I say “Yes.”(Oh, and so does Mark Bittman, who inspired the recipe in the first place.)
We both agree, though, (okay, well all three of us) that it is delicious whether or not you call it pizza. Flatbread With Toppings? Extra Special Foccaccia? Eh, “Pizza” is easier, so we’ll just go with that.
Pizza usually ends up regularly on my menu rotation, but I hadn’t made it in a while because my DH can’t have tomato sauce, and I can’t have cheese or milk-based sauces. I figured that pizza was pointless in that case, so I decided to put all my pizza creations on hold until I’m done nursing Baby Boy and am back to my regular diet.
Then I found Mark Bittman’s The Minimalist Cooks Dinner cookbook, and in his pizza section, he said something so utterly profound, it changed my life. (Only a very slight exaggeration.)
Some people think all pizzas must have cheese in order to bind the other ingredients, but this is ridiculously limiting. What you put on a pizza is entirely up to you – if the kitchen sink is your idea of fun, go right ahead.
As soon as I read it, I felt the chains breaking and smelled the sweet air of freedom. I can make pizza! I can make pizza without cheese, and I can make pizza without sauce! And I can even call it pizza. Take that, dairy-free diet!
He even provided some inspiration with a few basic recipes for his favorite pizzas, so I started with one called Pizza with Zucchini and Sausage. I gave it my own little twist, and it was amazing. Even my DH, who looooves his cheese, especially on his pizza, agreed that it was very good. With the added caveat, “As long as I don’t call it pizza”. So if you can’t call it pizza, that’s fine, but you should still make it, because it’s very good. Amazing, in fact.
No-Cheese No-Sauce Pizza
slightly adapted from Mark Bittman
Ingredients
1 pizza crust (I use artisan dough)
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
sea salt
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, crumbled (but not cooked)
1 clove garlic, minced
handful fresh basil
Instructions
If starting with pizza dough, roll it out to cover a large pizza stone or cast-iron pizza pan.
Lightly salt the sliced zucchini and allow it to set for about 20 minutes; drain any liquid.
Top the pizza with the zucchini, sausage, garlic, and basil. Bake for 15 minutes at 500F, or until sausage is cooked through and crust is lightly browned.
Pizza is such a QUICK weeknight dinner, especially if you have a bowl of artisan bread dough in the fridge ready to roll out into pizza dough. Even if you don’t, pizza dough is ridiculously easy and quick to make, so it’s no trouble at all. I especially love that you can just cook the sausage right on the pizza, so it saves time.
It’s so EASY, too! This is a no-fuss pizza that still manages to give off a gourmet flair and offer incredible flavor to boot.
Because it uses minimal meat (and in this case, cheese), pizza can be a very CHEAP entree (another reason why it ends up frequently on my menu rotation).
This is a HEALTHY pizza, too, I suppose with the exception of the sausage. Healthy sausages are available, though (if somewhat pricey), and I believe can be part of a well-balanced diet. The good thing is that on a pizza, the amount per serving is minimal.
Whenever someone comes up with a smarter, faster way to beautiful, delicious results in the kitchen, I am so there. Hence my obsession with Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day: gorgeous, amazing bread with very little time and fuss. I have a new obsession, which is my recently obtained copy of “The Minimalist Cooks Dinner by Mark Bittman“: recipes that create practically gourmet dishes in the easiest way possible, using few ingredients and simple techniques. For example, his “Fastest Roast Chicken” that really is not only fast, but moist and flavorful.
Seriously, it only takes 30 minutes to roast a chicken using this method (not counting the pre-heating, which adds 10-15 minutes). Prior to finding this recipe, I only ever “roasted” chickens in the slow cooker, because roasting in the oven just seemed too time-consuming for busy weeknights, and I rarely cook on the weekends. But slow-cooked chickens, while they can be very delicious, often look a little pasty and never develop that delicious crusty skin that a proper roasted chicken should have. This method takes care of all that in one fell swoop.
How is it done? In a skillet! But not on the stovetop; in the oven. Such a simple trick, but great results. Although I should note that it is very important that your chicken be completely thawed before attempting this recipe, or it might turn into the “Slowest Roast Chicken Ever” recipe. Ahem. Not that I would know from experience or anything.
I used Mark Bittman’s basic recipe and followed some of his suggestions to make it even better. I will definitely be using this method again. And again and again!
Fastest Roast Chicken
adapted slightly from Mark Bittman
Ingredients
3-4 lb whole chicken
salt & pepper to taste
Tarragon
Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Place a 10″ cast-iron or other heavy-duty oven safe skillet on a rack low in the oven, and preheat to 450F. While the skillet is pre-heating, prepare your chicken: Remove the giblets and whatever else is shoved into the cavity of your chicken. Generously salt and pepper the chicken.
