I am having problems with Google right now, so I will be leaving this site, as it is run by Google. Hillbilly Gormet will live on and I will post an update once I find a new home. I believe that I may try to launch a website, which will give me more flexibility in features and information.
All the best!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Check out this site
I ran across this site and it has some great recipes on it, as well being very budget friendly. I will definitely be incorporating some of the ideas on the site into my recipes!
http://www.helium.com/users/320990/show_articles?channel=22
http://www.helium.com/users/320990/show_articles?channel=22
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sweet Tater Hashbrowns
First off, Hanna was a big no show for us here in the low country! Thank G-d!
Last night, we had cube steak and sweet tater hash browns. They were simple, tasty, nutritious and something different.
You will need two medium white potatoes, peeled and grated, 1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated, 1 medium onion, sliced thinly. I used the box grater on the potatoes, using the large holes. This will give you that familiar shredded potato look. Saute all of this in a large skillet with a little oil of your choice. I also added 1 tablespoon of bacon grease (some people frown on this, so it is optional). Salt, pepper and garlic to taste.
Cook for about 30 minutes on medium high heat, then in the last ten minutes turn your heat to high and brown it all while turning the mixture. Be careful and do not burn it or you will have to trash it and start over.
This made an excellent savory side, but could easily be turned sweet by leaving the onion out and adding brown sugar and cinnamon, then topping with pecans!
The OHGTT gave this two thumbs up and the OHGTT in training was gumming all I would put in her mouth.
All the best!
Last night, we had cube steak and sweet tater hash browns. They were simple, tasty, nutritious and something different.
You will need two medium white potatoes, peeled and grated, 1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated, 1 medium onion, sliced thinly. I used the box grater on the potatoes, using the large holes. This will give you that familiar shredded potato look. Saute all of this in a large skillet with a little oil of your choice. I also added 1 tablespoon of bacon grease (some people frown on this, so it is optional). Salt, pepper and garlic to taste.
Cook for about 30 minutes on medium high heat, then in the last ten minutes turn your heat to high and brown it all while turning the mixture. Be careful and do not burn it or you will have to trash it and start over.
This made an excellent savory side, but could easily be turned sweet by leaving the onion out and adding brown sugar and cinnamon, then topping with pecans!
The OHGTT gave this two thumbs up and the OHGTT in training was gumming all I would put in her mouth.
All the best!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Bean Cakes
With Hanna knocking at our door and the ever present risk of losing power, I am trying to eat as much stuff out of the freezer and refrigerator as possible.
On Sunday, I made a pot of CSA Navy Beans (which were quite tasty!), but as always I had some left over. Tonight for supper, I put them to use.
I took about two cups of beans and mashed them with a fork in a bowl, added black pepper and red pepper flakes, then 1/2 cup of leftover rice. After mixing that, I began adding cornmeal until I had a thick paste. I formed patties out of this and fried them in the cast iron skillet. I used an oil/butter mix to fry them in.
They turned out very well, but I think the addition of an egg would have been good too. They held together for the most part, but add an egg, they will bind a little tighter for you.
I topped them with shredded cheese and served them to the OHGTT, who does not like beans at all. She was unaware of what was in them and thought they were potato cakes. Needless to say, she really like them and was shocked they were made mostly of beans.
A simple reuse of leftovers. You know how much I love it!
All the best
On Sunday, I made a pot of CSA Navy Beans (which were quite tasty!), but as always I had some left over. Tonight for supper, I put them to use.
I took about two cups of beans and mashed them with a fork in a bowl, added black pepper and red pepper flakes, then 1/2 cup of leftover rice. After mixing that, I began adding cornmeal until I had a thick paste. I formed patties out of this and fried them in the cast iron skillet. I used an oil/butter mix to fry them in.
They turned out very well, but I think the addition of an egg would have been good too. They held together for the most part, but add an egg, they will bind a little tighter for you.
I topped them with shredded cheese and served them to the OHGTT, who does not like beans at all. She was unaware of what was in them and thought they were potato cakes. Needless to say, she really like them and was shocked they were made mostly of beans.
A simple reuse of leftovers. You know how much I love it!
All the best
Monday, September 1, 2008
Special Notice, May Be a Hurricane Blowin
As I am sure you have seen, Hanna has now been upgraded to a Category One Hurricane. Her path has her coming to the Southeast coast. With that said, being in Charleston we are getting prepared just in case.
My posts this week will be slim, as we try to get supplies ready and things in order, should evacuation become necessary.
Thank you for understanding and keep cooking, I may need to come for supper this weekend. :)
My posts this week will be slim, as we try to get supplies ready and things in order, should evacuation become necessary.
Thank you for understanding and keep cooking, I may need to come for supper this weekend. :)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Hillbilly R(ice) Cream
Leftover rice, what do you do with it?
In my never ending quest to eat rice in something new, I created a type of cheap and easy ice cream or ice milk if you will.
2 cups cooked rice (can be leftover)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring
3 tablespoons sugar
In a small bowl mix everything together. This should look a bit a thick. After everything is well blended, taste it and alter to your liking. Take a fork and start mashing. The goal is break some of the rice down into a paste. Stir it all again and stick in the freezer.
You will freeze for about 20-30 minutes, making sure you stir every 10 minutes. If you freeze it too long, you will get a glob of frozen rice (YUK). You want it to begin setting up, while at the same time staying loose enough to eat with a spoon.
When it has frozen to the consistency you like, dish it up and serve it. You can garnish with a sprinkling of chocolate powder or sprinkles.
My suggestion would be to mix this up after supper and let it freeze while you are cleaning up the kitchen. Then when you are done, this will be done and you can have a treat for cleaning the kitchen up that night, instead of the next morning. I know you are guilty, aren't we all!
All the best!
In my never ending quest to eat rice in something new, I created a type of cheap and easy ice cream or ice milk if you will.
2 cups cooked rice (can be leftover)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring
3 tablespoons sugar
In a small bowl mix everything together. This should look a bit a thick. After everything is well blended, taste it and alter to your liking. Take a fork and start mashing. The goal is break some of the rice down into a paste. Stir it all again and stick in the freezer.
You will freeze for about 20-30 minutes, making sure you stir every 10 minutes. If you freeze it too long, you will get a glob of frozen rice (YUK). You want it to begin setting up, while at the same time staying loose enough to eat with a spoon.
When it has frozen to the consistency you like, dish it up and serve it. You can garnish with a sprinkling of chocolate powder or sprinkles.
My suggestion would be to mix this up after supper and let it freeze while you are cleaning up the kitchen. Then when you are done, this will be done and you can have a treat for cleaning the kitchen up that night, instead of the next morning. I know you are guilty, aren't we all!
All the best!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
And Now For Something Totally Different!
I have decided to take a break from cooking today. While, this is not something that I will do often, I thought that many of you would enjoy this.
My best friend (who is more like a brother) works for the National Park Service and is currently stationed at Fort Sumter. Today he was able to wrangle a trip for us to the top of Sullivan's Island lighthouse (which just came under control of the park service). For those of you familiar with lighthouses, this is the ugly boxy black and white one.
But the trip to the top was awesome! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to go where few have went before.
Looking up, 156 feet seems high!
I guess we are walking!
Powerful light, can be seen 3 miles out at sea!
Charleston and the Ravenel Bridge from the top.
The Atlantic Ocean and Sullivan's Island Beach from the top.
That's the end of the field trip, back to the kitchen, all of ya!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
2 meals from one cooking
This came about as an effort to cook one time and be able to eat it twice.
Day one:
In a large frying pan, saute 2 diced onions, 3 sliced carrots and 3 sliced celery stalks in oil. As the vegetables become soft, add about 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken (see previous post) and heat until hot. Add seasonings as you like, I used black pepper, salt, butter and red pepper flakes.
In a separate pot, boil 5 cups water and 4 chicken bullion cubes. Add 3 cups of dry egg noodles and cook until soft.
Add one cup of the broth to the frying pan and continue to saute.
Drain the noodles in a bowl, but SAVE the broth, we use it the next day. You should also hold out about 2 cups of the chicken mixture, we need it tomorrow as well.
Serve the chicken mixture over the noodles.
Day 2:
Pour the reserved broth into a pot and add the leftover chicken mixture. You may need to add more vegetables depending on how many people you are trying to feed. Heat until hot. 10 minutes before serving, add a couple handfuls of egg noodles and continue to cook.
If your soup is thick, add additional water to loosen it up.
If you have green onions, garnish with chopped up green onions.
Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or simple toast.
So we cooked a bunch of chicken a few days ago and now have had one supper and one lunch with one bag of it. Of course, this was only two people eating, however you can add additional vegetables, maybe more noodles and stretch this out. Ours was heavy on the chicken, so it definitely could have served 4 people both days.
