Stuffed Baked Potatoes or a Promise Kept

The title of this post should be promises kept, since I'm always promising my son I'll make this dish as well I've promised the recipe as part of my Hunger Challenge menu. Sorry, no photo and no exact directions, it's more of a concept than a recipe. Next time I make it I'll try to codify it and update the post.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

4 medium size baking potatoes, about 1.5 lbs. Use an Idaho or Russet or similar potato.
1/2 pound chopped vegetables such as broccoli, spinach (cooked or frozen)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups of milk (any kind will work, but fat free will take longer to thicken.)
4 to 8 ounces of chopped or grated cheese, divided in half. (quantity depends on how cheesy you'd like the sauce. For the Hunger Challenge I made it with a sharp cheddar and the lesser amount. Almost any kind of cheese will work well from Swiss to jack to blue, but generally the stronger flavored the cheese the less you can use and still have a good punch of cheese flavor.)
Salt, pepper
Optional seasonings (such as 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes OR a tablespoon of curry powder)

Wash and bake the potatoes in a microwave or conventional oven.

If using frozen vegetables, cook them now and drain well. Set aside.

Once the potatoes are cooked, let cool a bit until they can be handled (you may want to hold them in a dish towel). Cut each in half horizontally so you have two long "boats" from each potato. Scoop out flesh, mash it with a fork and set aside.

In a dry saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat and then stir the flour with a fork or whisk. Stir continuously until the flour and butter are fully incorporated and somewhat smooth. Add the milk to the flour and butter mixture slowly, stirring with the fork or whisk continuously, trying to get the mixture as smooth as possible. Once all the milk has been added, raise the heat to medium and cook the flour-butter-milk sauce stirring continuously until the mixture thickens (it should coat the back of a tablespoon instead of dripping off immediately at this put it will be about half of its original volume). The sauce should have reached a bubbling, gentle boil, but be careful it doesn't burn. The constant stirring will help this. Add half of the cheese, the set aside mashed potatoes and the vegetables. Mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper and optional seasonings if using. Stir well. Take off pan in the heat.

Spoon mixture equally in the eight potato halves. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Reheat in microwave before serving if desired. Makes 4 servings, 2 halves each.

Variation: Double-Baked Stuffed Potatoes -- If using a conventional (not microwave oven), sprinkle the tops of the potatoes with paprika (optional) and put the potatoes in hot oven until the potatoes have reheated, the stuffing top is a bit crusty and the cheese on top has melted.

Note: You have just made a basic white sauce. You can use this technique to make your own cheese sauce for homemade mac and cheese, nachos, etc. Also, the stuffed potato recipe can be varied almost infinitely to suit available ingredients and your family tastes.

Another Click to Feed the Hungry

Thanks to all of you who left a comment on the Tyson site -- the company received more than enough comments and will be donating 200,000 lbs of chicken to Bay area food banks.

Uncle Ben's Rice is donating money to programs that feed hungry children. They are pledging up to $250,000, or a $1 for each signature in their "journal." For more info click here.

If you know of other such promotions, let me know by emailing me through my profile or leaving a comment and I'll update this post.

Asian Sauté and Food Bank Fried Rice -- Part of the Hunger Challenge

As part of my participation in the Hunger Challenge I tried to add variety and convenience into a budget that only allowed for $1 a day per meal per person.

I’m told some of the basics San Francisco Food Bank customers often receive are onions, carrots, rice and cabbage. I’ve put them to work in this recipe, however, even if you had to pay for those ingredients, the recipes still cost out at a $1 per serving or less. You can see my shopping list, my other recipes, how this fits into my week’s menu, how to donate to your local food bank, and more by clicking here.

First up, make the sauté and rice. Leftover rice and sauté will be used with some other basic ingredients to make the Food Bank Fried Rice.

This is family dinner fare with an Asian flare; the techniques and seasonings are simplified to keep costs and prep time down a bit. If you have some Chinese or Japanese chili or sesame oil handy, you could mix in a teaspoon or to taste a minute or so before the sauté finishes cooking. Another nice addition would be a sprinkle of freshly minced cilantro or green onions on top the finished sauté and fried rice dishes. A good add-on to the stir fried veggies would be a chopped red bell pepper. I couldn’t “afford” any of these additions on my Hunger Challenge “budget” however. Even without the extras my 17-year-old son couldn’t believe these dishes were part of the Hunger Challenge because, according to him, they looked and tasted like something I would “normally” serve.

