something new from something old

Tonight's meal plan was supposed to be my beloved coconut curry lentil soup.  The fridge, however, is filled wiht leftovers.  This has been an ongoing issue, with me on a special diet, but still making meals for a family of 5.  Leftovers have been piling up.

Last week, I made an enchilada lasagna type casserole thing...and all three children were less than impressed.  The hubby liked it, but it was a lot leftover for one person to eat.  So I decided to serve it tonight.

But wait!  I decided to play with it so that it didn't look just like the meal they had rejected the week before.  Lightbulb!

I took the leftover meal, and diced it up.  Added a drained can of black beans.  Mixed in a pan.  Then topped with mixed shredded mozza and cheddar cheese.  Baked. Voila!  They all ate it.

Go figure.

So, what are your tips for creating something new out of something old?  I can't be the only mom who has used this trick before ;)

Taco Bake

I'm wondering how I never posted this before.

Anyhow, this is one of my easy, fast, go-to recipes...and it's not even a real recipe! Part tex-mex, part lasagna, part "use what you got", it's a snap to put together.

Here is the basic format.
-tortilla wraps
-cheese
-filling

I layer a tortilla in a pie pan, and top with filling. Add another tortilla, a bit of cheese with the filling, then top with a third tortilla, and then add grated cheese on top of that. Bake at 350 until the whole thing is hot, and the cheese on top is melty and gooey. So simple!

The creative part comes in the filling. I've done ground beef with taco seasoning, with or without beans added in. I've used up a tex-mex bean and veggie combo. I've done my favorite lentils and rice. You can do just about any combo of tex-mex type fillings with this, you are only limited by your imagination! Tonight, I cooked up a cup of red lentils, and added a can of navy beans and a generous shake or 6 of taco seasoning. Yum! Serve with some fresh sliced veggies, and you are good to go!

Pumpkin Crock Pot Oatmeal

I had some homemade pumpkin puree in the fridge, and I haven't wanted to make more cupcakes (even though they were delicious!) or muffins or other delicious baked goods with it. I have 3 more pumpkins we grew this year in the house, and I need some good ways to use them that aren't all baked goods. Oatmeal!

Here goes:
4 cups water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/3 cup oats (use old fashioned 10 minute oats, unless you like serious mush)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix in crockpot, and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Serve with milk and nuts.

I threw it all in the crockpot and started it at the end of Lost (midnight). By 7:30, the house smelled delicious, and it was fully ready to go. I did a double batch, and there is enough for the kids to have it again tomorrow. I bet it would be good with raisins, but I'll only be able to guess at that. I'm the only raisin fan in the house. It's a custardy texture with the old fashioned oats. The kids liked it, I did too, and the husband found it a bit too mushy for his liking. 4/5 liking it isn't a bad rating around here!

lentil and brown rice casserole

ok, ok. It sounds about exciting as dishwater. Let me assure you, this is tasty, easy and cheap!

3/4 cup of dried red lentils
3/4 cup of brown rice
can of tomatoes - 14 or 28 oz. I like diced.
chopped onion (if you insist. lol)
1/2 tsp each of basil and oreagno
3 cups stock (use less if putting in more tomatoes, more like 2.25 cups)

mix in large casserole dish. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours - stir it every 1/2 hour or so. Remove lid and sprinkle with 3/4 to 1 cup grated cheese and broil uncovered until cheese melts. Delish! Goes well with a salad and bread.

one pot chili and cornbread

I spent the day working my yard sale, and am now definitely sick with some nasty head cold. Regardless of how I feel, the kids still want to eat. Time to pull out some comfort food that is also easy food. Ahh, yes. One pot chili and cornbread!

Start with a basic chili. I like to do a vegetarian one, to keep it cheap and easy. Just saute up some diced peppers in my cast iron pot, add in some taco seasoning, a can of tomatoes, some tomato paste (about 3 tbsp) and some water and let it mellow on the stove. After about 5-10 minutes, toss in some beans. I like chickpeas and red kidney beans, myself. Both are cheap and easy, with a quick rinse and add in to the chili.

Meanwhile, I make my cornbread topping. This is adapted from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, adapted because we like dairy here.

1 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil

Preheat your oven to 400, mix vinegar and milk, let sit.
Mix dry ingredients. When milk has soured (5 minutes or so), stir in your oil, then add to your dry ingredients. Mix just until all is wet. Then spoon on to your chili and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

If you don't have a cast iron pan, you can toss your chili into a big dish, then add the topping. But why wouldn't you want a cast iron pan? Oh, that's right, you might like to use your shoulders for more than heavy lifting. ;)

If you want, toss some grated cheese on top of the cornbread before serving. Yum!