Day one:
In a large frying pan, saute 2 diced onions, 3 sliced carrots and 3 sliced celery stalks in oil. As the vegetables become soft, add about 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken (see previous post) and heat until hot. Add seasonings as you like, I used black pepper, salt, butter and red pepper flakes.
In a separate pot, boil 5 cups water and 4 chicken bullion cubes. Add 3 cups of dry egg noodles and cook until soft.
Add one cup of the broth to the frying pan and continue to saute.
Drain the noodles in a bowl, but SAVE the broth, we use it the next day. You should also hold out about 2 cups of the chicken mixture, we need it tomorrow as well.
Serve the chicken mixture over the noodles.
Day 2:
Pour the reserved broth into a pot and add the leftover chicken mixture. You may need to add more vegetables depending on how many people you are trying to feed. Heat until hot. 10 minutes before serving, add a couple handfuls of egg noodles and continue to cook.
If your soup is thick, add additional water to loosen it up.
If you have green onions, garnish with chopped up green onions.
Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or simple toast.
So we cooked a bunch of chicken a few days ago and now have had one supper and one lunch with one bag of it. Of course, this was only two people eating, however you can add additional vegetables, maybe more noodles and stretch this out. Ours was heavy on the chicken, so it definitely could have served 4 people both days.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Save money and time
The next time you are in the grocery store and they have chicken on sale, buy as much as your budget will allow. Freeze some, but cook the rest.
I take as many leg quarters as I can get in the crock pot and cook it all day while I am at work. Use water, and some light seasonings if you want, or just cook it on low in plain water.
After supper that night, take the chicken out and separate the meat from the bones. Place the bones in a storage container and freeze for flavoring rice later. As you separate the meat, remove as much fat as you can.
Package enough chicken for one meal in either freezer bags or in containers and freeze.
When you are ready to use it, defrost one of the frozen bags and add it to your dish. This will save you time in preparing the chicken on the busy night you cooking supper. Plus, it will save you money, as it probably will not be on sale when you decide to buy it that week.
This is also very useful for sausage or hamburger meat. You can prepare it ahead of time and freeze it, then use it when you need it.
All the best!
I take as many leg quarters as I can get in the crock pot and cook it all day while I am at work. Use water, and some light seasonings if you want, or just cook it on low in plain water.
After supper that night, take the chicken out and separate the meat from the bones. Place the bones in a storage container and freeze for flavoring rice later. As you separate the meat, remove as much fat as you can.
Package enough chicken for one meal in either freezer bags or in containers and freeze.
When you are ready to use it, defrost one of the frozen bags and add it to your dish. This will save you time in preparing the chicken on the busy night you cooking supper. Plus, it will save you money, as it probably will not be on sale when you decide to buy it that week.
This is also very useful for sausage or hamburger meat. You can prepare it ahead of time and freeze it, then use it when you need it.
All the best!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Easy Bread Pudding
Anytime I think of bread pudding, I always see the stuff on buffets that is made from white bread and is always so soggy and gross.
I have made one that was actually good. This morning I made homemade biscuits for breakfast. As usual we had some left over, so instead of giving them to the dog, I made a bread pudding.
Take your smallest crock pot and line the bottom with leftover biscuits, add 1 to two tablespoons of honey over the biscuits. Spread 1/3 cup raisins over biscuits. Turn it on low heat.
In a large mixing cup, add two cups milk (I used reconstituted), add two tablespoons vanilla flavor, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon sugar. Whisk to blend. Add 3/4 cup coconut and whisk again. Pour this over the biscuits.
Cook for about 1 hour on low and check. The biscuits will absorb the liquid and everything will become thick. This came out with a custard consistency and was very good.
The OHGTT has approved this dish, even though she was skeptic of it. Her exacts words were "The flavor is great". The OHGTT in training absolutely loved it and while only 7 months old she said "gggggggggggejjjjjjkasssssssssjdkhwiqu". Which loosely translates to "GIVE ME MORE!" I expect within in a year, she will be the new OHGTT. :)
I am also interested in trying this with fruit. I believe that if you leave out the coconut and raisins, yet add blueberries, strawberries or peaches it would be great. Should any of you decide to try a variation, please keep me informed.
All the best!
I have made one that was actually good. This morning I made homemade biscuits for breakfast. As usual we had some left over, so instead of giving them to the dog, I made a bread pudding.
Take your smallest crock pot and line the bottom with leftover biscuits, add 1 to two tablespoons of honey over the biscuits. Spread 1/3 cup raisins over biscuits. Turn it on low heat.
In a large mixing cup, add two cups milk (I used reconstituted), add two tablespoons vanilla flavor, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon sugar. Whisk to blend. Add 3/4 cup coconut and whisk again. Pour this over the biscuits.
Cook for about 1 hour on low and check. The biscuits will absorb the liquid and everything will become thick. This came out with a custard consistency and was very good.
The OHGTT has approved this dish, even though she was skeptic of it. Her exacts words were "The flavor is great". The OHGTT in training absolutely loved it and while only 7 months old she said "gggggggggggejjjjjjkasssssssssjdkhwiqu". Which loosely translates to "GIVE ME MORE!" I expect within in a year, she will be the new OHGTT. :)
I am also interested in trying this with fruit. I believe that if you leave out the coconut and raisins, yet add blueberries, strawberries or peaches it would be great. Should any of you decide to try a variation, please keep me informed.
All the best!
Loose Meat Meatloaf
I deconstructed meatloaf to make it easier and faster to fix.
1lb hamburger
1 cup water (with beef cube dissolved)
2 cups frozen peas/carrots
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small diced onion
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 packet meatloaf seasoning
1/4 cup ketchup
Brown the hamburger and then add the onion. Drain most of the grease off, but leave a little in the pan. Add the water, tomato sauce, seasoning and peas/carrots. Cook until the peas and carrots are hot, add the oatmeal and the ketchup. This will thicken your meat mixture and make it scoopable.
Serve over rice and add a side of your choice or make mashed potatoes.
This was very good and I didn't have to heat up the house with the oven to make it.
As a variation, you could leave the oatmeal out, add a couple cups of a cooked pasta, 1 to 2 cups of cheese and you have a homemade version of that boxed helper stuff!
1lb hamburger
1 cup water (with beef cube dissolved)
2 cups frozen peas/carrots
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small diced onion
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 packet meatloaf seasoning
1/4 cup ketchup
Brown the hamburger and then add the onion. Drain most of the grease off, but leave a little in the pan. Add the water, tomato sauce, seasoning and peas/carrots. Cook until the peas and carrots are hot, add the oatmeal and the ketchup. This will thicken your meat mixture and make it scoopable.
Serve over rice and add a side of your choice or make mashed potatoes.
This was very good and I didn't have to heat up the house with the oven to make it.
As a variation, you could leave the oatmeal out, add a couple cups of a cooked pasta, 1 to 2 cups of cheese and you have a homemade version of that boxed helper stuff!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
New Poll
On the right, you will see a new poll. I wanted to draw attention to something I have noticed in my discussions with people. Most people have a very limited base of recipes that they use. Even though those same people have a shelf full of cookbooks, they still stick with those basic recipes.
As an example, one person I was talking to told me that it was Tuesday and that meant meatloaf. I asked why was Tuesday meatloaf day and he explained that each day of the week was a certain food that his family liked and it was always planned that way.
I further questioned him and asked if they ever tried new things and he stated that they didn't eat new things. They knew what they liked and they didn't need anything new. HOW DO PEOPLE LIVE LIKE THIS?
Jenn and I eat new things on almost a daily basis. Most of our suppers are things we think up while standing in the kitchen. I didn't even keep track of ingredients until I started this blog. Many times I make something and then can never recreate it, just because I don't remember everything I put in it. This is part of the adventure and I think it is great.
Think about what you fix your family and then vote in the poll on the right. I am interested in seeing how many people are stuck in that 1960's mentality that the schedule should never change.
All the best!
As an example, one person I was talking to told me that it was Tuesday and that meant meatloaf. I asked why was Tuesday meatloaf day and he explained that each day of the week was a certain food that his family liked and it was always planned that way.
I further questioned him and asked if they ever tried new things and he stated that they didn't eat new things. They knew what they liked and they didn't need anything new. HOW DO PEOPLE LIVE LIKE THIS?
Jenn and I eat new things on almost a daily basis. Most of our suppers are things we think up while standing in the kitchen. I didn't even keep track of ingredients until I started this blog. Many times I make something and then can never recreate it, just because I don't remember everything I put in it. This is part of the adventure and I think it is great.
Think about what you fix your family and then vote in the poll on the right. I am interested in seeing how many people are stuck in that 1960's mentality that the schedule should never change.