Some other suggestions: You could substitute a few packs of the soy sauce that comes with takeout Chinese food (if you have some) and save buying the soy sauce. For the lowest cost soy sauce, look in Asian grocery stores. These grocery stores often have very reasonably priced produce and meats. If you have access to one it might be a way to save a bit on food costs when you shop.

Asian Sauté

Note: Use whatever green vegetable you have on hand. My menu had a half pound of frozen chopped broccoli left so I would use that. I’ve also made it with snap peas and green beans. Use what is cost effective and tasty for you.

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” cubes,
½ cup chopped onion,
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 small hot red jalapeno or Serrano chili peppers (seeded if you prefer milder), chopped
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons peeled, minced ginger (you’ll need a piece of ginger approx. 1” long and 2 inches wide)
2 medium carrots, shredded or chopped into small pieces (larger ones will take too long to cook)
About a third of a pound of green cabbage, shredded or chopped
½ pound green vegetables, fresh or frozen, chopped. If using frozen, do not defrost (see note)
1 package (14 to 16 ounces) firm or extra firm tofu, rinsed, drained and cut into 1” cubes
16 ounces of chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce or more to taste

Heat the oil in a large fry or sauté pan or a wok until a bit of onion sizzles when it is dropped in. Working in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd the pan, brown the chicken pieces. When browned on all sides, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Add in onion and sauté or stir fry until it begins to turn golden brown and soften. Add the garlic, peppers and ginger and fry, stirring often, until garlic begins to color. Add carrots and cook, stirring often for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add cabbage and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften and wilt. Add the chopped green vegetable, and mix well to combine, stirring often as the mixture cooks.

Add in tofu and the browned chicken with any juices the chicken may have exuded. Cook for a minute or two, stirring often so tofu doesn’t stick but picks up a little color. (Add some of the broth or water if you need to prevent the tofu from sticking.) Add chicken broth and the soy sauce, cook, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through and the liquid has cooked down to make a sauce that just covers the bottom of the pan. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed.

The recipe makes about six cups. Reserve two cups of the sauté mixture for the fried rice recipe. Makes 4 servings, 1 cup each of the sauté. Serve on top of rice. (Note: you’ll need at least four cups of leftover rice for the fried rice recipe, so make plenty. Generally 1 ½ cups of raw rice will make about 4 cups of cooked rice, but check your package for specific quantities.)

Next, make the Food Bank Fried Rice. (One tip -- I made it the same night after dinner. The rice had cooled and the pan was dirty already, anyway. The fried rice reheated just fine in the microwave the next night. Or you can reheat in a large fry pan with a bit of oil or water.)

Food Bank Fried Rice

Note: To prep the leftover rice for this recipe, spread it out on plates or in a baking dish so the grains don’t stick together as much as it cools. Once it has cooled to room temperature you can go ahead and make the fried rice or store the rice in a container or storage bag in the refrigerator. Let the chilled rice come to room temperature before using.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red jalapeno or serrano chili pepper, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 eggs
2 cups leftover Asian Sauté
4-5 cups, leftover cooled rice
3 tablespoons of soy sauce or more to taste

Heat the oil in a large fry or sauté pan or a wok until a bit of onion sizzles when it is dropped in. Add in onion and sauté or stir fry until it begins to turn golden brown and soften. Add the garlic and peppers and fry, stirring often, until garlic begins to color. Add celery and cook, stirring often for a few minutes until they begin to soften.

Break the eggs into a small bowl or cup and beat well. Drizzle the beaten egg slowly into the vegetable mixture, letting the eggs rest about 20 seconds until they just begin to set, then quickly stirring hard and thoroughly until the eggs resemble strands of cooked scrambled eggs mixed throughout.

Add leftover sauté and cook, stirring often, until chicken is beginning to warm through. Add a few tablespoons of water if need to prevent the mixture from sticking. Stir in the rice, breaking up any clumps and incorporating into chicken and vegetables. Stir in the soy sauce, mix well. Heat until dish is heated through. Makes 4 servings about 1 ½ cups each (using 4 cups of leftover rice).

Three Years Old - My Blogoversary

This past Monday Blog Appetit hit three years old.
The first post put my aims and aspirations so eloquently.
It read simply "testing testing."

