Roasted Chicken Wrapped with Bacon
price
$15
servings
5
price per serving
$3
T
his recipe is from the brilliant mind of Alex’s uncle Rob, who has a knack for making the most moist chicken—no matter how he cooks it. This recipe is no exception, as the fat from the bacon keeps the chicken soft and tender. And the drippings make a stellar bacon-flavored gravy.
3 medium onions, quartered
1 (4–5 pound) whole roasting chicken
¼ pound strip bacon
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange onions around chicken in a roasting pan; place some onion into chicken cavity. Cover chicken with several strips of bacon; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes at 400°F, then lower to 350°F until cooked through and breast meat is 165°F, about 1 hour.
Savory Turkey Meatball
price
$8
servings
4
price per serving
$2
A
round 3 p.m. each weekday, we begin chatting from work or school about what to cook for dinner. We developed this recipe one evening after Alanna had announced definitively during the day that she wanted spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. We’ve gone back and reworked the recipe to perfection—the meatballs have a slightly smoky flavor from the cumin, and they’re especially soft if you use homemade bread crumbs.
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon thyme
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1½ pounds lean ground turkey
½ onion, diced
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together salt, pepper, cumin, thyme, bread crumbs, and Parmesan. Add turkey, onion, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Mix ingredients together with a fork until well combined. Roll into 2" balls; place on baking sheet. Bake 25–30 minutes. Serve warm with spaghetti and marinara sauce.
Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Chicken Wheels
price
$20
servings
4
price per serving
$5
W
e’re always excited to discover new ways to mix up the pesto and sun-dried tomato combination because we never tire of it. This recipe calls for rolling chicken breasts around this power duo. It’s a timeless technique that anyone can do, and the pesto keeps the chicken breasts nice and moist.
4 chicken breasts, pounded flat between 2 sheets of wax paper
½ cup pesto
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Prepare chicken by spreading pesto evenly over each breast. Place sun-dried tomatoes over pesto; loosely roll each breast. Place in baking dish seam-side down. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 1 hour.
PART II: BIG DISHES
MEAT
Braised Beef Short Ribs
price
$24
servings
6
price per serving
$4
T
his dish will fill your home with the savory and homey aroma of short ribs that are so succulent you’ll hardly be able to wait for them to finish cooking before digging in.
1 bottle red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 beef short ribs (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 fresh thyme sprigs
4 cups chicken, veal, or beef stock
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add wine to large saucepan; simmer until reduced by half. Heat oil in large sauté or roasting pan. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Add to pan; brown well on both sides. Remove; set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon oil from pan. Add vegetables, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until lightly browned. Add reduced wine; deglaze pan and return ribs to pan. Cover with chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover; place in oven and cook 2 ½ hours, until tender. Remove pan from oven; allow to cool several hours or overnight. Remove excess fat; return pan to stove over medium heat. Simmer uncovered until liquid is reduced by ¾, about 1 hour. Spoon gravy over top of ribs and serve.
Braised Pork Chops with Apples and Leeks
price
$10
servings
4
price per serving
$2.50
D
uring the fall, we’ll throw apples and leeks on any ingredient that falls into our hands (like the chicken stuffing on page 96). Pork chops handle the flavor combination exquisitely, and the apple cider in this dish enhances the flavor of both the apples and the meat.
4 pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
3 leeks, whites only, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup apple cider
Fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Season each pork chop generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add pork chops; sear until browned, about 3 minutes each side. Remove, cover, and set aside. Add apples, leeks, and thyme to pan; cook until soft. Add cider; simmer 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Return pork chops to pan; simmer on low heat until cooked through. Season sauce with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.
Chunky Beef and Veggie Stew
price
$30
servings
8
price per serving
$3.75
T
his is a basic, frugal recipe for a hearty beef stew. The wild mushrooms and rosemary lend a rustic touch, and it freezes beautifully to last you through the winter.
