Traditional Food is Cheap #1: Swiss Steak

Over the last few years different people have told me that they eat fast food and highly processed packaged food because it is cheaper.  I feel much compassion for the pain I've seen in the world recently and I don't mean any offense, but I've got just a few things to say about this.

I'm committed to the principle that real food is not expensive.  The adverse argument is a sales job that marketers have done to the young ones of the world.  Traditional food is not expensive.  There is a time commitment; organization is required.  But I ask you to tell me what is more important than what you and your loved ones eat.

So I've decided to price a few traditional dinners as carefully as possible and come up with an approximate cost per serving.  This is based on an Alton Brown recipe.  I've actually got a little bit of a crush on Alton Brown.  Don't tell anybody.

Swiss Steak  (Makes 8 servings)
2 lbs chuck steak, purchased this week at $3.99 / lb ($1.00 per serving)

2 t. salt (Less than $.01 per serving)

1 c. flour -$1.99 for 5 lbs; 1 c. flour = 4.3 oz (Approximately $.01 per serving)

1/4 c. canola or grape seed oil  - $3.19 for 24 ozs ($.03 per serving)

1/2 a yellow onion, thinly sliced ($.05 per serving)

2 stalks of celery - $.06
1/2 of small can of tomato paste - $.59 per can ($.04 per serving)
14.5 oz can diced tomato - $.69/can ($.08 per serving)
14.5 oz can beef broth - $1.29 per can ($.16 per serving)
1T.  Worcestershire sauce - $2.39 for 5 fl ozs or less for larger jars.  1T=1fluid oz = $.48 or ($.08 per serving)
1 t. oregano - $4.59 per .75 oz jar or 4.5 t. or ($.13 per serving)
1 t. paprika  - $2.95 for 1 oz jar; 1 oz = 6 t.($.06 per serving)


Cost per Serving: $1.70 for Swiss Steak plus the cost of the rice and vegetable.

Cut the meat into manageable size pieces.  Dry each piece with a paper towel.  Add oil to a stew pot and get it hot.  If you drop a drop of water into hot oil it should sizzle up. 

Combine the flour and salt and dropped the meat into the flour a bit at a time to coat, then drop pieces into the pan.  Keep the meat moving as it browns.   

Removed browned meat from the pan and add more until all is brown.  Keep the browned meat in another pan on the side.  A pie plate is what my mother used.

Now add the vegetables to the pan.  Add a little more oil if needed and stir until they soften and sweeten.  Return the meat to the pan and add the remaining ingredients.  Continue cooking on low for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours with the lid on.   And yes, babies like it.

When you get close to eating, make a pot of white rice and a vegetable or salad.  By the way, I buy medium grain rice for 5 lbs for $8.29 or $1.66 per pound.  What do you suppose 3 cups of cooked rice costs?  Slice 4 carrots and cook them, drain, add a tablespoon of butter, salt and a pinch of dill.  This isn't that hard. 

And it doesn't last long here.  But if you get some left overs off this, that would be a good thing.
 

Shared with Kelly the Kitchen Cop's Hearth and Soul Hop
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/03/real-food-wednesday-3211.html and

Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday



and Prairie Story Recipe Swap

http://prairiestory.blogspot.com/2011/03/recipe-swap-thursday-27.html

Baked Lentils with Cheese

I'm a very frugal person and always have been.  I've always believed that it was because my parents and grandparents had it so hard during the depression and lived so frugally from there on.  So then I marry a man who can't hold onto a dollar for the life of him.  But he is awful cute.

I've been making Baked Lentils with Cheese since my college years.  I'd make it in my big casserole dish and eat it serving by serving throughout the week until it was gone.  I like it, but it is also very frugal. It was in my lunch box the previous post.

It came from my favorite cookbook.  The one that my paternal grandmother gave me that I discussed in the post about Beef and Barley Soup.  This poor book has obviously seen better days.  I've been thinking about taking the binding off and putting it into a three ring binder.  Can anyone think of a better solution? 

