38 Cheap, Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

This post was originally published in November 2008. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Every year, I suspend my healthy diet for one heralded November day. No, not Election Day, during which I’m usually too queasy to eat – but that most glorious of bird-based holidays, Thanksgiving.

Then, 24 hours later, I enter an equally magical shame spiral, since I’ve just consumed enough calories to keep me alive for eight years without ever having to eat again.

This year, I’m going to desperately try to avoid all that, hopefully by using at least 25 of the following 38 inexpensive, frugal leftover recipes. (Well … okay, 24.) I found them via a thorough, highly scientific search-and-paste process, not unlike previous Beef, Party Food, and Salad Dressing searches. In this case, here’s what determined a dish’s appearance on the list:

• As always, if the recipe comes from an aggregate site, the reviews must come in at 80% approval or above, or have no reviews at all (in which case, they must look really, really good).
• It was a little difficult to find low-fat recipes, since stuffing and mashed potatoes aren’t exactly health foods (meaning: they don’t miraculously lose their calories on Black Friday). So, I attempted to keep each recipe NWR, or Nutritious Within Reason. There’s little added butter, oil, dairy, lard, mayo, or canned soup in each dish.
• If possible, I included notes about lightening the dish under each title.
• As for price, there aren’t any exotic ingredients included, so costs should be pretty low. Caveat: you might have to purchase a little ginger or a bunch of green onions or something.
• There is no Turkey Tetrazzini. Because I hate it. Muahahahahahaha!

Readers, if you have suggestions, I love to hear. In the meantime, happy Thanksgiving!

All Recipes: Apple Curry Turkey Pita
Use low-fat yogurt in place of regular to cut fat and calories.

All Recipes: Hearty Turkey Soup with Parsley Dumplings

All Recipes: Southwestern Turkey Soup

Bon Appetit: Asian Turkey-Noodle Soup with Ginger and Chiles

Bon Appetit: Cranberry Citrus Sorbet
This sounds AWESOME.

Bon Appetit: Pork Chops with Cranberry Port and Rosemary Sauce

CHG: Leftover Turkey Stew

CHG: Turkey Chili
Use turkey bits instead of ground turkey, add to pot with tomatoes

CHG: Turkey Noodle Soup
Sub in cooked turkey for chicken.

CHG: Turkey With Shallot Apricot Sauce
Sub in turkey for chicken, and use leftover warmed turkey

Chow: Turkey Pad See Ew
A little high in fat, but delicious-sounding just the same.

Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom: Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole (scroll down)
Sub in fat-free evaporated milk and make sure you use 2% cheddar.

Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom: Turkey Stock

Cooking Light: Cold Soba Noodles with Turkey

Cooking Light: Fiery Turkey-Pâté Crostini

Cooking Light: Turkey Pizza

Cooking Light: White Turkey Chili

Epicurious: Turkey Burritos with Salsa and Cilantro
Humina.

Epicurious: Turkey and Sweet Potato Sandwich

Fabulous Foods: Turkey Pasties

Fine Cooking: Turkey Soup with Ginger, Lemon, and Mint

Fine Cooking: Turkey and Sweet Potato Hash

Fine Cooking: Turkey Tortilla Soup

Food Network/Cathy Lowe: Turkey Soup with Rice

Food Network/Cathy Lowe: Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Food Network/Emeril Lagasse: Turkey and Vegetable Soup

Food Network/Michael Chiarella: Next Day Turkey Soup

Food Network/Ocean Spray: Smoked Turkey and Cranberry Gourmet Pizza

Food Network/Rachael Ray: Turkey Corn Chili

Food Network/Rachael Ray: Turkey and Stuffin’ Soup
Frankly, the picture kind of squicked me out here. But the reviewers (and there are quite a few) seem to LOVE it, so go nuts.

Food Network/Robin Miller: Turkey Soup with Egg Noodles and Vegetables
Looks like a good, quick recipe. Very well rated.

Food Network/Sunny Anderson: Second Day Turkey and String Bean Pot Pies

The Oregonian: Soba Noodle Salad With Cranberries and Apple

The Oregonian: Turkey Picadillo

The Oregonian: Turkey, White Bean, and Escarole Soup

Seattle Times: Chili-Rubbed Turkey Sandwich With Red Onion Salsa

St. Louis Eats: Nigella Lawson’s Vietnamese Turkey Salad

Wise Bread: Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

~~~

If you like this post, you might also dig:

• 1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo
• 65 Cheap, Healthy, One-Dish Meals with Good Leftover Potential
• Seriously, Eating: 40 Recipes From the Other Website I Write For

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Dear Diary: Sourdough Sausage Stuffing

Today on Serious Eats: Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing. Because you can never have enough stuffing. And you can never say the word “stuffing” enough times in a blog post. (Also: stuffing.)

This year, in preparation for our Thanksgiving posts, I cooked and ate two 9x13 trays of stuffing, all by myself. It was grueling, tongue-bending work. But somebody had to do it. And somebody had to keep a diary of the ordeal.

DAY 1
Dearest Diary,
Thanksgiving is nigh! Oh, such joy and contentment the holiday brings to myself and my kin! What delightful provisions shalt we partake in this annus mirabilis? I do find stuffing particularly pleasing, and a lighter, savory recipe would create much huzzah-ing amongst mine hallowed guests. Let it be done, then! This evening, Cooking Light’s Sourdough Sausage Stuffing shalt permeate mine apartment like so many exhaust fumes of scrumptiousness.
Earnestly,
Kris

DAY 2
Dearest Diary,
O, frabjous day! What wondrous victory the stuffing has been! Truly, a splendid addition to anyone’s Thanksgiving table. Alas, there is much left over, as the Husband-Elect has been detained by his place of employment. I shalt endeavor to persevere, as we bloggers must! Serving #3, down the hatch.
Copiously,
Kris

DAY 3
Dear Diary,
Prepared the other stuffing for Serious Eats. It’s quite good, but has left me with two plastic receptacles full of stuffing. I now embark on my sixth straight all-stuffing meal. This could last a fortnight. Beginning to rue decision-making skills, regret life choices.
Somewhat nauseously,
Kris

DAY 4
Diary,
On to stuffing meal #9. I’m pretty sure a stuffing baby is forming in my abdomen. Who’s idea was this, anyway? I’d like to punch her in the neck with a ladle.
Blerg,
Kris

DAY 5
Diary,
Stuffing has taken on bizarre, LSD-like characteristics. Hallucinations abound. Everything starting to look like Lady Gaga video. Why yes, Mr. Lincoln, I will unite the country with you. Nice hat.
Flounder staple,
Kris

DAY 6
Deer Diree,
To mutch stoofing. Tumy fulding inn onn isself. Scend halp. HAHAHAHA. *cry*
Cris

DAY 7
Diary,
I woke up this morning next to a man in a banana costume, a copy of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, and a clean Pyrex dish. Trying to piece the previous night together, to little avail. I do know the following: 1) the stuffing is gone, 2) it was savory and delicious, and 3) Lou Reed is locked in my bathroom. Will definitely do this again next year.
Suspiciously,
Kris

The diary mysteriously ends there. Strange. But sweet readers, if you should want to set off on a similar journey, here’s some things to know:

1) The better the bread, the better the stuffing. I went for an organic, artisanal loaf here, and the price reflects the quality. Man, it was good, though.

2) Try to buy the bread pre-sliced. The cubing process will be much quicker.

3) Numbers come directly from Cooking Light, so only the price calculations are included below.

4) Cooking Light has more stuffing recipes where this came from, over here.

And with that, Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! May your turkey be moist, your pie be fresh, and your stuffing be plentiful. But not too plentiful.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Sweet Potatoes with Mini Marshmallows
• Tomato and Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)
  

~~~

Sourdough Sausage Stuffing
Serves 9
From Cooking Light.

