How about an easy week night dinner?

Because that's what you've got here!
Take some French or Italian Bread, and place it in a 450 degree oven to toast. Sprinkle some Extra Virgin Olive Oil for added flavor and golden color.

Once all nice and toasty, "scrape" a peeled garlic clove across the top (the crusty consistency will grate the garlic for you). Layer with thinly sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with some basil, and then add the cheese on the top. Some salt for flavor, maybe some cracked pepper for oomph. Return to the oven, melt the cheese, and VOILA! Dinner! Make as much or as little as you need!

French Bread Variation.

At the beginning of the summer, I stated that I was going to learn a "sustainable recipe" for homemade bread. As in, one that didn't take several hours or a lot of effort to make. One that I could use for PBJ's and other like meals. I thought I had hit the jackpot with my French Bread recipe, but I was discouraged by the first couple of efforts to modify it into traditional sandwich bread. First, I discovered that my load pan was just too small. Traditional pans a great for banana bread, no so much for a good hearty sandwich. With such a small loaf, it is difficult to cut the bread into thin slices. The next try (with larger pans) made me fully aware of the importance of a sharp bread knife. My bread was mangled, and the good slices I could get out were far too thick to eat as a sandwich. Moreover, half the batch (which makes a free form loaf beautifully) was too little for the big pan. The whole batch was too much.

But THIS time...well...I will let the results speak for themselves.
French Bread modified to sandwich bread:

(1) Go buy yourself some big 'ole loaf pans.

(2) You need to "half again" my French Bread. For you non math peeps - that means take each amount, and multiply by 1.5. That makes:
3.75 cups of warm water
3 Tablespoons of yeast
3 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon of salt
8 1/4 cups of Bread Flour (you definitely want a heartier bread, so don't use all purpose unless that's all you have)

When I use bread flour, I've noticed I have to knead the bread a few times to get the flour incorporated correctly. The extra gluten in the bread flour just requires a bit more coaxing. Sprinkle a quarter cup or so of flour over the top before the first rise, it will allow you to to get it out easier.

(3) Let rise 15 minutes, as the original calls for. Cut in half with a knife, and mold into lightly greased loaf pan. Because this is such a wet dough - you don't need to worry about getting it into the pan all nice and neat. In fact, if you realize you "misjudged" what half was - go ahead and pinch the excess off of one loaf and sort of pat it into the other one. It will incorporate during the second rise. This is really a forgiving recipe (hence the sustainability).

(4) Rise 15 or so more minutes. Until you've got a nice dome going over the top.

(5) I baked at 375 for I would say around 30. You want a nice pretty golden color, like my first picture, on the top. If you like a crispier crust, bake a little longer. Keep an eye on it until you get a feel for your oven.

(6) Wait until it is cool before slicing to get the best slices. Oh, and make sure that knife is SHARP!

This makes a really spongy, soft, bread - which I love (all the spreads go into the little holes). If you like a denser bread - this might not work for you.

If you like the idea of making all of your family's bread - I would suggest buying yeast in bulk. Amazon has it for a great price, and I saw it at my local Sam's Club as well.

Meal Plan for 8/30 - 9/4

First of all, I know I said that I wasn't going to buy anything this weekend. However, my loving husband pointed out that anything purchased this weekend wouldn't be posted until Tuesday. Which means I could do the monthly stocking run this weekend - and not be considered over budget. Moreover, the husband did our budget for the last month - and - we stayed within our food budget for the first time in a LONG time. Whee!

I'm only going through Wednesday this week because a hurricane will be off our coast Friday morning. Not sure how that will effect us, but I'll consider Thursday and Friday when/if I have power! We've got plenty of pantry food, so I will be able to whip together something in a hurry if we're up and functioning.

Saturday - Family bowling night and out to dinner. I meant to bring my camera to review a local favorite, but forgot. Next time!

Sunday - Tomato Orange Soup and Bread

Monday - Stuffed Green Peppers (I tutor, but have the say off so I can get dinner on the table).

