Get a Handle on It

Some evenings call for a party. Such did one Saturday night, after we had put up some new decor in our apartment and wanted to share with the world. The question was: what to serve to our thirsty guests without breaking the bank? My clever roommates and I combined forces (I can't take all the credit for this one) and masterminded this fruity and tasty concoction that had the guests refilling their glasses all night long. Or until we kicked them out at least.

If you do the same, maybe you'll get lucky enough to have guests who look like this....

BLUE NOON

THE GOODS

*begin preparing these drinks at least 2 or more hours in advance - you'll need to make ice cubes

1 handle of cheap vodka ($9.99)

Cranberry juice ($1.99)

Frozen blueberries ($1.99)

A handful of lemons ($1)

Sprite or tonic water ($0.99)

Ice cube trays, as many as possible*

The Grand Total: $15.96 for drinks for the evening - these drinks include approximately 39.5 shots of vodka.... you do the math on how many that serves

THE WAY

Several hours in advance of the party (we did this the night before) place several frozen blueberries into each cell of a ice cube tray, or as many ice cube trays as you have. Fill the rest of the tray with cranberry juice, so that each ice cube will be red with blueberries floating in it. We used about 3 ice cubes per drink, so we used 3 ice cube trays and repeated this step about 5 times.

When you're getting ready to serve the drinks, fill each cup with about a 1:2 ratio, depending on your taste, of vodka: sprite. Plop in a few cranberry ice cubes, and squeeze in a spritz of lemon. Enjoy the festivities.

C'est Gourmet

Ever wanted to get fancy with your salad? Running low on ingredients for salads to take to work, I toyed with the idea of caramelizing something or other. Thanks to tastespotting.com, I stumbled upon the idea of making something snazzy with the bag of walnuts I had stashed in the pantry. I combined a few recipes ("Eggs on Sunday" gave me the idea + dressing recipe, "David Lebovitz" told me to use cinnamon, and "Pinch My Salt" inspired me to throw in some rosemary) artfully, and voila! My own personal au natural candy, plus as an added bonus of the gourmet dressing that one of the recipes posted alongside it.

FIX UP A FANCY SALAD
SPINACH SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE, CARAMELIZED ROSEMARY WALNUTS & ORANGE BASIL VINAIGRETTE

THE GOODS

Pomegranate or strawberries or apples.... ($0.50)
Fresh Spinach ($1.99)
Feta cheese, goat would work too ($2.99)


For the Walnuts:
2 cups walnuts (I had these on hand, but I'd estimate about $3-4)
Fresh rosemary (From my mom's garden, but you could probably get some for $1-2)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp water
Cinnamon or cayenne (optional)


For the Dressing:
Fresh basil - 1 tbsp chopped (from my "garden," but you can buy a bunch for $1)
1 orange ($0.40)
1 tsp dijon mustard
Olive oil
Salt and pepper


The Grand Total: I mostly used ingredients that I had lying around, but I'd estimate about $11.88 if you have to buy the spices, cheese and such


THE WAY

Caramelized Rosemary Walnuts

Chop up the rosemary. Place the walnuts in a saucepan with the sugar, rosemary, and a teaspoon or so of water. Add a dash of cayenne or cinnamon (I used cinnamon and recommend it, although I forgot to add a little salt too.)





Cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and the walnuts are getting toasted, mixing occasionally so the nuts don't burn, for about 5 minutes.

As soon as the walnuts are coated in amber sugar syrup, turn them out onto the piece of tinfoil. The recipe recommends parchment paper, but I used tinfoil instead because parchment is expensive.

Use your spatula to try to tease them apart from the clumps they will have formed. They’ll be easier to separate once they’ve cooled down. When they’re cool enough to handle, you can break apart any clumps of walnuts.






Orange Basil Vinagrette
 
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.


Makes about 3/4 cup.








The Big Picture

Toss spinach, pomegranate and feta or goat cheese into your bowl. Pop in the walnuts and drizzle the dressing. Chow down.

Cold and Hungary?

It was one of those nights when I got home from work late. By the time I arrived at my front gate, the chill and fog had found their way into my bones. It was time for an intervention: the kind that only a big bear hug or a cup of hot soup can provide. I am proud to say I was successful on at least one of those fronts.

RICH AND CREAMY* HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP
*BUT HEALTHY!

I copied this recipe from Allrecipes.com because all the commenters were just raving about it. After I made it, I realized why. However, I made some slight modifications to their recipe to reduce the monetary and caloric commitment: I replaced dried dill weed with just dill (dried dill weed costs about $8, while regular old dried dill costs $1.49) I used a bag of dried mushrooms instead of fresh (it was what I had on hand), I did not use parsley or sour cream, and I reduced the amount of butter from 4 tablespoons to 2.5 tablespoons. It made a great cheap and easy dinner, with leftovers. My only critique is that next time I'd make more!

