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Posts tagged ‘recipe’

Apr 11

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8 Comments

lemon coconut cookies.

Two things you absolutely must pair together:  lemon and coconut.

I think next week I’ll try them together in a cake.

Pancakes would be good.

Definitely in some sort of a gooey bar.

Last week I stuck them in these cookies.  They turned out light, delicate, melt in your mouth good.  I’m going to wait right here while you go make them.

Yup, still here.

Ok, fine.  You can pin them for later.  Just promise me you’ll make them!  They’re so good…

Super easy – mix your wet ingredients, toss in the dry stuff…then all that lemony-coconutty goodness.


Emma grated the lemon.  She did a fine job, I think.  I hope I’m not violating some serious child labor laws having all her willing help in the kitchen.  She works hard.  I pay her handsomely in cookies.  I promise.


Roll the cookies in sugar….then pop them in the oven and try your hardest to wait patiently for 8-10 minutes while they finish cooking.


Yes!  They’re ready!  You did it!

Grab a cup of tea and a good book.  You’re all set.

Lemon Coconut Cookies

(Adapted from Heather Christo)

(Makes 2 dozen cookies)

½ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and mix until incorporated.

Separately, combine the flour, tartar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until dry ingredients are nearly combined.  Add the coconut, lemon zest and juice and continue mixing until dough is thick.

Roll dough into small balls about the size of large walnuts, then roll in the sugar.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes, then cool on a rack.

TOTAL:  $2.89 or $.12 per cookie.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

103 calories per cookie

5 grams of fat

14 carbs

1 gram protein (well that’s something…)

Mosey on over to Facebook and let me know what you think!

Join the Frugal Foodie Family Food Blog Community on Facebook

Apr 9

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2 Comments

orzo with spinach and feta.

Today’s been a gift of a day.  One of those days where, without even trying, I find myself present in each little moment, way more patient with my kids, grateful for all the small things.  Definitely not like last week, when I was cranky and horrible and trying way too hard to be neither of those things.  Funny how life works.

And so because today feels surprisingly refreshing, this recipe seems appropriate to share.  Perfect for spring.  Light and tasty.

Cook up some orzo, toss in spinach until it wilts, then add some feta, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil.

A Springy side, ready in 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

(Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Great Food Fast, serves 4)

What You’ll Need:

1/2 pound orzo

1 bunch spinach, washed and roughly chopped

1/2 cup chopped mint or basil

1/2 cup feta cheese (I used light feta)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Cook orzo according to the package instructions.  Stir in the spinach until the spinach wilts, then drain.

In a separate bowl, toss the spinach and orzo with the remaining ingredients.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

TOTAL:  $4.25 or $1.06 per serving.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

290 calories per serving

6 grams of fat

47 carbs

13 grams protein

5 grams fiber

Did you give it a try?  Leave me a comment below or head over to Facebook and let me know what you think!

Join the Frugal Foodie Family Food Blog Community on Facebook

Apr 6

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10 Comments

easter roundup.

Happy Easter!

Do you have plans?  Dining in or headed out?

Well if you’re anything like me and you’re scrambling to figure out what to make this weekend, I hope these recipes will give you some much needed inspiration!   They sure did for me. Read more

Apr 5

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4 Comments

spaghetti with arugula pesto, golden beets and goat cheese.

Every once in a while I’ll stumble across a recipe that seems so interesting I absolutely have to try it.  So this week we experimented with beets.  Roasted beets are a favorite and are quite the rage at restaurants all over kingdom come, but admittedly I never even knew there was such as thing as a golden beet.  But you probably did.

Fortunately, our local Sprouts has them for $.99/lb and though you must wash, peel and dice them yourself, it is still a savings from the pre-roasted packs of deep red/purple beets you can find at other specialty stores.

If you’ve only ever had beets at your Grandma’s house that are pickled and canned, let me personally request that you give this dish a try.  It sure does help their case that they are surrounded by arugula pesto, pasta, goat cheese and toasted nuts.

Here they are before I got to work washing, peeling and dicing them.


