New Cookbook: The Batch Lady: Cooking On a Budget

Hello, My Lovelies!  Today's What I'm Reading Wednesday post is very special.  It's all about my new cooking obsession:  The Batch Lady: Cooking on a Budget by Suzanne Mulholland.

I think The Batch Lady is a genius!  Every recipe I've tried my whole family has loved, and the beauty is that I am saving so much time in the kitchen.  I'm also saving money,  planning menus more efficiently, and learning best practices for freezing food in advance.

About The Batch Lady: Cooking on a Budget by Suzanne Mulholland

Best-selling author The Batch Lady is back with a budget-busting book to create fresh and satisfying meals without breaking the purse strings.

Shop once.

Get organized, plan ahead and create fresh and satisfying meals without breaking the bank.

Cook once.

Over 100 delicious, simple and energy-efficient batch-cooking recipes that will satisfy the whole family and fill your freezer.

Save money all week.

Learn to hack your monthly bill, save your hard-earned money and eat well on a budget.

I have flagged family favorites so far.  I'm getting quite a bit of mileage out of this outstanding cookbook!

My Review:

The book blurb is correct:  You will eat well!  What I love most about this book is that it allows me to plan and cook early in the week, and then when the weekend rolls around, I pack the cooler from what I've frozen and take it to our lake cabin.  This allows me to enjoy lake activities while spending much less time in the kitchen.  I prepped earlier this week for Memorial Day Weekend, and although we are planning to eat dinner out a few nights, breakfast, snacks, and lunch is frozen and ready to go.

I can think of so many super applications.  Here are just a few:

• Busy weeknights
• Holiday preparations
• Church potlucks
• Hostess gifts
• Picnic lunches (especially on the boat)
• Meals for expectant mothers

If you gift any of these make and freeze ahead recipes, you can make pretty cards with cooking instructions for the recipient.

The only warning I would give to my American readers is that Suzanne is Scottish, so expect a few metric measurements in the recipes.  Use your conversion app because the book is fantastic!

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is Smoky Chicken Burgers.  I've made the burgers a few times, and it's an easy recipe and delicious recipe!  We will throw this batch on the grill during Memorial Day Weekend.  They are prepped and frozen, so all we have to do is defrost them overnight in the fridge, and then grill.  

Smoky Chicken Burgers (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound minced chicken

1 t garlic granules

1 t smoked paprika

1/2 c breadcrumbs 

1/2 t salt

1 egg, beaten

Not many ingredients

Procedure:

1.   Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and use your hands to mix everything together until well combined.  

2.   Divide into four equal sections and form into patties.  If you want to cook them now, skip down to number 6.

3.   If you're making ahead to freeze, cut four squares of parchment paper a little larger than the patties.  Stack patties placing paper between patties and on top and bottom.  You will need six parchment squares in all.

4.   Transfer to a labeled freezer bag and freeze for up to three months.

5.   When ready to cook burgers, take the number of burgers you'd like to cook out of the freezer and place them in the fridge overnight.

6.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.  

7.   Remove parchment paper and place patties on baking tray.

8.  Cook for 25 minutes until lightly golden.  Make sure that the interior temperature is 165 degrees F.

Cook's Notes: 

1.   It's easy to mince chicken in a food processor.  There are tutorials online if your butcher won't do it for you.  We used ground chicken this time, but we grill our burgers on the Big Green Egg until 165 degrees F.  (Usually on a hot grill, 4-5 minutes per side).

2.   I've also tried this recipe with ground turkey, and it was good!

3.   You could also cook them in an iron skillet with 2T olive oil once heated on M heat 4-5 minutes per side.  Again, make sure you use your meat thermometer!

4.   One of the main reasons that we like this recipe is because in case of inclement weather, we can always cook inside, and the smoky paprika makes it taste like it's been grilled.  Options are friendly!  ;P

5.   I used Italian breadcrumbs from The Fresh Market.

You can see the cooked smoky chicken burger in the photo from the cookbook at the top of the post.

I encourage you to visit The Batch Lady's website HERE.  There's information about Suzanne, her books, and many recipes.

 

Disclosure:  I'd like to thank Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy of The Batch Lady: Cooking On a Budget in exchange for a fair and honest review.  

Until next time..

Happy cooking!
Ricki Jill

New Cookbook: The Batch Lady: Cooking On a Budget

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Cookbook And a Recipe For the New Year

 

Happy Boxing Day, My Lovelies!  I hope you had the best.  Christmas.  EVER!  I know I did!

Are you thinking about the new year yet?  Do you want to live a healthier lifestyle in 2023?  If you answered yes to either question, I have the cookbook for you:  The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes To Live To 100 by Dan Buettner.

