Belt-Tightening: 6 Cheap and Easy Recipes for the Festive Season

Modern day austerity can never compare with “belt-tightening” during WWII. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.

Earlier this month, British newspaper The Guardian published an article about Eleni Nikolaidou, a Greek school teacher who compiled recipes and survival tips from newspaper clippings from the 1940s.

Her book captures the essence of what many countries, including the Unites States, went through during the war years. “This may be a bit extreme, but we are all facing tough times,” says Athens-based chef and TV show host FT Bletsas.

But can austerity and the festive season go together? Bletsas definitely thinks so. He takes credit for popularizing a philosophy he calls “economy cooking.”

“We’ve done this during the whole history of mankind,”Bletsas says. “So, I think we can still do it. The idea is to educate people about how they can actually shop well, store the food so that it doesn’t go bad and cook it in some smart way.”

The proof in the pudding is in sharing the recipe, right? So I asked him to tell me about some of his favorite festive season recipes that are good for the pallet and easy on the wallet. These are his top picks.
Whole Wheat Breakfast with Yogurt

You can store whole wheat for a long time. You could also buy it in bulk to save money. It is nutritious, full of fiber, vitamin B and proteins.

Preparation: Soak the wheat into water for 2 hours. Then boil it for 15 minutes. Mix it with cinnamon, nuts, raisins, toss in some pieces of apple, add honey and serve on top of Greek Yogurt.

Wheat and Nut Dessert

Call this a dessert or a whole wheat kernels breakfast. It is cheaper than processed cereals available in the market. If you add some nuts it becomes protein-rich. Honey is a good sweetener but you can use whatever is available – fruit juice is a good option.

Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat, 6 red apples, 10 chestnuts, ½ cup walnuts, ½ cup raisins, ½ tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ glass fresh orange juice, ½ glass pomegranate juice.

Preparation: Soak the wheat in water for 2-3 hours. Put this in a pan and boil for 20 minutes. Drain the wheat, place it back in the pan and leave it aside. Boil the chestnuts in water for 30 minutes and drain them. You can also bake them in the oven. When they are cold, remove the skin. If they are cooked enough it is easy to remove the skin manually. Cut the apples in half, remove the core and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Place the apple pieces in a bowl and leave the empty halves aside. Sprinkle some lemon juice on the halves and the pieces to prevent browning. Peel the chestnuts, cut them in four and place them in the bowl. Add some walnut pieces. Add raisins, fruit juice, honey, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Mix everything together and place it in the pan with the wheat. Mix again and cook on low to medium heat for 15 minutes, until the apples soften and the juices are gone. You can alter the recipe according to what you have available in terms of nuts, dried fruit and fruit juice.

Quick Apple Dessert

This has to be one of the simplest baked apple recipes. It is a clever way to utilize your surplus apples and stale bread. It takes less than five minutes to mix everything. And then all you need to do is put the tray in the oven.

Ingredients: 4 red apples, 4 slices stale brown bread slices, ¼ cup melted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ cup water.

Preparation: Preheat the oven. Clean and chop the apples into cubes. Stir apples, bread crumbs, butter and sugar in a medium deep pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and pour some water into the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees and serve warm with yogurt or ice cream.

Oatmeal Cookies

Oats are very cheap if you buy in bulk. They’re highly nutritious with plenty of fiber, protein and vitamins. They also contain complex carbohydrates that give lasting energy. Oats are an ideal way to add thickness and nutrients to soups, juices and smoothies. You can also use oats as a base for your breakfast cereal mix. You can also use them in baking recipes, such as cakes, cookies, scones and bread. Make these biscuits on weekend and you can keep munching till the end of the year.

Ingredients: 1 packet of butter or sesame oil (8½ ounces), 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 eggs, 1 cup wholemeal flour, 4 cups rolled oats, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon powdered ginger, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup dark chocolate chips.

Preparation: Preheat the oven and leave eggs and butter outside the fridge. Pour the butter and sugar in a bowl. Mix the two till you get a creamy paste. Add honey and eggs into the mixture and keep stirring. In another bowl mix all the other dry ingredients, and then throw them gradually inside the cream mix. Stir until you get a uniform thick mixture. Use a spoon to place equal amounts of the mixture in a tray with wax paper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees, until you get a golden color. When ready, let them cool and serve immediately or store in a well-sealed box. You could also store the biscuits in the refrigerator.

