Recession: Party of One - Clean-Out-The-Fridge Tagine

One of my favorite ways to eat healthily is to take all the inevitable leftover veggie scraps from a week or so's worth of meals and throw them into one dish. I'm always surprised how much I can make out of so little, and it's nice to have a reason to get all that clutter out of the fridge.


This meal was a perfect example of that. Every time I thought I had found every last veggie, I kept stumbling across more little Ziploc baggies of goodness.

I have recently been reading up on how to make tagines, which are a North African dish named for their clay cooking vessel (the tagine), which looks like this:


For those of us who don't own a tagine (er...put that one on the future-wedding-registry-list), making a tagine can involve a CrockPot or just a simple pot with a lid. They are most commonly made with lamb or chicken on the bone, and simmered for long periods of time to tenderize the meat. And if you're one of those gotta-have-the-most-obscure-kitchen-tools types, check out this tagine site.

My inspiration for the CrockPot veggie tagine was my weekend trip to The Spice House, an amazing spice store in Old Town, where I outfitted myself with some basic Indian and Moroccan spices for about $11 (!).


When I set out to put together my tagine, I simply couldn't decide which spice mix to use, so I just mixed the Garam Masala and the Moroccan spice blends. They have similar base flavors, so I figured they'd go well together.

Read on to see how to make one mean tagine...

MOROCCAN- & INDIAN-SPICED VEGGIE TAGINE

INGREDIENTS

(mesaurements are loose approximations)

3/4 c. chickpeas
1/2 c. sweet potato, in small chunks
1 orange bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 white onion, in chunks
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. raw peas
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/4 c. cashews, slightly crushed
1 T. Moroccan spice blend
1 T. garam masala

handful of spinach leaves, raw
sliced green olives

white rice
chicken broth
saffron
salt and pepper
1 tsp. butter

sour cream (for garnish, if desired)

STEP ONE:

(This can be done the night before, which is what I did. The inner part of my CrockPot is removable, so I just put all the ingredients in there and refrigerated it overnight, then stuck it in the CrockPot base to cook all day while I was at work.)

Mix the first 10 ingredients together in the CrockPot.

STEP TWO:

Cook on low for about 8 hours (basically, just cook it while you're at work). When done, stir in the spinach leaves to wilt, and also the olives. Taste, and add salt if neccessary.

STEP THREE:

Turn CrockPot to WARM. Cook the rice in the chicken broth, adding the saffron. When done, add salt, pepper and butter and fluff with a fork.

STEP FOUR:

Serve the veggie tagine over the rice, topping with a little sour cream (or plain yogurt) if desired.


This was a really flavorful dish! The spices made it so complex that I would probably never think that it was a vegetarian dish if I hadn't known. I can only imagine how incredible this would be with some slow-simmered lamb...mmmm. I've also seen some great chicken tagine recipes with preserved lemon rind and olives.... Next time, delicious litte tagine, next time!

Let's check out the PARTY OF ONE PRICE INDEX, shall we?

CHICKPEAS: 20 cents
BELL PEPPER: $1.08
SPINACH: 66 cents
SWEET POTATO: 25 cents
CRUSHED TOMATOES: $1.15
PEAS: 50 cents
ONION: 10 cents (didn't use much)
CARROT: 15 cents
SPICES: around $1.00 total
CHICKEN BROTH: 40 cents

I'm leaving out the rice and the sour cream, since I already had those before my bulk shopping trip. This made about 4 good-size servings (the leftovers are in my lunchbag for tomorrow and stashed in my freezer), which puts the per-serving GRAND TOTAL at:

$1.37

Wow. What a great price for so much slow-simmered yumminess! Proof that you don't have to go halfway around the world to eat like it - that's what I call budget travelling ;-)

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Fearless Biscuits and Chicken Stew

As you well know, baking terrifies me (and with Ross' birthday just around the corner and a chocolate cake looming on the horizon, I'm really feeling it).


But if the time is right and fate dictates that only baking will do, I'll always rise (ha!) to the occasion. And Friday night, just such a situation presented itself: my dear friend Emily had just returned from 5 amazing weeks in Europe, and was craving American food.

I admit that I was momentarily stumped. Not only is "American food" a rather vague cuisine, but my love of all things ethnic (and specifically, Italian and French food) actually makes it that much harder for me to master simple American meals.

