Saucy Chef

I'm Back!

2010-11-24T14:56:00.001-08:00

After an almost 2 year hiatus, I'm back! There are many reasons why I stopped blogging for so long and I won't get into all the gory details but I couldn't be happier to re-start this part of my life again.

Now, more than ever, my friends and family have been asking me for recipes, ways to save money at the grocery store and why my hair always looks so crazy. And while I don't have an answer to the last question, I have tons for the others.

Once again- I'm happy to be back and you should expect some entries (with pictures!) very soon.

Enjoy your holiday!

Melissa

UPDATE:

2009-07-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

I have finally acquired Joe's camera and will now be taking pictures of my food!

Tomorrow I start the South Beach Diet to lose some of the weight I've gained from eating all of my baked goods. I have studied the recipes and I know I can do it. Starting tomorrow, I will show most of the food I make so if anyone else wants to get in on a little South Beach action they can.

I'm also going to track my weight loss, which I hope will reach the 20lb mark by my birthday.

So until tomorrow, I'll leave you with a great dish I made the other night; Chicken stuffed with Feta and Spinach.

Chicken Stuffed with Feta and Spinach:

1 Chicken breast per person

2 Cups spinach (I like baby spinach)

1/4 Cup feta cheese

1/2 onion - diced

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 365

Beat the chicken breasts so they are flat and thin and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Dice the onion and saute in olive oil for 2-3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add spinach to onions to wilt.

Once the spinach is cooked, add the feta chese and some salt and pepper.

Add the spinach and cheese mixture to the chicken and roll up the chicken.

Using a toothpick to hold the chicken together works really well.

Lay the chicken on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with some olive oil.

The cook time will depend on how thin the chicken breasts are. They should take around 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Vegan Raspberry Coffee Cake

2009-04-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have been experiementing with vegan desserts lately and that's for 2 reasons:

1. Joe is lactose intolerant.

2. We have not had eggs for a while

This is the best dessert i have come across.

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup Earth Balance Margarine melted (Vegan butter)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 pinch of salt

1 3/4 cup flour

Combine the ingredients and let sit while you assemble the cake.

Cake

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup soymilk + 1 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

1-2 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup raspberry jam

Combine all ingredients except the jam.

Once the cake is in the pan, spoon the jam on top and then sprinkle the crumb topping on top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

Spinach Pesto & Tofu Curry

2009-04-03T16:54:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I have finally moved into my new apartment and have been cooking and baking up a storm. It seems like every time I look, I'm cooking something new.

I'm still going on strong with my vegetarian diet and find it easier than ever now.

The last two things I made in my kitchen were spinach pesto and red tofu curry. I just ate the curry and put the pesto in the refridgerator for later on in the week.

Spinach Pesto:

1/2 Bag baby spinach

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese

1/3 Cup olive oil

1/4 Cup toasted breadcrumbs

2 Cloves garlic

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tofu Curry:

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. paprika

4 Tbsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tsp. cumin

1 can vegetable stock

1 can tomatoes

Tofu

1/2 cup plain yogurt

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

Making curry takes a little work but it's so worth it!

1. Saute the onions with the olive oil and butter until the onions are brown (about 10 minutes)

2. Add the garlic when the onions are almost completely brown and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Take the onion/garlic mixture and combine it in a food processor.

4. Add the mixture back into the pan and add cinnamon, paprika, cumin, ginger, tumeric, curry powder and sugar. Mix until it becomes a paste.

5. Cook the paste through and add the vegetable stock and tomatos.

6. Mix well.

7. Simmer for around 20 minutes.

8. Add tofu, cayenne pepper and yogurt to pot.

9. Simmer for as long as 3 hours or as short as 30 more minutes.

Serve over rice!

Enjoy!

Here's The Deal...

2009-03-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

I am moving to a new apartment on Saturday(!) which means I will actually have a kitchen to cook in. I'm not sure I can adequately express how excited I am via the internet but if you know me, you know this is a HUGE deal.

Personally, I love blogs that show pictures of the food they are speaking about. I am going to ask Joe really nicely if I can use his digital camera in order to broadcast pictures of my new vegetarian cuisine.

I'm hoping that this will make my blog a lot more interesting and relevant and possibly introduce people to the great foods you can make without meat.

With that being said....

I made an incredible minestrone soup the other night. Joe said it was the tastiest thing i've ever made -- talk about a compliment.

