Pesto BLT Salad

I enjoy bacon. On its own it is amazing, but added to almost any savory dish it becomes amazing. A BLT sandwich is one of those ultimate comfort foods. My friend Elissa introduced me to a BLT Salad a few years ago and it was love at first bite. Chop salad - yes please. A club sandwich... yum. Wilted leaf lettuce salad (recipe coming soon) - childhood memories.

A few months ago my husband and I hit up a new bar and grill in town and I had their pesto chicken club sandwich. Until then, I had missed the amazing combination of pesto and bacon. Now I'm on a mission to pair the two wherever I can (within reason so I can keep my waistline in check).

This amazing salad came together today as I cleaned out the odds and ends in my fridge. If this is what I come up with, maybe I should clean it out more often.

6 c. Chopped Greens (I used spinach, but romaine would be good)
2 c. Orzo, cooked
2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
5 slices of Bacon, fried and chopped
4 T. Pesto
Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Cook the orzo until al dente and drain. Rinse briefly with cold water to cool it off and keep pesto from soaking into the pasta too quickly. Toss the pasta with the pesto and set aside to cool while completing the salad. Chop your greens and then add the tomato and bacon. I opted to chop the bacon small to get a little bit in every bite.

Fold in the pesto pasta with the salad and stir to coat. Add additional pesto if necessary. Top with freshly shredded cheese. Served slightly warm, this salad was a great combination of crispy, smooth, salty, and a bit sweet. Definitely a summer salad worth repeating.

* Adding a bit of pine nuts or chicken would be a nice addition to the salad as well. I had a bit extra leftover and pit it a tortilla and it made a great filling for a wrap.

Chicken Pot Pie

I grew up on the Banquet frozen chicken pot pies. I thought that is what a pot pie should taste like. I was wrong. I tried a pot pie at a homestyle restaurant a few years ago which was more like a bland chicken stew with a puff pastry on top. I was getting closer. Then I discovered this mixture... and I have arrived at total comfort food.

This again will fall into my category of "I made it by method rather than by measurement." I know this will drive some of you nuts, but it's just how I cook. I'll give you the best estimates of what I did, but please feel free to adapt this to fit your needs (*see below). This is a great meal for leftovers for a quick fix, or you can cook the ingredients from start to finish.

2 pie crusts (top & bottom)
2-3 c cooked chicken, diced
1-2 c cooked potato, diced*
1 c cooked carrots, diced*
2 c chicken gravy **
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t celery seeds

In a large pan, mix together all ingredients other than the pie crusts. Allow them to simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Meanwhile, lightly sprinkle a pie tin with flour and add the bottom crust. Pour the mixture into the crust and quickly add the top crust and pinch the edges together before the heat starts to soften the dough. If it doesn't seal well due to the softened dough, that's okay, but make sure there something under the pan while cooking to catch any drippings. Make small slits in the crust with a knife to allow the steam to vent. Brush the pie crust with a bit of melted butter (optional) and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a silicone ring for the first 30 minutes and remove to allow it to brown in the final minutes. I recommend placing the pie tin on a cookie sheet or put tin foil under the pan to catch any of the gravy that may drip out.

* Method - use 2 cups of veggies total - split them however you like. I like a lot of potato in mine because it makes for a hearty pie. I know peas are traditional, but I just don't care for them. Celery would be a good addition, but I didn't have any.

**Depending on what veggies you use, you may need more or less gravy. Start with less and add more as needed. The potatoes tend to absorb more.

Caprese Pinenut Pizza

This pizza is a seasonal sensation. I have fresh basil from my herb container garden. Real tomatoes are starting to appear in the store - you know the ripe kind. Put them together with freshly grated mozzarella, loaded tomato sauce, and pine nuts for a tasty and sophisticated pizza. 

There is something amazing about toasted pine nuts. They aren't cheap, but just a few add such great crunch and flavor. I keep them in the fridge for little splurges and to make pesto.

As a texture eater, crunch is one of the best things you can add to any dish. This pizza has the pine nuts for crunch along with toasted mozzarella and a crisp crust. Under that crisp surface is the stretching gooey cheese and a fresh sauce.

Spray the edge of the crust with a little oil and sprinkle with salt, sesame seeds, crushed herbs, or whatever you enjoy before baking.

