Homemade Condensed Cream of Whatever soup Mix

I found a recipe recently for chicken that uses condensed cream of chicken soup. Recipe sounds good, uses crockpot, really it should be a no brainer. However that little can of soup is almost $2. What? Really?

So I scoured the internet for a recipe and tried a couple. This one came out good, substituted well, and you can make it up as you need it. Best of all, about 50 cents to make or even less.

I have added canned chopped clams or corn and some chopped potatoes for a fast chowder.

Condensed Cream Soup Mix

2  cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4  cup cornstarch
2  tablespoons dried onion flakes
1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4  cup chicken bouillon powder
1  teaspoon dried basil (optional)
1/4  teaspoon dried thyme, more to taste


Using an air tight container combine dry milk, cornstarch, onion
flakes, pepper and chicken bouillon.If desired also add basil and thyme.
I use a widemouth quart mason jar. Mix well.

When using the mix, combine 1/3 cup of the mix with 1 1/4 cups of
water in saucepan. You could use chicken stock, vegetable stock, etc.

Cook and stir until thickened. Makes 1 and a half cups of soup.

Slow cooked Baked Beans

I find that one of the corner stones of my diet is beans. Seriously. I know you dont believe me because no one eats beans anymore in this fast paced eat out of a can or bag world right?

They are nutritionally a powerhouse. Beans are incredibly filling and inexpensive. While they are not a 5 minute meal they are also incredibly easy to make.  Dust off that crock-pot and come make some with me.

Slow Cooked Boston Baked Beans

1 pound ( about 2 cups) small dry white beans like navy beans
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup mustard
1 medium onion, chopped
a pinch of cloves
3 cups hot water


First you have to soak the beans. The night before I put them in a pan and cover with hot water from the faucet before I go to bed. There are other ways you can do it but really to me that's the easiest way to do it. Pick out any floaters and run a spoon through to look for little pebbles too.

The next morning drain the beans. Put half of them in the crock-pot. Place the chopped onion on top of beans. Cover with remaining beans.

In a separate bowl mix together the hot water, molasses, brown sugar, mustard and cloves. Pour over the beans in your crock-pot.

Cook for about 8 hours on low.  Check occasionally and make sure beans are covered with liquid. If not, add a bit to cover.  When they are tender enough to eat they are done. They may seem a bit soupy at first but will thicken a bit on standing.

The next day they are even better. This recipe will serve 6 as a main dish. I make these once a week and put in canning jars in my refrigerator so I can pull some out for a fast dinner. My teenager loves these on toast, I have them over rice frequently. They are a natural combo with Irish soda bread too.


Now a word about cooking times. There can be huge variances in cooking times depending on how old your beans are. If they have been in your cabinet for a year they may take a couple hours longer. I buy beans every week so they are relatively fresh. 

Pizza Night

Pizza night is a mainstay in our house. I make dough and I can customize everyone's pizza to their needs. No cheese on one, no sauce on another, all veggies on one is a snap this way. The kids make their own pizzas and we all eat together.


Gluten free came along and threw a wrench in the works though. How do you make a pizza crust without flour?  Thank God for the internet and Jeanne at 'The Art of Gluten Free Baking'.  She has a great recipe for pizza crust that actually tastes like pizza. I throw the ingredients in the food processor for 20ish seconds and use the parchment for that pizza.I have tried a few premade mixes but darn it they are so expensive. I make up Jeanne's baking mix and make pancakes regularly too from it.

You can find an easy crust recipe here that does have gluten but is dairy free. I will share a secret to make this go very fast. I have been making the dough in the food processor. Put all the ingredients in and process for about 20 to 30 seconds until it's a smooth dough. That's it. Let it rest and use as you would dough you spent 10 minutes kneading. The first time you may have to experiment with time and a drop or two of water to get a smooth dough but after that its easy peasy. If it still looks crumbly add water a teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together, pulsing a few seconds after each admission. I can crank out four crusts in no time this way.

My regular dough recipe makes some wonderful bread sticks as well.  Divide each recipe into 8 pieces and roll out thin with your fingers into pretzel rod shapes. Lay flat on cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
 If you aren't dairy free you can smear butter on them and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for some very similar to the pizza stores. We have them with pizza sauce. Yum!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

There's a reason grilled cheese sandwiches are a classic. Crispy and buttery outside, rich and melted inside......how can this budget pleaser go wrong? Vegetarians everywhere who eat dairy are cheering!
I use homemade bread for these but a store bought loaf will do.


Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

8 slices bread
8 slices cheese, either American or Cheddar
1 TB butter.


Start heating up a fry pan or griddle over medium high heat. 
Melt butter on pan.
Place 4 slices bread on pan.
Layer 2 slices of cheese on each slice of bread.
Top with second slice of bread.
Fry on one side until crisp and golden, then flip.
Fry second side until crisp and golden.
Serve with carrots sticks and sliced apples.

Variations
Add a slice of ham or turkey.
Spread Mustard on bread before cheese goes on.
Thin slices of apple sandwiched in with the cheese(my fave).
Thin slices of tomato added with the cheese on mayo.

