Comfort Foods: Beef Stew

 

This is the time of year when everything feels a little colder, and with the holidays among us, we start to think of home. Warm homestyle dishes that mom and grandma used to make from recipes that were handed down through generations are definitely in order. For this beef stew, instead of purchasing the “stew meat” chunks that are sold in stores for up to $5 a pound, I bought a full chuck beef roast for just $2.57/lb and cut it up myself.  Now, I know that even at this price it’s a little costly, but you do get quite a few servings out of this, and can freeze it for later, or pack it as a lunch to save on eating out. And, this way, you are getting the exact same meat for 40% cheaper, so you can double your recipe for the same price, or, if you are like me, make it for HALF the price!!

*NOTE: You can convert this recipe to a slow cooker recipe. Make sure you brown your meat before you add it to your cooker, and everything else will slow cook all day.*

TOTAL COST for 10 (2 cup) servings: $8.50

Ingredients

 

• 2 1/2 lbs Boneless Beef Chuck Roast
• 6 medium potatoes
• 6 fresh carrot
• 8 stalks celery
• 1 large onion
• 8 cups water
• 1 package envelope of Brown Gravy mix (optional)
• 3 cubes of beef bouillon, or 5 if not using Brown Gravy mix
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• salt/pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Canola Oil)

 

   1. Peel the carrots and slice them as you prefer. I cut mine into little discs, so they cook through. Just don’t make them too big, or they will be hard!! Wash your celery and dice that up, and then dice up the onion, and place it all in a colander and wash it up real good. Peel and cube the potatoes and wash them under the sink, then put them aside in a separate bowl.

   2. Cube your chuck meat. (FOOD SAFETY TIP: Have a separate cutting board that you ONLY use for raw meats.) If you want to stretch your stew into more servings, you can make your chunks smaller than mine, but remember that they do shrink when they cook. I made mine about 2 inches x 1 inch cubed.

  3. In a 6 qt or larger stock pot, heat the oil (I added pepper to mine to season the meat) on Medium/High heat (I set it at 8 on my electric stove).

  4. Brown your meat on all sides (just keep tossing it around in there and it should be mostly browned in about 10 minutes or so)

  5. Then add your chopped up veggies. Don’t add the potatoes yet. Stir your meat and veggies up and try to coat everything with the oil/pepper. This is the point you can add more spices (parsley, rosemary, etc) if you would like. I just keep it simple, because the beef has so much flavor after slow cooking!!

  6. Add the water, garlic, bouillon cubes, and Brown Gravy mix (optional) and stir well. Then add your potatoes, being careful not to splash yourself!! Simmer until boiling (still on Medium/High heat setting). Once stew is at a simmer, you can turn down the heat to a low setting. I set my stove at 3 and half cover the pot so it doesn’t boil too much. You just want it to have that slow simmer bubble thing going on.

7.  Cook for 1 1/2 hours on Low setting. You can tell the stew is done when the potatoes get soft enough to eat. (Don’t worry about the meat, when you browned it, it was already partially cooked, so after 90 minutes that is definitely done!) Serve with bread and butter or rolls (Jiffy Mix makes great biscuits at an affordable price!!) ENJOY!!

*NOTE: If you are making this stew in your crock pot, you can set it at LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 6 HOURS and will have the same effect. You don’t really have to worry about overcooking it. The meat just gets more tender!!*

AND, as always, another great FREEZABLE MEAL!! Easy to take for portable lunches in a Thermos, or heat up in the microwave at work.

 

 

Chicken Stir Fry

This chicken stir fry is always a big favorite in my house. One of the great things about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can make it with any leftover meat (Beef, Pork, Turkey, etc), and, you can spice it up just the way your household likes it!  I made it this time with a package of marked down chicken tenders, some fresh peppers I had bought marked down and froze, and a package of broccoli florets that were on sale for 99 cents!! The sauce I make for this is my own recipe, spiced the way we like it, but if you want it more or less spicy, than you can custom make it for your own taste! Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!!  Enjoy!!