All the best!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tomato and Onion Salad
This is quite tasty!
1 large tomato, seeded and cut in bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, cut in bite sized pieces
In a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup olive oil and then add vinegar to make it to 1/3 cup. Use any vinegar you like or have, red/white wine vinegar works best. Whisk in 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon honey.
Pour the liquid over the vegetables and chill for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better will allow the onions to mellow out more and they won't be as strong as a freshly cut raw onion.
If you are not much on vinegar you can cut the amount you put in or if you really like it add more.
All the best!
1 large tomato, seeded and cut in bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, cut in bite sized pieces
In a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup olive oil and then add vinegar to make it to 1/3 cup. Use any vinegar you like or have, red/white wine vinegar works best. Whisk in 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon honey.
Pour the liquid over the vegetables and chill for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better will allow the onions to mellow out more and they won't be as strong as a freshly cut raw onion.
If you are not much on vinegar you can cut the amount you put in or if you really like it add more.
All the best!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Vanilla Infused Sweet Potatoes
I had these as a side dish at Outback, so I had to recreate it at home.
Couple large sweet potatoes, baked until soft.
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Peel the potatoes and place the soft insides in a bowl, mash them with all the other ingredients until smooth. Plate and add a little more pecans to the top.
If you are making a large bowl of these to feed more than 4 people, you will want to add extra ingredients. I would also recommend that you alter the vanilla to suit your tastes.
These were superb!
Rich
Couple large sweet potatoes, baked until soft.
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Peel the potatoes and place the soft insides in a bowl, mash them with all the other ingredients until smooth. Plate and add a little more pecans to the top.
If you are making a large bowl of these to feed more than 4 people, you will want to add extra ingredients. I would also recommend that you alter the vanilla to suit your tastes.
These were superb!
Rich
Friday, August 15, 2008
Crock Pot Safety
As I constantly read cookbooks and websites to get new ideas, I keep running across something that bothers me immensely.
Most crock pot recipes state to add your ingredients, then turn the cooker on low. Sounds right.
However, think about this: My cookers take a while to come to cooking temperature. Therefore, if I have raw chicken in there, it is basically laying there for an hour, not doing anything. Would you lay it on the counter for an hour?
According to www.crock-pot.com, "Cooking meats in your Crock-Pot® slow cooker is perfectly safe. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bacteria in food is killed at a temperature of 165°F. Meats cooked in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker reach an internal temperature of 170° in beef and as high as 190°F in poultry. It is important to follow the recommended cooking times and to keep the cover on your slow cooker during the cooking process." I still don't like the idea of raw meat laying there while the cooker heats up.
My suggestion is to turn your cooker on low and add your liquids, while you are preparing everything else. That way when the raw meat hits the liquid, it is at least starting to get hot.
This may be paranoia, but for the fear of the food police, I think it is a great idea.
Most crock pot recipes state to add your ingredients, then turn the cooker on low. Sounds right.
However, think about this: My cookers take a while to come to cooking temperature. Therefore, if I have raw chicken in there, it is basically laying there for an hour, not doing anything. Would you lay it on the counter for an hour?
According to www.crock-pot.com, "Cooking meats in your Crock-Pot® slow cooker is perfectly safe. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bacteria in food is killed at a temperature of 165°F. Meats cooked in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker reach an internal temperature of 170° in beef and as high as 190°F in poultry. It is important to follow the recommended cooking times and to keep the cover on your slow cooker during the cooking process." I still don't like the idea of raw meat laying there while the cooker heats up.
My suggestion is to turn your cooker on low and add your liquids, while you are preparing everything else. That way when the raw meat hits the liquid, it is at least starting to get hot.
This may be paranoia, but for the fear of the food police, I think it is a great idea.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Ginger Beef and Broccoli
Sorry I am on this crock pot kick, but I am working nights, so I am trying to make it easy on the OHGTT.
4-5 minute steaks (or any cheap cut of meat you have)
2 cups of frozen broccoli
2 beef bullion cubes
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt/pepper to taste
Turn your crock pot on low and add the bullion cubes and two cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Add the meat, ginger, cumin and garlic. Make sure the meat is covered, you may need to add more HOT water.
Cook for 5-7 hours or longer if you need to. (Mine cooked for 9 hours before we ate it.) Add the broccoli about one hour before you serve.
Put your rice on 20 minutes before you are ready to eat.
Easy and CHEAP meal ready when you come home from work!
Again, this was stuff we already had here, so I got two more things out of the freezer! Hooray!
4-5 minute steaks (or any cheap cut of meat you have)
2 cups of frozen broccoli
2 beef bullion cubes
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt/pepper to taste
Turn your crock pot on low and add the bullion cubes and two cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Add the meat, ginger, cumin and garlic. Make sure the meat is covered, you may need to add more HOT water.
Cook for 5-7 hours or longer if you need to. (Mine cooked for 9 hours before we ate it.) Add the broccoli about one hour before you serve.
Put your rice on 20 minutes before you are ready to eat.
Easy and CHEAP meal ready when you come home from work!
Again, this was stuff we already had here, so I got two more things out of the freezer! Hooray!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Mexican Chicken, use the crock pot!
Mexican Chicken in the Crock-Pot
For this, I did another clean out the fridge deal.
Utilizing leftover frozen chicken and stuff we had in the freezer and cabinets.
I took a cup of chopped chicken, one can of tomatoes w/ chilies, 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables and cooked this in the crock pot today. I added a tablespoon of chili powder, half a cup of taco sauce and half a cup of salsa, mixed that in. Then I tinkered with the seasonings to suite me and the OHGTT, adding cumin, pepper, salt, A-1 sauce and garlic powder.
I also put on a pot of beans and a pot of rice. When the rice was done, I mixed 2 cups of cooked rice into the crock pot. The beans were served on the side.
I cut a few tortillas into wedges and baked them in the oven at 450 for 10 minutes. They became crispy and made a great bread to eat with this.
Top with cheese and sour cream and serve it up!
For this, I did another clean out the fridge deal.
Utilizing leftover frozen chicken and stuff we had in the freezer and cabinets.
I took a cup of chopped chicken, one can of tomatoes w/ chilies, 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables and cooked this in the crock pot today. I added a tablespoon of chili powder, half a cup of taco sauce and half a cup of salsa, mixed that in. Then I tinkered with the seasonings to suite me and the OHGTT, adding cumin, pepper, salt, A-1 sauce and garlic powder.
I also put on a pot of beans and a pot of rice. When the rice was done, I mixed 2 cups of cooked rice into the crock pot. The beans were served on the side.
I cut a few tortillas into wedges and baked them in the oven at 450 for 10 minutes. They became crispy and made a great bread to eat with this.
Top with cheese and sour cream and serve it up!
All the best!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Soak the beans
Do you soak your dry beans before you cook them? If you are using a crock pot, there is no need to do this. They will soak as they cook and turn out fine. However, if you don't have the time or find yourself in the situation I did today, both crock pots are being used for dinner, there is a simple way I have found to soak the beans.
Place your dry beans in a colander that will fit in a big bowl. Wash the beans under running water in the sink (while in the colander), then place the colander in the bowl. Boil enough water to cover the beans and pour it over the beans.
They will soak while in the colander, then when you are ready to put them in the pot, simply pick the colander up and pour them in your pot.
This will prevent you from having to fish them out of the bowl or making a mess by pouring the water/bean mix through the colander. It keeps everything neat and tidy and saves you a bit of time.
All the best!
Place your dry beans in a colander that will fit in a big bowl. Wash the beans under running water in the sink (while in the colander), then place the colander in the bowl. Boil enough water to cover the beans and pour it over the beans.
They will soak while in the colander, then when you are ready to put them in the pot, simply pick the colander up and pour them in your pot.
This will prevent you from having to fish them out of the bowl or making a mess by pouring the water/bean mix through the colander. It keeps everything neat and tidy and saves you a bit of time.
All the best!
Green Tea Cheesecake
This recipe came about as a request from a loyal Hillbilly Gormet reader.
When I was first asked to make a green tea and mint cheesecake, I thought yuck! Then when I researched it a bit, green tea leaves are actually consumed in many oriental cultures on a regular basis. I was up for the challenge. I then discovered there are hundreds of green tea cheesecake recipes on the web, so I have created this one to keep it in line with the cheap and easy theme we have going here.
1 package softened cream cheese
½ cup sweet, thick milk (see instructions below)
1/3 cup green tea prepared
1/3 cup chopped green tea leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tub whipped topping thawed
1 prepared graham cracker pie crust
To make the milk mixture, use ½ cup water, ½ cup dry milk powder and 2 tablespoons sugar. Wisk until well mixed, if you have some left over, put it in the fridge and use with your coffee tomorrow morning.