The crust:
2 c Unbleached Flour
2 c Wheat Flour
1 1/2 c Water
2 T Olive Oil
1 t Italian Seasoning
1/2 t Sea Salt
1/4 t Garlic Powder
2 t Yeast

Throw it all the bread machine and let the paddles do the work for you. Spread out on parchment paper, add your choice of toppings and bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. I put a bit of basil on the flavors to bake in and sprinkled on fresh chopped basil after it came out for the fresh taste.

Time Crunch Method - add topping to your favorite frozen cheese pizza. Reserve some fresh basil to sprinkle on after it finishes baking.

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

Ooooooo, another yummy smoothie favorite. It added a bit of tropical hope to the long, cold days of winter. The flavors just invoke thoughts of warms and sun. It's been a LONG and COLD winter so I'll take any piece of warm happiness that I can get.

2 c Frozen Strawberries

1 Mango

1/2-1 c Orange Juice (or Apple Juice)

1-2 T Strawberry Jam (to taste if strawberries are a bit tart)

Protein Powder (optional)

Throw it all in the blender and let it rip. Love this for a snack.Maybe I should get some of those little umbrellas for my smoothies and have a little tropical party? Nah, last time we had the umbrellas my boys used them as spears against each other.

What's your favorite smoothie combination?

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast has become a struggle in our world. Getting all of us ready and out the door in time to get the bus and to work on time AND eat a decent breakfast is a stretch. I manage to get the kids fed, but I've been surviving on granola bars. BUT NO LONGER.

I spent the night cooking breakfast for all of us for the next week. I have pumpkin pancakes, millet Belgian waffles (more like waffle shreds - but that's an epic failure story for later), chopped up ham bits, along with ham & cheese burritos in the fridge and freezer.

I've posted before about the breakfast burritos I made for my husband, but those were egg based. I am NOT a fan eggs. So I had to find another filling to keep me happy for breakfast. I had a whole bunch of leftovers and odds and ends around to use up so in they go. Think of it as a breakfast skillet in a tortilla. Eat it on your way (safely of course), for a quick snack, or just because.

4 med Potatoes, diced *
1/2 c Bell pepper, diced
1 c Ham, diced
1/3 c Cheese, shredded (omit if dairy free, but you might need to increase oil to 3 T)
2 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, or Safflower)
1 t Salt
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add potatoes and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened and browned. Add peppers and continue to cook 2-3 minutes. Add spices and ham and continue to saute for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat (if freezing allow to cool completely and then) and add cheese and portion out onto slightly warmed tortillas. Fold tortillas burrito style and wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags for later use.

WARNING: if you add hot contents to the tortilla and wrap them up, the steam will cause your burrito to become very soggy in the storage process. Only fill with warm contents if eating immediately.

* You could substitute southern-style frozen hashbrowns (the square cut) for potatoes for a short cut. I prefer the larger potato chunks and organic potatoes are far less expensive than organic frozen hashbrowns.

Pizza Sticks & Bowling

My husband and I took our boys bowling today for the first time. They had the time of their life and made quite a few people around us smile and laugh. The sad part is my 4-year-old almost beat me. I pulled off a strike in the last frame just in time to save my pride. God bless whoever created bumper bowling.

I was looking for something pizza like to make for my son tonight since we were out of crust mix so I came up with a trick that we will definitely be trying out again. I took a few slices of bread (in his case it was a millet/flax), buttered it and sprinkled it with garlic salt like we would for making garlic toast. I took the pizza cutter and cut it into thin strips and then sprinkled on some cheese (Daiya shreds) and broiled it until nice and toasty. I served it with a side of our loaded spaghetti sauce that we use for pizza sauce. It was a huge hit and very easy to make. I'll be putting this one in the snack file for later too.

Not a bad day.

Toothpicks To The Rescue

In the food court at the mall, they are always handing out samples on toothpicks at the Cajun restaurant and Chinese place. My youngest always has to try them out, and my oldest can't because of his allergies.

Leftovers again?

Make it an adventure with finger food. Following Thanksgiving, my boys were really tired of turkey, but time was short and leftovers were plentiful. I stuck a few toothpicks in pieces of turkey and broccoli and dinner was a hit.



It was a land-speed record for attitude changes around the table.

Chicken Fiesta Enchiladas

A bunch of leftovers was combines to make these amazing enchiladas. I used the base recipe from my Creamy Chicken Enchiladas and tried to make it a bit healthier and fresher. We've also been looking at cutting back our meat consumption to help control grocery costs and focus on eating more fruits and veggies. This meal does both. My husband likes these even better than the original.

