low until hot. I don't have a microwave but I'm sure micorwave defrosting it wouldn't be too difficult. You could also leave the bag in the fridge in the morning and it would probably be soft by the time you got home.


• Excuse the picture, but we ate it last night and I forgot to take the picture. There's rice all mixed in and it just doesn't look as pretty without the dollop of sour cream (and garnish of chives). My bad, OK people? I have a baby...so that's my excuse, I'm busy! PLEASE excuse the formatting problems, too. Again - I don't have my computer and this one's keyboard is broken!

TOTAL: $5.07/4 servings which is $1.27/serving. Not bad. If you're not into organic this would be, like, half the price...but go organic, it's better for you!