In a world where convenience has become a necessity, and doing something oneself represents an eccentric, kooky artisanal concept, I'd like to push back.
With the E.coli scare on spinach (we are letting the FOOD INDUSTRY wash our own greens now?) behind us for now, I hope there's a lesson we've learned. It's actually an old lesson: if you want something done right, do it yourself. Notice that I didn't say done well. It's more of a moral issue these days, with chicken fried in lard and shortening without our knowing; trans fat snuck in foods if it is .5 grams or less per liliputian serving, and more.
Another reason for doing something oneself is saving money. As those of you who live near me or visit know, I make a lot of things myself, from mayonnaise (sometimes, when I can't bear to throw away multiple egg yolks), to syrups--iced tea and ginger and hibiscus for drinks, to cakes and sauces. There are two main reasons I cook things from scratch: more value for the money spent, and knowing what I eat when I, or you, take a bite. I do take a lot of shortcuts, but I try to be prudent and spend some time cooking and not only opening boxes. Check out the title link for frugal homemade meal ideas.
I often do refreshments after church, and it can get competitive, especially in the brownie department. I tend to make meals instead of snacks, so I can make them myself, save money, and use the rest for leftovers. Sunday was World Communion Day, so I did a more "global" theme than usual. I set a limit of $45, and I can stick to it with proper planning. Not everything is homemade; it depends on my mood & timeline. I also use my culinary control to have vegan, wheat-free, no sugar-added and peanut-free offerings as much as possible.
The menu
Doughnuts from Cherry Hill Farm Bakery. Scrumptious, homemade and a wide variety, including apple cider doughnuts. Yum! Plus, the price is right: $5.25 for 1 dozen fresh doughnuts. They also have a pesticide-free orchard--the apples have spots all over them; like beauty, they are only skin deep. The sad news is that this is their last season of operation.
Rice Krispies treats These are easy and CHEAP! And wheat-free! They are convertible to an organic vegan recipe by using organic puffed rice, ricemellow creme (sold at Glut) and Earth Balance margarine. But only spend the extra cash if you have junk-food-loving vegan/veggie friends, or if you are one yourself. The typical recipe calls for melting two tablespoons of unsalted butter. I add an extra tablespoon and let the butter turn golden, past the melting stage, for extra buttery taste. I add a pinch of salt, stir, then add a 10 oz?--it equals 6 cups-- pack of mini marshmallows. I stir this until it's a uniform creamy foam. Then, I add 6 cups of crispy rice cereal ASAP (save a lot by buying a store brand, or make it healthier/safer by buying from the health food store). *Spray a 9 X 13 (9 X 9 for extra thick) pan with Pam "butter" spray; then spray the spatula, too. Quickly dump the warm rice mixture in coated pan and shape with coated spatula. Wait until cool, then cut into squares. *Do this before you start for best results.
Black bean and corn salad This is ridiculously easy and cheap and filling and vegan and wheat-free salad....and it can be converted to chili con carne or chili con soy when you get home.
1 1-pound package frozen sweet corn 1 8-oz container fresh salsa (grocer's fridge) 2 10-ounce cans black beans
Heat the corn in a medium saucepan with drained liquid from salsa, dash cumin and a dash of salt and pepper (optional). Corn should be cooked through, about 8 minutes. Dump cold salsa in your final serving container, then add corn. This should prevent warping with a plastic container. Wiggle ingredients around & set aside. Next, wash the lids of the beans (!); open the beans; drain the purplish glop from them and rinse then drain well. In the same saucepan as before, heat the beans with 1 tsp. lime juice (or 1 tsp. lemon juice or 1/2 tsp. vinegar) and any other spices you like (but avoid garlic, if possible) for 10 minutes. Mix beans gently into corn salsa mixture. Chill. Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips. When you get home (with leftovers), brown whatever protein you're using in a little oil until liquid is gone & brown bits collect at bottom of pan (use a non-coated pan for best results). Add canned diced or fresh tomatoes with juices and cook until boiling. Then add corn-bean salsa. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve with your normal chili garnishes.
Ginger-pineapple punch
You only need 2 big "hands" of ginger--2 cans frozen pineapple concentrate-1/2 to 1 pound sugar & water. 1/2 pound sugar will make closer to 1 gallon; 1 pound sugar will make closer to 2 gallons. It's also delicious with Splenda.
Wash ginger, then peel skin off. If you have a peeler that won't "do" ginger, cut off skin carefully with a knife. Cut into thumb-size pieces. You'll need to do about 4 rounds with the blender. Add water to cover, then add 1 cup more each time. Chop, blend, then liquefy settings work on our blender. Strain each batch with a sieve. You should have a lot of chaff/fibers/gunk after each batch. However, a lot of the sediment will go through. Not a big deal. If you are making punch for a punch bowl, add a lot of sugar and just a little water to dissolve the sugar. If you are anti-white sugar, buy another can of pineapple juice. This should make 1/2 gallon liquid. It will be very concentrated. Add 5 pounds ice to ginger-pineapple concentrate in a very large punch bowl, and serve.
Asian cole slaw
This is a mayonnaise-based cole slaw. Use vegan mayo if you know many vegetarians will be present. I used 1 1/2 packs pre-cut cabbage slaw from the grocer. Seasoning paste: 1/4 cup or less of mayonnaise, maybe the same amount of tamari (use soy sauce if no tamari), tahini-2 heaping tablespoons, and 1 teaspoon wasabi. Then add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Make seasoning paste, then incorporate slaw mix. Chill & serve.
Last, but not least, Scotch eggs from the British Isles. They're considered pub food in the UK. These were a HUGE hit. What are they? Hard-boiled eggs wrapped in breakfast sausage, then deep fried for further artery damage and taste bud enhancement. The picture is above. I used turkey sausage instead of pork. I also added fresh parsley and garlic, and dried thyme and nutmeg to the sausage. Very tiring to make, although a wonderful treat. To make it wheat free, dip the hard-boiled egg in a beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water instead of flour before wrapping with sausage. I also used corn starch instead of bread crumbs. I cut the finished eggs into quarters. 1 dozen eggs, quartered, should subdue 20-25 people. Here's the recipe!
Bon appétit!