The broken out pages are between Arroz Con Pollo, another frugal dish if you leave out the saffron, and Cheese Strata, which reminds me so much of a dish my materal grandparents ate.  Anyway, I recommend this for a vegetarian but delicious meal that feeds a crowd for penny's.

Baked Lentils with Cheese.
12 oz bag lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 T. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. marjoram
1/8 t. crushed sage
1/8 t. crushed thyme
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 large can of tomatoes
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 c. celery, thinly sliced
3 c. shredded medium sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese

In a large casserole dish mix all ingredients except the carrots, celery, and cheese.  Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Uncover, add the carrots and celery, and bake for 40 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.  Discard the bay leaf. Add the cheese and cook for 5 additional minutes. 

Interesting that the original recipe calls for 2 onions and 2 tablespoons of salt.  I've never made it that way.  Also, it calls for American cheese, which I have never used.  There are some other small changes I've made over the years to suit myself.  Husband won't go near it so it's all mine.

Remember to be humble.

Beef and Vegetable Stirfry

As I have mentioned, my husband and I own and operate a small contruction company.  We do commercial HVAC.  (that's heating ventilating and air conditioning, if you don't know)  So when you are in an office and you look up at the grilles in the ceiling with conditioned air coming out of it, or you go shopping at the mall on a hot day and it's nice and cool in the stores, that's the work we do.. 


I work as the estimator.  I look at plans which were prepared by a mechanical engineer and add up all the costs associated with the work, including materials, equipment, rentals, subcontracted work and our own labor and come up with a bid for the work.  If I'm the low bidder, we get the job.  At that point, my husband and step-son take over and manage with work with the help of our crew of installers.


That's what I do.  My work can be rewarding and scary and satisfying and stressful.  When I come home at night, I'm tired and ready to be happy and feel good with my family. 

So, although I love to cook, I often don't want to.  Like every cook, I have ways to make my life easier.  Here is a recipe my husband likes a lot and goes together easily.

Beef Stir Fry Supper

4 cube steaks or approximately 1 1/4 lbs of cube steak cut into bite size pieces
2 t. olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1 lb mushroom, cleaned and quartered
3/4 c. frozen peas
.
Sauce: 1/4 t. minced fresh ginger, 3 T. soy sauce, 1/4 c. white wine, 1 C. water or beef broth, 1 1/2 t. hoisen sauce. 1 1/2 t. cornstarch

Heat oil in a skillet and add the cube steak.   Cook meat moving it around in a skillet until it is no longer pink.  Remove meat to a pie plate.  If there is more than 1 T. of liquid in the pan, drain off all but 1 T.   Add vegetables and cook they soften slightly but are still firm  Add sauce and bring to a boil.  The sauce will thicken because of the cornstarch once it comes to a full boil.  Serve immediately over cooked rice.

I bought this meat for $2.29 per pound.   This easily makes 5 or 6 servings so you have a frugal meal here.  Buy a piece of ginger and keep it frozen.  Take whatever you need each time and put it back in the freezer so you get every bit.  A little ginger goes a long way. 

On Cooking Rice

Some people have trouble cooking rice, but it is really very simple.  2 cups water.  Bring it to a full boil.  1/2 t. salt into the water.  Measure out 1 cup of rice.  Add it to the pot.  Stir just enough to get all the rice wet.  Bring it back to a full rolling boil and immediately put on the lid and turn the heat to low.  Do those two things together.  Don't open the lid to check.  Don't touch it.  Come back in 20 minutes and you've got rice.

Remember to relax.

More Expensive?

I hear several reasons why people don't cook real food.  One is people think it is more expensive.  People point to dollar menus and so forth, but I still don't get it.

Let's take an example.  I buy whole chickens at $.79 per pound.  It is probably different in other areas, but in my Store they come on sale several times per year at that price and that is my price point.  I buy several at a time and freeze them.  So at 5 lbs for the bird, you do the math.  Let's say I stew him or roast him.  Then pick half the meat off and reserve it for a casserole.  The remaining carcass and meat gets made into chicken carcass soup.  Boil down the bones into a rich stock, add back in the meat and a boat load of veggies.  If this is new to you, Google it or take out any Better Homes or Betty Crocker cookbook.  My family can eat many bowls of the soup for lunch all week.  Cost per meal, just a few cents and very healthy. 