When both oven and pan are pre-heated (about 10 minutes), carefully place the chicken into the skillet, breast side up. Close oven door and allow chicken to roast for about 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven.
Rub with olive oil and sprinkle generously with tarragon. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 15 more minutes or until temperature reaches 155F. Rest for a few minutes before carving and serving.
This is by far the QUICKest way I have ever found to roast a chicken.
And it’s so EASY – no more trouble than any other method; easier, perhaps, in fact.
Whole chickens are one of the CHEAPest meats, especially considering the mileage you can get from them. Leftovers can be shredded and turned into pizzas, casseroles, soups, or sandwiches, and the bones can be turned into stock.
Generally speaking, the fewer the ingredients the HEALTHY-er the recipe. And by ingredients, I mean individual, whole ingredients as they are found in nature. Can’t get much simpler, and therefore healthier, than this recipe!
Was Labor Day really only just a week ago? It seems like it’s been a year at least! Time just seems to fly faster and faster every day.
And what does Labor Day have to do with anything, you ask? The answer is: everything! The recipe I’m sharing with you today is what we ate for our Labor Day feast last year week. We had the pleasure of spending the day with some of my siblings, enjoying a meal together in true “Fluegge Fashion”. Don’t ask what Fluegge Fashion is, it isn’t important. All you have to know is that it’s fun, and a little wild with a bit of crazy thrown in. Oh, and loud.
I am not the only member of my family with an obsession interest in food and all things culinary. Several of my sisters and I share a passion for discovering new recipes, trying them out, and tweaking them to our heart’s content. It follows naturally that we tried some new recipes and techniques for our Labor Day get-together: it was actually my sister’s suggestion that we grill skewers, or shish kabobs as they are often called, and I was immediately interested. The fact that none of us had skewers? Minor detail, one easily solved by visiting every store in town (OK, at least 2 or 3 of them) until finding them in the very back of Ollie’s Discount Store, only $0.89 a pack.
With bamboo skewers in hand, we set forth to create a culinary masterpiece, threading veggies, meat and fruit, and learning as we went. A few things we learned:
Potatoes and carrots cannot be coerced by any amount of force to go down a skewer unless they have been properly steamed beforehand.
Different colors of peppers make a skewer beautiful, even if you aren’t particularly fond of peppers.
Don’t be afraid to cut large chunks of meat.
We ran out of veggies long before we ran out of meat, although the guys in our lives were happy with the last few skewers that were composed entirely of meat.
Strawberries don’t grill well. I’m not going to say how I learned that, but just don’t even try.
If your oldest sister buys cherry tomatoes for you to put on the skewers, do remember to remove them from the refrigerator before all the skewers are already full of meat and veggies. Just sayin’.
Try to keep the meat and veggie pieces to a uniform size.
While the gentlemen grilled the chicken & veggie skewers, we created some side-dish skewers out of fresh fruits, the intention being to drizzle them with honey, only we had no honey. Oh well, they were yummy just as they were!
You don’t really need a recipe for skewers, honestly, all you need is some meat (any kind) and some veggies (almost any kind) and the aforementioned tips to pull you through. You can even grill them plain without any marinade or seasoning, if you want! We had two kinds: one was seasoned with a Greek seasoning blend (some kind of gourmet package; I can’t recall the name), and the other was marinated in a simple Italian dressing, which you can find below.
You can use beef, pork, sausage, or chicken (we had boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs), or even more exotic meats! Mix them up with all kinds of veggies:
onions
peppers of all colors and kinds
steamed potatoes
steamed carrots
pineapple
cherry or grape tomatoes
zucchini or yellow squash
mushrooms
If you’re using bamboo skewers, soak them for 30 minutes before threading and grilling. When you’re ready to grill, simply pierce through each piece of meat and vegetable with the sharp end of the skewer and fill it to the top, leaving several inches at the bottom free so it can be held easily. Grill over medium heat until meat is done and vegetables are tender.
I found this basic recipe, perfect for grilled chicken skewers, at Our Best Bites, and tweaked it to suit my preferences. You can use your own favorite meat marinade or dressing with equally delicious results!
Italian Dressing & Marinade
Ingredients
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
Instructions
Blend together all ingredients except olive oil and herbs in a food processor or blender. Keep the machine running and drizzle in the olive oil. Remove from machine and stir in the herbs.
To use as a marinade, pour over meat and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before cooking.