Who knew you could make pesto from arugula?!  Another something to try with any leftover arugula from this steak salad or that pizza recipe.


And here are the beets again, sauteed with shallots.


Enjoy topped with a little chicken (for you protein lovers out there) or as is!  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto, Golden Beets and Goat Cheese

(adapted from Heather Christo, Serves 4)

What You’ll Need:

4 cups fresh arugula

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

Juice from 1 lemon

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

3/4 pound spaghetti

4 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large golden beets, washed well and trimmed

3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, almonds or pine nuts

Instructions:

Make the pesto:
Place arugula, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.  Set aside.
Make the pasta:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Add shallots and cook 3 minutes or until shallots are tender. Add beets and combine to make sure beets are coated in oil.  Add pasta to boiling water.  While pasta is cooking, add 1/2 cup pasta water to the beets, then cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat.  Season with salt to taste.
Drain pasta and add pesto to the pot. Stir to combine.  Place pasta on a platter, then spoon beets on top of the pasta, then goat cheese and toasted nuts.  Serve immediately.
TOTAL:  $7.15 or $1.78 per serving.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

539 calories per serving

30 grams of fat

52 carbs

17 grams protein

2 grams fiber

If you give it a try, have any pics to share, or have a recipe you’d like me to “frugalize” let me know!  Find me on Facebook or Twitter.

Join the Frugal Foodie Family Food Blog Community on Facebook

Apr 2

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roasted salmon with blackberry jalapeno butter sauce.

A few musings on fish and seafood.

1.  I’m a big fan.  But admittedly I don’t buy fish or seafood a lot because it tends to be on the pricier side and my kids don’t really dig it.  Probably because I don’t serve it often enough.  A vicious cycle.

2.  Occasionally I’ll grab some salmon, shrimp, ahi, mahi or halibut when I can find it for $4.99-6.99/lb.  Also, I’ve found Costco and those ethnic grocery stores have good prices on their fish and seafood so head there if you’re in the market.

3.  If you aren’t a big ham person (as I am, or am not I guess), consider this salmon as part of a festive Easter lunch!

4.  Yes, Mom, I’m FINALLY putting a fish recipe on the blog.  Can I be your favorite daughter again?


Yes, I used the B word is in this recipe title.  But there are healthy fats in the salmon so it’s ok, right?

Maybe they cancel each other out.



This sauce is so good – sweet and spicy and buttery.  And super simple to make.

The salmon would be great grilled too!  If you have a working bbq.  I don’t.  Not that I’m bitter or anything.

Enjoy!
Roasted Salmon with Blackberry Jalapeno Butter Sauce

(adapted from Heather Christo, serves 4)

What You’ll Need:

2 pounds salmon fillet

olive oil

sea salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 1/2 cups blackberries

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

3 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon sea salt

Instruction

For the Salmon:
Turn oven on to broil.  Place salmon on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Broil for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
For the Blackberry Jalapeno Butter Sauce:
While salmon is cooking, heat wine over medium-high heat until boiling and reduce by half.  Add blackberries, reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes.  Add jalapeno and sugar and simmer 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter until sauce is thickened and shiny.  I mashed up the blackberries a bit to make the sauce a littler thicker.  Add salt and check for taste.  Pour on top of salmon fillets and serve immediately.

TOTAL:  $13.75 or $2.29 per serving.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

424 calories per serving

26 grams of fat

11 carbs

26 grams protein

If you give it a try, have any pics to share, or have a recipe you’d like me to “frugalize” let me know!  Find me on Facebook or Twitter.

Join the Frugal Foodie Family Food Blog Community on Facebook

Mar 29

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4 Comments

pan roasted orange balsamic chicken.

Seems for many of us some of the best weeknight dinners are the ones that are tasty and nutritious, not too fussy and easy to prepare with minimal prep work.  After all, likely you’re either getting home in the evening with precious few minutes to get a meal on the table or you’ve been racing around all day long and feel exhausted by 6pm.  Can you relate?

Well you’re in luck. Read more

Mar 27

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6 Comments

black pepper shortcake with balsamic strawberry whipped cream.

This whole thing’s my husband’s fault.