Here's a little information about the book according to Goodreads:

Best-selling Blue Zones Kitchen author Dan Buettner spent years uncovering the Blue Zones--the five places around the world where people consistently live to or past, 100--and sharing lifestyle tips and recipes gleaned from these places. Now, creating your own Blue Zone at home is easier than ever, thanks to plant-forward recipes in this inspiring book--all developed right in our own backyard.

In Blue Zones American Kitchen, Buettner uncovers the traditional roots of plant-forward cuisine in the United States. Following the acumen of heritage cooks who have passed their recipes from generation to generation, Buettner uncovers the regions and cultures that have shaped America’s healthiest food landscapes, from Hmong elders living in Minnesota to Quakers in New England. Along the way, he illuminates both traditional and revolutionary ideas in vegetarian food with recipes from chefs like executive chef James Wayman, “the Gullah chef” Bill Green, and “the Cod Chef” Dave Smoke-McCluskey.

With wisdom from more than 50 food experts, chefs, and cooks around the country, Buettner’s road trip across America sheds light on some of its most under-recognized plant-forward communities as Buettner shares the ingredients, recipes, and lifestyle tips that will make living to 100 both delicious and easy. And the proof is in the pudding: 49 Blue Zones Project Cities have demonstrated that eating the Blue Zones way can alleviate obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and more.

Filled with 100 tasty recipes, from Pennsylvania Dutch apple dumplings to Southern Hoppin’ John, Blue Zones American Kitchen will change your diet--and your life. 

My Review:

I've spent 2022 focused on my health.  I'm working very hard to make healthy choices in all areas of my life, including what I eat.  I was thrilled to be asked by TLC Book Tours to be a part of the tour for Blue Zones American Kitchen by Dan Buettner.  I won't repeat the book blurb, however I will say that these American recipes seem more relatable and easier to make than similar recipe books.

There are five chapters:

1. Indigenous, Native, and Early American
2. African American
3. Latin American
4. Asian American
5. Regional and Contemporary American

Although I read the book, I only had time to make one recipe before writing this post.  I chose a recipe from New Orleans chef Serigne Mbaye of Dakar Nola because it has black-eyed peas in it for New Year's Day.  I made a trial run to make sure my family enjoyed it first, and it was a huge hit.  It's a Southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for luck.  The next time we're in New Orleans, we're planning on eating at Dakar Nola:  It's located on Magazine Street in the heart of Uptown.

There is a terrifying story Serigne Mbaye tells about his enslaved ancestors who were fattened-up by black-eyed peas and palm oil by slave traders.  Slaves had to weigh a minimum of 125 pounds before they could be transported via ship, and those who refused to eat it were shot.  

Reading about the history of this soup makes me so sad; however, Mbaye's version is very healthy, comforting, and delicious!  We will enjoy it again on New Year's Day, 2023.

The Last Meal:  Sweet Potato and Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup black-eyed peas, soaked in water for 3 hours (I use Camellia beans)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green pepper, diced (I used a yellow pepper)

3 tomatoes, diced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups water

3 tablespoons palm oil (or coconut oil)

Procedure:

Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas.

Heat a stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, green pepper, tomatoes, cayenne, and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is caramelized, about ten minutes.

Add the vinegar to the pot and deglaze it.

Add the black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, and water, and bring to a simmer.  Cook until the black-eyed peas are very soft.  Add the palm oil and more seasoning if needed.  Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Using an immersion blender, or in batches in a countertop blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Reheat the soup just before serving and serve hot.

Cook's Note:  If you want to save time, I think it would be fine to drain and rinse canned peas.  Also, when I served it, I added a little olive oil and fresh cracked black pepper.  

Another Southern New Year's Day tradition is eating greens (like collard greens) for greenbacks (money).  

Does this recipe appeal to you?  I have flagged 18 recipes from this book I want to try at the beginning of 2023:  I'm a fan!   I want to thank TLC Book Tours for asking me to be a part of the tour.

Below is an IndieBound affiliate link:

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Cookbook And a Recipe For the New Year

Monday, December 26, 2022

Classic Christmas Cake Recipe

 

Happy Thursday, My Lovelies!  My bestie Barbara lent me this vintage Martha Stewart Christmas craft and cookbook: She thought I'd get a kick out of it, and I did!  Look how young Martha looks!  It was published in the late eighties.  (I am a huge fan of hers, by the way...)

If you ever need a recipe for cassoulet that serves 100 people, then this is the cookbook for you!  Also, it is a very unique book because the pictures in it are super dark.  They convey a wintry atmosphere reminding the reader of short days, cold weather, and comforting meals.