Kebabs can be QUICK, if you prepare the meat and vegetables ahead of time, and have metal skewers that don’t need to be soaked.
They’re certainly EASY, though, no question about that. Anyone with a grill can whip these up!
They are a great CHEAP meal for a crowd, because you use minimal amounts of meat, and can employ endless amounts of inexpensive vegetables (like potatoes, carrots, peppers and onions).
And it’s no surprise to my faithful readers to learn that the recipe for my favorite barbecue sauce originally came from my favorite cookbook, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Love that girl!
This is my favorite barbecue recipe, not only because it came from my favorite cookbook, but because it’s easy, uses ingredients I usually have on hand, and is easily adaptable. I’ve probably never made it exactly the same way twice.
The last time I made it, I combined it with 2 cups shredded chicken (pulled from the freezer; originally was part of a whole chicken I had cooked for another meal), and served it on my artisan bread sliders.
Anne’s Favorite Barbecue Sauce
Adapted from Fannie Farmer
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP olive oil
2 cups water
1 cup ketchup (I like Hunt’s because it has no HFCS)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vinegar (any kind)
1/4 cup raw sugar or honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp celery seed
Instructions
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until fragrant and lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients; stir together. Heat until it just starts to bubble; then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about half an hour. It will thicken and reduce slightly.
Of course, you can use this barbecue sauce for anything you’d like, even as a dip!
We actually ate our Barbecue Chicken Sliders on a picnic, so in order to keep them piping hot while in transition, here’s what I did:
I used pre-cooked shredded chicken, as I mentioned earlier, and stirred it into the barbecue sauce, coating it completely. I stored it in the fridge until about half an hour before we left for our picnic.
I placed about 1/4 cup of the chicken onto each slider and topped them with pickles (you can also add cheese).
I wrapped each slider individually in a small sheet of foil and placed in a glass baking dish.
I popped the whole thing in the oven and heated it at 350-ish for 15-20 minutes, then I packaged the whole dish in my handy casserole-carrier that my mom made. If you don’t have something similar, just place it in a cardboard box and cover it liberally with towels.
This can be such a super QUICK weeknight meal – really! All you have to do is make it beforehand and reheat it in the oven like I did (whether or not you’re going on a picnic. These also can be frozen intact to serve in lunches (my DH enjoyed quite a few of them this way!)
Homemade barbecue sauce is so EASY – there’s no reason to buy it!
And making your own is considerably CHEAPer than purchasing a bottle of it, that’s for sure.
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that it’s also much HEALTHY-er to make your own barbecue sauce. Minimal sugar, no preservatives or artificial flavors or colors. Just the good stuff!
I swear, it’s like having Christmas every month! Only the presents are all new friends and new foods to try… my kind of Christmas!
Just in case you’ve forgotten, the Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’, is a group of bloggers who are assigned a blog from which to secretly browse and choose a new recipe to try, then write a post about it at the appointed time. My assignment this month was Gluten Free A-Z, written by Judee, who creates all kinds of gluten-free vegetarian dishes using healthy ingredients.
I was particularly pleased to find that many of her recipes were also dairy-free and egg-free, a plus for my Certain Little Someone who is allergic to both those things, plus wheat, and 4 other foods. It was easy to find several recipes on Judee’s blog to try, but I settled on her samosas. (I admit I was lured in by the tag line of “Quick, Easy and Delicious”!)
Back in the days when I taught other people’s children instead of my own, I had a co-worker whose mom occasionally would make huge batches of samosas and send them in with him to share. All of us teachers looked forward to those randomly occurring events and would devour the samosas almost instantly, leaving not even a trace of a crumb behind. I admit this version only faintly hints of those delicious treats, owing mostly to its gluten-free properties, as well as the fact that I didn’t have any cumin seeds or curry powder (I know, seriously. Who tries to make samosas without those ingredients? Um, me! In my defense, I thought I had curry powder before I started cooking and was halfway through before realizing I didn’t.)
The end result was a resemblance of the original, and tasty in its own right, but not authentic by any means. And I’m OK with that. I’m all for authenticity, but one’s insistence on that wears thin after a few years of dealing with allergen-free substitutes. The crust was kind of hard on the top surface, but surprisingly flaky and soft underneath; and the filling was mild (due to the lack of appropriate spices) and intriguingly sweet with just a hint of Indian flavor. With the proper ingredients, it would have been perfect. Ahem.
