How To Eat On A Dime

So many of us and close friends and family are feeling the pinch; the money pinch specifically more than ever. I fondly remember my mother who grew up in the Depression of the 1930’s whose comment regarding today’s economic crisis was rather simple, ‘we (Us Americans) have gone through this once before you know…there’s nothing new about trying to save money when feeding your family. You simply have to be creative’.

Now my mother was one of those who taught me much in the kitchen, whose home cooked meals mostly from scratch since I think I can only recall two or three ‘pre-made’ products in our home, the occasional Campbell’s soup can, the box of Biscuit, and the Manischevitz Split Pea Soup Mix which we would make often when there was left over ham, yeah, I know, not very kosher, then again we were not Jewish or other religion that would make eating ham a naughty thing.

But here starting with a ham, I share my tips and ideas on how to eat healthy and affordably stretching your meals into more, just by getting a little more creative and learning how certain foods can go a long way to feeding your family. Dorothy Parker probably quoted Irma S. Rombauer (Joy Of Cooking in the 1930’s) who coined the phrase; Eternity is two people and a ham. And these women were both correct, regardless of who actually came up with the phrase that still holds true today as it did in 1930’s.

But I share this with you; ham is one of those affordable meats that once cooked, can turn into a variety of dishes with a little forethought. I chose to list a main dish which then can be turned into many other dishes along with links on how to make them.

The chosen foods for today are Baked Ham and Roast Chicken.

Baked Ham Dinner – can then be turned into these favorite meals…

• Navy Bean Soup
• Quiche with ham
• Western Omelets with ham, sliced bell peppers and onions
• Pasta Carbonara or Penne a la Vodka
• Sliced Ham Sandwiches
• Ham Hash
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich with ham
• Go all out with Eggs Benedict – from the food network website

Roast Chicken can then be turned into these fine meals:

• Chicken Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
• Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• Chicken Soup
• Chicken Tetrazzini
• Chicken Salad – a list of their favorites from Epicurean.com

Gerties Egg Special Recipe

This easy dish has its origins from Ancient Spanish Ships traversing across the seas – but for me, this dish is what my mom used to make for breakfast when I was in luck and when we had left over potatoes, whether they were boiled or oven roasted. Easy quick meal I make for myself for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

She never liked being called Gertie, but we always loved her egg special for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Left over oven roasted (preferred by me) or boiled potatoes – any kind
1-2 eggs per person
1 onion sliced thin
1 bell pepper (optional)
1 garlic clove minced (optional)
salt and pepper
red chili flakes (optional)
a few shakes of hot sauce (optional)
fresh parsley minced (for garnish when plating)
large skillet
olive oil and butter

Directions:

I have done this many times with raw potatoes which I suggest slicing and cutting very small, so that they cook up easily and quickly – though this will add at least 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Take eggs out of refrigerator to get off chill.
In skillet add a drizzle of olive oil and a little dab of butter
Cut up left over potatoes into 1-1/2 inch sized chunks and put into skillet.
Add thinly sliced or diced onions and bell pepper if using.
Let brown and turn over to brown potatoes on the other sides.
Once potatoes are nearly browned to your hearts content you can add eggs.
There are two (2) ways you can do this – my photo shows both. You can either crack an egg on a pile of potatoes so that the egg gets fried sitting on top of the potatoes and when removing from skillet, you scoop up both potatoes and fried egg.
Or – which is what my mother did – is crack the eggs over the potatoes, let cook for two minutes, then with spatula, ‘break’ yolks and start turning entire potatoes and eggs over each other creating a sort of fried egg/scrambled egg concoction.
Cook eggs for as long as you like – I prefer soft and slightly still runny (but that is me – and don’t yell at me for adding ketchup!)
Plate eggs and potatoes and garnish dish with fresh minced parsley and serve with toast – add sausage, ham or bacon if you would like.
Photo shows both ways of cooking eggs – as both are super delicious.
Enjoy this easy way to upcycle cooked potatoes from the night before.

Orange Tea Muffins Recipe

The Orange Juice added to this muffin recipe along with orange zest brings forth a bright flavor, yet these muffins are super fluffy, and light for breakfast and brunch, easy to freeze and keep well, take out a few when you need them. My Grandma Nelle would make these often enough. – a family fave.

Ingredients:

Preheat oven 400 degrees – These will bake for 20-25 minutes
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening (4 tablespoons butter)
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure orange or lemon extract (vanilla ok if you don’t have the others)
1/2 cup whole milk (prefer whole vs. skim)
1/2 cup orange juice (with pulp is best)(go for broke as make fresh for that extra oh my factor)
2 tablespoons grated orange rind (avoid the pith, which is super bitter – the white stuff, only the skin of the orange)
Hand mixer, electric mixer.
You can do this by hand, as I have done with other muffins, but the extra fluffy factor is created in this case and recipe with using my mixmaster.

Directions:

Grease muffin pans, this recipe will make between 12-15 muffins (the normal size muffin pans)
Preheat that oven at 400 degrees if you haven’t done so already.
Sift flour, measure, add baking powder, salt and sift again. Set aside.
If you are using pre-sifted flour, then measure once, add other dry ingredients and sift once with dry ingredients all together.
Cream shortening, adding sugar slowly, mix until light and fluffy.
Add egg and beat, then add milk, orange juice and extract and beat one minute.
Slowly add dry ingredients (flour, etc.) just until the ingredients come together – Do not over beat! Literally takes maybe 2 minutes on slow with an electric mixer – ok to have some lumps – they will bake out, I promise.
Fill greased muffin pans two-thirds full, sprinkle tops with a little sugar if you wish.
Place on middle rack in preheated oven and allow to bake for 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy! – Image is from simcooks.com but recipe is my Grandma Nelle’s.