Banana Ice Cream

This one is nutritious, delicious and contains no added sugar. It is a smart way to use ripe bananas that you can buy cheaply in many groceries stores. If you want to make dairy-free ice cream instead of milk you can use fruit juice or milk substitute made of almonds, rice or soy.

Ingredients: 4 ripe bananas (peeled, cut, and frozen), 1 cup cold milk, 1 cup raw cashew nuts (soaked for 30 minutes in water), ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder, ¼ cup dark chocolate chips

Preparation: If you have lots of ripe bananas, peel them, cut them into small pieces and place them in a plastic food container that you can put in the freezer. Within three hours they are frozen and you can use them in this recipe. Frozen bananas can be added in smoothies, cakes, biscuits and many other recipes. They last in the freezer of about two to three weeks.

Leave the frozen bananas outside the freezer for 3 minutes and place it in the food processor. Add the milk (or juice), vanilla powder and the soaked cashew nuts and mix them until they become a smooth cream. Place the cream in a bowl and add the chocolate chips. Mix with a spoon and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes before you eat it. If you want to keep it for longer, place it in the refrigerator.

Source:http://www.theworld.org/2011/12/belt-tightening-6-cheap-and-easy-recipes-for-the-festive-season/

Would you like some cream with your beef tongue?

The oldest Christmas dinner tradition in this reporter’s family goes back to 1954.

In the year my mother was born, my grandmother, understandably distracted by her first child, forgot to buy a ham for Christmas. In those days, markets weren’t open on Christmas Day, so she cooked what was in the house; stuffed shells. To this day, it doesn’t feel like Christmas without a dish of stuffed shells – usually served alongside more traditional holiday fare.

The winter feast, whatever holiday it honors, is something that every family invents for themselves, and that cultures reinvent wholesale to suit demographics, economy, tastes and times. In Salem and throughout New England, the composition of the Christmas meal is the result of changing cultural preoccupations and a delicate balancing act between a historically wide world market and the old immigrant story of making your home cuisine out of what’s at hand.

But what would Christmas have tasted like if I was celebrating it in the age of hoop skirts and plum duff instead of the age of pumpkin ravioli and pajama jeans? I decided to find out – and when I did, I’d cook it.



Finding my food

In the early days of New England, Christmas wasn’t a major holiday, but the that tide began to turn in the mid-19th century. One place where you can clearly see the cultural shift toward Christmas is in the Salem Gazette. In the Dec. 24, 1811 edition, the only mention of Christmas is in a brief advertisement for a bookseller.

By 1901, it’s a different story. The paper had changed for one thing; it was no longer simply a gazette (few remember that “gazette” once meant an official notice roll for government documents, ship movements, and promotions) but a modern newspaper with regional news stories, editorials, and lifestyle columns.

One of these was a biweekly cooking column called Good Cookery. Dec. 23, 1901’s Good Cookery column was called “For A Holiday Dinner.” If ever I wanted to see what Salemites ate for Christmas more than a century ago, this seems the place to do it.

“I am one of those who esteem very highly the goose as a central figure on the occasion of a formal dinner,” said Barbara Sadler, the column’s author. “Properly cooked it cannot fail to please almost everyone.” Sadler’s menu goes on to include beef tongue prepared not one, but two ways (potted and spiced), chicory with cream sauce, cole slaw, celery nut salad, chicken cutlets, pancakes (baked and fried with sweet potatoes), mutton pie and fig pudding.

I quickly realized that I’m kind of glad to live in the pumpkin ravioli/pajama jeans era. I mean, a goose costs about eighty dollars. I’m not even certain I know what chicory is, but I’m pretty sure they don’t sell it at Market Basket. I may be a hard-boiled newspaperwoman, but for sheer skill, bravery and derring-do, it appears I have nothing on an early 20th century Salem housewife. I could never, ever cook all that.

I decided instead to simply focus on three of the desserts in the column – French Tea Cream, Walnut Loaf Cake and Sour Cream Pie. Based on the ingredient lists (recipes at the time being mostly ingredients, as technique was apparently beamed to the home cook via telepathic connection) I figured these would be the most frugal choices and the ones most familiar to the modern palate. Plus, I could bring them to Christmas parties with my graduate student friends, who will eat anything.



