Kate’s Cuisine

This risotto was good but it wasn’t so good that I would make it again. Firstly, it’s true what they say about risotto – it’s kind of a pain in the butt to make because you have to stand there and watch over it constantly. This recipe also didn’t come out creamy and beautiful like it promises. I found that the rice was somewhat hard and although there was a bit of creaminess to it, it wasn’t the luscious, flowing risotto that I had pictured in my head when I first thought of making it. That could have been a fault of the cook and not the recipe. It was after all, my first time making risotto. And I will try it again. Just not with this recipe.

1 pound stewing beef $5.25
Salt and pepper $0.02
1 cup all-purpose flour $0.22
2 tablespoons vegetable oil $0.14
1 medium onion, sliced $0.47
1 clove garlic, minced $0.01
1 green bell pepper, sliced $0.45
2 cups water Free

Total Cost   $6.56

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Season meat with salt and pepper. Then dredge the meat in flour and shake off the excess. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meat and transfer to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle garlic, onion, and green pepper on top. Pour in water and wrap with aluminum foil.

3.) Place in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until steak is tender and vegetables are soft.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

This dish is tasty but that’s not actually what I love best about it. What that would be is that it is so incredibly easy! Gather a few ingredients, combine them, and throw them in the oven! What could be easier? This is one of the recipes that I had with me when I moved out of my mom’s home eons and eons ago and it really is a good recipe for beginner cooks simply because it is so incredibly easy to make. And while I don’t make it all the time now, when I’m craving something that’s really beefy and savoury, or when I just don’t want to stand over the stove puttering over everything, this recipe is perfect!

Why buy it when it’s so easy to make?

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (one 1/4 oz. envelope) $0.33
2 cups warm water Free!
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $1.21
2 teaspoons fine sea salt $0.02
Extra virgin olive oil, for the bowl $0.02

Total Cost   $1.58

1.) Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour and the salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in an additional 2 cups flour; continue adding flour (up to 1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until dough comes away from bowl but is still sticky.

2.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead with lightly floured hands. Start by slapping the dough onto the counter, pulling it toward you with one hand and pushing it away from you with the other. Fold the dough back over itself (use a bench scraper or a wide knife to help scrape dough from surface). Repeat until it’s easier to handle, about 10 times. Finish kneading normally until dough is smooth, elastic, and soft, but a little tacky, about 10 minutes.

3.) Shape dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, 3 hours. Press it with your finger to see if it’s done; an indent should remain.

4.) Scrape dough out of the bowl onto floured surface, and cut it into 4 pieces. Shape into balls. Dust with flour, and cover with plastic. Let rest, 20 to 30 minutes, allowing dough to relax and almost double.

5.) Add toppings of your choice for traditional pizza or use for stromboli, panzarotti, or breadsticks. Place in oven and cook as directed in whichever pizza/stromboli, etc. recipe you’re using.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

This pizza dough is extremely easy to make but you will need to make sure you have at least 4 hours set aside to make it. That’s why when I make it I like to make two or three batches and throw whatever I don’t use in the freezer. I also find that this recipe is quite a bit bland. Chopping up basil and placing it in there or rubbing some sun-dried tomatoes into it would spice it up quite nicely! I usually use an old trick from one of my favourite pizza joints where I used to live: I brush the crust with garlic oil and then sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese. YUM!

I also have no idea who Chris Bianco is but apparently Martha Stewart does – I got this recipe from her site.

Butter, for baking dish $0.06
3 packages frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry $2.97
1 1/2 cups half and half $1.32
3 large eggs, lightly beaten $0.51
1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese 5.99
Coarse salt and ground pepper $0.02
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg $0.04

Total Cost   $10.91

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a shallow 1-quart baking dish.

2.) In a large bowl combine spinach, half and half, eggs, 1 cup of cheese, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and pepper; stir to combine. Spread evenly in prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake until set and top is golden brown, about 30 – 35 minutes. These can be prepared one day in advance and placed in the fridge. When ready to serve, take them out of the fridge and bring them up to room temperature and baking.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

This is a recipe that I got from Martha Stewart’s website and it is fantastic! I actually used goat cheese in place of Gruyere cheese and I think it turned out even better. (I mean really, who doesn’t like goat’s cheese?) It was also super easy to make with all of the ingredients being already chopped up, all you have to do is mix it up! And it makes a lot too. From this recipe, I got two of the dishes that are in the pic. And I’m a huge fan of anything that you can store for baking later!