Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

Makes about 8 servings
Total price: NY $7.01/NY $ 7.60
Price per serving: NY $0.87/NY $0.95


Now that its summertime, we’re all about the picnics in the park. Grab a couple of blankets, some snacks, a good book, a ball and the doggie and loll about in the sun for a lazy afternoon. It’s a terrific way to while away a summer day, even if you’re not watching your pennies. This recipe is one of my favorites for a picnic. The lemon is bright and zingy, the beans are creamy, the asparagus is crisp and bursting with freshness this time of year, the croutons crunchy and garlicky, and a little parmesan adds some dimension and salty snap. Its also unusual and not the same tired salad you end up seeing on every picnic table and at every barbecue. Make this one quick, as asparagus season is drawing to a close!


Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus (NY $1.99)
• 5 tbsps olive oil (staple)
• Zest of one lemon (NY $0.25)
• Juice of one lemon (same lemon as above)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)
• 2 15 oz. cans cannellini bean (NY $1.90)
• One large roll (NY $0.50)
• ¼ lb. piece of parmesan (NY $1.98)
• ¼ cup parsley (staple or NY $0.59 for one bunch)
• 2 cloves garlic (NY $0.39 for one head)

Directions

Trim off the ends of the asparagus by feeling along the stalk until you find the spot where the woody root end gives way to the springy stalk. Snap off the ends.* Slice the asparagus on the diagonal into cuts about half an inch long.


Cube the roll. In a skillet, heat 2 tbsps olive oil over medium low. Peel the garlic cloves and add to skillet. Heat until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic cloves and reserve. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove from heat.


Bring remaining 3 tbsps olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, a few dashes salt and several grinds pepper to a simmer in a large saucepan. Stir in beans and asparagus and let stand. Mince the reserved garlic and grate the parmesan and combine both with asparagus mixture. Store salad and croutons separately until ready to serve, then toss to combine.

Adapted from Gourmet, April 2006


* Don’t discard the ends, but save for stock!

Nutrients
Amount per Serving

Calories 230.3	Sugars 0.3 g	Folate 12.5 %
Total Fat 13.1 g	Protein 11.4 g	Iron 9.4 %
Fat 3.9 g	Vitamin A 8.7 %	Magnesium 4.0 %
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g	Vitamin B-12 3.3 %	Manganese 6.5 %
Monounsaturated Fat 7.5 g	Vitamin B-6 3.5 %	Niacin 3.7 %
Cholesterol 11.2 mg	Vitamin C 15.7 %	Phosphorus 14.1 %
Sodium 434.5 mg	Vitamin D 0.0 %	Riboflavin 7.1 %
Potassium 125.4 mg	Vitamin E 9.1 %	Selenium 10.4 %
Total Carbohydrate 17.0 g	Calcium 26.2 %	Thiamin 5.8 %
Fiber 5.9 g	Copper 3.8 %	Zinc 4.6 %

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Grilled and Dilled Chicken Veggie Pasta Salad

Makes 12 servings
Total price: NY $15.66
Price per serving: NY $1.30


This pasta salad is amazing. Before you snort skeptically and hit your back button in disdain, I should emphasize that I fully realize that a pasta salad is not one of those dishes you would normally think capable of being “amazing”. Double chocolate, seafood trio, quattro formaggio, these are the kinds of words that spring to mind when one thinks of recipes that “amaze”. But, hand to heart, this one does too. I once brought this to a rooftop barbecue and nearly had to arm wrestle some late-lingering guests to get my Tupperware back. I wasn’t allowed to depart until after we’d scrounged up the last clean plate in the apartment to dump the remaining pasta salad out onto. As I exited in a snit, tightly clutching my storage container to my chest, I could hear them behind me, digging in with drunken gusto. Yes, to a pasta salad.*


This recipe makes enough to feed a small army. Its best slightly cool, not cold. You’ll want to make this not too much in advance: its best freshly made and cooled in the fridge for a bit or eaten within a few hours of preparation.


Ingredients

• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts (NY $4.42) **
• 1 lemon (NY $0..25)
• 1 pound penne (NY $0.66)***
• 1 red pepper (NY $1.75)
• 1 green pepper (NY $0.87)
• 3 cups celery (NY $1.39 for a bunch)
• 1 red onion (NY $0.54)
• 1 ¼ cups Kalamata Olives (NY $4.49)
• ¼ cup fresh dill (NY $1.29 for one bunch)
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar (staple)
• 2 tbsps mayonnaise (staple)
• 2 tbsps Dijon mustard (staple)
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)

Directions
Cook the penne in boiling, salted water until al dente. Strain into a colander and refresh the pasta under cold water.


Meanwhile, heat a grill pan on a burner, and brush the chicken with approx. 1 tbsp olive oil. Grill the chicken breasts for about 8 minutes, then use tongs to flip over. Continue grilling on the reverse side for about another 6-8 minutes, until cooked through but still moist. Remove from heat and transfer to a shallow dish. Pour the lemon juice over, and allow the chicken to cool.