I enjoyed reading about her projects.

Most of her gift ideas were surprisingly easy, and the way she wrapped them were also simply beautiful.  

 

But not all of the recipes and projects are over the top.  I found a simple recipe for sour cream cake, and I think it is the exact one my grandmother used to bake!  You probably have practically all the ingredients in your kitchen (right now!) to bake it.

Sour Cream Cake

Makes one 5" X 9" loaf

Ingredients:

1/2 c unsalted butter

1 1/2 c sugar

4 large eggs, separated

1 c sour cream

2 t lime juice

1 t grated lime zest

1/2 t almond extract

1 3/4 c sifted cake flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 325.  Butter and flour the loaf pan.  

Cream the butter and sugar until light.  Add the egg yolks, sour cream, lime juice and zest, and almond extract.  Continue mixing until fluffy.

Sift together the dry ingredients and stir into the sour cream mixture.  Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold into the batter.

Fill the pan 3/4 full with batter and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

The almond extract and the lime juice and zest make the batter smell heavenly.

Y'all, this cake is delicious!  Bake it for your family during the holidays!

Until next time...

Merry Christmas!

Ricki Jill

Classic Christmas Cake Recipe

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Cookbook Review: The Fast Five

Happy Wednesday, My Lovelies!  For today's What I'm Reading Wednesday post I'm sharing one of the most practical yet unique recipe books ever:  The Fast Five:  shortcuts to deliciousness by Donna Hay.  I've already tried several of her recipes from this book, and we enjoyed them so much.  

About The Fast Five:

Donna Hay, Australia's most trusted and bestselling cookbook author, returns with a book that you'll want to cook and eat from time and time again - the ultimate collection of fast, delicious recipes for busy families.

From bestselling cookbook author Donna Hay comes the recipes you've been waiting for. The Fast Five is all about taking your favorite recipes and reimagining them in faster, more delicious ways.

All-time classics and old stand-bys - lasagne, pasta, tacos and more - are reinvented with midweek twists which focus on cutting down time and upgrading flavor. Weekly go-tos are given a new lease on life, as Donna takes tried-and-tested recipes and gives them a fresh new twist. For example, the weekly taco night moves from straight out-of-the-box ready-made to fresh and delicious fit-for-a-restaurant, with five flavorful variations made inclusive for all tastes and preferences. With fresh salsas and sides, a fully-fledged feast comes fresh to the table in minutes.

Whether you're looking for ways to improve on your favorites or for a total kitchen refresh, The Fast Five will bring you new fast new fabulous flavor combinations - all done without ever straying from your repertoire of go-tos made in ways you've never tried before.

My Review:

Y'all, this is such a practical cookbook because its focus is upgrading recipes you cook every month.  The reason it's entitled The Fast Five is because it takes a fresh look at common recipes and teaches the reader five different ways to upgrade them!  I have not put this cookbook away on my cookbook bookshelf since its arrival:  I keep it out and I've referred to it every week.  

Let's face it:  we are creatures of habit.  We can easily get into a rut when it comes to cooking.  Why not give your family's favorite recipes a makeover?  So far the recipes I've tried are not hard; they are perfect for weekday meals.  The taco ones are fantastic!  Your Taco Tuesdays will never be the same.  Here are a few of the recipes included in the book that are made over five different ways:

• spaghetti
• tacos
• salsas
• burgers
• meatballs
• flourless cakes
• smoothies

These are my favorites, but there are 32 total categories in the cookbook!  Some are companions, like tacos and salsas, or flourless cakes and frosting.  Another super-cool feature of this book is that some of the recipes have QR codes you can scan and watch Donna make them!  

This is the recipe I want to share with you from the cookbook today:

Caramelized Balsamic Onion Pasta

The reason I chose this one to share with y'all is because Mr, Bookish chose it, and I was a little skeptical because I'm not a fan of the onion like he is.  But goodness gracious me, it is fantastic!

One thing you need to know before you purchase this book is to have your metric converter handy, but that little bit of inconvenience is worth it!

Ingredients:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

4 onions, sliced 

1 T chopped tarragon leaves

sea salt and cracked black pepper

1/3 c balsamic vinegar

1/4 c good quality chicken stock

1/4 c caster sugar

14 oz dried spaghetti

5 1/2 T butter

1 1/2 c grated gruyère cheese

fried sage leaves and finely grated parmesan, to serve

Procedure:

Heat a large deep frying pan over medium heat.  (I used one of my Lodge cast iron skillets that's about five inches deep.  This recipe requires a lot of onion, and if your pan isn't large enough, you're in big trouble.  A large cast iron dutch oven should work.)

