The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (10 page)

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped red onion

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

8 slices whole-wheat bread

4 leaves lettuce

Shell and coarsely chop hard-boiled eggs. In a large bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, curry, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Adjust salt, pepper, and curry to taste. Assemble sandwiches on toasted whole-wheat bread with lettuce.

Honey-Mustard Grilled Chicken Sandwich

price
$12
servings
4
price per serving
$3

A
lex’s obsession with sandwiches extends to (and is, perhaps, intensified by) the genre of grilled sandwiches. Grilling the ingredients is a cost-effective way to transform a regular sandwich into a delectable meal, and the combination of herbs and onions with chicken makes this version perfectly balanced and tasty. This dish is a sophisticated and frugal alternative to hamburgers and hot dogs at your next summer barbeque.

4 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tablespoons honey mustard

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 large Vidalia onion, sliced ½" thick

4 long sandwich rolls

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

In large bowl, marinate chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil, crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons honey mustard, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour. In a small bowl, toss onion slices in 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. On hot grill or large skillet, grill chicken and onions about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Cut chicken into large pieces; fill sandwich rolls. Top with onion, feta, and honey mustard. Serve warm.

New York–Style Turkey Sandwich

price
$8
servings
4
price per serving
$4

T
his is Alex’s favorite sandwich. Instead of adding coleslaw and dressing, we recommend adding thinly sliced cabbage to avoid a double dose of mayonnaise for a healthier version that stays true to classic deli flavors. Of course, if you have coleslaw on hand, it works just as well.

1½ pounds deli turkey, thinly sliced

½ pound sliced Swiss cheese

8 slices rye bread

RUSSIAN DRESSING:

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons sweet relish

Dash Worcestershire sauce

1 cup very thinly sliced cabbage

Make dressing in a small bowl by combining mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix cabbage with Russian dressing. Assemble sandwiches with turkey, cheese, and cabbage.

Honey, Thyme, Pear,
and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

price
$10
servings
8
price per serving
$1.60

T
his is one of the first recipes we posted on our blog. Roasting the pears with honey and thyme lends them a distinct savory and sweet taste, and we adore the novelty of using fruit in a sandwich. We usually make these as tea sandwiches for a quick snack, but you can do them full size as well.

2 bunches fresh thyme sprigs

3 Bartlett pears (about 1½ pounds), cored and sliced

¼ cup honey

Salt and pepper to taste

8 slices honey-oat bread

4 ounces goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place thyme sprigs on baking sheet; place pear slices on the top. Drizzle pears with honey; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes, until pears are tender. Let cool on baking sheet. Lightly toast bread; spread with layer of goat cheese. Arrange pears on half of slices. Form 4 sandwiches and cut each in quarters.

Gruyère Cheese Steak

price
$16
servings
4
price per serving
$4

W
e ate a lot of cheese steaks while living in Philadelphia, and we’ll defend these to the death as the real thing. Sure, they’re lacking fake cheese and grease, but we think that smoky Gruyère layered with mushrooms is just as noteworthy; the spirit is there, and that’s what counts.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound rib-eye steak, thinly sliced

3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

4 Italian sandwich rolls

In a large skillet, heat oil; add onion and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is caramelized and mushrooms are soft, about 6 minutes; set aside. Add meat to hot skillet; break apart using a spatula. Cook until meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.

Return onions and mushrooms to pan; mix with meat. Add Gruyère and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill sandwich rolls with mixture and serve hot.

Open-Face Roasted Veggie Sandwich

price
$18
servings
6
price per serving
$3

I
f we saved a nickel every time Alex says, “There’s nothing worse than a bad sandwich and nothing better than a great one,” we’d have a solid chunk of change. He’s a sandwich snob who will turn up his nose unless presented with a perfect balance of fillings, condiments, and bread. His special admiration for this main-course sandwich stems from its attainment of that lofty goal.

