Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes (I prefer the Muir Glen brand since they use enamel lined cans instead of plastic)
3 cloves garlic
basil, rosemary, powdered onion, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf
olive oil
parmesan cheese
2-4oz shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 lb spaghetti

Peel and slice 3 cloves garlic. Combine tomatoes and herbs. Experiment to figure out what ratio of herbs to use. I prefer extra basil myself. Heat olive oil and garlic in sauce pan under medium heat. Just before garlic browns add tomato mix to sauce pan. Stir sauce to ensure even distribution of herbs. Turn heat to low and let simmer 10-20 minutes.

Top boiled noodles with shredded cheddar then add tomato sauce. Use parmesan to taste.

This is one of my favorites as it can be ready in less than 30 minutes and provides two meals for about 5 dollars of ingredients.

Cod (2- 6 oz filets): coat with 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. In a sauté pan, add chopped carrots, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and garlic and stir-fry for 5 minutes.

Put cod with sautéed veggies in over for 5 minutes. Serve with wild rice.

Put 2 cups wild rice and water in pot and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Add 3/4 cup freshly toasted cashews and diced scallions to rice. Season with salt and pepper.

Will make around 4 servings.

Is there anything more bland than corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day? But, I found some ways to pump it up, given that it is really cheap now - two for one specials, etc.

Boil the corned beef about 3 hours in a slow cooker until very tender. Then add red & yellow potatoes, onions, turnips, and cabbage adding a package of Onion Soup spice mix in addition to the spices that come with it, and boil some more until the vegetables are tender, for openers. That's a little more tasty than just the plain recipe.

But then, I baked a really good loaf of Pumpernickel bread to make corned beef sandwiches. Just added Dijon mustard and sweet pickles. Could have made Reuben sandwiches with sour kraut and melted cheese on top, too.

Then, the next day, I took out the trusty old-fashioned meat grinder, and ground up the rest of the corned beef brisket and the left-over boiled potatoes and made corned beef hash. Along with toast and eggs, it makes a great brunch.

So, that's 3 different meals with one corned beef brisket - and the free one is still in the freezer!

I have a lot of recipes, in fact, I have an online almanac -- the Better Times Almanac of Useful Information, originally printed (10,000 copies, 32 page tabloid) and given away for free, mostly in baskets of food we delivered to the poor.

I recently made this Cornbread Meatloaf and it was very good.

Bacon ends and pieces
1 onion
1/2 lb hamburger
1-2 cups cooked beans, or 1 can beans or 1 can refried beans
cornbread batter
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)
3 small cans (8 ounce) tomato sauce

Fry bacon and remove from pan, cutting it in pieces. Chop onion and fry with the hamburger, drain grease. Add bacon pieces to hamburger/onion mixture, pour tomato sauce over it and add 1 soup can water or beef stock (or simply add the liquid from the beans), beans, your favorite spices and herbs, mix well (I add garlic powder, chili powder and habanero salsa). Simmer this mixture slowly about 15 minutes, stirring often. If it gets thick, add a little water. Add cheese, stirring well. Put in casserole dish (or if you are using a cast iron skillet, leave in pan) and pour your favorite recipe of Corn Bread batter over the top. Heat in 400 degree oven until cornbread is done, about 20-30 minutes. Variations: For vegetarian, eliminate bacon and hamburger and use extra beans.

I also made a Meatless Cream Soup last Friday that turned out pretty good:

4 potatoes, diced in small pieces
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 large onion (or 1 medium onion), diced in small pieces
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped finely
1 cup uncooked bulgar (I make my own bulgar from wheat, directions for this at make your own bulgar )

Put water in pan and add potatoes, bulgar, and cabbage. Put shredded carrots and chopped onions in skillet, fry in a bit of oil until the onions are clear, add cooked carrots/onions to the soup pot. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and garlic. Bring it to a boil, then turn down to a slow simmer. I was busy so I let this simmer for an hour, but you could probably get away with only simmering it for a half hour, or you could put it in a crock-pot for a few hours. Then I used a mixer to puree the soup, added a cup of milk and a handful of shredded cheese, warmed it back up, and served it with rye bread toast.