That's what having a blog is in the end for me -- testing my limits, my knowledge and my skills. From the testing I have grown as a writer, photographer, cook, public citizen and more. (Not to mention the testing I've received from the technological end from the occassional frustrations of using Blogger.)

Thanks for making this all possible by reading and using Blog Appetit.

How to Make Cabbage Soup

Note: The below started as a letter to a friend who wanted to know my cabbage soup recipe. It became a two-page dissertation. I offer it here in it's original format for the education of others.

Faith’s Cabbage Soup -- The Opus

I don’t have a set recipe for my cabbage soup. It is generally sweet and sour. One common theme in my soup is what looks good in the store or what is beginning to look a bit past its prime in the fridge.

The key to my soups is the layers of flavors I get by mixing cooking techniques and how I add ingredients. This is very important since the flavor of the soup is dependent on the vegetables and not fat.

Start with your aromatics. I generally use chopped onions (usually a whole small yellow onion), leeks (if available) and garlic (at least two cloves). I spray the bottom of my soup pot with an olive oil spray or drizzle a little olive or grape seed oil on the bottom, swirling the warmed pan around so it coats the bottom.

Add onions and leeks and sauté a few minutes to soften, then add the garlic. If I am using a little chopped fresh ginger I’ll add it now as well as red pepper flakes. If I am going with a smoky hot flavor, I’ll add some chopped chipolte pepper and bit of the sauce they are packed in.

Continue sautéing until lightly browned. If the vegetables begin to stick add a bit of water, stock or wine. Stirring often will help prevent sticking and burning.

Now add your harder vegetables cut into a smallish dice or thin rounds. Here is where I’ll add my carrots (the more you add the sweeter the soup), celery or fennel bulb, potato, turnip (adds a nice peppery taste to the pot), kohlrabi or whatever I have in the house. (Again add a bit of water or stock if it sticks or starts to burn. Periodically scrape up all the little brown bits on the bottom of the pan. It is those bits and the browned vegetables that help give this virtually fat-free soup its deep taste.)

After that has browned and softened a bit I add bell peppers, again cut into a soup spoon friendly size. I like to use red and yellow. I find the taste of the green ones a bit grassy, but they’ll work, too. Cut-up green beans go into the pot now, too. If I’m using eggplant, that goes in now as well. I don’t bother peeling or salting the eggplant; I just cut it into small cubes and toss in. Also good are chopped mushrooms. I like the cremini (small brown) ones. Portobello are good, too, but I slice off the dark gills before I cut them up. Those gills will turn any broth very dark brown and muddy looking and your soup will lose a lot of its visual appeal. Try shitake mushrooms for Asian-influenced soups. Add zucchini after the other vegetables have softened since it needs less time to cook.

I brown that a bit then add in any spices I might be using. Some suggested mixtures:

• French provencal seasoning (my favorite all purpose mix with dried basil, rosemary, lavender and fennel)
• Cumin seed, caraway seed, fennel seed, ground ginger
• Curry seasoning, ground ginger, ground cumin, cumin seed

Italian seasoning mixes also work well.

I can’t really tell you quantities. Be bold, the soup will dilute the intensity as you add stock. You’ll get a chance to correct the seasonings later when you taste your creation.

Let the spices heat up a bit to release the maximum flavor. Next add your tomatoes (if using – pretty typical for sweet and sour style). I usually use a large can of diced tomatoes. I’ve also used dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes softened in hot water and chopped. It adds a complex note to the tomato taste.

Now comes the stock. For stock you can use plain water, water with a bouillon cube (I like the expensive European veggie ones best), vegetable, chicken or beef stock. How much to put in? I can’t say, it should be about double the amount of the veggies you use in total, but you can always cook down or add more later.

I recommend you don’t use plain water. Any form of broth will add to your depth of flavor. Look for low sodium and fat free boullion cubes or stock.

Next come the cabbage and other greens. I usually use about half-to-a-whole of a medium head of green cabbage. You could use more or less or try some of the other types of cabbage (Napa, Savoy, etc.) Especially if I am making the curry variation, I’ll use spinach or Swiss chard instead or in addition. Try some of the exotic Asian greens or perhaps escarole or frisee.

Chop or chiffonade the greens into bite size pieces or silvers and add to the pot.

