Week Four: Grocery Inventory, Shrimp, Chicken, and Deviled Eggs

Be sure to check out Week Three's entry! This week was a two-for-one due to midterms.

One major part of menu planning is the grocery inventory. Knowing what you already have will help you to plan what you need to buy. I’ve saved $20 on weekly menus because I keep track of what I already have. Very often, I look at a menu, write down what I don’t have, and find that in order to make Mu-Shu Pork, I just need to buy the pork. Keeping track of what you have does in fact save you money. This is especially true of spices and herbs, which can be incredibly expensive, let alone when you buy them and don’t need them yet. Keeping a food inventory is simply keeping yourself up to date on what food items you have available to you to use this week. Here are some key ways to maintain a food inventory:

1. Organize refrigerator, freezer, cupboards, etc; so that similar items are grouped together. This means actually using your vegetable drawers for vegetables, and your meat drawer for meat. The reason for this is so that you can just glance inside the fridge and see how much of what kinds of meat you have available to you, or how much of what vegetables and fruits are still unused. This helps so that you use what you have, which helps you save money because less food goes to waste, and thus you waste less money buying things you already have.
2. Every three months, clean your refrigerator, your cupboards, and your freezer. Take note of what foods you still have that maybe were buried behind those cans of tomatoes, or that box of noodles. Then, either make a menu that will use the older items, plan a day to donate them to a food pantry, or if they’re past their expiration date, throw them out. Do this for your condiments, too. Do this every three months – mark it on your calendar.
3. If you have a large chest freezer, you might try making an actual inventory list for the door. Go through every shelf, and write down what food is on what shelf. When you use that pound of frozen beef, cross it off your list. When you buy more pork chops, add those to the list. Attach and pen with a string to this list to make it more convenient for you to keep track of these things. Renew your list every month or so, because a quick look at it will help you plan out your menu for that week, and will save you time in the long run when you no longer have to dig through it for ten, twenty minutes every week to see if you have something or not.
4. Keep menu planning! Weekly menus will keep you buying only what you need, and so you save money and waste less food. In Cheap. Fast. Good!, the Desperation Diners say, “We were startled to discover that the average American household throws away 470 pounds of food every year and that as much as 12% of purchased grocery items are never used.” By menu planning and grocery inventorying, you can cut down the amount of food thrown away in your home, and cut back on how much is never used.

Now, onward to this week’s fast and cheap recipes!

This Week’s Recipes Are: Easy Shrimp Scampi, Chicken and Apples with Dijon Cream, and Delicious Deviled Eggs.

Guest Recipe & Review: Apple Butter, submitted by Jill B.

Easy Shrimp Scampi

Photographed by me.

Serves: 6 to 8 Start to Finish: Under 25 minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 lb. frozen, shelled, de-veined shrimp

· 1 package long pasta, such as angel hair or thin spaghetti

· ½ cup butter

· 4 cloves fresh garlic, or 2 tbsp. bottled minced garlic

· 1 cup dry white wine

· ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

· ¾ cup parmesan cheese

· 1 tbsp parsley

1. Boil salted water with noodles until al dente. Drain well and return to the pot. Rinse the shrimp under cold water to thaw, and then remove the tails. Set aside.

2. While the noodles are boiling, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, stir in garlic and shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes.

3.Stir in the wine and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.

4.Pour shrimp and sauce over drained pasta in pot (or serving bowl), and sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Serve at once.

Review-

This was one of the first recipes I learned how to make once I started cooking. I believe I found it originally on allrecipes.com, but there are a lot of good recipes there, so you never know. My fiance loves this recipe, being the big fan of shrimp and seafood in general that he is. This recipe is a very simple way to make shrimp scampi, and it works very well. The time consuming part is de-tailing the shrimp, but if you do that beforehand, this will go much faster.

I know a very good way to cheat if you don't have any garlic, and most college students can do this pretty well. If you have garlic butter from pizza orders saved in your fridge, you can add those to the butter mixture to get that garlic flavor. :) It's a shortcut that I've tested time and again, and it gets rid of the garlic butter that gets saved.

Chicken and Apples with Dijon Cream (pg. 150 of Cheap. Fast. Good!)

