Living in Seattle it is important to have at least one great vegetarian meal to impress your non-meat-eating friends. Usually I end up making this soup adapted from a recipe used at the Queen Mary Tea Room where my cousin used to cook. It's simple to make, full of healthy goodness, and I always have enough leftovers for a few lunches.
Green Soup
Onion
One pound bag of broccoli florets
One pound bag of peas
1-2 oz Basil
1 quart water
Vegetable bouillon
Saute the onion in olive oil. When the onion is done add the remaining ingredients. Cook until broccoli is tender. Take it off the stove and let it cool a little. Blend with an immersion blender.
Original recipe includes a Tbsp of mint and a pinch of rosemary but I always skip it because I'm cheap
Monday, September 7, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
For the love of sammiches
Sandwiches are high on my list of favorite things to eat but I rarely get around to making them. Generally they require the acquisition of too many perishable goods to be practical. Sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, bread, several kinds of cheese and meats. It's difficult to buy the correct ratio of ingredients to ensure that everything gets used up.
My solution to this problem is to host a sandwich party. It's a variation of a potluck except everyone brings sandwich fixings. A dozen cheeses and 8 different meats at your disposable makes for some incredible sandwiches.
My usual contribution is roast beef. I pick up a couple pounds of round roast from Fero's Meat Market and roast it myself using an adaptation of Jess Thomson's recipe. My adaptation is leaving out the rosemary. If I have leftovers I buy french rolls and make roast beef sandwiches that beat just about every dip sandwich I've had at a restaurant.
Simple Rosemary Roast Beef
From hogwash by Jess Thomson
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat a 1 1/2 pound eye of round roast dry, and rub it with a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Pat 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary into the skin, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until the temperature reads 130 degrees in the center, for medium rare. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Roast Beef Dip Sandwich
1 french roll
Leftover roast beef
Half a cup of beef broth made with Better Than Bouillon beef base
Horseradish spread
Slice french roll down the middle and spread horseradish on both sides. Top with roast beef. Eat with broth.
My solution to this problem is to host a sandwich party. It's a variation of a potluck except everyone brings sandwich fixings. A dozen cheeses and 8 different meats at your disposable makes for some incredible sandwiches.
My usual contribution is roast beef. I pick up a couple pounds of round roast from Fero's Meat Market and roast it myself using an adaptation of Jess Thomson's recipe. My adaptation is leaving out the rosemary. If I have leftovers I buy french rolls and make roast beef sandwiches that beat just about every dip sandwich I've had at a restaurant.
Simple Rosemary Roast Beef
From hogwash by Jess Thomson
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat a 1 1/2 pound eye of round roast dry, and rub it with a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Pat 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary into the skin, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until the temperature reads 130 degrees in the center, for medium rare. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Roast Beef Dip Sandwich
1 french roll
Leftover roast beef
Half a cup of beef broth made with Better Than Bouillon beef base
Horseradish spread
Slice french roll down the middle and spread horseradish on both sides. Top with roast beef. Eat with broth.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Lazy Breakfast
Breakfast has the least variety of all my meals. Ninety percent of the time it will be either oatmeal, an omelette, or bacon & eggs.
My technique for cooking up bacon & eggs was something I picked up during my first visit to Japan. My sister and I were traveling the country, lodging with families our old houseguest had met through a bulletin board for women with young children. This was in 2000 when staying with strangers you met on the internet was not quite as common.
As an eighteen year old with very little experience with meat (but a love for overcooked bacon), when one of our host moms served us a conglomerate of bacon & eggs for breakfast it blew my mind. It's like bacon, and eggs, but... so much more! For years I would think wistfully back to that meal but it wasn't until last year that it occurred to me that surely I could recreate such a simple dish at home. That's right, it took me years to realize that I, too, could take the revolutionary step of frying my eggs and bacon together.
Bacon & Eggs
2 slices of bacon - usually Niman Ranch Applewood Bacon from TJ's ($.78)
2 eggs ($.42)
Total: $1.20
Fry up one side of the bacon. Flip so they're parallel with about 3 inches between them and crack both eggs in between. They should cook up as one unit. Fry until desired level of doneness, flipping them for a few seconds at the end.
