One good way to stretch out your chicken or meat is to cut it in bite-size chunks and add a bunch of vegetables or whatever ingredients you have on hand to stretch it.

So if you have some chicken breast but don't have enough for breast for each person, you cut it up into small pieces. Melt some butter or heat some oil. Throw in chopped garlic, onion, whatever you have. Cook the chicken slowly, over medium-low heat, turning often. Throw in mushrooms, or scallions, or chickpeas, or bell peppers, what you've got on hand, and season to taste. Serve over rice or pasta.

Rice and beans is another cheap and filling option. Sometimes I cook the beans right in, sometimes I make plain white rice with saucy black beans served on top, or some yellow rice with saucy red beans. And those boxes of yellow rice are way overpriced. Make your own with white rice. With the water, put in some turmeric, garlic, salt, boullion (vegetable or chicken), pepper and oregano.

Imago said:

Cats should not be fed garlic or onion! It's bad for them.

People who want to do home cooking for pets need to feed a variety of species-appropriate foods. If you fed only one of these recipes, there would be nutritional deficiencies in the long run.

Just FYI.

As for cheap human food, it's all about the beans, rice, lentils, and dark leafy greens.

Try mixing well-cooked lentils and brown rice (2/3 lentils, 1/3 rice) with garlic, spices, and flour. Form the mush into patties, coat with flour, and fry on each side until browned. Serve over rice or pasta or greens with some sort of sauce/gravy, or make a sammich, or just eat them as-is.

tackam said:

YUM!!

Or - cook lentils and brown rice in the same pot, seasoned w/plenty of salt and pepper. Slice an onion in rings and carmelize slowly in a healthy pour of olive oil till dark brown and sweet and super yummy. When they're both done mix together. It sounds silly and looks like mush but it's SOOOOO yummy. Throw in curry or other spices to make it fancy, but that's not even necessary.

After a hike to the garden and back - snatching up some fresh cut Rhubarb and picking fresh Strawberries ...

I am baking this now

Low Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch


4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tablespoon honey

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries and honey. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. In the same bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix in the butter until crumbly, and spread over the top of the fruit.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until rhubarb is tender and the topping is toasted.

Fauxie said:

That sounds good.

You only need flour (I use whole wheat flour) and water (oil is optional) for Chapatis.
http://www.asianonlinerec...apatis.php

It's so easy to make and pretty cheap, depending on the cost of the flour,
the bag I bought was on sale for $3.

CarrieMpls said:

That sounds awesome.

tackam said:

I heard it causes anemia in cats in very high doses. Either way, it can be omitted from the recipe.

How about some fantastic inexpensive mint lentil soup?

Lentil soup with mint.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 9 cups vegetable broth or water
• 2 1/4 cups brown lentils
• 1/2 cup coarse bulgur (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic -- pressed
• 4 1/2 cups finely diced plum tomatoes
• 2 1/4 teaspoon dried mint
• 2 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups minced fresh parsley
• 1.5 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in cooker. Add broth and stir well. Add lentils, bulgur, and red pepper flakes. 

Lock lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Quick-release pressure. Remove lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

(With the pressure cooker it mentions that it be kept at high pressure. Basically you keep it on high until the top giggles. Then turn it down to about a medium low. It is supposed to giggle about once a minute but that is hard to regulate. A quick release is when you take it off the stove and then pour water over the top for a bit to cool it down. Then you release the pressure by tilting the the giggle thing.)

Stir in garlic, tomatoes, additional tablespoon of olive oil, mint, and salt. Simmer until garlic looses its raw taste, about 2 minutes. At this point, add a bit more mint if you feel it's needed. Blend in parsley and lemon juice. Taste and add more parsley and lemon juice if desired. Serve in large soup bowls.

wildgoldenhoney said:

I'm going to try those tonight! I was already planning on spicy beef with kidney beans and peanut noodles, so these will go perfectly (and will give me something to eat besides the noodles!)

that recipe reminded me i want to find a good one for frybread to make indian tacos with this is the first one i came across, not quite the way i've seen them made, i will keep looking for a better one

http://www.foodnetwork.co...src=search

heres a better one i think, this is how i remember her doing it, i remember the evaporated milk part anyway... these are soooo yummy! out of the norm on mexican night and very filling

Indian Tacos
Tortillas:

About 2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2/3 cup water

Oil for frying

Filling:

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 can pinto beans, partially mashed

Shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce

Salsa:

2 cups diced tomatoes

2 cloves minced garlic

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Several sprigs cilantro, chopped

Salt to taste

Diced jalapeno pepper, to taste

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Warm milk and water; make a well in the mixture and pour in the warmed milk-water mixture. Combine ingredients, starting with a fork and then using your hands, until a soft, slightly sticky dough is achieved. Keep your work surface well floured.

Heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer or deep pot.

Shape dough into tortillas about 4 inches in diameter and ¼ inch to ½ inch thick. Carefully lower into hot grease and fry until golden brown on bottom. Turn over and continue cooking until the other side is brown. Remove from hot oil, set aside and keep warm.

Brown hamburger in skillet with diced onion; stir in taco seasoning. Divide pinto beans, hamburger mixture, cheddar cheese and lettuce among tortillas. Top with salsa.

To make salsa, combine tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, oregano, cilantro, salt and jalapeno.


***that salsa, if you take out the oregano, dont know why thats in there to begin with , and replace it with lime juice + add some purple onion that is a pretty tasty salsa


yummy!
[Edited 6/1/09 16:12pm]

this one is very cheap if you buy the generic brands
1 can creamed corn
1 packet chicken noodle soup
2 eggs

boil up the soup as per instructions on packet

tip in the creamed corn

bring back to boil

pour in whisked eggs little by litte while agitating the soup briskly with a fork so the egg goes all wispy.

voila!

chicken sweetcorn soup for 4 just like in chinese restaurant!

here that would cost AUS$2 or less

also, scrape the accumulated layers of dried toothpaste that end up on your tooth brush into a small bowl and use them as breath-mints later.

Imago said:

also that little disk of pubes in your shower drain, once dried, can be used as a tea strainer

ZombieKitten said:

oh

my


god


!!!!

ZombieKitten said:

oh come on!!!

PunkMistress said:

I'll be damned and i thought you Irish only liked beer and brisket!

Imago said:

Amandas Handy Hints

Fingernails
Gardening is a wonderful way of relaxing. There's nothing better than bing in the great outdoors with your hands in the soil. But don't you hate getting dirt under your fingernails? Well, there is a way to avoid that. Simply pull off your nails before you begin!

Composting
If you're a keen gardener, you can save time by using your crisper drawer as a compost bin. Be honest - you know it's going to happen anyway!

Leaves
I love walking in my garden in winter, but every year I have the same problem. All my trees shed their leaves, making a terrible mess, and leaving the branches bare and ugly. Well, there's a solution. Just staple the dead leaves back on. It makes the trees look pretty again, and maybe they'll think twice about shedding next year.

Kids on your lawn
If you're sick of kids trampling all over your garden, why not place a few dog droppings strategically on the grass? That's sure to keep them away.

Take a note
Don't throw out those old newspapers and magazines when you can easily cut out letters to make a ransom note. Looks great doesn't it?

Pens
Don't throw out those leaky pens. Just dangle them in the toilet so that with every flush you'll have lovely blue water.

Travel
Sick of lost luggage at the airport? Do what I do, just pack some illegal narcotics along with your clothes. That way, airport security will probably deliver your bags by hand.

Bookmark
Everyone loves to read but it can be a real nuisance when you lose your place. Here's a solution. When you finish reading a page, just tear it out. You'll save money on bookmarks too!

Jigsaw
Doing jigsaw's is great fun but it certainly takes a long time. So to make it faster and easier the next time I do it, I number each piece.

Wine Stains
Red wine stains on the carpet can be a real problem, but here's a solution. Chalk ! Simply use it to draw the outline of a body around the stain. It will make a great talking point at parties.

Oven Smells
If you're bothered by bad smells from your oven, why not cook something that smells nice for a change?

Kitchen Scourer
You can recycle and save money too by making your own kitchen scourer pad. All you do is cut off the foot of a pair of pantyhose and stuff it with nail clippings. Toenails are best, but fingernails are great for those delicate sufaces.

Sun protection
The Australian sun can quickly fade your curtains and furniture. But there is a way to keep out those harmful UVs. Just smear your windows with sunscreen. Easy!

Parking tickets
Parking tickets are an expensive fact of life for most drivers. But I've found a way of making sure they never leave a ticket on my car. Whenever I park my car I leave my windscreen wipers going.

Easter
Easter eggs are getting more and more expensive every year. But here's a way to save money when it comes time for that annual Easter egg hunt. Don't actually hide any!

