I have been stuck inside for days now. I've grown bored, and slightly bitter. And hungry, of course. I'm also broke which has limited my menus. I went on a tightly budgeted shopping trip yesterday and came home with ingredients for ranch pretzels, Texas hash, and easy yogurt pie.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
WHITE TRASH RAINY AFTERNOON MENU
I have been stuck inside for days now. I've grown bored, and slightly bitter. And hungry, of course. I'm also broke which has limited my menus. I went on a tightly budgeted shopping trip yesterday and came home with ingredients for ranch pretzels, Texas hash, and easy yogurt pie.
EASY YOGURT PIE
My mom always made this for me as a kid.
3 containers of blended yogurt, 6 oz.(I used mixed berries for this one)
1 container of frozen whipped topping, 8 oz. (I use the light stuff)
1 pre-made graham cracker crust ( I was tempted to buy the chocolate cookie crust, maybe next time)
Allow the whipped topping to thaw and then add to the yogurts. Pour into crust and place in freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight. I added some blueberries to this one.
TEXAS HASH
Easy and tasty. I make it as hot as I can stand it.
1 pound of ground chuck, browned
1/2 cup of rice (I use brown rice)
10 oz. bag of frozen corn, or one 14 oz. can of corn
1 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
1 green pepper, chopped
3 larges onions, chopped
hot sauce, to taste
chili powder, to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
After browning the beef, add all ingredients to a crock pot. Cook on high for 3 - 4 hours.
RANCH PRETZELS
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Simple, salty, and good!
1 bag of Snyder's of Hanover sourdough pretzels
1 envelope of ranch dip/dressing mix
1/2 cup of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Combine the dip mix with the oil and mix well. Break the pretzels into bite size pieces before placing them on a baking tray. (Don't dump the bag onto the tray. You don't want all the crumbs and extra salt.) Pour the oil/dip mix over the pretzels. Bake for 1 hour, stirring the pretzels every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO TURN ON THE OVEN . . .
It's summer and it's dang hot here in Florida. Too hot to turn on the oven for sure. But you have to eat! Grilling is a good alternative to the oven. Below are some selected grilling recipes to get you through the heat.
First up is Asian Flank Steak. Marinate this overnight, make a big butt salad, grill your steak, and you have a hot weather meal and you don't heat up your house.
Another grilled meal you can try is Soy and Garlic Pork Chops. This recipe also requires marinating. You can add a baked sweet potato, and grill some string beans on the grill beside your chops, and you are set. I've also served it with raw sugar peas.
If you don't feel like grilling, you can use your stove-top and microwave.Thai Shrimp and Broccoli is a one pot Asian influenced dish. Follow the directions and you'll have very little clean-up when you are finished.
Another pasta dish you can make is Cappellini with Sausage and Spinach. This will require a few more dirtied dishes than the Thai shrimp but it's well worth it.
Like gazpacho? This recipe is for a soup similar to gazpacho. You can eat it cold if you wish, although I prefer it to be at room temperature in the summer because I think more of the fresh veggie taste comes through better. Try Chile Cheese Soup and use up all those summer tomatoes.
Technically, you can use only the microwave for this next recipe. For Buffalo Chicken Dip, you need 3 cooked chicken breasts. If you are trying to stay cool, grill the chicken or nuke it. Serve with celery, carrots, or endive leaves.
Looking for a nice cool dessert? Try some Strawberry Pretzel Salad.
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