New Treat: Le Creuset pot

For an early birthday present, I bought myself a prezzie: my first Le Creuset pot, a 2.75 qt. round Dutch oven. It arrived yesterday.

Oh, it is so beautiful! I cannot wait to use it.

This is super-great, too, because I just unloaded a large group of older pans to Goodwill. This one will more than fulfill the use of those older pots. It is also perfect in size for my single-life cooking,w here I really only want to cook two or three servings (not eight!) for me. Part of my New Year's resolutions for 2010, to cook and eat better. Meaning in part smaller, cheaper, more skillfully.

Yay, me!

2.26.16: Six years later and not a week has gone by I didn't use this... except when I was out of town. Soups, stews, and all sorts of delicious cookings. Next to the crockpot, this pan is probably one of the best investments I've made for my kitchen. Bad news, this color, Cobalt, has been "discontinued" by Le Creuset. There are three or four other blues, but none this gorgeous. Good news, before they were gone I got these beauties:

Simple & Delicious: Pears poached in red wine

This is a simple, elegant and nearly sugar-free dessert, perfect for a French-inspired meal. Also relatively inexpensive, so it can serve as an elegant and frugal end to a meal with friends.

Pears are a delicious alternative to apples and loaded with good-for-you food value. They contain lots of natural fiber, lots of vitamin C (10% RDA) and vitamin K (8%), and no fat or cholesterol. They are carbo-loaded, but complex carbs, which means they keep you feeling fuller longer. They are also low glycemic. All good news.

The recipe is very easy, as I said. This is usually served cold, so it can be made well ahead of time, chilled, and served with an anglais sauce, light whipped cream or creme fraiche, or a simpler cherry or berry coulis, as well as the cooking juice itself. Serve with high cocoa content chocolate squares.

Peel 4 ripe pears, leaving the stem intact.

In a saucepan, lay the pears on their sides so they fit without smooshing or too much extra space.

Add the following to the pan:

• one packet vanilla sugar
• one vanilla bean, split in half
• one sprig fresh rosemary or thyme (use thyme with cinnamon)
• four black peppercorns (or mixed colors)
• four cloves or a cinnamon stick (or equivalent ground version)
• 2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice (I usually just juice one lemon)
• 1 bottle good red wine (not sweet!--choose a Beaujolais to Cabernet or mixed red)

Cover and raise to simmer. Once simmering, let cook for 30 minutes, turning every ten minutes or so; ready when the pears are tender to forks. After, let sit/cool, then set one pear in each bowl, add cooking juice, and chill.

Vanilla sugar can be bought in packets at specialty cooking shops, or places that sell international foods. Or you can use this simple recipe from Alton Brown (takes a couple weeks, however): http://bit.ly/144xM6i

Cezanne's three pears, just as a treat, as simple and gorgeous as the poached kind.

What a week! Stomach Flu and Simple Meals

Since Friday I have been battling with what feels like stomach flu, or a really, really strong case of nervous digestion -- which I often get during a tense or important project.

On and off since Friday afternoon I have been "ugh." With a lot of sleeping afterwards.

This morning I cancelled my classes for the day (My U does not take Prez's Day off) and slept late after sending a 6 am email/textmail broadside to students. Kind and sweet thoughts came back from them, but I was uninterested for a few hours. Then lay there bleary while Jack kept me warm and safe by lying on top of me.

Since I've been locked in the house since Friday -- except for a friend's b'day brunch Saturday -- I am bo-red with everything when awake. The house is clean, I've watched all of Season 1 of SCANDAL on Netflix and part of Season 2, and I am caught up on my email. The fridge is full of the week's meals. The dishwasher is empty and clean. The garbage and recycling are out, gone, taken care of. I am well enough to walk around just not well enough to feel 100% able to do usual things.

Now what? Bleah.

Maybe I should add what I cooked this weekend, despite everything:

• Roasted red pepper and eggplant spicy spread -- which, with the addition of a couple of lean, cooked chicken breasts, becomes a delicious dinner casserole
• roasted my own red peppers (on sale), bought eggplant (on sale) and everything else from the Pantry or Freezer (have 6 bags of roasted red peppers for future dishes, too)
• Quinoa and black bean salad with lime-chili dressing, a very healthy carb and protein side dish/main dish that's good cold or slightly heated (all Pantry)
• Cranberry-orange breakfast oat bars (all Pantry but orange)
• Pink grapefruit-blood orange-navel orange fresh squeezed juice every morning, bought with bargains in the citrus area, 'cuz they're in season
• Hard-boiled eggs, for quick protein

I also poached a salmon steak with Old Bay and lemon, which will be good for 2-3 dinners (all Freezer and Pantry). Still finishing off the chicken soup, too.