TOTAL COST for 6 servings:  $4.07 + cost of spices

Ingredients

      

• 1 Package of Tyson Chicken Breast Tenders, or any leftover chicken, cut up into pieces
• 3 Medium sliced fresh peppers (or frozen!)
• 6 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 Package of frozen (or fresh) broccoli florets
• 2 Medium onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• SAUCE: 6 tbsp cornstarch, 9 tbsp soy sauce, 1 cup chicken bullion (prepared), 1/4 cup Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Sesame Spice** NOTE: If you don’t have any sesame spice, you can substitute Lemon Pepper, Garlic Powder, Parsley, or any spices you have on hand.
• Salt and Pepper

1. On high heat (my electric stove is set at 8),  add Olive Oil to bottom of 6 qt stock pot (so you have enough room to cook everything in one pot!). Add cut up chicken pieces to pan. If precooked, just sear them on each side until they are brown. If they are raw, then you will need to cook them through, so flip them every few minutes until they start to get brown on each side. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.  Remove from pan.

 

 

2. Leave the remaining oil in the pan, and add the sliced onions. Sear them until they are clear in color, and a little soft. This takes about 5 minutes.

 

 

 

3. Add celery and sear for 3 minutes, or until clear, and then add the peppers and the broccoli (all frozen) to the pan, and cover. This will let the vegetables steam while you make your sauce in a separate bowl.

 

 

 

4. In a small bowl,  add soy sauce, then bullion (already prepared into liquid), and cornstarch, all the while whisking it vigorously, to make sure the cornstarch is all broken down and not lumpy. If you don’t have a whisk, you can use a fork, but make sure you beat it well!!**TIP: If you’ve never made sauces or gravies before, the best way to explain how to mix them is as if you were beating eggs to scramble them or for an omelet. Try and get some bubbles going in there, and that will let you know you are done!

5. After steaming your vegetables and tossing them until they are soft (about 10 minutes), then add the chicken back to the pot, and toss everything together. Quickly add your sauce (remix it right before adding it to the pot to make sure it didn’t settle) and toss all of your ingredients back and forth a couple of times to make sure everything gets coated with the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat (the sauce thickens FAST!!) and keep tossing. Your dish is ready to serve!!

**THIS DISH FREEZES GREAT, SO IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVERS,

PUT THEM IN A CONTAINER FOR ANOTHER MEAL**

Sausage Alfredo Casserole

I came up with this Sausage Alfredo Casserole out of desperation on how to use up a bunch of marked down sausage that I had in my freezer. I know it doesn’t look to pretty in the picture, but it tasted really good!  It’s really easy to make, and only requires a few ingredients, so it keeps the cost way down.  And the leftovers (if you have any!) freeze really well. You can substitute your favorite vegetables, and if you don’t like Alfredo, you can put in your favorite tomato based sauce!

TOTAL COST for 6 servings:  $4.14 (packaged sauce)                   $5.13 (assuming $1.99 jarred sauce)

Ingredients

     

• 1 Package of Sweet Italian Sausage, uncooked
• 1 Package (or jar) of Alfredo Sauce (additional ingredients required to prepare)
• 1 Package of frozen Spinach
• 2 Squash, washed and diced

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

1. Bring water to boil, add sausage and when it starts to boil again, cook sausage for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked. (Temperature should be 165 degrees to be fully cooked). Cut sausage into slices and put aside.

2. Meanwhile, prepare your Alfredo Sauce according to package directions (if you aren’t using a premade jarred sauce).

3. In a skillet, add 2 tablespoons of margarine,  and add squash and spinach. Saute for a few minutes, until vegetables are no longer frozen and starting to cook through. This takes about 10 minutes. Add prepared Alfredo Sauce to this mixture. *You can substitute tomato sauce if you prefer!

4. Add sliced sausage to mixture, and toss in some salt and pepper to taste. Then transfer to 13 x 9 inch pan (or a round casserole dish, leaving it uncovered). I use my 13 x 9 inch pan because I feel it cooks more evenly.