2 medium-sized eggplants, sliced into ½-inch rounds

cup plus ½ cup olive oil

cup plus ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

3 medium bell peppers, sliced

3 portobello mushrooms, sliced

2 medium onions, sliced

6 slices thick bread, toasted

Gruyère cheese (optional)

WA LNUT BALSAMIC PESTO:

¼ cup walnuts

1 cup basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Salt both sides of eggplant slices well; place on pan lined with paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels and leave 20 minutes. Whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and dry eggplant; toss with peppers, mushrooms, and onions; toss with olive oil and vinegar. Place on baking sheet; roast 25– 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms after 20 minutes; leave other vegetables for remainder of time. To make pesto, combine ingredients in food processor; process until smooth. Spread on bread and top with roasted vegetables. Top with thin strips of Gruyère in a cross-hatch design. Broil about 2 minutes, until cheese melts.

Smoked Salmon Sandwich

price
$20
servings
4
price per serving
$5

S
moked salmon is often typecast as a topping for bagels only, but it’s just as delicious in a sandwich with fresh vegetables. We add both cream cheese and mustard for a surprisingly tasty combination of flavors. You can use thinner bread and cut them into tea sandwiches for guests, but we bet that once you taste one you’ll want an entire sandwich to yourself.

8 tablespoons cream cheese

4 teaspoon honey mustard

8 slices rye bread, lightly toasted

8 slices tomato

Handful lettuce leaves

8 thin slices avocado

12 thin slices cucumber

½ pound smoked salmon

Spread cream cheese and mustard on 4 slices of bread. Arrange remaining ingredients and top with second slices of bread.

Spicy Shrimp Salad with Lime and Sprouts

price
$16
servings
4
price per serving
$4

A
lex is a Sriracha fanatic. And while he usually just adds a dash of this Asian hot sauce to any given soup or rice dish, he is particularly fond of this recipe because it incorporates the sauce as a star ingredient. Feel free to use frozen shrimp, which is the most economical (and convenient!) choice.

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce or other hot sauce

Juice of 1 lime

1 pound cooked shrimp, shelled, deveined, and cut into ½" pieces

2 tablespoons green onion, chopped

2 leaves romaine lettuce

1 cup bean sprouts

3 long sandwich rolls

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, hot sauce, and lime juice. Toss shrimp with sauce and add green onions. Assemble lettuce, bean sprouts, and shrimp salad on sandwich rolls and serve.

Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

price
$16
servings
4
price per serving
$4

S
ince we eat turkey sandwiches daily, we have many variations to share. This version is great for weekends when you have time to cook the sandwich to perfection. The cheese lends a crucial flavor kick, and we often add extra so it melts down the side of the bread. If you don’t have time to cook the sandwich, just throw the ingredients together and eat it on the go.

8 slices pepper jack cheese

8 slices smoked turkey breast

8 slices French bread or ciabatta roll, cut in half

1 roasted red bell pepper or several pieces from a jar

4 teaspoons butter or butter substitute

2 cups mixed greens

Place a slice of cheese and a slice of turkey on each piece of bread. Place a roasted bell pepper on one side of bread and assemble sandwich with pepper in middle. Heat a small pan; spread ½ teaspoon butter on outside of one side of sandwich. When pan is hot, place sandwich in pan. Weigh down with heavy pot; cook about 3 minutes. Remove heavy pot, butter other side of sandwich, flip it; weigh down another 3 minutes, until bread is golden on each side. Remove from pan, slip mixed greens into middle. Repeat and serve.

Cream Cheese and Olive Sandwich

price
$4
servings
4
price per serving
$1

T
his recipe is a throwback to the 1930s. Alex’s grandmother used to make these sandwiches when he was young, and he’ll defend the strange ingredient combination vehemently for its creamy, salty, and sweet trio of flavors.

8 slices cinnamon raisin bread, toasted

6–8 ounces cream cheese

2 cups pimento olives, sliced

Toast bread and spread cream cheese onto each slice. Arrange olives on each slice and form into sandwiches. Serve for lunch or with tea.

PART II: BIG DISHES