Dollars to Donuts posts Tagged ‘vegetables’

Grow Your Own

Posted by Dawn Welch

One of the most satisfying ways to save money in the kitchen is to grow your own vegetables. There are more seed types now than ever, with classic, international, and heirloom varieties hitting the market every season. Here is a step-by-step action plan for getting your plot growing.

1. Stake your space, assess your dirt.
If this is your first time planting a vegetable garden, start small (considering it a test-run year). After weeding the area and removing debris, test your soil’s pH and moisture levels using a pH test (readily available at your hardware store or gardening center).

The results will indicate if you need to correct the acidity levels by adding bonemeal, fertilizer, lime, or sulfur (again, the folks at your garden center will be able to guide you here). To test the moisture level, simply dig a hole and squeeze some of the dirt in your hand. It should be like pie dough that holds together, yet breaks apart easily. If it’s too dry, add water; if it’s too wet, wait a few days for it to dry out a bit before tilling.

2. Prepare the bed.
Before planting vegetables, you need to give your plot a facial. Add a few inches of rich compost (preferably organic) and till it in. If you need to correct your soil’s pH, now is the time to add in the soil boosters mentioned above.

3. Plot your garden: seeds or seedlings?
Besides offering a wider variety of varietals, starting from seeds is much less expensive than using seedlings (you can buy seed packets for an average $2 to $3 per pack versus seedlings for $3 to $4 per plant). That said, many plants, such as tomatoes, eggplants, and parsley, can be tricky to start from seed, so you may be better off buying seedlings.

When you buy your seeds, be sure to check how quickly they germinate—if it’s already August and you want a Cinderella garden of pumpkins, you might be out of luck, as they take several months to germinate. On the other
hand, vegetables such as zucchini, peas, and green beans are quick to germinate. In addition, you may want to plant extra crops of lettuces and carrots throughout the season so you get several harvests.

4. Choose your source.
You have many options when it comes to finding the best place to buy your plants. I’ve purchased plants and seeds from 4-H clubs, school fund-raisers, hardware stores, supermarkets, garden centers, warehouse stores, local businesses, botanical gardens, and even online. Do your research and check prices to see who has the best deal.

5. Watch your garden grow—then eat it!

The 5 easiest veggies and herbs to grow:

  • Summer squash (yellow and/or zucchini)
  • Herbs (basil, chives, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme)
  • Eggplant
  • Tomatoes
  • Bell peppers

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Cabbage Casserole

Posted by Dawn Welch

Cabbage is one of the biggest veggie values around. One head makes enough coleslaw to feed an army, and it can also be put to good use in this easy take on stuffed cabbage. Layering semicooked cabbage leaves into a baking dish lasagna-style with browned ground pork, rice, and tomato sauce gets you all the comforting flavors of stuffed cabbage with half the time.

Ingredients
2⁄3 cup long grain white rice
1 head (21⁄2 –3 pounds) green cabbage, cored
1 tablespoon + 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 pound ground pork
1⁄4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup grated mozzarella or provolone cheese

Cook the rice. Bring 11⁄3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, return to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit in the covered saucepan while you blanch the cabbage leaves and cook the pork filling.

Blanch the cabbage leaves. Place a large bowl filled with ice water next to your stovetop. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, carefully separate the leaves from the head of cabbage (try not to rip or tear them). Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water along with the cabbage leaves and boil until the leaves are just limp, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the leaves from the water and plunge them into the ice water to cool.

Cook the pork filling. Heat the oven to 400°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the ground pork. Stir to break it up and cook until it is browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cinnamon and then mix in the marinara sauce and the cooked rice. Mix in the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and the pepper and turn off the heat.

Assemble and bake. Arrange about one-third of the cabbage leaves in an even layer over the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Evenly cover with half of the meat and rice mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining cabbage and the remaining meat and rice mixture, ending with a final layer of cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, cover with foil, and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is golden-brown, about another 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before slicing the casserole into squares and serving.

D2D
If pork sausage is less expensive by the pound than ground pork, then use the sausage instead. Just squeeze the meat right out of the casing. the extra flavor you get from the seasonings and spices in the sausage is a bonus!

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Love Your Veggies

Posted by Dawn Welch

I love vegetables and never tire of coming up with new ways to serve them. In the 16 years that I’ve had the Rock, I’ve turned them into everything from cheesy gratins to soups, pickles, and simple platters of steamed goodness.