Start by creaming the cheese and sugar in a mixer. When this becomes smooth and fluffy, add the milk and liquid green tea. Mix for a few moments and it will be runny. Add the leaves and honey. After this is mixed well, remove the mixer and fold in your whipped topping. Now that your mixture is well combined pour in the crust, I used the left over chopped leaves to garnish the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
I used loose leaf green tea for this, because I drink green tea regularly and enjoy the whole tea ceremony experience (see the internet for more information on this). You absolutely could use tea bags for this and then after brewing, cut the bag open and pour that in the mix. Just make sure you do not have stems in there. Some tea manufactures mix stems into the bags (if you see one, pick it out).
A variation to this would be to leave the honey out and add ½ teaspoon of mint extract.
The OHGTT tasted this today on lunch and said, "This is actually pretty good and not disgusting like I thought".
I will have a picture of this up tonight.
When I was first asked to make a green tea and mint cheesecake, I thought yuck! Then when I researched it a bit, green tea leaves are actually consumed in many oriental cultures on a regular basis. I was up for the challenge. I then discovered there are hundreds of green tea cheesecake recipes on the web, so I have created this one to keep it in line with the cheap and easy theme we have going here.
1 package softened cream cheese
½ cup sweet, thick milk (see instructions below)
1/3 cup green tea prepared
1/3 cup chopped green tea leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tub whipped topping thawed
1 prepared graham cracker pie crust
To make the milk mixture, use ½ cup water, ½ cup dry milk powder and 2 tablespoons sugar. Wisk until well mixed, if you have some left over, put it in the fridge and use with your coffee tomorrow morning.
Start by creaming the cheese and sugar in a mixer. When this becomes smooth and fluffy, add the milk and liquid green tea. Mix for a few moments and it will be runny. Add the leaves and honey. After this is mixed well, remove the mixer and fold in your whipped topping. Now that your mixture is well combined pour in the crust, I used the left over chopped leaves to garnish the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
I used loose leaf green tea for this, because I drink green tea regularly and enjoy the whole tea ceremony experience (see the internet for more information on this). You absolutely could use tea bags for this and then after brewing, cut the bag open and pour that in the mix. Just make sure you do not have stems in there. Some tea manufactures mix stems into the bags (if you see one, pick it out).
A variation to this would be to leave the honey out and add ½ teaspoon of mint extract.
The OHGTT tasted this today on lunch and said, "This is actually pretty good and not disgusting like I thought".
I will have a picture of this up tonight.
Monday, August 11, 2008
More fun with leftovers
Today for lunch, I cleaned out the fridge.
We had the leftover pinwheels from last night. But to change them a bit, I made a quick cheese sauce from a half jar of queso, several spoonfuls of salsa and two spoonfuls of sour cream. As it heated, it turned into a creamy spicy cheese sauce to pour over the pinwheels. I then put another dab of sour cream on top for garnish.
So in making lunch today, I cleaned 3 more containers out of the fridge. As I stated in the first Fun with Leftovers tip, you must change the leftovers into a new dish to keep the family eating them. No one wants to eat the same thing over and over again.
The OHGTT gave this one an awesome rating.
All the best!
We had the leftover pinwheels from last night. But to change them a bit, I made a quick cheese sauce from a half jar of queso, several spoonfuls of salsa and two spoonfuls of sour cream. As it heated, it turned into a creamy spicy cheese sauce to pour over the pinwheels. I then put another dab of sour cream on top for garnish.
So in making lunch today, I cleaned 3 more containers out of the fridge. As I stated in the first Fun with Leftovers tip, you must change the leftovers into a new dish to keep the family eating them. No one wants to eat the same thing over and over again.
The OHGTT gave this one an awesome rating.
All the best!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Italian Eggplant
Tonight we had Hamburger Pinwheels from HillbillyHousewife.com. As a side, I made a simple Hillbilly Gormet Italian eggplant, from the leftover eggplant on spaghetti night.
½ medium eggplant diced
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small onion diced
1 beef bullion cube dissolved in ½ cup water
1/4 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon rosemary
½ cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup of oatmeal
In a small casserole dish, mix everything together. Bake for 35 minutes at 350. If you want to add cheese to the top in the last 5 minutes and allow it to melt, get brown and bubbly.
The oatmeal will give this a bit of a thick texture; leave it out if you want a runny sauce. I was also thinking you could the oatmeal out and run this through the processor or blender and get a great tomato/eggplant soup.
As is, it would also be great over pasta!
Turned out quite tasty for something I threw together from the panty and the fridge!
½ medium eggplant diced
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small onion diced
1 beef bullion cube dissolved in ½ cup water
1/4 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon rosemary
½ cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup of oatmeal
In a small casserole dish, mix everything together. Bake for 35 minutes at 350. If you want to add cheese to the top in the last 5 minutes and allow it to melt, get brown and bubbly.
The oatmeal will give this a bit of a thick texture; leave it out if you want a runny sauce. I was also thinking you could the oatmeal out and run this through the processor or blender and get a great tomato/eggplant soup.
As is, it would also be great over pasta!
Turned out quite tasty for something I threw together from the panty and the fridge!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Easy pan stuffing
This is a simple stuffing that I make with turkey and chicken on a regular basis.
1 medium onion
2 apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 cups chicken stock
3 to 4 cornbread muffins
Start by sauteing a chopped onion in a little olive oil. When it becomes soft, add two chopped apples (Granny Smith works best), cook this for 10 - 15 minutes. Crumble the cornbread into the pan and pour in chicken stock (or 2 cups of chicken bullion made stock). Add a half cup of dried cranberries or raisins.
As you cook this, the cornbread will absorb the stock and the flavors. Cook for 10 more minutes and you are ready to serve.
We eat this with pork chops, turkey and chicken. It takes very little time and is relatively cheap to make.
All the best!
1 medium onion
2 apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 cups chicken stock
3 to 4 cornbread muffins
Start by sauteing a chopped onion in a little olive oil. When it becomes soft, add two chopped apples (Granny Smith works best), cook this for 10 - 15 minutes. Crumble the cornbread into the pan and pour in chicken stock (or 2 cups of chicken bullion made stock). Add a half cup of dried cranberries or raisins.
As you cook this, the cornbread will absorb the stock and the flavors. Cook for 10 more minutes and you are ready to serve.
We eat this with pork chops, turkey and chicken. It takes very little time and is relatively cheap to make.
All the best!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Great recipes
In my never ending search for ideas, I am constantly searching the Internet to see how people cook. I then take all the information I learn and use it to create new culinary experiences for my family.
The link below is one of the best gravy recipes I have ever seen. I LOVE any recipe that is not afraid to break out the bacon grease! This gravy would make Paula Deen proud, now if only Ms. Fillers would add a pound of butter to her gravy. :)
In addition to the gravy, she has a lot of other recipes and some interesting articles on her site.
http://www.helium.com/items/720053-how-to-make-a-good-lump-free-gravy
The link below is one of the best gravy recipes I have ever seen. I LOVE any recipe that is not afraid to break out the bacon grease! This gravy would make Paula Deen proud, now if only Ms. Fillers would add a pound of butter to her gravy. :)
In addition to the gravy, she has a lot of other recipes and some interesting articles on her site.
http://www.helium.com/items/720053-how-to-make-a-good-lump-free-gravy
CSA Navy Beans
I made this as a side dish, but after looking at it, it could easily be converted into a full meal. Therefore, the listings below are to be expected for 4-8 servings.
1 bag of navy beans (dry)
1 pound sausage (I used mild, because that is what we had)
1 medium onion (diced)
4 beef bouillon cubes
6 cups of boiling water
Wash and rinse your beans, then soak them in HOT water while you fry the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks.
While the sausage is frying, put the bullion cubes in a crock pot and add the boiling water. Add the onion.
When the sausage is cooked, add it and a little of the grease to the crock pot, then add the beans.
Cook this on low for at least 4-5 hours, up to 8-9 hours. This will allow the beans to fully cook and all the flavors to combine. You may need to add more water, if they appear to be drying out.
This is a really cheap meal, about $3.00 if you buy store brand beans and sausage. And if you are like us, we would eat this at least twice, maybe 3 times, so it could potentially be brought down to $1.00 per serving. Not too bad!
The official HGTT actually ate this (she doesn't like beans) and even said, it was pretty good. I thought it was awesome!
All the best!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Eggplant Spaghetti
Jenn wanted spaghetti tonight, but she doesn't like meaty sauces. I like meaty sauces. See the problem here?
My solution to this was eggplant. I decided on fried eggplant with spaghetti over it. The eggplant cost $1.50, which is a CHEAP alternative to meat.