Bob Waldrop, Oklahoma City

energyconservationinfo.org
bettertimesinfo.org
bulgarbugle.com
oklahomafood.coop

8 oz bacon diced
2 medium onions chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 t. dry mustard
1 16 oz can baked pork & beans
1 16 oz can dark kidney beans, drained
1 16 oz can garbonzo beans, drained
1 16 oz can green lima beans, drained
1 16 oz can yellow wax beans, drained

Fry bacon and onions over medium heat until tneder and not brown. Stir in sugar, mustard and vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Mix in beans and stir gently. Pour into a casserole dish and cover. Bake for one hour at 350.

If you are vegetarian, you can omit the ham. Or for variations, you can substitute the ham with chopped and cubed pancetta, chorizo or smoked sausage.

If you like a little heat, chop a jalapeño as fine as you can and mix it into the base with the onions and peppers and or add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper to the base.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 bags of Goya Split Peas
1 bag diced ham
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 carrots, chopped and cubed small
1 large onion, chopped med/coarse
1/2 red pepper, chopped small
1 sml can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of oregano flakes
Salt and Pepper

Use a Dutch Oven style pot

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil (medium heat) and place ham in the oil to render liquid out of ham.

Pour the remaining oil in the pan along with garlic, onion, red pepper and carrots.

Add oregano.

Add salt and pepper.

Sweat the ingredients, on medium heat, until the onion and peppers become translucent.

Add tomato sauce, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add both bags of Split Peas and stir them into the base.

Add water to approximately 1/2 inch to the top of the pot, stir, turn the to high.

Once the ingredients start to boil, reduce the heat to low and continue to stir every 10 to 15 minutes for about an hour until done.

Serve in a bowl with fresh croutons, grated parmesan and a drizzle of virgin olive oil.

After the turkey has been cleaned of meat:

1 cup of leftover gravy (if any)
1 cup of cornbread stuffing
3 cups of mashed potatoes
about 1/4 tsp browning sauce

Boil turkey carcass (with about 98% of the meat removed) for about 3-4 hours with 1 cup of chicken stock, along with about 1 cup of turkey drippings. I made about 5 gallons of soup. I did brine the turkey for about 19 hours before roasting it.

Turkey Brine:

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6+ hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

Here's something unusual to do with all that free rhubarb that grows in the backyard: Rhubarb Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons finely shredded orange peel
6 cups Rhubarb, chopped ½ inch thick
½ cup green bell pepper, diced
¼ cup sweet onion, finely chopped
? cup red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

Directions:

In a medium, non-stick sauce pan, combine sugar, water and orange peel. Bring to a boil.

Add chopped Rhubarb and reduce heat to medium. Simmer gently until the Rhubarb is tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

When cool, add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Serve chilled or at room temperature with your favorite chips.

CHS kitchen-test note/disproving the propaganda that real food is "too expensive" and fast-food is "affordable": I bought the ingredients for Black Bean Chili (Summer/Fall 2008) at one of the local "Mexican" markets which cater to the Hispanic population. The total cost was:

1 pound black beans: $1.19
2 medium onions: $ .36 ($.33/pound)
garlic: $ .15 (5 heads for $1.30)
jalapeno chiles: $ .20
1 can tomatoes: $1.00
oil, cilantro, etc.: about $ .30

Total: $3.20

For 6 servings, that's $.53/serving. Add $2 for 4 dozen tortillas, slice up six medium raw carrots (12 oz.) for crunch and vitamins, and that brings it up to $5.60 or $ .93/serving.

If you wanted to add a pound of meat, and you buy on sale, then add another $3.40 or so for either beef (lean cut) or ground turkey. That boosts the cost to about $9.00 or $1.50 per serving for a hearty, protein- and fiber-rich meal.

Compare that to the cost of a supposedly "cheap" (and horribly unhealthy) fast-food "value" meal of burger, fries and a sugar-bomb soda for six: in California, way over $30. And yet all we hear is how "poor people" (like me?) "can't afford healthy food." What rot! 93 cents beats the heck out of any fast-food meal, it's easy to make and the ingredients are readily available virtually anywhere.

FROM WALLET TO WAISTLINE: THE HIDDEN COSTS OF "SUPER SIZING" (Prevention Institute)

"A healthy homecooked family meal and a home garden are revolutionary acts." (CHS, May 2008)


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