If you want to cut down the fat you can pour the excess bacon grease in to a jar before frying the eggs. I store it in the fridge and use it to cook up everything I can think of.
My technique for cooking up bacon & eggs was something I picked up during my first visit to Japan. My sister and I were traveling the country, lodging with families our old houseguest had met through a bulletin board for women with young children. This was in 2000 when staying with strangers you met on the internet was not quite as common.
As an eighteen year old with very little experience with meat (but a love for overcooked bacon), when one of our host moms served us a conglomerate of bacon & eggs for breakfast it blew my mind. It's like bacon, and eggs, but... so much more! For years I would think wistfully back to that meal but it wasn't until last year that it occurred to me that surely I could recreate such a simple dish at home. That's right, it took me years to realize that I, too, could take the revolutionary step of frying my eggs and bacon together.
Bacon & Eggs
2 slices of bacon - usually Niman Ranch Applewood Bacon from TJ's ($.78)
2 eggs ($.42)
Total: $1.20
Fry up one side of the bacon. Flip so they're parallel with about 3 inches between them and crack both eggs in between. They should cook up as one unit. Fry until desired level of doneness, flipping them for a few seconds at the end.
If you want to cut down the fat you can pour the excess bacon grease in to a jar before frying the eggs. I store it in the fridge and use it to cook up everything I can think of.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Drinking for the fiscally challenged
The most often used novelty kitchen gadget in my house is my citrus press. One of the ways I resign myself to allowing my (fabulous) friends to buy me drinks is by always offering them a tasty cocktail when they visit. I have a decent selection of smooth but affordable liquor and I try to keep limes and lemons on hand.* I like to think I can make them something as tasty as they would get at a bar so it's a reasonable exchange. Crap liquor is not something I'm willing to consume no matter how poor I end up and I'm not interested in forcing it on my friends. With a little knowledge you don't have to sacrifice taste for your budget.
My affordable favorites:
Bellringer Gin $10.95 - Stronger than your average gin at 88 proof
Evan Williams Black Label Bourbon $13.95
Old Overholt Rye $16.95 - Makes a fine inexpensive Sazerac
Lunazul Tequila $18.95
Lillet Blanc $14.29 - Refreshing with soda water and a splash of OJ
Rittenhouse 100 Proof Rye $16.15 - Also a fine choice for a Sazerac
Luksusowa Potato Vodka $15.95
(Unfortunately all these prices will be up about 10% come August. The WA government wants to use booze to make up for some budget shortfalls.)
An easy rule to follow for experimenting with drinks is to use 2 parts liquor, 1 part sweet (usually simple syrup), 1 part sour (usually citrus of some sort). Adjust to taste. I almost universally use 2oz of my base liquor which works out to 12 1/2 drinks per bottle.
Simple Syrup is ridiculously easy to make and great to keep on hand. You can buy it in a bottle at Trader Joe's for $2.49 but I recommend making it yourself after the initial bottle purchase. It was too confusing when we stored it in a tequila bottle. Just dissolve sugar in boiling water at a 1:1 ratio. Cool and bottle. It should be stored in the fridge and will last for a long time. Use it to sweeten tea, coffee, or make fresh lemonade!
Lemonade
2 small lemons ($.50 from TJ's but you can do better at Chinese markets)
2 Tbsp Simple Syrup (dirt cheap)
Water or soda water
Squeeze lemons in to a cup, add simple syrup, top with water, stir.
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Citrus-Juice-Press/dp/B0002IBOAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1248731133&sr=8-1
* Most of the liquor purchasing was done before I lost my job so I am fortunate enough to only need to restock the base alcohols.