While the chicken and pasta are cooking, chop the peppers , onion, olives and dill, thinly slice the celery, and combine in a large**** bowl. Toss together with the cooked pasta. Remove the chicken from the dish, making sure to reserve the juices. Slice the chicken thinly, and add the slices to the penne mixture.


In a small bowl, combine the reserved chicken and lemon juices with the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, a few grinds of black pepper and a few dashes salt, to taste. Whisk well, them stream in the olive oil as you continue whisking. Pour the dressing over the penne mixture and toss well. (Go ahead and lean over the bowl and smell the fragrant dill, the bright lemon . . . . ) Check seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Adapted from Gourmet, June 1990

*Hmm, OK, now I’m a little worried I’m ratcheting your expectations up a wee bit *too* high. OK, maybe this can’t compete with, say, a seared filet mignon with caramelized shallots and red wine reduction, BUT it is the best darn pasta salad I’ve ever had. And this is the internet. I can’t just stand next to you modestly and say with eyes downcast “Oh, this is just a little something I threw together”, while slipping a little on to your plate. If you’re ever to taste this, I have to be convincing enough to get you off the couch, out to the store, shelling out some cash on the groceries, then heading back home for some time in the kitchen . . . So! Most amazing pasta salad ever! Now, grab your keys, switch off the Desperate Housewives of Wherever, and off you go!

** If you feel like spending a bit more, this is excellent with more chicken.

*** Hooray for sales on dried pasta!

****Really, you’re probably going to want to drag out your most humongous bowl for this. I at first got out my only moderately monstrous dish, and found myself looking down into it apprehensively half way through: “Uh-oh, I think I’m going to need a bigger bowl . . . “ And I did.


Nutritional Facts
Amount Per Serving

Calories 308.7	Vitamin A 12.9 %	Iron 8.5 %
Total Fat 16.0 g	Vitamin B-12 0.5 %	Magnesium 2.3 %
Cholesterol 4.1 mg	Vitamin B-6 5.8 %	Manganese 3.9 %
Sodium 583.4 mg	Vitamin C 49.7 %	Niacin 4.3 %
Potassium 157.9 mg	Vitamin D 0.0 %	Phosphorus 2.7 %
Total Carbohydrate 35.7 g	Vitamin E 5.4 %	Riboflavin 1.6 %
Fiber 2.3 g	Calcium 1.7 %	Selenium 2.1 %
Sugars 1.3 g	Copper 1.7 %	Thiamin 2.3 %
Protein 6.6 g	Folate 3.7 %	Zinc 0.9 %

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Mango, Blueberry and Ginger Fruit Salad

Serves 8
Total Price: NY $9.56 / NY $13.15
Price Per Serving: NY $1.20 / $1.65

"Recessionipes Entertains: It's a Pity Party! (Part 1)"


A good friend of ours, let's call her Blondie, recently discovered that she too is soon to join the rising number of unemployed workers with fancy professional degrees and the student loans to prove it. We told her to come on over for some commiserating, gallows humor and, of course, emotional eating.

I think most of us have noticed that it's a lot cheaper to go out for brunch than it is to go out for dinner: the same rule applies if you're having people over to your home. Blondie, who is an excellent baker, whipped up some coffee cake and we provided a frittata and this fruit salad (Blondie's Apple Coffee Cake was moist, wallet-friendly and delicious, and we're hoping that with a little bit of peer pressure we can coax her into sharing the recipe!).

I've been making this fruit salad for years, because the flavor combination is so refreshing, and much more interesting than you usually get in a traditional fruit salad. Seasonwise, we jumped the gun a bit on this one: later on in the spring it will be both cheaper and more flavorful.


Ingredients

• 2 limes (NY $1.00)
• 1/3 cup water (free!)
• 1/3 cup sugar (staple)
• 2 large mangoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (NY $5.00)
• 3 cups blueberries (NY $3.56)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (staple, or NY $3.59 for 12 oz.)

Instructions
(Note: Be sure to make in advance: you'll want to let this marinate for a while before serving.)

Zest one of the limes using a peeler, and remove any white pith from the strips of the peel with a knife.

Juice both the limes (rolling them with your hand against a cutting board first to loosen up the juices.)

Combine zest, water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

Stir until all sugar is dissolved, then boil, uncovered approx. 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice.

Let stand for 20 minutes, then remove and discard the zest.

Toss together mangoes, blueberries, ginger and syrup in a large bowl and let stand until ready to serve (recommended: at least 30 minutes.)