Serves: 4 Start to Finish: Under 25 minutes

Ingredients:

· Salt for cooking the rice

· 1 1/3 cups long grain rice

· 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

· 8 ox fresh button mushrooms

· 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

· 1 tsp. butter

· 1 small onion

· 2 large tart cooking apples (I use Granny Smith)

· ¾ cup apple juice

· ½ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay, or ½ cup additional apple juice to substitute

· 1 ½ tsp. sugar

· 1 chicken bouillon cube

· 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

· ¼ cup half-and-half or heavy cream (heavy whipping cream in many stores)

1. Bring 2 2/3 cups lightly salted water to a boil in a covered medium-sized saucepan. Add the rice, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, if the chicken is frozen, run it under hot water so you can remove the packaging. Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and microwave, uncovered, on high power for 3 minutes to partially defrost.

3. While the chicken defrosts, rinse, pat dry, and slice the mushrooms, removing and discarding any tough stems. Set aside.

4. Heat the oil and butter in an extra-deep 12” skillet over medium heat. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the skillet as you chop.

5. Cut the chicken (fresh or partially defrosted) into bite-size pieces, adding them to the skillet as you cut. Cook, stirring occasionally, while you cut each apple in half and remove the core. Without peeling them, cut the apples into ¼ inch slices. When the apples are sliced, add them to the skillet along with the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms just begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the apple juice, wine, and sugar. Crush the bouillon cube between your fingers or with the back of a spoon and add it to the skillet. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes more.

7. Stir in the mustard and half-and-half. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is warm throughout, about 2 minutes. If you use half-and-half, do NOT let the mixture boil. Serve at once over hot rice.

Review-

This recipe is one of the easiest “fancy” recipes I’ve ever tried. You can make this recipe fairly quickly, with almost no multi-tasking, and yet it comes out with a fancy, restaurant quality taste to it that will keep anyone from doubting your abilities as a cook. This is one recipe that I call an ice-breaker recipe, in that people may not believe you’re going to make this, but once you have, they’re ever so grateful for it. I wouldn’t enter into any professional cooking competitions with this, because it is incredibly simple, but this could probably take a local competition with minimal effort.

This recipe brings together three unlikely flavors in one amazing dish. The taste of the apples, chicken, and that hint of Dijon mustard is anything but bland, and the interesting combination will have you eating more just to keep experiencing it. A must-have in any contemporary recipe book.

Delicious Deviled Eggs

Makes: 16 Deviled Eggs Start to Finish: Under 25 minutes

Ingredients:

· 8 large eggs

· 5 tbsp. regular or reduced-fat mayonnaise

· 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

· 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

· 1/8 tsp. black pepper

· Salt to taste

· Paprika to taste (optional)

1. Place the eggs into a 2-quart or larger saucepan and add cold or lukewarm water until all eggs are covered. Lightly salt. Place pan over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and place eggs in strainer to cool, running lukewarm water over them.

2. In the meantime, put mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and black pepper into a bowl. When the eggs are cool, peel them and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add them to the mayonnaise mixture. Mix together until smooth, seasoning with salt to taste.

3. Spoon the filling into the egg whites. Dust the filled eggs lightly with paprika if using, and serve.

Review-

I’ve been a fan of deviled eggs my entire life, and I have to say that this recipe blows my old method (mayonnaise, yellow mustard, dash of whatever vinegar is around) out of the water. These are stupendous, and will be a big hit at any party or pot luck. The only person who I have had try these that didn’t care for them was my fiancé, who doesn’t like things with mayonnaise as a base ingredient. That said, this recipe works just as well for egg salad, and in whichever form I make it, it’s all gone by the next day. When it comes to sides, you can never go wrong with some nice, delicious deviled eggs.


Apple Butter Guest Recipe & Review by Jill B.
Serves: 6+ Start to Finish: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 large granny smith apples (or baking apples if you want it sweeter)
• 2 cups apple cider
• Cinnamon
• Honey

1.) Put the two cups of apple cider in a pot large enough to accommodate the apples and set on stove to boil

2.) Peel the apples and cut into cubes or smallish pieces

3.) Once the cider is boiling, carefully add the apple pieces. Sprinkle with cinnamon and honey and stir

4.) Turn the heat down to low and cover, simmering gently for an hour. Stir occasionally and add more honey and cinnamon to taste

5.) After an hour, remove the pot from heat and let sit for about ten to fifteen minutes to thicken

6.) To serve, simply dish it into a bowl and enjoy!