Add the oil, onion, tarragon, salt, and pepper.  Cover with a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes.  (don't worry: I was concerned the onions on bottom would burn but they didn't.  Put the lid on it and don't mess with it until the timer dings).  

Remove the lid, add the balsamic vinegar, stock, and sugar and cook for 5-7 minutes or until caramelized.  Set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.  TIP:  Pasta water should taste like the ocean, so don't skimp on the salt!

Return the pasta to the pan over low heat.  Add the butter, gruyère cheese, pepper, and the reserved pasta water.  Stir through to coat.

Divide the pasta between serving bowls and top with the balsamic onion, fried sage leaves, and parmesan.

Serves 4....4 very hungry men.  I think it serves closer to 6-7 people.

TIP for frying sage leaves: 

Fry sage leaves in grapeseed oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat until crispy.  Drain on a paper towel.  These crisp-up REALLY FAST!  In seconds!  Don't skip this step because the fried sage leaves truly complement the onion and cheeses.

Full disclosure:  I added the magical sparkles in Canva, but I do feel that this recipe *is* magical! 

The next recipe I'm trying this week is also a pasta recipe:  Silky Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Crumb.  You can also try it HERE on Donna Hay's website.  I just subscribed to it, by the way.  

So what do you think?  Are you interested in learning new techniques for weekday stand-by recipes?  

Disclosure:  I received a copy of The Fast Five from publisher Harper Collins (4th Estate Books) in exchange for a fair and honest review.  Thank-you!

Below is an IndieBound affiliate link

What's for dinner at your house tonight?

Until next time...

Bon appétit!

Ricki Jill

Cookbook Review: The Fast Five

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Summer Salad Recipe

 

Happy Tuesday, My Lovelies!  How's your week progressing so far?  I cooked a few dishes over the weekend, and I want to share this salad recipe with you.

When I was waiting to check out at one of our local libraries last week, I noticed the above diabetic cookbook in the new books section.  I picked it up and started looking through it, and I thought that several of the recipes sounded very good.  I checked it out, brought it home, and our youngest daughter must have been very bored because she looked through it, too, and selected recipes to try.  The book is entitled The Easy Diabetes Cookbook by Mary Ellen Phipps, RDN.  More about the author later.

The first recipe I tried was the Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese.  My family loves goat cheese, and the recipe is meant to rest for a couple of hours before serving, meaning I could prepare it earlier in the day.  Plus, it's been very hot here lately, and I like to restrict the use of the stove and oven.  The link above is for a similar recipe on her blog.  

I took a photo of the salad while in the mixing bowl, but I forgot to take one when I plated it.

I'm an idiot!  I often forget to take photos because I'm easily distracted, especially at mealtime!  

Mediterranean Pasta Salad With Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) box of chickpea penne pasta, cooked, rinsed, and drained

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1/2 red onion sliced into thin strips

1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup oil packed artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup broccoli florets

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 T dried Italian spices (or oregano)

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t black pepper

4 oz. crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup shaved parmesan

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients except the pasta and make sure that all the ingredients are coated with the olive oil.

Add the pasta and gently stir to combine.

Let the Mediterranean Veggie Pasta Salad sit for at least 1-2 hours in the refrigerator to marinate.

Cook's Note:  I was very skeptical about the chickpea pasta, but it was a huge hit with everyone.

Not only is Mary Ellen a registered dietician, she was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young child.  I am now following her blog, and she has written many helpful posts for diabetics as well as good information for living a healthy lifestyle in general.  Everyone can benefit from reading it.

Here is a link to her website, and here is a link to her blog.  She also offers several FREE DOWNLOADS that are brilliant!

I ordered this recipe book for us.  I'll be using it for almost every meal this week, and I hope my copy comes in soon because since it's a new book; I can't renew it at the library.

IndieBound Affiliate Link

What are you cooking for supper tonight?  Or do you call it dinner?  I'm cooking Grain-free Parmesan Chicken from the cookbook!  

Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Summer Salad Recipe

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Adventures in Recipe Books: Chocolate Ricotta Mousse Cups from The Forest Feast

Happy Friday, My Lovelies!

Lately, I've been making recipes I've never tried before from my favorite recipe books.  This week I made a super-easy Chocolate Ricotta Mousse Cup from Erin Gleeson's The Forest Feast.  I own a couple of her books, and I love how easy her recipes are, and her tips for entertaining are fantastic, too.

If the book sounds familiar, I featured it and a few of Gleeson's other products five years ago.  Here is the LINK to that post and recipe.

