This recipe for Beans Rancheros from Mark Bittman's "The Food Matters Cookbook" struck me as frugal feast possibility because it uses two go-to thrifty ingredients: eggs and canned beans. I might substitute canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes that aren't in season. Without any special deals, this dish only cost $1.02 per serving. Bittman notes that this dish can be easily double and baked in a 9-by-13 inch pan.
Click READ MORE to see the recipe.
Today's Frugal Feasts comes from "Eating Well on a Budget." This recipe for Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Those are on sale at Kroger for $1.99 a pound or if like me, you picked up those chicken breasts at Harris Teeter recently when they were buy one, get two free. This is a way to use those up. Plus, I always seem to have jars of jam in the cupboard. I bet you could use any number of flavors for this dish from blackberry to all berry. This dish costs only $1.98 per serving.
Click READ MORE to see the recipe.
I wrote a column today about Susan Nicholson's new book, "7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies." I'm offering a recipe for Winner's Chili, a slow cooker chili recipe that is a good recipe for a busy weeknight meal and can cost only 84 cents a serving. Harris Teeter and Kroger both have ground turkey on sale this week if you prefer to use that instead of ground beef. I'm also offering a chance to win a copy of Nicholson's book to the most desparate of home cooks.
To win a copy of "7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies" by Susan Nicholson, tell me why you need this cookbook in 500 words or less, and the most deserving cook will win. E-mail me with "menu planner" in the subject line to andrea.weigl@newsobserver.com or mail an entry to Andrea Weigl, The News & Observer, 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh NC 27601. Entries must be postmarked or sent by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 26. Good luck!
And go HERE to see Nicholson's Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe, another Frugal Feast.
To learn more about Susan Nicholson's column, go to: www.sevendaymenuplanner.com
To see recipe, click READ MORE.
Today, I'm previewing a cookbook giveaway for next week. Susan Nicholson writes the syndicated 7-day menu planner that appears in newspapers from Atlanta to Kansas City. We don't run her column but I have met Susan and really like her. She's a registered dietitian who is not afraid to take advantage of healthy convenience foods and insist on serving dessert. I'm writing a column about her book next week and offering an opportunity to readers to win a copy. So check back next Wednesday.
Today, I thought I'd offer one of Susan's budget recipes as the Frugal Feasts. Everyone will be headed to Harris Teeter to take advantage of Super Double coupons. The store also has a deal on canned tuna: buy two, get three free. Those B2G3 deals are usually stock up prices. So here's Susan's recipe for Tuna Noodle Casserole, which costs 85 cents per serving.
Click READ MORE to see the recipe.
Easy, healthy, tasty, cheap and, most of all, worth trying again - what more can you ask of a recipe?
A new dish earned a place in my three-ring binder of favorite recipes on Tuesday as I look for ways to support my recently renewed effort to lose weight.
I wanted to remind folks that buying in season is one of the best ways to save money. A friend of mine made these Baked Acorn Squash with Apples and Nuts for our Christmas Eve feast and I've been eating the leftovers for dinner and lunch. They would make a lovely meal by themselves with a salad or green beans on the side.
Squash cost $1.49 a pound at Lowes Foods and $1.69 a pound at Harris Teeter. I'm sure there are deals to be found at the local farmers markets as well this time of year. While this creeps over the $2 mark at $2.36 per serving, I hope you will forgive that for a seasonal, vegetarian meal that might be in line with your healthy eating resolutions.
I've added nuts to this recipe from "The Winter Vegetarian," by award-winning cookbook author Darra Goldstein. This might be a good book for folks struggling with an overabundance of rutabagas, turnips and cabbage in their winter CSA boxes.
Click READ MORE to see the recipe.
I have no idea why I never made enchiladas before. I guess I've been in a taco rut for years. But I still have a freezer full of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and I'm making another turkey on Christmas Eve so I've been trying new recipes.
It is so easy with leftover chicken or turkey that you should just stash these ingredients in the pantry and make an easy dinner when a busy weeknight requires it. Feel free to adapt: add frozen corn or pinto beans to the filling, use corn or flour tortillas.
It costs $1.47 per serving. Don't forget to check out Sue Stock's Wednesday Deals to get the best deals at the local grocery stores and pharmacies. And you have two chances on the blog to win books to help you eat healthier in 2011. Go HERE for details.
Click READ MORE to see the recipe and cost breakdown.
Today's Frugal Feasts recipe is looking ahead to Christmas ham leftovers. Ham is on sale this week at Food Lion and Lowes Foods for $1.37 and $1.39 a pound respectively.
I like to freeze leftover ham slices in small bags so I can pull it out to flavor green beans in the slow cooker or make weekend omelets more of an occasion. I always save the ham bone to make ham and bean soup.
Today's recipe is Potato and Ham Frittata from "The Good Housekeeping Cookbook." This would make a lovely easy post-Christmas breakfast feast. It only costs 75 cents per serving.
Click READ MORE for the complete recipe.
If you read my column today and are looking for those recipes I mentioned:
Go HERE for the Orange Craisin Bread, which was last week's Frugal Feasts recipe.
Go HERE for the canning recipes: Peach Ginger Preserves, Fig Preserves and Yellow Squash Pickles. (You will see my story and the recipes on the right under Related Content.)
Merry gift making!
I'm not the best home cook for opening the fridge and throwing dinner together. But I'm getting better. I actually proud of the recipe I adapted for Christmas presents for my friends.
I usually bake something to add to the gift bags. I was thinking small loaves of a quick bread would be nice but I didn't want to make banana bread, again. I wanted to make something special. So I took stock of what was in the house: several bags of Craisins, which I got at Harris Teeter on sale, buy two, get three sale; and a huge box of Florida oranges sold by a neighborhood boy trying to raise money for a school trip. With only two of us at home, that's a lot of oranges to eat.
So, I tweaked a recipe for lemon bread in my Better Homes and Garden's cookbook into Orange Craisin Bread. This will make either one large 8x4x2 loaf or three mini-loafs. Happy baking this holiday season!
Click READ MORE to see the recipe.