Vegetarian Minestrone Soup:

3 Cups Vegetable Stock

1 Can of Beans (I use black beans)

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

1/3 Cup Onions

1/3 Cup Carrots

1/3 Cup Celery

1/3 Cup Zucchini (Optional)

Other vegetables you would like to throw in

2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

Pasta

1. Saute the onions in a little olive oil until translucent.

2. Add the beans, tomatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, other vegetables and vegetable stock.

3. Mix the mixture and let it simmer for about 25 minutes.

4. Add the pasta to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.

5. Check the pasta for doneness and eat!

Tofu....?

2009-02-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

Some of you might not believe it but...I like tofu.

Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the curds into blocks. It is super versatile and tastes like whatever you cook it with.

Right now, I am eating a delicious red curry I made with chicken and tofu. I added the chicken for my boyfriend and the tofu for me. The tofu has soaked up all the curry flavor and is absolutely delicious.

Tofu can go in anything...curry, stir fries, omelets, pasta dishes....

Before you rule it out, try it once and learn for yourself that it's not that bad!

Feta Cheese Dip

2009-02-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I'm doing really well with sticking to my new vegetarian diet. Since I used to eat a lot of meat, I now have to do a lot of substitutions and that is making me try a bunch of new foods.

One food group that I have always been familiar with is dairy. I love cheese. I really love cheese. I was at Trader Joes this week and bought some feta cheese. Since Joe is lactose intolerant, I decided to make myself a little dip that I could eat throughout the week instead of using it for our meals.

This dip is so simple and so so good.

Feta Cheese Dip

6oz Feta cheese

1 Clove garlic

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

Dash of pepper

I encourage everyone to try new things and to make new things out of some of their favorites. I think you'll be surprised!

Melissa

No More Meat

2009-02-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

Since I wrote last, I have given up red meat and pork. The journey to becoming a "flexitarian"(which means I eat chicken and shellfish) has proven to be easier than I thought.

Maybe it's easy because I love to cook so I'm able to control what I'm eating? Who knows!

Here are some quick recipes for some of the foods I've been eating lately:

Spinach, Tomato and Hummus Wrap:

Whole wheat wrap

Tomatos

Hummus (I like Trader Joe's brand)

Baby Spinach

Guacamole:

2 Avacados

1/4 cup onion

1 clove garlic

cherry tomatos

lemon/lime juice

Tofu Stir Fry:

Tofu

Baby spinach

Broccoli

Rice

Onions

Soy sauce or lemon juice

I encourage everyone to eat at least 3-4 meals without meat a week. You really do feel better physically but you also feel better knowing you have will power!

Meatballs!

2008-11-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

You may think meatballs are hard to make and can only be used over pasta but you are very wrong. Meatballs are very versatile and are so easy to make, its ridiculous.

What can I make with meatballs?

Italian Wedding Soup

Topping for a pizza

Meatballs with beef orzo

Meatball Subs

Use your imagination!

You can use any amount of meat when making this recipe.

Meatballs:

Any amount of meat

1/2 -3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup italian bread crumbs

3 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried parsley

2 eggs

Mix all of the ingredients together and use more or less of each ingredient depending on your taste.

I bake my meatballs at 475 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. I then put some in the refrigerator and some in the freezer for later.

Melissa

Fancy But Cheap Dinner!

2008-10-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

Breaded Shrimp over Pasta

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 tbsp rosemary

2 tsp olive oil

shrimp

2 tsp garlic powder

Mix everything together and cover the shrimp. Bake the shrimp for 10 minutes on 400 and serve over pasta with some garlic and oil.

I Don't Have Time To Make Breakfast!

2008-10-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you need to have breakfast in the morning to wake up but you just don't have the time to prepare anything. You're in luck!

One of my best tips is to bake something you enjoy, like banana bread or zucchini bread, bake 3 or 4 loaves at once and freeze them. Before you go to sleep, you can pull out one of the loaves, cut it in half and put it in a container to defrost to have for breakfast for a few days.

I have about 3 zucchini breads in my freezer right now that will last me until atleast January.

Zucchini Bread:

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

5 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

3 tsp vanilla

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups zucchini

Enjoy breakfast for a few months!!

Limited Ingredients? No Problem.

2008-09-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Every month around this time, my food supply starts dwindling. I still have food to eat but making meals takes a little more creativity at the end of the month.

Tonight, I decided to make something with ground beef. I checked my pantry and by using my imagination, I put some things together to make Chili.

