The FReeper Canteen Presents:Gourmet Cookin’ on A Shoestring!

Serving the best troops & veterans on the planet! | Canteen Crew

[MS.BEHAVIN]

The FReeper Canteen Presents:


Gourmet Cookin’ on A Shoestring!

(and helpful dollar stretching tips!)

Good evening, everyone!

Tonight we’re going to share budget friendly wonderful recipes and dollar stretching tips!

I’ll start off with a few, and hope you guys will chime in!

Chicken is versatile, and good for you! It adapts well to so many dishes!

Here’s a favorite of mine:


Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

6 Skinless, Boneless Whole Chicken Breasts, halved
4 cups Fat-Free Low-Sodium canned Chicken Broth
1 whole Jalapeño Chile Pepper
2 large Garlic Cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Dried Oregano Leaves
1/4 cup Medium or Hot Taco Sauce
2 tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
24 Taco Shells or Small Tortillas

Condiments:

1 small Iceberg Lettuce, finely shredded
4-5 small Plum Tomatoes, diced
2 cups Fat-Free Sour Cream
1 cup Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Trim fat from chicken breasts.

2. Rinse chicken breasts thoroughly and pat dry.

3. In large, deep pan or cast iron skillet, bring chicken stock, chili pepper, garlic, and oregano to boil.

4. Reduce heat to low and add chicken. Simmer, uncovered until chicken is opaque, approximately 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, and cool 15 minutes.

6. Shred chicken.

7. Mix taco sauce and lime juice together in small bowl.

8. Pour taco sauce mixture over chicken and toss.

9. Place chicken on serving platter. Cover with foil to keep warm.

10. Warm taco shells or tortillas. Place in serving bowl. Cover with kitchen towel to keep warm.

11. Make individual tacos or serve buffet style with condiments and side dishes.

Variations and Recipe Ideas:

Serve with condiments, refried beans and a nice Mexican style rice dish.

From Taco Recipes.net

*Note*
Save the broth from the chicken for a soup base, or freeze in ice cube trays for recipes that call for small amounts of chicken broth!~

Go meatless a few nights a week! Serve this wonderful casserole with a nice salad, some good bread, and you’re good!

Broccoli Cheese Puff

Ingredients

* 5 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine

* 6 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1/8 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
* 2 1/4 cup(s) whole milk
* 8 ounce(s) (2 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
* 2 box(es) (10 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
* 7 large eggs, separated
* 1 1/2 cup(s) coarse soft fresh bread crumbs, from 3 slices firm white bread

Directions

1. In 4-quart saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and ground red pepper until blended; cook 1 minute, stirring. Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently. Stir in Cheddar; cook just until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli.

2. In small bowl, with fork, lightly beat egg yolks. Stir in about 1/2 cup cheese sauce. Gradually pour egg-yolk mixture into cheese sauce, stirring rapidly to prevent curdling. Cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325º F. Grease shallow 3 1/2-quart ceramic casserole or 13” by 9” glass baking dish. In microwave-safe small bowl, heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in microwave oven on High 15 to 20 seconds or until melted, swirling bowl once. Add bread crumbs; stir until well combined.

4. In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. With rubber spatula, gently fold one third of whites into cheese mixture. Fold cheese mixture gently back into remaining whites.

5. Pour mixture into prepared casserole. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Bake 40 minutes or until top is browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Fastest Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe On The Planet!

Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 10

* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, all natural)
* 1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F

2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl

3. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, drop tablespoons of dough and press it down in a criss-cross pattern with a fork

4. Bake 10 minutes

5. Let it cool on the cookie sheet until they have firmed up a little, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Or, there’s always the option of eating it warm with a cold glass of milk!

Fun to make, and the little ones can help!

from itsthefood.wordpress.com

Here’s a few money saving kitchen tips:

When there’s a little bit of mustard left in the bottom of a jar, don’t throw it out. Instead, toss in a few ingredients and make a tangy vinaigrette right in the container. A crushed garlic clove, some chopped fresh herbs like Tarragon and minced shallot will add the right flavor.

Pour in Balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and shake. Add olive oil (3 parts oil to one part vinegar) shake again to emulsify the dressing. Pour over your favorite salad.
Will keep in the fridge tightly sealed, for one week.

From Martha Stewart.

Don’t throw out stale bread!

Recycle leftover starchy carbohydrates such as bread, crackers, rolls, cereal or croutons. Fresh breads often need to be eaten within 24 hours before becoming stale. If you have any of these items that may be getting stale or have been sitting around too long, put them to work! In a large tin or roast pan, combine the items and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. This will toast the combined items. Let everything cool and put them in the food processor to make bread crumbs. You can include spices such as salt, pepper, parsley, oregano or dill weed to give them a little extra flavor. If you have an abundance of bread crumbs, separate them into several containers to create separate flavors such as plain, seasoned, or spice up a batch with chili, mustard or wasabi powder.

From:http://www.ehow.com/how_6061527_make-gourmet-meals-budget.html

Come share your budget friendly recipes and tips! Have fun!




