Frugal Femme Two Week Menu #2: Week Two, Thursday: Muffuletta Pasta Salad

Hello Everyone!
Today's recipe is a simple one - as is this post.  At another time, I will show you a more complicated, and homemade version of this dish, but it is Thursday night and we just don't  have time for that.  This is one of the more expensive of the Frugal Femme meals.  All the ingredients combined total about $20.00, which is an average of $10.00 per person.  But this meal is also a 4 meal dinner or a "leftover dinner"-  as there will be enough left over for another two meals.  When you look at it that way, that makes it $5.00 per meal.  The cost is in the olives, its one of the reasons why I want to plan an olive tree in my back yard.

Muffuletta Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1/2 of a pound bag of tri-colored spiral pasta
1/4 pound ham, diced small
1/4 pound salami, diced small
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup Italian olive salad, tapenade or ripe olive bruschetta topping
1-2 tsp. (or more to taste) Sriracha sauce
1 cup Italian cheese blend

Instructions
1.  In a medium size sauce pan, bring salted water to a boil and prepare pasta according to package directions.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander and run cold water over the pasta.  This will cool the pasta and make it easier to mix the pasta in with the other ingredients.

2.  In a large bowl,  combine the ham, salami, onion, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sriracha sauce and tapenade.  Gently fold in with a spoon until everything is combined.

I know, I know, this looks a little oogie at this stage. But its delicious.

3.  Add the pasta and the Italian cheese blend and fold into the olive mixture.

4.  This can be eaten immediately or you can put it in the fridge and allow to chill for a few hours so that they flavors can combine.

Note:  This makes ALOT of pasta.  You can make it as a side dish, but you will be eating it for days. Make it as a main dish and eat it as a simple dinner.

Frugal Femme Two Week Menu #2: Week Two, Wednesday: Basic Grilled Chicken, Curried Carrot Soup, Creole Scallion "Pancakes and Mock Strawberries Romanov

Hello Everyone!
I'm going to be completely upfront here and let you know that I did not make grilled chicken tonight.  I still had chicken left over from the roast chicken that I made on Sunday, so I just reheated that with a little chicken broth, in a frying pan on the stove. Since all of my dinner only took me less than 30 minutes to prepare, and then I couldn't do anything more until about 30 minutes before my husband was scheduled to arrive home,  I decided that I would look at some retro/vintage kitchen ideas.

I want to look like this when I am in the kitchen.  I am constantly looking at retro aprons.  Somewhere, there is a picture that my husband took of me in our apartment taking a bundt cake, in a powder pink pan, out of the oven while wearing my black and pink polka dot apron with the ruffles. I also like retro looking kitchen appliances I think this pot looks snazzy.

When we bought our 1965 house we loved almost everything about the structure of the house......  Except for the kitchen. We had looked at several houses for sale on this street and all of them had double ovens. Imagine my dismay when I realized that the one we fell in love with, only had one oven.  My darling husband promised me that, if got the house, that I could update the kitchen after two years.  The two years is here and I am now starting to look into renovating my kitchen.
The plan was actually going to be very simple, take out the cabinets and the range only stove, and replace it with an all in one double oven.  The wall oven was just going away to be replaced by shelves.  It seemed simple.....easy.


I was so tickled when I found this picture!  With a few minor adjustments, this is my kitchen layout!

 

This is the picture that was posted in the listing of the house.  You can see how much alike the kitchens are!!!!  I have updated the kitchen a little since then, but I've really been in sort of a holding pattern.

Then, we looked at ovens and realized that modern ovens are bigger than mine. If I put one in my kitchen, I wouldn't be able to open the cabinet door to the sink.  Ummmmmmm...... This means I either have to order a custom made oven, find a renovated, vintage oven in my budget, or hire a contractor to change the cabinets and come up with a solution.  We're going to try the contractor first.  So, I am enjoying researching what other people are doing in there kitchens. Most of the ideas are far beyond my budget, but its nice to look.
Isn't this one pretty?

I like the turquoise blue around the sites of the cabinets.  But I don't think that I could do turquoise appliances. But I do like it.

I will keep you updated in this blog about how we handle this kitchen renovation since, if we can, most of it we will try to do ourselves on a teeny, tiny budget!!! 

Now on to the meal.