10 - 12 Tortillas
1 c Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 c Sour cream
1 t Taco seasoning
1 sm can Green chilis, drained
8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded & divided
1 c White rice, cooked and cold
1 c Corn
1 c Bell pepper, chopped
1 can Green enchilada sauce

Mix together the soup, sour cream, taco seasoning, and green chilis. Add in the chicken, rice, corn, peppers, and 3/4 c of cheese and mix together. Spoon about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the mixture into each tortilla and lay in a 9 X 13 baking pan*, seam side down.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with lettuce, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, or other garnishes of your choice.

* I usually split this into 2-3 meals for my husband and I since it isn't a favorite with my kids. It freezes well.

Steak Salads

We made a great London Broil the other night and had lots left over. We had a meal of leftovers and I still had two lunches out of it. Not bad for $7 piece of meat I found in the "use quickly" clearance section.

Here are a couple steak salad options that work great for leftovers and would be even better with fresh steak. A great way to stretch a small cut of steak for a family.

OPTION #1 - Spinach Steak Salad with Feta

OPTION #2 - American Steak Salad

OPTION #1 - Spinach Steak Salad with Feta
Toss together: (amounts to your liking)
Baby Spinach
Chopped Carrots
Chopped Tomatoes
Feta

In a skillet -
Heat 1 T of Olive Oil - Add peppers (about 1/2 c) and saute
Add leftover steak (1/4 c per person) to peppers until heated through

Drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette
_________

OPTION #2 - American Steak Salad

Toss together: (amounts to your liking)
Chopped lettuce - romaine, iceberg, or mix together
Chopped Carrots
Chopped Tomatoes
Corn (cut off leftovers from corn on the cob)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Reheat steak, add to salad, and drizzle with Ranch Dressing

Feta Corn Salad

Another great salad offering for the week.

My international friend Debby introduced me to the tasty combination of corn and feta in salads. I do admit that I stared at her salad for a bit before trying it, but fell in love at first taste. So here's my version of that combination.


Baby Spinach
Fresh Corn (left over corn on the cob)
Feta Crumbles
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Diced Tomato (optional - wish I had some that night)

Toss and eat.

Leftover Lasagna Salad

Often when making lasagna or lasagna rolls, I'll have a noodle or two left over. If my husband doesn't eat them first, here's another leftover salad. If you haven't noticed by now, one of my favorite use of leftovers is to make a salad out of them.


2 Lasagna noodles, cut up**
1 c Asparagus, chopped
1/2 c Tomato, diced
1 lg Carrot, shredded
2 T Sesame seeds
2 T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat olive oil. Saute the asparagus until tender crisp. Add noodle pieces, carrots, and sesame seed to the pan and stir frequently until heated through. Stir in tomato and season to taste. Serve warm.

** To make the noodles workable, I took a pizza cutter and cut them in half length-wise and then in the other direction into small pieces.

Mexican Pork Salad

I love when I can take a bunch of leftover bits of nothing and turn them into something wonderful. This one was so good, I may have to conjure up a bunch of leftovers, just so I can make it again.


1/2 lb Pork, cooked & shredded (left over Herbed Pork Roast)
1/2 c Water
2 c White rice, cooked and cooled (left over from stir fry)
1/2 c Bell Peppers, chopped & grilled (left over from kabobs)
1/4 c Tomato, diced
2 c Lettuce, chopped
1/2 c Salsa
1/2 c Sour Cream (or tofu sour cream)
2 T + 1 tsp Taco seasoning, divided

In a saute pan, add pork, water and 2 T of taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally until most of the water has evaporated. Stir in rice and peppers and heat thoroughly.

In a small bowl, wisk together salsa, sour cream, and 1 tsp of seasoning. Toss together all ingredients and serve. It makes for a great zesty salad.

Fried Couscous

This is a little take on fried rice but with couscous instead. I made WAY too much one night and my boys decided they didn't like it so that left me with LOTS leftover. So that left me with time to experiment with it for lunch the next several days.

So here is a couple of takes on a light tasting lunch. Let me tell ya, I'm hoping for more leftovers to try this again. I'm also gonna try this with quinoa for a gluten-free take on this...