Now back to the casserole.  See my November 21 post for an example.  The rest of the ingredients are still pennies and I have eight servings there. 

Real food is not more expensive than fast food.  It's not.

Rice Krispie Treats

My grandmother used to make them, a lot. I've eaten my weight in them. I have to laugh when I see them for sale in the store. They have them in Starbucks.

There are exactly 3 ingredients in Rice Krispie Treats. Rice Krispie Cereal. Marshmallows. Butter. That's all. All on the stove top. No baking. Google it if you want the recipe. The simplest things are the best.

My grandmother made the recipe on the box, then usually spread something on top. If you take plain old Toll House chocolate chips and melt them, they make a good thing. Or butterscotch chips. Or half and half of each. Then, they came out with white chocolate chips. Goodness. Do you know how many things you can put in melted white chocolate chips that tastes good? Strawberry jam, maple syrup, rum. Oh, don't get me started.

It is the simplest things that are the best. And buying them shrink wrapped in individual servings is just not the same.

Eating In / Sheppards Pie, sort of

My lovely daughter-in-law had a really bad day yesterday. Happens to everyone from time to time. I wanted to help, but there are so many things I don't do that well. No really, my skill set is fairly small. But one thing I know, I can feed people.

I told her I would bring by dinner for the family so that she could have a nap or some extra relaxation. But I also worked a few hours yesterday. My step-son is a carnivore, just like his dad. He also has a good appetite. I wanted to include vegetables and needed something I could transport easily. And I needed something for us at my house.

I've been working on a sheppards pie which is usually lamb and other meat with vegetables in a sauce covered by mashed potatoes and baked. It's delicious but can be an undertaking. Here's what we had.

Shepards Pie, Sort of
3 lbs hamburger
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups sliced mushrooms
32 oz bag frozen peas and carrots
2 1/2 t. salt
2 12 oz jars of beef gravy
1/2 c. red wine
1 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
32 oz bag of frozen hashbrowns, defrosted
2 cups parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook the hamburger in a large pot or soup kettle. Drain of excess grease. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, peas and carrots, and salt. Bring to simmer and cook until the contents are hot. Continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add jars of gravy, red wine, and Italian seasoning to the pot and continue cooking another 10 mintues.

Divide the contents of the pot into two dishes.

Top the two casseroles with the hashbrown potatoes, spreading evenly over both. Sprinkle the cheese over the hashbrowns. I salted the top because the potatoes has no salt added.

Return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. A lot of food in less than an hour and less than $10. I wrapped the container with foil and took it to them. I called ahead to tell them to turn on their oven. When I got there, I put the tray in the oven and told them to eat when they were ready. Then I went home and gave the same thing to my husband.

Ground Beef and Hominy Casserole

I've been making this dish all of my life. It is my Mom's recipe. I should say that it started out that way at least.

I have a fairly large collection of vintage recipes and cookbooks (50s, 60s, 70s). It is clear to me that our tastes have changed, become more sophisticated, and worldly. We want lower fat content, of course. There are more international influences. We also want stronger flavors. My mom made this dish with a can of stewed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce and chili powder instead of Italian seasoning and cayenne. It was more like hominy chili.

If Hominy is new for you, check out the canned vegetable aisle. If you don't find it, it is used in hispanic dishes. You may find it in that area. It comes as yellow hominy and white hominy. I use the yellow.

The advantage of having a large collection of recipes like this is you can feed you crew quickly, even on difficult days.

Ground Beef and Hominy Casserole
1 lb ground beef
1 t. dry minced onion.
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
1 t. salt
1 can (14.5 oz) yellow hominy, drained and rinsed
1/2 t garlice powder
2 t. Italian seasoning
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 c. shredded medium chedder cheese
Brown the meat and drain any excess fat. Add dry onion, tomato sauce, salt, hominy, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and cayenne. Cook on medium heat covered for approximately 15 minutes, Top with cheese. Cover and cook 5 minutes more. Do not stir after applying cheese.