Grilled Chicken

I did not make grilled chicken tonight.  So I have no pictures to go along with this recipe.  You may be like me and still have enough roast chicken to make another meal. If you do still have some roast chicken, I encourage you to have it with this meal, rather than grilling up more chicken.  For those of you who may be eating larger portions of their roast chicken, or are taking the leftovers to work in chicken sandwiches, here is a quick easy recipe for grilled chicken.
Since I did not make grilled chicken, I am not going to give you one of my fancy, grilled chicken recipes.  This is going to bare bones grilled chicken as the soup and "pancakes" are both very flavorful on their own.
Before we begin, below is a link from Cook's Country giving you basic tips on how to grill chicken.  This is just good general knowledge to have in your back pocket.
https://www.cookscountry.com/101/grilled-chicken-101.HowTo_feature_11

 

Basic Grilled Chicken

Ingredients
1 large (mutant) chicken breast, sliced in half
Creole seasoning, to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions
1.  Slice a large chicken breast in half to make a normal size, healthy portion of meat.
2.  Pat both pieces of chicken dry with a  paper towel.
3.  Sprinkle chicken with Creole seasoning and  rub into chicken breasts.
4.  Let sit for about 15 minutes to allow seasoning to work into the chicken.
5.  Grill the chicken for about 5-7 minutes per side.  Check it with a meat thermometer and make certain that it reads 165 degrees before you take it off the grill.

Note:  You can grill the chicken in whatever manner you want to grill it.  I personally don't have the time to light up a grill on a week night, that's something magical that I leave for week-ends and my husband, so I do my week-night grilling on a stove-top grill pan.  It works just as well and you don't have to take the time to heat up the grill.

Curried Carrot Soup

Ingredients
1 small onion, minced  (Or you can use half of one medium onion if you have one already started.)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. curry
1 tsp. ground ginger  (If you are using fresh ginger, put in about two tablespoons.)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth  (Or you can use the broth you made in your slow cooker.)
1 cup 2% milk (Don't use skim!!!)
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions
1.  In a large sauce pan, sauté the onion and garlic in butter until the onion becomes translucent over medium heat.

2.  Stir in the curry and the ginger.
3.  Add the carrots and the broth.

4.  Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.
5.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
6.  After the carrots are tender, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
7.  In a blender or a food processor, process  the soup in batches until smooth.

Even if you are using a bigger blender, you should still blend the soup in batches.  If you don't, it doesn't come out creamy enough.

Once everything is blended, it looks ALOT like baby food.

8.  Return the carrot mixture to the sauce pan.  Add the milk, dill and pepper (optional).  Cook until heated through.

Creole Scallion "Pancakes"

Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/2 tbsp.  plus 1 tbsp. canola oil, split
1 cup and 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning or more to taste
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seed oil
1/2 cup green onion, minced,  green part only
1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions
1.  In a small sauce pan, heat water and vegetable oil over high heat and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat source and cool for 5 minutes.  (You will be amazed at how fast a 1/2 cup of water with oil comes to a boil. DO NOT step away from kitchen this process will take mere moments.)

Ooooo.  Water boiling.

2.  Mix flour and Creole seasoning in a large bowl. 

3.  Pour the water and oil mixture over the flour.  Mix with a non-metal spoon until most combined and then finish kneading with your hands.  This dough will be warm and sticky and will feel very weird.

This is what it looks like when you first pour the water and oil mixture into the flour.

 

4.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to chill.  I like it to chill for at least one hour as it makes the dough easier to work with.

I like wrapping the dough in plastic wrap so it takes up less room in the fridge.  You could just cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

5.  In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, pinch of salt and green onions.  Set aside.

 

6.  Once dough has cooled, put it on a flat working surface and cut the dough into 6 even pieces.  Flatten these pieces into small discs about 3 inches in diameter for each disc.

I obviously can count and split them one two many times.  But it good.  Just cook a smaller pancake.  Its easier than trying to put the dough back together.

6. Roll the coated disc in the green onion mixture and form a small ball.  Flatten each ball back into a 3 inch disc.

7.  In a medium size heavy frying pan, put remaining 1 tbsp. spoon canola oil and heat on high heat.  You will know the oil is ready when cold water flicked onto the pan sizzles and "dances".
8.  Fry the pancakes in batches until they are "crispy".  (They are crispy when they are a dark golden brown color.) 

9. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Note:  Dip this in the curried carrot soup.  Your mouth will thank you.

 

BONUS RECIPE!!!!

