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~

[ConorMacNessa]

I don't know how I did witbout it for so long.:) 
 
Lamh Foistenach Abu!

Posting from my BlackBerry mobile HQ.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, dennisw

I prefer Frank’s Red Hot sauce. Best I’ve had. My son loves it on eggs. I love dipping fried gizzards in it.

[Arrowhead1952]

I got one garden dug up last weekend, and have the one in the neighbor’s yard to dig this weekend. My tiller died a couple of years ago, so I’ve been renting one from the local hardware store. Well, it was not working this past weekend, so I dug the dirt by hand.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning, Luv!

*HUGS*

Happy Thursday!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[yorkie]

For those of you who hate to cook
But LOVE good, tasty food:

SHREDDED MEXICAN CHICKEN

Two or three boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Packet of Taco Seasoning
2 cans Rotel Tomatoes with green Chili

Put all in crock pot, cook on low six to eight hours.

Great for tacos, burritos, chimichangas
Nachos, enchiladas, quesidillas, fajitas

Or any Mexican dish.

Warning: It makes a LOT of shredded chicken - but freezes well.

[blackie]

Thanks Kathy!

{{HUGS}}

[Trillian]

Trillian’s Cream of Cheesy Potato Soup

1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
5-6 medium potatoes, skinned and cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough homemade chicken stock and water to fill pot

1- 1/1/2 cups of half & half or whole milk to taste (you can also use cream if you want)
1 stick of butter and equal parts flour to make roux
2 cups of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 lb of cooked bacon, minced

In a large soup pot (mine holds 18 cups) saute onions in butter and olive oil for a few minutes.
Add garlic, carrots and celery and saute for a few minutes more. Add potatoes and then saute for a few minutes constantly stirring.
Add a mixture of chicken stock and water to taste until the liquid reaches about 1-2 inches from top of pot.
Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes.
Stir in milk or cream until well blended.

In a medium saucepan melt stick of butter and slowly mix in flour with whisk. It should form a thick paste.
Slowly start to ladle the soup into the medium pan continuing to mix with whisk until it starts to thicken. Pour it into the big soup pot and continue stirring with whisk until all the soup starts thickening. It should have the consistency between soup and gravy, not too thick.
Add cheese and stir until completely melted. Take off heat and stir in bacon.

Serve with homemade bread toasted in the oven.

I hope this helps, it’s not really exact which is how most of my recipes are since I do it by look, feel and taste.
Turkey stock works well with this too, I usually make some after thanksgiving using the bones.

[Trillian]

Yum, that sounds really good. One of my favorite ways to make frittata is with sauted artichokes and parmesan cheese.

[HiJinx]

Since there isn’t furniture yet..we won’t be spending the night.

The Flyboy and Piper are taking air mattresses and sleeping bags to the new apartment tonight - the furniture arrives some time next week!

[Arrowhead1952]

**

[Kathy in Alaska]

Popping in for a quick hello! ((HUGS))
Two telconference classes today...the first was at 6am, the second will be in 25 minutes (10am originating in the EST).
A new time collection system is coming online, but they don't seem to care whether the payroll techs can be in on the classes or not.
They asked if anyone had questions...I asked a couple and was told "Not Now".

You all have a good rest of Thursday.

[AZamericonnie]

Great recipe Yorkie simple & inexpensive!

Here’s another along that same line....

Southwestern Pork with Red Chiles
INGREDIENTS:

5 dried red chiles, seeded and stems removed

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon fresh minced oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt to taste

TO PREPARE:

1. Place chiles in a blender with water and blend into a paste. Set aside. If chile paste is too thick, add a little water.
2. Add oil to skillet and lightly brown pork. Add chile paste, oregano, garlic and salt to meat. Mix well.
3. Cover skillet and simmer slowly until done, approximately 30-40 minutes.
4. Sauce may be thickened with cornstarch, if necessary.

(I would have to add cumin to both....I LOVE cumin!:)

[AZamericonnie]

The Flyboy and Piper are taking air mattresses and sleeping bags to the new apartment tonight

It's a indoor campout!:)

[Kathy in Alaska]

wh!!

Arrowhead.....#250

[Flamenco Lady]

Here is a quick and cheap substitute for the expensive cheeses. Use cheap chunk cheeses from your grocery store, instead of the expensive ones and drizzle a little white wine over the grated cheese. Mix it up in a bowl and let it sit while you get everything else ready. Add the cheese and any wine remaining in the bowl to your sauce, just as the recipe requires. Adding the little bit of wine to the cheese makes it taste like you used the expensive cheese.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good morning, Kathy!

*HUGS*

Happy teleconferencing!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[SevenofNine]

HEY Tomkow what going on with the Chicago Cubs did somebody start fight in DUGOUT yesterday

espn ESPN
Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade held a meeting to address dugout altercation - http://es.pn/eeXgM7

[tomkow6]

Well, SOMEBODY’S gotta take over for Zimbrano!

[Publius]

Artichokes work well. But the best way to handle cheese is to sprinkle it over the frittata, not blend it in during the cooking. And I favor Romano, which is from goats and has a stronger taste than parmesan.

[SevenofNine]

I hear fist were fighting in Cubs dugout are Cubs going have mid season meltdown

Now my LA Dodgers they not going anywhere this season I may follow Chicago Cubs sound like they turning into Charlie Sheen soap opera here