After those have softened a bit you could add cooked beans. White beans are nice with the more European seasonings; chickpeas are nice with the more Asian. You could also add cooked barley, rice, small pasta or bite-sized bits of smoked sausage, cooked chicken or meat at this stage. (Because I try to keep my soups low in fat and calories, I will often keep these additions on the side and add them to the soup bowl as wanted/needed rather than the pot.) If you want to use raw meat products, you'll need to make sure they are cooked through.

Keep cooking until vegetables are cooked through and it tastes like soup. Taste and adjust seasonings as need be (salt, pepper, hot sauce, curry powder, ground ginger, soy sauce, etc.) If you used a prepared broth or bouillon cube, taste carefully since these ingredients add a lot of salt to begin with.

Now is the time to adjust the seasonings you put in earlier. If you’ve over seasoned, add a bit more stock. If you’ve under seasoned add a bit more of your earlier spice mixture. (If the soup is too salty it can be remedied by putting half of a peeled potato in the soup and cooking it. Remove it before serving. It will have absorbed the excess salt.) If the soup is a bit thin or you’d like more of a tomato taste, add in some tomato paste.

If you intend to make a sweet and sour soup, add about a quarter cup of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar (my favorite) or Chinese rice vinegar. (I like the Chinese black rice vinegar for the Asian soups.) Taste. Want more punch? Add more and taste again. Need to soften the acidity? Add a teaspoon of brown sugar. Taste and adjust to your palette.

If you are going for a smoky flavor instead of sweet and sour, besides the chipolte pepper, you could sprinkle a bit of smoked paprika in when you correct the seasonings toward the end or you could add a bit of liquid smoke or even a tablespoon or two of a smoky barbecue sauce. Smoked sausage, tempeh or tofu would make nice add ins to complement this flavor. Again, taste and adjust to your palette.

Add your minced fresh herbs --- such as basil, Italian parsley, fennel leaves, cilantro (only if not using basil and fennel!) and green onions (especially good for Asian variations).

To really add punch to the soup, just before finishing and serving, swirl in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (for the Asian variation, try sesame oil and for a curry soup try Indian mustard oil.)

I know this is a lot of information. It really is easy to make this soup as simple or complex as you like. I hope this inspires you to create your own cabbage soup tradition. To see my recipes for cabbage and other types of soup, click here.

Hunger Challenge Chili

More Budget Cuisine.

Here's the recipe I created for the San Francisco Food Bank Hunger Challenge. It features a pound of dried pinto beans, two pounds of ground meat and 12 servings.

For more about the Hunger Challenge, my participation, and how to donate, click here.
To see how the chili fits into the overall menu for the week, click here.

The recipe can, of course, be halved, if you don't need 12 servings. Feel free to substitute other types of beans and ground turkey or chicken for the beef. Up the jalapenos, garlic cloves and/or chili powder for more of a bite.

12-Serving Chili

This makes a mild, flavorful chili that reheats beautifully. Look for low-cost chili powder in ethnic food sections of supermarkets, at grocery discount outlets and dollar stores, or buy just as much spice as you need by the ounce at stores that carry bulk spices.

1 pound of dried pinto beans, soaked overnight, water drained and then cooked with fresh water. (Approximately six cups of cooked beans)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2-4 jalapenos (I used red ones), seeded for milder kick if desired, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 can (28-32 ounces) of diced, peeled tomatoes with juices
2 plus cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the pinto beans. Set aside.

In a large pot, add the oil and heat over medium high heat. Saute the beef, using spoon or spatula to break up any clumps. Cook until browned but not cooked through. (Work in batches if all the meat doesn't fit or if it doesn't seem to be browning. If the pan is too crowded the meat will steam rather than brown.) Remove to a plate or bowl and set aside. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of drippings out of pan. Heat on medium high, when a bit of onion sizzles immediately on contact with the oil, add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion are beginning to turn golden brown. Add the garlic and the jalapenos, cook, stirring often, until the garlic is beginning to turn golden. Add the carrots and celery pieces, cook for a minute or two, stirring often. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute. Add diced tomato with juices and 2 cups of water. Mix well. Cover and let come to simmer (not quite boiling). Add meat with any liquids it may have exuded, stir well. Cover and return to simmer. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes until meat is cooked through and flavors well combined. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste and additional chili powder if desired. Add additional water if needed. With cover off, return to simmer and let cook a few more minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

I served the chili with rice, with a bit of grated cheese on top. I also used it as a topping for baked potatoes. It would also be good with tortillas or pasta. Or use a half portion and scramble with eggs and tortilla chips for a kind of chilaquiles. Or try it with cornmeal to make a tamale casserole.

