Kate's Cuisine

2 tablespoons canola oil $0.14
1 medium onion, chopped $0.47
3 cloves garlic, chopped $0.01
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes $0.23
1 tablespoon dried basil $1.38
1 tablespoon dried oregano $0.60
1 can crushed tomatoes $1.19
Kosher salt $0.01
Ground black pepper $0.01
1/2 cup all-purpose flour $0.07
2 eggs   $0.40
1/2 cup water Free!
1 cup bread crumbs $0.42
1/2 cup cornmeal $0.10
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided $2.99
1 cups mozzarella cheese $1.50
1 large eggplant $1.19
1 large zucchini, or 2 small medium $1.40
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped $0.50

Total Cost    $12.61

1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Place the canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the dried basil, oregano, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes.

3.) On a work surface set up a breading station with 3 bowls: in the first bowl add flour and season with salt and pepper; add eggs and water to the second bowl and beat lightly; in the third bowl place the bread crumbs, the cornmeal, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.

4.) Slice the eggplant and the zucchinis into 3/4″ slices. One by one, dredge them first through the flour, then the egg mixture, then the bread crumb mixture. As each piece of vegetable is done, place on a baking sheet. Continue all eggplant and zucchini have been breaded.

5.) Drizzle all vegetables lightly with canola oil. Place in preheated oven and bake until golden and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes.

6.) When eggplant and zucchini are finished cooking, remove from oven and preheat the broiler.

7.) Spread a little bit of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish. Then, in a single layer, place eggplant. Directly on top of eggplant, place a layer of zucchini and alternate with another layer of eggplant on top of that, and then another layer of zucchini. Alternate these layers until no eggplant or zucchini are left.

8.) Cover the entire top with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Place under broiler for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling.

9.) Remove from oven, sprinkle entire top with chopped parsley and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

10.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Eggplant and Zucchini Parmesan review here

Why have just Eggplant Parmesan when you can have Eggplant and Zucchini Parmesan? This is a dish that my girls and I often go to when it’s time for a vegetarian meal, but we still want something really hearty. Go ahead and serve crusty bread and salad with this recipe; but I find that just a slice of this ooey gooey casserole and a robust glass of red (straight up white milk for the girls,)  is usually enough. And while my older daughter really doesn’t like zucchini all that much, I can get it past her when it’s covered in tomato sauce – and all that cheese!

For the beef:

8 slices of bacon $2.40
1 tablespoon olive oil $0.06
3 pounds lean stewing beef $12.30
1 carrot, sliced $0.17
1 onion, sliced $0.47
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1/4 teaspoon pepper $0.01
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour $0.02
3 cups of full-bodied red wine $13.71
2 – 3 cups beef stock $1.50
1 tablespoon tomato paste $0.59
2 cloves mashed garlic $0.02
1/2 teaspoon thyme $0.40
1 bay leaf, crumbled $0.16

For the mushrooms:

2 tablespoons butter $0.12
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, cut in half if large $1.99

For the onions:

18 – 24 small pearl onions, peeled $4.99
1 1/2 tablespoons butter $0.09
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil $0.09
1/2 cup of red wine $2.28
1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs $0.50
1/2 bay leaf $0.08
1/4 teaspoon thyme $0.20
Salt $0.01
Pepper $0.01

Total Cost    $42.18

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Slice bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4″ thick and 1 1/2″ long.) In a Dutch oven, cook bacon for 6 – 8 minutes, until browned and crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon from the pot and drain on paper towel. Reheat the fat in the pan until it is near smoking before adding beef.

3.) While bacon is cooking, rinse stewing beef and thoroughly pat dry. Make sure the beef is entirely dry, as it will not brown otherwise.  Add the beef to the hot fat in the skillet, in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, and sear until all sides are nicely browned, turning regularly. Remove from pan as batches are complete and set aside with bacon.

4.) To the hot oil in the pot, add sliced carrot and onion. Saute, until all vegetables are browned, stirring regularly. Pour out the sauteing fat.

5.) Return the beef and bacon to the pot and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to lightly coat the beef. Place Dutch oven onto the middle rack of the preheated oven and cook for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return it to the oven for 4 more minutes. (This browns the flour and gives the meat a nice crust.) Remove Dutch oven and turn oven down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

6.) Stir in the wine and enough beef stock so that the meat is just barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a boil over high heat on top of the stove. Then cover the Dutch oven with aluminum foil or a lid and place in the lower portion of the preheated oven. Check on heat every so often, making sure that the liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You will know the meat is done when it tears apart easily with a fork.

