Fast Friendly "Alfredo"

Don't tell my husband what is in this, he'll never let me make it again!

We are on the Daniel Fast and I can only take so many rice and beans before I feel I will turn into a burrito. Money was a bit tight this week, being the tail end of the paycheck week, so I needed something to make that would stretch. Lily can not have tomatoes because of her nightshade sensitivity so we try to make unique pasta dishes anyway.
I found this online and made my own variation to stay true to the Daniel Fast. The original calls for cream, but I trade that out for veggie broth, or soymilk (unsweet)

VEGAN ALFREDO

1 sm head califlower, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 sm shallot, diced
2 Tbs EVOO
1 pound whole wheat linguine (or noodle of choice)
1/4 C veggie broth or soymilk

Cook pasta according to directions. In a skillet heat the EVOO and saute the garlic and shallot until transluscent. Add salt and pepper. Steam Cauliflower until very soft, drain and add to garlicky oil mix. Mash with potato masher or use a mixer until it is creamy, add the broth or soymilk until the consistency of sauce (it does separate a little) S and P to taste. I added red pepper flakes to mine after the kids were served.

Everyone ate it up and no one knew what it was!

Super Cheap Dinner

Since we are at the tail end of our check this month (our last $5 until Friday)
I have been trying to get creative with the foods we are eating. Not only am I trying to budget, but after awhile there are only so many ways you can eat pasta. I discovered www.supercook.com where you can search for recipes based on the ingredients you have on hand. There are other websites as well, but Supercook searches through all the other websites to bring your suggestions to one place.

I didn't actually use one of their recipes, but discovering what I could make gave me an idea for my own cheapo dinner:

Mexican Stuffed Crepes.

1 C Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
1 1/2 C Milk (give or take) we used Soy
1 TBS oil plus more for pan
1/2 tsb salt

1lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 bell pepper
1/2 onion
cheese
1/2 carton Ricotta (which was leftover from another dish)

Mix the first ingredients with a blender or mixer until really smooth- the mixture should be really thin and the consistency of cream- add more milk if needed.
Brown the meat with the onion and bell pepper.
(you can also add anything else that sounds taco-y)

You can't really cook the meat and make crepes at the same time so either enlist the help of your hubby or make the crepes ahead of time.

For Crepes:

• heat a 10" skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking oil or lightly oil the pan with butter or EVOO.
• pour about 1/4-1/2 C batter in the pan and rotate the pan quickly to coat the entire bottom with a thin batter layer
  
• cook until all the bubbles have stopped popping and the edges start to curl
• flip and cook the other side for 2-3 more minutes.
• Stack on a plate and keep in the oven on warm
  

It took me three crepes tossed to the dog before I got the hang of it. These do work better with white flour but I had Whole Wheat on hand and wanted a healthier dinner

Assembly:
Grate cheese on the bottom of a crepe then add the meat to the middle in a "line".
( I should have taken pictures)
Fold one side in, then roll it like a jelly roll, putting the seam on the bottom
Add more cheese to the top
I then popped them in the microwave to melt the cheese, but they would have been better tossed in the oven for a few minutes.

Serve with Salsa, or sour cream and guac.

You can fill a crepe with ANYTHING-
Chicken & Spinach
BLT
Bananas and Chocolate
PBJ

So don't toss the leftover crepes- use them for breakfast!

Meat and Potatoes

What's for Dinner Tonight?

1 lb ground turkey
3 medium red potatoes (preferably organic) diced small
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

heat olive oil in large skillet. add onion and turkey and a dash of salt and pepper and cook until brown. add diced potatoes and brown. mix water and soup mix together and add to skillet. cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender, scraping bottom of pan occasionally.
MMMM good, cheap and easy~!