The Canteen is a place for our Troops and their
families to rest, relax, and relate.
Please leave thy politics at the door.
A gentle reminder from Ms. B~

[mylife]

Well, that there is the funny thing about gourmet cooking on a budget.

It takes time, Problem is, time is money.
But the blessing is that much of it can be done unsupervised, while you do other things.

Stock cooks low and slow without much oversight.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Fried Catfish Tacos with Chipotle Slaw

Ingredients:

2 (6 to 8-ounce size) catfish filets
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Creole mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon seasoning - like Old Bay or Essence
6 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 pound shredded white cabbage
1/4 pound shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped green onions
8 crispy corn tortillas

Using a sharp knife, cut the catfish filets into 1-inch thick strips on the diagonal.

Place fish in a medium mixing bowl along with the milk, Creole mustard, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cayenne pepper and stir to thoroughly combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the Chipotle Slaw by combining the chipotle pepper, mayonnaise, honey and lime juice in a large mixing bowl.

Stir well, then add the shredded cabbage, red onions, green onions and stir to thoroughly combine.

Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the tacos.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet or a deep fryer until a thermometer registers 350 degrees F.

In a shallow plate or bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, and seasoning. Dredge each piece of fish in the flour mixture until well coated on all sides. When the oil is hot, gently place the fish in the hot oil and deep fry until the fish is golden-brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fish to a paper-lined plate to drain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using tongs, quickly dip the corn tortillas in the hot oil until they begin to sizzle.

Transfer to paper-lined plates to drain briefly, then serve, with the catfish and slaw divided among the hot taco shells.

From CDKitchen

[luvie]

Good ideas! Especially the one concerning the peaches. It’s hard to eat them fast enough so freezing is a good way to get to enjoy them longer.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Budget cooking doesn’t have to be boring!!
Try this!

Greek Chicken Pasta Recipe
From Taste of Home:

* 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
* 1/4 cup butter, cubed
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 3 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
* 1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
* 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
* 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
* 1/3 cup sliced pitted Greek olives
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

* Cook pasta according to package directions.
* Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, melt butter. Add onion; saute until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, artichoke hearts, cheese, tomatoes and olives.
* Drain pasta; stir into the pan. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 5 servings.

[mylife]

OMG! That would be awesome!

I almost ordered fish tacos last night, but they were $11 and I knew they wouldnt meet my standards.

The slaw is a major key factor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOPf1PUpxY

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks!
I DO love peaches, I just CANNOT bite into the fuzz.
UGH
Like biting a dead cold mouse..
LOL

[BIGLOOK]

Doc's moniker was off to the end of the ping list and unseen but I ought to have known you'd remember. My apologies for the blunder.

There was a tale that Hitler's great fear was that his Wehrmacht would have to face off with the Marines...and as Doc mentioned, the loss at Belleau Wood gave him reason to fear them....and name them.

[mylife]

I would not use Corn Tortillas.

They would over power the fish

[luvie]

EEEEK! I had never thought of it before! Now I won’t be able to! LOL! Pa-tooooey!

I LOVE peaches....and I have some Ginger Peach tea that smells and tastes just like fresh peaches. Nice way to enjoy this wonderful essence even during the winter! :)...and I have!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

I agree..
But I think it’s a good recipe over all..
and I thought you might like it.

[mylife]

Like biting a dead cold Fuzzy peachy mouse!

I hate the fuzz too.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

*shudder*
It must be a texture thing..
Yark!
“Fuzzy peachy mouse”
LMAO

[mylife]

I usually only use corn tortillas on Beef.

Beef holds up to it.

Sheep and lamb too

[MS.BEHAVIN]

LOL
Sorry about that..
It just gives me the heebie jeebies!

[AZamericonnie]

My apologies for the blunder.

Oh good gads no...not a blunder. It's kinda hard to remember sometimes so your heads up is very much appreciated!

So it was Hitler that named the Marines "Devil Dogs" or "Dogs from Hell"? That was the source of the moniker?

[MS.BEHAVIN]

YEESH!
I just let Jake out to do his thing for a few minutes..
It’s brutally cold!

Tonight: Bitterly cold. Mostly clear and windy. Wind chills may approach -15F. Low -1F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, diminishing to 10 to 20 mph.

[mylife]

We made nectarines for snackin.

Ya gotta peel peaches!

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Peaches, hugs.

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Connie, Hugs.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Here’s a wonderful budget friendly dish from A Taste Of Home:

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon:

* 14 bacon strips, diced
* 1 can (15 ounces) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
* 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

* In a large skillet, cook bacon; drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, sugar, garlic powder and pepper to drippings; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir in macaroni; heat through, stirring occasionally. Combine cheese and remaining parsley; sprinkle over casserole.
* Microwave Directions: In a 2-qt. microwave-safe baking dish, heat bacon on high for 2-1/2 minutes; discard fat. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes more or until bacon is crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings; stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, sugar, garlic powder and pepper.
* Cover and cook on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in macaroni; cover and cook on high for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Combine cheese and remaining parsley; sprinkle over casserole. Yield: 8 servings.