The chili reheats well, but will probably thicken a bit, so add some water to it when reheating. For the sake of the photo, I sprinkled some chopped cilantro on top of the chili. It adds a nice flavor and if I had had room in my weekly food budget under the Hunger Challenge I would have made it part of the recipe.

12-Serving Soup Helps Stretch Food Stamp Dollars

(Note: See the comments for my vegetable soup secret!)

This may have been the least expensive meal/dish for my week of menus for the San Francisco Food Bank Hunger Challenge.

Developed mainly to provide a quick, nourishing, light lunch, this 12-serving pot of vegetable soup goes a long way into stretching the $21 per person per week food stamp allowance. To make it a heartier meal, trying serving with a slice of bread or adding a half cup of cooked rice or beans to a bowl before ladling in the hot soup. One idea I had since I had a few extra eggs in my food allowance was to serve the soup hot with a poached or fried egg on top of it sprinkled with lots of black pepper. (I’ve had some French-style vegetable soups served this way and have always enjoyed them.) I used all of my pound of two-percent cheddar cheese, otherwise I would have served the soup with a bit of grated cheese on top. My husband enjoyed his soup with a splash of hot sauce. Since this recipe makes 12 servings, it formed the basis of three meals for my family, so a little variety in how it was served was very much appreciated.

To see how this soup fits in my Hunger Challenge menu, click here. For about my participation in this event, including how to donate, click here.

Of course, if you don't need 12 servings of vegetable soup, the recipe can be easily divided in half or even thirds.

12-Serving Vegetable Soup

Feel free to vary your soup to reflect what you have on hand and your family’s taste. You may want to double the garlic and/or jalapeno if your family likes bolder flavors. Using the seasoned tomatoes and the optional spices will also add some more zip.

1 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 red jalapeno, minced. I used red since that's what I had, but green works, too. (Seed it if you prefer a milder soup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4 cups (1 quart) of chicken or vegetable broth or water (using the broth will add a lot more flavor, but you can use plain water or water with chicken or vegetarian boullion cubes if you prefer)
8 cups (2 quarts) of water
1 ½ pounds of russet (baking) potato (about 4 small), chopped into ¾ to 1” cubes
1 lb of green cabbage, chopped (this was a bit less than half of my 2.36 pound specimen)
1-14-16 ounce can of stewed or diced tomatoes with juice (preferably the kind with Italian or Mexican seasoning)
½ lb of frozen (no need to defrost) or cooked fresh chopped spinach or other greens
1 teaspoon of either Italian seasoning OR oregano OR 1 tablespoon curry powder, (optional)
2-3 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onions, fry, stirring occasionally until just lightly golden brown. Add the minced pepper and the garlic. Fry, stirring often until garlic is golden. (Add a few tablespoons of water if the vegetables begin to stick or burn.) Add carrots and celery, and continue to fry stirring occasionally for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and the 8 cups of water. Stir well, being sure to loosen and stir into the mixture any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and spinach. (If using stewed tomatoes, break them into small pieces in the pan with your cooking spoon or spatula.) Mix well, bring mixture to a simmer, lower heat to medium low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes have softened but are not falling apart (about 30-40 minutes but the time will vary greatly, so you'll need to keep checking). Add 2-3 cups of water to the pot as needed and return to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer a few more minutes. (Please don’t add the salt before. The broth or the boullion can be salty and the potatoes can really absorb seasonings so you won’t know how much salt you need until towards the end of the cooking.) Can be made ahead and reheated, although the soup may have thickened and you may need to add some more water when reheating. Makes 12 servings, 1½ cups each.

Variation: For a thicker, more potage-like soup, puree about half in a blender or food processor in batches once the soup has cooled.

Block Appetit -- Keeping it Local -- Neighborhood Cookbook

My Oakland, California, neighborhood is planning to create it's own cookbook and I'm writing this post to have a "central" place to list the instructions and overview. Click here to see the latest news and updates about this project.

Right now planning is just beginning. Our first step is to collect recipes and volunteers.

If you are a Forestland Hills neighbor, and you know who you are, you are invited to participate.