Tuesday - Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Wednesday - Leftovers/whatever (I tutor). There's going to be plenty of food available for everyone, so I'm not too concerned.

Not meeting budget this week.

Yesterday, I posted that I had $84 to spend this week on groceries.

I spent $118.

Darn. I hate it when numbers don't add up. It's like, a math hell.

Anyhow, on the good side, I only have to make it till a week from Monday. My meal plan took me through to Friday anyway. Soooo...I only have to come up with food for Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday we have a party to go to, but it's potluck so that will be more difficult as I will have to get the ingredients for something. However, I still have $34 to spend. If I make something uber cheap on Saturday night, figure out something cheap to make for the potluck (or something made with things I have on hand - ooooh, homemade pita bread and hummus?) I should be okay. I have to factor in buying some fresh fruit and milk for the kids at some point this week - those babies always come first.

I should mention (lest anyone feel sorry for me) - that this budget is more out of determination than need. We pay our bills, all is well, I just have this deep burning need to prove to my husband that I can stay within our grocery budget. Mostly because I never can most months.

So, meal plan, addition:

Saturday: Something with chickpeas - I bought a couple of peppers and unless I need them for something, I think I might try stuffing them with chickpeas and rice. If not that, then I can always toss the chickpeas on some of my French bread for a sandwich.

Sunday: Party. I'm digging the hummus idea as my friend is a middle eastern nut and would love it. I just saw some pita bread recipes online, so that might be just the ticket. If all else fails, I can pull out my French bread with some olive oil and dipping herbs, as that was a HUGE hit at the last party.

Monday: OFICIALLY SEPTEMBER - meal plan to follow! Whoo-hoo!

Disconnected.

So, I know I promised organic foods today....but I can't seem to find the words. You see, the wonderful petree dishes that I live with brought home their "end of the school year, aren't you going to miss daycare" cold. Yesterday I couldn't breath at all, and today my head feels about twice the size that it normally does. I ordered some eucalyptus and peppermint oils for my cleaning arsenal, but those won't be here until the end of the week (at best). So, today I will suffer in silence.

Yeah, me suffer in silence. Who am I kidding? I will suffer until my husband gets home. Then I will whine and make HIM suffer. (LOVE YOU BUNCHES HONEY!)

In the mean time, I also promised a post every day. Darn it, I'm at least going to deliver on THAT promise.

This last weekend, in an effort to counteract a recent unbelievably large grocery run, I made a couple pots of beans. I made black beans for later in the week, but I also made chickpeas. Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans.

Now, garbanzo beans/chick peas are often used in hummus (I believe that they are garbanzo beans when dry, chickpeas when cooked up). I have found them to be a very useful bean otherwise. They are quite flavorful, and have a different sort of consistency. They blend up quite nice in hummus, but they also mash for a chunkier texture, or can be eaten whole.

Here, I described the first steps in making your own hummus as actually making the beans.

"Start by soaking the beans all night or day. Wash and toss the ickies.When ready to cook, place beans in a dutch oven, with around a gallon of water.Bring to a boil, cook for 1.5-2.5 hours. You want a bean that can be mashed with a little effort, blended creamy easily, but isn't falling apart. When done, pour into a colander and drain."

When not making chickpeas for hummus, I highly suggest amending this by adding some olive oil, spices, and salt to the boiling beans. A friend of mine suggests the last hour, but I sometimes do it right from the start of cooking (not soaking, mind you) with success. I've tried thyme, sage, and fresh basil. I really love the way the fresh basil turned out recently. Basil has sort of a buttery flavor that worked with the beans. For me, salt is really important to bring out the flavor - and you need a surprising amount. Testing an underdone bean during the cooking process won't hurt you, and it will allow you to get a feel for what spices need to be adjusted. It's better to go light on a spice early, decide the flavor isn't full enough, and adjust. Better, that is, than adding too much of something. In the mean time, I would start with a tablespoon of whatever spice you want to try to start.

So, the beans are cooked, now what?