The up-side of this was last week I spent about $25 on groceries, since I only needed fresh fruit and vegetables. Not even dairy. This week, I'll need to replenish the dairy as well as the other stuff, so it should run me a little more. Plus cat supplies. Those tiny cans are crazy expensive, plus treats.

Simple Pleasures: Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is one of the easiest and most satisfying soups to cook at home. It is also great for frugal cooks, because you don't need fancy stuff to make a delicious pot of family delight. Even better if you have a familiar family recipe, handed down from Grandma or Great-Grandma.

I made a big pot this past weekend, using what I had on hand after looking at about ten different recipes on Epicurious, my favorite cooking site. Here's what I got by scanning the recipes:

• First choice, cook on stovetop or in slow cooker.
• Second choice, basic chicken soup, Asian-inspired chicken soup, Latin-inspired soup, gumbo-like soup, or broth. This is about seasonings and thickness.
• Third choice, noodles or rice or pasta or nothing.
• Fourth choice, beans or nothing.

That's it.

Your chicken can come from rotisserie-chickens, leftovers, frozen breasts or thighs, raw or cooked. It's all in the timing and convenience for you.

Most recipes add lots of vegetables, but I prefer to limit myself to celery and carrots. No beans, pasta, rice or noodles. I add heat: fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, lemongrass (if I've got it), and sometimes jalapeno peppers. I also add 1/4 to 1/2cup of white wine and sometimes 1 cup of chicken broth, mixed with about 5 cups of water.

You can increase the nutritional value by adding a can of chickpeas or a half-cup of white beans; you'll also increase the number of servings. You are automatically lowering the sodium count (compared to Campbell's or Progresso) by making your own and adding only a pinch of salt while cooking. You're also eliminating fat by using either only white meat or mixing it up dark and white while removing all the skin. And for anyone with wheat or dairy or corn allergies, this is exclusive of all those ingredients -- although you can add them.

This time of year, too, with flu and colds everywhere, chicken soup is a great choice for people well and not so well.

New frugality and the Pantry Challenge, February 2013

Having realized that the Congressional delay on solving the budget issue (a.k.a. "Fiscal Cliff") has resulted in a reduction of my monthly paycheck of $400 (#*%@!), I am definitely working this  month as a Pantry Challenge.

Good pantry:

The good news is that I have a ridiculously stocked pantry and freezer, due to my greed and fear of waking up in a world with no more grocery stores. Or something like that.

Bad pantry:

Thus far, I've been able to make the following without adding anything but on-sale produce last week and for this coming week:

• lentil soup, using lentils & canned tomatoes from the pantry, bacon from the freezer, and seasonings (including red wine) from the herbs/spices cabinet;
• chicken-artichoke lasagna, without the lasagna noodles, so really a kind of chicken-artichoke casserole, using chicken breasts from the freezer and a can of artichoke hearts from the pantry;
• poached pears, using same red wine, spices, and three on-sale pears;

• chicken-eggplant-tomato stew, a variation of Mediterranean cuisine incorporating on-sale eggplant and freezer chicken (whole chicken cooked in crockpot and used in this dish, plus lunch salads, omelets, and more to come all this week);
• blueberry-oatmeal breakfast bars, using frozen berries, bulk oatmeal,  milk and an egg (all on-hand);
• soup from boxes, based on sale I mashed up a month ago, where my favorite organic box soups were discounted; potato-leek, carrot-ginger, butternut, potato-garlic.  

Since each of these dishes (including the boxes) produced 3+ meals, the cost is minimal (especially if everything is on-hand) and life becomes simple, even on nights when I come home exhausted from battling for the life of the mind (harder than it sounds!).

My goal is to spend less than $40/week on my groceries: that doesn't sound unreasonable, but in fact thanks to impulse shopping and the greed-fear combo, I usually end up spending $15-$20 more per week.

I'd rather not.

So now I'm on the prowl, so to speak, with my groceries. This week, I spent $30, which is great, but partly because I put back everything I already had -- even if it isn't abso-poso fresh -- and determined to man up about what is already in the pantry-fridge-counter.

I'll keep you in the loop.

Day 2: Friends & Family

Today's task is to clean out refrigerator, see local friends in Memorial Day party, check in with family and Super Shuttle, and clear the decks. Continue cleaning, continue pre-packing, continue class preparation.

