Cheap, Lazy, Picky Cooks

We just finished eating this nommy cheesy goodness. It’s a little more effort than we usually put into one meal, but it’s worth it if you have the time. By itself as is, it’s not quite a full meal for us. We’re playing with the idea of fixing some easy flavored rice on the side, or adding corn and/or mushrooms into the chile dish itself.

Easy Chiles Rellenos
10 canned or fresh poblano peppers
4 cups cheese (mozzarella, pepper jack or Mexican blend)
3 eggs
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup skim milk
Black pepper to taste
Hot pepper sauce (optional)

If peppers are fresh, roast them first. I do it in my toaster oven – five peppers at a time. I put them on 450 degrees, on one side for 20 minutes and other side for 10 minutes (they will blacken and blister). Let them cool, then skin should peel right off. Remove skin, stems and seeds, with one long slice down the side of the pepper if necessary.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Oil 9×13 casserole dish.
2. Fill peppers with cheese (and corn and mushrooms?). Place them in a single layer in dish.
3. Beat eggs and flour together until smooth. Add milk, pepper and hot sauce. Carefully pour over peppers.
4. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until knife inserted into batter comes out clean.

Wow!  What a holiday season, and first month of the year!  It’s been flying by at light speed over here.

Let’s see, I took Gabe home for our first together-Christmas with my family. For the most part, it was wonderful. We decided to rely on wealthy family members taking us out to eat instead of managing all those dietary restrictions in one place.

Oh, and then there’s me starting up evening classes again. It doesn’t leave as much time for me to contribute to cooking, so Gabe ends up taking the bulk of that duty.

And then there’s those beginning-of-year goals related to health and food. I prefer to avoid the term ‘resolutions’, which are fraught with peril in my psyche… but I have a much better track record with goals, and there’s always room for a diet and exercise tune-up.

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So, here’s a couple food-related outcomes from all that. First, here’s an easy and nutritious dish. I am THRILLED to say that Gabe and I now have our first sandwich spread entry in our personal cookbook!!  It’s so exciting!!!  Having sandwich bread that doesn’t try to kill me opens up all kinds of new meals.

I’d been craving what I missed about tuna salad for a while, though actually making it and eating it was never as satisfying.  And straightforward egg salad gets so heavy so quickly. So Gabe and I pondered some of the usual similar combos – chickpeas, tofu – and finally settled on this tofu-egg combo recipe that sounded quite yummy.  Turns out, it really is!

(The photo shows our first try at it, when it turned out we were out of green onions. I really look forward to adding those in next time.)

Curried Tofu-Egg Salad
1 12.5 oz package firm silken tofu, pressed* and chopped/mashed**
5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped/mashed**
3 tbsp chopped green onions
4 tbsp light mayo
4 tbsp plain fat-free yogurt
Cayenne pepper to taste
1.5 tsp curry powder
4 pinches dried cilantro
Salt and pepper

Mix ingredients and enjoy on slices of toast.

*To press tofu, slice about 1/4 inch thick and place between two layers of sturdy paper towels, in between two dinner plates. Place a small weight on top (cookbook or bottle of juice) and let sit for 10-20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
**The chopping vs. mashing issue is one of texture. Chop if you like chunky. Mash if you like squishing the eggs and tofu between your fingers while doing a Hulk impersonation.

(Recipe adapted from myrecipes.com, originally from Cooking Light magazine, March 1998)

Also, here’s a link for a yummy-looking, homemade and rather simple veggie broth.  My DIY spirit was invoked with this recipe that Paige sent along.  You might not know it from the number of canned ingredients we use, but we do occasionally consider our salt intake, and broth cubes can be insanely high in sodium. This is next on our list of things to try.

Gabe has a special trick he incorporated into this dish. His former brother-in-law had a friend who owned a Chinese restaurant. He told Gabe how they cooked the egg in their fried rice. So, Gabe turned it into this recipe. Enjoy!

One-Pot Fried Rice
prep time: 20 minutes to cook rice; cook time: 15 minutes

4-6 cups cooked rice
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 onion (or frozen onion equivalent)
2-3 eggs
1 can mixed veggies (corn, peas, etc), drained
1/4 cup (1/2 jar) sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 can chickpeas, drained
soy sauce (wheat-free, if necessary)
curry powder to taste
crushed red pepper

1. In a tall pot, saute garlic and onion with oil over medium heat, until onion is translucent (or unfrozen).
2. Add eggs and cook until nearly done.
3. Add rice, veggies and beans. Reduce heat a bit. Mix thoroughly and cook more.
4. Add soy sauce, curry and red pepper to taste.

We’ve made our meal for tomorrow, to take over to Gabe’s family gathering. I’m excited! I look forward to sharing our food, and to hunting for something of theirs I can eat. Amidst the turkey and ham and stuffing and rolls, I’m not expecting to find much to forage… except maybe some cranberry sauce. I hope it still has the can ridges in it. I like that.

Here are the fruits of our evening, two of my family’s recipes — Potato Salad and Fantasy Fudge — and one yummy new one that’s going in our permanent cookbook — Mushroom and Lentil Stew.

Adapted from this recipe.

Mushroom and Lentil Stew
prep time: 35 minutes; cook time: 30-40 minutes

2-3 teaspoons olive oil
2-2.5 cups diced cremini mushrooms
1 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped celery
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1-1.5 cup chopped carrots
2.5 cups peeled, chopped potato
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
3/4 cup brown lentils, sorted and washed
4 cups vegetable broth

1. In a large pot, use oil to saute mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic until softened.

2. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender and stew has thickened.

The original recipe called for adding 2 cups chard at the end, and letting it wilt. We couldn’t find chard and bought spinach to add… and then forgot. It’s still absolutely yummy.

Potato Salad
(Special note: This is a longtime family recipe, so all concrete information is entirely made of approximation. The actual answers are along the lines of “cook until done”, “enough to fill the pot”, etc.)
prep time: 20 minutes; cook time: 30 minutes; assembly time: 10 minutes

8-10 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
6 eggs
4 heaping tbsp dill pickle relish
8 green onions, chopped
2 cups mayonnaise to taste
3 heaping tbsp prepared mustard
salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil potatoes until tender; time will vary depending on their size. Drain.

2. Boil eggs. When done, squish or dice or otherwise make small (make sure they’re cool first if you squish them).

3. Mix all ingredients in clean, dry bowl.

Eat hot or cold. Also good with barbecue sauce on it.

Fantasy Fudge
(This is a recipe we’ve been making in my family since I was a kid. The fact that it’s EXACTLY like the recipe that’s been on the back of Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme that long is a complete and total coincidence. Oh yes.)
prep/cook time: 25 minutes

3 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 tiny can (9 oz) evaporated milk
1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chips of your choice
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup nuts (optional)
*Special item required: candy thermometer

1. Spray 9″x9″ pan with cooking spray.

2. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly (and I do mean constantly — but don’t be tempted to cook at too low a temp, as that will make the final product grainy. Better to have a smidge of a scorch or two.)

3. Keep stirring! Continue boiling until temp reaches 234 degrees F. Remove from heat.

4. Quickly add remaining ingredients and mix completely.

5. Quickly pour into pan, smooth, and let cool thoroughly before cutting.

(The vanilla frequently gets left out of this recipe, to no ill effect.)