Frugality is Always Delicious ~ Never Pretensious

The wise home chef...

Being frugal means that you don't pretend to be anything more than just a brainy gourmet =  wise home chef.
All too often today we meet the pretentious millennial who thinks that the world is at their finger tips. There is little discussion about being frugal among such young people. Frugality is being wise within your means. Hence, being a brainy gourmet means you can take any food item handed to you and make it into a wonderful food experience. A few years back, I saw the most genius cooking show on British television called "Ready Steady Cook".

Audience members brought only 4 food items in a brown bag and the chefs had to create something delicious, gourmet, in just 20 min. Not everyone's bag was selected, but that is what made the show exciting.  I am always telling my brainy students that they need to be spontaneous with what they have in the pantry and you don't have to be exotic. A hearty loaf of bread and hot bowl of soup is just as good as some decorated piece of beef or blackened chicken that gets kudos because of the clever write up.

So, get brainy and become a wise home chef. Check out my past blogs for what every brainy gourmet should have in the pantry and check out my website too. www.brainygourmet.com

What's in the brown bag? I don't know yet, but believe me it will be a brainy gourmet meal in 20 min.

Simple ~ Soup, Bread and Pierogi

Spend a wintry evening with soup, bread and pierogi 

There is nothing better than expecting a hot bowl of soup, pierogi and bread on a wintry evening. 
So, let's begin. The best soup for such a night is a hot chicken soup, mostly stock with noodles served with a thick slice of fresh baked, crusty top loaf of rye or wheat bread and of course spread with sweet creamy butter; followed by potato and cheese filled pierogi.  I ate such a dinner many times and though simple I remember it as the best food ever.

To make the chicken soup 'stock', you start by boiling a whole chicken or whatever chicken pieces you have. I have even used the back and neck to make stock.  Add to that one whole onion, as well as salt and pepper to taste. If you have any concentrated chicken bouillon, one cube is enough or tsp.
Prepare your noodles separately so that the stock can morph into something else by the end of the week.

The bread, well if you bake, then by all means bake a fresh loaf using your favorite flour. I really miss the convenience of a baker. In Warsaw, there were small bakeries that did just bread. They were kiosk bakeries as they were operated from a small cabin like store that usually stood on the corner near a bus stop. They stayed open til 6 and were open at 6. Sometimes, you had to stand outside before you could get in to buy.

As for making pierogi from scratch, is not easy. The dough should not be handled too much. If you don't mind store bought, I suggest Mrs. T's, a brand that has been around a long time. I wish I could visit the eastern border again, where you could get homemade as big as your hand.

"Give us this day our daily bread" Matthew 6:11

 Finish dinner with homemade applesauce!


Jest dobrze bo jest dobrze ~ 

Snow Bound Blues ~ English Muffin Pizza

English muffin pizza can change anyone's winter mood; especially kids. 

You will need to buy English muffins and pizza toppings that you and your family like on pizza. My sweetie likes plenty of pepperoni, hot and spice. Now, that will warm you up. Since, I am in the Midwest, this time of year can get pretty cold and snowy. If the kids are home because of snow accumulation then you know how difficult it can be to keep them entertained in the house, not watching television or playing computer games. And, if your kids love the outdoors, then on these kinds of days, they can come in from building snow castles having super brainy appetites. Cooking with them can be fun and if they are old enough, they can do some cooking on their own as long as mom or dad or an adult is nearby.

I recommend English muffin pizzas. This way, each child can make his or her own the Brainy Gourmet way; which means that they can top their pizza the way that they like it. One secret that I offer that makes the English muffin pizza extra tasty is to drizzle olive oil first and then sprinkle garlic powder and parmesan cheese on each muffin before toppings.

Everything else is up to your brainy creativity!

Gourmet Meatloaf with Eggplant Parmesan ~ Starting with Tortellini Soup

Price per serving for two: $3.89

You will need to buy 1 pound of ground pork, ($2.13) and 1 pound of ground turkey($3.68). I mix these ground meats together because they compliment each other. As, I find that these meats in combination with one another remain juicy and you get a delicious gravy out of it. For the eggplant parmesan you will need to buy two large eggplant, I bought two for .89 each and one medium can of crushed tomatoes $1.09. The rest of the ingredients, you should have on hand: eggs, bread crumbs, seasonings, butter and olive oil; and, of course, parmesan cheese.

The eggplant parmesan is easy to do. Just peel and slice the eggplant, layering in a glass dish drizzled with olive oil. Between layers, coat with an egg wash (use heavy cream) following with a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt to taste, dried bread crumbs and dried herb seasonings.Cover the top with the can of crushed tomatoes and a good covering of parmesan cheese. Then bake in the oven on F400 for 30-5 min.