The pastry crust was rather difficult to work with, which is why I suspect Judee said she was still on the lookout for a good pastry recipe. In the end, it worked out pretty well, even better than I expected, but it did require gentle handling, lots of rice flour sprinkles, and wet fingertips. And of course, like a good little gluten-free egg-free dairy-free pastry recipe, it cracked all over the place on top while it baked, and I thought that brushing some water on top would solve that problem. It did, but then the water dripped down and sealed the dough to the pan, so that when I went to remove it, I had to bull-doze through the samosas and cracked the crust anyway.
Judee doesn’t specify which GF flour to use, but I thought it appropriate to use at least some chickpea flour, since it’s a flour native to India and therefore, would seem to fit right in. You can use whatever wheat flour or GF flour blend you desire.
{Scroll past the pictures for a printable version of the recipe.}
Assemble ingredients before beginning, so you have everything at hand when you need it.
Love the gorgeous spices! (would be even more gorgeous with curry powder!)
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces and pile them in a bowl.
Saute the veggies until softened.
Roll out two circles of dough; place 1/4 cup of vegetable filling in the middle of one.
Place the extra circle on top of the filling.
Use wet fingers to seal the edges of the dough rounds together.
Gluten-Free Vegan Samosas
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean, or besan) flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 cup coconut milk yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
For the filling:
2 medium potatoes, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup chopped carrots, steamed
1 TBSP cumin seeds, toasted
1/2 cup onion, chopped small
3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped small
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
1 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro (or 1 tsp dried)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP raisins, soaked for 20 minutes
Instructions
For the crust:
Mix all ingredients together until it forms a soft ball. Refrigerate if too soft to handle. Divide dough into 8 balls. Divide each of those balls in half and roll each half into a circle.
For the filling:
Mash potatoes and mix with the carrots. Set aside.
Mix together remaining ingredients except for raisins. Heat additional oil in frying pan, and add onion mixture, sauteeing until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat, and mix together the sauteed vegetables with the mashed potato mixture. Stir in raisins.
To assemble:
Place 1/4 cup of filling in the middle of pastry round. Use a spatula to lift another pastry round and set it gently on top. Working gently with the dough, fold it up around the filling, pressing the seam carefully closed with wet fingers. Carefully move each samosa onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F until browned.
Despite the lengthy ingredient list and instructions, it doesn’t really take as long as you would think, but it’s not the QUICKest recipe I’ve ever made either.
I wouldn’t classify it as EASY, especially with the gluten-free and dairy-free substitutions.
It makes a great CHEAP non-meat-based meal that I would include in my recipe rotation if it weren’t for the fact that my DH doesn’t really like Indian spices (I know, seriously. What’s his problem, anyway?).
It’s definitely HEALTHY, with all those nutrient-packed veggies and antioxidant-rich spices. Even the crust is made with wholesome ingredients, so it’s a win all around in that department!
All in all, I was pleased with the success of my first attempt at samosas, gluten-free flour issues and all! They are much easier than I ever would have thought, even if they don’t come close to the “real” thing. I will definitely be making these again – even if my DH won’t enjoy them, my Certain Little Someone and I will have them all to ourselves at lunch time!
Check out what the other Secret Recipe Club bloggers were up to this month:
Today, Susan is sharing with us two quick and easy recipes chock full of vegetables for the busiest weeknights. Susan is a single mom of two from New Zealand who blogs about her observations on life at mighty acorns.
I have a core list of recipes that are sure fire winners in my house. There’s one adult and two (relatively palate-adventureous) children, and I endeavour to get something green into them every day. My maxim is: prepare and present in 30 minutes or less, aim for 5+ a day (veges/fruit), no leftovers on the plate.
On the particular busy nights, – scouts, dancing, playdates – I often have soup, made with a pumpkin and what ever other veges come to hand. Pureed smooth with my stick mixer – seriously the best gadget in the house – I can usually get the kids to eat at least a couple of mugfuls, soaked up with some home made bread.
But when pumpkins (and time) are not so plentiful, I tend to fall back on my micro-garden. My entire vegetable garden is only about 4 square foot, but along with a number of fruit trees, it keeps us in the fresh ’5+ a day’ way for most of the year. The easier and faster to grow the better, and so I have given over around half of the garden space to herbs. Parsley, mint, basil-mint, chives, dill, rocket, thyme and shallot. These all grow with hardly any effort and care and easily transform something bland into something grand with minimum effort.
Whilst I can see the benefits of adding vege purees to food to top up on vitamins, I have been reluctant to do that too much, as I really want the children to get a taste for individual flavours, and also to appreciate the texture and colour that the ‘whole’ variety offers.
Here are two of my kids’ favourites:
Surprise pie.
This is absolutely a cheaters recipe but the children (and me…) love it.