10 or 11 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage (about 3 links)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped very small
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 cups (1/2-inch) cubed good sourdough bread (about 1 pound)
2 to 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Cooking spray

1) Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2) Remove sausage from casings.

3) In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until browned, breaking sausage into smaller pieces as you go. Add onion and celery, and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes, until onion is a bit soft. Kill the heat. Add parsley, sage, thyme, salt, marjoram, and black pepper, and stir to combine.

4) Combine sausage mixture and bread cubes in a large bowl. Gradually pour in about 2 cups of broth, and stir until everything is evenly moist. Place entire mixture in the 9x13 dish, and pour a little more broth over the top if necessary. Bake for 10 minutes covered, then 20 minutes uncovered. The stuffing should be hot and the top golden brown when finished.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
208 calories, 5 g fat, 2.1 g fiber, $0.98

Calculations
10 or 11 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage (about 3 links): $1.49
1 teaspoon olive oil: $0.04
2 cups onion, chopped: $0.41
2 cups celery, chopped very small: $0.94
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped: $0.33
2 teaspoons ground sage: $0.48
1 teaspoon dried thyme: $0.12
1/2 teaspoon salt: $0.01
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram: $0.27
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: $0.02
12 cups (1/2-inch) cubed good sourdough bread (about 1 pound): $3.99
2 to 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth: $0.71
Cooking spray: $0.04
TOTAL: $8.85
PER SERVING (TOTAL/9): $0.98

Slow Cooker Pork Chops, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes: A Crockpot Reborn

Today in my Serious Eats column: Pork Chops with Green Apple and Tomatillo Sauce. Three thumbs up!

Do you guys ever feel bad for your appliances? I do. Especially when I haven’t used them for awhile. I figure they must get lonely, all dust-covered and isolated from their more functional friends.

My handheld beater? It hasn’t received any love since Bob the StandMixer entered the picture. And my white round casserole dish? These days, it functions mainly as a toaster stand. We won’t even mention that weird rectangular pot that the Husband-Elect claims to love so much. I think it’s in therapy.

Sadly, my slow cooker’s become one of those shamefully neglected kitchen tools. I haven’t touched it in months, out of A) laziness, B) sloth, and C) a secret fear it will burn the house down. (Because if there’s one thing my father has instilled in me, it’s a fear of something burning the house down, even if it has no chance of bursting into flame whatsoever, like an apple.) The crockpot has produced no delicious stews, nor emanated any delightful smells. It is the Kansas City Royals of cookware – subconsciously beloved, but otherwise, largely ignored.

But that’s all changing. Yessiree, Bob (the StandMixer). This winter, that vessel’s gonna get more action than the ladle, the wooden spoon, and maybe even the bathroom put together. And it starts today, with Slow Cooker Pork Chops, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes. Or as I call it, SCPCASP. (Just kidding. That’s one unwieldy acronym.)

Hearty, sweet, and warm, the dish is a Frankenstein’s Monster of three other recipes: Alton Brown’s pork brine (minus a tablespoon or two of salt), All Recipes’ Pork Chops with Apples, Onions, and Sweet Potatoes, and slow cooker instructions from a very nice web reviewer named CookinNurse. The combination produces moist pork and perfectly cooked produce, and like all crockpot meals, it only gets better after a night in the fridge.

Of course, if you should give it a try, know this:

1) Alton’s brine is very well-reviewed, but a little salty for some. I was okay, but if you’re uncomfortable, take the salt down another tablespoon OR only let the pork brine for a few hours.

2) Suggested additions include dried cranberries, raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon, and perhaps a topping of pecans after the whole shebang is plated.

3) For a more savory variation, try substituting a yellow onion for a red one, eliminating the sugar, and increasing the salt and pepper.

That’s it for now, but look for more slow cooker recipes in the following months, folks. That is, unless it burns the house down. (JUST KIDDING DAD.)

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy:

