Day 4: Ratatoullie

So we've been out on vacation for a few days and just got home last night. My daughter got hooked on the movie Ratatoullie and I started to wonder what the food tasted like. So I looked up a recipie and tried it. My fiance wasn't a big fan of it but I didn't think it tasted that bad. It's most definately something different and requires a particular taste. The positive side is... If you like this meal then it freezes/reheats great and even for a recipie serving 4-6, there's still plenty leftovers! I made this meal (serves 4-6) for under $20!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil ($4.98 -Walmart)
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced ($.25 -Walmart
2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley (I used fresh parsley $.88 -Walmart)
1 Eggplant, Cut into 1/2" cubes ($1.75 -Walmart)
Salt to taste
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese ($2.52 -Schnucks)
2 Zucchini, Sliced ($.93/lb @ 2lbs=$1.40 -Schnucks)
1 large onion, Sliced into rings ($.92/lb @ 1lb/$1.48=$1.36 -Walmart)
2 Cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I bought a prewrapped and presliced box from the fresh produce section $1.98)
1 Green Bell Pepper (2 @ 1 for $.88=$1.76 -Walmart)
2 Large Tomatoes, Chopped ($1.37/lb @ 1lb/$178=$2.44)
2 Yellow Squash *OPTIONAL* ($1.15/lb @ 2lbs/$3.00=$1.73)
Total for this meal: $19.69! *Remember: All prices are from local stores, prices may vary in your city!*

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350degrees F. Coat the bottom and side of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with 1 T olive oil.

2) Prepare ingredients. Cutting, minceing, sliceing, grating, exc.

3) Heat remaining 1 T olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.

4) Saute garlic until lightly browned. Mix in eggplant and parsley. Saute until eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

5)Saute onions in pan after eggplant and parsley.

6) Spread eggplant mixture ,evenly (optional), across bottom of casserole dish. Sprinklw with a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

7) Spread zucchini in an ,even (optional), layer over the top. Lightly salt and sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese.

8) Continue layering in this order: onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Cover each layer with salt and parmesan cheese.

9) Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Take lid off and replace dish in oven for an additional 15 minutes so the luquid evaporates and the cheese browns a little. Serve, best while still warm.

I hope you enjoy! Please tell me what YOU thought! Feel free to post a picture of your turnout or even tell me what you didn't like about it or why. Please remember though! This is my first time cooking and trying it as well, I can not guarentee any results or that you'll love it!

In the pan, fresh out of the oven:


On a plate, ready to serve:

Day 3: Home Made Steak/Chicken Quesadillas

After making tacos tonight I still have a taste for Mexican food, so I've decided to make home made quesadillas. Their easy to make and taste completely great! I've made them for less than $20!

Ingredients:
1 Package of Soft Shell Tacos (Tortillas). ($2.35 -Walmart)
1 8oz Bag of Shreded Cheese. ($1.95/8oz -Schnucks)
1 Pack of Bacon. ($3.89 -Walmart)
1 Sweet Onion. ($.85 -Walmart)
1 Red Tomatoe. ($.50 -Walmart) OPTIONAL
3 Small Steaks of Choice *Can make 4 quesidillas* ($6.95/6pack -Walmart) *I got Eye of Round Steak Thin*
Price Total For Meal--------------- $16.49

Directions:
1) Cut steaks into small cubes and put into a frying pan. Season as you please; turn heat to medium and cook most of the way.
2) Cut bacon to desired size; add to frying pan with steaks. Finish cooking steaks with bacon in pan until bacon is done.
3) Dice/Mince onion and place in pan to cook with bacon and steak, allowing to absorb their flavors.
4) Dice Tomatoe. (USIN TOMATOE IS OPTIONAL)
5) Meanwhile, butter one side of tortilla shell and place in pan. Keep heat on medium-low.
6) Take a handful of cheese and place over the side of the torilla shell that's faceing up.
7) Spread tomatoe, steak, bacon, and onion over cheese and fold torilla shell in half.
8) Flip tortilla until both sides are golden.
9) Serve hot, and enjoy.
*Suggest serving with season brown rice or your choice of sides.

Enjoy! Cook it and like it? Take a picture of your turnout and post it! Didn't like it? Tell me why! Please keep in mind that all prices are local prices and subject to change in your city! =)

Day 2: Slow Cooker Tacos

Love Tacos, but hate how greasy they can be or having to pan fry the hamburger meat? You're not alone. I couldn't sleep tonight after I put my daughter down and my fiance went onto his thrid consecutive hour of sleep so I started looking in the fridge again to get idea's for lunch tomorrow since my fiance works third shift tomorrow night. We had made spaghetti the other night and due to a lack of Ziplock baggies or aluminum foil we set the remaining hamburger in the fridge. Because of this I had an idea: "What if tacos could be done quicker than normal? What if the meat could be done and ready when you wanted it without turning the burner on?" Thus, I've decided to try slow cooking the hamburger meat the night before on the lowest setting possible and seeing how the meat would turn out the next day around noon-ish. This could be done with frozen hamburger meat as well, you would just need to take a spatula to it the morning of making the tacos so it's all ready to go by lunch/dinner time.

When researching slow cooker ideas that included hamburger meat, I did NOT see anything like this SO I'm hoping that it turns out great. If it does then it will be the most convinent way to make tacos. This was all done for under $15. REMEMBER: All prices are based on local stores, prices in your city may vary.

Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 lbs Hamburger Meat. ($5.97/lb -Walmart)
1 Pack Taco Seasoning. ($.90 -Walmart)
1 8oz or larger bag of Shreded Cheese, your choice. ($1.95/8oz -Schnucks)
1 Sweet Onion. ($.85 -Walmart)
1 Red Tomatoe. ($.50 -Walmart)
1 2lb or larger bag of Shreded Lettuce. ($2.39/2lb bag -Schnucks)
1 Box/Bag of Hard Shell/Soft Shell Tacos. ($2.35 -Walmart)
Seasonings of your choice.
Slow Cooker. (Mine is a Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker)
Price of meal total---------------------$14.91

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Mix hamburger meat and 1 1/4 cup of water in slow cooker and turn slow cooker onto lowest setting (if doing the night before, if doing in the morning set it on medium). Add more water through out cooking as needed/as desiered.
2) Add the taco mix packet and your seasonings, stir and let cook over night stirring periodicly. (I used seasoned salt, chili powder, a dash of cinnamon powder, and the taco seasoning packet.)
3) Dice up the sweet onion (or whatever kind of onion you choose to use) and add into the slow cooker and stir. (IF you want spicy tacos, add a dash of hot sauce and/or a chopped up pepper of your choice into the slow cooker.)
4) Turn the heat up to high toward the afternoon (if serving for dinner, and if serving for lunch turn to high in morning or if starting in the morning and serving for lunch start on high heat).

PREPERATION FOR TACO INSTRUCTIONS:
**This is meant to be done within an hour of serving tacos.**
1) Dice up tomatoe, place in a bowl with a little cold water and place in refridgerator until ready to serve.
2)Take shreded lettuce out of bag and place in a bowl. Add water to the bowl, then drain the water and place back in refridgerator until ready to serve.
3) Prepare taco shells as you prefer, rather it'd be heating them up or just letting them sit on the counter or in the refridgerator until ready to serve.
4) Leave shreded cheese in refridgerator until ready to serve.
5) Drain any luquids left over in slow cooker, and place hamburger meat in a bowl.
6) When ready to serve, pull everything out (draining the tomatoes), serve, and enjoy! =)

I hope everyone enjoys it! If you've tried it then upload a picture of your turn out! Didn't like it? Tell me why! Please remember: This is my first time tring this as well and I haven't found any recipies like it online so I'm hoping it turns out great for everyone who tries it. =)

This is the hamburger meat, water, and seasonings first put into the slow cooker:


Hamburger Meat in the morning (7:35 A.M.):


Tacos for dinner, enjoy!:

Day 1: Homemade Cordon Blu

So I've decided to try, what I consider, cuisine at home for a year, AFFORDABLY. Tonight's our first night and we're low on money and food so...
It became more of a challenge than I thought it would. With my fiance in the living room taking care of our two month old, I stand in the kitchen searching the cabniets and refrifgerator in search of something to cook. Eventually, I decided to make homemade Cordon Blu, turkey stuffing and corn. I did this for under $15!

Ingedients:
4 Great Valuse Chicken breats, cut into halves/thirds. ($6.35/5lb bag [Aprox. $1.27 per breast] -Walmart)
1 Can of Pillsbury Crescents (8 dinner roll count). ($1.50 -Walmart)
1 Pack Great Value Swiss Cheese. ($2.50 -Walmat)
1 Box Kraft Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix. ($1.50 -Walmart)
1 Bag Birdseye Steamable Corn. ($1.50 -Walmart)
Optional: LandOFrost Brown Sugar Ham lunchmeat. ($2.50 -Walmart)
Serving size: 4-6 ------ALL PRICES ARE BASED OFF OF LOCAL SOTRES, PRICES MAY VARY IN YOUR CITY!------Price total for a meal: $12.08-$14.58

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Wash off all chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towel, then cut into halves or thirds (depending on what size you want). I had 5 slices of chicken.
3) Place chicken in oven (if seasoning, use minimal amount) for about 15 minutes. This allows the chicken to cook mostly through (if not very thick) so that the crescents and cheese don't burn. In meantime, prepare your cheese and crescents:
4) Open crescents and unroll/break apart as if you would if you were baking them seperately. Leave pulled apart and unrolled.
5) Take out swiss cheese and microwave for 5seconds ONLY. (This looses the cheese up so it forms around the chicken easier.)
6) Cut cheese slices in half. You need enough halves to have 1 halve of a whole slice on each piece of chicken. Let sit until chicken is ready to come out of oven. (If using ham, cut it like you did the cheese.)
7) In a SEPERATE pan than you cooked the chicken, spray a light coat of non-stick spray if pan is not already a non-stick pan. Set aside until needed.
8) After pulling the chicken out, CAREFULLY place the chicken on the largest part of the crescent using tongs or a fork.
9) If using ham, place ham half ontop of chicken then place cheese half ontop. Roll the crescent around the chicken covering as much as possible then stretching it to cover all but the very ends of the chicken. (If need to use more than one then do so carefully.)
10) Place on non-stick pan (or pan with non-stick spray on it) as you would if you were cooking crescents, place back in oven until crescents around the chicken are golden (or fully done). If any extra crescents, cook as you would normaly.
11) Meanwhile, place steamable corn pouch in microwave for 4-5mins or until done and start stuffing. For the stuffing I use 1cup of water and 1/2 cup of chicken broth instead of 1 1/2 cups water, and 2 tablespoons butter instead of 1/4cup butter and a dash of Greek Seasoning or a dash of salt. Cook stuffing on high to get the luquids boiling faster and then follow instructions from there on.
12) When corn is done, open and place in a bowl. Stir in a tablespoon of butter until it is completely melted/mixed in.
13) Pull chicken out when done and serve.
-If done right then everything should be done close to the same time! Enjoy! =)

Like this meal? Try it and post a picture of your turnout, and/or thoughts!
Don't like it? Tell me why, I'm interested to know. Please keep in mind that this is an original idea by me and I did not follow any recipe, this is my first time cooking it just like it will be yours. Thank you!