Adapted from Gourmet, August 2003

Nutrition Facts

Approximate values per serving

Calories 115.6	Vitamin A 9.1 %	Iron 0.9 %
Total Fat 0.4 g	Vitamin B-12 0.0 %	Magnesium 2.0 %
Cholesterol 0.0 mg	Vitamin B-6 4.6 %	Manganese 8.5 %
Sodium 6.6 mg	Vitamin C 40.4 %	Niacin 2.6 %
Potassium 140.4 mg	Vitamin D 0.0 %	Phosphorus 1.2 %
Total Carbohydrate 30.2 g	Vitamin E 5.6 %	Riboflavin 3.5 %
Fiber 2.5 g	Calcium 1.0 %	Selenium 1.0 %
Sugars 18.0 g	Copper 4.6 %	Thiamin 3.9 %
Protein 0.7 g	Folate 2.9 %	Zinc 0.6 %

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Chipotle Turkey Tacos/Taco Salads with Pico De Gallo

12 Tacos
Total price: NY $24.07 (plus leftover cheese, cilantro, chipotles and tomato sauce)
Price per taco/taco salad: NY $2.00


The other night, the LBUH developed a craving for old school suburban tacos. None of this fancy fish in a soft tortilla stuff I’d been feeding him before our finances took a turn for the worse. I wasn’t willing to fry up a pound of ground beef or use orange-colored seasoning from a pouch, so this recipe was a successful compromise. (So successful that it had the LBUH walking around the house singing “Taco, taco, taco!”)

The instructions below incorporate my mother’s patented trick to keep taco shells from breaking. Her method allows the juices from the turkey mixture to soak into the shell, which makes it just pliable enough that it won’t crack but not so much that it turns to mush and all the fillings tumble out the botttom. Personally, I like this best as a taco salad so I pounce on any that happen to break (which, thanks to Mom, won’t be many).


Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (staple)
• 1.3 pounds ground turkey breast*(NY $5.29)
• 2 medium onions (NY $ 1.69)
• 1 red pepper (NY $ 1.15)
• 2 cloves garlic (NY $0.59 for one head)
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce** (NY $1.79 for 7 oz. can)
• 1 cup tomato sauce*** (NY $1.49 for 15 oz. can organic)
• 1 rounded tbsp chili powder (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• ½ cup water (free)
• 12 corn taco shells (NY $2.79)
• Romaine Lettuce (NY $ 2.99 for one head)
• 1 cup cheddar, monterey jack, or mexican blend cheese (NY $2.79 for 8 oz.)
• 3 tomatoes (NY $1.47)
• 2 small jalapeno peppers (NY $0.54)
• 4 tbsps cilantro leaves**** (NY $1.50 for 1 bunch)

Directions
Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Prepare pico de gallo: seed and dice tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, combine in medium bowl. Chop 1 onion and 3 tablespoons cilantro, add to bowl and stir. Salt to taste, and leave flavors to blend while you prepare tacos.

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat, until fragrant. Add turkey and brown (approx. 2 to 3 minutes).

Add remaining onions, red pepper and garlic and continue cooking until turkey is cooked through (approx. 3 to 5 minutes).

Stir in chipotles, chili powder and tomato sauce. Season with salt to taste, and stir in ½ cup water.

Reduce heat to low, and simmer for a few minutes.

Carefully remove taco shells from package and stuff with a few spoonfuls of turkey mixture. Place filled shells on cookie sheet, heat in oven for (approx. 3 to 5 minutes)*****.

For tacos: arrange filled shells on platter. Serve with bowls of washed, shredded romaine lettuce, cheese, and pico de gallo.

For taco salads: Arrange washed, torn romaine lettuce on plate. Top with pico de gallo, and crumble a filled taco shell over. Sprinkle some cheese on top.

Adapted from Rachael Ray******

* Most packages of ground turkey come in this seemingly odd size, while most recipes call for just a pound. One of the things that I love about this recipe is that it doesn’t leave you with a leftover 1/3 pound of turkey.

** Freeze leftovers for another use.

*** Ditto!

**** For info on storing cilantro, see earlier post.

***** The filled shells keep well in the fridge. To reheat, either pop them in the microwave or back into the oven at 350 degrees.

****** That’s right, Rachael Ray. I understand that there are many who can’t stand Rachael Ray, but I’m a fan. I get that her cutesy expressions can rankle, and her portion sizes are humongous, but I think she gets people in the kitchen cooking when they might otherwise have gone to KFC. And there can be no doubt that that is a good thing. Now if you want to bash on Sandra Lee and that semi-homemade nonsense, then be my guest!


Nutrition Facts
Calories per taco (including cheese, pico de gallo and lettuce)

Calories: 168.1	Protein: 14.2 g	Magnesium: 6.9 %
Total Fat: 6.5 g	Vitamin A: 24.0 %	Manganese: 10.5 %
Saturated Fat: 1.1 g	Vitamin B-12: 0.9 %	Niacin: 3.8 %
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4 g	Vitamin B-6: 9.0 %	Pantothenic Acid: 2.7 %
Monounsaturated Fat: 2.3 g	Vitamin C: 46.2 %	Phosphorus: 11.3 %
Cholesterol: 22.1 mg	Vitamin D: 0.0 %	Riboflavin: 4.6 %
Sodium: 533.2 mg	Vitamin E: 5.9 %	Selenium: 5.2 %
Potassium: 248.2 mg	Calcium: 8.1 %	Thiamin: 5.4 %
Total Carbohydrate: 15.6 g	Copper: 4.7 %	Zinc: 3.7 %
Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g	Folate: 9.9 %
Sugars: 1.2 g	Iron: 5.7 %

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump