The FReeper Canteen Presents:Gourmet Cookin’ on A Shoestring!

Serving the best troops & veterans on the planet! | Canteen Crew

[MS.BEHAVIN]

The FReeper Canteen Presents:


Gourmet Cookin’ on A Shoestring!

(and helpful dollar stretching tips!)

Good evening, everyone!

Tonight we’re going to share budget friendly wonderful recipes and dollar stretching tips!

I’ll start off with a few, and hope you guys will chime in!

Chicken is versatile, and good for you! It adapts well to so many dishes!

Here’s a favorite of mine:


Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

6 Skinless, Boneless Whole Chicken Breasts, halved
4 cups Fat-Free Low-Sodium canned Chicken Broth
1 whole Jalapeño Chile Pepper
2 large Garlic Cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Dried Oregano Leaves
1/4 cup Medium or Hot Taco Sauce
2 tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
24 Taco Shells or Small Tortillas

Condiments:

1 small Iceberg Lettuce, finely shredded
4-5 small Plum Tomatoes, diced
2 cups Fat-Free Sour Cream
1 cup Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Trim fat from chicken breasts.

2. Rinse chicken breasts thoroughly and pat dry.

3. In large, deep pan or cast iron skillet, bring chicken stock, chili pepper, garlic, and oregano to boil.

4. Reduce heat to low and add chicken. Simmer, uncovered until chicken is opaque, approximately 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, and cool 15 minutes.

6. Shred chicken.

7. Mix taco sauce and lime juice together in small bowl.

8. Pour taco sauce mixture over chicken and toss.

9. Place chicken on serving platter. Cover with foil to keep warm.

10. Warm taco shells or tortillas. Place in serving bowl. Cover with kitchen towel to keep warm.

11. Make individual tacos or serve buffet style with condiments and side dishes.

Variations and Recipe Ideas:

Serve with condiments, refried beans and a nice Mexican style rice dish.

From Taco Recipes.net

*Note*
Save the broth from the chicken for a soup base, or freeze in ice cube trays for recipes that call for small amounts of chicken broth!~

Go meatless a few nights a week! Serve this wonderful casserole with a nice salad, some good bread, and you’re good!

Broccoli Cheese Puff

Ingredients

* 5 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine

* 6 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1/8 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
* 2 1/4 cup(s) whole milk
* 8 ounce(s) (2 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
* 2 box(es) (10 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
* 7 large eggs, separated
* 1 1/2 cup(s) coarse soft fresh bread crumbs, from 3 slices firm white bread

Directions

1. In 4-quart saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and ground red pepper until blended; cook 1 minute, stirring. Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently. Stir in Cheddar; cook just until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli.

2. In small bowl, with fork, lightly beat egg yolks. Stir in about 1/2 cup cheese sauce. Gradually pour egg-yolk mixture into cheese sauce, stirring rapidly to prevent curdling. Cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325º F. Grease shallow 3 1/2-quart ceramic casserole or 13” by 9” glass baking dish. In microwave-safe small bowl, heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in microwave oven on High 15 to 20 seconds or until melted, swirling bowl once. Add bread crumbs; stir until well combined.

4. In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. With rubber spatula, gently fold one third of whites into cheese mixture. Fold cheese mixture gently back into remaining whites.

5. Pour mixture into prepared casserole. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Bake 40 minutes or until top is browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Fastest Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe On The Planet!

Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 10

* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, all natural)
* 1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F

2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl

3. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, drop tablespoons of dough and press it down in a criss-cross pattern with a fork

4. Bake 10 minutes

5. Let it cool on the cookie sheet until they have firmed up a little, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Or, there’s always the option of eating it warm with a cold glass of milk!

Fun to make, and the little ones can help!

from itsthefood.wordpress.com

Here’s a few money saving kitchen tips:

When there’s a little bit of mustard left in the bottom of a jar, don’t throw it out. Instead, toss in a few ingredients and make a tangy vinaigrette right in the container. A crushed garlic clove, some chopped fresh herbs like Tarragon and minced shallot will add the right flavor.

Pour in Balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and shake. Add olive oil (3 parts oil to one part vinegar) shake again to emulsify the dressing. Pour over your favorite salad.
Will keep in the fridge tightly sealed, for one week.

From Martha Stewart.

Don’t throw out stale bread!

Recycle leftover starchy carbohydrates such as bread, crackers, rolls, cereal or croutons. Fresh breads often need to be eaten within 24 hours before becoming stale. If you have any of these items that may be getting stale or have been sitting around too long, put them to work! In a large tin or roast pan, combine the items and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. This will toast the combined items. Let everything cool and put them in the food processor to make bread crumbs. You can include spices such as salt, pepper, parsley, oregano or dill weed to give them a little extra flavor. If you have an abundance of bread crumbs, separate them into several containers to create separate flavors such as plain, seasoned, or spice up a batch with chili, mustard or wasabi powder.

From:http://www.ehow.com/how_6061527_make-gourmet-meals-budget.html

Come share your budget friendly recipes and tips! Have fun!




The Canteen is a place for our Troops and their
families to rest, relax, and relate.
Please leave thy politics at the door.
A gentle reminder from Ms. B~

[TASMANIANRED]

Chicken and dumplings.

Chicken thighs, onions, celery and parsley..salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer until the meat is falling off the bones..pick the meat, pitch the skin and put everything back in the bowl.

2 eggs beaten. salt and pepper them well.

make a well in a mound of flour.

work in batches...few tablespoons of eggs into the flour.

knead until you have a compliant dough.. stop well before it becomes crumbly.

Dust flour on the counter top and roll the dough..Turn it a quarter turn every pass and every 3rd or 4th pass flip it over.

Dust with flour as needed to keep it from getting sticky.

You want them thin. They can’t be too thin.

Bring chicken and stock back to a boil..

Use a pizza cutter and cut the dumplings however you prefer..Diamonds or squares..Go strips and then cross cut.

Cut them smaller than you think necessary because they expand.

Slide them a few at a time into the broth..you don’t want them sticking together...stir often.

Repeat until you have used all the eggs.

Turn the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Open a bottle of white wine.

Before the vino... about 3 bucks tops

Enjoy

[BIGLOOK]

Some times we forget about what to with bits and pieces leftovers but keep this in mind next time you're hunting up something to make on a shoe string and PDQ!.



A Frittata or an original Spanish Tortilla!

There are so many variations which you can look up or make your own up and guaranteed there won't be any leftovers left.

[Publius]

BAKED CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE

boneless chicken breasts
oil
Italian bread crumbs
2 tbsp white wine per breast
salt
pepper

Sprinkle the chicken with spices, dip in the oil, and cover with the breadcrumbs. Place in a baking pan.

Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. At the 15 minute point, spoon the wine onto the chicken, and cover with aluminum foil. At the 35 minute point, remove foil.

(Drink the rest of the wine with the chicken.)

[TASMANIANRED]

There are fuzzless varieties.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

YUM!
Thanks, Sis!

[mylife]

I like that recipe.

It aint cheap though.

We had lobster for less than the price of that LoL!

Gnight Ms B. Thanks for the fun thread.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Mmmmmm!!
That looks GREAT, big guy!
I hadn’t thought of that.
Thanks!

[TASMANIANRED]

Busy as all get out for hours.

2 calls, 5 new hospital cases.

I’m totally overwhelmed...

What I want to do first isn’t necessarily what hubster wants to do first.

[TASMANIANRED]

We finally closed but it wasn’t smooth.

I’ll be off the weekend and we will go up.

[mylife]

I love Eggs!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

LOL
Pricey cheeses in that recipe!
Pretty soon the Maine shrimp harvesting will begin.
We’ll be able to buy them for 99 cents a lb!
*HUG*
G’night, My!

[TASMANIANRED]

I think all the seed I put out 2 weeks ago has drowned.

I’ll have to start over...but that’s the chance you take planting early.

I think friday is our start date but it’s going to be clean up, fix up, paint up while it is empty before we move anything in.

[mylife]

It aint been ideal conditions, but I think yall scored.

Settle in and relax.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

MMmmmmm!!
Shall I prepare a salad?
;0)

[BIGLOOK]

Aloha Taz!

No word yet....but I get the 'burst of energy' part.

Been there.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Happy 34rd Anniversary, Mr & Mrs alfa!!

Click

[mylife]

Seed is to be indoor at this time of year, even in texas.

[luvie]

Awwww....(((hugs)))

I’ll let you taunt me when it’s 110 here and 85 and wonderful there! :)

....or I’ll just come up there and leave the 100+ behind. LOL!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

LOL
This is “pinch yer nostrils shut” kind of cold.
That’s what the cold does to ya when you step out dere!

[Publius]

A salad is an excellent idea. I also served steamed potatoes and onions as a side dish with this.