Fillo Cups with Almond Cream

January 30, 2013 by 1 Comment

fillo cups with almond cream

 I picked up these cute little Fillo Cups at Cub Food recently, not quite sure what to make with them.  I knew I wanted to make a dessert.  And that I had cream cheese, heavy cream and ricotta already in the fridge.  Basically, I landed on this recipe in an effort to use up what I already had.

The nice thing about Fillo cups is their flexibility.  You can put just about any filling inside them and they’ll look elegant, which makes them great for parties or special dinners at home.  I made these to go with my Italian-themed dinner for Scott the other night.  We had a wonderful braised beef as our first course and these little cuties as dessert.

Frugal Tips:  Use up what’s in your refrigerator!  If you’re like most families, you’re throwing hundreds of dollars in food away each year.  If you can’t use you what you have by its expiration date, freeze it for later use.

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Fillo Cups with Almond Cream
 
A sweet filling for fillo cups, cannoli or other pastries
Ingredients
  • ½ of a 15-oz. container ricotta cheese, strained (I used a coffee filter to strain it)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 C. confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ C. heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
Instructions
  1. Whip ingredients in a mixer until well blended.
  2. Pipe the filling into the fillo cups with a pastry bag
  3. Top with a raspberry, blackberry, or piece of chocolate – get creative!

 

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With:

Homemade Asiago Cheddar Crackers

January 26, 2013 by 1 Comment

homemade cheese crackersThese yummy homemade cheese crackers are based on my Homemade Cheese Straws recipe, they just are cut with a tiny fondant cutters  instead of made into straws.  Don’t have Asiago cheese?  Not to worry!  This dough recipe is very flexible.  Substitute a wide variety of cheeses and spice combinations, based on your favorite flavors and what you have at home already.

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Homemade Asiago Cheddar Crackers
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Better than store-bought!
Ingredients
  • 1 C. grated sharp Cheddar cheese
  • ½ C. grated asiago cheese
  • ¾ stick butter
  • 1 C. flour
  • 1½ Tbsp. milk
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. seasoning (I used Tuscan seasoning)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine cheese and additional ingredients to form a pliable dough. Roll dough to ⅛” thick. Use a fondant cutter to create fun shapes, or simply use a knife to make squares. Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: ,

French Toast Cupcakes

January 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

french toast cupcakes

This recipe is for all those people who believe in eating dessert first!  Is breakfast too early for a cupcake?  I think not!  This French Toast Cupcakes recipe was originally posted over on Mommysavers.com.  It’s a fun way to use up day-old bread.  Plus, you’ll win extra points with your kids if you give them cupcakes before school!

Frugal Tips:  Look for French bread on the reduced bakery rack at Walmart.  I can get it for around $1 per loaf!

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Ingredients
  • ½ loaf French bread, cubed (or any kind of stale or day-old bread)
  • ½ C. sour cream
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 1¼ C. half and half (use milk to make it even more frugal)
  • 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted and cooled
  • ¼ C. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • Cool Whip Frosting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread cubes in a mixing bowl. Combine other ingredients and pour over bread cubes, stirring to saturate completely.
  2. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and inside is baked through.
  3. Allow to cool slightly and top with vanilla Cool Whip Frosting.

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Filed Under: Desserts, Muffins and Rolls Tagged With: , ,

Cabbage Roll Soup

January 22, 2013 by 1 Comment

cabbage roll soup

This Cabbage Roll Soup recipe is pure comfort food on cold winter nights.  Plus, any time you use veggies like celery, onions and carrots (the “trinity”) as the base of your recipe, it’s going to be frugal and healthy.  Cabbage, ground beef, and tomatoes added that authentic cabbage roll flavor.  Serve with crusty bread (I get day-old French bread at Walmart for 40% off).

Frugal Tips:  I had enough leftovers for three lunches of this meal, which I served over rice.  Serving left over soups and stews over rice, pasta or a baked potato is a great way to make your meals go even further.

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Cabbage Roll Soup
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 C. sliced baby carrots
  • 2 stalks of celery, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 6-8 C. beef broth (depending on if you want it more of a soup or stew)
  • ½ head of cabbage, core removed sliced in strips
  • ½ C. uncooked white rice
Instructions
  1. Liberally salt and pepper your ground beef, and sprinkle paprika on top. Using your hands,work the spices into the meat.
  2. Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Brown ground beef until no longer pink and remove with slotted spoon.
  3. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the stock pot. Cook until translucent and semi-soft. Drain any excess fat.
  4. Add ground beef back into the stock pot with the vegetables. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer on low for 45 minutes. Add cabbage and uncooked rice. Simmer until rice and cabbage is soft, approximately another 30 minutes.
Filed Under: Soups and Stews Tagged With: , , ,

Crock Pot Indian Food: Chana Masala

January 15, 2013 by 9 Comments

crock pot indian food chana masala

Ever since the new Indian restaurant opened down the street, I’ve been an Indian food junkie.  I wasn’t entirely new to Indian food; we’ve had it when traveling, but my experience was spotty at best.  Slowly, I’ve been working my way through the menu and hitting upon some favorites.  Among them, Chana Masala.  I recently made it at home in the crock pot and it’s super-easy.  Because the main protein in the dish is chickpeas, it’s also frugal –and healthy, too.  Definitely a win-win!

Frugal Tips:  Indian spices are not always cheap, but they’re necessary for authentic flavors in Indian cookery.  Think of them as an investment in frugal cooking.  Over time, the money you save cooking Indian food at home (which is pretty frugal) will more than make up for the initial financial outlay.

3.0 from 1 reviews

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Crock Pot Indian Food: Chana Masala
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 4 C. water
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
  • ⅓ C. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tsp. garam masala
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like more of a kick)
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained
Instructions
  1. Combine everything except the chickpeas in a crock pot and turn on low for 6-8 hours. Add chickpeas, and cook 2 more hours until they’re tender and have incorporated the Indian flavors. Serve over Basmati rice.

Find more recipe inspiration on Mommysavers:

 

Filed Under: Crock Pot Recipes Tagged With: , , ,
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