Dairy and lemons

A few words of warning, brave readers – if you choose to follow in my footsteps and try these recipes, be prepared for a level of incredulity verging on disgust as fellow shoppers, grocery clerks and baggers judge the sheer volume of dairy products you’ll be buying. We’re talking sticks of butter, quarts of whole milk, a Royal Flush of creams – light cream, heavy cream, whipping cream, you name it. Then there’s the eggs – an even dozen for these three recipes. I was behind a woman whose entire grocery order was a 24-pack of water and three heads of lettuce. I don’t think I’ve ever left a shopping plaza so gravid with shame.

Next, you’ll notice when you read these recipes that the flavorings look a little bland and weak, especially considering the phalanx of dairy they’ll need to stand up to. In the walnut cake, there’s a scant teaspoon of vanilla; the sour cream pie filling recipe, which makes enough for two pies, is flavored with the rind and juice of half a lemon. There are a few reasons, I think, for this. One is that these ingredients were comparatively more expensive in 1901 than they are now. Produce in the winter wasn’t always easy to get. That lemon might have to last you a while; best to save half of it for later.

But the other reason is the same reason I think many old-timey recipes look bland to modern cooks – the recipes weren’t meant to be followed exactly. In an age where most women did not work outside the home, cooking was a form of expression that gave something akin to professional satisfaction. Part of the pleasure was taking a simple recipe and zhushing it up with your own secret ingredients.

When I made these recipes, I did add a little extra flavoring here and there – a tablespoonful of elderflower juice concentrate in the Sour Cream pie, half a shot of bourbon and some brown sugar in the walnut cake (a Christmas dessert without alcohol being fit only for the Island of Misfit Toys in my opinion). But I am reprinting the recipes exactly as they were written in Good Cookery, adjusted for modern kitchen equipment. You can make your own additions



The memory of Salem

But the real question is, are they worth making? Yes, yes, yes. The flavors are subtle and sophisticated, surprisingly related to foods we enjoy today. The French Tea Cream is basically a panna cotta, and the Sour Cream pie comes out like a delicious lemon chiffon, with just enough tang to taste like a winter dessert. The walnut cake would make a great breakfast bread any time of the year, and if I try it again I’ll add a streusel topping.

But more than the flavors, they were a chance to step into the shoes of people who might have lived in my apartment building, walked my streets, ate my dessert a century or more ago. I could have read about Christmas in 1901 for hours and never understood what it meant in the same way that looking at those ingredients did. The sour cream? That would be the Eastern European influences coming in. And that one treasured lemon? Maybe it could be kept in a box on the windowsill – home refrigerators were still over a decade away.

If taste is the sense most linked to memory, then these recipes are a little amuse-bouche of the memories of Salem.

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/newsnow/x1282423460/Would-you-like-some-cream-with-your-beef-tongue#ixzz1hPfwqliR

Easy Chocolate Cake with Quick Caramel Icing

Monday was B's 13th birthday. President Obama decided to help him celebrate by coming through town in the middle of the afternoon. Boone only has a couple of major arteries so the schools let out early to accommodate the road closures and traffic. B brought a couple of his friends home and they spent the afternoon shooting at zombies on the X-box and at each other with airsoft guns.

I had planned to come home mid-afternoon to make a birthday cake then fry chicken for dinner. President Obama's bus and entourage wound up parking about a block from my office for a walk around our downtown so I couldn't get out when I'd planned. And I didn't want to miss my chance to wave at the Prez anyway! If you look carefully at the picture, you can see him waving back at me.

B, rather uncharacteristically, had not requested any particular kind of cake for his birthday. Over the weekend, we had his best buddy from the lake up to visit. For Saturday night's dinner, he asked me to get Chili's Molton Chocolate Cakes for dessert. I proved that I could do just as well by making Molton Chocolate Cakes with Mint Fudge Sauce. For Monday, I needed something impressive yet relatively quick and easy. Most importantly, it needed to be fool-proof which for me means resistant-to-altitude issues. I've been craving cakes that celebrate autumn -- pumpkin and apple -- but B did not seen too interested. I decided to indulge my craving for caramel icing, but put it on a fudgy chocolate cake.