5. Pop in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until bubbly.

**THIS DISH FREEZES GREAT, SO IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVERS, PUT THEM IN A CONTAINER FOR ANOTHER MEAL**

Fresh Food to Have on Hand

So here we are in our last installment to ‘The Well Stocked Pantry’ series. The reason I decided to start my blog with this series is to  help you be better prepared to make most of my recipes in the most economical way.  In the ‘Refrigerated’ section, we’ll discuss the items I feel in my kitchen are essential to helping me come up with new and healthy recipes without spending extra money.The ‘Fresh’ section contains only a few items that keep well, to avoid having to make trips back and forth to the food store.

 

Refrigerator Must-Haves

• Minced Garlic: I know many cooks would be very upset with me for suggesting to use this item over fresh garlic, but for those of us who need to stay on a budget, jarred minced (or whole) garlic can be a way to have it on hand so we don’t have to do without it. Some dollar stores carry minced garlic in smaller jars, so it is very economical.
• Mustards: These come in many varieties, and I use them all! Spicy Brown, Dijon, Yellow, and Horseradish are the flavors I keep. I just grab them when they go on sale at the store, and they come in handy when I make up sauces for my meals.
• Hard Cheese: While most people always have sliced cheese for sandwiches, not everyone keeps hard cheese in their kitchen, and I feel this is a big mistake. I can think of many times when I needed just a little something else to make a dish special, and having some hard cheese on hand to shred over the final product  was just what that meal needed. And when you have kids, it can make the difference as to whether they will eat or not!
• Juices: Instead of keeping fresh lemons and limes (which can be pretty pricey and tend to spoil quickly), I always have a bottle of lemon juice and lime juice available. These juices usually don’t have any added sugar, and make great citrus marinades to tenderize chicken, pork or beef. They are reasonably priced at your local supermarket, usually only costing around $1 to $2 a bottle, and lasting at least 2 months.
• Salsa: If  I can, I try to make my own salsa, mainly because jarred salsas can get pretty pricey to cook with. To make a meal with them, you usually have to use a whole jar, and that can add $2 or $3 to your meal, which in my meals, would practically double the price!! I like to keep it on hand though, as it is very helpful when you’ve run out of canned or fresh tomatoes. Just remember it isn’t an essential, but if you see it on sale (particularly in the large bottle), make sure you grab it to save on being left without a sauce!!
• The Usual: These items are the typical things that most people have in the refrigerator-Milk, Butter, Eggs.  I really don’t use these items very often (butter more than the others), but they are handy to have when creating dishes.

 

Fresh Items

• Onions: I use these in practically every dish I make, so I always make sure I have at least 3 on hand at all times. I’ve found that it is cheaper to buy them in the 3lb (or if you can find it, the 5lb) netted bags, where you can get anywhere from 8 to 10 in a bag. Choose carefully, though, as they tend to spoil quickly!
• Celery: Before we started our low carb lifestyle, I never kept celery, but now I use it quite often. It’s not too expensive, and if you keep it refrigerated, it stays good for about a month. I purchase it marked down as well, because even if it’s a little limped, you can still cook with it.
• Tomatoes: During the summer months, I go through a TON of tomatoes. Whenever I find them marked down, I buy them all, because it saves me from using up my pantry kept canned tomatoes. This is another item that you can buy mushy (but not too mushy…you can only salvage them up to a certain point). A great money saver!
• Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables: One of my biggest money savers is when I purchase any fruit that is marked down and bring it home to cook with. Peaches, pears, apples, oranges…you name it, whatever is in season you can usually find marked down. I just picked these marked down apples up yesterday at the store. With apples on sale for $1.69/lb, I found this 3lb bag for just $1.74!! I see homemade applesauce in our future recipes, paired along with a beautiful pork loin (that was marked down, of course!!) 

This is true for vegetables too.  Eggplant, Squash, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach…the list just goes on and on.

 

As you will see from my recipes, I use a variety of ingredients, and that is mostly due to the fact that I plan my meals around whatever I can find marked down and need to use it up fast!  Make sure you keep that in mind when making your meals, because if you need to go out and purchase the ingredients without getting them on sale, you will wind up spending too much on your meals.

