Kate's Cuisine

When I was trying to get some ideas on how to make the very best Cream of Asparagus Soup by searching online, it didn’t take me long to find out that there are about a zillion ways to make this dish (just like anything else, right?) Unfortunately, there weren’t any that I liked through and through. So, I gathered what I liked from each recipe and came up with this. It’s tasty, it’s cheap, and it’s really just got a few key ingredients so you don’t have to have a fully stocked pantry in order to make it. But is it kid-friendly?

It depends on your kids, I guess. Maddie, who loves vegetables (especially the GREEN ones!) didn’t care for asparagus in its pureed form. Paige on the other hand, who’s a carnivore like her dad, gobbled this soup up and absolutely loved it; so it’s hard to say. But, I loved it, and I’m super happy that I found something else delicious to do with asparagus!

1/2 pound lean bacon, finely diced $2.99
1 medium yellow onion, diced $0.47
2 cloves garlic, minced $0.02
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed $2.28
Salt $0.01
Ground black pepper $0.01
2 cups chicken broth $1.00
4 tablespoons butter $0.24

Total Cost    $7.02

1.) In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.

2.) Saute the onion and garlic in the bacon fat over low heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir them around so that they are coated with the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.) Add the broth and cook, covered, over low heat until the sprouts are easily pierced with a fork, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the butter and transfer the sprouts to a serving dish. Garnish with bacon bits and serve.

Read my review on Paula’s Brussels Sprouts here

Did you know that for the past 33 years, right up until making this recipe, I thought they were called “brussel sprouts”? When I saw that Paula Deen had them listed as “Brussels sprouts” in her recipe, I found it highly interesting – and thought probably (but couldn’t tell for sure) that they were named after Brussels, Germany. I had to find out if my logical hunch was right and after looking it up, I found out that it was! It’s probably not something I should admit to many people; but it just proves once again that there’s so much education to be had in cooking!

Anyways, on with the recipe. This one’s a keeper, but I don’t advise it if you don’t like the taste of Brussels sprouts. I’ve had some sprout recipes in the past where people have told me “they taste nothing like Brussels sprouts,” and they actually don’t. It’s fine for me either way, I love these mini cabbages any way you can cook em! But if you’re one that doesn’t care for them, I’m not gonna lie  and tell you you’ll love these ones – you probably won’t. Even though they do have the magic touch of Paula Deen herself!

3 cups spaghetti sauce $4.12
5 slices bacon, chopped $1.50
2 cups button mushrooms, stems removed $1.99
1 small zucchini, sliced $0.70
1 leek, white part only, sliced into rounds $0.75
5 cloves garlic, sliced $0.05
1/2 package penne rigate pasta $0.50
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese $0.75
Salt $0.01
Ground black pepper $0.01
1 pound ground beef $5.69
1 tablespoon dried basil $0.57
1 tablespoon dried oregano $0.37
1 tablespoon canola oil $0.07

Total Cost    $17.08
Cost per Serving    $4.27

1.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add penne rigate and cook 7 – 8 minutes, about 3 minutes before the directions on the package. When finished cooking, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta.

2.) Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook 5 minutes, until nicely crisp. When finished cooking, use a slotted spoon to remove bacon bits and drain on paper towel.

3.) Add ground beef to pan, breaking it up as you do. Add basil and oregano, and stir to mix. Cook, until beef is fully browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a separate bowl and set aside.

4.) To the hot pan add the leeks and the mushrooms. Cook 3 – 4 minutes, until mushrooms are just starting to brown. Then add zucchini, stir to coat in fat, and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. Add salt, stir.

5.) To the pan add: beef, spaghetti sauce, pasta, and reserved pasta cooking liquid. Stir to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients.

6.) Remove skillet from heat and add bacon bits and Parmesan cheese to the pan; stir to mix.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Kate’s Cabaret Pasta review here

When I think of a cabaret, I think of everything good – good shows, good music, good wine, and of course, great food! That’s why when I created this pasta, full of everything good, I named it ‘Cabaret Pasta.’ And it’s not just all things that I think are good – this one’s a winner all around my table. It’s got enough meat in it to keep the two carnivores of the family happy, and enough veggies for me and Mads that we’re perfectly content to pick out all the colourful bits and keep them for ourselves.

Cheap, easy, and definitely one of the best pastas I’ve ever created, this one’s definitely a keeper!

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts $7.60
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $0.21
Zest of 2 lemons, divided $0.47
Juice of 2 lemons, divided $0.47
3 tablespoons olive oil $0.18
2 tablespoons butter $0.12
1/2 cup white wine $2.29
1 cup chicken stock $0.50
3 cloves garlic, sliced $0.03
2 tablespoons dried dill $1.57
Salt $0.01
Pepper $0.01

Total Cost    $13.46
Cost per serving $3.37

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse chicken and pat dry.

2.) In a medium-sized bowl place flour, zest of one lemon, salt and pepper. Mix lightly to combine. One by one, dredge chicken pieces through flour mixture so that all pieces are entirely coated.

3.) In a large skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When hot, shake off excess flour and add chicken, skin-side down, to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd them, cooking in batches if necessary. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes until nicely browned. Turn chicken over, and cook on other side for another 4-5 minutes until that side is also nicely browned.

4.) When all pieces of chicken have been browned, remove from pan and transfer to a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish.

5.) Add the garlic to the skillet and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for about 30 seconds.

6.) To the pan add white wine and scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan.

7.) Turn heat down to medium and add lemon juice, chicken stock, zest of other lemon, salt, pepper, and dill. Stir and bring to a light simmer. Simmer gently for 3 – 4 minutes.

8.) Pour sauce in the skillet over chicken in the casserole dish and place in the preheated oven.

9.) Bake for 30-40 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through and skin of chicken is nicely browned.

10.) Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

11.) Serve and enjoy

Read the Lemon Chicken review here

I’ve been making variations of Lemon Chicken for over a decade now, although I used to add a heavy dose of pepper for Lemon Pepper Chicken. With this version I’ve dropped the spice and just have tender and tart chicken left over. Paige loves anything that has to do with lemon, so this was a no-brainer with her; and Maddie liked the sauce part of it, because she could dip the rest of her dinner in it. And hubby? He loves lemon chicken, with or without pepper and I think at this point, is just happy when I put one of the classic dishes in front of him, and he doesn’t have to worry about me ‘experimenting’ too much.