• Autumn Sausage Casserole  
• Chipotle Pork Tenders  
• Pork Tacos

~~~

Slow Cooker Chops, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes
Serves 3 or 4
Adapted from Alton Brown and All Recipes.
(Print this recipe)

For the brine
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3 tablespoons cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed
1/2 pound ice
4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) boneless center cut pork chops (4-oz each)

For the slow cooker
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges (DO NOT PEEL)
2 medium large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings

Optional
Cinnamon or nutmeg
Dried cranberries

NOTE: To save some cash, buy bone-in center cut pork chops and debone them yourself. Once you remove all the visible fat, each piece of meat should come to a little over 4 ounces.

1) Mix the broth, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and peppercorns in a medium pan. Heat over medium-high and cook until the sugar and salt is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add ice, and stir until ice is melted. Place pork chops in a gallon bag or 1-quart dish, add the brine, and refrigerate overnight (but not too much longer).

2) Remove pork from brine. (Discard brine.) Rinse the chops and pat them as dry as possible. Set aside. In a medium-large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high. When oil is hot, brown chops, about 5 or 6 minutes on each side.

3) While pork is cooking, combine brown sugar in a bowl with apples, and stir until apples are coated. (There will be sugar left over, but we’ll use that later.)

4) Place sweet potatoes in bottom of slow cooker, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Then, layer as follows: ½ the onion, ½ the apples, pork, the remaining onion, the remaining apples. Sprinkle with leftover brown sugar and cook on HIGH for 4-1/2 hours. Stir gently before serving, and be sure to spoon some of the sauce on top of each dish.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
Three servings: 515 calories, 10.2 g fat, 7.7 g fiber, $2.73
Four servings: 387 calories, 7.7 g fat, 5.8 g fiber, $2.05

Calculations
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth: 15 calories, 0 g fat, 0.5 g fiber, $0.62
3 tablespoons kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.13
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed: 136 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.13
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.27
1/2 pound ice: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.00
4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) boneless center cut pork chops (4-oz each): 560 calories, 16 g fat, 0 g fiber, $3.91
1 tablespoon olive oil: 113 calories, 13.4 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.12
3 tablespoons brown sugar: 136 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.13
2 Golden Delicious apples: 189 calories, 0.7 g fat, 8.7 g fiber, $0.80
2 medium large sweet potatoes: 335 calories, 0.4 g fat, 11.7 g fiber, $1.59
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
1 large red onion: 62 calories, 0.2 g fat, 2.1 g fiber, $0.48
TOTAL: 1546 calories, 30.7 g fat, 23 g fiber, $8.20
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 515 calories, 10.2 g fat, 7.7 g fiber, $2.73
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 387 calories, 7.7 g fat, 5.8 g fiber, $2.05

Maple Morning Polenta, Chili Corn Pone Pie, and a Review of Mary Ostyn’s Family Feasts for $75 a Week.

(Sorry for the late post, folks. Um ... I kinda bought my wedding dress today. Squee!)

Mary Ostyn has ten children, and has managed to shelter, educate, and feed them all on her husband’s $56,000 salary. She blogs regularly about her experiences at Owlhaven, and on September 1st, she released her second book, Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Last week, I got my hands on a (full disclosure:) free copy. I read it and tried two recipes, wondering all the while if a cookbook intended for large families could also help a pair of veggie-lovin’ Brooklynites.

And ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. Family Feasts keeps food healthy, inexpensive, and real without resorting to semi-homemade-esque measures. I’m more than happy to recommend it here, and to sound off on the top ten things I liked about the book:

1) This quote from page 8: “At its heart, frugality isn’t about deprivation. It’s about taking control of your resources. It’s about making the most of what you have.” Bingo.

2) Mary speaks often from personal experience. As she has ten kids and I have difficulty keeping my ficus alive, this is helpful.

3) No coupons necessary. (Thank Gilbert Gottfried.) These are real-life foods with real-life prices, purchased strategically.

4) There’s a sweet tip about checking dollar stores when you’re food shopping on vacation. I just got back from North Carolina, where our rental was ACROSS THE STREET from said store, yet I never even thought to do this. Duh.

5) Of the book’s 300 pages, about 75 are full of tips, and 200 include a diverse cross-section of recipes with tips interspersed. It never seems to run out of information.

6) There are no processed foods, lots of whole ingredients, and absolutely zero Cream of Whatever soups. Which is great, because I freaking hate those things. They feel like cheating, look like freshly poured concrete, and taste like death. (Um … but that’s just my opinion.)

7. There are quite a few Korean and Ethiopian dishes, because Mary adopted children from both countries. As a fan of kimchi and injera bread (which ... seriously, you gotta try it), I appreciate this.

8. This tip: “The rule in the canned food aisle, in general, is, if the item is an ingredient for cooking, we buy it, but if it’s something ready-made in a can we probably do not buy it.” YES. WHAT SHE SAID.

9. For each meal, she preps only 1 to 1-1/2 small servings of meat per person, but makes extra side dishes and veggies. This keeps meals healthy and costs down - a great tactic in general.

10. Chili Corn Pone Pie and Maple Morning Polenta.

Okay, that last one’s actually two things, but they’re the recipes I tried. Both were aces. The Polenta was unorthodox yet tasty, while the Pie was a big hunk of hearty Man Food that can easily be scaled down for caloric needs. (Which I did down below.)

Both recipes are listed here, with minor changes made to fit the parameters of this blog (1% milk, ground turkey, etc.). There are little notes before every alteration, so you know what’s been switched around. Also, please note that I use regular Brooklyn prices, so your totals may vary.

In conclusion, if you get the chance, check out Family Feasts. It’s as handy for two clueless New Yorkers as any family of 47.

See you Tuesday, folks. Happy long weekend.

Mary Ostyn’s Maple Morning Polenta
Makes 6 servings

3 cups cold water
1-1/2 cups 1% milk
2 cups cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup pancake syrup, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

NOTE from Kris: This is an easily scalable recipe. If you’re making it for one or two, however, the cooking time will be A LOT faster. Also, I used 1% milk (which worked well), but Mary’s original recipe calls for regular milk. Finally, I like Aunt Jemima Butter Lite syrup. It’s 100% chemicals, but I can’t help it.

1) Combine water, milk, cornmeal, and salt in a medium-size saucepan, stirring briskly to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches a boil, about 10 minutes.

2) Reduce heat to low. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens.

3) Remove from heat. Stir in pancake syrup and butter; ladle into bowls. Top with additional syrup and sprinkle with raisins just before serving.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
296 calories, 5.4 g fat, 4.7 g fiber, $0.50

Calculations
3 cups cold water: negligible calories, fat, fiber, FREE
1-1/2 cups 1% milk: 158 calories, 3.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.32
2 cups cornmeal: 1010 calories, 4.7 g fat, 20.4 g fiber, $0.90
½ teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, $0.01
½ cup pancake syrup, plus more for serving (I use Aunt Jemima Butter Lite): 200 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.67
2 tablespoons butter: 204 calories, 23 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.12
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries: 206 calories, 0.8 g fat, 5.6 g fiber, $0.96
TOTAL: 1778 calories, 32.2 g fat, 28 g fiber, $2.98
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 296 calories, 5.4 g fat, 4.7 g fiber, $0.50

~~~

Mary Ostyn’s Chili Corn Pone Pie
Makes 6 servings

Filling:
1 pound ground turkey breast (beef or regular ground turkey is fine, too - Kris)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can kidney or small pink beans, drained
½ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce (about 12 ounces of your favorite brand)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Topping:
¾ cup cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
¾ cup 1% milk
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup 2% shredded cheddar

NOTE from Kris: I used turkey breast, but ground beef is what Mary cooked with originally. Also, if the dough topping is feeling a little thin, feel free to add a bit more flour. Finally, I used 1% milk and lighter cheddar (for that whole “health” thing), but Mary’s original recipe calls for regular versions of both.

1) Preheat oven to 350F.

2) Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces with the side of a spoon. Remove turkey from skillet, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and onion to skillet. (Note: if using beef, do not add extra oil - Kris) Cook onion until it begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining filling ingredients; stir well to combine. Simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

3) In a medium-sized bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add beaten egg, milk, and oil to flour mixture; mix well to form a soft dough.

4) Spread meat mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Drop tablespoons of the corn bread mixture all over the top of the pie, distributing it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle cheese across the top. Bake 45 minutes, or until cheese is flecked with brown and filling starts to bubble out the sides.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
424 calories, 10.6 g fat, 6.8 g fiber, $1.58

Calculations
1 pound ground turkey breast: 502 calories, 3.2 g fat, 0 g fiber, $5.59
1 teaspoon vegetable oil: 44 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g fiber; $0.03
1 small onion, chopped: 29 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.25
1 (14.5-ounce) can kidney or small pink beans, drained: 367 calories, 2.7 g fat, 19.3 g fiber, $0.80
½ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels: 66 calories, 0.9 g fat, 2.1 g fiber, $0.20
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used Ragu Red Pepper & Onion): 292 calories, 8 g fat, 5.3 g fiber, $0.80
1 tablespoon chili powder: 24 calories, 1.3 g fat, 2.6 g fiber: $0.04
1 teaspoon ground cumin: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
1 teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
¾ cup cornmeal: 379 calories, 1.8 g fat, 7.7 g fiber, $0.33
¾ cup all-purpose flour (plus more for dough, if necessary): 341 calories, 0.9 g fat, 2.5 g fiber, $0.07
½ teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder: 4 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.04
½ teaspoon baking soda: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
1 large egg, beaten: 74 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.33
¾ cup 1% milk: 74 calories, 1.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.16
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil: 185 calories, 21 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.14
½ cup 2% shredded cheddar: 162 calories, 12.1 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.62
TOTAL; 2543 calories, 63.8 g fat, 40.5 g fiber, $9.46
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 424 calories, 10.6 g fat, 6.8 g fiber, $1.58

Tyler Florence’s Mojo Marinade (for Chicken, Carne Asada, etc.)

Hi everybody! I’m back, and catching up to everything I missed while I was away. Prodigious thanks to both Stan and Leigh, who covered during my absence.

While things are a little hectic right now, they should be up to speed soon. In the meantime, I give you Tyler Florence’s Mojo, a lively, tasty Tex-Mex-style marinade for chicken breast and flank steak. Alas, since it’s nearly impossible to account for how much oil the meat will retain, there are no nutritional calculations (though the price math is still listed).