Make up enough instant mash for however many you are serving. I use milk to make it, and then add a slosh of olive oil:
Heat the milk, then quickly beat in the flakes. When it’s at a smooth and stiff consistency, add:
one grated carrot
a few florets of broccoli finely sliced.
2 – 3 tablespoons of finely chopped herbs (i use parsley and chives most)
half a cup or so of grated cheese.
mix that all through with a spoon.
Put it into a greased pie dish and then stick in the microwave for 3 or 4 minutes – this will reheat the potato, melt the cheese and par-cook the carrot and broccoli.
When it’s piping hot, sprinkle with some more cheese and a bit of olive oil and flash under the grill til the top is browned.
It will firm up and easily then be scooped out. Sometimes for variety I put shredded deli ham on the top and grill that too.
The kids will devour a whole plate of this- it’s quick, easy and contains 3 veges. good for all!
PASTA in SAUCE
in a frying pan, cook one finely chopped onion in a little olive oil. Add a chopped clove of garlic or 1/2 tsp of garlic powder.
Add two tins of chopped tomatoes.
Add at least three tablespoons of chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, chives)
I also add some chopped olives as my kids love them.
Grate in a carrot.
Thicken with tomato paste.
cover and Leave to simmer about 10 minutes whilst you cook short pasta.
But first: this is my 300th post, can you believe it?! Wow! I had no idea when I started this blog that I had that much to say.
Secondly: my 2 year blogiversary is coming up this weekend, so stay tuned for a couple of really cool giveaways!
And thirdly: wait. There is no third. On to the sliders then!
Father’s Day is, of course, coming up this weekend, and one way to show Dad he is special (in a good way) is to make him a special meal. Grilling always comes to mind because of the association of guys and grilling, but I am grill-less, so alas, I have no grill recipes for you. Steak is another thing that comes to mind, but we don’t eat that around here very much because it’s expensive. (At least the good steak is, and what’s the point of throwing away money on tough rubbery steak?)
Here, then, is a perfect Dad’s Day meal if you are grill-less and penniless like me: sliders.(Feel free to play up the cheesy baseball references. )
Cue the soundtrack:
Now we’re ready to start. This is not so much a recipe for the perfect slider filling (although I will tell you what I put in mine, and give you some more ideas), as much as it is a trick to make them as easily as possible.
In fact, I’ve started making these once every week or two , because I’ve discovered how quick and easy (and cheap and healthy, yada yada) these are. More reasons why I make them:
They freeze beautifully.
They are easier to keep than a loaf of bread. Nine times out of ten, I end up with a stale hunk of bread after we’ve had a meal or two with the rest of the loaf, but with sliders, I can easily take the portion I need and keep the rest frozen until I need it again.
They look cuter than regular sandwiches.
Instant portion control!
I think we end up using less bread dough in the end by making it into sliders, because I really think it goes farther.
Baking the dough in smaller portions takes less time, both in rising and in actual baking.
In short, it’s a win-win all around. I think my DH secretly feels these are a little bit too girly for him, but when I feel them with something manly like beef, he doesn’t mind. In fact, he’ll polish off several in one sitting (so much for portion control. Oh well, it works for me and that’s the more important thing, since I’m the one who gains the weight in this household.).
I use my artisan bread dough to make my sliders, which should be no surprise to you if you’ve read my blog for any length of time at all. I cannot recommend this bread-making method highly enough for anyone who wants healthy fresh bread, but doesn’t want to invest a great deal of time into it. A few minutes to mix up the dough, then just let it sit on the counter for a few hours (or more – sometimes I let it sit overnight). Keep in the fridge, and for the next two weeks, you have bread dough at the ready for pizza crusts, rolls, flatbreads, and loaves of bread. A loaf of bread still requires quite a bit of resting and baking time, but rolls, pizza crusts, flatbreads - and sliders! – take very little time to rise and bake (less than an hour all told). Find the instructions for artisan bread dough here.
The last batch of artisan dough I made, I was thrilled to be able to use a kitchen scale for the first time to measure out the ingredients. At the FitBloggin’ conference in May, I was given an EatSmartKitchen Scale , something I have been wanting for a looooooong time! I was SO excited to pull it out for my artisan bread dough, and I was not disappointed with the results.
Well, to be honest, I was disappointed at first, because the dough was more liquidy than I had ever seen it and I was sure it wouldn’t work. Actually, these turned out to be the best tasting bread I’ve made with the artisan recipe yet, so something was working right!
I’m excited to try even more recipes with the scale (I’ve also had great success with gluten-free recipes!), and you’ll hopefully be seeing more metric measurements here in the future (don’t worry, I’ll still give you cups and TBSPs!).