Review:

This recipe is one I discovered in a colonial cookbook one Christmas and I decided to give it a shot. It's now a family favorite and requested at all of the family gatherings! Over the years, I've tweaked it, added a few spins of my own (adding the honey and cinnamon in at the beginning for example so the flavor cooks right in), and it's one of the few things that I can cook without screwing it up somehow. So I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and me!

Week Two: Coupons, Mu-Shu Pork and fun Lasagna

At first I was really nervous about starting this blog, but I’ve already received a lot of positive responses from readers, and it’s only week two! I have a bad habit of not finishing things, which is one of the reasons why I love cooking, but as long as I know that people are enjoying this, I’ll keep going. J Thank you all for your support so early on in the game!

Now, this week, I want to talk a little more about menu planning, but from a different angle: Coupons. Every week, my house receives a copy of the Cedar Valley $aver, and in it are coupons from all of our local grocery stores (including the grocery sections of Walmart and sometimes Target). Now, as I understand it, it’s a bit hard to have something like that delivered to a dorm room. In that case, the Sunday paper is a good way to get your coupons if you don’t already have a way (also, if you know of other ways to get a decent number of coupons, please share it as a comment! :D).

However you get them, coupons are a great way to start building a menu. For example, my local Fareway – which already has fantastic prices on meat – often has sales on their supplies of pork. When I see coupons or sales happening in this regard, I know that I can plan to have at least one recipe that uses pork, or whatever else is on sale. This is a great way to save even more money on your groceries, and it can really inspire you if you’re stuck on what to plan for the week. There have been plenty of times when I’ve been stuck, seen an ad for 50% off of some food ingredient or another, and instantly began looking for recipes that use that ingredient. Not only did I have a menu plan that saved me money, but I saved 50% on a key ingredient in one of those meals. It’s even better if the sale is on a vegetable item, such as carrots or celery, as those are used in dinner recipes frequently, and you can build an entire week around those simple ingredients.

Now, speaking of pork…

This Week’s Recipes Are: Mu-Shu Pork, Lasagna Roll-Ups, and Roasted Sweet Corn

Mu-Shu Pork

[Picture to be added]
Serves: 6 Start to Finish: Under 25 Minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 small head (about 1 1/4 pounds) green cabbage (optional)

· 2 medium-size carrots

· 1 pound boneless pork loin chops (about 1 1/2 inches thick), defrosted if frozen

· 2 tablespoons peanut oil or other vegetable oil

· 1 small onion (for about 1/2 cup sliced)

· 8 oz fresh button mushrooms

· 1 small clove fresh garlic, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

· 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger or bottled minced ginger

· 1 bunch scallions (for about 1/2 cup sliced; optional)

· 1/4 cup dry sherry, white wine, or apple juice

· 2 teaspoons cornstarch

· 1/4 cup regular or reduced sodium soy sauce

· 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

· 8 small (7-inch) flour tortillas (optional)

· 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, or more to taste

1. If using cabbage, cut the cabbage in half and remove and discard the tough core. Using a very sharp knife, cut the cabbage into thin shreds. Set aside. If you are not using tortillas, you may want to begin cooking 1 cup of white rice to serve the pork over.

2. Peel the carrots, and shred them on the largest holes of a box grater, or cut them into 1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.

3. Trim any visible fat from the pork chops. Cut the chops length-wise into thin strips about 1/8 inch wide. You may choose to cube the pork. Set aside.

4. Heat the oil in an extra-deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Peel the onion and cut it in half. Cut each half into 1/4-inch-thick crescent-shaped slices, adding them to the skillet as you cut. Rinse, pat dry, and slice the mushrooms, removing any tough stems. Add the mushrooms to the skillet as you slice. Add the pork and cook, tossing and stirring, until the mushrooms just begin to release their liquid, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, and carrots to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 5 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, if using the scallions, slice them, using all of the whites and enough of the tender green tops to make about 1/2 cup. Add them to the skillet.

6. When the pork is cooked through, combine the sherry and the cornstarch in a small container that has a lid (or a ziploc baggy), cover, and shake until the lumps dissolve. Add the mixture to the skillet, along with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook just until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute.