We need recipes that have played an important role in your family, ones that you have shared at our block parties or local potlucks (remembr Susan's Easter parties?) Maybe ones you've fed neighbors or ones you are just proud of. We are especially interested in recipes using any of our local bounty (fruit trees, vegetable gardens, chickens, etc.) or involve a local food resource such as the Montclair Farmers' Market. When in doubt, let us know about it.

We need the stories behind your recipes. Please share them as well.

We'll be needing volunteers to solict, test and compile the recipes into a cookbook to share with all.

If you are interested in participating, please contact me through my new neighborhood cookbook email -- blockappetitATgmailDOTcom.

Thanks. I look forward to answering your questions and trying your recipes!

------------------
About the photo: Donut eating competition at the September 28, 2008 block party. The version here doesn't do it justice. Take a second and click on the photo above to see the larger version. Fun day, fun event.

Chicken Stew Takes the Hunger Challenge and I Get All Spicy about Seasonings

This recipe is part of the San Francisco Food Bank’s Hunger Challenge. It was created for a menu of meals for a family of four costing $21 a person for the week (how much a food stamp recipient would receive.) Ingredients in the stew depended on what sales and values I could find primarily at a local chain supermarket and an independent grocery discount outlet. For about my participation in the Hunger Challenge, my shopping list, other bloggers participating in the challenge and how to support the San Francisco or your local food bank, please click here.

Since didn’t figure out the cost per serving of every meal I cooked since I knew overall for the week I was on budget, but I do estimate that this stew cost about 85 cents a serving. (I have to say that this stew didn't know it was on a budget, it tasted full-flavored and was very satisfying.)

I paid $1.99 for fresh, boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If those are not a good value in your area, feel free to substitute other cuts or meats. One tip, check the freezer case. Sometimes frozen chicken and meat can be a much better value than fresh.

A word about seasoning. Many dried spices and herbs are relatively expensive, so with the exception of chili powder for my chili (more about that in another post), I made them optional. Use them if you already own them. If you want the punch and flavor of a seasoning, for the best value, skip your supermarket spice aisle and look in the ethnic food section, were there are significant savings. Or buy just a tablespoon or two from stores (such as some Whole Foods) that sell bulk spices and herbs. The spices are usually cheaper to begin with, they are often fresher and since you can buy just the little bit you need, they are much easier on the budget. The discount grocery outlet was a great resource for most common seasonings, having small bottles of spices, herbs and seasoning mixtures for about 50 cents. (I did assume families had salt and pepper, though.) Adding flavor and seasoning helps make the food more enjoyable and add some variety into what is by the very constraints of the food stamp program not a very variable diet. I wanted the food I made on the challenge to not only be filling and nutritious but also as tasty and satifsfying as I could make it.

I couldn’t find a way to work fresh parsley, cilantro, basil and/or mint into the weekly food budget, however, and missed the dash of color, texture and taste they add to a dish. I compensated by using fresh onion, garlic and red jalapeno peppers, all relatively inexpensive and big flavor boosters. For example, the peppers cost me 20 cents for 10 of them.

In this dish I choose tomatoes that already had Italian seasoning such as basil added to help pump up the taste. You could also use Mexican, traditional (with bell pepper) or plain in the recipe.

If eight servings is way too much for you, the recipe works well the amounts cut in half.

Chicken Stew on a Budget
Makes Eight Servings

While this was good the first night, the second night it tasted even better. You can pump up the flavor by using more garlic and/or jalapeno peppers. I served it over rice. Other serving options are listed below.

Kitchen Note: Peeling is optional. I generally don’t peel vegetables I’m going to cook, I just wash them well. So I didn’t peel the carrots or potatoes. And I also didn’t core the cabbage; I just made sure the denser core pieces were thoroughly chopped.

2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ¾” to 1” cubes
½ cup of chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small red jalapeno pepper, minced (seed the pepper for a milder flavor)
2 large carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
16 ounces of chicken stock (store bought) or water
1 teaspoon of dried, ground herbs, spice or seasoning mix, optional. (Try Italian seasoning or maybe oregano.)
1 lb baking potatoes (about 3 small), cut into cubes about ¾”
¾ of a pound of green cabbage, chopped (That’s a little less than a third of a medium large head of cabbage.)
1-14.5 ounce can of Italian, Mexican, traditional or plain stewed tomatoes with juice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, add the oil and heat over medium high. Brown the chicken cubes, working in batches if necessary so they brown, not steam. Stir them so they don’t burn or stick to the pan. When browned but still raw on the inside, remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate.