If you’re hankering for a solid side dish, check out Avocado and Corn Salsa over at Serious Eats. I posted on it today, and can absolutely vouch for its over-the-moonness.

Until tomorrow...

Mojo Marinade
Makes about 1 1/4 cups
Adapted from Tyler Florence.
Note: photo is of marinated steak, and not the marinade itself. The meat just looked better.

4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mash it all together to form a past. Add lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, and oil. Whisk to combine. Use as marinade or sauce.

Approximate Price of Marinade
$2.91

Calculations
4 garlic cloves, minced: $0.20
1 jalapeno, minced: $0.36
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped: $0.45
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: $0.03
2 limes, juiced: $0.40
1 orange, juiced: $0.50
2 tablespoons white vinegar: $0.06
1/2 cup olive oil: $0.91
TOTAL: $2.91

GUEST POST: Chicken Shawarma (Insert Shawarma Pun Here)

Kris and Leigh (that’s us) are on vacation this week, so we asked some of our most hilarious friends to pen guest columns for CHG. Today’s post comes from occasional contributor and fabulous cook Rachel.

For real, now: have you guys seen the August Food & Wine? Because sweet Alice Waters on a soapbox, it's awesome. Deeply, wonderfully, guy-who-founded-Le-Pain-Quotidien-spills-his-guts awesome.

With that said, I need to backtrack a little. I read the August issue before getting around to July's F&W. July is good, but after August's wonderment, anything short of Eric Ripert standing in my kitchen and being all, "After we eat this dinner I've lovingly crafted, let's make zee amour," would have been disappointing. (C'mon. You know you've thought about it, too.)

July still had a few things that lept out at me--specifically, F&W's simplified version of chicken shawarma. Shawarma is a Middle Eastern staple, and generally involves some combination of meat, vegetables, and yogurt sauce or dressing. It sounded delicious, and while I usually look more towards French and Italian inspirations, curiosity (and a brimming CSA basket) were reason enough to give it a go. Fairly fast, suprisingly satisfying, and really CHG-able, Jeff and I declared this one a repeat-worthy dinner. Because of the crumbly nature of pita, she ain't always the prettiest daisy in the school play, but by the time we stopped to care about the imperfect visual, we'd already cleaned our plates.

(This is also dish that really capitalizes on the virtues of ethnic markets. My local merchant charged me $.75 for six beautiful pitas, and the spices were practically free.)

There was just one hitch: yogurt. I'm the nerd who can't do dairy and this recipe called for a full cup of plain, low-fat yogurt. My intolerance has made me pretty skilled with subsitutions, so I hopped on the webternet and found this recipe at vegweb.com. It turned out really, really well.

Tofu Sour Cream
(Created by Matt Eberhart)

1 10.5-oz package of lite silken tofu(firm), crumbled
1 tbsp. canola or olive oil
4 to 5 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. of any sweetener
1/2 tsp. salt

1) Combine everything in a food processor or blender. Blend until all creamy-like. Store in fridge.

I whipped up a batch, used a cup of this instead of the yogurt, and it totally did the trick. So, without further ado...

Chicken Shawarma
Serves 6
From July 2009 Food & Wine

1 pound zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound green beans
2 tsp. olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
4 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of vegan sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Six 6-inch pitas, split horizontally
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Smoked paprika

1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and coat with cooking spray. Spread the zucchini and green beans on the baking sheet, coat again with cooking spray, and season with salt.

2) In a small bowl, mix allspice, black pepper, white pepper, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and 1 tsp. of olive oil. Coat chicken with paste. Salt to taste. Place on a separate foil-lined baking sheet.

3) Roast chicken for 15 minutes on lower rack in the oven. On the upper rack, roast the veggies for the same amount of time. Poultry should be cooked when finished. Take out veggies. Broil chicken about 10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Slice into long strips.

4) While those are cooking, in a small skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds. Turn heat off. "Whisk in the tofu mixture and lemon juice." Salt to taste.

5) Place pitas on a cutting board, cut side up. Brush each with 1-1/2 teaspoons of sauce. Evenly distribute chicken, veggies, and red onion among them. Roll the bread into wrap-form.

6) Get out a heavy pan. Heat it over medium-high. Place rolls on pan seam side down. Cook 2 minutes. Flip. Cook 2 more minutes. It should be "golden and crisp" when done. Cut rolls in half. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve.

Rachel is an actor, writer, and aspiring cook. Given the opportunity, she will charmingly talk your face off about food.

Seriously, Eating: 40 Recipes From the Other Website I Write For

Today, I had every intention of posting on David Lebovitz’s Cherry Jam recipe. Unfortunately, I think I overcooked it a bit, so it came out more like Cherry Swedish Fish. Between that and a busy work week, I ain’t got nothin’.

So, instead, here are 40 other recipes I’ve been working on.

I’m only half kidding about that, too. See, for the last 11 months, I’ve been writing the Monday morning Healthy and Delicious recipe column for Serious Eats. (I never cross-post, because that would be weird.) The food follows the CHG mantra (meaning it’s all cheap, healthy, and good), and the pictures are even marginally acceptable by modern photographic standards, meaning Ansel Adams wouldn’t make me his apprentice, but he wouldn’t hack me to death with a chainsaw, either.

Today’s SE recipe is Cherry Lemonade, and you can find that over here. (It’s not included in this master list.) In the meantime, here are the 40 others I mentioned. I starred my ten absolute favorites, and need to tell you: make that Chicken Avocado Salad RIGHT NOW. It haunts my dreams.

BREAKFAST

Cardamom and Dried Cherry Scones

Cheddar Chipotle Scones

Lighter Home Fries


SOUPS, STEWS, STOCKS, & CHILIS

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Honey

Pasta e Ceci

**Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

**Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic and Herbs

**White Chicken Chili


SIDES

Black-Eyed Pea “Caviar”

Classic Baked Acorn Squash

Couscous with Chickpeas and Edamame

Fresh Corn Salad

**Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

Irio

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

Quinoa and Grilled Zucchini

Red Cabbage with Apples and Honey

Southern-Style Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon

Thyme-Roasted Sweet Potatoes


ENTREES (Vegetarian)

Barley Risotto

**Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Eggplant in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Eggplant with Miso Sauce

Grilled Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing

**Pumpkin Orzo with Sage

**Spaghetti Squash with Ricotta, Sage, and Pine Nuts

Sweet and Spicy Tofu


ENTREES (Carnivore)

*****Avocado Chicken Salad

Baked Apples with Barley-Sausage Pilaf

Baked Rotelle Puttanesca (has anchovies)

Basil Chicken Pasta

Chicken Paprikash

Curried Pork with Apples

**Marcella Hazan’s Lemon Roasted Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes

Squid in Red Wine Sauce


DESSERTS & SNACKS

Blueberry Salsa

**Pumpkin Muffins with Pecan Streusel Topping

Quick and Easy Apple Tart

Raspberry-Filled Cinnamon Muffins

Sugar-Roasted Plums with Balsamic and Rosemary Syrup

Also, if you guys get the chance, check out Blake Royer and Nick Kindelsperger's Dinner Tonight series. The posts are daily, the food is very good (I've tried a bunch of recipes), and nothing is phenomenally complicated. Three thumbs up.