Bird Droppings
If you're worried about birds dropping mulberry stains all over your Porsche, here's what to do. Get yourself a purple Torana instead!

YOGOURT

One can evaporated milk
Three cups skim milk powder
Water, 110 degree Fahrenheit, enough to fill up two litre jar
Yogourmet (one sheet, two sachets), or half a cup of live yogurt


I fiddled with my oven until I found a spot on the dial that maintains a pot of water at 110 degrees F. Too hot the bacteria die, too cool and nothing happens. I also leave the oven light on. This may be superstition, or a valid stabilizing heat source, I’m not sure

Mix all the ingredients together in the jar and top up with warm water (I use a Braun stick blender)

Put the bucket of warm yogurt mixture into a big pot full of 110 degree water (your pasta pot or whatever). This provides a temperature buffer, so neither heating nor cooling happens too fast.

Put the pot in the warm oven on the lowest rack. I usually put a couple of cookie sheets underneath, one upside down, so there is a little air pocket to keep the oven element from radiating directly on the pot. This may be overkill, but I am paranoid and I don’t want to toast the bottom of my yogourt. (another yogourt how-to site suggests putting the water bath and yogourt into a camping cooler to maintain the heat. That seems very smart, if you have a big cooler).

Let the proto-yogourt sit for the next 4-6 hours, checking the temperature periodically, and fine tuning the heat. The yogourt firms up as it cools, so don’t worry if it is somewhat sloppy when you take it out.

Refrigerate and enjoy. You can mix in a little (home-made) jam for that fruit on the bottom experience, or check out how to make a cheese spread from your yogourt.

The bacteria theoretically wear out after about 10 batches, but this has yet to happen to me. If I go away for a week or more and the yogourt has been sitting too long, I often just start from Yogoumet again.

The process seems fussy at first, but you will quickly figure out your own method, and then it only takes ten minutes to mix up two litres of yogourt. The hardest part is finding five hours to kill at home. It is great for homework and laundry nights. You can also save your water bath to flush a toilet or water some plants.

http://www.treehugger.com...made_y.php

PunkMistress said:

Hope you like it as much as I do!

Now I need to find recipes for uses for pure cocoa powder.

wildgoldenhoney said:

like a DIY bronzing powder?

ZombieKitten said:

This one...
http://www.herbalremedies...owder.html

Ok here's my latest ones.

Both are methods of conservation. I look to see what veggies i haven't gotten to, that are on there last legs.

(You can use one of the natural tomato sauces above and or Traders Joe's Organic Marinara)

Use any number of vegetables in your fridge as well as odd and end pieces of meat, if you are so inclined.

Example: I use squash, broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, Brussels sprouts... ( whatever I have left that I bought at the market the week before and didn't get to.) I had 2 left over turkey sausage and a bit of cooked chicken I had pitched in the freezer to use up too.)

I use a tablespoon or two of olive oil.. give crushed garlic and onions a browning ( meat too ) then add tri color bell peppers the sauce, 1/2 as much water and all the veggies. Simmer 25 minutes and serve.

The kids think they are in heaven and I have managed to use what I had left. I also freeze in small containers what is left for vegetable dishes on other nights.

2) I chop up all the same sorts of veggies add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and several sprigs of fresh rosemary. ( Tonight I had many red potatoes I needed to use up) I roast them in a pan for 25 minutes at 400. (Sometimes I mix in pasta odds-n-ends)

All easy and yum.

Muse2NoPharaoh said:

those are some really good ideas! i love recipes that help use up small portions left over from the week of cooking thanks for sharing...





as for me, i have now figured out how to do the red sauce above, Chili's baby back rib BBQ sauce (which is surprisingly easy), homemade enchilada sauce (cheap and gets great reviews!), there was one more.... OH! i got the recipe for honey mustard dressing from Houston's resturant (thats my daughters favorite) so, if i can put these sauces together for say 1-2 dollars at most, i will have better tasting sauce, healthier because its fresh, and save a couple bucks in the process

oh, and i forgot, Chili's salsa too easy, easy, easy... and its so yummy!

if anyone is interested, let me know, i'll be glad to share


[Edited 6/2/09 8:23am]

wildgoldenhoney said:

I made them last night, with Indian beef stew and white rice. I used half white flour and half whole wheat. They were delicious! I had the kids make the dough balls before I rolled them out and fried them. Yum!