Today's discussion: Cooking in Paris. Cooking in Paris is a delight because the markets are filled with fresh vegetables and dairy. And summertime is the Super Food Time. Now that there is organic, or bio, everything is even better. The supermarkets are much better than they used to be in competition, but the fresh markets this time of year serve up everything a cook needs for soups, salads, and simple main courses, without much preparation or fuss necessary. In fact, with the purchase of some yogurt, eggs and cheese, some vinegar, olive oil and fresh butter alongside the fruits and vegetables and one roasted chicken from the market, I'm ready to go. And everything in France has 200% the flavor of what you can buy in the US. I eat less and it tastes better. No sugar/fructose corn syrup in everything, no processing, no hidden fat.

What I'll do on Day 10: Back to archives.

This week in frugality

This week, I came in under my grocery budget again: This time, $34/40. I am pretty pleased with myself about this, as well as using my pantry/freezer combination as a foundation. This week, I'll cook:

• steak with shallots and rosemary, using 1/3 of a 1-lb. steak, where the other two parts are still frozen
• salmon with Old Bay and lemon, one of my standbys
• chicken breasts with olives, lemon, and herbs (something like this)

I'll also be eating a fresh salad twice a day every day, including lunch. On Saturday I bought lunch from Freebird, a super burrito place in town. If one buys the 3rd largest size (Monster), it can be cut into 3 or 4 pieces and paired with salad for lunch; that's $10 for 4 lunches, combined with a small salad from the fridge.

I also made my bi-weekly catfood run, and it is probable I'll come in under $50 for the month in that area (catfood and supplies), too.

What else is on, this week?

• Redeeming my Groupon yoga certificate for unlimited monthly drop-in classes
• Selling my red evening dress on eBay... I hope
• Selling books and cassette tapes to local used store
• Donating two printers to the Salvation Army, with all booklets and cords
• No spend Thursday #4 (last week, succcess!)

Cooking and the Pantry Frugal

Now that I have cleaned out my pantry and organized it so pretty, I am firmly committed to using it well. To that end, this week I ate salad twice daily (using the celery, peppers, and green oinions I chopped last weekend, as well as the greens mix and romaine hearts I have stocked up.

I also cooked one of my favorite quick/frugal meals: Chicken breasts with goat cheese, capers, and roasted red peppers. So simple!

1. thaw 2-4 boneless chicken breasts (depending on # of guests)
2. pound them flat (fun time!)
3. using approximately 1-2 oz. of goat cheese* per chicken breast (more if the breast is big, less if it is small), spread the goat cheese across the center width of the breast.
4. lay 3-4 slices of roasted red pepper on top of the cheese, lengthwise
5. roll up the breast and stick closed with toothpicks
6. set in Pyrex or earthenware rectangular dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray
7. sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of capers, 1 tsp. each of basil, oregano, and thyme across breasts; grind black pepper to taste on top
8. pour 1/4-1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth) over breasts and cover with aluminum
9. put in over and cook 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees; remove from oven, remove foil, and let cool slightly. Serve with vegetable, salad, and a spoonful of sauce poured over top.

Yum!

*Use any kind of cheese: I like goat cheese because the soft texture works well with the red peppers, but you can use slices of any kind of Swiss cheese, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack (excellent!). Just don't use too much cheese in a single breast roll-up, because it raises the fat content immediately.

With nothing more than a jar of roasted red peppers, capers, and some cheese, you're good to go with a protein-rich, low-fat meal. If the breasts are big enough, you can actually cut them in half and find that a filling choice with side dishes.

I am also making a quinoa and black bean salad, found on Epicurious (originally from Gourmet) because, hey, I have 1.5 pints of quinoa and a jr of dried back beans... pick up some coriander and I'm good to go.

I also have a few older apples that need to be used rather than thrown out. I'm thinking applesauce or an apple cake. We'll see what happens this afternoon between me and my slow cooker.

Cooking This Week and My New Deal!

Ths week I am really pleased because I started a new deal with my nephew, who is 20 years old. He and I are going to be diet-and-exercise buddies, long distance. Both of us agree that we need to lose weight and simply become healthier in 2012, so we're pairing off.

This week: Start and keep a food and exercise diary. Then we'll talk by phone and make specific plans for healthier diets and cookery, more exercise, and hopefully weight loss. No goals set yet, just observing our regular habits (hint: mine were terrible during this first week of classes! Stress played its part, as did poor planning.)

I did cook this week, however:

• Southwest Chicken with Black Beans (in the slow cooker)
• White Bean and Sausage Soup (also in slow cooker)

In both cases, the main ingredients came completely out of my pantry and freezer. In the chicken recipe, I used dried black beans (after overnight soaking), two chicken breasts, and a jar of salsa (locally-made, too). With nothing more than a little homemade chicken stock, oregano, and cumin, this was a really easy mix, left to cook on low for 7-8 hours.