7. Just before serving, put the tortillas (if you choose to use them) on a microwave-safe plate, cover with waxed paper, and microwave on high power for 1 1/2 minutes to warm through.

8. To serve, spread 1/2 teaspoon hoisin sauce (or more to taste) on each tortilla, then top with 1/2 cup of the pork filling. Roll up burrito-style (one end tucked in) and serve at once. Optionally, serve pork over cooked white rice, and use the hoisin as a dipping sauce.

Notes: You can use a 1-pound bag of coleslaw mix instead of the cabbage and carrots. Warehouse club stores usually carry larger bags at much lower prices than the smaller supermarket bags.

Review-

This is one of my favorite Asian styled recipes, next to Beefy Asian Rice (which you will see next week). It was this recipe that taught me that if you’re going to make Asian-styled food, then hoisin, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger are supreme MUST HAVEs. The combination of the flavors with the liquids from the mushrooms (minced finely for those who don’t care for mushrooms) and the pork is incredible! It’s like eating in an Asian restaurant, but with the satisfaction of creating something that seems more complicated than it is. This is another recipe that reheats really well, and I love to make Mu-Shu Pork for my house. In fact, my roommate loves it on the tortillas so much that we would never have tried it over rice if I hadn’t forgotten to write tortillas on my shopping list! However you serve it, this recipe is absolutely delicious, with bold flavors that you won’t regret later. :)

Lasagna Roll-Ups

Photo taken by me

Serves: 5-10 Prep Time: 20-30 minutes Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 box lasagna noodles (NOT the ready to bake noodles)

· 1 lb. tofu, ground beef, or other meat

· Italian seasoning

· 1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese

· 1 12 oz. bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

· 1 to 1 ½ cups of Parmesan cheese

· Pasta sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add about ¼ cup of pasta sauce to the bottom of a 13x9” glass pan, and spread it around the bottom until coated.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese with a fork until all cheeses are well mixed. If using tofu, mix it into the cheese mixture.

3. If using ground meat, brown the meat in a skillet over medium heat, drain, and add it to the cheese mixture, along with 1 cup pasta sauce. This mixture will become your filling.

4. Set a pot of salted water to boil, and then cook your lasagna noodles. Each noodle will be one roll-up, so cook as many as needed from your box. Cook until al dente. Drain, rinse, and lay the noodles flat on a plate so that they remain easy to work with.

5. Spread the filling over one side of a noodle, and roll it up. Place the roll-up into the pan seam-down, and repeat this step for each remaining noodle. When the pan is full (I can fit about 20 into a 13x9” pan), pour the remaining pasta sauce over the roll-ups. Make sure to cover as much of the noodles as possible. If you have extra shredded or parmesan cheese, sprinkle it over the roll-ups.

6. Place the pan into the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for about ten minutes before serving.

Review-

This is a house favorite. If you undercook the noodles a little bit, that’s alright; you can still lay them flat in the pan and make normal lasagna instead! To do that, just layer noodles and filling until you reach the top, and then top with noodles and sauce. The baking time remains the same. :) Also, if you don’t have time to bake them, you can prepare them and refrigerate them, microwaving them as needed. Since any meat inside will be fully cooked, baking isn’t necessary (though it will make your kitchen smell AMAZING).

This is a recipe that takes a little more time, but makes for some amazing leftovers. The roll-ups microwave remarkably well, and can be eaten as a meal or as a snack. If you have time to make this recipe, this is a great selection for the beginning of the week, when you can reheat them anytime throughout the week as leftovers. Also, this recipe is great for serving guests if you have the time, as many will appreciate the fun of lasagna in roll form. Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Corn

photograph by me.

Serves: 4 as a side Start to Finish: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 bag of frozen sweet corn kernels

· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

· Salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the corn kernels in a colander or strainer to partially thaw.

2. Pour the corn onto a cookie sheet, preferably one with a 1” tall edge. Drizzle the oil over the top, and mix the corn with it until thoroughly coated. Press into a single layer.

3. Put the corn into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the corn begins to brown at the edges. When it is finished baking, pull the corn from the oven, let cool for about 5 minutes, and then sprinkle with salt to taste and serve.