About 10 months ago Andrew talked me into starting a food blog so that I could tell the world about how I cook well on a budget.  Have you ever been convinced by someone to do something, but then you were so glad you did it?  Me too.  I love connecting with people, including those I’ve never met, over food.

Except here’s the thing:  I sorta still don’t get what I’m doing.  Don’t tell anyone, please.

I mean, there’s Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Four Square.  Holy Smokes.  How do the blogger divas keep up with it all?  One of those divas, a  favorite blogger of mine, convinced me to give this cake a try.  It was so pretty I couldn’t resist, and the combination of flavors was at first intriguing and then surprisingly spectacular.  Her cake turned out far prettier than mine (she’s a stylist and photographer too), but the end result was phenomenal.

The best part of this cake is you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

Bake up your shortcakes (the original recipe called them spongecakes but mine turned out more like shortcakes so I’m going with that), and then…


…top with strawberries and balsamic whipped cream.

Drool…

So now I’m the one doing the convincing…you’ve simply got to try this cake!  I don’t think it will dissapoint.

Black Pepper Shortcake with Balsamic Strawberry Whipped Cream

(Adapted from Running with Tweezers – serves 8-12*)

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

1 pint whipping cream

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 pound fresh strawberries

Instructions:

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or grease two 8″ springform cake pans.

Beat butter and sugar together with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Fold in the flour gradually until smooth – there may be a few small lumps.  Stir in vanilla and black pepper. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.  Bake until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean from the middle of the pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool in baking pan for 8-10 minutes then remove and allow to cool fully on a cooling rack before assembly.

To assemble:

Rinse whole strawberries and gently pat dry. Divide into thirds. Cut tops off of two-thirds of the strawberries then slice into 1/4″-1/2″ slices. Reserve the remaining third of whole strawberries to decorate the top of the cake.

In large mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and balsamic vinegar. With electric mixer, whip the mixture until stiff peaks appear. Place one cooled cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Place sliced strawberries across the cake.  Spread half of the balsamic whipped cream across the strawberries. Top with the second cake layer. Repeat with the whipped cream mixture and top with the whole strawberries. For an interesting styling trick, leave some of them whole and cut some halves to give some dimension to the garnish on the top.

*An updated note:  Plan on the cake serving 8 if this is the only dessert.  I served about 12 at an event where there were several other dessert options.

TOTAL:  $7.62 or $.64 per serving.

Wondering how on earth I arrived at these costs?  Take a look at my shopping guide to show see what I pay for items, per serving, etc.

Nutrition:

434 calories per serving (based on 12 servings)

30 grams of fat

39 carbs

5 grams protein

1 gram fiber (yippee!)

Mosey on over to Facebook and let me know what you think or send me a pic if you tried it!

Join the Frugal Foodie Family Food Blog Community on Facebook

Mar 25

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5 Comments

garlic roasted broccoli (or oh sweet mother broccoli).


Oh sweet mother.

How popular is broccoli at your house?  Well if you’ve been serving steamed broccoli to a less-than-enthusiastic crowd, or you’re looking to spice up your broccoli life, you’re in luck.

Oh sweet mother.  That’s what your family will be saying when you serve them this broccoli. Read more

Mar 22

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4 Comments

mascarpone polenta.

So in my never-ending quest to find uses for every last ounce of food in our pantry and fridge, from essentials to extras, last week I experimented with mascarpone cheese.  I had bought it for a tiramisu, then spread it on this pear, bacon and gorgonzola flatbread/pizza to create a sweet and creamy white layer instead of a traditional red pizza sauce.  So I added it to polenta along with some fresh herbs and it made for a smooth and more subtle version of my standard go-to asiago polenta recipe.  I’m inclined to think this polenta would pair well with a very flavorful stew or hearty meat dish, something with a little kick. Read more

Mar 20

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7 Comments

brown butter and sea salt rice krispy bars.

Let me tell you how this madness started…

See that bag of marshmallows up there?

Yup, that one.

I found it sitting in the back of the shelf at the bottom of my pantry last week, leftover from last fall. Read more

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