Add onions to the pot, stir in the onions and fry, stirring frequent until they begin to turn a light golden brown. Add the minced garlic and jalapeno and continue to stir and fry until the garlic as turned a light golden brown. Add the carrots and celery pieces, and continue to fry for a few minutes, stirring often. Add the broth or water, stir well, being sure to scrape up and incorporate any little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the optional seasoning, the potato cubes and the chopped cabbage. Stir well. Once the mixture returns to a simmer or very low boil, turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Stir the mixture frequently. Once the potatoes have begun to soften (about 20-40 minutes), add the stewed tomatoes with their juices. Using your cooking spoon or spatula, break up the stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces. Stir to combine and then add the brown chicken pieces with any liquid they may have released on the plate. Stir well. Cover, return to a simmer, stirring occasionally and making sure the mixture doesn't reach a full boil, until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the stew has gotten too thick or if you would just like it soupier, add some water, stir well and return to a simmer once more before serving.

Makes eight, one-cup servings. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, polenta or noodles.

----------------------

About the photo: Every house should have a chicken (stew) in a pot. Boy, did I miss that green bling parsley would have brought to this photo!

What the Hunger Challenge Means to Me and Menus for Lunch and Dinner and More

“I’m hungry.”

When one of my kids whines that he needs to eat, maybe I grumble about having to deal with it, but I can turn to my stocked fridge, overflowing fruit bowl, full extra freezer or packed pantry and get him something to snack on or make him a meal. My only thought is what to serve and if it will spoil his dinner.

When a family is on food stamps it’s just not that easy. Very often the cupboard may be bare; whatever food is available needs to portioned out to make it through the month and to be honest, you hope there’s enough for dinner. And based on my experience this week, I bet there aren’t a whole lot of snacks, treats or even fruit in the house when all you can count on for food is $21 a person a week in food stamps. And portions will be smaller than you are probably use to.

I decided to join the San Francisco Food Bank’s Hunger Challenge because I feel those of us that are food obsessed need to use our talents for good, not evil. And helping to spread awareness and educate others about the issues and realities felt right. To be honest, while many of the meals I ate met the guidelines this week and all my planning did I did not stay on the program continuously, but even so my part-time experience made quite an impact. (The rules, such as they are, of the challenge allow for such “fudging.”)

Since I have two sons, I kept them in mind when I designed the week’s menu. Hearty breakfasts to fill them up and to keep their energy up in school and a variety of dinners and foods I know they would like, soup, stew, chili, meatballs and an Asian sauté. We aren’t much of a sandwich family, so only one lunch features sandwiches. We tend to eat leftovers from dinner at lunch when we are home, so I just planned 56 servings for a family of 4 for a weeks worth of lunches and dinners and figured they could be divided up any way you liked. I aimed for accessible variety -- flavor profiles I knew they liked and enough variety to keep it from getting boring. I simplified the recipes wherever possible to keep the KP duty down to a minimum.

My new best friend is green cabbage. It truly was a magic vegetable. The 2.36 pound cabbage I bought seemed to always be there when I wanted to add nutrition, fiber and bulk to any dish I was making. It made its first appearance in the chicken stew, appeared in a walk-on part in a salad, helped bulk up my Asian entrée and played a commanding role in its final performance in vegetable soup. From week start to end it stayed fresh, crisp and tasty. When I put the last scrap in the soup I couldn’t believe it was all gone.

I was also thrilled when I was able to work in a four-pound bag of rice, which meant I could add lots of rice to my meals and make them more filling.

For more about the San Francisco Food Bank’s Hunger Challenge, check out the food bank’s website and the Hunger Challenge blog. Click on one of the links below to read what other bloggers are writing about their experience planning, shopping, cooking and eating on $1 a meal a person.

Cooking with Amy
The Inadvertent Gardener
Vanessa Barrington
Been There Ate That
Petit Appetit Newsletter

See what else I’ve written about on the challenge here (including how to donate).

FYI – I spent $83.98 for the week’s food, just two cents below the cap. You can view my shopping list here. From what I thought I would be able to offer to what I ended up being able to buy was a huge gap. Vegetable after vegetable was crossed off my list, fruit after fruit. Whole grains went next; I just couldn’t afford them without literally taking food out of my family’s mouth. Plans and recipes changed and changed and changed as my shopping list shrunk and morphed depending on the realities of the marketplace and my ability to find sales and values. In a future post I’ll do something about the philosophy I tried to keep in mind for cooking for the week.