For the soup, I used dried white beans (again, after overnight soaking), homemade chicken stock, and two chicken-and-apple sausages (organic, made locally). A can of diced tomatoes, a splash of white wine, bay leaf, and chopped onion: mix it all together, cook on low for 5 hours. In this case, I didn't have the 5 cups of chicken stock, so used about 3 cups water: tasted a little weak, but fine in terms of seasonings.

The great news is that everything came from stuff I had on hand, which is always my plan. Here's a great site for slow cooker recipes that are also healthy--not always the same thing, unfortunately.

William Morris and Week 2

Again, I'm focusing on the small changes/improvements necessary for each room in my house, keeping in mind Morris's advice for living.

This week, I'm working in the kitchen. Like the bedroom, it needs only a little work, since I did a lot of smart things when I moved in. For once, I really thought about where different things needed to be located relvant to the fridge/sink/stove triangle of use. I also focused on how to make good use of the counter space, which was much larger than in my old apartment, but still not as much as I'd like, or laid out as I would like.

And my landlord left/included the world's largest microwave, which takes up a solid 15"x15"x24" block of said counter. I'd store it somewhere, but that would mean giving up a solid chunk of a cabinet or closet space--and it is so huge! And unattractive, but that's another issue.

Tasks I'll take on this weekend:

• Buy or relocate a doormat for the back door, allowing me to double-wipe feet at both entries
• Place a draft-blocker at the back door, where a surprising amount of cold air swoops in (while warm air escapes)
• Hang simple handles on the wall by the stove in order to hang the utensil pails that are right now taking up space on the countertop
• Rethink the contents of the two lower cabinets where I store pots and pans, strainers, and larger electronics, so that I can more efficiently use them
• Check and record the content of my pantry cabinets (wth accompanying GPS)
• Buy a box of quart-size Ball jars and transfer pantry goods now stored in random jars into them for a better look and more helpful clear storage (this includes beans, pastas, and some cooking ingredients)
• Possibly relocate teapots to dining room hutch
• Find anything ripe for donation/discarding, like unused appliances or pots
• Hanging a bulletin board in the kitchen to post notes by phone and door
• Biggest task: lay down new shelf paper

These tasks can be completed over the weekend, with one efficient shopping trip and some time. The handles and shelfpaper I already have in hand; the draft-blocker, jars, and doormat can probably be found at Super Target (what can't?).

• Doormats, draftblocker, and lower cabinets: Friday
• Pantry tasks: Saturday
• Shelf paper and teapots: Sunday

The donations/discards will come naturally.

Update from Friday: My visit to Target did not yield the doorblock or Ball jars, so today it's SuperTarget and maybe WalMart, the only other place I can think would sell them in boxed quantity. I did get the dootmat at Target and re-think the four lower cabinets. Several things got relocated, most importantly the small crockpot, right under the outlet/countertop where I use it.

The fact is that I have a number of pots I no longer use, that need weeding out. On with the experiment!

What I cooked this week

As usual, I am trying to combine my cookery with frugal planning. This week I made lentil soup and a Mexican/Southwestern salad.

Lentil soup is one of my favorite home cookery soups. I have a great recipe from Epicurious.com, found under the reviews for the basic soup recipe (check out the Cook from San Francisco's notes). I also use the recipe found in The Moosewood Cookbook. The great thing about lentil soup is that it is filling and cheap; as a cold-weather soup, it is perfect. I can also dress it up as much as I like: make it vegetarian or add pork, bacon, or sausage.

I used my Le Creuset 2 qt. Dutch oven for all of it; this gave me three 2 c. servings; increase as necessary for your table. It will also last up to a week in the fridge.

This week, I cooked it as follows:

• saute one chopped white onion + 1 tsp. minced garlic in 2 tsp. olive oil until translucent
• add 1 tsp. dried thyme, a bay leaf or two, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional) and stir for 10 seconds
• add any or both of the following and saute for three minutes:
• 1 lb chopped sausage (chicken or pork)
• 1 c. chopped vegetables (carrots or celery)
• add 1/2 c. washed lentils and 5 c. liquid (chicken stock, vegetable stock, water), 1/4 c. red wine (optional), 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, and grind in black pepper to taste
• bring to a boil, then turn down to a bare simmer and let it cook an hour
• add one can diced/no-salt tomatoes and heat through
• serve!

I used hot Italian chicken sausage, and the outcome was a zesty alternative to the sometimes bland flavor of "just" lentils. I cooked three slices of bacon to crisp texture and crumbled it over the top. Delicious. You can also top it with sliced or shaved cheese, a dollop of yogurt, or fresh-cut herbs. With a salad and hearty bread, this can be a full meal; it can also accompany a sandwich or simple chicken or pork dish. Besides being cheap and filling, it doesn't need a lot of tending while cooking, so can be completed while you're doing something else in the kitchen or nearby.

