Kate's Cuisine

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice $0.42
Zest of one lemon $0.65
12 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped $0.47
1/2 red onion, finely chopped $0.33
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped $0.77
1 tablespoon dried oregano $0.60
2 tablespoons olive oil $0.36
3 cups vegetable stock    $0.75
Salt $0.01
1 tablespoon olive oil $0.18

Total Cost    $4.54
Cost per serving $1.14

1.) Combine uncooked rice, vegetable broth, olive oil, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil, then immediately turn heat down to medium-low. Cook, covered, until rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed.

2.) Remove rice from heat and add lemon zest, cherry tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, and oregano. Fluff with a fork until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Mediterranean Rice recipe here

One night after working on a Mediterranean cookbook for a client (I’m a content writer by day,) I went to cook dinner and couldn’t get all those wonderful Mediterranean ingredients out of my head. Looking through my fridge, I took out just about any ingredient I saw that might fit the mood, and then I looked for something to throw them all in. Of course, rice! It’s relatively bland, good for letting all those other delicious flavours pop out; and rice just has a nice body to it that works as a nice base for everything else.

To top everything off, this dish is another one that’ll please the vegetarians in the crowd and it’s cheap too!

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces $0.51
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2″ pieces $0.45
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces $0.34
5 tablespoons olive oil $0.90
1 onion, thinly sliced $0.47
1 large zucchini, cut cross-wise into 1/4″ thick slices $1.40
Salt $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper $0.01
4 plum tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4″ thick slices $1.25
1/2 cup grated Parmesan $1.50
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs $0.10

Total Cost    $6.94

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Toss the potato, bell pepper, carrots and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss until all vegetables are coated. Spread vegetables evenly over the bottom of the pan.

3.) Arrange the onion slices over the vegetable mixture and arrange the zucchini over the onion. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange the tomato slices on top of the zucchini.

4.) In a small bowl, stir the bread crumbs and the Parmesan together to blend. Sprinkle the Parmesan mixture over the entire vegetable casserole. Drizzle with the last of the olive oil.

5.) Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Tomato Vegetable Casserole Review here

This dish comes from Giada De Lauretiis, who I’ve just loved ever since I first saw her on Giada at Home. Of course, when I saw the dish was created by her, I had a good feeling about it. The episode this recipe appeared on was titled Dinner Party Delivery so maybe that points to the fact that it’s a good dish to bring along to a dinner party? Or to make while you’re hosting one? Either are good, as are most casseroles, because it can mostly be prepared in advance and then just popped in the oven when it’s time.

Aside from the fact that it’s Giada’s, I love this dish for so many reasons! It’s a casserole, it’s vegetarian, and it’s a side dish – three things that I am always looking for! Not that I abstain from meat but there are a few nights when it’s just me and the girls because hubby needs to work late; and I like to take those opportunities to get some purely veggie meals in. Generally they’re all for it. I did serve this as a side dish the night I made it and I got mixed reviews. Paige doesn’t eat zucchini so she was slightly turned off from the get-go; and veggie-craving Maddie ate it all up, and then asked for more.

And me? I liked it, however it was a bit dry. The next time I make it (and I will make it again) I might make a creme fraiche to drizzle over it just when it comes out of the oven (topped with some capers maybe? Yum!)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped $0.68
3 tablespoons olive oil $0.54
1 medium onion, diced $0.47
2 cups vegetable stock $0.99
4 ears corn, with corn cut off $0.68
2 teaspoons salt $0.02
Freshly ground black pepper $0.01
2 cups half and half cream $1.76

Total Cost    $5.15
Cost per Serving $1.29

1.) In a Dutch oven or other large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and onions to the pot and turn to coat everything in oil. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

2.) Pour in the vegetable stock and stir in the corn. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pot. Simmer for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.

3.) Warm the half and half in a small saucepan until it’s hot and just about to boil. Stir constantly so that the cream does not burn to the pot. Remove the pan from the heat just until it boils and then add to the chowder. Remove chowder from heat.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Corn Chowder Review here

A lot of corn chowder recipes have bacon or ham added to them. And even though I love the saltiness of both ingredients, I find that it really takes away from the sweetness of the corn – which is the best thing about this recipe if you ask me! I could probably even do without the potatoes in it, but you do need something else in there that’s a little heavier than just corn and cream.

Other than the great taste of fresh, sweet corn, the thing I liked best about this recipe is the fact that it only takes about half an hour to make. But while I loved it, my girls did not (not even Maddie, the adventurous one!) so I can’t give this one the child-friendly stamp of approval just yet. Maybe offering it a few more times will change that. And if it doesn’t, that just means more corn chowder for me!

3 pieces round beef marinating steak, cut into strips 1″ thick $11.07
1 green pepper, thinly sliced $0.45
1 onion, thinly sliced $0.47
2 cloves garlic, minced $0.02
2 tablespoons vegetable oil $0.12
3 tablespoons butter $0.18
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour $0.02
2 cups beef stock $1.00
3 tablespoons sour cream $0.30
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce $0.12
1 tablespoon dried thyme $1.60
1 tablespoon paprika $0.48
1 teaspoon ground mustard $0.03
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped $0.50
1 package egg noodles $1.99

Total Cost    $18.35

1.) Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add beef strips to skillet, turning to coat in oil; cook in batches if necessary. When all of beef is browned, remove from skillet and set aside.

2.) Lower heat under skillet to medium and add onions and green peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until onions just start to brown and peppers just start to become soft.

3.) To the skillet add garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and thyme. Stir to mix and cook for about 2 minutes.

4.) Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and allow to melt. Add all-purpose flour and stir to combine thoroughly. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until  butter and flour mixture just starts to brown.

5.) Slowly add in beef stock, whisking to thoroughly mix. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and then lower heat to medium. Add beef back to pan, stir, cover, and cook for 10 – 15 minutes.

6.) Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add egg noodles, stir, and lower heat. Cook, for about 5 – 8 minutes until done, drain.

7.) Uncover skillet with meat mixture, remove from heat and add sour cream; stir to combine. Once noodles are drained, plate and spoon sauce and meat mixture over top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here