Back to the meatloaf. Add one egg, 3/4 cup of dried bread crumbs, dried herb seasonings, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder, adding all seasoning to taste/diet allowances. Mix well. Now add two pats of cold butter diced, mix again. Finally, take an oblong glass dish and drizzle the bottom with olive oil. Form your meatloaf football style and place in the glass baking dish.  Since, I do not have a double oven, I just place the two dishes (eggplant/meatloaf) side by side as they fit nicely.


Most often in my old 1963 Caloric, they finish cooking about the same time. I take the eggplant parmesan out to let it rest before serving. As for the meatloaf, I take it out and then run a stream of good ketchup across the top of the meatloaf popping it back in alone for 6 min more. Take the meatloaf from the glass baking dish and put onto a serving platter, slice thick cuts. You should have plenty of fat and juice in the dish. Since, it is glass and oven safe, you can put this dish directly onto the stove, on low flame. Add directly to that 1 cup of heavy cream. Turn up the flame and stir vigorously. A love smooth gravy should start to appear. Pour this over the meatloaf.

For a first course, I serve Tortellini soup. Of course, it is made from a tomato beef stock I had made last week and froze. For this meal, all I have to do is boil some tortellini.


"...eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared..." Nehemiah 8:10

What to do with Basic Items in the Pantry

Back to basics ~

Yesterday, I posted a list of simple basics to have on hand in the pantry: potatoes, tomatoes, cheese, butter, and heavy cream. If you have a budget to live by, don't feel bad. You can still be a brainy gourmet. Too often people think that they have to have something exotic or different everyday of the week. In many cultures, people eat the same basic food stuffs every day.

The best meals are shared with family and friends and you can make a great meal using the basics listed above. Casseroles are great because they are easy to prepare and can feed a large group. I recommend making these tasty dishes: 

Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin ~

 

Tomato and Cheese Frittata ~

Easy To Do Roasted Veggies

Roasted Veggies ~ Quick and Savory

I have blogged before on a savory way to prepare my favorite root veggies: carrots and parsnips. You can do these veggies the same way in the oven; and, to these you can add other kinds of vegetables. Though some kinds go better together than do others. For instance, I would not mix green beans and broccoli in with root veggies. I would mix with root vegetables with: squash, onion, garlic and maybe cauliflower. But, since my sweetie does not like cauliflower, I refrain from using it. Nonetheless, I suggest you explore with root vegetables using them in a variety of ways.

This time of year, roasted in the oven makes a delicious savory side dish. Being frugal, I don't buy large bags of veggies that I may not be able to use up within a few days. Since, I live close to the grocery store, I prefer to buy small amounts daily or every other day. However, if you use vegetables in your cooking everyday, then perhaps a large bag is the better value for your money.

I know what it means to live on a strict budget. In many recipes you find online these days, one can see the immediate visual attraction. The pictures are always of glossy or glazed vegetables in a glass casserole dish or skillet looking scrumptious. Then, you realize that most of those veggies used in the photo shoot (recipe) are not readily available or maybe very too expensive if not in season or just not within your budget means.

I recommend the brainy approach which is frugal. I highly suggest you buy vegetables in season. I really love root vegetables and squash which are more readily available throughout the year. To make those vegetables look 'ad visual' beautiful and tasty, and stretch my dollar, I cut them either French styles or scallop... in this way they appear more attractive and cook faster.  Red onions and garlic are easy to halve, slice or dice and add to this mix. In this way, you will have a delicious roasted vegetable side that is simple and inexpensive.

Being Frugal ~ Being Clever

Be frugal and be clever about it.

Being frugal means knowing what to do with what you have. All to often, people tell me that they cannot cook at home because it takes too much time and they don't have all 'those' ingredients. I don't agree. However, I understand where they are coming from. The problem is that many think you have to have certain ingredients that are expensive or just a one time use. I am here to tell you that you don't need to have only certain ingredients or expensive ingredients to be a brainy gourmet. If you are a clever cook, knowing how to combine sweet and savory using what you have on hand, then you don't  have to follow a recipe nor buy all the ingredients given on any recipe.

As a brainy gourmet, what you should have on hand are these basic ingredients: butter, heavy cream, garlic, onions, fresh herbs, eggs, cheese, potatoes and tomatoes. That is my priority pantry list as it is for executive chef Eric Damidont and I am sure many other chefs. I would add to that list, meat/or vegetable stock as well as olive oil and or coconut oil, sea salt, black pepper, soy sauce, honey, rice, and pasta.

But, believe me, you can use just a few of those simple basics listed above and still do just fine.  The best thing about using the same food basics everyday is that you become more confident with them as you get to know how to combine them differently (using your cleverness about sweet and savory) to achieve different results that can be amazingly delicious. People will be astounded that you can cook up a wonderful meal in so little time with so few ingredients ~ now that's being a brainy gourmet.