Prepare your spaghetti as you normally would.
Cut your eggplant into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Use standard breading procedures. (Into flour, then into egg and then into bread crumbs). When I prepared my bread crumbs, I discovered I did not have enough, so I added dry oatmeal, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese. The oatmeal added some bulk to the crumbs and made it a bit healthier.
Fry these or bake them. When they are golden brown and delicious, put them on a plate and top with your spaghetti.
Serve with salad and a bread if you wish, but this is a hearty meal that really does not need the bread.
You will notice that I did not include measurements, depending on how many pieces you are frying will determine how much you need. For every 6 pieces plan on 1 and a half cups of flour and bread crumbs each.
The eggplant will soften and become creamy in the center as it cooks. The skin will stay firm and delicious. You can change this by frying your eggplant and then adding sauce and cheese on top for a classic Eggplant Parmesan.
All the best!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Frozen Sweet Rice Balls
Get the rice out of the fridge. (Remember we discussed yesterday you were saving it for today).
You will need about 2 cups of rice for this dessert, that will make 8 balls (about the size of a ping pong ball).
Heat the rice in the microwave for 1 minute, then dump into a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of flaked coconut and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix it up with your hands. You should get a slightly runny mixture.
Take a sheet pan and put a sheet of waxed paper on it.
Using your hands form the rice into balls. You will probably need to squeeze some of the liquid out as you make each one, if it falls apart, add more coconut. These will be very loose.
Place each ball on the pan until you have made all you are making and place in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes. This will allow them to harden up a bit.
I love them just like this, but you can coat them in chocolate, add peanut butter on top, sprinkle them with nuts or toasted sesame seeds before freezing. Use your imagination.
These are a cheap and different way to use up leftover rice.
Hillbilly Ginger Chicken and Broccoli
We went oriental tonight, or at least my take on it. I used the chicken nuggets and broccoli from July's Angel Food menu on this one.
Put on a pot of rice. It will be finished at about the same time this dinner is.
4 cups of breaded chicken nuggets (not sure the weight, I just dumped them out).
2 cups of frozen broccoli
3 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
Begin by heating your pan and oil over medium high heat. Brown the chicken in the oil.
While the chicken is browning, in a small bowl, combine:
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of garlic
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 cups boiling water
Set this aside.
Take your browned chicken out of the pan and lay on a paper towel to drain. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the butter and the flour. Cook this for one minute and mash the lumps out of it. This will form the thickener for the sauce.
Pour the bowl mixture into the pan and add the broccoli. Cook this over medium high heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Add your chicken, and make sure it is coated in the sauce. The sauce will absorb into the crispy coating on the chicken.
You are done and ready to serve. Fluff the rice (you didn't forget the rice did you? I told you to put it on first) and serve the chicken and broccoli over the rice.
The official HGTT enjoyed this meal tonight and said she was surprised. When I first told her what I was doing, I believe she was thinking "hooray pizza night". (That is our backup plan when I create a new recipe, if it is bad, we throw it out and order pizza).
After dinner, take the left over rice and place it in a covered container in the fridge. Tomorrow we make a very tasty dessert out of it.
All the best!
Sweet Taters and Onions
Weird sounding, I know, but you have to trust me on this one. This is probably the best side dish I have ever made!
2 sweet potatoes
1 large onion
2 tablespoons oil (I prefer olive, but use what you got)
Salt, pepper
Peel and cube your sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces. Peel and cut your onion into bite sized pieces.
Heat your pan and the oil over medium high heat. Toss in the sweet potatoes and the onion in and saute until they are soft and slightly brown. Salt and Pepper to taste.
This is a great side for most anything, but we usually eat it with chicken or turkey. I also add an apple into the mix to change the flavor occasionally.
2 sweet potatoes
1 large onion
2 tablespoons oil (I prefer olive, but use what you got)
Salt, pepper
Peel and cube your sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces. Peel and cut your onion into bite sized pieces.
Heat your pan and the oil over medium high heat. Toss in the sweet potatoes and the onion in and saute until they are soft and slightly brown. Salt and Pepper to taste.
This is a great side for most anything, but we usually eat it with chicken or turkey. I also add an apple into the mix to change the flavor occasionally.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Chicken and Sweet Potato Sheppard's Pie
This is going to be a take on a Sheppard's Pie (which is beef and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes and baked). For my version, we will use chicken and sweet potatoes.
I cooked fresh chicken and potatoes for this, but you could certainly use leftovers.
2 chicken breasts
2 large sized sweet potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of mixed vegetables (drained)
2 tablespoons of butter
salt, pepper to taste
2 cups of pecans (pieces or ground)
Cook you chicken and remove the meat from the bones, set aside. (Put the bones in the freezer to season your rice later). Chop the chicken into small pieces.
Cook the sweet potatoes, (I baked mine, but you could boil or even steam them), remove the skins and mash them with 2 tablespoons of butter.
In a casserole dish, mix your chicken, vegetables, soup, salt and pepper. Sprinkle a thin layer of the pecans over this layer, then pile the potatoes on top and smooth out.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, You will know it is done when the liquid starts bubbling to the top. Pour the rest of the pecans over the top and bake for another 5 minutes.
Dish out and enjoy!
The official Hillbilly Gormet taste tester approved of this recipe. Although she suggested chopped sauteed onion mixed into the base layer.
I cooked fresh chicken and potatoes for this, but you could certainly use leftovers.
2 chicken breasts
2 large sized sweet potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of mixed vegetables (drained)
2 tablespoons of butter
salt, pepper to taste
2 cups of pecans (pieces or ground)
Cook you chicken and remove the meat from the bones, set aside. (Put the bones in the freezer to season your rice later). Chop the chicken into small pieces.
Cook the sweet potatoes, (I baked mine, but you could boil or even steam them), remove the skins and mash them with 2 tablespoons of butter.
In a casserole dish, mix your chicken, vegetables, soup, salt and pepper. Sprinkle a thin layer of the pecans over this layer, then pile the potatoes on top and smooth out.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, You will know it is done when the liquid starts bubbling to the top. Pour the rest of the pecans over the top and bake for another 5 minutes.
Dish out and enjoy!
The official Hillbilly Gormet taste tester approved of this recipe. Although she suggested chopped sauteed onion mixed into the base layer.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Angel Food is a good thing
Greetings on this first day of August.
I know I haven't been as active in posting as I should be, but with school, work and the baby, I am busy! So with that said, I am going to be more proactive this month and attempt for something new to be up everyday.
Today's entry will be about the Angel Food Ministries program.
If you are on this site you are either related to me or interested in saving money in the kitchen. With that said, the Angel Food program is an awesome way of doing that.
I encourage you to go to the website and see if it is a fit for you. My guess is yes. It is not welfare or public assistance, more of a private social program that reaches out to save people money on food.
Jennifer and I have done this for the past two months and it is truly a blessing. With the Angel Food we have bought (yes you have to pay for it), it has allowed us to spend less on food at the grocery store and more on gas (that being a different blog).
All of the food that you receive is restaurant quality and so far we have not gotten anything that wasn't good. However, this month we received a mushroom pizza (neither of us like mushrooms).
I encourage you to check out the website and go for it. At least try it for a month, if you won't eat what you get, you can always donate it to a food bank.
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
All the best,
I know I haven't been as active in posting as I should be, but with school, work and the baby, I am busy! So with that said, I am going to be more proactive this month and attempt for something new to be up everyday.
Today's entry will be about the Angel Food Ministries program.
If you are on this site you are either related to me or interested in saving money in the kitchen. With that said, the Angel Food program is an awesome way of doing that.
I encourage you to go to the website and see if it is a fit for you. My guess is yes. It is not welfare or public assistance, more of a private social program that reaches out to save people money on food.
Jennifer and I have done this for the past two months and it is truly a blessing. With the Angel Food we have bought (yes you have to pay for it), it has allowed us to spend less on food at the grocery store and more on gas (that being a different blog).
All of the food that you receive is restaurant quality and so far we have not gotten anything that wasn't good. However, this month we received a mushroom pizza (neither of us like mushrooms).
I encourage you to check out the website and go for it. At least try it for a month, if you won't eat what you get, you can always donate it to a food bank.
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/
All the best,
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Fried Bananas with Peanut Butter Sauce
I came up with this dessert one night, when we had nothing sweet in the house.
Take a couple bananas and peel, then cut them in halves. Fry these in some butter, until soft and brown.
While the bananas are browning, put 1 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a saucepan. Heat this and melt the peanut butter, stir continuously, until a smooth sauce is formed.
Plate your 'nanners and pour the sauce over them. If you want to add another flavor, you can put a couple spoonfuls of jelly or ice cream on the plate.