Italian Sandwiches

'Italian' Sandwiches From Maine



I made some of these for a friend the other day and she was completely baffled. 'Don't get me wrong but I don't get the whole 'Italian' thing? They aren’t Italian at all!’   

These sandwiches are a favorite here in Maine in the summer and I have no idea where they got their name. If you have never been here, you have never had one. They are fabulous, a crisp salad in a roll and very customizable for your picky eaters. The mixture of sweet and salty along with the fresh crunchy goodness makes this a sandwich to try at least once. 

Mine are vegetarian but you can add ham, turkey, tuna, or whatever you prefer in the bottom before you layer the vegetables. 

If you can’t find sub rolls you can use a bulky or sandwich roll. My son uses hot dog rolls in a pinch if I haven’t made any rolls recently.

Italians

6 inch sub rolls

2 slices cheese per sandwich (cheddar, American, provolone)

1 Thinly sliced raw sweet onion

1 thinly sliced sweet pepper

2 tomatoes, cut in half then sliced

Pickles, either sandwich or chips

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

Olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper

Assembly

Cut open rolls. Lay 2 slices of cheese across bottom, overlapping to cover the entire bottom. Spread onions in bottom. Layer the tomatoes, overlapping them to cover bottom. Next up is a couple pickle slices then a few pieces of the sweet pepper. A sprinkle of the sliced black olives followed by a swish of good olive oil, a couple grinds of pepper and a pinch or 2 of sea salt.

BBQ Chicken

Barbecue Season is here!

Even though I am a vegetarian a lot of my friends and family are not. A girlfriend asked me to make this for her and I was happy to oblige. Its a grill recipe but I use it in the crockpot more often than not and it comes out melt in your mouth fabulous. I dont have to watch it and the kids and it doesnt heat up my kitchen on hot days.
This is the time of year to stock up on chicken for your freezer too  for all your summer cookouts when you see those barbecue weekend specials. Depending on where you live, pork and beef can be inexpensive now as well.

A quick word about barbecue sauces and rubs.......
Do you really know what goes in those sauces? High fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors? Yikes, no thank you. Barbecue sauce is insanely easy to make and very forgiving. My next post will be some of my favorites.

Barbecue Chicken

4 pounds chicken thighs, drumsticks, and breast halves (Whatevers on sale or in the freezer)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1(15 oz) can tomato paste
6 garlic cloves minced
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper


To make sauce, in a saucepan combine tomato puree, garlic, onion, honey, maple syrup, salt and peppers. Stir in apple cider vinegar and bring to boiling. Simmer uncovered about 30 minutes. It should be nice and thick.

GRILL: Brush sauce generously on chicken on a medium hot grill. Grill about 50 minutes until chicken is no longer pink adding more sauce the last 10 minutes.

CROCKPOT: Remove skin and extra fat from chicken. Layer sauce and chicken in crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours.

Serve extra heated up sauce with the chicken for those who like to dip.

Quesadillas

Farm Stand Favorites 2: Quesadillas

Another  versatile, inexpensive , and fast meal in my house is simple quesadillas. I buy the whole wheat variety at my local grocer when they are on sale and put in my freezer.

There are 2 ways to make these depending on how many you need and whether you want to heat up the oven. In the summer I have used the grill to make these and once at a friends house I used her foreman grill for almost instant quesadillas.

To feed a crowd, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place a tortilla on the sheet. On one half of the tortilla, place very thinly sliced peppers, tomato, onion, mushrooms, whatever you like and have on hand.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese ( I use cheddar the most but I'll grate whatever's on hand in a pinch) and fold over the tortilla, lightly pressing it down. Continue to fill as many tortillas as will fit on your sheet, how many depends on which size tortillas you are using.  Bake for about 10 minutes until cheese has melted and quesadillas are golden brown. The oil from the sheet will make these crispy and golden brown outside.
Serve with sour cream and salsa.

To feed a couple, I do the same procedure but on a flat skillet over medium high heat. Perfect fast lunch for one or two people! They only take a couple minutes on each side to cook up nicely. To flip hold the open side together and turn or use pancake spatula.

This is one of my go-to summer meals as well as a low budget favorite in my house.
Enjoy!

Farm Stand Favorites: Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Farm Stand Favorites: Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

We go to the farm stand twice a week. I let the boys pick out their favorites that day and plan the next few meals around whatever is on sale.


One of my favorite ( and cheapest) veggie meals is grilled veggie sandwiches. I cheat and roast the veggies more often than not.  I put whatever veggies I have on hand, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, asparagus etc., cut them into chunks and put in a bowl. A generous drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper goes on top. Stir to coat veggies with the oil. Dump onto a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Which veggies you roast can change the time a bit but I start checking at 30 minutes and they are usually perfect at 40 minutes.

Unless it bread baking day and I have made rolls, I put the roasted veggies into a whole wheat tortilla.( which I buy on sale and keep in my freezer) Depending on the eater the protein is a sprinkle of cheese or some canned white beans rinsed.

Variations could included a drizzle of balsamic vinegar if you have some, roasted garlic spread, or some chevre bits.

Hearty, inexpensive and good for you. It's amazing what vegetables kids will eat if they get to pick them out too!