Suddenly, in a burst of inspiration I can only trace to my southern roots, I decided that creamy chicken stew ladled over hot homemade biscuits (which I've wanted to try making for awhile) is about as Not European as it gets. I kept imagining Puritan settler wives standing over giant cauldrons stirring chicken stew for hours...not that I have any idea if this is historically accurate, mind you.

CREAMY CHICKEN STEW OVER BISCUITS

NOTE: I am the Fearless Cook, not the Fearless Baker, so I used this recipe for the biscuits.

INGREDIENTS

(makes about 4 servings)

3 smallish boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1/2 cup peas (use frozen...more on this later)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. frozen corn kernels
2 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 and 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. half and half
2 cloves garlic, minced
several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
salt and pepper and red pepper flakes
basic salt-free all-purpose seasoning

STEP ONE:

Make the biscuits according to the recipe. They take about 15 minutes to bake. NOTE: I skipped the last part about rolling the dough out onto a floured surface and then cutting them with a cookie cutter - I have neither a rolling pin nor cookie cutters, so I just shaped them into roundish lumps and it worked out fine.



STEP TWO:

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the flour to make a roux, and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Let it boil until the chicken broth is beginning to thicken. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in the half and half.

STEP THREE:

Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover. Cook on medium heat until the sauce is thickened, the chicken is cooked, and the veggies are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if neccessary.




STEP FOUR:

Cut a biscuit in half and place it in a shallow bowl. Ladle some stew over the top. Enjoy!



JUDGES' VERDICTS:

EMILY: The biscuits were amazing. And I think the stew was delicious. The only thing was, the peas were a little undercooked. And I love the carrots.

ME: Those were sweet potatoes.

EMILY: Really? Are you sure? Oh. Well I loved the sweet potatoes.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: 6 stars.

I'd love to give myself more credit for attempting the biscuits, but I think I need more practice before I can really give Bojangles a run for its money. And the peas...the PEAS! What a disappointment. Something possessed me to get these fresh peas I saw at the market, and then of course I just shucked off the packaging and didn't read the cooking directions - they needed at least 30 minutes of cooking on their own before they'd be tender enough to put into the stew. They didn't taste bad per se, but the texture was unpleasant. Not a meal-ruiner, but not good either. Other than that I think it came out well. It was a nice consistency - not too thick, not too thin - and it was a nice, filling bed of goodness that helped us get through a night of good old fashioned American style dancing without any untoward incidences.

Welcome back, dearest Em, and thanks everyone for reading! More soon...

Recession: Party of One - Tortelloni Two Ways

Mmmm...pasta.

Mmmm...cheese.

Mmmm...cheese-filled pasta.


Here we are for another go-round of Recession: Party of One. Actually, two go-rounds. One of my most delicious CostCo purchases was a giant bag of cheese tortelloni - a very versatile pasta choice (although, all pastas are pretty versatile.) So I have not one but TWO delicious meals that took very little time or effort to make.

In another attempt at a yummy yet meat-free meal, I made a quick savory, brothy sauce to go with the pasta, including the veggies of the moment (at least in my world), broccoli and yellow bell pepper. And with the leftover tortelloni and the last of the ropa vieja beef, I made sort of a casserole, and as a side dish, of course I had more of the ubiquitous broccoli.

The great thing about this first meal - and this sauce - is that you could really put just about anything in it. Sausage, chicken, fresh tomato, zucchini, pine nuts, walnuts, rosemary, basil, squash, green beans, peas, pancetta, or bacon would all be lovely - just to name a few.

Think of it as a blank canvas - a hot, cheesy, delicious blank canvas.

CHEESE TORTELLONI WITH A LEMONY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 c. dry cheese tortelloni (NOTE: I think tortelloni are just slightly bigger than tortellini - it really doesn't make a difference, except in boiling time)
1 orange bell pepper (or any color)
6-7 large broccoli florets, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. butter
juice of one lemon
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. milk
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
grated parmesan
mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks

STEP ONE:

Boil the tortelloni for 12-13 minutes, until hot and tender. Drain. Keep warm.

STEP TWO:

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, broccoli, lemon juice, chicken broth, and milk. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by about half and slightly thickened (sauce will still be broth-y).

STEP THREE:

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in parmesan and mozzarella until melted. Place tortelloni in a bowl and top with some sauce. Enjoy!


This came out pretty dang delicious! I demolished it in about 4 and a half minutes by my estimate, and even got a spoon so I could get every last drop of sauce. The sauce is rich without being heavy, and I really liked how the meatlessness let the flavor of the cheeses take center stage. In times of increased cash flow, I'd definitely add some fresh herbs - anything would work, but I'm partial to basil and parsley.