3 pounds beef chuck, cubed
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups red wine
3 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence (or any combination of equal parts rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, and marjoram)
8 ounces wild mushrooms
4 carrots, sliced
2 cups pearl onions, peeled
2 cups frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Dredge beef in flour. In wide, heavy pot or Dutch oven, sauté beef in olive oil. Add onions; cook over high heat until soft. Add wine, stock, tomato paste, and herbs. Bake 1 ½ hours. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms, carrots, and onions until slightly soft, 5–7 minutes, and set aside. Add to pot carrots, pearl onions, mushrooms, peas, and salt and pepper to taste; return to oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve hot.
Coffee-Flavored Grilled Steak
price
$16
servings
4
price per serving
$4
W
hile this steak doesn’t taste like coffee, it
does
take on a uniquely delicious flavor that we’ve found unachievable with any other ingredient.
1½ pounds steak (top sirloin, chuck eye, flank, or hanger steak)
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup coarsely ground black pepper
¼ cup finely ground coffee
Sprinkle steak liberally with salt; cover with pepper and press into steak by hand. Sprinkle finely ground coffee over steak; grill or broil until done, 4–5 minutes on each side depending on thickness and desired temperature. Serve with a pasta salad or simple green salad.
Sweet and Sour Meatloaf
price
$16
servings
4
price per serving
$4
T
his is a meatloaf that’s juicy and flavorful, with a thick, sweet sauce you’ll want to lick off the plate. Leftovers are unlikely, but the meatloaf also makes delicious sandwiches if you manage to save any.
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 egg
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup brown sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small can San Arturo tomato mushroom sauce (or substitute other tomato sauce)
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together meat, onion, egg, and bread crumbs. Form into a loaf on baking sheet. Mix together brown sugar, lemon juice, and tomato mushroom sauce; pour over loaf. Bake 1 hour.
Slow-Cooked Corned Beef and Veggies
price
$24
servings
6
price per serving
$4
I
n this recipe, we combine corned beef with a variety of spices and rustic vegetables for a simple, frugal take on a classic dish.
1 (3–4 pound) cured corned beef, trimmed of fat
1½ cups water
½ teaspoon mustard seed
1 cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon whole allspice
½ teaspoon dill seeds
¼ teaspoon whole cloves
½ teaspoon peppercorns
1 head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
4 medium carrots, peeled
3 medium onions, peeled and halved
6 medium red potatoes, peeled and halved
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place meat on rack in large Dutch oven. Add 1 cup water and spices. Cover and bake 3 hours. Partially cook cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes in boiling water until just barely tender; arrange around meat. Add ½ cup water; bake 1 hour, until vegetables are fully tender.
Mediterranean-Style Beef-Stuffed Eggplant
price
$20
servings
4
price per serving
$5
T
his is a very inexpensive, filling dish that can work as a quick main course for dinner. It’s hearty enough that you can serve it alone or alongside an easy steamed vegetable or mixed-green salad.
2 medium eggplants
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 dash cinnamon
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup water
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise; scoop out center flesh. Set aside skins. Chop flesh into ½" pieces; sauté in pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Add onions; cook 5 minutes, until eggplant is soft. Add beef, cinnamon, ½ of tomato sauce, salt, and pepper; cook until beef is just browned, about 5 minutes. Stir pine nuts into beef mixture; set aside. Brush inside of eggplant skins with ½ tablespoon olive oil; place face up in shallow pan. Broil 10 minutes, until lightly brown, then turn oven to 375°F. Cook 5 minutes, until eggplant is soft. Spoon mixture back into eggplant halves. Dilute remaining tomato sauce with water; pour over eggplant halves and bake 30 minutes.
Spicy Beef and Black Bean Burritos
price
$16
servings
8
price per serving
$2
T
hese burritos are brimming with ingredients, spices, and flavors, but luckily they’re all extremely inexpensive and easy to find. Because these burritos are easily customizable, they’re great to make for a crowd.
½ pound ground round chuck
¼ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
8 flour tortillas
1½ cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups lettuce, shredded
Salsa (optional)
In a large skillet, brown beef with onion and green pepper in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add tomatoes, chili powder, red pepper, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. Simmer until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Add beans; stir and heat 3 more minutes. Heat tortillas; spread mixture into each tortilla. Top with cheese, lettuce, and salsa. Roll up burrito and serve.