I also made what most people call a Southwestern salad hereabouts: meaning a lot of Romaine covered with black beans, corn kernels, chopped plum tomatoes, chopped red onion, and sliced avocados, with a vinaigrette dressing that incorporates lime juice, oregano and chili powder. I combined everything but the Romaine and the avocados separately, storing it in a bowl. Then tossing that on top of the lettuce and adding the avocados on top, with the dressing on the side, made for a great lunch.  The salad is simple (1 can black beans, 1 cup corn, 1 lb. chopped tomatoes, 1/2 red onion) but fresh; the second day, the flavors are even better. It all lasts about three days in the fridge.

The dressing is the ticket: finding the right combination of flavors. You can add tortilla strips, sour cream or yogurt, and shredded cheese--or aoid all those calories by keeping it simple.

This is a nice alternative to the regular green salad, but can also be a meal--combine with the lentil soup, for example, or a sandwich, or a simple tortilla wrap.

Oh, and my money-saving adventures included using one of my gift cards for the movies: I saw Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Iron Lady both on the same card, going to morning matinees, so that I have money left for two movies.

Week of Food, day 1: France and Savannah

This week I am going to talk about food, cooking, eating and drinking.

One of the groups I follow on Yahoo has been talking about all things French, and one of the constant points of conversation is the difference between the American and French notion of food. This is a great topic, and a very rich one, but the focus of the online discussion always veers into weight, overweight, overeating, and the idea that the French and Americans eat so very differently. American women mourning their bodies, sadly.

I agree that the French and Americans view food differently, but the focus on weight and diets in this discussion is too often on some magical idea about French cuisine and doesn't recognise some basic facts about French habits of eating or the fact that not every French woman is thin.

First, portions. The French (and nearly everyone else in the world) simply eat smaller portions of everything. In France you cannot buy a Big Gulp or a Venti or a SuperSize or Buckets of whatever. There are no all-you-can-eat buffets and endless helpings. They do not think of dining out as a Value Meal. They do not have fast food--or not in the sense we mean.

Instead, they eat less. Servings come in 4 or 6 ounces, not Big as Your Head. This is especially true for meat: in grocery stores and restaurant, a 4-ounce serving of meat is ample. Side dishes come in at about the same size. Salads are big, but if ordered in a cafe, they constitute a meal. My favorite salad is the warm goat's-cheese salad, which usually comes with four toasted rounds of goat cheese on half slices of bread, plus greens. Puh-lenty of food, and never leaves one groggy and overwhelmed post-dining.

Great meals, like in the restaurant Le Grand Vefour, come in courses, allowing ample opportunity for conversation, enjoying the food, and leaving something on the plate.

Second, no multi-tasking at meals. You don't drive through, or watch tv, or work. You might read, or listen to music, but primary attention must be paid to the food on your plate, whether home or in a restaurant. Yes, the French are constantly on their phones, but not during a meal. And you sit: you don't get something to go and walkabout with it, eating on the street.

Third, a light hand with sugar and frying. The French cuisine is not based on covering everything with batter and deep-frying it. Ergo, fewer calories. It is similarly not based on infusing everything with sugar, corn syrup, and sweeteners. Seriously, if you want to be alarmed, start reading labels not for fat or calories, but for sugar content. All American processed foods, including yogurt and juice, contain some form of sugar, and diet items contain those nasty faux-sugar substitutes.

Fourth, simply great ingredients. French cooks--home or restaurant--do not skimp on quality in produce, meat, and in fact everything. They expect and buy fresh materials, keeping ingredients only 1-3 days before cooking them. Again, this requires more time spent on preparation, but results in the most delightful product.

That said, the meal I had at the Olde Pink House in Savannah on Friday night last was not controlled. Oh my goodness, I set out to have a spectacular meal, and I did: a four-course feast of Low Country cooking, dressed up in a sparkly purple gown.

My starter was a plate of Blackened Oysters, six of them, wearing three different relishes: watermelon relish, pear & apricot chutney, and green tomato chow chow. The last one was the best, to die for. The other two weren't sad, however. My waiter gave me a taste of the Riesling with this, just a mouthful, that he recommended.

Then I had the BLT salad: fried green tomatoes and sweet bacon with black pepper thyme buttermilk dressing, which came in a little tower or sandwich. I knocked it over and ate it all. With this I had a small glass of champagne.

For my main course I had an off-the-menu item, Jumbo Shrimp and Grits. Recipe? Here it is. I ate about half of this, as it came with a delicious mess of collard greens. With this I had a glass of California chardonnay.

For dessert, I had key lime pie... real, authentic key lime pie. And coffee.

It was all great. It took me close to three hours to enjoy it all, from starter to coffee, and then I walked back to the hotel--about a quarter mile. I should say that I had a martini before dinner, one of the best I've had in a while.  Delightfully full--not groggy, not swollen--after. Beautiful presentation, excellent waiter.

Cooking, Food Shopping, and my Pantry Challenge

Life has been so very busy that I haven't been cooking as much as I like. I am focusing on quick salads and easily prepared main dishes--and after all, I only have to feed and please myself.

Here's what I have always hated about making salads: constant cutting, dicing, washing, spinning of the different elements. Solution: I've started buying really good, high quality organic lettuce in plastic packs. A mix of "super greens" and bags of romaine hearts as the basis for twice-a-day salads. My initial concern was the higher cost--seems ridiculous, on the face of it, right? just wash the damn lettuce! I tell myself... but I don't. The outcome, however, is that it is so easy to grab a handful of clean greens, chopped romaine hearts and dump them into a big bowl, add cherry/grape tomatoes, snap peas, chopped celery, crumbled feta, and either a half-can of tuna or a sliced hard-boiled egg. And whatever else is in the fridge.

How stupid was I?

Ok, I am all over that. The outcome is a great lunch for me at school twice weekly, plus at home ease.

Once cooler weather comes I want to start playing with slow-cooker soups again. Mostly beans, chicken, and beef, plus vegetables, using homemade stock or organic boxed broth.

This week I cooked:

• Black bean soup, with organic pork sausage, onion, garlic, and thyme
• Chicken breasts rolled around roasted red pepper strips and goat cheese
• Salmon with Old Bay and lemon

Because of my low-carb diet, I am not cooking breads, cakes, or anything like that. In other words, my flour, sugar, and various cooking supplies are going begging. One pantry shelf is completely full of these supplies, while I waffle about what to do with them. My constant notion: cook cupcakes or cookies for my students. Love the process, give away the results...

Frugal Groceries

This long hot summer I have improved my eating habits by focusing on fresh produce. Everyday I start by making myself a smoothie with range juice and fresh berries, drinking 8 oz. of hot water with lemon, and having a half-caff coffee. I often follow up about an hour later with quick oatmeal.

Lunch has become a green salad with organic greens, tomatoes, snap peas, and whatever else I've got: red peppers, green peppers, cukes, celery. I add a sliced hard-boiled egg, 1/2can tuna, or leftover chicken breast strips (again, whatever is lingering in the fridge that is all protein/no carbs). Red wine vinegar and olive oil drizzled on top, salt 'n' peppa.

Dinner is usually a combination of another, smaller green salad, steamed vegetable, and protein, whether eggs, salmon, chicken, beef (in moderate doses), turkey, or pork.

Snacks include fruit, or homemade yogurt, cheese, or dark chocolate.

And no, I haven't completely given up temptation: wine, G&Ts, and regular chocolate drops in to visit quite often.

Benefits: I am waking up every morning with a ridiculous amount of energy, which lasts through the morning. My skin looks great, especially since I am also working to drink 48-72 oz. of water daily--which is a lot. I am usually full, and when I am not it's just about time for a snack, which I have on hand. Easy clean-up and maintenance, too, as dirty dishes are limited and slide right into washer, which gets run about every two-three days, thereby saving water and energy. I am starting to lose weight without a lot of added exercise; more walking, standing, and movement during the school year will increase that, I hope.

Big upside: I eat and drink out less often. Doing my accounts recently, I realized how much money I was spending monthly for meals, coffee, drinks... that savings should be increasingly be apparent.

Downside: This eating plan is definitely costing me more money for groceries, even when I shop sale items, use coupons, and don't overstock. This week I spent $100 for groceries, including vitamins, flowers, and pantry items. If I subtract the long-term bits, that still leaves me with $55 for produce and dairy. That seems high.

First, there are simply fewer coupons for fresh produce. The grocery store where I do the bulk of my weekly shopping has great prices, and shopping specials still leaves lots of variety. I am going to spend more money--for a while--on good fruit and vegetables buys until I understand the weekly amounts necessary.

I could go to the French practice and shop daily or every other day, but given that I am driving to and from the grocery store, rather than stopping somewhere (like a market) directly between office and house... that doesn't appeal. Plus, unlike most French cooks I am working with frozen meat rather than fresh-bought. I'd rather plan a week's menu and see what gets left over... then refine my scale.

Once fall comes, as well, I'll change to use more beans and the heavier root vegetables of fall and winter, like onions, turnips, parsnips, beets, and carrots--all of which (except onions) are loaded with natural sugars, and so need to be limited. More ginger, shallots, peppers with them. More apples and citrus.