(for 2)
2 c Cooked couscous (or quinoa)
2/3 c Steak, finely chopped
1/3 c Carrots, finely chopped
2 T Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 t Garlic, minced
2 T Lime juice
1 T Olive oil
1/4-1/3 c Water or beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add steak and carrots to pan and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir frequently, 1 minute. Add water or broth to deglaze the pan (pick up the drippings). Add couscous and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and add cilantro and lime juice. Serve immediately.

(serves 2)
2 c Cooked couscous (or quinoa)
2/3 c Chicken, finely chopped
1/3 c Carrots, finely chopped
1/3 c Tomato, finely chopped
1 t Garlic, minced
1 T Olive oil
1/4-1/3 c Water or chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and carrots to pan and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir frequently, 1 minute. Add water or broth to deglaze the pan (pick up the drippings). Add couscous and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and add tomatoes.

Total Costs: $2.50 *
Couscous - $1.00 (Sunmart)
Steak/Chicken - $1.00 (Cashwise)
Veggies - $.50 (Cashwise)
Seasoning - from stock

* I made this completely with leftovers both days so I count as free since the costs were figured into other meals!

Leftovers Pizza

It happens to all of us. You end up with just bits and pieces of the last couple of dinners in your fridge. Don't dump them (unless they've gone bad), repurpose them and they won't feel like leftovers anymore.

Whatever you've got leftover in the fridge can be served up on a pizza crust. Just use your imagination and a bit over cheese and your good to go. This particular pizza is a concoction of leftover grilled chicken and peppers that weren't used up from salad or beef/broccoli.


1 Pizza Crust (homemade or store bought)
1 c Pizza sauce (optional)
2 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 c Toppings
1 t Oregano, dried
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)

Total Costs (depending on toppings): $2.80 - 5.00
Cheese $1.25 (Sunmart)
Pizza crust $1.00 (Homemade)
Pizza sauce $.55 (homemade)
Toppings - leftovers so I priced them into a former meal

Topping Options:
Chicken & Broccoli
Chicken & Peppers
Ham, Onion & Peppers
Roasted Pork, Caramelized Onions, BBQ
Spaghetti & Pepperoni or Sausage (It sounds weird, but it's great)
Taco meat, Tomato, Peppers, Onions
Sausage, Eggs, Bacon, etc

Cheesy Tortilla Soup

This will warm up the coldest day and put a little kick in your step. This is my variation on my friend Elissa's soup. I managed to get a picture of my third bowl at MNF at her house. Missed the first two bowls because I ate them too fast.

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (blended if desired)
1 can (10 oz) tomatoes with green chilies (blended if desired)
1 sm can green chilies
2 can cream of chicken
2 handful of tortilla chips, crushed
5 c water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1 1/2 T dried onion
1 c apple juice
1 c corn (optional)
1 lime – juice
2 T Fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine the ingredients and let simmer for at least an hour. Garnish with sour cream, tortilla chips, cilantro, cheese, etc.

Total Costs: $6.45
Chicken - $2.50 (Cashwise)
Canned Tomatoes - $1.10 (Cheep Foods)
Green chilies - $.45 (Cheep Foods)
Cream of chicken - $1.00 (Cashwise)
Chips - $.10 (Cashwise)
Apple juice - $.10 (Walmart)
Corn - $.50 (Sunmart)
Lime - $.50 (Cashwise)
Cilantro - $.20 (Cashwise)

Canollis

Found the canolli shells at the local scratch and dent store and was inspired to create these lovelies for dinner to pair with pasta and loaded tomato sauce.

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
4 oz Ricotta Cheese
1/2 c Powdered Sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon
5 T Milk chocolate chopped finely, divided

Blend together cheeses, sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Add in 2 T of the chopped chocolate and stir in. Spoon the filling into a ziplock bag and snip the end to make into into pipping bag to squeeze filling into the pastry shell. Sprinkle remaining chocolate on top of filling.

TOTAL COSTS: $2.95
Cream Cheese $1.00 (Sunmart)
Ricotta Cheese $.50 (Cashwise) or left over from lasagna rolls
Powdered Sugar $.10 (Walmart)
Chocolate $.25 (Cashwise) or left over chocolate chips
Pastry Shells $1.10 (Cheep Foods)

VARIATIONS:
Next up is a custard style filling with fruit

Vanilla Wafer Snackers

This was my sweet treat meets needing some protein one day. A yummy find.