Review-

I’ve always loved sweet corn on the cob, and sometimes I like corn kernels as a side. This recipe, however, is a fantastic way to cook frozen corn without losing the flavor or the sweetness of it. My roommate and I made this recipe last week as a side to a chicken soup over rice that I had made. Before the soup was finished, we had eaten most of the tray of corn between the two of us, simply because of how flavorful this recipe is. It would have been embarrassing if it wasn’t so good!

A little bit of salt over top adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the corn, and the full flavor doesn’t get lost like it does when you boil corn. Needless to say, I already have another package of frozen sweet corn kernels in my freezer, and I’m going to be making it again very soon. :)

Week One: Menu Planning, Enchiladas and Egg Sammiches

One of my favorite cookbooks at the moment is "Cheap. Fast. Good!" by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross (the authors of "Desperation Dinners!" and "Desperation Entertaining!"). I bought this book for $7 at my university book and supply store, and never once have I regretted it. Many of my recipes will come from this book, though any that I’ve significantly altered will be renamed for the sake of respect to the authors.

One of the most important things I’ve learned from this book is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on meals every night. At my campus dining centers, dinner costs $9.75 per person. For that much money, I can have a home cooked meal on 5/7 nights of the week (keeping in mind that I cook for myself and three roommates). That’s quite a difference in cost per ounce of food.

How do I pull that off? Well, first I purchase my groceries from Aldi’s, a grocery store that has mostly generic brands as opposed to pricey name brands. Second, I sit down once a week and build a menu for my house. Yes, it sounds corny, but you’d be surprised at how well menu planning works.

Seriously- this week, I want you to sit down with a cookbook or cooking website (I like allrecipes.com), and plan out a 4 to 5 night menu, with plans to have leftovers for at least two nights (more if you’re cooking for just yourself). Be sure to get your roommates involved for better savings, but be prepared to work with their tastes as well. Now, as you’re writing down what recipes to use, be sure to start making your grocery list alongside it, so that you know what you need to buy. If you can find recipes that use ingredients that you already have, all the better!

Having a menu and weekly grocery list DOES make a difference- think of all the money you save by buying small ingredients instead of overpriced final products. The trade off comes down to paying a lot of money for the time that you don’t have to spend cooking, but as anyone who’s been a college student knows, there just isn’t that much money in the wallet to spend on overpriced food. As a college student majoring in Drawing, I have to put as much of my extra money towards art supplies as I can for classes. That on top of rent and utilities adds up fast. I know I’d rather spend $10 a week on delicious hot meals that I don’t have to question the contents of.

Having a distinct grocery list will also help to prevent you from making unnecessary spontaneous purchases (I know all about this, believe you me). Just be sure to have eaten before you go to the grocery store. If you forget to do that, then your mantra for that shopping trip is, “Is it on my list? No? Then I don’t need it.” Trust me, when it comes to limited fridge/freezer space and not enough money, you DON’T want to end up with buyer’s remorse.

This week’s recipes are: Flexible Mexican Filling, Homemade Enchiladas, and Cheesy Egg Sammiches.

"Flexible Mexican Filling,"

found on page 352 of “Cheap. Fast. Good!” This recipe makes about 5 cups, and takes about 20 minutes of prep time.

Ingredients:

· 1 lb. ground beef

· 1 large onion

· 1/2 package (or 2 tbs.) taco seasoning

· 1 can condensed tomato soup

· 2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese

· 1 cup sour cream

1. Place beef in extra deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Begin browning beef, stirring often to break up the meat. Meanwhile, peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the skillet as you chop. Cook, stirring often, until all meat is crumbled and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain any accumulated fat from the skillet.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add taco seasoning and tomato soup and stir until well blended. Add the cheese and stir until it melts, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve at once, or cool and store for future use.

Author's Notes: Flexible Mexican Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for 2 to 3 months. Refrigerate or freeze the filling in 1-cup portions in microwave-safe containers. To defrost, remove the container lid and microwave on the defrost setting according to the manufacturer's instructions. Or defrost the filling in the refrigerator overnight.

Review-

This recipe is one of the most versatile recipes I’ve ever seen. You can use this recipe in enchiladas (seen below), tacos, burritos, and even in quesadillas if you like gooey quesadillas. Not only that, but you can also use this recipe as a homemade nacho dip, or even just eat it by itself (I’ve been caught doing this several times, myself!). And, as another plus, if you have room in your freezer for it, it’ll stay good for three months. How great is that?