I am not a big peanut butter in a recipe type person, but this is awesome every time I make it.
Enjoy!
Take a couple bananas and peel, then cut them in halves. Fry these in some butter, until soft and brown.
While the bananas are browning, put 1 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a saucepan. Heat this and melt the peanut butter, stir continuously, until a smooth sauce is formed.
Plate your 'nanners and pour the sauce over them. If you want to add another flavor, you can put a couple spoonfuls of jelly or ice cream on the plate.
I am not a big peanut butter in a recipe type person, but this is awesome every time I make it.
Enjoy!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Support
Greetings all,
While I do not intend for this project to ever become a commercial venture, I am using the ads on the right hand side to help buy baby formula. If you enjoy the site and are feeling generous, give them a click. It helps me a lot!
thanks and best wishes!
While I do not intend for this project to ever become a commercial venture, I am using the ads on the right hand side to help buy baby formula. If you enjoy the site and are feeling generous, give them a click. It helps me a lot!
thanks and best wishes!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Cream of Wheat Pie? CRAZY!
I have begun to do some experimenting on Sunday’s. A couple nights ago, I started thinking about pies. If someone can make a pie out of oatmeal, I can make one out of Cream of Wheat! So today was the day……
Cream of Wheat Pie
2 cups of water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of Cream of Wheat
¼ teaspoon salt
1 16oz can fruit cocktail in light syrup
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 deep dish pie crust (frozen)
Boil your water in a pot; add Cream of Wheat and salt. Cook for 2 minutes and add the fruit and cinnamon. Cook for 2 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs. You must temper your eggs. SLOWLY add ½ cup of the hot mixture into the eggs while you are whisking. This will bring the eggs up to the same temperature. If you do not do this, you will end up with scrambled eggs in the middle of your pie! YUCK!
Add the eggs to the pot and stir.
Transfer the mixture into the pie crust and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
If the pie seems a bit runny, you can either cook it for another 10 minutes or allow it to sit for a few minutes before you serve it. It will thicken more as it cools. If you choose to cook it more, be careful you don’t burn the crust.
More than likely the top will not brown like a traditional pie. You could brush the top with melted butter as it firms up in the oven and that would help brown it a little.
The official HillbillyGormet taste tester (aka my wife) has approved of this pie. As a plus, this would be great for breakfast, since it is a breakfast cereal and it has fruit in it. No need to have that guilty feeling.
Of course, you can change it with any fruit or applesauce. I may get brave one day and add vegetables to see if I can make a great side dish with it. Imagine the looks on children’s faces when a pie is placed on the table and asparagus or broccoli is in it!
Cream of Wheat Pie
2 cups of water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of Cream of Wheat
¼ teaspoon salt
1 16oz can fruit cocktail in light syrup
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 deep dish pie crust (frozen)
Boil your water in a pot; add Cream of Wheat and salt. Cook for 2 minutes and add the fruit and cinnamon. Cook for 2 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs. You must temper your eggs. SLOWLY add ½ cup of the hot mixture into the eggs while you are whisking. This will bring the eggs up to the same temperature. If you do not do this, you will end up with scrambled eggs in the middle of your pie! YUCK!
Add the eggs to the pot and stir.
Transfer the mixture into the pie crust and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
If the pie seems a bit runny, you can either cook it for another 10 minutes or allow it to sit for a few minutes before you serve it. It will thicken more as it cools. If you choose to cook it more, be careful you don’t burn the crust.
More than likely the top will not brown like a traditional pie. You could brush the top with melted butter as it firms up in the oven and that would help brown it a little.
The official HillbillyGormet taste tester (aka my wife) has approved of this pie. As a plus, this would be great for breakfast, since it is a breakfast cereal and it has fruit in it. No need to have that guilty feeling.
Of course, you can change it with any fruit or applesauce. I may get brave one day and add vegetables to see if I can make a great side dish with it. Imagine the looks on children’s faces when a pie is placed on the table and asparagus or broccoli is in it!
Cheap and Easy Chicken and Dumplins
This is a super easy and super cheap recipe that has been in my family for a long time.
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 small can of the cheapest biscuits you can find. These are the ones that bake to about the size of a hockey puck!
Prepare soup as directed on can. When it starts getting hot, tear the raw biscuits into small pieces and throw them in the pot. The biscuits will plump as they are done.
That's it. Serve it up and enjoy. As listed above it will serve two people, but can be easily doubled to feed 4 or 2 super hungry people.
This costs about $1.00 to make. You can usually find the biscuits on sale for 4/$1.00 and the cost of the soup.
We eat this at least once a week, it is a quick meal when we get home late!
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 small can of the cheapest biscuits you can find. These are the ones that bake to about the size of a hockey puck!
Prepare soup as directed on can. When it starts getting hot, tear the raw biscuits into small pieces and throw them in the pot. The biscuits will plump as they are done.
That's it. Serve it up and enjoy. As listed above it will serve two people, but can be easily doubled to feed 4 or 2 super hungry people.
This costs about $1.00 to make. You can usually find the biscuits on sale for 4/$1.00 and the cost of the soup.
We eat this at least once a week, it is a quick meal when we get home late!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Corn and Mango Salad
Since we are in the heat of summer, I thought a refreshing and cool salad would be in order today. I came up with this on my way home from work today and it is awesome!Corn and Mango Salad
1 bag Frozen Corn (Thaw it out)
2 plum tomatoes (or 1 medium sized tomato) Diced
2 Fresh Mangos diced
1 Cubanelle pepper sliced thin
2 small red peppers (hot, medium, mild, use what you want)
1 teaspoon of garlic
1 teaspoon of cilantro or Italian Seasoning
Dress with olive oil and vinegar to taste (I used white wine vinegar, but use what you got)
There is a thin pit that runs through the middle of the mangos. Slice off the sides and then you should be able to slice off the small strips left over. Peel and dice all of the flesh.
Dice your tomatoes, remove the seeds and get rid of the liquid.
Slice the peppers in thin strips, after you have removed the seeds.
Mix everything in a big bowl and add seasonings, oil and vinegar.
Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
I am adding this to the menu tonight, we are having fajitas. I think this will make for a great side.
Price breakdown
Corn $1.79
Tomatoes $1.00
Mangos $2.00
Peppers $3.00
Garlic $.10
Seasoning $.10
Oil and Vinegar $.25
Total $8.24
This is a higher end dish than what I try to do, but we are having company tonight and sometimes you just gotta splurge! Plus, it tastes awesome and will make for great leftovers.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Break it down
One day for lunch, we had very little in the kitchen. I had some hot dogs, but no buns. So I made a deconstructed hot dog lunch.
On the plate is obviously two hot dogs with chili and onions. I added the mustard base as a bit of fancy flair. The round things are bread, which I used a glass to cut out circles and toasted them with a bit of butter, then topped with cheese and pepper flakes and baked again.
While it is not a beautiful plate, it served it's purpose. We ate a decent (cheap) meal and didn't have to buy anything more than we already had.
CORN/CORD
It is important to have a CORN or a CORD every week. I am not talking about the vegetable, CORN stands for Clean Out Refrigerator Night, whereas CORD is Clean Out Refrigerator Day. This is an important aspect to the overall budget reducing goal. We always have leftovers when we cook. In addition to making lunches or using them another night, we try to making something new out of the leftovers. As an example, I took leftover Hamburger Helper, added leftover queso dip and a little milk. While heating on the stove, I began toasting corn chips in the oven. I then poured the cheesy hamburger mixture over the chips, topped with shredded cheese and baked it again. When the cheese melted, I topped it with leftover onions and tomatoes, along with leftover salsa from taco night. Our five various containers in the refrigerator became a one time nacho platter, which we had for lunch. It looked a bit odd having the pasta on the nachos, but it tasted wonderful!
The only limitations to this, is your imagination. To help you get started, one simple and easy backup to this is a soup. Start with a tomato sauce base and then add what you got, it will turn out wonderful, be nutritious and get rid of leftovers. But the best part, it saves money! One thing I have found is adding a table spoon or two of barbeque sauce to any soup gives it a great smoky deep flavor. Consider it a secret ingredient
The only limitations to this, is your imagination. To help you get started, one simple and easy backup to this is a soup. Start with a tomato sauce base and then add what you got, it will turn out wonderful, be nutritious and get rid of leftovers. But the best part, it saves money! One thing I have found is adding a table spoon or two of barbeque sauce to any soup gives it a great smoky deep flavor. Consider it a secret ingredient
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Oatmeal Pie
I had my doubts about this when I first found it on HillbillyHousewife.com. I tried it today and I must say it is quite tasty! It came out of the oven looking like a pecan pie, but had a crumbly texture, like cornbread. Jenn and I both tried a slice before supper tonight and it was great! I used a store bought pie crust (Food Lion has them for about $1.00 each), so I figure in all I have about $2.00 in this pie! I also mixed in about a handful of coconut flakes, next time i am thinking raisins in it would be great.