Hopefully, once I’ve got more practice under my belt, I will be able to share with you what I’ve learned about how to use a scale and the metric system in your baking.
But back to the sliders. If you’re not convinced about the merits of artisan bread dough, don’t worry: pretty much any bread or roll recipe will work in the same way. The trick is more in how it’s baked than how it is mixed together and what the exact ingredients are.
Enough already, you say vehemently! OK then, so what is this trick to making sliders?!
Easy. A muffin tin! That’s it. All you have to do is portion out your dough into a muffin pan (fill each cup about halfway), let it rest for 15-20 minutes, then bake it for another 15-20 minutes at 450F.
And voila! Perfect little slider buns. (Awww, so cute!)
Once they’re cooled down a bit, you just remove them from the pan, slice them in half horizontally, and fill them with whatever you desire. Most recently I made roast beef sliders (sure to be a hit with Dad if he’s a beef-eater like my children’s father!), using up some leftover roast beef. I layered the following on the bottom piece of the roll:
thick slice of roast beef
1 TBSP of homemade BBQ sauce (I will have to blog about that one soon!)
a dill pickle “hamburger slice”
half a piece of provolone (or whatever cheese I had at the time)
a piece of lettuce from my garden
a swirl of spicy brown mustard on the “lid”
Of course, you can put in your slider whatever your little heart (or Dad’s heart) desires. Pretty much anything that goes in a sandwich can go in a slider, just in smaller (and cuter) portions. Some suggestions:
pulled pork
shredded beef
chicken salad
tuna salad
lunchmeat and cheese
BLT
crab salad (especially good for a luncheon with guests)
etc.
So, to recap:
Sliders are QUICK because they take less time to rise and bake than traditional loaves of bread. They also defrost more quickly, and are quicker to utilize than bread. They’re great for weeknight meals, or lunchboxes.
Sliders are EASY-er to bake than loaves, at least in my opinion. Free-form artisan loaves can be tricky to shape and bake properly, but with the muffin tin, all you have to do is plop the dough into the tin. It does help, I think, to cut a small slit in the top of each slider before baking, otherwise you get a Hershey-kiss-like effect.
Homemade sliders are so CHEAP! Flour, water, yeast, and salt. Pretty basic!
If you use at least half whole grains, and appropriate fillings (veggies like lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, etc.), they can also be very HEALTHY.
While I’m here learning about blogging better at the Fitbloggin Conference, Jessica Pherson of Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby is filling in for me with a fabulous guest post on Thai-inspired food. A treat for you, since I rarely delve into Asian foods here on my blog (even though I love it; I just can’t cook with soy or sesame which pretty much cuts out most Asian foods); and another treat: her version is vegetarian, something else I don’t do very often (or ever).
One day I was on my way to a Meet-Up in NYC (back when I was single and without child and could do things like that) and I realized I had arrived in the neighborhood of my destination a little early, early enough, in fact, to get a bite to eat. I saw this cute little Thai place on the corner and decided to give it a try. I ordered something I’d never had before because I was feeling particularly bold that day, and it was a dish that I’ll never forget.
It was vegetarian-style Thai red coconut curry and it was so aromatic and warm and full of so many different intense flavors. My taste buds were dancing and it was quite filling, but not overly so. Also, it cost me less than $10!
Luckily, I was able to reproduce it the best I could and now I’m passing the recipe on to you! The cost of the ingredients will run you less than $15, maybe even less than $10 depending on where you live and what’s available.
Thai Red Coconut Curry
Ingredients:
1 14 oz package tofu drained and sliced into triangles* (or chicken, shrimp, or fish)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 cup chopped spinach
1 chopped avocado
1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced into strips
2 carrots peeled and sliced
1 14 oz can coconut milk
2 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 tbsp lime
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp blue agave syrup** or brown sugar (to taste)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro for topping
* How to drain and cut tofu into triangles: Remove the tofu from the packaging and wrap in 2 paper towels, then place on plate with another plate on top of it for at least an hour. The pressure from the plate will slowly drain any excess liquid from the tofu. Once drained, slice the block length-wise 3 times then in half width-wise. Then cut each half diagonally so you get 12 triangles altogether. Feel free to make smaller if desired.
**Blue agave syrup is a little healthier than refined sugar in that it’s plant-derived rather than overly processed sugar cane, but it also costs a little more. You’ll use about 25% less agave than you would sugar though, so it’s up to you if you’re more interested in keeping it extra healthy or extra cheap.