THE GOODS

2.5 tablespoons unsalted butter  ($1.49 or less for 2 sticks)
2 cups chopped onions ($0.40)
1 bag of dried mushrooms, or 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced ($1.99)
2 teaspoons dried dill ($1.49)
1 tablespoon paprika ($1.29)
1 tablespoon soy sauce ($1.49)
2 cups chicken broth ($1.99)
1 cup milk ($1.49)

2 teaspoons lemon juice - from 1 lemon ($0.29)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste

The Grand Total: $11.92, and it will last me for at least 2 meals
The Time Commitment: about 50 minutes--15 to prep, 35 minutes to cook

THE WAY 

First, if you're using dried mushrooms, you have to prepare them. Boil some water. In the meantime, rinse the mushrooms with warm water. Then pour the boiling water over them and let them soak for 10-15 minutes. Drain them.

Chop the onions. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. 

Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. 

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. 

In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

Toffee Symphony

It was about time we had a little shindig at our not-so-new apartment, and I knew we had to feed our guests. Yes, we did the traditional bowled munchies (we mixed M & M's, pretzels, and caramel corn in margarita glasses to make it look fancy), but I also wanted to appeal to the classy palates of the room with something homemade. My pantry raid came up with more questions than answers. Namely: How can I use this bag of pistachios?

Then came food blog hunting. I decided to make brittle, but most brittles called for corn syrup, which I did not want to buy. So I found this recipe from culinate.com, which I halved and tweaked slightly, using pistachios instead of pecans or peanuts. It was such a hit! And I must say, I have been munching on the leftovers all week (and I'm not complaining)....

The salt, chocolate, and crunchy smooth toffee complement each other so well! I can't resist, even when I see them it on my shelf first thing in the morning.


CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO BRITTLE WITH SEA SALT

THE GOODS

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces ($2.99)
1 cup of pistachios or any nut, toasted and chopped ($3-4 depending on type of nut)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips ($1.99)
1/8 cup (or less) coarse sea salt ($1.49)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar

The Grand Total: $9.47

THE WAY

Use butter to grease a metal baking sheet (Place about 1 tablespoon of butter on a napkin. Rub it all around the baking sheet.) Set aside.

In a metal saucepan, melt the butter, sugar and salt, whisking until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes and then constantly for five to 10 more minutes, until the mixture is deep golden (or about 300 degrees on a candy thermometer). Watch it carefully and keep stirring to make sure it doesn't burn!

Stir in the chopped nuts ASAP, then carefully pour the hot toffee into the center the baking sheet. Smooth the toffee out using a silicone spatula (smooth it until it's about 1/2 inch thick).

Let the toffee cool for a minute, then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee. Let the chocolate melt for about four to five minutes, then spread it out evenly with the spatula.

Let cool for another 10 minutes or so, then dust the chocolate with the coarse sea salt. (Sprinkle just a bit at first; if the salt melts into the chocolate immediately, wait another few minutes. The salt should stick to the chocolate without vanishing.

Place the tray of toffee in the freezer and freeze until the chocolate layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and break toffee into pieces. Layer between sheets of parchment or waxed paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature; the toffee will keep for about two weeks.

Notes: 

Since candy syrup is very hot (300 degrees), use only metal and silicone equipment for making this brittle. And be sure to soak all the utensils as soon as you’ve poured out the molten candy, or you’ll wind up with rock-hard candy stuck to your cooking pots and tools.

You can use less butter if you like, down to about 1 sticks (1/2 pound); the less you use, the clearer and harder the toffee will be. For a traditional nut brittle, simply leave out the chocolate and the salt at the end.

Veggie'ng Out

Tonight, dear readers, I introduce you to my most requested dish. This has been my fallback meal because it's healthy, cheap, warm, delicious and dependable. (It also makes great leftovers, especially if you stick it in a baguette.)

This dish--in its many variations--has traveled the world with me. I made it in Los Angeles for a big dinner with all my friends. I made it in a fraternity house in Berkeley, where I couldn't be sure I wasn't getting eggplant-infused diseases. I made it in a hostel in Budapest during Passover, adding matzah for some extra crunch. I made it in a small Spanish town called Conil de la Frontera, where I cooked for 9 people and the stove kept short circuiting every time I tried to sautee the eggplant. And now, in San Francisco. I can vouch for it: if you like eggplant, cheese, and red sauce, and you like having money left in your wallet, this one is for you.


HEALTHIEST, CHEAPEST EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

THE GOODS

1 Eggplant ($1.49)
1 jar Clasico carmelized onion and roasted garlic tomato sauce ($1.99)
About 1 cup parmesan cheese - I like Trader Joe's shaved Asiago, Romano, Parmesan ($2.99)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic or garlic powder
Olive oil

The Grand Total: $6.47, which will make you at least 2-3 servings (I like taking it to work for a hot lunch the following day.)