Now for the Party of One Price Index:

TORTELLONI: 20 cents
BELL PEPPER: $1.08
BROCCOLI: 54 cents
TOMATOES: 55 cents
CHICKEN BROTH: 40 cents
LEMON: 60 cents
MOZZARELLA: 45 cents

Since everything else were things I had on hand before this CostCo endeavor, that brings the per-serving GRAND TOTAL to:

$3.82

Well, I think it may be the most expensive R: P of 1 meal to date, but in the grand scale of things (when you think that a McDonald's Extra Value Meal is about $4) it's still a great deal for a healthy, homemade dinner. Now for the second Tortelloni dish...

BAKED TORTELLONI & ROASTED BEEF


INGREDIENTS:

Leftover tortelloni (I had about a cup and a half cooked tortelloni left over)
1 can stewed tomatoes and juices
Leftover roasted beef (I had about a cup)
Grated parmesan
Grated mozzarella
Broccoli

STEP ONE:

If the broccoli is frozen, like mine was, you can boil it. I just microwaved mine for about 3 minutes in a bowl with a little water in the bottom, then drained it.

STEP TWO:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a shallow baking dish, spread out the pasta. Pour the can of tomatoes, with juices, over the pasta, spreading around the tomato chunks. Cover that with a thin layer of the beef. Sprinkle grated cheeses on top.

STEP THREE:

Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve with the broccoli. Enjoy!

I had actually put this all together last night when I made the original Tortelloni dish, which made "making" dinner tonight a cinch - I just stuck it in the oven, and bam - dinner in 30 minutes, with no hand-on time. This was actually a really satisfying dish, even though it has so few ingredients. I waited until after I tasted it to add seasoning, and I just sprinkled a smidge of kosher salt on top - it had plenty of flavor from the tortelloni and cheeses.

This is one of my better examples of how to make what seems like a completely new and exciting meal out of things you have leftover from other meals. And, in true cooking-for-one fashion, I now have a ton of leftover tortelloni casserole! I think I'll freeze it, since the beef was made several days ago. But on a night when the last thing I want to do is cook, it'll be great to just pull it out of the freezer and stick it in the oven again.



PARTY OF ONE PRICE INDEX:

TORTELLONI: 80 cents (that's 4 servings)
TOMATOES: 55 cents
BEEF: 74 cents
BROCCOLI: 54 cents
MOZZARELLA: 15 cents

Which brings our per-serving GRAND TOTAL to...

70 cents!

SEVENTY CENTS, PEOPLE! Suck it, Recession! You lose, Big Bad Economy!

That, my friends, is called beating the system. Thanks for reading!

Recession: Party of One - Ropa Vieja and Saffron Rice

I have a feeling that my Ropa Vieja on a budget will have Cuban abuelas rolling over in their graves from here to Havana. It's certainly not what you'd call traditional. But after a little research on what exactly ropa vieja entails (it's not much more than beef roast, tomato paste, and a little olive oil), I realized I had on hand some form of all the key ingredients.


Ropa Vieja, to the uninitialted, means "old clothes" in Spanish, and it's a traditional Cuban dish made with slow-roasted beef, served most of the time over rice. I FINALLY found my precious jar of saffron hiding in the back corners of my spice cabinet, so I made some savory saffron rice to go with it.

I can't wait to give you the Party of One Price Index breakdown!

INGREDIENTS (note: this is how I made it; if you want a traditional recipe, head to Google)

1 chunk very lean roasting beef (I'm guessing mine was about 1/2 pound); I used top round roast
1 can stewed tomatoes (that means cooked with onions and green peppers)
1 glug olive oil
a couple hefty shakes of oregano
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled, but left whole
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper to taste (you could use red pepper flakes or even Tabasco)

1/2 c. dry wild rice blend
1 c. chicken broth
pinch saffron
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt and pepper
pat of butter

fresh or frozen broccoli florets
minced orange bell pepper (optional; for garnish)

STEP ONE

Put the beef, tomatoes (with all the juice), olive oil, oregano, cayenne pepper, and garlic into a CrockPot. Set on low, and cook for 6-8 hours. After the beef has been cooking for about 4 hours, remove it from the liquid and cut it into smaller chunks. After it has cooked for about another hour and a half after that, remove the pieces again and pull apart (going with the grain of the meat) with two forks (see photo). Return to CrockPot. With a wooden spoon or whatever you have on hand, smash the tomatoes that have remained in larger pieces, until the meat is basically in a chunky tomato sauce. Cook for about another half hour. Fish out the larger garlic chunks before serving.