Shirataki Noodles: The Review

It’s been a freakin’ bowl of cherries, but National Ants Are Invading My Kitchen Week has finally come to an end. The Boyfriend and I went Wolverine on them a few days ago, and have seen nary an antennae or thorax since. In retrospect, it’s a relief they were only ants, and not the pterodactyl-sized “waterbugs” that tend to hang around my fine borough in warmer weather. (Note: KNOCKING ON MANY PIECES OF WOOD.)

For the first post-insect dish, I decided to try shirataki noodles. There are several different kinds of these guys, but recently, the tofu variety from House Foods has become particularly huge, thanks to exhaustive endorsements from Hungry Girl.

When it comes to dieters and folks with allergies, there are definite advantages to choosing shirataki noodles over pasta or rice. House Foods brand is vegan, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and relatively guilt-free. Each ½-cup serving comes out to about 20 calories, and sources say they generally take well to Asian-style dishes. While there’s a rinsing process, the noodles don’t need to be boiled for any length of time, making them conveniently heat-n-serve.

However (and there’s always a however), there are drawbacks. First, some claim shirataki noodles aren’t much good in Italian dishes. Second, the lighter caloric load means they won’t necessarily fill you up, either.

Finally – and most significantly - there’s the price. Shirataki noodles come in 8-oz. bags filled with water (for preservation). After draining, this is just about a single cup of actual noodles. My Key Food charges $1.50 for this on sale, or $0.75 per ½-cup serving. Of noodles. Just noodles.

To compare, a single 1-lb. box of Ronzoni thin spaghetti costs $0.66 on sale, and produces about four cups of cooked pasta. That’s roughly $0.08 per ½-cup serving. Rice noodles are more expensive, at about $0.45 per ½-serving, but are still a bargain comparatively. I’m not even gonna get into rice itself, because my brain hurts now.

Of course, the deciding factor for any food should be its taste. And in that sense, the shirataki noodles were okay. Not good, not bad. Just okay. They barely have a flavor, actually. I prepared them with peppers, onions, chicken, and Cook’s Illustrated Orange Sesame Stir Fry Sauce, and they blended seamlessly into the mix. I suspect they’d go very well with ramen-style dishes, too.

Ultimately, my verdict is this: unless you have allergies, certain dietary restrictions, or are a VERY beginning dieter, shirataki noodles may not be the best buy. There are tastier, significantly cheaper ways to cut calories.

Have a great weekend everyone. Monday, we're back to bug-free posting. (To repeat: wood, she is being knocked on.)

Orange Sesame Stir Fry with Shirataki Noodles
Serves 3 or 4
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.


½ cup orange juice
¼ cup soy sauce, plus 1 separate teaspoon
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 bell peppers (any kind), sliced into strips
1 medium onion, sliced into thick strips
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bag House Foods shirataki noodles, drained and rinsed

1) In a small bowl, combine orange juice. 1/4 cup soy sauce, broth, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Whisk it all together. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, coat chicken in the other 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.

2) In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 teaspoons veggie oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned. Using tongs, remove it to a dish

3) Add 1 tablespoon veggie oil to the skillet. Add veggies. Saute them until they're crisp-tender, another few minutes.

4) Spread veggies around the perimeter of the pan and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of veggie oil. Add garlic and ginger. Cook 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant.

5) Add chicken back to skillet and stir everything together. Heat until warmed, a minute or two.

6) Re-whisk orange-sesame sauce, and add it to skillet. Bring everything up to a simmer. Cook for another minute or two, until the sauce is thickened. (It will thicken. Don't worry.) Add noodles and warm through. Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
Three servings: 389 calories, 15.4 g fat, $1.87
Four servings: 291 calories, 11.6 g fat, $1.40

Calculations
½ cup orange juice: 55 calories, 0 g fat, $0.16
¼ cup soy sauce, plus 1 separate teaspoon: 37 calories, 0 g fat, $0.40
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth: 22 calories, 0.75 g fat, $0.06
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil: 80 calories, 9 g fat, $0.12
2 teaspoons cornstarch: 20 calories, 0 g fat, $0.02
2 tablespoons vegetable oil: 256 calories, 29 g fat, $0.18
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces: 497 calories, 5.4 g fat, $1.69
3 bell peppers (any kind), sliced into strips: 98 calories, 1 g fat, $1.09
1 medium onion, sliced into thick strips: 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.24
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger: 5 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced: 11 calories, 0 g fat, $0.12
1 bag House Foods shirataki noodles, drained and rinsed: 40 calories, $1.50
TOTAL: 1167 calories, 46.25 g fat, $5.61
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 389 calories, 15.4 g fat, $1.87
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 291 calories, 11.6 g fat, $1.40

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe: A Psychic Phenomena

I thought I was a genius.

I thought I was doing something new.

I thought, when I paired turkey crumbles with rapini and piled them into a mound of al dente rotini WITHOUT USING A RECIPE, that I was the first person in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD to try that combination.

I was wrong.

Though the type of pasta and some of the ingredient quantities were slightly different, 20 seconds of research revealed that Giada DeLaurentiis has the exact recipe up on the Food Network site – the same cooking procedure, even. It’s called Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, and it has over 100 reviews, making it not quite unknown, either. Doy.

On one hand, this meant I could use her cooking directions as a guide to write my own. On the other hand, it meant I hadn’t discovered the recipe that would win me $12 billion on some kind of Grand Poobah Pasta Cooking Challenge. Giada had already done the dirty work, probably years ago. Dang.

But it wasn’t all bad, see. A few seconds after realizing the similarities, a great feeling of triumph washed over me: I had inadvertently duplicated a real-life professional recipe. One that’d actually been published. Online. In BOOKS, even. When you’re still learning the ropes, that’s a victory on par with golf’s U.S. Open, only waaaaay less boring.

In the end, I may not be a great chef, or a particularly creative one. But I AM, apparently, an accidental psychic, and that’s okay by me. Happy weekend, folks.

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Inadvertently adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis.
Serves 3

1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems trimmed
9 ounces rotini, penne, or other small-ish pasta
1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 links Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I used sweet. – Kris)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1) Bring a big pot of water to a boil. (While this is happening, fill a bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes.) Once the water pot starts boiling, add salt. Add broccoli rabe. Cook 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer rabe to the ice bath. (DON'T DRAIN THE POT.)

2) Once the cooking water is boiling again, add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain, saving about 1/2 cup cooking water.

3) In a big pan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage. Brown it, breaking it up with the back of your spoon. It should take 10 or 12 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Drain broccoli rabe. Add it to sausage. Stir. Add pasta. Stir again. If using, add cooking water now. Add parmesan. Stir until thoroughly combined. Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
490 calories, 13.7 g fat, $1.04

Calculations
1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems trimmed: 60 calories, 0 g fat, $0.99
9 ounces rotini, penne, or other small-ish pasta: 913 calories, 4.6 g fat, $0.37
1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil: 149 calories, 16.9 g fat, $0.18
2 links Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed: 280 calories, 16 g fat, $0.99
3 garlic cloves, minced: 13 calories, 0 g fat, $0.15
Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan: 54 calories, 3.6 g fat, $0.43
TOTAL: 1469 calories, 41.1 g fat, $3.13
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 490 calories, 13.7 g fat, $1.04

Chorizo and Potato Frittata: 'Til We Meat Again

(You guys! My column over at Serious Eats today is on Daniel Boulud’s recipe for Red Cabbage with Honey and Apples. I loathe red cabbage with the white-hot intensity of a thousand angry suns, and still thought this was DELICIOUS. We have enough to feed the entire block until 2022. If you get the chance, check it out.)