7.) While the beef is cooking, prepare the mushrooms and onions, starting with the onions: In a separate skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When sizzling, add onions and saute for about 1o minutes, rolling onions around so that they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins; you cannot expect to brown all onions uniformly.

8.) Into the onions pour the red wine, season to taste, and add the herbs. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated.

9.) While the onions are braising, prepare the mushrooms: In a separate skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat. Once the foam of the butter has begun to subside, add mushrooms. Toss and shake in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. While they saute, the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes, the fat will reappear on the surface and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

10.) When they are finished, set both the onions and the mushrooms aside until you need them for the bourguignon.

11.) When the meat in the Dutch oven is tender, pour the contents into a sieve placed over  a saucepan. Give the Dutch oven a rinse, dry quickly and return beef and bacon to it. Place the mushrooms and the onions over the meat.

12.) Skim fat off the sauce in the saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or two over medium-high heat, skimming off more fat as it rises. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce that is thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, add a bit more stock. Taste carefully for seasoning; pour the sauce over the vegetables.

(Recipe may be completed in advance up to this point and kept in fridge for up to a day.)

13.) To serve: Cover the Dutch oven and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and the vegetables with the sauce several times.

14.) Serve (in the Dutch oven or a separate dish) and enjoy!

Read my review of Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon here

What can you say about this signature dish from the greatest cook I personally believe has ever walked the planet? I dare not critique this recipe; I will however, tell you a few things I did differently (only out of necessity, I swear, Julia) and where I got the recipe from – so you can see it in beloved Mrs. Child’s own words.

Julia’s original recipe calls for bacon rind as well as bacon lardons – and my bacon didn’t come with rind on it. Because of that, I just browned it the way I always do. I was also unaware that Julia’s bourguignon recipe called for pearl onions (for shame!) and was so disappointed that I didn’t have any on hand – they’re my favourite part of any stew and I can imagine they’d be just to die for in this recipe! Instead, I chopped green onions into long 3″ slices, the white parts only, and braised those the way Julia indicates in her recipe.

Everything else I tried to keep pretty much the same as she says and I can tell you, the meat truly does melt in your mouth. It’s so incredibly tender and flavourful it more than makes up for the fact that you’ve just spent the day cooking it. Julia also says in Mastering the Art of French Cooking that the onions and mushrooms can be made days ahead of time, and just added when needed. And of course, you can prepare most of it and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to just bring it to a simmer and serve to guests. And Julia actually says that this gives the flavours a chance to truly mingle and develop.

Make her signature dish, feel Julia cheering you on as you go, and know that as Julie Powell  (played by actress Amy Adams) says, “Everything’s gonna be all right.”

To see how Julia Child wrote it out herself, you can find her Boeuf Bourguignon recipe here.

2 large carrots, peeled and julienned $0.34
1/2 English cucumber, julienned $0.60
1/2 cup Spanish onion, cut into very thin strips $0.37

For the dressing:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil $1.00
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar $0.01
1 teaspoon mustard $0.02
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar $0.42
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1/2 teaspoon black pepper $0.01

Total Cost    $2.78

1.) Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a jar with an airtight lid. Shake vigorously and set aside.

2.) Place the carrots, cucumber, and onion in a large bowl. Give dressing another shake, then pour over vegetables. Stir to entirely coat vegetables with dressing.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Carrot Salad review here

I created this dish over the summer, while the carrots were sweet and fresh out of the ground and deserved a chance to truly be showcased. This delicious appetizer is perfect any time of the year though and, if you prepare it and let it sit overnight in the fridge, it’s that much tastier. And the sauce will soften the vegetables just a tiny bit, making this salad just about perfect!

4 cups quick oats $0.50
1 cup roughly chopped almonds $1.10
1 teaspoon kosher salt $0.01
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg    $0.11
1/2 cup melted butter $0.45
1/2 cup packed brown sugar $0.10
1/4 cup honey $0.41
1 teaspoon vanilla extract $0.22
1 cup dried cranberries $1.47
1/2 cup raisins $0.42
1 cup hot water Free!

Total Cost    $4.79

1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.) Place raisins in very hot water to reconstitute them and plump them back to life.

3.) In a large bowl combine oats, almonds, salt, and nutmeg.

4.) In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, honey and vanilla. Whisk well and pour over oat mixture. Toss to combine and spread granola on prepared baking sheet.

5.) Bake 20 minutes, stir carefully and then continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a large bowl. Add dried cranberries and raisins, mixing to combine. Allow to cool completely.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the Wholesome Honey-Baked Granola review here