What I love most about this book:  Almost all of the recipes have four or fewer ingredients.  They feature fresh produce, which I love!  Plus Erin is an artist, and her illustrations are so pretty.  Not only will this book make your tummy happy, it is also a feast for your eyes!

Chocolate mousse should count as a comfort food, especially when it's hot outside.  My best friend gave me the little parfait glasses, and I love them.

Erin added real whipped cream and chocolate shavings to her mousse.  I decided not to do so and save the calories.

What I love about this recipe is there is just a wee bit of sugar in it, and you can choose the type of chocolate you use.  If you want it more bitter, use a bitter chocolate; if you want it a little sweeter, choose a German chocolate baking chocolate.  Here is the LINK for the chocolate ricotta mousse cups recipe.

I have completely reorganized our kitchen and tiny pantry.  Nothing blog worthy, but it has made me fall in love with the space all over again.  It's amazing what a little organization and editing can do for any space!

What is your go-to summertime comfort food?  I think I've found a new one!

Below is an IndieBound affiliate link for The Forest Feast.  Just click on the book!

Thank heavens for my local indie bookstore, Little Professor.  They have curbside pick-up service.  So does my little local library.  Our libraries are still closed, but we can order books to pick-up from a table outside.  I'll share more about that next week.  Little professor is also selling and shipping fun activity packets so that parents and grandparents can supervise little mini at home day camps for kids.  Use the link above to check them out!
Thanks for reading my blog, and please take the time to leave a comment so I know you've stopped by.
Until next time...
Happy reading!Ricki Jill

Adventures in Recipe Books: Chocolate Ricotta Mousse Cups from The Forest Feast

Friday, July 31, 2020

Hot Chocolate Round-Up *plus* the Very Easiest and Best Hot Chocolate Recipe *ever*

Happy Thursday, My Lovelies!  Sometimes we need a little comfort, a little something to help us get through a difficult day.  Maybe you've been deeply hurt by someone you love, or maybe you need a jolt of energy to make it to dinner.

As women, we all love chocolate.  I don't know many women who don't love it, at least in my small world.  And warm sipping chocolate?  Heaven, I tell you!  

This is my favorite time of the year.  I enjoy eating dinner outside and watching post season baseball and Hallmark movies by the fire.  Sometimes I indulge in homemade hot chocolate for dessert fireside.  It's a delicious and soothing end to the day.  It's filling and comforting!

Today I need that comfort.  I need to feel like everything will get better.  It's not just the situation in Las Vegas.  I can't even fathom the gut-wrenching hurt the families of victims are going through today.  I'm sure my hurt pales in comparison.  If I could, I would make hot chocolate for each of them (even though it's still hot in the dessert) and hug them, pray with them.

No, my hurt involves betrayal.  I've never given my trust or love easily, but when I do, I'm devoted and fiercely loyal.  But sometimes people let you down.  They don't care about your gift to them....they are disloyal.  This hurts.  It hurts when evil wins.  Yes, I use the word evil because what else would you call something that destroys something precious?

Bookmark or pin this page.  It will come in handy if you have a hurting child, a niece who's constantly bullied by the mean girls, a friend who's having a difficult time at work, or any other situation where someone's feelings are hurt, or if his or her spirit is broken.

Mine is broken today, but I refuse to allow my situation to define me, or to take away my joy forever.  

Here is a collection of a few of my favorite hot chocolate recipes.  I hope you try one or two, either for yourself or for someone you love.

Hot chocolate is comfort in a cup!

Click on the link below each photo.

My Favorite Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

Shanley Belle's Favorite Hot Chocolate

Mary's Favorite Hot Chocolate

Scroll down for this one....it's really thick!

And now I'd like to share with you the very easiest hot chocolate recipe ever.  I found this on Genius Kitchen, and it is delicious.  

There are only two ingredients:  Milk and Nutella!

Nutella Hot Chocolate

1 1/3 c milk

3 T hot chocolate

Whisk together 1/3 cup milk with the Nutella in a small saucepan over medium heat until blended.  Add the rest of the milk and increase the heat to medium-high and continue whisking mixture until hot and frothy.

That's it!  This is one of the best tasting hot chocolates ever!

This was my breakfast this morning.  It made me feel a little better, and it certainly filled me up!  

I think I need to do a bit more research on hot chocolate.  I'll read this book and get back to you about what I learned.

Hot chocolate is the best comfort food or drink there is.  What about you?  What brings you comfort?

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill

Hot Chocolate Round-Up *plus* the Very Easiest and Best Hot Chocolate Recipe *ever*

Thursday, October 5, 2017