Of course, it sensibly strikes me that saving money weekly is perhaps less important than spending a little more and getting a better variety and quality of diet... and avoiding those avocado-bacon-Swiss cheeseburgers I love so much.

Saturday: Cooking from the Pantry Challenge

I am hip-deep in the Pantry Challenge. I am soooo tired of having a pantry full of stuff I am not using. This month, it is use it or donate it to a food bank.

With that in mind, I finally used up the last of the whole-grain pasta I had. I bought an eggplant last weekend--which emant I had to find something to make. Usually it is ratatouille, but I wanted something new. So I  finally settled on a similar dish (isn't everything sort of like ratatouille with eggplant?): eggplant, tomatoes, capers sauteed together with garlic, pregano, and thyme over rotini... or rive, or chicken strips, or pork tenderloin, I suppose. Easy and delicious.

I also cooked up the two last pieces of skirt steak in my freezer, with frozen/crockpot white onions in butter and bacon. The cholesterol banquet was off-set with broccoli and green salad. Simple sautee'ing in butter and olive oil of pieces 4 oz. or less--satisfies my desire for real beef without being a bacon-avocado-Swiss cheese-burger.... oh, yeah.

Actually, having a fridge full of ready-to-go salad and cut-up vegetables, favorite fruits, and yogurt is a cblessing! Simple dark chocolate, cold water, and cut-up lime and lemon wedges are bonus.

What's Cooking?

This week I "cooked":

• Herbed corn and tomato salad, with red onion (added) and goat cheese.
• Salmon, easy poaching with Old Bay

The corn and tomato salad was ooh la la! I gobbled up the first two helpings yesterday for lunch, and plan to add another tomato and maybe some avocado today. The goat cheese added a nice touch of smooth creaminess. I could see including pine nuts, chickpeas, black beans, or green/red peppers. Maybe whatever is handy. It was simple, delicious, and sugar-free.

The salmon preparation is one of my favorites for this fish, and dead easy. Basically, I sprinkle Old Bay all over both sides of the skinless salmon steak or fillet, and put it in the top of a double boiler. Then steam it, simply, for about 20 minutes--or however "done" you like your salmon. Sometimes I also slice a lemon or lime and lay the slices on top of the fish, which adds some interesting flavor as well. No need to turn the fish: with the cover on the double boiler everything cooks through. The Old Bay adds lots of flavor, and while the salmon poaches you can prepare a salad, side vegetable, or simple rice dish to go with the fish. I've served this to lots of guests and never had a complaint (or an allergy issue). No sauce needed.

Besides that, it's all about apricots (in season), cherries (in season), cucumbers, peppers, corn, and tomatoes. Not a lot of variety, but loving the summer produce!

What are my plans for the weekend? Nothing but glamour...

• Clean out the refrigerator of all too-old produce and leftovers
• Take down two piles of "paper" clutter and recycle old magazines
• Shop for weekly groceries, and follow-up by prepping week's vegetables and fruits for quick snacking
• Put together the remaining IKEA bookshelf for my office
• Watch the three Netflix movies that have sat by the TV all week
• Attend a friend's concert (he plays the trombone)

Oh, and write and read for the article I am working on. Actually, that all sounds good....

Cooking and Eating in the Summer

This past week and a half, I've been having lots of fun experimenting with new recipes and drinks.

• Moroccan Grilled Salmon
• Tomato, Corn, Spinach, & Avocado Salad with Red Wine Vinegar, Shallots, and Olive Oil dressing
• Quinoa & Chickpeas with Grilled Zucchini & Red Peppers
• Mango with Lime & Cayenne
• Black Bean Soup
• Tuna, Celery, & Cucumber in Vinaigrette (Martha Stewart Living)
• Cool Tea: Green Tea with Mint, White Tea, and African red Bush with Hibiscus Tea

The most exciting development is that I found a recipe for making yogurt in my slow cooker. Did it Sunday night into Monday, and now have delicious, homemade yogurt. Tastes better than the soup low-fat/plain I usually buy, although this is also plain. Next week I'll do it again using low-fat milk. Soooo easy!

Because my annual medical checkup showed a higher than usual level of LDL cholesterol, I am now working on/committed to lowering that measurement.

The upside is that it is summer, which means lots of fresh produce pouring into the Big D, including at the Farmer's Market downtown. Last week I bought local tomatoes, corn, peppers (jalapenos and small, sweet peppers), and peaches. The prices were a bit steeper than the grocery stores, but it was all local. So everyday I've been eating apples, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe, mangos, tomatoes, corn, peppers, avocados, and spinach. Very little meat--only fish.