One of the trickiest things about healthy cooking is figuring out how to use meat. Lean cuts like chicken breast, pork tenderloin, and flank steak aren’t too terrible of an issue. In general, they can be consumed in greater quantities without causing crazy damage to your diet. On the other hand, while undeniably delicious, overdosing on fattier meats like pork belly and sausage will end your newest bout with Weight Watchers faster than you can say, “I’d like another serving of Bacon Explosion, please.”

That’s why it’s always a pleasant surprise to discover a healthy recipe that features fatty meat in a way you can actually taste it. Like say, my slightly altered version of Jamie Oliver’s Chorizo and Potato Frittata (found via Serious Eats). Chorizo is a Spanish sausage with a distinct, spicy flavor, and it permeates the entire dish without overwhelming it. Even better, since the sausage is cut up into small pieces, you’re guaranteed to get a chunk with almost every bite. Really, it’s like having your cake-izo and eating it, too.

It should be noted, though, that the sausage isn’t the frittata’s only highlight. While the potatoes are cooking, Oliver asks you to prepare an easy shallot/parsley/lemon topping that’s added to the dish at the very end. Having tried it, I have to say - it’s absolutely indispensible, and will probably make appearances on various meals in the future. Yum squared, dude.

As always, there are a few notes, should you attempt the frittata yourself:

1) The potatoes make this thing dang hearty. Thusly, it’s suitable for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, dinner, or late night after you’ve had a few brews. Go crazy.

2) To save fat and calories, I substituted 6 egg whites for 4 whole eggs, cut the chorizo by 1-1/2 ounces, and subtracted a potato. I think I lost about 9 grams of fat per serving that way, and it still worked out VERY nicely.

3) Use an oven-safe pan, and be careful with the handle once it’s finished. That thing is HOT, and twice in the last week, I’ve barehanded a fresh-from-the-oven vessel. NOT GOOD.

4) My sister liked this. She only likes: gum, Diet Coke, spaghetti. I consider it a coup.

5) I’m not ashamed to admit: I ate my piece with my hands, as if it was pizza. I highly suggest trying this, but waiting until it cools off a little first. Good times.

Readers – how about you? Any healthy recipes where bacon/sausage/filet mignon is prominently featured? Do tell.

Chorizo and Potato Frittata
Serves 4
Adapted from Jamie Oliver

3 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small chunks
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
6 large egg whites
2-1/2 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, chopped into 1/3-inch pieces
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2 small shallots, peeled and very finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
A bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, very roughly chopped

1) Boil potatoes in salted water until tender enough to pierce through with a knife. Drain. Pour back into pot. Let dry out a bunch.

2) Preheat oven to 375°F.

3) In a large ovensafe skillet, heat potato and chorizo over medium-high. Saute 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chorizo should have rendered its fat by the end.

4) While the chorizo and potatoes are cooking, add eggs, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Whisk 'em all together.

5) After that, slice up the shallots. In a small bowl (separate from the eggs), combine shallots, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of olive oil, and a little salt and pepper. "Pinch shallots with your fingers to dress." Marinate a few minutes.

6) Okay. By now, the chorizo and potato should be done. Put them on a plate. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Add rosemary and jack heat up to high. Cook until a little crispy. Add eggs. Quickly add chorizo and potato pushing them around so they're evenly spread out. Put pan in oven. Cook until the eggs are set, a little puffy, and are ever-so-lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and immediately remove frittata from pan.

7) Add parsley to shallot mixture. Sprinkle over frittata. Serve right away.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
215 calories, 10.7 g fat, $0.85

Calculations
3 small red potatoes: 190 calories, 0.4 g fat, $0.47
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
2 large eggs: 147 calories, 9.9 g fat, $0.25
6 large egg whites: 103 calories, 0.4 g fat, $0.75
2-1/2 ounces Spanish chorizo sausage: 323 calories, 27.2 g fat, $1.07
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked: 2 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.18
2 small shallots: 41 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.53
Juice of 1 lemon: 13 calories, 0 g fat, FREE (I paid for the zest in last Friday’s recipe)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil: 39 calories, 4.5 g fat, $0.04
A bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.10
TOTAL: 860 calories, 42.6 g fat, $3.41
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 215 calories, 10.7 g fat, $0.85

Kale and Mushrooms with Polenta: Temptation

Things I was tempted to do for today’s post, but ultimately resisted:

1) Inspired by the most recent episode of 30 Rock, I wanted to put up several pictures of a young Alec Baldwin. Because, really, have you SEEN that guy in his twenties? He made Brad Pitt look like Ernest Borgnine after a chainsaw accident.

2) Comment on this AV Club piece about the music you just can’t listen to anymore, “because of the memories you associate with them.” For me, it’s Jeff Buckley. My friend H turned me on to him back in 1995, a full decade before “Hallelujah” popped up on The O.C. or American Idol. Grace was a perfect album for a perfect time, and now he’s dead and his music isn’t my special secret anymore. Don’t get me wrong - the specialness isn’t totally gone (his voice continues to be a space-and-time-stopper), but it’s diminished a bit. Or maybe I’m just old and cranky.

3) Post a link to Jamie Foxx’s new video, if only because director Ron Howard makes several prominent appearances. I gotta admit, I never thought I’d see Opie rolling with T-Pain and a bottle of Cristal.

4) Discuss my wedgie. It’s epic.

5) Apologize for discussing my wedgie. This is a food blog, for pete’s sake. We have to maintain a modicum of class around here.

6) But seriously, it’s huge.

7) Lament Binghamton’s quick exit from the NCAA tournament. Though I went to a rival SUNY (State University of New York) and was not aware we had sports, it’s nice to see public school kids represent.

8) Write a poem about Kale and Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta, a recipe from Epicurious/Bon Appetit found via Serious Eats. It would go like this:

Flavored by bacon and milk and butter,
and enough lemon to make my tongue flutter,
is a dish so creamy, substantial, and great,
I want to ask it out on a date.

Alas, the dinner is food and not people
or in three years, we’d be found in a steeple
saying our vows and planning a life
together as Kale with Mushrooms and wife.

But anyway back to the task at my hand,
describing this dinner, so pleasant and grand.
No side dishes needed, I swear and it’s true:
This should feed about three, including you.

The price is a pittance, when you take in the taste,
and I promise, there’ll be no barfing or waste.
For when you are asked, “hey hon, what is shakin?”
You can say: “It’s veggies! With corn stuff and bacon!”

~fini~

Anyway, that’s what I was tempted to do with today’s post. But I’m not gonna do any of them. Instead I’m just gonna list the recipe and its picture. (And tell you not to skip out on the lemon zest. It’s vital.)

P.S.














Kale and Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta
Serves 3
Adapted from Nick at Serious Eats who adapted it from Epicurious/Bon Appetit

1/2 pound kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 cups 2 % milk
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup polenta
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 ounces mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 2 medium large lemons)
1-1/2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

1) In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat milk, water, polenta, salt, and pepper over medium heat, whisking frequently/almost the whole time. Once it simmers, drop heat to medium-low. Cook 15 or 20 minutes, until it's thickened and polenta-like, stirring occasionally.