STEP TWO

Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the rice. Stir in the saffron, cover, and bring it down to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. When done, stir in salt, pepper, butter, and lime juice. Keep warm until ready to serve.

STEP THREE:

Boil broccoli for a few minutes, just until tender-crisp. Drain. Serve the ropa vieja over the rice with the broccoli on the side. Garnish with bell pepper if desired.

PARTY OF ONE PRICE INDEX:

BEEF: $2.23
TOMATOES: 55 cents
BROCCOLI: 54 cents
CHICKEN BROTH: 40 cents

Everything else was basically a pantry staple, and therefore I'm not counting the cost. It's worth noting, however, that saffron is THE most expensive spice, but I got my jar at Trader Joe's for $6. I'm not counting the small piece of bell pepper I used as garnish, either, mostly because I would've much preferred some fresh cilantro (which I just ran out of, unfortunately).

This made 3 generous servings of ropa vieja, and two full-meal servings (including rice and broccoli). I'll count that as 2.5 servings. Which makes our GRAND TOTAL per serving...

$1.49 ! ! !

Dios Mio! That's a deal if I've ever seen one.

This was a really tasty dish, too. I can see, with a few recipe modifications, this being a great party dish - you could just throw some beef in the slow cooker in the morning, make some rice and maybe some roasted bell or poblano peppers, and have everyone serve themselves. Get the mojito bar going, and voila! Instant Cuban-themed fiesta.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Recession: Party of One - A Tale of Two Lunches

I can feel good about myself when I don't eat out every single meal on the weekend. Now that Recession: Party of One is in full swing, I'm finding it a lot easier to stay in and cook - whatever motivates you, right?

My lunch Saturday was another attempt on my part to eat more vegetarian meals. Sunday, however, was a completely meat-tastic day. Read on to see how to make two yummy, simple lunches, and of course I'll give you the Party of One Price Index Update for both meals.

GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH HAM, PEAR, & MOZZARELLA SANDWICH



I debated even posting this at all, considering I didn't actually MAKE the soup, but I thought the sandwich was creative enough - and the overall meal was thrifty enough - to warrant a R: P of 1 shout-out. And frankly, I thought the picture came out nicely. This was a really yummy meal - it rained non-stop here in Chicago all weekend, and soup and a gooey cheesy sandwich seemed like the perfect stay-in-and-watch-the-entire-season-of-The-City meal.

INGREDIENTS

2 slices French bread
2 slices deli ham
1-2 slices mozzarella cheese
1/2 pear, very thinly sliced
1 can Muir glen Garden Vegetable Soup
2 pats butter for grilling sandwich
1 T. sour cream (optional), for stirring in soup

STEP ONE

In a medium pot, cook the soup until steaming hot. Top with a dollop of sour cream if you want.

STEP TWO:

Place the ham, pear, and cheese on the bread. In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the sandwich until golden brown, cooking the side closest to the cheese first so it melts. Flip, and cook until the other side is also golden brown. Slice in half, serve with soup, and enjoy.

PARTY OF ONE PRICE INDEX:

PEAR: I'm going to call this free, since it was on the verge of being wasted (it was once one of a 3-lb. bag).
HAM: 66 cents
MOZZARELLA: 15 cents
BREAD: 14 cents
SOUP: $1.66

The GRAND TOTAL is...

$2.61. This really only made one serving (I had about a 1/2 c. of soup left over), but I think that was still a very Recession-friendly lunch!

And now on to my attempt at vegetarian cooking...

SPICY VEGETABLE CURRY



INGREDIENTS

1 T. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
5-6 frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1/2 c. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. whole cashews
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c. sour cream
1/4 c. chicken broth
Sriracha to taste
Moroccan spice blend (or curry powder), to taste
juice of half a lime

1/3 c. dry couscous
2/3 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper

STEP ONE

Bring chicken broth to a boil for the couscous. Add couscous, stir, cover, and remove from heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

STEP TWO

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and carrots, and season with some of the spice blend/curry. Cook until the vegetables have begun to soften. Add the chicken broth, broccoli, and chickpeas, and some more spice blend. Reduce heat to medium, stirring frequently. Stir in the sour cream until it is well-incorporated and the whole mixture is smooth. Stir in the cashews, Sriracha, and half the chopped cilantro. Cook until all vegetables are tender-crisp.