Whisk the red curry paste, lime, turmeric, agave or brown sugar, coconut milk and cornstarch together in a bowl then set aside. Heat the oil in large skillet or wok then add tofu and cook until slightly browned. Add all the vegetables except for the avocado and cook stirring for about 3 minutes. Add the coconut curry sauce and bring it all to a boil, then add the avocado and simmer over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Serve sprinkled with the cilantro over brown rice. Sooo good!
You can also serve with lime wedges for an extra squirt of citrus, or over Asian-style noodles. A light salad with ginger dressing is a great starter with this as well. You can also get creative with the veggies, adding or subtracting things to your liking. Some other good additions are zucchini, bamboo shoots, bok choy and eggplant. You can also make it with meat or fish just the same as you did with the tofu, just add chunks of chicken, shrimp or white fish like tilapia.
I’ve never tried making my own curry paste, although I am sure it makes a HUGE difference taste-wise as making things fresh is always rewarding to your palette. If you are brave enough to try it and have a local Asian market near you that carries items like lemongrass and fish sauce (soy sauce can be substituted and keeps it vegetarian), here’s a link from about.com. Otherwise, just use store-bought like I do, like Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste.
This is one of the few Thai dishes I’ve been able to make as many of the ingredients can be difficult to find. I used to live in an area of Brooklyn where a lot of normally rare Asian foods are more common. Now I’m back in New Jersey, the state I grew up in, and learning to work with what I have available. That’s really what it comes down to when you’re trying to cook quick, easy, cheap and healthy- learning to create delicious meals with what you got.
Jessica Pherson is a first-time mom with a daughter named Lily. She started blogging when she was pregnant and has been doing it ever since. She enjoys cooking healthy and delicious meals, reading a good book, being outdoors and the arts. She works from home for an ethical jewelry company and her favorite food is chocolate.Her blogs are: Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby, Garden of Jessica
Meatloaf balls because I started out with meatloaf and ended up with meatballs.
And my garden, because, as puny as it is, I am proud of it and want to share it with you.
My newest acquisition: Rosemary
You’ve already met Basil
Pepper and Tomato Plants
Oregano and Parsley
Lettuce Variety Pot
Pretty petunias, a gift from my MIL for Mother’s Day
I have to admit that gardening is not my favorite pastime, especially container gardening, because you have to water the darn things constantly, and woe to those who miss a watering!! Every year, I swear I’m not going to bother… and every year, I do. I guess I figure eventually I will get the hang of it?
One thing that keeps me plucking away with my black thumb is the satisfaction of using fresh herbs, lettuce and even a few vegetables from my little garden. There’s just nothing like growing your own food: it’s QUICK because you can step outside and pick what you need (no half-hour trip to the grocery store); it’s CHEAP because the seeds or starter plants are minimal in cost, especially compared to the output over the growing season; and it’s definitely very HEALTHY, especially if you can grow them organically without the use of chemicals. But it’s not EASY. Oh well. We can’t have everything, I suppose.
The other day, I was thrilled to be able to use some of my new herbs to add some extra flavor and nutrition to our dinner. I had clipped a recipe for individual meatloaves from a Family Circle magazine, and altered it a bit to suit my tastes and our family’s dietary needs. It already started out with lots of fresh veggies (hence the “Garden Fresh” moniker I bestowed upon it), but all the seasonings it called for were dried or powdered. I just couldn’t do that when I had fresh herbs right on my balcony, so I spruced up the recipe a wee bit. My DH was really very skeptical when he saw the ratio of veggies to meat, but even he admitted afterward that they were delicious. He doesn’t like people messing with his food, so that’s high praise, folks.
When I started to make them, I just intended to dump the meatloaf mixture into muffin pans to make individual meatloaves; then I decided that I wanted their shape to be more uniform, so I shaped them into balls before dumping them into the muffin pan. Then I realized that I had just made meatballs. Or Meatloaf Balls.
The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I used ground turkey because of our Certain Little Someone’s allergies.You, however, are allowed to use beef; I will let you.
Garden Fresh Meatloaf Balls
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 zucchini, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP fresh chopped basil
2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh chopped oregano
3 TBSP ketchup
1 egg, optional
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Form into large balls and place in muffin tins (makes about 18). Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160F.
Making individual (or muffin-sized) meatloaves is a lot QUICKer than cooking the loaf in its entirety. I very rarely make an entire meatloaf for that very reason.
Meatloaf is so EASY; that’s why it’s a popular meal-time staple.
Ground meat is generally CHEAPer than cuts of meat and can be stretched further. Plus, using all those veggies really extends the amount meat to produce more servings.