Now that we know what we need to have in our kitchen, we will be moving on to some great money saving grocery shopping ideas that I use all the time. After all, we don’t want to overspend stocking our kitchen, as that will lead to the price of our meals skyrocketing!  If you would like to be informed (by email) when my next post is up, just hit the “Follow” button on the right. And if you have any questions, please feel free to comment. I would love to hear from you!

Pantry Essentials

 

Since we’ve started our low carb lifestyle, I’ve removed mostly all of the rice, flour, bread, noodle, etc. products from my pantry, but to make up for all that lost flavor and bulk, I’ve added some new items that have replaced all that just great. Some of these items I’ve never cooked with before!  My family has adjusted very nicely to having low-cost dishes flavored with various types of vinegars, spices  and such, and, instead of noodles and rice, white and red beans and chick peas. I guess it could be because they are so hungry, but they do seem to be enjoying the substitutions I’ve made. There are so many options out there for us to purchase, it can be hard to decide which are best. So I’ve compiled this list of what I keep on hand in my pantry to help you get started.

• Rice Vinegar: This is one of those items that I never had before in my life, and now I use it all the time. I wanted to talk about it all by itself so it doesn’t get lost in a sea of vinegars!  It’s one of my most versatile flavor helpers. My biggest surprise has been that I’ve been able to replace my mayonnaise laden macaroni salad(s) with this, along with other seasonings,  and beans  (instead of noodles), and all summer long we’ve been enjoying salads that are filling and refreshing!
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: One of the most essential of my essentials!! If you can’t find the Extra Virgin on sale (it is pricey), then just get the Olive Oil. You won’t use much of it. My jars usually last about 2 or 3 months.
• Vinegar: I have many different vinegars that I use on a regular basis for flavoring dishes and salads. I figured to save space I would just list them here in a group: White, Balsamic, Apple Cider, Red Wine. If you check the aisle in your grocery store, you’ll see all different kinds of flavored vinegar (I even have a Pomegranate one that is delicious!) , and they are priced very reasonably. (Most of them are only about $1 or $2 a bottle)
• Non Stick Spray: This is another great item to have on hand to keep the calories down. I use it practically every night, so I have to purchase it at the Dollar Store or it starts getting too expensive. (It’s usually $3 or $4 at my grocery, which is WAY too much!)
• Honey, Raisins, and Nuts: These items I keep to help make sauces (honey), add to salads (raisins, ground up nuts), and as an addition to steamed vegetables (raisins, mostly) I know there are alot of store bought honey based sauces out there, but I really like to be able to control how much honey (or fruit) is going into a dish to help lower our sugar consumption.
• Cornstarch: When I began cooking, I didn’t even know what the heck cornstarch was. Well, in case you don’t, it’s a thickener! I used to just use flour, but you can use alot less cornstarch to thicken sauces than you can flour, so it’s quicker and cheaper, and less sugar too!
• Bread Crumbs: I know what you’re thinking….Hey! Suzy! These are bread and aren’t low carb!! And that is true. However, we splurge every now and then and have a dish made with a breaded product. I usually only do this for vegetable based dishes (i.e. Baked Eggplant) and sometimes for fish (that’s to get my youngest son to eat it.) I would make my own, as that used to be the most cost effective way, but now I can get a decent sized can of them for only 99 cents, and that’s cheaper than a loaf of bread, so I just buy them premade.
• Bouillons: These are really handy to have on hand when you want to make a nice beef gravy (thickened with your cornstarch!) or a chicken stock based soup. They are very salty, though, so use sparingly! Don’t pay too much at the grocery, you can pick these up on your next trip to the Dollar Store!
• Canned Beans and Vegetables: Now I’m not much of a fan of canned goods, but they come in very handy when I am staring at a piece of meat and have no idea what kind of dinner I am going to whip up. You have to be careful with canned vegetables, because they are very salty and have become quite expensive. So if you can take advantage of Can-Can sales, or bulk purchases at a discount grocery, I would advise you to do that.  Watch out for Club purchases on these, the per can unit price is pretty high. I keep: Beans (there are so many available, you really can just pick which ones you like best. I’ve found you can substitute the ones you like for any bean recipe!), Peas, Carrots, Corn, and Green Beans. I always rinse mine before I add them to a dish or serve them, just to try to get rid of some of the salt. They come in really handy in the winter when fresh produce is sparse (and big bucks!).
• Canned Tomato Product: The only reason I keep several (about 4) big (29 oz) cans of these on hand is in case I run out of fresh tomatoes. I keep Puree, Whole Tomatoes, Flavored Diced Tomatoes, and Crushed Tomatoes. I use them for all different kinds of sauces and soups, as replacement for jarred sauces, which are filled with a TON of sugar. Of course, tomatoes themselves have sugar in them, but these canned alternatives save about 1/2 of the sugar from their jarred sisters.  Another item to make sure you don’t pay more than $1 a can for.
• Dry Beans: I usually break these out over the winter for soups, but I have a feeling this year I will be experimenting with them on main dishes as well, to fill in for our lost carbs. Even though they are alot more work to cook and serve than canned beans, you can save quite a bit of money using them, over their canned counterparts. And they freeze great too!!