Chickpea Sandwiches: Mash them with a fork, and make an egg salad or tuna fish-like sandwich. I add mayo, mustard, and dill relish to mine. With my recent basil find, I tried just some balsamic vinegar and mashed it all together, then on a bun. AMAZING, a bit better than they mayo, and vegan if you lean that way.

Add to any salad for a protein burst

Eat with rice, for simplicity. Stealing an idea from a friend, I added some light sour cream to the beans and it worked. It seemed weird, but it worked. Not a ton, just enough to "dress" the beans a bit.

And, lastly, my new favorite - Chickpea Salad. I haven't given orangette any love lately, so here I go. Uber simple, and tasty. I just had this for lunch.

It is time for me to nurse my head cold, but before I go, I wanted to give all of Miranda's friends and family a quick shout out. Miranda told me that she My Spaced you all - and I wanted to say thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again real soon!

Kitchen sink pasta

So, if you got some Broccoli (or asparagus, or Brussels sprouts, or maybe even some red peppers and olives)....some pasta...lemon juice...white wine...and spices.....did you know you can make a fabulous meal?

First, boil up a pound of noodles according to the instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a large fry pan (or I prefer a dutch oven), throw down some EVOO (a tablespoon or so), some onions, and a clove of garlic (minced). Get it good and melded, with the onions and garlic starting to soften. Next, add some broccoli, juice of two lemons, and a 1/4 of dry white wine. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper. Cook broccoli for a few minutes until crisp-tender. The lemon juice and wine seasons the broccoli beautifully as it steams.

Toss in the pasta, and a cup or so of parm cheese. You can add some water if you need a little moisture to mix the flavors around. I also added a 1/2 cup of pine nuts. Excellent dinner, made tons for lunch leftovers, and tasted great cold and hot. The beautiful thing about this is that you can completely change the ingredients depending on what you have. Tomatoes, green olives, capers, feta, hunks of meat, bacon, or zucchini. I am sure this list is not exhaustive. As a help, consider stocking up on pasta when it goes to buy one get one status. I've got TONS of ziti, spaghetti, rotini, and elbows on hand for when I need them!

Southern Comfort

I’m not a true Southerner. Although I’ve lived in a few different places, I primarily consider myself a Pacific-North-Westerner. However, since having lived in the south, I have picked up a few traits. Words like “y’all” and “fixin’” have been slipping into my vocabulary more and more. I’ve caught myself with a definite drawl, especially in the company of other Southerners. Plus, many of the foods have snuck into my repertoire.

One such dish, I got from a good friend at work. A new vegetarian, I immediately picked up on the beans and rice. “what is that?” I asked. “Some black-eyed peas, cornbread, and rice.” “Ah,” I responded, “how did you cook it?” She explained, “well, it’s got some onion, garlic, and ham hocks.”

Ham hocks, darn. Maybe not.

The next day, in my geometry class, I was relaying a story from one student to another. It was about my black beans and rice from the prior day. Another student insisted that I MUST try black eyed peas. They were so much better. She also insisted that I didn’t have to cook it with ham. So, I thought about it some more. Perhaps I could go ahead and cook it without the ham? I would need some other flavor to accent the beans. What would be a good substitute?

Bullion. Yes, vegetable bullion.

So, I went to work at home. A la Paula Deen, I started with a stick of butter. I chopped up an onion and minced a couple of cloves of garlic, and added them to the melted warm butter in a dutch oven. When translucent, I added 1-2 tablespoon of better than bullion and cooked it up for a minute or two. Just long enough to incorporate and get bubbly.

Then I added my SOAKED and sorted beans to the pot (instructions should be on the package), a one pound bag. Stirred it around with the hot butter, and then added water. You probably want to start with a water level that is half to three quarters above the bean line. There’s no exact amount, as depending on your climate, that can affect evaporation rates. Through the cooking process, you want to check the beans for doneness and flavor by tasting! They are done when the water is well cooked down, leaving behind a sort of starchy-broth resembling a very thin gravy. Oh, and the beans should be soft too. If the water has cooked down before the beans are done, add more water. The beans won’t keep their pretty shape very well, but you want some of them to break open to get the starch in the liquid.