Both the Easy Chocolate Cake and the Quick Caramel Icing recipes are slight adaptations of ones from Ann Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. When I'm short on time and know the cake needs to come out right the first time, this is the cookbook I use. Because the cake recipes are based on mixes, they tend to work well at my slightly elevated altitude. The Easy Chocolate Cake recipe includes pudding mix, sour cream and chocolate chips to add density and flavor to the cake. Instead of two layers, the cake is made in a tube pan, which makes icing it a cinch. DH made the chocolate cake, then I made the caramel icing and frosted it. While many caramel frosting recipes require candy thermometers and 30 minutes or so of constant stirring, this Quick Caramel Icing is done in about 10 minutes with about half of that spent stirring.

Easy Chocolate Cake with Quick Caramel Icing

Ingredients:

For the Easy Chocolate Cake:

Vegetable oil spray
Flour for dusting pan
1 18.25 ounce package of devil's food cake mix
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 3.9 ounce package chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
4 large eggs (preferably at room temperature)
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

For the Quick Caramel Icing:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract

Directions:

Check to make sure that the rack is in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray then dust it with flour. Make sure that all surfaces are coated then bang out the excess flour.
Place 2 tablespoons of the cake mix and the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Toss to combine and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, pout the rest of the cake mix, the sour cream, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla. Blend using an electric mixer on low for about 1 minute.
Stop and scrape down the sides using a rubber spatula, then beat on medium for another 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides again if needed.
Use the spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and stir until well-combined.
Pour the batter into the tube pan and smooth the top with your spatula.
Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched and it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Remove the cake from the oven to a wire rack and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
Run a long-blade sharp knife around the edge of the cake. Invert onto the wire rack and remove the pan insert. Carefully flip it back on to a serving plate.
While the cake cools, melt the butter with the dark and light brown sugars in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Once the butter melts, stir the mixture and bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes.
Add the milk and bring the mixture back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating with a wooden spoon to combine. It works best to add the powdered sugar about a half cup at a time.
Continue to beat the icing with the wooden spoon until it is smooth and there are no lumps.
Frost the top and sides of the cake while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too hard, gently reheat it until it softens.

Yield: One cake (approximately 16 servings)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

The cake came out beautifully -- rich and moist with a light texture. And the icing was just what I wanted -- sweet without bring over the top. The Easy Chocolate Cake with Quick Caramel Icing was a big hit with B and his friends as well as the rest of the family. It is the kind of cake that is pretty much impossible to eat without a glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee (although my glass of Cabernet also worked pretty well!). It's definitely a cake I'll make again when I have a crowd of teens to please. And I'm looking forward to putting that caramel icing on an apple cake some time real soon!

Source:http://www.blogher.com/easy-chocolate-cake-quick-caramel-icing?page=0,1&wrap=blogher-topics%2Ffood%2Fcooking-kids&crumb=32396

Kitchen to Kitchen: Dessert Gallery's Yellow Cake

I received several yellow cake recipes in response to Norma Page's request for one. In the batch was a recipe from the Dessert Gallery, from Janet Peri. I won't argue with Janet, the Dessert Gallery does a fine yellow cake. I tested this recipe at home and made my own chocolate frosting.



Spreading the love of peanut butter

Laura Scudder's Natural Peanut Butter is offering a new peanut butter with just two ingredients: Peanuts and a dash of salt. What's your favorite peanut butter recipe? Send it in to me and I will share it with readers next month.

Win a year's worth of groceries

Hungry Jack wants you to "use up the box" (of pancake mix) and create an original recipe in one of these categories; brunch, comfort food, appetizers or sweet treats. The Grand Prize winner will be awarded $6,000. You have until Nov. 2 to get your entry in. Go to www.useupthebox.com for information.



Send requests and responses to elizabeth.pudwill@chron.com, or to Elizabeth Pudwill, Houston Chronicle Kitchen to Kitchen, P.O. Box 4260, Houston, TX 77210.

DESSERT GALLERY BAKERY & CAFE FAVORITE YELLOW CAKE

4 ounces butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups granulated sugar

5 egg yolks (whites reserved)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

5 egg whites



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes at high speed. Add yolks one at a time, mixing well after each.

Combine the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Add vanilla.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks, but not dry. Fold egg whites into the batter.

Divide batter between two prepared pans. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cakes test done. After cake cools completely, frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.

Source:http://www.chron.com/life/food/article/Kitchen-to-Kitchen-Dessert-Gallery-s-Yellow-Cake-2224859.php

Winter warming recipes from Thai Taste

Delicious, fresh, zingy and exotic – bring the excitement of the orient into your kitchen with Thai Taste’s selection of fusion recipes. Perfect for entertaining or a cosy night in, this authentic range of pastes, sauces and specialist ingredients makes it even easier to enjoy authentic Thai food this season.

