Okay, I Can Compromise. (aka Chicken Nuggets, Revisited)

Day 116.

Way back in January, I made some yummy chicken tenderloin "nuggets" with an almond crust. They were kid friendly and adult approved. They were a hit around here. But they aren't the most frugal thing I could have made, so it's time to revisit them. We are looking at a probable move by this time next year, probably to Germany! So I need to start stashing extra money away now. Anywhere I can cut corners, I will. And where's the easiest place to do that? In the kitchen.

I wanted to make chicken nuggets. They had to meet several criteria:

1. They had to be wholesome.
2. They had to taste delicious.
3. They had to be made from what was sitting around the house, because it's "use it up" week and we're running out of things fast. That meant no egg, no dairy, no oil.

When I made the almond-crusted tenderloin, I was going for breaded chunks of chicken. This time, I was going for the texture of premade chicken nuggets. That meant lots of additives. Just Like Store-Bought! Except that you can pronounce all of MY additives. And they're all real foods.

Think of this recipe like a whole tray of tiny meatloaves. Tiny, chicken meatloaves. Just like meatloaf is only partially meat (lots of fillers), these are partially chicken. But completely wholesome.

One suggestion: If I had olive oil, I would have pan-fried them in it instead of oven-baking. They would be ten times tastier in olive oil. But they were delicious as written.

"Real" Chicken Nuggets

What You Need:

for the chicken mixture:

• 2 lb cooked chicken, removed from bones and skin
• 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
• dash of hot sauce
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oat flour (process oats in a food processor until they resemble flour)
• 2 Tbsp corn meal
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 large onion, minced
• 1/4 cup water or broth

for the breading:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water

How it's Done:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Dump all the chicken ingredients in the food processor and process until it looks like chicken paste. ;) If it frightens you to look at it, smell it. You'll feel better because it will smell very, very tasty.
3. Set out two pie plates. In one, mix together the flour, cornmeal, dried minced onion, oat flour, sea salt, and parika. Whisk together the mayonnaise, tahini, and soy sauce until smooth. Stir in the water. Pour this into the other pie plate.
4. Form the chicken paste (sorry, don't know what else to call it. You'll understand when you make them!) into nuggets. Dip them in the tahini-mayo mixture, then the breading mixture, coating both sides.
5. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the nuggets over after the first 15 minutes.

On the side, I served sliced kiwis, and mini cheese ravioli with sauteed butternut squash. Picky Eater ate EVER-EE-THING, and exclaimed that I had found the meal she loves. I was so pleased. :)

(P.S. I gave up the Diet Coke a while ago and have been doing really well without it. I weaned myself onto Iced Tea with sugar, then slowly reduced the amount of sugar in it until I was drinking unsweetened iced tea, and I find it refreshing now. I tried some Crystal Light yesterday for a change of pace and was unable to finish a glass. I found it sickly-sweet. No headaches, no withdrawal, since I switched to iced tea right away. And I love the money I'm saving!)

Pizza with Pizazz

Day 13.

Homemade pizza is so easy to make and so much tastier than the kind you call out for delivery that it would be a shame not to feature it here! Calling out for a pizza is simple. It requires little effort. However, you're often stuck waiting with grumbling tummies for 45 minutes to an hour! With a little prep work, you could have a pizza on the table in under 30 minutes, and it would be a much tastier pizza. The only things you'd miss would be the lighter wallet, the rubber cheese, and the mystery of not knowing what sort of germs drive around with your pizza in the teenager's delivery-mobile.

If those things appeal to you, please disregard this post. If I've got your attention, prepare for a delectable feast.

Sausage and Onion Pizza with White Sauce on a Garlic-Herb Crust

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp Italian seasoning

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups bread flour

2 packets of active dry yeast

How it's Done:

I used my automatic bread machine on its Dough setting to make my dough. If you have a bread machine, put the ingredients in your machine in the order recommended by your manufacturer and set to Dough cycle. When finished, turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide in half and roll out into 14" circles. Place on pizza stones or pans and prick with a fork all over the dough. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool completely. At this point, the crusts can be frozen for quick pizzas in the future.

*NOTE: the dough is very soft. It bakes into a crispy cracker-thin crust.

White Sauce

White sauce is simply an Alfredo sauce. It doesn't take much to top a pizza, so using some leftover sauce from another meal is a great idea. May I suggest this recipe for Fettuccine with Toasted Walnut Cream Sauce?

If you want to start from scratch, here is a very basic Alfredo sauce for your pizza an dipping pleasure:

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp salted butter

1 cups heavy cream

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 oz grated Parmesan cheese (can use shredded, too, but grated melts faster)

dash of nutmeg (pretty crucial for a pasta sauce...can omit for pizza if desired)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

How it's Done:

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the rest of your ingredients and cook and stir over medium heat for about ten minutes, until thickened.

For our pizzas tonight:

1. Prepare crust and set aside.



2. Prepare Alfredo sauce and let cool.



3. Dice 1/2 lb smoked sausage. Slice 1/2 an onion into rings. Mince 1/2 cup fresh parsley.



4. Brush crust with olive oil. Spread a thin layer of Alfredo sauce on crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on each crust. Spread half of sausage on each, followed by onion rings and parsley. Sprinkle each pizza with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese on each pizza.



5. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, or until cheeses are bubbly and lightly browned. Cool slightly before cutting.



6. Skip the traditional Parmesan and crushed red pepper toppings. Replace these with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.



7. Enjoy!!

Wholly Guacamole!

Day 12.

On the menu tonight: chicken chalupas from scratch. Thanks to the handy dandy slow cooker, the chicken filling will be ready when the homemade chalupa shells and guacamole are ready, too.

This was my first time making chapulas. They aren't as pliable as Taco Bell's and are best served flat. But WOW! They're delicious. Well worth the effort.

Chicken Chalupas with Guacamole

Ingredients:

For the chicken filling:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (my preference. It would be more frugal to use other parts, or even leftover roast chicken. Just remove the skin and bones first.)
• 
  
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (stay with me)
• 
  
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 
  
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 
  
• squirt of lime juice

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Shred with two forks before serving.

For the chalupas:

2 cups masa harina

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups warm water

oil for fying

How it's Done:

Combine masa harina, flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives, or your fingers. Add warm water. Knead until the dough feels like play dough and it easily forms a ball.

Divide into 12 pieces and form each into a ball. Using a tortilla press (WISH I had one!), a rolling pin, or your hands, press or roll each ball into a 5" diameter circle.

Heat a dry skillet to medium-high. Cook each chalupa on the dry skillet for about 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned.

Next, heat vegetable oil in your skillet. You want about 1/4" deep of oil. Heat to medium and fry each chapula until golden -- about 2 minutes total, flipping over halfway through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and continue until you've fried all the chalupas. Fill as desired and serve.

For the guacamole:

3 large avocados, pitted and chopped

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

2 green onions, chopped

2 Serrano peppers, seeded and diced

splash of lime juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

How it's Done:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir it up roughly to combine the ingredients, as well as mash up the avocado a bit. Chill until serving time.

Quick dinner for a busy day

Day 6.

It's important, when menu planning, to be prepared for the occasional schedule upset and be willing and able to improvise. Today's intended dinner went out the window due to a very busy shopping afternoon. I bought myself a new pilates set and boxing gloves and a tripod for my camera. Yep. I'm excited!

All that shopping works up an appetite. When you come in late, you need something you can get on the table quickly and without fuss. You can do that without serving something boring!

Loaded Tacos

makes about 8 large soft tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 4 oz cream cheese
• taco shells (hard or soft)
• optional toppings: sour cream, salsa, cheese, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, green onion, olives

How it's Done:

1. Brown and drain your ground beef or turkey. Add your undrained can of diced tomatoes and green chilies and your package of taco seasoning. Cook 5 minutes on medium heat. Add cream cheese and reduce heat to low, stirring frequently, until cream cheese is melted.
2. Serve on warmed taco shells with desired toppings.

Easy as taco pie. :)

Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker

Day 4.

Slow cookers have a bad reputation. When we think of them, we conjure up images of barely recognizable roasts with that crock pot flavor. Right? Right?

Guess what! Slow cookers are so versatile! You can make a delicious meal for your family while you're away from the kitchen, and it won't have that crock pot flavor that you remember. I promise.

You can do this. Yes, you can.

(you, too, Brandy in Pueblo, Colorado)

This is my own version of Mongolian Beef. It has morphed into this combination of ingredients due to family preferences and food aversions my kids have. Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients in this dish. It's worth the effort.

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef with a Side of Vegetable Lo Mein

serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 lb beef for stir-frying

2 yellow onions, sliced into 1/2" strips

1/2 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup sherry

1/2 cup apple juice

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp peanut butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp each ground red pepper, white pepper, and black pepper

1 Tbsp sesame seeds (for texture)

1/2 cup white flour

1 cup scallions, sliced into 1 1/2" pieces (not pictured)

How it's Done:

1. Drizzle the sesame oil on the bottom of your slow cooker. Throw the onions in there.



2. Put your beef and flour in a large plastic bag and shake to cover completely. Put the beef in the slow cooker.


3. Melt your peanut butter. In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, chicken broth, sherry, apple juice, garlic, Hoisin sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and peppers. Pour over beef and onions. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Do not stir.


4. Cover and cook on low for four hours or until you get home, whichever is later.


5. Add the scallions and cook on HIGH for one hour.


6. Serve over rice or noodles.
7. 
   

Vegetable Lo Mein

Not authentic, but very tasty and a close approximation to what you get for take-out (but with more veggies)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti noodles (thick, if you can find them) cooked according to al dente directions
• sesame oil
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1 package frozen stir-fry veggies of your choice, cooked to crisp-tender
• 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
• soy sauce to taste
• 2 tsp minced garlic

How it's done:

1. While your spaghetti is cooking, heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add onions and stir-fry until they're just barely starting to soften. Add prepared stir-fry veggies and garlic. Fry 2 minutes. Remove to plate.
   
2. Add a bit more oil to your wok or skillet. Pour the noodles in and stir-fry about a minute. Add enough soy sauce to brown the noodles and fry another minute. Return the veggies to the wok and add a bit more soy sauce as desired.
3. Add scallions. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Remove from heat and serve.