2) While this is happening, fill a medium pot with water. Set it on high heat and boil. Once it's boiling, add kale. Cook 5 or 6 minutes, until wilted. Drain. Set aside. (Note: Several people suggested sautéing the kale with the mushrooms, thus skipping the boiling process. I haven’t tried it, but it should work.)

3) In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp, stirring frequently. Take bacon out of pan and set aside on a plate. Add mushrooms to pan. Saute about 6 minutes, until they're pretty much cooked. Add kale, bacon, garlic, and broth to skillet. Boil it for about 5 minutes, so it reduces. Kill the heat. Stir in thyme, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.

4) Go back to the polenta pot. Add butter and parm. Stir. When both are thoroughly incorporated, scoop some polenta into a bowl or on a plate. Add a heap of the mushroom/kale mixture. Serve. Rejoice.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
435 calories, 16.6 g fat, $1.72

Calculations
1/2 pound kale, stemmed and roughly chopped: 114 calories, 1.6 g fat, $0.99
2 cups 2 % milk: 245 calories, 9.8 g fat, $0.49
1 3/4 cups water: negligible calories and fat, FREE
1 cup polenta: 505 calories, 2.3 g fat, $0.99
1/4 teaspoon salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1/2 teaspoon black pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
2 slices bacon, chopped: 122 calories, 9.4 g fat, $0.35
2 ounces mushrooms: 12 calories, 0.2 g fat, $0.33
1 garlic clove, minced: 4 calories, 0 g fat, $0.04
1/4 cup chicken broth: 4 calories, 0 g fat, $0.08
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.22
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 2 medium large lemons): 1 calorie, 0 g fat, $0.60
1-1/2 tablespoons butter: 151 calories, 16.9 g fat, $0.13
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated: 144 calories, 9.5 g fat, $0.91
Salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
TOTAL: 1304 calories, 49.7 g fat, $5.16
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 435 calories, 16.6 g fat, $1.72

(Alec Baldwin photo courtesy of Doodad Kind of Town.)

Pasta Puttanesca: Fancy Food for Frugal Entertainers

I’ve learned many things since moving out on my own (make the bed, don’t do drugs, etc.), but perhaps none have been as vital as the following excerpt from a 2003 life skills instruction manual. It was written by a wise, wonderful, unassuming literary icon (note: me) upon her brother’s college graduation, in hopes of inspiring him to put pants on:

“Learn to be at least marginally entertaining. Even if you are aggressively anti-social or covered in boils, the time will come when people want to see you. You must be prepared. Clean your place and don’t leave them to entertain themselves.”
See, with great power (adulthood) comes great responsibility (hosting friends and family). And occasionally, that means feeding people.

Which is why sometimes, in my darkest hours, when all else seems lost, I turn to Rachael Ray. I have conflicting feelings about RR, mostly because she invented “yummo,” which should be banned from all lexicons, everywhere. Still, she knows how to please a crowd. And I respect that.

I respect this Pasta Puttanesca, too. The recipe comes from an episode of 30-Minute Meals called “Quick Italian Classics,” and for the time involved, it’s outstanding. I made it for The Boyfriend on Valentine’s Day, and we almost had babies on the spot. (We didn’t though, Ma.)

Beyond the salty, briny wonder, the best thing about it is the serving size. It will feed roughly 3,000,000 people, and impress at least 2,999,990 of them. When you’re entertaining as a young’un, quality and quantity are good to have.

Should you try it on your own, know the following:

1) If you’re averse to seafood or olives, run far, far, far away. Don’t look back. Then stop and take a breath. Then start running again.

2) Just to restate: this is A LOT OF FREAKING FOOD. The Food Network site claims this will make four servings, which might be true if you live in a family of insatiable giants. In my phenomenally humble opinion, it’ll serve a minimum of six, especially if you include garlic bread or a salad or something.

(THINGS TO PONDER: Can one claim to be “phenomenally humble”? It’s essentially saying you’re the absolute best at being modest, which negates the whole thing. Discuss.)

3) For kicks, we added a drained can of quartered artichoke hearts. (The Boyfriend loves ‘em.) They’re not listed in the original recipe, and are only included as an option here, because they’re somewhat pricey (but highly suggested).

4) I used half black olives and half kalamata. BECAUSE I COULD. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

So, next time you're forced to feed a crowd, consider the Puttanesca. It could be a valuable part of your adulthood.

Pasta Puttanesca
Makes 6 servings
Adapted from Rachael Ray.


1 pound spaghetti 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained
1 /2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
20 oil-cured black olives, cracked away from pit and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers
1 (28 to 32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
A few grinds black pepper
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
OPTIONAL: 1 14.5-oz can artichoke heart quarters, drained

1) Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2) In a large skillet, combine oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper and heat over medium heat. Cook about 3 minutes, until anchovies are completely dissolved. Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley (and artichoke hearts, if using). Once it starts to bubble, drop the heat to medium-low and cook 8 or 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add pasta to pan. Toss to coat. Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
434 calories, 9.3 g fat, $1.50

Calculations
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, $0.23
4 to 6 cloves garlic: 22 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.20
1 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained: 119 calories, 5.5 g fat, $1.59
1 /2 teaspoon red pepper flakes: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
20 oil-cured black olives: 175 calories, 15 g fat, $1.84
3 tablespoons capers: 6 calories, 0.2 g fat, $1.64
1 (28 to 32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes: 279 calories, 0 g fat, $0.98
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained: 82 calories, 0 g fat, $1.19
A few grinds black pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped: negligible calories and fat, $0.49
1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente (with a bite): 1680 calories, 8 g fat, $0.80
TOTAL: 2602 calories, 55.8 g fat, $9.00
PER SERVING: 434 calories, 9.3 g fat, $1.50

1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo

The stretchability of a whole chicken is a frequently discussed topic among food and frugality bloggers. It’s commonly accepted that a single fowl will feed a family of 11 for weeks, years - even millennia. Even after 20 months of keeping CHG, I’m constantly gobsmacked by how moms and dads can create dinner after dinner from the same bird.

Here’s the thing: sometimes, those dinners aren’t the healthiest meals in the world. There tend to be a lot of quesadillas and casseroles whenever these type of posts pop up, not to mention chicken salads drenched with full-fat mayo. Now, there’s nothing wrong with this whatsoever (except the mayo - blech), but I wanted to see if I could put a healthier spin on it.

In a sentence: I wanted to find out if it was possible to create a gaggle of inexpensive, lower-fat meals with the leftovers from one big ol’ chicken.

Here were my rules:

• The budget – for EVERYTHING - was $25.
• I had to use as much food already in my pantry as possible. (Which accounted for a lot, and saved me mad dough in the long run.)
• Each meal had to feed at least two people (The Boyfriend and me).
• Bonus points for leftovers.
• The chicken had to be used up within a few days, so it wouldn’t go bad.
• The meals had to have reasonable variety, preferably from a range of cuisines. It couldn’t be Chicken with Spaghetti on Day 1, then Chicken with Penne on Day 2.
• The meals had to have very little added fat, since the leftover chicken would provide most of it.

And? Victory, for the most part. I ended up cooking five distinct, delicious, largely healthy dinners with PLENTY of leftovers. And miracle of miracles, there were no duds in the group. (Thanks, online reviewers!)

