Part of cooking at home more means finding easy ways to make your favorite foods. If preparing side dishes takes an hour, I will get frustrated and wish I had ordered take out.
That's one of the reasons I was so happy when I learned how to make no-fail asparagus in five minutes (from Alton Brown's show on Food Network, Good Eats!). I am usually a fan of sauteeing my veggies in olive oil and kosher salt (and sometimes garlic), which is fairly quick. But this is even easier, and it's extremely healthy.
Here's what you you'll need:
Three paper towels (connected)
1 bunch asparagus
kosher or sea salt (about 1 teaspoon - more or less based on your taste)
Lemon wedges
First, wash the asparagus and cut off or break off the coarse ends. Then, wet the paper towels and squeeze out any excess water. Lay the towels flat on the counter and place the asparagus on top of the towels in a single layer. Sprinkle the salt over the asparagus. Roll the asparagus and towel so that you have basically an asparagus burrito, with the asparagus on the inside and the towel on the outside. Heat in the microwave for 3 minutes (if you like your asparagus on the crisp side) or 3 1/2 - 4 minutes if you like it more tender. The water from the towel and the heat will perfectly steam the asparagus. If you like fresh lemon on your veggies (I do), squirt a few lemon wedges over the asparagus and enjoy!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
It's Summertime and the Livin' is Easy
Is anyone else sick of paying $10-$20 for a "gourmet" hamburger?
Inspired by a ridiculously crazy sale Whole Foods has been running on their beef ground from round (I caught it recently at $3.99/pound), I recently created the best homemade burger I have ever had. It is also as good or even better than most restaurant burgers I've had. (The one major exception that is worth mentioning is the Ace Burger at Three Aces - if you live in or are visiting Chicago, try it. You can thank me later.)
The key to this burger, and any burger for that matter, is high quality meat. As I mentioned, I used Whole Foods' beef ground from round. I snagged a few pounds of it on sale a couple of weeks ago. I then came home and separated it into 2/3 pound blocks, which I put into small sealable baggies and put in the freezer. That way, I can thaw out what I need for the dinner before I leave for work in the morning. This past weekend, I did the same thing with tilapia and chicken breasts from Whole Foods, which are often on sale and/or sold at a discount if purchased in bulk. Can you believe I scored hormone and antibiotic-free chicken breasts for $3.99/pound? I almost squealed out loud. It's the little things.
For the burger --
Make as many patties as you need and brush lightly with grapeseed oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the patties to your liking (and add the cheese - see below - during the last minute or so).
A little sidenote here about ingredients--about a year ago, I learned about grapeseed oil in a cooking class at the Chopping Block here in Chicago. It changed my world. Grapeseed oil has a higher burning point than, say, olive oil, so it's great for use in grilling meat, chicken, etc. And it's virtually flavorless, so it doesn't compete with any of the flavors in the meat. Buy it in bulk at the grocery store -- don't pay an arm & a leg at specialty stores for it, not worth it. I also discovered Dish D'Lish French Seasoning Salt during the same class, which adds enormous flavor to everything, especially steak and burgers. And the jar has lasted me almost a year, so it's worth the $10.
For the bread & toppings, you'll need:
sliced Havarti cheese (melts magnificently)
red onion
lettuce, argula or spinach (i.e. something leafy and green)
horseradish aoili (mix equal parts reduced-fat sour cream* and dijon mustard with a half part prepared horseradish)
pretzel rolls
For the pretzel rolls, brush lightly with grapeseed oil and put those puppies on the grill for a minute or two. Then, assemble and enjoy! I served baked sweet potato fries and steamed rapini with the burgers last night. Gotta have some veggies to pair with the rich burger.
Sweet potatoes are super cheap and loaded with vitamins. Plus, they taste amazing! Simply cut a raw sweet potato or two into fry size. Coat them lightly with grapeseed or olive oil and kosher salt and pepper, and then lay them out on a cookie sheet in a single and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Once they are tender in the middle, broil them for about 2-3 minutes until they get a little brown and crispy.
Rapini is also a favorite of mine and is an easy and inexpensive side dish. Rapini is running about $2.99 per bunch at Whole Foods these days, and usually one bunch is enough to feed 4 people as a side dish. It's basically broccoli and swiss chard rolled into one veggie. I go super simple with mine. Cut off the ends (about an inch or so), and put in a saute pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt, add few couple tablespoons of water, and cover. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then check in on it. I like mine pretty crunchy, so I tend to undercook a little. Once the rapini is cooked to your desired consistency, drain the excess water/oil and serve with a fresh lemon wedge. Yum!
*I generally do not use low-fat anything, except for milk, sour cream and cream cheese. I just think they taste better and/or I cannot tell the difference between the reduced-fat and the full fat, so I don't feel like I'm being deprived. I will not, however, use non-fat anything and I will NEVER use non-fat milk in my coffee. Big no no to my taste buds!
Inspired by a ridiculously crazy sale Whole Foods has been running on their beef ground from round (I caught it recently at $3.99/pound), I recently created the best homemade burger I have ever had. It is also as good or even better than most restaurant burgers I've had. (The one major exception that is worth mentioning is the Ace Burger at Three Aces - if you live in or are visiting Chicago, try it. You can thank me later.)