The vanilla wafer is covered with a layer of sunbutter (or peanut butter) and then topped with whatever you have on hand. I had strawberries, bananas, and a few pieces of Ryan's leftover Valentines Day candy from school. I've done similar with Hershey Bars pieces, but the variety was a good.

Frugal Lunch - Loaded Potatos

I keep 3 things on hand for the basis for lunches - rice, baked potato, and bread. I can usually do something with one of the three and the leftovers I have in the fridge. It beats sandwiches day in and day out and allows me to reduce waste and make the most of our money.

Of the three, I think the baked potato is my favorite canvas to create a masterpiece of lunch. It's filling, healthy (depending on how you top it) and everything goes well on top.

Couple of ways to fix a plain potato

Chicken Taco Leftovers - shredded seasoned chicken, sweet corn, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, sauteed peppers, etc

Cheesy Broccoli - this was leftover veggies from a restaurant (because they give you a whole head) cheese and a bit of sour cream

OTHER OPTIONS:
Beef Fajita - seasoned steak, corn, peppers, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, etc
Soup - cheesy broccoli, beef & barley, corn chowder, chicken fajita, etc.
BBQ Pork
Ham & Cheese
Pepper Steak
Etc

TIP: Potato Coking
When making baked potatoes for dinner, I simply make extra. Before wrapping in foil, I drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on each and rub to coat the potato. Sprinkle on a good bit of sea salt and poke a few holes in to vent steam. Wrap them up in foil and place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until soft.

Frugal Tip: Portion Size

I struggle with portion size. It's a common problem so maybe this idea helps you too. It's a muffin tin measuring system. See how much volume your tins hold (usually around 1/4 - 1/2 cup). You can measure portions to eat into the tins and freeze them for later use. When you pull them out, you know what a portion is. Besides, if you have a whole cake/cheesecake/ice cream bucket/pie you will be tempted to keep eating it until it's gone.

This summer I'm looking for muffin tins at garage sales and thrift stores. Some items you can take out after freezing, others work better left in. Stock up on muffin cup liners when they are on sale or clearance after a holiday (for holiday prints). I don't care if I eat something out of a holly print cup in July.

USE IT:

• Fruit - by freezing in individual portions you can grab just what you need for smoothies, cereal, muffins, etc
• Desserts - cheesecake, cupcakes, mini pies, ice cream pie, ice cream, etc
• Meat - small diced cooked meat for recipes like soups, fried rice, etc - works well for cooked bacon, chicken, ham, ground meats, etc. If likely to dry out... add a bit of the broth or juices to keep moist in the reheating process
• Breads - zucchini/blueberry/banana/apple/pumpkin/cinnamon breads can be made into muffins and stored in mixed varieties is a zipper bag. When you thaw them you have a sampler bag rather than a whole bunch of one thing that you grow tired of.
• Broth - I've started making my own broths. They have a lot more flavor and much better for you, not to mention exceedingly cheep. I'm gonna freeze them into 7 oz portions so that I can grab 2 to equal a can.
  

Fried Rice

This is the perfect leftover meal and so much healthier than the take out version. Use what have on hand. Any meat will do - beef, pork, chicken, shrimp or none at all.

4-5 c uncooked white rice
2 T canola oil
2 t sesame oil
1 sm onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c Diced meat, cooked (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, ham, etc)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 c water chestnuts, chopped or bean sprouts (optional)
1 c frozen green peas & carrots mix (thawed)
2 egg, beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce

Cook rice according to package directions. Cool completely. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in canola oil and stir in onion.

Lower heat to medium and stir in veggies and garlic. Fry until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add meat and heat until warm through. Mix rice thoroughly with vegetables and stir in soy sauce. Make whole in the middle of the pan and stir in beaten egg and cook just until egg is scrambled and firm. Drizzle with sesame oil. Adjust seasoning to your preference and serve immediately.

TOTAL COST: $.70 - $4.20
Rice $.50 (or leftovers)
Meat $2.00 (or leftovers)
Veggies $1.00 (or leftovers)
Oil - from stock
Soy Sauce $.50 (Meijer)
Eggs $.20 (Aldi)

VARIATION:

• You can use cooked ramen noodles or rice noodles rather than rice for a variation. Reduce oil a bit. Toasted sesame seeds add a lot to the noodle version.
• Remove meat for a great vegetarian dish or basic side dish.