Kate’s Cuisine

Another old-time classic!

1 pound ground beef $4.11
2 cups cooked rice $0.35
1/2 cup bread crumbs $0.21
1 medium onion, chopped $0.47
6 cloves garlic, minced $0.06
1 head green cabbage $0.99
1 can diced tomatoes, drained   $0.99

Total Cost  $7.18

1.) The night before, make sure your head of cabbage is in the freezer, whole and in tact. The next morning, take out the cabbage and allow it to thaw. Once it has thawed, peel off the leaves and cut of the hard stem at the bottom of each leaf.

2.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.) Mix all ingredients except for the cabbage and the diced tomatoes in a large bowl.

4.) Take one of the separated cabbage leaves and hold it in your hand so that you can see the inside of the leaf. Place into the leaf a small amount of meat mixture. Fold one side of the cabbage roll over and then tuck the end over the folded piece. Fold the other side in over the tucked in edge piece and fold the other end over so that the entire cabbage leaf has enclosed over the meat mixture.

5.) Lay the finished cabbage roll in a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and continue on with the rest of the cabbage leaves, filling them with the meat mixture and laying them in the prepared pan. Make sure you lay the cabbage rolls down in the pan seam-side down to ensure that they don’t pop open while cooking.

6.) Spoon the tomatoes evenly over the cabbage rolls.

7.) Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 90 – 105 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes after removing them from the oven.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

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Cabbage rolls do take quite a bit of work but it’s always well worth it! I’m the only one who likes them in my family so when I make them, I freeze most of the tray in smaller portions and have them ready for whenever I want them. Instead of freezing the cabbage to loosen the leaves, you can also drop it in rolling boiling water for about 60 seconds and then give it enough time to cool so you can pull the leaves off. I’ve done it both ways and usually use the freezer method only because I find it easiest.

You can also not remove the hard part of the stem at the bottom of each leaves if you don’t want to. Most people only do this because it does make the cabbage a bit easier to roll, and you only have leaf to eat and not big thick core. But if that’s how you like to roll, leave it there. It won’t hurt the rolls anyway.

A wonderful way to cook this light and delicious fish!

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese $1.50
1/4 cup butter, softened $0.22
3 tablespoons mayonnaise $0.15
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice $0.08
1/4 teaspoon dried basil $0.12
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper $0.01
1/8 teaspoon onion powder $0.01
2 pounds tilapia fillets $10.00

Total Cost  $12.09

1.) Preheat your oven\’s broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

2.) In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

3.) Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

I was wary of this recipe when I first found it at Best Tilapia Recipes. It wasn’t how I had imagined cooking the fish when I bought it and any recipe with ‘creamy’ and ‘any type of fish’ in the same title, just scares me. But nevertheless, I was courageous enough to try it and I’m glad I did.

The dish doesn’t look like much once it’s done cooking. But I knew it was going to be good as soon as I had mixed the sauce together. It’s the kind of thing that just smells good sitting on the countertop. It is nearly impossible to get any part of this fish crispy so, don’t even try. But it’s buttery and cheesy and creamy and delicious. And, super easy too!

Now that you’ve thrown the turkey in the oven and are thinking about dessert…

Recipe for Flaky Pie Crust $0.89
5 cups peach slices, peeled and pitted $1.65
1 1/4 cup white sugar $0.24
1/2 cup flour $0.11
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste $.24
1 teaspoon lemon juice $0.02
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces $0.12
1 tablespoon milk or cream for brushing the top crust $0.02
1 tablespoon sugar for the top crust $0.01
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg for dusting the top crust $0.04

Total Cost  $3.34

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.) Roll out the pie crust bottom and tops according to directions leaving enough overhang to fold underneath. Place the bottom pie crust evenly in a 9″ pie pan or ceramic pie dish and set aside. Fold the top crust in half and place a towel over it so it doesn’t dry out.

3.)Toss together gently in a large bowl; peaches, sugar, flour, spices if desired and lemon juice.

4.) Fold into prepared pie crust and dot with cold butter.

5.) Fold other pie crust over the top of the pie and cut small slits in it to create steam vents. These will also help you know when the pie is done cooking because the ooey gooey fillings will start to bubble and ooze out of them!

6.) Bake for 45-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown. If the edges start to brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil around the rim.

7.) Remove to cooling rack and let cool for 30-60 minutes.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

I’m not only not a huge pie fan but I also am no baker. So the fact that I can make this dish and have it turn out to be done to absolute peach perfection, and be able to say that I’ve found a great recipe, is truly something! The only other pie I’ve made from scratch turned out to be a flop and I really am not a huge fan of pie but I had an overflow of frozen peaches and wanted to do something great with them. And this was truly it! I even did a lattice top but without the proper technique and I don’t even think you can tell all that much. And I also forgot to brush the top with milk before throwing it in the oven. I caught that and pulled it out ten minutes later to do the brushing and it still turned out wonderfully. So, not only is it easy but it’s also pretty fool-proof.

Imagine now that I have conquered peach pie, all the other pies that are out there just waiting for me to make them! Maybe there is some baker in me after all!

This pie crust is everything you think of when you think ‘perfect pie crust.’

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $0.44
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 cup solid vegetable shortening $0.44
3/4 cup cool water (not cold) Free

Total Cost  $0.89

1.) Measure flour and salt into a large bowl making a well in the middle. Put shortening into the well.

2.) Coat both hands with flour well. Being careful not to touch the shortening, break up the shortening into chunks. This is an important step. Do not allow the heat from your hands to touch the shortening. Try to have as little contact with the shortening as possible.

3.) With both hands, work the flour into the shortening using a circular, rubbing motion, always keeping contact with the flour, not the shortening. Continue to pick up more flour as you go and continue to incorporate it into the shortening.

4.) Continue until the dough starts to look like small peas and the shortening is completely incorporated into the flour (there should be no large chunks of shortening still left.)

5.) Pour half of the water in, gathering the dough into a small ball. Continue adding the water very slowly until the dough just comes together and is soft enough to form a ball and hold its shape. Do not knead the dough as you would with bread dough.

6.) Once the dough can be shaped into a ball, divide it up into 3 or 4 equal portions. Cover the dough and refrigerate for later, freeze, or use now.

Read the review here