However, I did go $0.86 over budget. I’m okay with that, though. Between what we consumed each night and ate for lunch the next day, that $25.86 made 17 full meals, which works out to $1.52 each. That’s less than a cup of Starbucks coffee, so … aces.

What follows is the menu breakdown, complete with pictures and links to four of the five recipes. The last, a Cook’s Illustrated curry dish, isn’t online, so I transcribed it at the very bottom of this post. There’s also a master grocery list, so y’all can see the price breakdown of everything.

With that said, let’s get started with introductions: Charles, these are the CHG readers. CHG readers, this is Charles. He’s my chicken. He’s 6.99 lbs.

He will not look like this for long.


Day 1
Marcella Hazan’s Lemon Roasted Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes
2 servings
Chicken consumed: 10 ounces

We kicked everything off with Marcella’s Lemon Roasted Chicken. It’s been featured on the blog before, with good reason. In a world of dry, lame-o poultry, it is the Queen Mum of moist, flavorful goodness. Plus, when you add a few thick-cut carrots and quartered (unpeeled) red potatoes to the pan before it starts cooking, it becomes a whole meal. (Seriously, that’s all you have to do.) Together, The Boyfriend and I polished off all the vegetables and 10 ounces of chicken (five ounces each) for a Sunday night meal.

Afterwards, we stripped the chicken bare. Nude. Butt-naked. There was nothing left on that carcass but skin and gristle. It was a little hyena-like, honestly, but fun nonetheless. In total, our booty came to 2 pounds, 4 ounces of pure, straight-up leftover meat, mostly from the breast. Here’s a shot of the carnage.

If I had half a brain, I would have saved Charles’ bones to make stock. But I forgot.

To quote the bard, “Duh.”


Day 2
Cooking Light’s Chicken Picadillo with Rice and Black Beans
3 servings
Leftover chicken consumed: 1 pound

(Note: The experiment almost ended here, since I didn’t go grocery shopping in time for Day 2. Fortunately, for this particular recipe, everything was in my pantry already. [Woo hoo!])

Going in, I had mid-level expectations for Chicken Picadillo, and was super-pleasantly surprised by the results. All in all, it’s supremely easy to cook, and a nice change from the average Tex-Mex dish. Ground chicken, salsa, raisins, and almonds make up the main ingredients, but a dash of cinnamon ties it all together, giving everything a warm, lovely flavor. We ate it with plain rice and mashed black beans (to prepare: heat in pot, mash with masher, add salt and pepa), and used the leftovers to create a chicken/lettuce/salsa wrap the next day for lunch. Good times.


Day 3
White Chicken Chili
2-3 servings
Leftover chicken consumed: 1-1/2 cups

This tangy, mild, ridiculously simple chili was The Boyfriend’s favorite dish of the bunch. (He is the Chili King. He can do anything.) He slurped a bowl in record time, scarfed leftovers for lunch the next day, and openly wept when I told him he had finished it all. Poor guy.

The key to keeping this dish low-fat is the beans. By lightly mashing them, you create a thicker chili consistency, and don’t have to add as much cheese. FYI: If you like your chilis a little spicier, the heat is eminently adjustable here: just include the jalapeno seeds OR add another pepper altogether.


Day 4
Food Network’s Sesame Noodles with Chicken
5 servings
Chicken consumed: 1 cup

Three days into this thing, and we were barely halfway through Charles’ leftover meat. That started to change here.

It must be known: I loooooooove noodles. I luff them. I lurve them. I want to kiss them, but they keep falling through my fingers. (Ooo … deep.) Naturally then, this dish from Food Network was my favorite of the experiment. It’s a cross between Ellie Krieger’s Aromatic Noodles and this Noodle Salad from Cooking Light, with just a little more tang. The whole shebang is a tad higher in fat than the experiment’s others (see: butter, peanut), but it’s the healthy, protein-y kind, so I wouldn’t worry too much.

One note: I substituted a pitted, sliced regular cucumber for the Kirby. No harm, no foul, and it worked just fine.


Day 5
Cook’s Illustrated’s Chicken Curry in a Hurry
(recipe at bottom of post)
4 servings
Chicken consumed: 2 cups

Finally, we had reached the end. Charles was nearly tapped by Day 5, though perhaps surprisingly, we weren’t getting tired of chicken in the least.

It’s a good thing, then, we went with Curry in a Hurry. Served with a side of brown rice, it’s a fast, fantastic, Indian-inspired weeknight meal that will absolutely use up the last of any leftover chicken. Plus, it’s a lot of frigging food. CI claims it serves four people, it’s really more like five or six. Maybe eight or nine if you’re elves.

Note: we skipped the peas because they represent the oppression of the worker by the bourgeoisie, and can only be freed through shared profit and community-wide effort. (Oh wait – that’s not right. Actually, I just forgot to buy them. It didn’t make a difference.)

~~~

And that, my friends, is it. We're full. The chicken's gone. The experiment worked.

Here’s our grocery list (just like we promised!), plus the curry recipe, should you be into it. Comments and questions are welcome, and I'd love to hear what y'all have done with a whole chicken. Enjoy!

~~~

SHOPPING LIST
(* means I already had it in my pantry or fridge)

1 7-lb Oven Stuffer Roaster chicken: $6.92
1 lb thick carrots: $0.67
1-1/2 lbs red or Yukon gold potatoes: $1.42
2 lemons: $0.80
*1 or 2 tablespoons salt: $0.04
*3 teaspoons olive oil: $0.11
*2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil: $0.36
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil: $0.18
*2-1/2 medium onions: $0.30
*9 garlic cloves: $0.30
*2-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin: $0.05
*1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon: $0.01
*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning: $0.02
*Pinch ground cloves: $0.01
*1 teaspoon crushed red pepper: $0.05
*1/2 to 1 tablespoon curry powder: $0.07
*1 cup bottled salsa: $0.99
*1/3 cup golden raisins: $0.79
*1/4 cup raisins: $0.42
*1/4 cup slivered almonds: $0.73
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts: $0.35
1 large bunch fresh cilantro: $0.99
*1 14-oz can black beans: $0.67
1 can large white beans: $1.39
*1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas: $0.67
*1-2/3 cup uncooked brown rice: $0.95
1 seeded jalapeño pepper: $0.25
1 cucumber: $0.80
6 scallions: $0.67
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger: $0.32
1 can (4-ounce) chopped green chilies: $1.49
*2 cups chicken broth: $0.60
*1 pound spaghetti or Chinese egg noodles: $0.80
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter: $0.21
*1/4 cup soy sauce: $0.38
*2 tablespoons dark brown sugar: $0.06
*1 tablespoon rice vinegar: $0.24
*1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (we used low-fat, and it was okay): $0.28
*1/2 cup grated low-fat Monterey Jack or white cheddar cheese: $0.50
TOTAL: $25.86

~~~

Cook’s Illustrated’s Chicken Curry in a Hurry
Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced thin
1/2 to 1 tablespoon curry powder (mine is hot, so I only use ½)
Salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
½ cup water
2 cups shredded of thinly sliced cooked chicken
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas (I left this out, but please use)
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (we used low-fat, and it was okay)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1. BUILD CURRY BASE: Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. ADD WATER, MEAT, VEGETABLES, AND COOK: Stir in water, meat, chickpeas, peas, and raisins. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. GARNISH AND SERVE: Off heat, stir in yogurt and cilantro and serve. Over brown rice is a good option.