For my breakfast menus and recipes (well more of assembly instructions), click here.

Below is my menu with serving suggestions for 56 lunches and dinners (14 meals for 4 people). Watch Blog Appétit. I will be posting the different recipes in the next few days.

Chicken Vegetable Stew: 8 servings, 1 cup each – featuring two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, carrots, celery, cabbage, potatoes, onions and garlic.
Serve over rice. (Recipe to come, I’m still working on a dumpling option.)

Turkey Meatballs, Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti – 12 servings. (Reserve 8 meatballs and 1/3rd cup of sauce for Meatball Sandwiches) Eight servings of two meatballs each, 1/8 sauce, 1/8 pasta. Served with green salad made with a few ounces of shredded cabbage, fresh tomato, ½ sliced carrot and ½ sliced celery stalk. Dressed with oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. (Reserve 2 large lettuce leaves 4 slices of tomato for sandwiches.) Four servings Meatball Sandwiches. Toast 8 slices of bread. Slice meatballs in half. Spread sauce on top of a bread slice, layer 1/4th of sliced meatballs on top, add lettuce and tomato, top with more sauce and second piece of bread.

This was one of my only “convenience” meals. I had planned on making the meatballs, but the price of the frozen ones was great – 2 pounds for $5. I was glad to work in a meal that didn’t require as much time in the kitchen.

Asian-Flavor Sauté – 4 servings, 1 cup each. Not really a stir fry but almost a one-pot dinner with chicken, tofu, vegetables and Asian flavors. Serve over rice. Make extra rice, because leftovers will be turned into the next meal. (Recipe to come.)

Food Bank Fried Rice -- 4 servings, 1 ½ cups each (or more depending on the amount of leftover rice you use). This dish (recipe to come) combines the leftover sauté with additional veggies, eggs and leftover rice.

Vegetable Soup – 12 servings, 1 ½ cups each. A hearty, tasty soup featuring potatoes, cabbage, carrots, celery, tomatoes, onion, garlic and more. If needed, make it a heartier meal by serving with a slice of bread and/or a poached or fried egg on top (optional, note that will affect your egg count for other uses). Or put some leftover rice in a bowl before ladling in the soup. (Recipe to come)

Beef and Bean Chili – 12 servings. I’m still working out this recipe, so more detail when I’m done. Serve with a bit of grated cheese over rice (for 8 servings) and over baked potatoes (4 servings).

Stuffed Potatoes – 4 servings. The innards of four baked potatoes get mixed with chopped broccoli, cheese and a white sauce and get stuffed back into their shells. (Recipe to come.)

A word about beverages – Drink tap water. It’s healthy, it’s there and it’s cheap. (It’s even trendy now.) Gussy it up with ice or maybe a bit of juice for flavor. My budget did allow for two cans of frozen orange juice. I mostly worked it into breakfasts, but leftovers could certainly be drunk anytime. I also had two gallons of low-fat milk. While some is used in cooking, the rest is available to drink. One of my early shopping list revisions was getting rid of coffee, herbal or black tea, cocoa or chocolate syrup. With my emphasis on “real” food I just couldn’t afford it.

Speaking of snacks, I thought it might be good to save the milk for snack time instead of drinking it with meals. Also, I was able to provide 16 pieces of fresh fruit in my budget that are available for snacks or as meal add-ons (12 apples and 4 nectarines) enough for four servings for four people. There are also about 20 slices of bread unaccounted for. Even if some slices might be used to accompany the soup, there should still be some available for use with butter, left over peanut butter, and left over jam. Also there is a celery stalk or two extra and a carrot or two extra. They could be cut into sticks and eaten with a meal or as a snack. Any leftover eggs can be hardboiled and eaten as a snack. Or set aside two and turn into rice pudding with leftover rice, some sugar, some milk and a dot or two of butter. Some of the orange juice could be made into homemade juice pops. Pour into ice cube tray, stick in toothpicks and freeze. There are also two whole grain waffles left from breakfast. Toast, sandwich with peanut butter and jam, and cut into sticks or cubes for a snack.
----------------------------
About the photo: My cutting board right after I used the last scrap of my magic green cabbage.