I must admit, I’m obsessed with getting kids and grown-ups to eat more veggies, and most of the time I’m pretty successful. The secret is to get them as excited about eating veggies as they are about chocolate cake! It’s a challenge that I happily tackle head-on with fierce determination!

At dinnertime I usually set 2 vegetable dishes on the table. That way, if one of the kids doesn’t care for the texture of spoon-tender green beans or the heat of spicy roasted cauliflower, I get peace of mind knowing that they’ll dig into more familiar offerings, such as a leafy green salad with honey- mustard dressing or quickly steamed broccoli sprinkled with Parmesan and lemon juice.

Offering options is a great way to introduce new flavors to your family, and also to guarantee leftovers for future meals. That steamed broccoli is fabulous tossed with pasta, peas, and a creamy Parmesan sauce for lunch, and nothing beats leftover salad (set some aside before you dress it) stuffed into a pita pocket with feta and chopped olives for lunch or a snack.

The price of vegetables varies enormously by season and even week to week, so I pay special attention to prices when I’m in the produce aisle, looking for specials and bargains. When I spot pricey portobello mushrooms or artichokes on sale for 50 to 75 percent less than their regular prices, you better believe I’m doing something with them for dinner in the next few days!

That said, there is nothing wrong with heading to the frozen food aisle for vegetables, especially in winter months when fresh produce is imported, expensive, and often of poor quality. What matters more than frozen or fresh is that my family is eating (and loving) their vegetables every night of the week.

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A Simple Salad, Dressed for Dinner

Posted by Dawn Welch

Mixing your own dressings instead of buying them from the grocery store is really easy and saves money big-time compared to bottled dressings. It also has fewer additives than the bottled stuff. Just toss with 6 cups of washed greens. Double or triple these recipes to make enough dressing for a few nights’ worth of salads.

salad_dressing_625x465

Blue Cheese Dressing
Whisk together 1 cup of mayonnaise with 3 tablespoons of whole milk, the juice of half of a lemon, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion or shallot, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1⁄4 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in 4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days (stir before using). Makes 11⁄2 cups.

Honey-Mustard Dressing
Whisk together 1⁄2 cup of mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week (stir before using). Makes 11⁄2 cups.

Greek Vinaigrette
Whisk together 1⁄3 cup of white wine vinegar, the juice from 11⁄2 lemons, 2 finely minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in 3⁄4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days (stir before using). Makes 11⁄2 cups.

Favorite Salad Combos:
6 cups greens (arugula, baby spinach, butter leaf, iceberg, oak leaf, romaine) plus:

  • 1 cup diced ham (baked ham or deli ham) + 1 cup thawed frozen peas + Honey-Mustard Dressing
  • Crumbled crispy bacon + 2 chopped tomatoes + 1 chopped cucumber + Blue Cheese Dressing
  • 2 grated carrots + 1⁄2 cup chopped black olives + 2 sliced scallions + feta cheese + Greek Vinaigrette

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Peanut Soup with Sweet Potatoes

Posted by Dawn Welch

iconpeanutsoupPeople are cooking recipes from the book and adapting them to fit their lives.  Healthy-eating blogger Heather made this sweet and mellow soup vegetarian-style, replacing the chicken stock with vegetable.  She said, “I made some delicious soup tonight, and Mark liked it so much that he requested that I make variations of it once a week.”

Read the full post here.  Photo: Hangry Pants.

What is this?

Peanut Sauce

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1⁄4 cup light brown sugar (If you’re using unsweetened peanut butter, add an extra 2 tablespoons of brown sugar)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)

Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
1 medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 3⁄4″ pieces
1⁄2 cup Easy Basic Peanut Sauce (see below)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Make the peanut sauce. Place the peanut butter, brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and chile paste or hot sauce in a food processor and process until well blended, 15 to 20 seconds, scraping down the sides once or twice. The peanut sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months, and is great on stir-fries, noodles, or plain white rice as an after-school snack.

Simmer the vegetables. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and sweet potato, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the sweet potato is just tender, about 5 minutes.

Finish the soup. Place the peanut base in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour in 1⁄2 cup of the hot broth and whisk until smooth, then scrape this mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Cover partially, and continue to simmer to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with cilantro.

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