Well, I guess that pretty much covers what I keep in my pantry. Of course, I still keep 5lbs of sugar, flour, and various other baking items, but I just wanted to go over what I usually use to make my low cost dinners. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have so far about our Well Stocked Pantry items. Next time I’ll be posting about Refrigerator essentials and Fresh Fruit and Vegetables that are reasonably priced and great to keep on hand!

Your Spice Rack

I’ve decided to start at the beginning, and have my first few posts let you know what items I keep in my pantry and refrigerator at all times. These items are essential to have on hand so that you can create your own recipes (or use mine!). Many of these items are handy for creating your own sauces as well. Store bought jarred sauces are expensive and full of sugar, so making them yourself will let you know exactly what (and how much) ingredients you are eating. I am pretty sure that I will be updating this list often, so you’ll want to check back!

DRY SPICES and HERBS:  Most of these are available at any Dollar Store, so they are a very inexpensive way to stock your kitchen.  Just in case you are just stocking your kitchen for the first time, I’ve starred (*) the items that I consider ‘starter spices’, just to get you going!

• Salt/Pepper*: I know that this one seems pretty obvious, but when I first started cooking, I just kept my salt and pepper on the dinner table. Now I have a separate pair that I use to flavor with.
• Basil/Oregano*: If you want, you can do a 2 for 1 on this in the Spice Classics brand, and just get the Italian Seasoning, which is a combo of the two of these.
• Adobo: This is a combo spice of garlic, oregano and black pepper and is available from Goyo. It’s certainly not an essential, but does come in handy. So if you see it on sale at your local market, pick it up!
• Parsley*: I mostly use this on salads and in soups. Definitely a must have.
• Garlic Powder*: As opposed to garlic salt, which I do not use. Too salty for my taste.
• Chili Flavoring*: This is also available in packets for individual meal use, but that comes out to be way to expensive, so I just buy the bottle for a buck, and add a few more spices to my chili. Also great for sloppy joes!
• Ginger: This is one of those spices that I usually forget I have, but it does add a nice flavor when going for an asian flair.
• Paprika: Another spice that I don’t often use, so I will be experimenting with it more.
• Rosemary: I have just recently discovered this, (I couldn’t get it at the Dollar Store), and it has a very strong flavor. Use with caution. I messed up an experimental chicken recipe with this one night.
• Dill: Another spice to be careful with. I know it has a powerful effect on a dish.
• Cinnamon*: Not just for cinnamon toast!! I use cinnamon quite often to cook meals with, especially since we have added more fruits to our diet.
• Nutmeg: Like cinnamon, a great addition to a meat (particularly pork)/fruit recipe. Use sparingly though.

So now you know my spice rack. I have a few more things in there, like flavored salts that I picked up at the store marked down to $1.29 each, but I really don’t use them often, as I’m not a big fan of using alot of salt in my recipes. But they do have a nice flavor, so I’ll hang onto them.