Debi’s Confetti Salad

Gluten-free.  Meat-free.  Cheese-free.  I even make mine sugar-free.  Sounds like there’s nothing in it but air, doesn’t it?  Nothing but yummy deliciousness, that is!

Debi’s Confetti Salad

• 3 cups cooked rice, cooled (your choice of white, basmati or brown)
• 1 can (16-oz) red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can (16-oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can (16-oz) corn (drained)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 small or half a large green or red pepper (finely diced)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (if available)

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp sugar (or your choice of sweetener)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander (optional)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Place first set of ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.  Pour over salad in large bowl.  Toss to coat.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

This goes together really fast once the rice is made.  And if you have leftover rice from a previous meal, so much the better (and faster!).  This is an easy dish to play around with … add a can of garbanzos … chop up a cucumber … use different beans … add a little freshly squeezed lime juice.  Maybe some diced avocado!  Yum … I’m getting hungry again.

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Other Posts of Interest:

• Beating the Breakfast Rush Hour
• What a Crock! Easy Tips for Crockery Cooking
• My Favorite Easter Recipe: Make-Ahead Chicken Packets

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Got Budget Woes? Simple Grocery Savings Ideas

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by Deborah Taylor-Hough

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Groceries are one of the few flexible items in a family budget, but it can sometimes be challenging to find creative ways to save on regular family food costs. The following are some simple tips for reducing your grocery expenses. If you’re an old pro at frugal living, some of these may be old hat, but I’m amazed at how many people still find these types of tips helpful.

1. Plan ahead. Whether you’re cooking your meals ahead of time to store in the freezer, or just planning your menu and shopping lists in advance, it helps to know what you’re going to eat, and when. With fewer last minute food-related decisions, this also helps keep your family away from developing a first-name relationship with the pizza delivery guy! (And your own home cooking is probably a lot healthier than the pizza guy’s wares, anyway.)

Mix-and-Match Skillet Meals

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by Deborah Taylor-Hough

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The following recipe is one I prepare regularly to use up leftovers or clear out the cupboards. I keep a copy of this taped to the inside of my pantry door at all times.

This recipe is adapted from my book, Mix-n-Match Recipes: Creative Ideas for Today’s Busy Kitchens. I’m always amazed at the meals I can create from these simple, basic formulas. I also save money by choosing ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes I even surprise myself with a delicious nearly-gourmet combination or two!

Also an excellent way to use up leftover turkey or ham from your holiday dinners.  🙂

Debi’s Baked Ziti

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by Deborah Taylor-Hough

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This is one of those recipes my family can never get enough. I remember my youngest daughter when she was about three, holding out her plate with a huge smile and asking in a sweet little voice, “More yummy noodles, Mommy?” Always a pleasure when the kiddos enjoy an easy meal the grown-up folks love, too.

Debi’s Hacienda Breakfast Sandwich

In a hurry for breakfast but have a few minutes to scramble an egg? With no more effort, you can make this simple breakfast sandwich (or substitute the English Muffin for a corn tortilla for a gluten-free burrito option).

This recipe is for a single serving, but simply multiply each ingredient by the number of people you’re feeding. It doesn’t take much longer to scramble one egg for yourself or four for the family.

And making a breakfast sandwich at home is so much cheaper than buying one on the way to work at the local drive-thru.  Tastes better, too.

Enjoy!  😀

Spice Nut Cake

Special recipe request from a college classmate.  (Hope this is what you had in mind, Deb!)  🙂

Spice Nut Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions:

Sift together first seven (7) ingredients.  Add shortening, brown sugar, and buttermilk.  Mix till all flour is moistened.  Beat two (2) minutes at medium speed on electric mixer.  Add eggs; beat two minutes more.  Stir in nuts.  Bake in 2 greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or till done.  Cool ten minutes; remove from pans.  Cool completely.  Fill and frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired.

Mix-n-Match Soup Recipe

The following recipe is not only easy and delicious, it’s also a simple way to use canned, dried, and other easily stored food items in a delicious homemade soup. Excerpted and adapted with permission from Mix and Match Recipes: Creative Ideas for Busy Kitchens by me, Deborah Taylor-Hough (this title is currently out-of-print).

Mix-and-Match Soup (8 generous servings)

Broth (choose one)

• Tomato: One 12-ounce can of tomato paste plus two 16-ounce cans of tomatoes with juice (chopped) plus water to equal 10 cups total
• Chicken/Turkey: 10 cups broth or 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups of water
• Beef: 10 cups broth or 4 bouillon cubes dissolved in 10 cups of water

Protein (choose one — 1 pound or 2 cups, cooked)

• Ground beef, browned
• Leftover meatballs or meatloaf, chopped
• Cooked chicken or turkey (cut up)
• Ham (cut up)
• Lentils
• Frankfurters, sliced (or any sausage or Kielbasa)
• Pepperoni, sliced
• Beans, cooked or canned (pintos, kidney, Great Northern, etc.)

Grain (choose 1 or 2 for a total of 2 cups)

• Rice, cooked (any variety)
• Barley, cooked
• Pasta, raw
• Corn
• Dumplings (add near end of cooking time)

Vegetables (raw, cooked or canned, choose 2 or more for a total of 1 to 2 cups)

• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Green beans
• Turnips
• Parsnips
• Broccoli
• Peas or pea pods
• Cauliflower
• Bell pepper
• Zucchini (add raw)

Seasonings (choose 2 to 4 spices, 1 to 2 teaspoons each)

• Basil
• Cayenne (dash)
• Chives
• Cumin
• Garlic
• Marjoram
• Onion powder
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Parsley
• Oregano

To Prepare Soup:

Bring the broth to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add all of the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer one hour.