Cupboard Chili

Ground beef (as much or little as you want)

Salsa (as much or little as you want)

1-2 cans of beans (pinto, black...)

2 cups water

1 package chili seasoning (you can buy these for 25 cents at the grocery store)

Brown the ground beef.

Add the water, beans, seasoning and salsa.

Simmer the chili for as long as you want.

Eat!

The good thing about chili is that you will probably have enough left over for lunch the next day AND chili gets better in the refrigerator.

The total cost for this chili is probably like $3, depending on how much of each ingredient you use.

I'll Take a #3 With a Diet Coke and Fries....

2008-09-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Don't get caught in a cycle of buying your lunch at work or at school. Bringing your lunch with you not only saves you money and keeps you healthier, it gives you a great satisfaction.

Who doesn't like feeling thrifty?

What I usually do is make enough food for two-three meals each time I cook.

Tonight I made pasta with garlic, oil, shrimp and red peppers. In order to stretch all of the ingredients, I cooked the entire pound of pasta and put half in the fridge to have with sauce later on in the week. (2 meals)

I put the leftovers from our pasta w/shrimp in the fridge. (1 meal)

I also made hashbrowns and put those in the fridge as a snack/breakfast for later on in the week. (1 snack)

Now i have 3 choices for lunch tomorrow.

So when you finally get around to making dinner....make it count!!

Need More Fiber?

2008-09-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Fiber is crucial to a healthy diet. Most people think that since they're on a budget that means they have to settle for Ramen every day...wrong!

A huge can of pinto beans will cost you around $1.00 and by adding a few beans here and there, you can increase your fiber intake dramatically.

The other night, my boyfriend wanted to add some beans to his rice. We opened a new can and instead of storing the beans for later use, I decided to make refried beans.

Making your own refried beans allows you to control how much oil, fat and other "bad" things are in your food.

Having a container of these beans on hand makes for delicious burritos, a dip with tortilla chips, taco salads....the list goes on.

Here's how to make refried beans from scratch:

1 can of pinto beans -- any size you would like

2 tbsp. olive oil (optional)

1/4 cup onions (optional)

1/3 cup water

1 slice cheddar cheese

Extra: You may season the beans with anything you choose (garlic powder, chili powder....)

Drain the beans and start mashing them with a fork/potato masher in a bowl.

Cut the onions and saute them in a pan with the oil.

Add the mashed bean mixture along with the water.

(It will look watery at this point but keep mixing and mashing on medium/low heat)

Add your seasonings if you wish.

Once the beans are a creamy consistency, add the cheddar cheese.

Turn off the heat and allow the cheese to melt, while mixing the mixture.

Now you have refried beans!

Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza

2008-09-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I wanted to show you some pictures of the homemade pizza I made tonight. I made the dough and the sauce from scratch and added a mozzarella/cheddar cheese mixture and threw on some pepperoni and sausage. Not only is a homemade pizza delicious but it's usually big enough to save some pieces for lunch the next day.

Here is a before picture:

15 minutes later at 475 this is what we have:

In the coming days I will share my recipe for pizza dough and tomato sauce!

Portion Your Meat!

2008-09-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Let's be honest, meat is expensive. If you're like me and my boyfriend, you probably want to eat meat/chicken 4 out of 5 nights a week. You might be thinking thats a lot of money but rest assured, it's not as much as you think.

I usually buy 2 lbs of ground beef every month. When i get home from the store I immediately take the beef out of the container and start portioning it. Let's say you buy 2 lbs, if you cut the block in half and then in half again, you'll have four 1/2 lb "meat bullets" that you can use for different meals. Sometimes if the meat is a little more expensive than usual, I will take some meat from each bullet to make an additional one so instead of 4 meals, I now have 5. Once the bullets are portioned, cover them with plastic wrap and store them together.

You can do the same thing with sausage, chicken, steak tips....

Portioning not only makes meal preparation and planning easier but it also allows you to keep track of your meals and what you have left for the week/month.

Monthly Food Budget Update

2008-09-15T18:47:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, a few days ago I layed out the steps for creating your grocery list. I hope you found that it's really simple and try it out for your next grocery store trip. There is one tip that I forgot that I NEED to share.

Every month my boyfriend and I spend $100 each on groceries and toiletries combined. We take our lunch to work and school and eat at home every night. $200 per month may sound like a lot of money but think of it this way:

Eating out 3 times a day would be at least $12 per day. $12 multiplied by 31 is $372 per month on food for one person. Not only will you be spending a lot of money but you won't be able to control the ingredients in your food.