STEP THREE:

Serve over couscous, garnishing with the lime juice and the rest of the cilantro.

PARTY OF ONE PRICE INDEX:

BELL PEPPER: $1.08
CARROT: 9 cents
BROCCOLI: 54 cents
CHICKPEAS: 10 cents
CILANTRO: 83 cents
CHICKEN BROTH: 40 cents
CASHEWS: 50 cents
SOUR CREAM: 50 cents

I'm not counting the Sriracha, couscous, olive oil, and spice blend, because those are pantry staples I tend to have on hand.

So the total for the ingredients comes to $4.04, but I got two servings out of them, which makes the GRAND TOTAL...

$2.02...not too shabby!

The curry came out nicely, although it's worth noting that the sour cream and chicken broth, as opposed to the blend of heavy cream and milk I used last time made the curry significantly more savory than the other one I made recently. It sort of balanced out the natural sweetness of the cumin, but I think that in the future I'll use the cream/milk instead, since I like the cumin's sweetness to shine through. I really like the bite of the lime juice and the freshness that the cilantro added. And I'm always surprised at how full I can get from vegetables alone! The protein and richness from the cashews and sour cream help, of course.

Well, it's been a weekend of disappointing weather, but that almost always leads to great food. One more R: P of 1 post to come soon! Thanks for reading!

Fearless Asian Shrimp and Wine-Steamed Bok Choy

I think my favorite Fearless blogs are the ones that happen spontaneously. Like when my friend Andrea and I decided around lunchtime today that we should get together for dinner (probably motivated by the caloric disaster that was our free agency lunch of greasy deep-dish pizza).

Andrea is by and large a vegetarian, but she eats seafood, and I was eager to cook some of my CostCo shrimp. I wanted it to be a really healthy meal, since we had both ingested a cheese brick at noon. This Fearless meal is: Asian-Spiced Shrimp with Wine-Steamed Bok Choy and Cilantro-Lime Rice.


FEARLESS FACTOR: 5. Andrea is a good friend, so I knew it would be low-stress evening. However, she is a vegetarian, and I didn't want to offend her palate! In fact, I wanted to show off my cooking skills on more than just typical carnivorous fare.

The best part about the dinner was finding out that Andrea has an amazing knowledge of wine, which of course I pressed her to share. I, on the other hand, know which wines I like, but I don't really know why. After the basic knowledge of white-wine-with-fish, red-wine-with-beef, I'm hard-pressed to name anything useful about specific varietals. I served Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc with meal, which was nice, but Andrea pointed out that crisper wine (maybe a Pinot Grigio) could also be a nice complement to the spicy and citrus elements.

Read on to see how it came together.

INGREDIENTS

About 14 frozen (or fresh) peeled, deveined shrimp, tails on
3/4 c. sweet Asian chile sauce
1 T. Sriracha (or to taste)
1 c. dry white rice
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
handful of whole cashews
salt and pepper
splash of white wine
1 T. olive oil
2 c. chopped fresh bok choy
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
nonstick spray

STEP ONE:

Cook rice according to package directions. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in the lime juice, chopped cilantro, and cashews. Cover, set aside, and keep warm.



STEP TWO:

Thaw shrimp (if frozen) by running them under warm water. Drain. In a deep bowl, toss them in the Asian sauce to marinate. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan (or skillet) over medium heat, coating with a little Pam spray. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, spooning extra sauce over each one as they cook, until pink and cooked through.




STEP THREE:

While the shrimp are cooking, heat olive oil in a medium pot with a lid. Add peppers and bok choy. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of white wine, stir, and cover, cooking over medium-high heat. The bok choy should be tender within a few minutes of steaming (5-6 minutes).




STEP FOUR:

Place 6-7 shrimp over rice, serve with steamed veggies, and enjoy!



JUDGES' VERDICTS:

ANDREA: The shrimp has some kick! My sinuses were stuffed up before...but not anymore! I love the sauce, I want to lick it up. It's spicy, but the cilantro in the rice cools it down. The lime flavor is a nice complement to the shrimp. I think it might be a little heavy on the black pepper, but the shrimp are cooked perfectly, and the bok choy is crispy but tender in all the right places. It came together nice and quick, too, which is good since I was really hungry.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: 7 stars. I agree with Andrea that the black pepper was a little heavy. I liked the spice level, but then again I really like spicy things. The shrimp were nicely cooked. I think the veggies could ahve used maybe a tad more seasoning, but I agree that they were cooked well. Not the most adventurous dish I've ever made, but considering that I only like shrimp about 50% of the time that I eat it, I consider this a success.

