The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (9 page)

Nana’s Veggie Soup

price
$20
servings
10
price per serving
$2

This is Alanna’s secret family recipe for the best-tasting soup ever. It’s been passed down for generations and is served at all holiday dinners. Whenever we feel like healthy, familiar flavors we concoct a batch, savoring the process of slowly simmering vegetables and chicken together to achieve a perfect soup with notes of ginger, carrot, and dill. It freezes beautifully, so cook in advance if you plan to serve a crowd.

1 whole chicken, cut into quarters

5 carrots, peeled and halved

3 parsnips, peeled and halved

Top
of celery bunch, cut into chunks

1 potato, peeled and cut into chunks

2 onions, quartered

Pinch salt

4 garlic cloves

3" piece ginger, peeled

½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ bunch fresh dill

1 12-ounce can stewed tomatoes

½ cup tomato sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a large pot; fill with water until vegetables and chicken are covered. Add salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 2 hours, covered. Remove chicken pieces; set aside for later use (makes great chicken salad). Using a strainer, remove remaining ingredients; separate any leftover chicken from mass of vegetables. Cool slightly, then in a blender, blend vegetables in batches with about 1 cup of broth; return to pot. Season with salt and pepper.

PART I : SMALL DISHES

DiPS

Basil Pesto

price
$10
servings
6
price per serving
$1.70

A
lex is convinced that pesto goes on everything. Given his success at sneaking it into dishes, he might be right. This is a classic version with perfectly balanced proportions that can be worked into sandwiches, pastas, and meats.

5 cups fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

½ cup olive oil

cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a food processor or blender, combine basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, cheese, and salt. Pulse 30 seconds, until smooth.

Punchy Pico de Gallo

price
$5
servings
4
price per serving
$1.25

W
e eat this salsa with chips, sandwiches, quesadillas, or, in Alex’s case, by the spoonful. It’s classic and spicy, but you can add more jalapeño for extra kick.

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium red onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

½ jalapeño, diced

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro in a bowl. Stir in olive oil and lime juice to coat. Add salt and pepper. Let sit at least 20 minutes before serving.

Guatemalan-Style Guacamole

price
$10
servings
4
price per serving
$2.25

T
his is a special guacamole with a secret ingredient: oregano. Though often skeptical before tasting it, everyone who eats this smooth and flavorful dip agrees with us that it’s extremely unique and delicious; that is, if they can stop eating long enough to continue the conversation. This is one of our most requested dished, so be warned that once you make it you may not be able to stop making—or eating—it!

3 Haas avocados

Juice of 2 lemons

¼ medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop avocados, then mash in a bowl. Add lemon juice and mix. Add onions, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

price
$15
servings
10
price per serving
$1.50

W
e share a love for cinnamon pita chips, so it’s not surprising that we both became completely hooked on this snack with our first bites. The chips have a perfect crunch and taste amazing with and without the fruit salsa, which itself is independently delicious. We go to this dish for a late-night snack or for parties, but there’s no time of day it wouldn’t be appropriate.

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and diced

8 ounces blackberries

1 pound strawberries, diced

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons strawberry preserves (or other fruit flavor)

CHIPS:

10 (10") flour tortillas

Butter-flavored cooking spray

2 cups cinnamon-sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix kiwis, apples, blackberries, strawberries, sugars, and preserves. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Coat one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. Cut into wedges; arrange on large baking sheet. Coat wedges with desired amount of cinnamon-sugar; spray again with cooking spray. Bake 8–10 minutes; allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Lemony Hummus

price
$4
servings
8
price per serving
$.50

L
ike our guacamole, this is among our most requested recipes, perhaps because we serve it more than anything else. We love it because it somehow turns out extremely light and fluffy, almost as though it has been whipped rather than processed. We add a lot of lemon juice and a little less garlic, but the proportions can easily be adjusted to taste.

2 cans chickpeas (with liquid)

1 clove garlic

½ cup tahini

½ cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon chili powder

4 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Spoon into a bowl and serve with pita bread or raw carrots.

Olive Tapenade

price
$12
servings
6
price per serving
$2

W
e’d been buying jarred olive tapenade for ages before we discovered that it is cheaper and just as easy to make your own. Now, we do large batches for parties and set it out with raw carrots and chips, just like hummus. You can also use the tapenade as a topping for grilled fish, in sandwiches, or over pasta.

2 cups Kalamata olives, pits removed

3 tablespoons capers

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

½ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (or any combination of equal parts rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, and marjoram)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Pulse olives in food processor until chopped; place in a bowl. Pulse capers until chopped; add to olives. Repeat with pine nuts, processing until ground. Stir in olive oil, herbs de Provence, and lemon zest. Serve with crackers or raw carrots.

Smoky Baba Ghanouj

price
$8
servings
8
price per serving
$1

T
his baba ghanouj is the perfect dip for a late summer barbeque or gathering. The charred and smoky flavors of the eggplant are truly magical when mixed with tangy lemon juice and creamy tahini. The trick is to grill the eggplant to death—leave it on the grill until the outside is entirely black and soft. Serve it with flatbreads, crackers, or raw vegetables.

2 medium eggplants

½ cup tahini

2 garlic cloves, mashed

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup (you can substitute grenadine if necessary)

Salt to taste

Preheat grill to high. Pierce whole eggplants all over with a fork; place on grill. Grill 40 minutes, or until eggplants are charred black and soft all over, turning every 10 minutes. Remove from grill; place in bath of cold water until cool enough to handle. Remove skin and as many seeds as possible without discarding too much eggplant. Place skinned eggplant in large bowl. Using a fork, shred flesh into small pieces. Stir in tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and pomegranate syrup. Add salt to taste.

Yogurt Spinach Dip

price
$6
servings
8
price per serving
$.75

T
his is a dip that tastes much unhealthier than it is. It’s as sweet, savory, thick, and satisfying as other spinach dips, but we use plain low-fat yogurt to keep it light.

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced

9 ounces fresh spinach, steamed and chopped

½ clove garlic, minced

1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

2 teaspoons honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large frying pan; add onions. Sauté 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When onions are very soft and begin to brown, stir more frequently; cook until deep brown and caramelized. Combine spinach, caramelized onions, garlic, and yogurt in medium bowl. Add honey, salt, and pepper. Serve with crackers or sliced bread.

PART I : SMALL DISHES

SANDWiCHES

Cheddar, Chutney, and Apple Sandwich

price
$8
servings
4
price per serving
$2

W
e make this sandwich all the time when we open the refrigerator but don’t find cold cuts. While it might seem strange to some that we would find mango chutney but not sliced turkey, it happens more than you’d think, and this sandwich is a simple yet exotic lunch alternative. Any type of apple will do, but we like it best with tart Granny Smiths.

1 baguette

1 jar mango chutney

½ pound sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced

1 apple, cored and sliced

Cut baguette in half lengthwise. Spread with chutney and arrange cheese and apple on one side. Close bread, cut into 4 pieces, and serve. (Alternatively, grill individual sandwiches for a few minutes on each side to melt cheese.)

Curried Egg Salad

price
$6
servings
4
price per serving
$1.50

W
hen we’re making quick lunches like tuna salad or egg salad sandwiches, we have to throw nutrition to the wind and just try to recreate classic deli flavors. Egg salad isn’t the healthiest of dishes, but slathered on toasted whole-wheat bread, there’s no denying that it’s among the tastiest and the least expensive.

12 large eggs, hard-boiled

2 tablespoons mayonnaise