Homemade Enchiladas

Photo taken by me.

This recipe serves 4, and takes about 10 minutes of prep time, with 25 minutes of optional baking.

Ingredients:

· Cooking oil spray

· 1/4 cup Flexible Mexican Filling per enchilada, defrosted if frozen; alternatively, 1 lb ground beef

· 4 large (10- to 12-inch) flour tortillas

· 1 can (16 oz) refried black beans or regular refried beans

· 1/2 cup already cooked rice (optional)

· 1 jar (16 oz) mild or hot Mexican-style salsa or taco sauce

· 1/3 cup regular or reduced-fat sour cream (optional)

· 2 tablespoons regular or reduced fat mayonnaise (optional)

· 1/2 cup shredded taco-style, Mexican blend, or Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking oil spray

2. Place the Flexible Mexican Filling in a small microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave on high power until just warm, about 2 minutes. Remove the dish from the microwave oven and set aside. Alternatively, brown the beef in a skillet, seasoning to taste.

3. Assemble the enchiladas by placing ¼ cup of the filling in the center of each flour tortilla, and then spooning one fourth of the refried beans and 2 tablespoons of the rice (if using) over the meat mixture. As you fill each tortilla, fold it up, tucking in one end burrito-style, and place it, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

4. Stir the salsa, sour cream, and mayonnaise together in a bowl and pour this sauce evenly over the enchiladas. A simpler option here is to simply use taco sauce to cover the enchiladas. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake until the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. Baking optional if all ingredients have been properly cooked.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover it, and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the enchiladas. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes. To serve, use a spatula to place an enchilada on each plate.

Review-

This recipe is a personal favorite of mine, especially given that you can make it as simple or as complex as you want. I’ve made this recipe countless times, each time doing something different to suit my mood. For instance, the first time I made this, I followed the recipe to the letter, except for where I forgot to use foil. The enchiladas came out just fine. Since that fateful first attempt, I’ve discovered that you can substitute taco sauce for salsa (we like to use mild, so that it doesn’t overpower the enchilada itself), and that you don’t have to bake this recipe. If you want other kinds of fillings, like green peppers, more onions, black olives, tomatoes, etc;, you can just add them to it, and even if you choose to bake, they’ll be just fine. Bake for the 25 minutes, or even just throw them together and then pop them into the microwave (for 2 minutes or longer for two enchiladas) or not, these make for a fantastic meal or snack!

Cheesy Egg Sammiches

Photo taken by me.

This is for a single serving, and takes a maximum of ten minutes.

Ingredients:

· 2 large eggs

· ¼ cup milk

· tbsp. vegetable oil

· American cheese slices, or alternate cheese

· Two slices of your choice of bread

1. Heat the oil in an 8” skillet. At the same time, mix the eggs and milk together in a bowl with a fork. When the skillet is heated, pour the egg and milk mixture into the skillet.

2. Cook the egg until the bottom begins to solidify, and use a spatula to fold the egg into a half-circle, much like an omelet. Use the spatula to push the egg into the center of the pan, either forming a rectangle or retaining the half-circle shape, and let cook for another minute.

3. Add one cheese slice to the left or right side of the egg, and then use the spatula to fold the egg in half again, covering the cheese slice. Let cook for two minutes, until the center of the egg is solid enough to flip in the skillet. Flip the egg in the skillet, and let cook for another two minutes or so, until the egg is cooked all the way through. Keep in mind that the cheese will ooze as it melts, and this may be mistaken for uncooked egg.

4. When the egg has finished cooking, use the spatula to place it on a slice of bread (toasting optional). Put the second cheese slice on top, followed by any condiments you’d prefer, and the second piece of bread. Let cool for one minute, and then enjoy.

Review-

This is a recipe that my mother taught me, and I still use it to this day. If you have an 8” skillet, the sizing is perfect, but you may use a larger skillet if you’re willing to do some extra folding to make the egg fit on your bread. This recipe is fast, easy, and incredibly cheap. It’s great for a quick, hot breakfast, lunch, or breakfasty dinner. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment and mix things into the egg/milk mixture such as bacon bits, spices, etc; to suit your tastes. :)

Be sure to tune in next Saturday for the next batch of recipes and tips! :D