Slow Cooker Prep:

Pour the boiling stock and other ingredients into a slow cooker and simmer for 8 to 12 hours or overnight on LOW setting.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deborah Taylor-Hough is the mother of three grown and nearly grown kids still at home, a full-time college student, a displaced homemaker trying to make ends meet on a limited budget, and the author of several older (but still in print) books including the popular Frozen Assets cookbook series. You can visit Debi online at: http://www.SimpleMom.com

Super Simple Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 can (12-ounce) frozen apple juice concentrate
• 1 bag fresh cranberries

Instructions:

Heat apple juice in a medium saucepan until boiling (don’t add water, just use the frozen juice straight from the can).  Sort out any bad cranberries, then add the entire bag to the boiling apple juice.  Stir.  Reduce heat to Medium.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until cranberries “pop” and their innards burst out into the juice.  Turn off heat.  Press any unpopped cranberries against side of saucepan to squeeze out their insides.  Stir thoroughly.  Place in refrigerator for several hours.  The sauce will thicken as it cools.  It’s best to make this the day before to make sure it has plenty of time to cool and thicken.

Easy peasy.  And so yummy!  (And healthy, too!)

Make-Ahead Pumpkin Puree

Whenever canned pumpkin is called for in a recipe, just substitute this homemade puree that you’ve frozen ahead.  It’s almost like having fresh pumpkin anytime of year!  And who says you can’t have pumpkin pie in February?  🙂

Make-Ahead Pumpkin Puree

• 2  3-pound pie pumpkins

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut pumpkin in to 5-inch square pieces.  Remove seeds and stringy pulp.  Arrange pieces of pumkin in a single layer (skin side up) on a foil-lined baking pan or cookie sheet.

2)  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender.  Allow to cool.

3) Scrape pumpkin “meat” from rind and place in a large bowl or the food processor.  Using a hand mixer or the food processor, beat to a smooth pulp.

4) Transfer to freezer bags.  Label and freeze.  Thaw in refrigerator to use.

Makes 5 cups pumpkin puree.

Beating the Breakfast Rush Hour

Wow.  It’s September again.  School’s starting up and life’s getting back into it’s normal — but incredibly busy — routine.

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For many families, morning is a hectic and hurried time. Frequently parents feel fortunate just to get everyone out the door fully dressed each day. Serve a hot cooked breakfast every morning? Not a chance.

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Breakfast (if it’s served at all) often consists of grabbing a toaster pastry and a quick glass of juice as the family runs out the door racing headlong to work and school.

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I’ve discovered that taking an hour or two on an occasional weekend to prepare breakfast items for the freezer, takes much of the insanity out of the weekday morning rush.

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Waffles, Pancakes, French Toast

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To prepare waffles, pancakes and French toast for freezing, cook until lightly browned. Don’t overcook. Then freeze individually in a single layer on a cookie sheet or flat pan.

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When frozen solid, stack together in a freezer bag. By freezing these items separately, they won’t stick together. You can remove only the amount needed for today’s meal whether it’s one waffle or a dozen.

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To reheat, just pop them (still frozen) into the toaster on the pastry setting (low) just like you would do with the boxed frozen waffles from the store. Heating in a toaster keeps them firm, rather than limp and soggy which often happens when these breakfast items are reheated in the microwave.

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Muffins and Quickbreads

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Make muffins and quickbreads ahead of time to serve for easy breakfasts. Just bake your favorite recipes as usual, cool completely, wrap in foil, label, and freeze.

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You can also wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap and then place the wrapped muffins into large zip-top freezer bags. Muffins can be easily reheated in the microwave. Serve with fresh fruit and juice for a delicious and easy breakfast.

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Recipe: Debi’s Breakfast Burritos

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To get you started on the road toward simple breakfasts, here’s a recipe for easy Breakfast Burritos … definitely one my family’s all-time favorite make-ahead meals. Recipe reprinted with permission from my book, Frozen Assets:  Cook for a Day, Eat for a Month.

• 12 eggs, beaten
• 1 pound bulk sausage, cooked (or crumbled links)
• 1/2 cup chunky salsa (your choice of heat)
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 24 small flour tortillas (you can also use whole wheat)

 

Scramble eggs in large skillet until done; stir in cooked sausage and salsa. Warm tortillas in microwave 20 – 30 seconds or until warm and flexible. Place 1/3 cup egg mixture into tortilla; roll burrito-style.

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Freeze burritos in single layer on lightly greased cookie sheet. When fully frozen, wrap burritos individually; place wrapped burritos in large zip-top freezer bags; freeze.

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To serve, unwrap burritos from foil or plastic wrap that you used for freezing. Wrap in a paper towel. Cook in microwave until heated through (about 2 minutes). Or thaw burritos (remove plastic wrap if used in freezing), wrap burritos in foil, and bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes.

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Optional Ingredients:

• 1 green pepper, finely diced
• 6 potatoes, shredded and fried until cooked through (or use hashbrowns)
• Jalapeno slices
• Small can chopped green chiles
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tomato, peeled and chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced with tops

 This recipe makes about 24 breakfast burritos but it will depend on how generous you want to be with each burrito’s filling — I tend to add lots of the “extras” listed at the end of the article so that’s probably how I usually get the full two dozen … so your mileage may vary.

I’ve even taken these frozen burritos with us when we’ve gone camping. I just place the bag of frozen burritos into the ice chest, and by the time we’re ready for breakfast the first morning, the burritos are fully thawed. Then I simply reheat them in a large skillet over the campstove or fire grate.

~Debi