If you spend $100 for the month, divide that by 31 and you will be spending $3.23 per day to enjoy healthy and delicious meals with the potential of rolling over into the new month.

A trick that we use is to take $200 in cash to the grocery store. We pay our bill which is usually $160 and then I keep the remaining $40 in an envelope to use during the month when we need something. Usually I will pick up eggs, milk, produce and deli meats mid month and that money being so accessible is really convenient.

If we don't use all the money, we roll it over to the next month.

Happy Shopping!

Recipe Alert: Macaroni & Cheese

2008-09-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

There are so many recipes for macaroni & cheese out there that it's hard to choose one. This recipe is very simple and lends itself to lots of add-ons. Have fun!

1 lb elbow macaroni

2 tbsp. butter/margarine

2 cups milk

2 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. onion powder

8 oz cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cooked ham

1/2 cup frozen peas

Cook the pasta until al dente.

Melt butter in pan, add flour and mix until all flour is mixed in.

Add salt and onion powder to pan.

Add milk.

Turn up heat and add cheese.

Stir until cheese melts.

Add pasta to pan.

Add ham and peas.

Mix pasta.

I usually make the entire pound for my boyfriend and I and we keep the leftovers for lunch during the week.

Farmer's Markets

2008-09-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Some people just don't use their imagination when it comes to trying to save money...but not us! Regardless of where you live, there is bound to be at least 1 farmer's market around your area. Not only do you get fresh fruits and vegetables but the produce is usually very reasonably priced. If you don't agree with a price, try bartering.

I've been to some great farmer's markets in Boston but my favorite markets have been in San Francisco, CA and Burlington, VT. Where are some of your favorites?

Pros:

Fresh produce

You can usually get deals depending how much you buy

Bartering is possible if you have the skills

You can build relationships with the vendors

Cons:

Sometimes you have to wait once a month of once a week for your farmer's market fix

Depending on when you go, some produce may be on it's last leg

Some vendors do not allow you to pick your own produce and sometimes they put rotten produce in your bag -- watch out!

What did Melissa buy today?

4 lemons - 50 cents

1 bunch of broccoli - $1.50

1 carton of blueberries - $1.00

2 lbs of red skinned potatoes - $1.00

Grand total: $4.00

Recipe Alert: Parmesan Potato Wedges

2008-09-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

These potato wedges are beyond delicious. They make the entire house smell amazing and you'll want to make them all the time!

6 red skinned potatoes (quartered)

1/3 cup melted butter/margarine

1 clove garlic (minced)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. italian seasoning

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the butter, garlic, parmesan cheese and italian seasoning.

Cover the quartered potatoes with the mixture and bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Planning Meals Isn't Hard!

2008-09-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Planning meals is not as hard as you might think it is. Trust me, once you get the hang of it, each month/week it gets easier. Here's what I do each month:

1. Cook books are a wonderful and invaluable tool -- especially when you don't have to pay for them. (Some might not care for this step but It's what I do each month.) I usually go to a bookstore with a cafe or general seating. I take out cookbooks that look the most interesting to me. Then I take a seat and go through each book, writing down the recipes that jump out at me. Once I'm finished, I put the books back on the shelf and go on my way. Not only do you get great recipes, but you get great recipes for free. When every dollar counts, things like this don't sound so bad. I actually think it's kind of fun too!

2. Once you have a stack of recipes that you're dying to try out decide if you will be going grocery shopping for the week or month. (I usually shop for the month and it's my favorite day of the month!).

3. Pull 8 or 10 or more recipes from your stack if you're planning for the week and around 25 if you are planning for the month. Keep in mind that you will have leftovers.

4. Get a sheet of paper and go through each recipe card, writing down all the ingredients you will need . Do not write an ingredient more than once and do not write ingredients you already have enough of (Flour, olive oil...).

5. Now you have the bare bones of your list. Add any other random items you need and you have yourself a grocery list.

6. Sometimes if I'm feeling extra savvy, I will organize my list based on the grocery isles. (Dairy, grains, vegetables....) This can save you a lot of time in the actual store.

It is very important that you stick to your list! Do not get trapped by sales or things that just look tasty. Remember the time it took you to make the list and think of the gratification you will feel after you stick to it.

Good Luck!

Melissa