With minimal cooking time involved, Thai Taste’s simple, winter warming recipes add a touch of creative flair to any festive party in a matter of minutes. If you’re throwing a fancy cocktail party Thai Taste’s delicious Mini Satay Chicken canapés are sure to get your tastebuds tingling and your guests talking. Or for a special mid-week dinner, why not put a twist on the traditional Fish Pie and use Thai Taste’s Green Curry Paste to create an East-meets-West culinary delight?

And to end the evening on a high, try something different with the Sticky Rice, Mango and Palm Syrup dessert. Simple to make, this is guaranteed to impress those with a sweet tooth and complete your Thai dining experience.

Thai Taste’s range of products are made in Thailand, by Thai chefs and use only the finest quality natural ingredients. For full product listings, visit thaitaste.co.uk.

Mini Satay Chicken Skewers

Chicken Satay Sticks are always a firm favourite at any party and perfect for any Christmas celebrations. Alternatively you can make using turkey, beef or prawns, and if you like your food a little hotter add more sweet chilli sauce.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Makes: 16 sticks

Ingredients:

2 - 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips

150g Thai Taste Satay Peanut Sauce

2 tbsp Thai Taste Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

Lime wedges, to serve

Shredded spring onion and red chilli, to garnish

Method:

1) Soak 16 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

2) Cut each chicken breast into 4 long slices lengthways and then in half horizontally to give you 16 pieces.

3) Place the chicken into a large bowl and add 100g satay sauce and the sweet chilli sauce. Toss until the chicken is evenly covered. Leave to marinade for about 30 minutes.

4) Thread the chicken in a zigzag onto the bamboo skewer.

5) Cook the chicken under a preheated grill for 4-6 minutes turning occasionally or until cooked through.

6) Serve the satay sticks with a squeeze of lime juice, sprinkled with the shredded spring onion and chilli, alongside the remaining satay sauce as a dip

Source:http://www.easier.com/95849-winter-warming-recipes-thai-taste.html

Lemon & vanilla baked pears in parchment

Pears come into season just as the weather gets cooler, so what better way to enjoy them than in this baked dessert.
Preparation Time

15 minutes
Cooking Time

50 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)

1 lemon, thinly sliced crossways
4 small pears
1 tbs caster sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthways, halved crossways
Double or whipped cream, to serve

Add above ingredients to your shopping list
Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Cut four 30cm squares of non-stick baking paper. Place one-quarter of the lemon in the centre of each piece of baking paper. Top each with 1 pear, standing upright. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar around the base of each pear. Add a piece of the vanilla bean.

Bring the edges of the paper together around the stem and secure with unwaxed kitchen string.

Place the parcels in a baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the pears are tender. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Open the parcels slightly. Drizzle the caramelised juices from the base over the pears. Serve in the paper with cream.

Take a trip around the globe with our range of international recipe collections. Start with our French recipes, Thai recipes, Turkish recipes and Spanish recipes.


Source:http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/24879/lemon+vanilla+baked+pears+in+parchment

Mini choc-caramel dessert cakes

If you're short on time but big on flavour, these little choc-caramel dessert cakes are the perfect solution.
Cooking Time

30 minutes
Makes

12
Ingredients

1/2 x 175g bag Caramello Nibbles
200g dark chocolate, chopped
125g butter, chopped
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Choc-caramel ganache
1/2 x 175g bag Caramello Nibbles
100g dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup thickened cream

Add above ingredients to your shopping list
Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a 12-hole, 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan with paper cases (see note). Reserve 12 Nibbles. Finely chop remaining Nibbles.

Place chocolate and butter in a large heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on medium (50%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until melted and smooth.

Whisk in sugar. Stand for 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder over chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine. Whisk in finely chopped Nibbles. Spoon into paper cases. Top each with 1 reserved Nibble. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre of 1 cake comes out with crumbs clinging. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, make ganache Place Nibbles, chocolate and cream in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high (75%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds or until melted and smooth. Remove cakes from paper cases. Drizzle with ganache. Serve.

Notes

Cooking cakes in paper cases prevents them sticking to the pan.

Source:http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/27294/mini+choc+caramel+dessert+cakes