The key to this burger, and any burger for that matter, is high quality meat. As I mentioned, I used Whole Foods' beef ground from round. I snagged a few pounds of it on sale a couple of weeks ago. I then came home and separated it into 2/3 pound blocks, which I put into small sealable baggies and put in the freezer. That way, I can thaw out what I need for the dinner before I leave for work in the morning. This past weekend, I did the same thing with tilapia and chicken breasts from Whole Foods, which are often on sale and/or sold at a discount if purchased in bulk. Can you believe I scored hormone and antibiotic-free chicken breasts for $3.99/pound? I almost squealed out loud. It's the little things.
For the burger --
Make as many patties as you need and brush lightly with grapeseed oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill the patties to your liking (and add the cheese - see below - during the last minute or so).
A little sidenote here about ingredients--about a year ago, I learned about grapeseed oil in a cooking class at the Chopping Block here in Chicago. It changed my world. Grapeseed oil has a higher burning point than, say, olive oil, so it's great for use in grilling meat, chicken, etc. And it's virtually flavorless, so it doesn't compete with any of the flavors in the meat. Buy it in bulk at the grocery store -- don't pay an arm & a leg at specialty stores for it, not worth it. I also discovered Dish D'Lish French Seasoning Salt during the same class, which adds enormous flavor to everything, especially steak and burgers. And the jar has lasted me almost a year, so it's worth the $10.
For the bread & toppings, you'll need:
sliced Havarti cheese (melts magnificently)
red onion
lettuce, argula or spinach (i.e. something leafy and green)
horseradish aoili (mix equal parts reduced-fat sour cream* and dijon mustard with a half part prepared horseradish)
pretzel rolls
For the pretzel rolls, brush lightly with grapeseed oil and put those puppies on the grill for a minute or two. Then, assemble and enjoy! I served baked sweet potato fries and steamed rapini with the burgers last night. Gotta have some veggies to pair with the rich burger.
Sweet potatoes are super cheap and loaded with vitamins. Plus, they taste amazing! Simply cut a raw sweet potato or two into fry size. Coat them lightly with grapeseed or olive oil and kosher salt and pepper, and then lay them out on a cookie sheet in a single and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Once they are tender in the middle, broil them for about 2-3 minutes until they get a little brown and crispy.
Rapini is also a favorite of mine and is an easy and inexpensive side dish. Rapini is running about $2.99 per bunch at Whole Foods these days, and usually one bunch is enough to feed 4 people as a side dish. It's basically broccoli and swiss chard rolled into one veggie. I go super simple with mine. Cut off the ends (about an inch or so), and put in a saute pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt, add few couple tablespoons of water, and cover. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then check in on it. I like mine pretty crunchy, so I tend to undercook a little. Once the rapini is cooked to your desired consistency, drain the excess water/oil and serve with a fresh lemon wedge. Yum!
*I generally do not use low-fat anything, except for milk, sour cream and cream cheese. I just think they taste better and/or I cannot tell the difference between the reduced-fat and the full fat, so I don't feel like I'm being deprived. I will not, however, use non-fat anything and I will NEVER use non-fat milk in my coffee. Big no no to my taste buds!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Summer Veggie Lunch in 2 Minutes Flat
This morning, after dealing with an unruly and extremely stubborn puppy, I was already running 10 minutes behind for work. The last thing I wanted to do was make a "sack" lunch. But alas, memories of countless conversations Marc and I have had over the past couple months about how much money we can save by bringing our lunches to work got the better of me.
At first, I planned to just bring a couple of mozzarella string cheeses, some almonds and a peach to work and hope for the best. But realistically I knew that was not going to cut it, and I could already see myself buckling and going to Wow Bao for spring rolls and Thai herb broth (my favorite) for the second time this week.
So I glanced in the fridge, then in the cupboard, and came up with this little number...
Black bean, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
3/4 C. black beans, drained (I used canned, but you don't have to)
1 C. sliced cucumbers (I use the small cucumbers, love them)
1/2 C. grape tomatoes, halved
1-2 Tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C. fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped
cayenne pepper, pinch
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste (be mindful that feta is already pretty salty!)
A vinegar-based dressing of your choice (I happened to have a bottle of Newman's Italian dressing at work, otherwise I would have used balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil).
Combine all ingredients and enjoy!
What's great about this recipe, besides its simplicity, healthfulness and high protein content, is that you can dress the salad at home and it won't wilt in your fridge at work. You could even double, triple or quadruple the recipe and make it in advance to eat throughout the week. Because I LOVE cheese, I used two kinds - but obviously you could use one, or three, or omit it if you don't like cheese. But I have to say, if you don't like cheese, you probably won't like this blog. ;)
Benvenuto/Welcome!
Hello and welcome!
Il cuoco frugale (Italian for "the frugal cook") is a pet project of mine, borne out of a creative roadblock I've been in for the past four years and a desire to explore, learn about and share my adventures in one of my great loves---food! Because I'm about to embark on a new chapter in life - one that will hopefully allow for more consistency and free time, but also less income - this seems like the perfect time for a blog about cooking, eating and drinking well on a budget.
My romance with food -- not just eating it but learning about it, preparing and cooking it -- came about during a semester I spent studying abroad in Turin, Italy (hence the inspiration for the Italian twist to this blog's title). I have always liked food. But in Italy, I learned to appreciate the importance of wholesome, pure ingredients. My experience in Italy helped shape my approach to food -- high quality ingredients, nothing artificial, and everything in moderation.
While this blog will likely be evolving over time, the intent is to share my adventures in all things culinary, with a focus (though not an obsession) on frugality. Please enjoy, share your thoughts, and visit often!
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