Andrea also had some amazing "builds" (as we say in agency lingo) on the meal:

"Next time, I might serve a coconut sorbet for dessert...with lavender shortbread. And for an appetizer, some dried figs and some really good cheese."

I am definitely making Andrea a part of my future party planning! I think the next step is to combine forces and get BOTH of us in the kitchen.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Recession: Party of One - Chickpea Spaghetti

Here we are again for another installment of Recession: Party of One.

Tonight, I made Chickpea Spaghetti with Yellow Peppers & Broccoli. A healthy vegetarian delight! Actually, now that I think about it...without the parmesan cheese on top, it's actually vegan! I never thought I'd enjoy vegan food so much!


Today was an especially recession-food-focused day, because I travelled with a band of budget-minded ladies to the Land of Plenty...CostCo! (Who knew there was a CostCo in Bling-Blingin' Lincoln Park?)

I know it may seem weird to go bulk grocery shopping when you're just feeding one person, but as you'll see later in the post, I think it's really going to pay off!

There really is a huge price difference there on many of the items that I use all the time - canned tomatoes, spices, etc. And I was pleasantly surprised at their organic foods selection. In fact, I found a giant container of my favorite organic spice blend for LESS than I paid for the original, much smaller container.

I ended up spending quite a bundle, but I have enough food to last me until I move out of the apartment! I bought a lot of meat, and just portioned everything out into single-serving size Ziploc bags when I got home - I had an amateur meat-processing plant in my kitchen. Behold, my freezer:


I also got a lot of basics - I mentioned the canned tomatoes - like chicken broth, and vegetable soup - things that don't expire and can be used for a lot of meals. I also splurged on a few fresh things (apples and bell peppers), since my Debbie Myers Green Bags (the best product EVER) keep things fresh for an absurdly long time.

Read on to see how to make this simple meal.

CHICKPEA SPAGHETTI WITH YELLOW PEPPERS AND BROCCOLI

INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb. dry Barilla Plus angelhair pasta
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 lb. (approx.) frozen broccoli florets
1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can stewed tomatoes
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
1 T. olive oil
parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

STEP ONE

Boil pasta until al dente. Set aside and keep warm, tossing with about a teaspoon of olive oil to prevent sticking/drying out.

STEP TWO

In a skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil. Saute the onions and bell peppers over medium heat until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, until fragrant. Add whole can of tomatoes, with juices. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook on medium-high heat for about 5-6 minutes, breaking up the larger tomato pieces with a spatula or spoon.



STEP THREE

Add chickpeas and cook for about 2 minutes. Add broccoli florets and cook until tender and hot all the way through. Taste, and add additional seasoning if neccessary.




STEP FOUR

Spoon over a serving of pasta and top with a little grated parmesan if you want. Enjoy!



Now, if the simplicity of this dish doesn't impress you, the pricetag will. Here's the cost breakdown:

CHICKPEAS: 2 servings at 10 cents each = 20 cents

SPAGHETTI: 2 servings at about 25 cents each = 50 cents

TOMATOES: 1 can = 55 cents

YELLOW BELL PEPPER: 1 at $1.08 = $1.08

BROCCOLI: 1 serving at 54 cents = 54 cents

ONION: 1 onion is about a dollar, so I'd say it came out to 25 cents

OTHER PANTRY ITEMS (cost not calculated): salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, 1 T. olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, parmesan cheese

GRAND TOTAL = $3.12

The above ingredients made about 2 and a half servings (of the sauce - the spaghetti got paired with the half-serving, and I packed the rest for my lunch tomorrow, over rice).

So, the TOTAL COST PER SERVING for this yummy dinner was...(drumroll please)...

$1.25 (!!!)

A dollar twenty-five!!! Can you believe that?!?! I can see the Food Network show now...The Budget Friendly Cook, with your fabulously frugal host Elizabeth Stephens!

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: This came out really nicely. Nothing fancy, but a nice, healthy supper that didn't leave me feeling at all guilty, heavy, or anything else unpleasant. I give it 8 stars.

You know, you really can't put a price on how good it feels to make a delicious meal without taking a hammer to the old piggy bank. Thanks for reading!

Now onto the heaps of laundry I have to do...sigh.


More soon!