Check it out!
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/oatmealpie.htm
Check it out!
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/oatmealpie.htm
Monday, July 21, 2008
Hillbilly Cookies
Hillbilly Cookies
1 box of cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup of morsels*
Mix well by hand.
Place a scoop of the mixture on an
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at
350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes
*morsels can by anything you like*
raisins
nuts
chocolate chips
coconut
dried cranberries
anything YOU like
Everyone thank my mother for this recipe!
1 box of cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup of morsels*
Mix well by hand.
Place a scoop of the mixture on an
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at
350 degrees 8 to 10 minutes
*morsels can by anything you like*
raisins
nuts
chocolate chips
coconut
dried cranberries
anything YOU like
Everyone thank my mother for this recipe!
Rice is King!!!
Rice is a central component in the culinary experiences of many cultures. It has been used though out history to feed people quickly and cheaply. In our kitchen, there is always five pounds of rice. We eat it almost daily.
Rice is one of the most versatile foods you can have. Whether you eat it steamed, fluffed, fried or as a filler in other dishes, it does not matter. A simple pot of white rice can turn into a filling meal by the addition of a bullion cube and some left over vegetables, want to change that again, throw it in a pan, scramble an egg in it and now you have vegetable fried rice. Three meals, three different tastes, all from one initial cooking. I always cook a little extra, so I have leftovers in the refrigerator. It goes in breads, soup and of course pudding!
Let me give you a few examples of how to make a great rice side dish.
The chicken you had two nights ago, you saved the bones from that, right? When you put your water and rice in the pan tonight, place a couple of those chicken bones in the pot. Take them out when you serve, and your family will wonder how you achieved that excellent chicken taste. (You can do the same thing with beef, pork or wild game bones). This is healthier and has a ton of less sodium, than those boxed rice mixes in the store.
If you serve canned fruit to the kids or as a dessert, you should always save the liquid for cooking dishes in the future. Use this as part of the cooking liquid for the rice. It will concentrate and intensify the flavor of the rice. Below is an example of a mango rice, but this would be great with any fruit syrup.
Rice pudding is one of my favorite dishes. A basic rice pudding is 3 cups of rice, 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of sugar. I like to take ½ cup of hot cocoa mix and mix that in as well. This gives a great chocolate flavor. I have also been thinking about an orange and cranberry rice pudding, which would be awesome with turkey.
Your imagination is the limit with rice. As has always been the case in Charleston, Rice is King! We eat it almost everyday. So, while I love plain white rice, I enjoy spicing it up and creating meals around the rice.
All the best!
Rice is one of the most versatile foods you can have. Whether you eat it steamed, fluffed, fried or as a filler in other dishes, it does not matter. A simple pot of white rice can turn into a filling meal by the addition of a bullion cube and some left over vegetables, want to change that again, throw it in a pan, scramble an egg in it and now you have vegetable fried rice. Three meals, three different tastes, all from one initial cooking. I always cook a little extra, so I have leftovers in the refrigerator. It goes in breads, soup and of course pudding!
Let me give you a few examples of how to make a great rice side dish.
The chicken you had two nights ago, you saved the bones from that, right? When you put your water and rice in the pan tonight, place a couple of those chicken bones in the pot. Take them out when you serve, and your family will wonder how you achieved that excellent chicken taste. (You can do the same thing with beef, pork or wild game bones). This is healthier and has a ton of less sodium, than those boxed rice mixes in the store.
If you serve canned fruit to the kids or as a dessert, you should always save the liquid for cooking dishes in the future. Use this as part of the cooking liquid for the rice. It will concentrate and intensify the flavor of the rice. Below is an example of a mango rice, but this would be great with any fruit syrup.
Rice pudding is one of my favorite dishes. A basic rice pudding is 3 cups of rice, 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of sugar. I like to take ½ cup of hot cocoa mix and mix that in as well. This gives a great chocolate flavor. I have also been thinking about an orange and cranberry rice pudding, which would be awesome with turkey.
Your imagination is the limit with rice. As has always been the case in Charleston, Rice is King! We eat it almost everyday. So, while I love plain white rice, I enjoy spicing it up and creating meals around the rice.
All the best!
Cheap and Easy Tamale Casserole
This is something I found in a cookbook, however, I made it easier and cheaper than the original.
Brown one pound of hamburger in a skillet. Add a medium onion (diced) and a tablespoon of chili powder. Once the onion is soft, drain the meat mixture and pour into crock pot.
In a separate bowl mix one cup of cornmeal, one large can of tomato sauce, one 14 oz can of creamed corn. This is going to make a soupy looking mixture. Pour this over the meat in the crock pot.
Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until the cornmeal has set up in a loaf texture.
When this is done, it has the texture and taste of authentic Mexican tamales, yet is much simpler to make.
This can be modified with a can of tomatoes, green chilies, olives, almost anything.
Cost breakdown
Meat $2.00
Onion $0.25
Chili powder $0.10
Cornmeal $0.10
Tomato sauce $1.00
Creamed corn $0.50
Total $3.95
This can easily be doubled or tripled, depending on the size of your crock pot.
We eat this with tortilla chips and it is even better if you top it with sour cream and shredded cheese, but in order to keep the cost down, I left that out.
All the best!
Brown one pound of hamburger in a skillet. Add a medium onion (diced) and a tablespoon of chili powder. Once the onion is soft, drain the meat mixture and pour into crock pot.
In a separate bowl mix one cup of cornmeal, one large can of tomato sauce, one 14 oz can of creamed corn. This is going to make a soupy looking mixture. Pour this over the meat in the crock pot.
Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until the cornmeal has set up in a loaf texture.
When this is done, it has the texture and taste of authentic Mexican tamales, yet is much simpler to make.
This can be modified with a can of tomatoes, green chilies, olives, almost anything.
Cost breakdown
Meat $2.00
Onion $0.25
Chili powder $0.10
Cornmeal $0.10
Tomato sauce $1.00
Creamed corn $0.50
Total $3.95
This can easily be doubled or tripled, depending on the size of your crock pot.
We eat this with tortilla chips and it is even better if you top it with sour cream and shredded cheese, but in order to keep the cost down, I left that out.
All the best!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Fast and Easy Chutney
I made an apricot coconut chutney to put over chicken. I used canned apricots and pureed half the can along with a half a handful of coconut, then cut up the remaining apricots and folded them in. It gave a nice tropical feel to plain frozen breaded chicken breasts. I would recommend pureeing all the apricots and cutting a few fresh ones up to mix in. The canned ones were a bit mushy.
To go with that I made mango rice, using the leftover syrup from canned mangos (we had for dessert the night before) to cook the rice in. It was good, but I made a very sticky rice from the sugar in the syrup.
Not bad for a bunch of stuff just thrown together.
To go with that I made mango rice, using the leftover syrup from canned mangos (we had for dessert the night before) to cook the rice in. It was good, but I made a very sticky rice from the sugar in the syrup.
Not bad for a bunch of stuff just thrown together.
Fun with leftovers
This comes from my wife (affectionately known as the Anti-Betty Crocker). This is very good and a great way to use up leftovers.
Several days ago, I made buffalo wings with boneless chicken strips. We had several left over.
Tonight, she made wraps out of those leftovers. Sliced them into thin slices, she baked them in the oven until they were hot. While they were heating, she shredded lettuce. Then she assembled the wraps, by using tortillas, lettuce, the chicken, cheese and blue cheese dressing.
She rolled the wraps like a burrito and then sliced them in half and served with fries. They were very good.
Do I expect you to have leftover buffalo wings? No. The point is that many people (like my father), do not like leftovers. The key is to change the leftovers and fix them differently.
All the best!
Several days ago, I made buffalo wings with boneless chicken strips. We had several left over.
Tonight, she made wraps out of those leftovers. Sliced them into thin slices, she baked them in the oven until they were hot. While they were heating, she shredded lettuce. Then she assembled the wraps, by using tortillas, lettuce, the chicken, cheese and blue cheese dressing.
She rolled the wraps like a burrito and then sliced them in half and served with fries. They were very good.
Do I expect you to have leftover buffalo wings? No. The point is that many people (like my father), do not like leftovers. The key is to change the leftovers and fix them differently.
All the best!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
limited stuff
I am in Minnesota this week for a sales conference, so postings will be limited this week. Consider this, I would rather be home......but work calls. And there is no beach here, how do these people live? But the food has been good so far!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Are bread machines worth the money?