We still have some strawberries left over from the strawberry salad with the poppy seed dressing. They are in your fridge, so now is your chance to make a simple and delicious dessert.

Mock Strawberries Romanov

Ingredients
2 cups strawberries, cut into quarters
1 tsp. Splenda
3 tsp. Grand Marnier, split
1 vanilla greek yogurt (I used Chobani individual cups, the kind that you eat for breakfast.)

Instructions
1.  In a small bowl, combine the strawberries, Splenda, and 2 tsp. Grand Marnier.  Stir until the strawberries are coated.
2.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerate.  Chill for at least one hour,  (But is better the longer you chill up to about 4 hours then, the strawberries start to get squishy.)
3.  About a half hour before you are ready to serve, mix the final teaspoon of Grand Marnier into the vanilla yogurt.  ( I actually mix it in the cup that it comes in.)
4. Layer a quarter of the strawberries in a small glass or custard bowl.  Cover with a quarter of the yogurt mixture.  Repeat these steps until all of the strawberries and yogurt are gone.

This is one serving of half of the strawberries and the yogurt mixture.  I did the same thing in another glass for my husband.

5.  Serve cold and enjoy.

Frugal Femme Two Week Menu #2: Week Two, Tuesday: Classic Beef Stew for Two, Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing, and Country Herb Croissants

Hello Everyone!
Sorry about the delay in the post.  I was still working on this blog after midnight, and I finally had to give up and go to bed.
So I had to wait to finish the blog until I was on my lunch break and then finish it up and post it right after I got off work.
Its strawberry season in Louisiana!  This means that gorgeous, yummy strawberries can be found in Farmer's Markets and road side stands all around town.  I want to grow strawberries one day in a berry garden.

I saw a structure a little like this at Costco and fell a little bit in love.  But all of the windows were screened sliding doors. My little mind just started buzzing with ideas.  Something like this will be a thing in my life and it WILL happen sooner rather than later.

 

Isn't that a beautiful garden nook?  I want to do something like that in my backyard and put berries all around it- along with perennial flowers and some evergreens.  It will be my outdoor reading nookI also love a recipe that doesn't just use strawberries as dessert.  The recipe below is one of those recipes/

Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I am going to give you the ingredients for the super-healthy, low fat version of this salad AND I am also going to give you the ingredients for the not as low-fat version.
Both are equally delicious, it just depends on what I have on hand.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp. Splenda  (I use this in both versions, or you can do 3 tbsp. sugar.)
3 tbsp. light mayonnaise (or plain Greek yogurt)           OR          3tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. fat free milk                                                         OR          2 tbsp. 2% milk
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 (10 ounce) bag romaine lettuce, roughly chopped  (Or you can do it yourself and not buy the bag.)
1 cup strawberries, sliced

Instructions
1.  In a small bowl, combine the Splenda (sugar), mayonnaise, milk, poppy seeds and vinegar and whisk until all ingredients are combined.  Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the salad.

I love using my mini whisk for dressings and small amounts.  Here it is pictured with my tablespoon measure.  Isn't it cute?!?!?!

When you're finished mixing, it should like this.

2.  Place the lettuce and sliced strawberries in large bowl and toss to combine.

The strawberries were so big and beautiful.  And I have some more leftover to make a yummy dessert for two later this week!

You can leave them sliced like this, or you can slice them and cut them in half.  It all depends on the size of your strawberries.  I find if you leave the strawberries like this, there's more surface room to be covered by the dressing.

 Drizzle with the poppy seed dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated.  You can also put the lettuce and strawberries on individual plates and then drizzle with the poppy seed dressing.


I am always on the hunt for a week-night beef stew recipe.  Some stews involve marinating, which I almost never remember to do the night or morning before.  Other stews cook for 3-4 hours and I don't have time to wait that long during the week.  (My max week-night timing for a dinner is 1.5 hours. That way, since I get home around 5:30 I eat no later than 7pm.)  Other stews the serving proportions are enough to feed a bevy a hungry cowboys and, though I love stew, I don't want that much hanging out in my freezer.  So, after some experimenting, this is the recipe that finally fit my criteria.

Classic Beef Stew for Two

Ingredients
1/2 pound beef stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes, (I got mine left over from the roast that I did not cook Sunday.)
1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced (If you are not a garlic fan, cut down to 1 or two cloves, I LOVE garlic.)
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 cups beef broth (Possibly one more cup late during cooking)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2-3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1- 2 tsp. fresh dill, minced
1 large Yukon gold potato, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium sized carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch coins
1/4 cup flour
1-2 tbsp. milk
          OR
For the flour and milk you can substitute 1/4 water and a heaping teaspoon of cornstarch.

