Inexpensive recipes

[Amish Country]

Time is precious especially during canning season. So I like to cook a big pot of something can some of it and then serve what is leftover in a few different reincarnations.

Chili
1 package chili spice mix or to taste
1 pound cooked chopped or ground meat (I like to use leftover chicken or turkey)
2 or 3 onions chopped
1 green peeper if big 2 if small, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper chopped small optional (gloves are worn when handling hot peppers)
1 can tomato sauce (entire can may not be needed.)
Salt a pinch
olive oil
Shredded cheddar cheese to sprinkle over top of the chili.

I fry my onions and peppers in olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent and then mix the rest in the pan. The mixture is brought to a boil and allowed to simmer. Served with cooked rice and a small bowl of cheddar cheese.

Spanish Rice
4 eggs beaten then scrambled
1 or 2 cups left over chill
3 to 4 cup left over rice
2 or 3 onions chopped
1 green peeper if big 2 if small, seeded and chopped
1 can tomato sauce (entire can may not be needed.)
Salt a pinch
olive oil

I fry my onions and peppers in olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent and then mix the rest in the pan. The mixture is brought to a boil and allowed to simmer. No one in the family complains when I serve this leftover recipe.

Nachos
1 bag corn chips
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Cheese soup
1 can pitted black olives (optional) sliced into rounds
1 container salsa (1 -2 cups) or 2 cup left over chili
1 jalapeño pepper sliced into rounds (optional) gloves are worn when handling hot peppers
shredded lettuce (optional)

The soup is heated on a very low heat until warm and liquid. It has to be stirred constantly or it could scorch. No milk or water is added. The chips are arranged on a platter. The lettuce next, then the cheese the salsa or chili is next and the olives and peppers are scattered on top. It makes a quick light lunch.

[Amish Country]

Re: Inexpensive recipes

Salsa

1 can black beans
1 onion chopped (2 if small)
2 - 3 tomatoes chopped
cooked corn kennels cut off at least 3 ears of corn
Chopped fresh peppers hot or sweet or both to taste
Lime juice (fresh is best, bottled will work)
Cilantro to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients to taste and serve with 1 or 2 bags of corn chips.

[Amish Country]

Re: Inexpensive recipes

My basic Corn Meal Mush (Polenta)

1 cup - corn meal
4 cups - water divided
1/2 teaspoon - salt

I stir 1 cup of water and one cup of corn meal together and let it sit for a few minutes prior to cooking. The mixture is put on a low heat, the remaining water added and brought to a boil. It has to be stirred constantly to prevent scorching. It thickens as it cooks. This makes enough for breakfast with some left over. In our house it is served with butter and syrup. Leftover mush I usually put in a loaf pan and refrigerate to slice and fry up at another meal. This is stodge plain and simple. It helps to fill in the empty spaces when times get hard.

In our house we use plain not roasted corn meal due to familiarity and flavor preference. Please note that while dried kernel corn, properly stored can last for years, corn meal can go rancid in just a few months.

Mush has a rich history even if it is considered by some to be peasant or food of the poor. Up until two or three generations ago corn meal mush or polenta was a staple coming out of many home kitchens sometimes three times a day. This humble fare was instrumental in winning the American Revolution. Corn is easy to grow in quantity, stores well and is relatively if somewhat time consuming and laborious to prepare. Native Americans introduced European settlers to corn. There was however a little "Oh by the way..." they either did not mention at the time or if they did it was ignored by the European immigrants. There are accounts that the Natives added wood ash to the cooking corn meal. The wood ash caused certain vitamins in the corn to be made available to humans. Some people heavily dependent on untreated corn diet tended to develop pellagra over time.

Grits
1 cup - corn grits
3 cups - water divided
1/2 teaspoon - salt

I stir water, salt and grits together and put it on a medium heat. It is brought to a boil and has to be stirred constantly to prevent scorching. Some people dress grits up by adding grated cheese, onions and or meat such as chopped ham. I like mine with a couple of fried eggs and butter. This is another stodge that has filled hungrey tummies in hard times.

Hominy grits is corn that has been soaked in lye (leached from wood ash), then rinsed with water until the lye is gone, dried and ground.