My affordable favorites:
Bellringer Gin $10.95 - Stronger than your average gin at 88 proof
Evan Williams Black Label Bourbon $13.95
Old Overholt Rye $16.95 - Makes a fine inexpensive Sazerac
Lunazul Tequila $18.95
Lillet Blanc $14.29 - Refreshing with soda water and a splash of OJ
Rittenhouse 100 Proof Rye $16.15 - Also a fine choice for a Sazerac
Luksusowa Potato Vodka $15.95
(Unfortunately all these prices will be up about 10% come August. The WA government wants to use booze to make up for some budget shortfalls.)
An easy rule to follow for experimenting with drinks is to use 2 parts liquor, 1 part sweet (usually simple syrup), 1 part sour (usually citrus of some sort). Adjust to taste. I almost universally use 2oz of my base liquor which works out to 12 1/2 drinks per bottle.
Simple Syrup is ridiculously easy to make and great to keep on hand. You can buy it in a bottle at Trader Joe's for $2.49 but I recommend making it yourself after the initial bottle purchase. It was too confusing when we stored it in a tequila bottle. Just dissolve sugar in boiling water at a 1:1 ratio. Cool and bottle. It should be stored in the fridge and will last for a long time. Use it to sweeten tea, coffee, or make fresh lemonade!
Lemonade
2 small lemons ($.50 from TJ's but you can do better at Chinese markets)
2 Tbsp Simple Syrup (dirt cheap)
Water or soda water
Squeeze lemons in to a cup, add simple syrup, top with water, stir.
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Citrus-Juice-Press/dp/B0002IBOAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1248731133&sr=8-1
* Most of the liquor purchasing was done before I lost my job so I am fortunate enough to only need to restock the base alcohols.
Change in my stomach
Earlier this year I became one of the unfortunate masses who lost their jobs due to layoff. Six months in to unemployment and my lifestyle has changed dramatically. I am thankful that I was raised in a frugal household but my taste for the finer things in life sure didn't leave with my income.
It's easy to tell someone to stop eating out and make your own tea and coffee to save money. In practice I'm considerably more productive in a coffee shop (I'd do the library but the internet keeps going out) and going out for food or drinks is an essential part of networking. Cut out those expenses and my job hunt would be hampered.
At the end of the day, I'm finding that almost my entire food budget is spent on tea, coffee, and cocktails and I have to eat on the cheap. I love to eat but this has never translated in to any great culinary feats. I don't like recipes that use many ingredients because I don't like ending up with a bunch of things that need to be used up. Everything I eat is simple, quick, and has a short ingredients list. My diet isn't the most well-balanced but it's not the worst and at least I prepare my own food. Until I have regained my old lifestyle I've decided to document my meals for the cheap and lazy.
Tuna & Avocado Salad
Serving of bagged salad (About $1 worth)
1/2 an avocado ($.60)
1/2 can of tuna ($.75)
Tuscan Salad Dressing ($.20)
Mix. The tuna and avocado make this surprisingly filling!
Total: $2.55
Serving costs are rough estimates because I didn't have the foresight to save the receipts. I'll try to do better in the future!
It's easy to tell someone to stop eating out and make your own tea and coffee to save money. In practice I'm considerably more productive in a coffee shop (I'd do the library but the internet keeps going out) and going out for food or drinks is an essential part of networking. Cut out those expenses and my job hunt would be hampered.
At the end of the day, I'm finding that almost my entire food budget is spent on tea, coffee, and cocktails and I have to eat on the cheap. I love to eat but this has never translated in to any great culinary feats. I don't like recipes that use many ingredients because I don't like ending up with a bunch of things that need to be used up. Everything I eat is simple, quick, and has a short ingredients list. My diet isn't the most well-balanced but it's not the worst and at least I prepare my own food. Until I have regained my old lifestyle I've decided to document my meals for the cheap and lazy.
Tuna & Avocado Salad
Serving of bagged salad (About $1 worth)
1/2 an avocado ($.60)
1/2 can of tuna ($.75)
Tuscan Salad Dressing ($.20)
Mix. The tuna and avocado make this surprisingly filling!
Total: $2.55
Serving costs are rough estimates because I didn't have the foresight to save the receipts. I'll try to do better in the future!
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