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Make certain that your rack is on the middle shelf so that you have room for your oven safe pot.
2.  Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with Creaole seasoning.  In a medium size, oven-safe, pot heat oil over medium-high heat.

These chunks are kind of large, they are more two inch than one inch.  But I was in hurry and the bigger pieces worked just fine.

3.  Once oil begins to "glimmer" add the beef cubes to the pot.  Brown beef on all sides, about 8 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

This is the meat just moments after I put it in the pot.  The meat will start browning very fast.

This is after the 8 minutes.  See the brown goodness at the bottom of the pan?   You want that to happen, that is where the flavor comes from.

4. Lower heat to medium and add onion to fat and oil left in the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

As soon as you add the onions, they will start to look brown as they pick up the brown goodness left in the pot by the beef cubes.

5.  Stir in garlic, tomato sauce and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

6.  Stir in flour and cook for one minute.

Don't worry that parts of the pot are getting browner, this will be taken care of in the next step when you "deglaze" the pot.

7.  Slowly and steadily mix in the sherry, whisking constantly, scraping up any brown bits that may be on the bottom and smoothing out any lumps. 

Pour the sherry slowly while scraping the bottom with your spoon.  If you poor it in all at once quickly, it will boil away and you will lose the flavor.

Stir in broth, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, bay leaf, fresh dill and browned beef.  (Also pour in any juices that may have accumulated in the bowl the meat was sitting in.)

.
8.  Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
9. Stir in potatoes and carrots and continue to cook in the oven for another 30 minutes, until the beef and vegetables are tender. (You may need to add more beef broth.  You want enough liquid to cover the potatoes and carrots that were added.)

This all the carrots and potato that you will need.  I know it doesn't seem like enough, but trust me.

You can actually cut these however you would like, but I find they cook better and reach the best consistency when they are cut this way.

 

10.  Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stovetop on low.  The broth will be a little thin.
11.  In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup flour and milk.  You may have to add more flour or milk until you get the desired consistency for the slurry.  You want it to look a bit like Elmer's glue. I know that's not a food, but it is what it looks like.
12.  Pour the flour and milk mixture into the pot and stir until combined and smooth.  Simmer on low for another 15-30 minutes to allow to thicken.

If you want, or if necessary, you can skim the grease from the top with a large spoon.  This batch wasn't too bad, but some cuts of meat are greasier than others.

In my humble opinion, all good soups and stews need a bread so that you can dunk the bread into the broth.  This recipe is easy and goes very well with this stew.  Unfortunately, I have yet to manage the skill of making them look as pretty as the crescent rolls you see in commercials and on the package.

Country Herb Croissants

Ingredients
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. fresh green onion, minced
1-2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp.  dried dill, (If you use fresh, put in about 2 tsp.)
1// tsp. dried rubbed sage
1/4 tsp. celery salt

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into triangles.  (This is where my downfall is, my triangles always get stretched out no matter how hard I try for them not to.)

3.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix until all ingredients are integrated into the sour cream.

 

This mixture will be very thick and will almost have the consistency of room temperature butter.

4. With a small spatula, spread the sour cream mixture over in a thin layer over the dough.

5.  Roll each triangle beginning with the wide end, and place the pointed side down on a greased baking sheet.

I told you I wasn't any good at rolling.

6.  Place rolls 2 inches apart from one another on the baking sheet and turn the ends down to create a half moon or "crescent" shape.
           Optional Step!!!:  I like to do an egg wash at this point and brush it on the dough.  You do not have to do this step and the final product would be just as yummy.  To do this step, which is what I do, mix one egg with 1 tsp. water and whisk until combined.  Using a pastry brush, brush the egg mixture onto the crescents.

 

7.  Bake for 11-13 minutes, turning your baking sheet about halfway through the baking process.  Keep an eye on them, depending on your oven, they could take less time.  They are ready when they are a lovely golden brown color.

Here's a picture of the entire meal.  The bread may not look pretty, but it fits perfect on the side of my bowl.

These can be eaten just by themselves they are so delicious but I like to dunk them. :-)

Later this evening I will post the Frugal Femme Meal for Wednesday which will be Grilled Chicken, Carrot Curry soup and scallion pancakes