I have owned a bread machine for at least ten years. It has been one of the best kitchen appliances I have ever used. I use it almost everyday, as we always have fresh bread. One of the best things about the machine is that I can take a basic bread recipe, add a few things and make unlimited new breads.
You can pick up a great machine at a mass merchandiser from $50.00 up to a couple hundred. While I would love to have a fancy one, I have a rather simple one with several different settings. Each setting has its own time cycle, heating temperature and kneading times. Read the owners manual to get familiar with it.
Most times, I use my basic setting, which on my machine lasts 3 hours. A basic recipe for white bread is 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of yeast, 1-1/2 cup of warm water, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter. Regardless of what the recipe calls for, put the water, sugar and yeast in first. Give it a quick stir and allow the yeast to come alive. The water will activate the yeast, the yeast will eat the sugar and you will see a bubbly foam form in the pan. This whole process takes about 10 minutes and while it is working, I get my other ingredients together. Next, put the butter, flour, and salt. Always put the salt in last, it will kill the yeast, so you want it to stay away form the yeast as long as possible.
When you search around on the internet, there are thousands of recipes. I am always looking for new variations to my basic list. This week I made potato bread. But instead of plain potatoes, I used instant sweet potatoes. The bread came out great and to go along with it, I made a compound butter with brown sugar and honey. This on the sweet potato bread, a cake it almost made!
Are they worth the money? Yes. Instead of the bread in the plastic bag being thrown out when it molds, we have fresh bread daily. If a loaf does hang around for a couple days and goes stale, I run it through the food processor and make bread crumbs. It gets used and is never thrown out.
You can pick up a great machine at a mass merchandiser from $50.00 up to a couple hundred. While I would love to have a fancy one, I have a rather simple one with several different settings. Each setting has its own time cycle, heating temperature and kneading times. Read the owners manual to get familiar with it.
Most times, I use my basic setting, which on my machine lasts 3 hours. A basic recipe for white bread is 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of yeast, 1-1/2 cup of warm water, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter. Regardless of what the recipe calls for, put the water, sugar and yeast in first. Give it a quick stir and allow the yeast to come alive. The water will activate the yeast, the yeast will eat the sugar and you will see a bubbly foam form in the pan. This whole process takes about 10 minutes and while it is working, I get my other ingredients together. Next, put the butter, flour, and salt. Always put the salt in last, it will kill the yeast, so you want it to stay away form the yeast as long as possible.
When you search around on the internet, there are thousands of recipes. I am always looking for new variations to my basic list. This week I made potato bread. But instead of plain potatoes, I used instant sweet potatoes. The bread came out great and to go along with it, I made a compound butter with brown sugar and honey. This on the sweet potato bread, a cake it almost made!
Are they worth the money? Yes. Instead of the bread in the plastic bag being thrown out when it molds, we have fresh bread daily. If a loaf does hang around for a couple days and goes stale, I run it through the food processor and make bread crumbs. It gets used and is never thrown out.
Broccoli and Carrot Salad
Broccoli Carrot Salad
2 heads of broccoli
3-5 carrots (peeled or not)
¼ cup raisins
¾ cup of ranch dressing
2 teaspoons of hot sauce
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut your broccoli into small bite sized florets and place in bowl. (I peel the stems, cut them and use them as well.) Shred the carrots and add to bowl. Put raisins, dressing, hot sauce and pepper flakes in bowl. Stir to combine, and then add salt and pepper to taste.
You can eat this immediately, but it is best to put in refrigerator and allow the flavors to combine for a couple hours.
This is a great way to get kids to eat healthy, as the ranch dressing will mask the flavor of the broccoli and the carrots add a great color to it.
Variations: Use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch. This would also be good with fresh apples or pears in it.
Cost involved:
Broccoli: $1.93
Carrots: $0.50
Raisins: $0.35
Dressing: $0.45
Hot Sauce $0.05
Seasonings: $0.10
Total: $3.38
2 heads of broccoli
3-5 carrots (peeled or not)
¼ cup raisins
¾ cup of ranch dressing
2 teaspoons of hot sauce
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut your broccoli into small bite sized florets and place in bowl. (I peel the stems, cut them and use them as well.) Shred the carrots and add to bowl. Put raisins, dressing, hot sauce and pepper flakes in bowl. Stir to combine, and then add salt and pepper to taste.
You can eat this immediately, but it is best to put in refrigerator and allow the flavors to combine for a couple hours.
This is a great way to get kids to eat healthy, as the ranch dressing will mask the flavor of the broccoli and the carrots add a great color to it.
Variations: Use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch. This would also be good with fresh apples or pears in it.
Cost involved:
Broccoli: $1.93
Carrots: $0.50
Raisins: $0.35
Dressing: $0.45
Hot Sauce $0.05
Seasonings: $0.10
Total: $3.38
Staples - You gotta have these
Of all the ingredients you can have in your kitchen, there are a few that you must keep at all times. Let's call these the Hillbilly staples.
Rice- Rice is a central component in the culinary experiences of many cultures. It has been used thoughout history to feed people quickly and cheaply. In our kitchen, there is always five pounds of rice. We eat it almost daily. Rice is one of the most versatile foods you can have. Whether you eat it steamed, fluffed, fried or as a filler in other dishes, it does not matter. A simple pot of white rice can turn into a filling meal by the addition of a bullion cube and some left over vegetables, want to change that again, throw it in a pan, scramble an egg in it and now you have vegetable fried rice. Three meals, three different tastes, all from one initial cooking. I always cook a little extra, so I have leftovers in the refrigerator. It goes in breads, soup and of course pudding!
Dry Powdered Milk- While we do not use reconstituted milk for drinking, you can if you choose. We keep it for the addition to our bread, for use in recipes calling for milk and in coffee. By using reconstituted milk, you can save a lot of money and not miss any of the flavor. This product has come a long way in the last few years and is actually quite good.
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Bullion cubes (pick a flavor) - These four spices will provide all the seasoning you need for almost anything. You can branch out and buy what you like, but these four will run you about $5.00 to buy them at once and then they will last for a while. I keep other spices on hand, but when I am cooking on a daily basis, these four are always on the counter.
I always make sure these few things are in the kitchen. With these few items, I can make a multitude of meals, adding only a few other things to it.
In the next post we will explore essential equipment that you need to equip your mountain kitchen.
Rice- Rice is a central component in the culinary experiences of many cultures. It has been used thoughout history to feed people quickly and cheaply. In our kitchen, there is always five pounds of rice. We eat it almost daily. Rice is one of the most versatile foods you can have. Whether you eat it steamed, fluffed, fried or as a filler in other dishes, it does not matter. A simple pot of white rice can turn into a filling meal by the addition of a bullion cube and some left over vegetables, want to change that again, throw it in a pan, scramble an egg in it and now you have vegetable fried rice. Three meals, three different tastes, all from one initial cooking. I always cook a little extra, so I have leftovers in the refrigerator. It goes in breads, soup and of course pudding!
Dry Powdered Milk- While we do not use reconstituted milk for drinking, you can if you choose. We keep it for the addition to our bread, for use in recipes calling for milk and in coffee. By using reconstituted milk, you can save a lot of money and not miss any of the flavor. This product has come a long way in the last few years and is actually quite good.
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Bullion cubes (pick a flavor) - These four spices will provide all the seasoning you need for almost anything. You can branch out and buy what you like, but these four will run you about $5.00 to buy them at once and then they will last for a while. I keep other spices on hand, but when I am cooking on a daily basis, these four are always on the counter.
I always make sure these few things are in the kitchen. With these few items, I can make a multitude of meals, adding only a few other things to it.
In the next post we will explore essential equipment that you need to equip your mountain kitchen.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
What is the point of this?
What is a Hillbilly Gourmet? It is this mountain boy's attempt at bringing cheap and easy food to the masses.
I don't expect many people to understand or even to care, but with the prices of everything going up, we can all use a little help in the kitchen. So with that, I will be showing you simple foods, which you can serve to company, but they are meant to reward yourself and your family.
There are some great sites out there that show you how to save money, but the food is a lot of times bland and gross. I would suggest you stay tuned in and I will help guide you through this wonderful journey. (We might even make it to cooking opossum!).
I intend to update this daily, many times using what we have eaten for supper (yes supper, dinner is at noon).
All the best!
I don't expect many people to understand or even to care, but with the prices of everything going up, we can all use a little help in the kitchen. So with that, I will be showing you simple foods, which you can serve to company, but they are meant to reward yourself and your family.
There are some great sites out there that show you how to save money, but the food is a lot of times bland and gross. I would suggest you stay tuned in and I will help guide you through this wonderful journey. (We might even make it to cooking opossum!).
I intend to update this daily, many times using what we have eaten for supper (yes supper, dinner is at noon).
All the best!
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