THE WAY

Preheat the over to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the eggplant (I like to do it width-wise, but you could do either) into thin slices. Lay the eggplant slices in one flat layer in a glass casserole dish or on a cookie sheet.

Drizzle with about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and try to spread the olive oil around with your fingers or a spoon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder--about 1 teaspoon each of salt and garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Note: I usually use about 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic chopped up, but I was lazy after a long day.

Roast the eggplant for about 40 minutes, or until it starts to be translucent but not brown. (At this point, I like to reserve some of the eggplant for my sandwiches or salads later in the week.) Pour in the whole jar of tomato sauce. The more the merrier, in my opinion. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese, and mozzarella too if you have it, on top of the sauce. Now, broil for about 10 minutes. Good to the last bite every time.

Note: If you are in a time crunch, sautee the eggplant instead of roasting it. Just put olive oil in a sautee pan over medium heat, and sautee the eggplant in batches so that it becomes translucent. Then just layer it in a casserole dish and broil it, following this recipe, if you want it to be crispy on top. Or, if you don't mind eating delicious "eggplant shmush," as my friend Becca calls it, just toss the sauce and cheese and all the eggplant into your sautee pan until it's all hot. Then, plate it and gobble up.

Fancy Kid Food

It was yet another culinary dilemma: I had an "Adult Versions of Kid Food"-Themed Potluck at work the next day, it was 11: 15 p.m., and I had nothing fun and edible to bring. After mulling over the traditional but expected options--mac and cheese, mud pie, jello--I took to the pantry. Less than half an hour later, I had a treat that would put a smile and a chocolate slather on any kid's (or coworker's) face.

MILKY WAY PRETZEL POPS

 

THE GOODS



Bag of Milky Ways ($4.99)
Bag of wheat pretzel twists ($1.99)
1/3 bag of chocolate chips ($1.99)
2 tablespoons of butter ($1.99)
Optional:
Almonds
Coarse sea salt

The Grand Total: $10.96

THE WAY

First, unwrap all the Milky Ways. As you're doing this, boil water in a medium to large saucepan. Also, take out a couple of nonstick cookie sheets.





When the water's boiling, place a slightly smaller saucepan over the other saucepan, so that it's resting on top. Throw in the milky ways, butter, and chocolate chips.






While the chocolate is melting, if you're planning on using almonds, toast them for 5-10 minutes in the oven or toaster oven. Let them cool for a couple minutes, then chop.

Be sure to stir the chocolate occasionally, until the mixture is all melted together  and is a taffy-like consistency.







When it looks like this, start dipping the pretzel twists in the milky way shmush. Place the dipped goodies on the cookie sheets. If you want to cover them in almonds or sea salt, let them cool for about 30 seconds and then press the toppings into the chocolate. FYI, the sea salt ones were the crowd favorite.

TA DA!

Do It Yourself BBQ For Cold Summer Nights

San Francisco summers. *Sigh.* There truly is nothing like the feeling of shivering under a blanket of mist and craving a good, old-fashioned summer barbecue. Well, when the urge to get a BBQ stain on your white t-shirt strikes you, don't let the fog horn get you down. Take matters into your own hands....

BARBECUE CHICKEN (IN THE KITCHEN) AND ROASTED ROSEMARY CORN CRAZINESS
+ A FRESH SALAD (IN CASE YOU'RE REALLY HUNGRY)

THE GOODS


For the chicken
Chicken breast (about $2)
Barbecue sauce ($1.99)
Salt and pepper

For the corn
Frozen corn ($1.99)
Red onion ($0.40)
Rosemary (from Mom's garden)
1 Tomato,  or a handful of cherry tomatoes ($0.40)

For the salad
Spring mix lettuce ($1)
Heirloom tomato ($1)
Some more of that red onion
Marinated artichoke hearts ($1.99)
Balsamic vinegar or your dressing of choice

The Grand Total: $10.77 max 

THE WAY

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken. Smother it in barbecue sauce and place it on a sautee pan on medium heat. Sautee it for about 5-10 minutes on each side, or until it doesn't look pink and it feels less tender. You can cut into it to double check that it's cooked through.

In the meantime, chop the onions and tomatoes in good sized chunks. Spray Pam on another sautee pan, and begin roasting the corn. When the corn looks like it's thawed, add the rosemary and the other veggies and let them all roast in the pan for about 10 minutes, or until the start to look slightly brown and roasted.

For the salad, slice tomatoes, artichoke hearts and red onion and assemble on top of lettuce. Add the dressing. Imagine you smell sunscreen and beer.