Adding all those veggies also really increases the HEALTHY factor, adding vitamins, minerals and fiber to the dish. Using oats instead of bread crumbs provides a healthier grain.
Today, you are in for a treat. You get to hear from someone else for a change.
I thought you would like that.
Today’s guest post-er is Lydia, “a recent college graduate who is interested in healthy living; getting enough exercise, eating right and enjoying my favorite baked goods in moderation.” Sound familiar? I think she and I are on the same page, and I think you will enjoy her tips and her perspective.
Read on…
I recently moved out to California, and besides wanting milder weather (I left Minnesota) and being closer to my friends, one of my main reasons for coming here was the avocados. All the fresh produce, but mostly the avocados. I pictured myself eating delicious meals of all local and organic foods. However, I have found it hard to make this vision a reality.
I am trying to balance my desire to eat nutritious, high-quality foods… and still pay the rent. I recently read an article about supermarket secrets that claimed you could survive on $3.52 a day by eating a “junk food diet” while a “healthy diet” costs $36.32. This is a terrifying assessment for someone on a budget, as well as the implications for socio-economic health disparities. However, this article does not name the source of this statistic or what qualifies as “healthy” so I’m hoping they are wrong (there must be a way!). Another article about how eating healthy ranked food using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index found that a healthy diet could cost as little as $4.62 a day. Now that sounds more reasonable!
So how do I do it? How do I balance my desire for wholesome, less environmentally impactful food with my small budget?
The first solution I have found is buying bulk. Buying grains and beans in bulk is a great way to stock up (so you don’t need to go to the grocery store as often) and it usually costs less than buying packaged bags or cans. Working with dried beans just takes a little more planning than their canned counterparts. For most beans you just have to soak them overnight, and then let them simmer in water for a few hours.
At first it can be overwhelming to buy all the basics. As I was stocking my new kitchen I was wary of all the pounds and money I was spending on rice, pasta, oats, beans and lentils. But I haven’t had to restock in months! Most nights I just pick out the veggies that sound most appealing and know that I can pair it with a variety of bases without more planning. This simplicity keeps me from cutting corners like buying packaged meals (less healthy) or going out (costly and less healthy).
The biggest struggle for me is finding fresh produce, hopefully with a small carbon footprint, that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. My best solution for this is buying my vegetables at a farmers’ market. These weekly markets are becoming more popular and easy to find. Also there are a lot of markets where you can use food stamps. You use your EBT card to get tokens that are good at all the stalls. To find out about farmers markets near you that accept food stamps find your state’s listing on the USDA website.
I tend to go to the farmers’ market on Sundays and pick out whatever looks most appealing. This past weekend I found the largest beets I have ever seen! Each beet root was the size of my foot, but still buying two bunches cost me only $4. They took a LONG time to cook, but they were delicious. Beets are one my favorite veggies.
If I am willing to lower my desire to buy local vegetables, or know their source reliably, I have found that produce at ethnic grocery stores tend to be cheaper than the larger, chain stores. I once found my beloved avocados at a Mexican grocery store at 4 for a $1! I was in guacamole heaven.
One of the cheapest, most comforting meals I like to make is a lentil-rice dish that my friend Rose introduced to me. For years I would call her every time I wanted to make it, because the recipe I remembered seemed too simple. All it takes is two onions, a cup of lentils, a cup of rice, water, salt and pepper. It is surprisingly flavorful and even more delicious the next day. Usually I have all the ingredients for Rose’s lentils, as I like to call them, so I can make it last minute and I would estimate that it costs $2 to make four hearty servings (potentially four meals).
I am still trying to figure out the best practices to eat well and save money. As I get more acclimated to the city I am hope that will I find the best places to shop for my ideal produce. For now I will continue to struggle between keeping my budget and meeting my desire to eat environmentally responsible, healthy food.
For Rose’s Lentils
1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked through
1 cup rice (you can use any variety you might just have to adjust water)
2 onions diced
Olive oil
S+P
Sautee the onions with olive oil in a large sauce pan. Set onions aside and sauté the lentils briefly in olive oil (3-5 minutes) then add water. Bring the lentils and water to a boil then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add rice and onions, keep simmering for 30-40 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste (this is where you might need to add more water depending on the rice, it should become a porridge consistency).
Thanks, Lydia! I am going to have to try this recipe with my Certain Little Someone. He wasn’t too fond of the last lentil dish I foisted upon him, but he likes rice, so maybe I can fool him. ::wink wink::
* QUICK - because who has time for anything more?
* EASY - because I'm no gourmet.
* CHEAP - because who has money for anything more?
* HEALTHY - because you are what you eat.