Go ahead and cook some rice, and corn bread. Assemble by layering: cornbread, rice, and beans. The sweetness of the cornbread balances the salty of the beans.

Now, I repeated this dish last night. I decided that the taste would be fine with olive oil rather than butter (it was), so I started with a quarter cup. I also bought the bigger bag of beans (and thus added more onions, garlic, bullion, and water) and made a couple of bowls to freeze. I’ll let you know another day how they freeze up, but I would imagine they would do as well as the black beans I make.

I also want to plug the cornbread recipe. You want a sweet, cakey, dish to balance the beans. I almost always want butter on my cornbread, but this dish was phenomenal and needed none. My family recipe uses Bisquick, and turns out great, but I was glad to find a good recipe that uses basic ingredients. The only downside is the buttermilk, which is not something I usually have on hand .

So, I hope you enjoy one of my favorite Southern comfort foods. My mom laughed when I shared this idea with her, as she swore that she tried to get me to eat black eyed peas in my early days – to no avail. Now I act like I invented it. My Grandmother was from Alabama, so I suppose I have a little bit of the south in my blood. I reckon that when the day comes that my family and I return to the Pacific Northwest, I will be sipping my lattes with a hunk of cornbread and some honey butter.

Beans, beans...the glorious food...

The more you eat...

Those of you who have young children (or remember your own childhood), will know the rest of this diddy.

This morning I was listening to Bob and Sheri, and they were asking listeners to call in with what they plan on doing with their IRS "economic stimulus check." One guy called in and claimed that after 6 years - he and his wife were completely debt free and buying their new home on cash. Bob and Sheri seemed interested, until he mentioned the name Dave Ramsey.

The ball and chain is a huge fan of this guy. He read the book shortly before Christmas (joy and rapture), and we have been in total money makeover land since the year started. We have made some headway on bills, and the headway does seem to make the ball and chain happier. Still, he's pretty much the turd in the proverbial punch bowl when you want to do something FUN with your money. He's also a supreme traditionalist. I don't mind this so much, as I am a pretty traditional gal. However, I can see why this may turn some off. Regardless, while radical and seemingly unreachable, his money beliefs make sense. My sister declared herself debt free (except for her home) - and they couldn't be happier about this.

The reason this comes up, is that one thing he tells people to do (to cut back on food costs) is eat rice and beans, beans and rice. Perish the thought. Beans are so BORING, right?

Au contraire.

Beans are a wonderful, cheap, easy, and satisfying meal. Did I say cheap? I meant to say cheap.

They've also been a staple in the diet that has completely changed my husband's health.

Tonight, since we are nearing the end of our Easter leftovers, I plan on making up some chickpeas to eat on for the rest of the week. However, since I promised this ages ago, I thought I would share my fantastic Black Beans. These were made up through trial and error over time in my own kitchen. Feel free to adjust to your tastes.

Stewed Seasoned Black Beans.

One medium onion
One green pepper
2 t. Cumin
1 t -2 T. Cayenne Pepper
Salt to taste
2 T. cilantro
1 lb back beans
2 T olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic

Soak beans all night or all day, or follow quick soak method on package.

When done soaking, drain and sort out ickies.

Heat olive oil in pot, and add chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until onions begins to get translucent.

When done, add the rest of the spices. Cook for thirty seconds.

Add beans, cook for 30 seconds.

Add enough water to cover the beans with 2-3 inches of space to the top.

Cook for 1.5-2.5 hours, adding water when needed (uncovered). As the beans get close, taste to adjust seasoning.

You know the beans are done when there is a very thick/starchy broth that would be good with rice, along with the beans being cooked just to the point of breaking easily. You want a broth just a bit more runny than gravy. With the water, you are basically looking to cook the beans and boil the water off.

Mt favorite way to serve is over Cilantro Lime Rice, topped with chopped avocado, tomatoes, red onions, and a dollop of sour cream.