I've also been making tea the simple way, by putting two teabags in a pitcher of cold water and letting it brew. Which means I've been drinking lots of tea--rather than coffee or soda or alcohol--everyday. With high antioxidents, as well.

Next week I plan to make Edamame & Avocado Soup, using the bag of edamame I already have in the freezer. And re-make the tuna/celery/cucumber salad. I also found a great recipe for turkey burgers stuffed with goat cheese.

Frugal Tuesday

Well, this is an interesting mix of information for my Frugal Tuesday.

First, I am experimenting with homemade green cleaners.

Of course, I already use a mixture of white vinegar and water to clean windows. mirrors, and anything else glass. Which puts my "recycled" newspapers (used for packing dishes) to a good third use.

This week, however, I have mixed up a batch of dishwashing detergent, using this recipe including borax, baking soda, and lemon Kool-Aid. I am a huge fan of borax for making laundry sparkle, period, and this seems a good second use. This cost me about $1.29 (box of baking soda) plus $1 (Kool-Aid) plus $.35, so $2.64... and each load will cost about $.20 (or less). You can then use white vinegar as a rinse aid.

Second, I failed last month's Pantry Challenge. Yesterday I opened my pantry to organize it in the New Apartment and found it stuffed with "stuff." I checked the freezer and, yes, the same condition. MORE stuff, rather than less. And a friend who is moving out of town dropped off two shopping bags (thankfully, not huge ones) for me. I love that, but now is the springtime of our overstuffed storage spaces.

Which only means I must, must, must start again. With the May Pantry/Freezer Challenge... and be more inventive and pre-planned.

Starting tomorrow with Pork Scalloppine with Lemon, Shallots, and Capers.

Third, today for slightly under $18 (including shipping and handling) I ordered four new booksI need for current scholarship second-hand from Amazon--including one at the amazing price of $0.01... and treated myself to Tinkers (another book on my 50/2011) with the birthday B&N card a friend gave me.

It looks as if my summer course will definitely not make, so I'll be able to practice frugality all summer, May through August. I'll share my succeesses and failures, as well as brilliant and bad ideas.

Cooking this week

This week I cooked, baked, or made:

• Poached salmon with Old Bay and lemon
• Chicken breasts with pesto and asparagus
• Szechwan Slaw (a cabbage slaw with rice vinegar and ginger dressing)
• Blueberry muffins

Heavily practicing pantry challenge, everything was out of the pantry or in-house except the asparagus and the cabbage for the slaw.

The delight of the slaw -- out of The Whole Foods Cookbook -- is that it is healthy and filling. The dressing is vinegar-based, meaning less fat.


Dressing

• equal parts rice vinegar & canola oil (usually 1/4 c. each for below amount of salad)
• 1/2 tsp. sugar (optional)
• 2 tsp. grated ginger
• 1/4 tsp.crushed red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• Salt to taste

 In a bowl combine all dressing ingredients and set aside. Or cover and chill until ready to use.

Slaw

• 6 cups thinly sliced cabbage (red, green, or mixed)
• 1 large red or green bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
• 4-8 green onions thinly sliced, including the tops
• 1 carrot peeled and sliced thin or grated
• 1/4 lb. snow peas, sliced thinly
• 1/8 cup black sesame seeds

 Mix all salad ingredients and chill. Mix dressing, and about 15 mins. before serving, toss and serve.

My Favorite Thing: Frugal Meal #1

Combining my "favorites" with frugality is good. This week I cooked one of my favorite frugal meals: frugal, because it includes 3 ingredients you can buy on sale or not, but usually have on hand.

Chicken with Salsa and Lemon (or Lime)

2 Chicken Breasts or 1 package of Chicken Tenders (boneless, skinless--of course!)

1 Lemon or Lime

1 Jar any brand/flavor Salsa

Here's the trick: buy good quality salsa! Like the all-natural kind. Embrace local, embrace organic and the flavor of this dish will soar! Plus you will eliminate preservatives, chemicals, fats, and sugar--yay, you!

Locally, I buy Mateo's -- no fat, no sugar, just organic ingredients locally made.

Put chicken breasts in baking pan. I use my Le Creuset 10x7 casserole. You can pound the breasts first if you want--or if you have a hard day--or just lay them out. Slice citrus thinly and lay out strategically over chicken. Pour 1/2 jar of salsa over chicken. Cook, uncovered, in 350-degree over for 35-45 minutes (depending on your over--check after 30 minutes). Serves 2-4, f you cut the breasts in half.

This is am amagingly savory dish, driven by the mild to hot salsa, according to your tastes

Make brown rice to go under, about 1 cup serving per person.
Make green side dish (asparagus, steamed broccoli) and use a second lemon to season.
Make an enormous salad.

Yum.