Hot Plate and Microwave: Making One Version of the Tightwad Gazette Universal Casserole

These recipes are meant to encourage those who feel like an alien in the kitchen. So, don't worry too much when you make mistakes.

Also, I am currently in Mexico so things are a bit different for me.

This is Tightwad Gazette author, Amy Dacyczn’s original recipe:

1     cup main ingredient

1     cup second ingredient

1-2  cups starchy ingredient

1 1/2  cups binder

1/4  cup goodie

seasoning 

topping

Main ingredient: tuna, cubed chicken, turkey, ham, seafood

Second ingredient: sliced celery, mushrooms, peas, chopped hard-boiled eggs

Starchy ingredient: sliced potatoes, cooked noodles or rice

Binder: cream sauce, sour cream, can of soup

Goodie: pimiento, olives, almonds, water chestnuts

Topping: potato chips, cheese, bread crumbs

Choose one item from each category except topping and mix together. If mixture is dry, add 1/2 cup milk or stock. Transfer to buttered or greased casserole. Add topping.

Bake 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes.

 ***********

This is what I have:

1 can of salmon, drained (main ingredient)

1/2 14 oz can of champiñones (mushrooms), drained (second ingredient)

1 pkg of spaghetti (about 8 oz) (starchy ingredient)

1 can of crema esparragos (creme of Asparagus soup) (binder)

3/4 can water

5 aceitunas (olives), diced (goody)

about 10 leftover wheat crackers, crushed (topping)

Plus, I have no oven just a microwave and an electric stovetop.

I started the spaghetti on the electric stovetop.

Then, I went looking for the almonds I thought I had somewhere in the house. The search turned into a re-arrangement project as I searched several locations.

Couldn’t find them. My guess is somehow I managed to throw them out accidentally. So, I choose olives instead of almonds. The spaghetti was done by then.

I have cans of tuna but in Mexico they are not chunk-like, more like a tuna soup. But, I had been wanting to use my can of salmon, so here goes.

I am assuming you drain the tuna or salmon. I did.

After struggling to open the can of salmon with two different can openers, I used the lid to hold it against the salmon to drain the liquid. Subsequently the lid got stuck down in the can. I almost got my finger stuck between lid and can trying to get it out. But, finally used a knife to get that very sharp edged lid out.

After draining the spaghetti, I put it in the casserole bowl. Then, I mixed in the other ingredients except the topping.

I used roughly one-half of the can of salmon and had to separate the salmon with a fork.

Now, I really questioned using creme of asparagus soup. Was this dish going to be green? I went ahead anyway. I also added about 3/4 cup of water.

Then, I began “dicing” the olives. Another mistake, I had gotten a jar of olives with the pits (con hueso). They were probably cheaper. So, I sliced the olive meat off around the pit and added it to the casserole.

I tossed and mixed the ingredients with a fork.

Then, with the crackers in a bag, I smashed them with a spoon and added as topping.

Now, into microwave for 15 minutes. If it takes about 1 hour to cook a dish in an oven, it will take about 15 minutes in a microwave. Also, the wattage of the microwave may affect the cooking time.

Voilà! -- It’s eatable and tasty. What started out looking like a dish for Klingons came out looking “normal.”

It was a bit dry but I liked it because I did not want it soupy.

Also, my noodles were a little chewy when I started but once cooked twice they came out nice.

Next time, I may use the salmon juice and add 1 cup of milk instead of water. Maybe the almonds will have turned up by then.

 

Frugal Grocery Shopping in Mexico

While I don't have a car here in Mexico, my sources for groceries are quite varied.

I live in Historic Centro in Merida. If I go one block east, there a tienda (mom and pop connivence store) where I can get soda, orange juice, bread, rice, noodles, snacks, eggs, yogurt, raisins, lunch meat and more. Plus, I can get some spices, fruits, vegetables like: garlic, bananas, pears, onions, potatoes, avocados, pepinos (cucumbers), tomatoes, bell peppers, and chili peppers. If I go one block west, there are two tiendas with similar selections with some variations.

I can go to Paseo de Montejo and walk north several blocks up to Chedraui's, a Mexican grocery chain.

Now, from my experience Mexican grocery stores don't have regular sales like in the states. They do have some items on sale but I haven't figured out where they advertise the sales. If I find an item I use frequently on sale, I stock up.

Once I am done, I catch a cab home at the corner near the Mexican National Monument (Monument a la Patria).

Or I could go to the Santa Ana market, an open air market and get freshly butchered chicken or pork as well as many of the spices, fruits and vegetables mentioned and more.

Pepinos from HoboTraveler

When I first came to Mexico, I tried to price various items from various sources to get an idea of where the best prices were -- I am still working on this because sometimes food vendors will give you the "foreigner" price which is higher than the Mexican price.

Stocking up on items I use frequently and limiting my visits to the grocery store saves money because I am not tempted to spend more than I intended and I save on cab money.

New Cookbook in Progress

My experience writing, researching and formatting recipes and information for Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook was positive and educational. So, I have decided to write another one during 2014.

My approach is to research recipes online and in books. Right now, I am rereading The Complete Tightwad Gazette since the author, Amy Dacyczyn, offers frugal recipes and grocery shopping ideas. I am always inspired by her.

I am also perusing my Mexican Nueva Salsa cookbook by Rafael Palomino and Arlen Gargagliano. I am hoping to increase my repertoire with Mexican and Yucatán-inspired dishes.

Plus, I will dig into my recipe collections.

What usually happens is that I adapt recipes I feel I can handle to suit my tastes, my budget and my skills.

What readers of my Cookbook do not see are my little disasters.

For example, I had wanted to try to make "Stovies", which are really boiled potatoes. Sounds simple right?

Here's the original recipe:

8 red potatoes, peeled and cut in half vertically
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter
Place potatoes halves in a pot with 1/2 inch water or milk
Season potatoes
Cook on medium heat for 15-40 minutes

Ok, here goes, do I use water or milk? Because I was low on milk, I used half water and half milk.

I added olive oil instead of butter, and 1/2 a cube of chicken bullion.

Also, I have two medium, white Mexican potatoes.

After washing the potatoes with soap and water, I still worried about potato bacteria as I peeled the potatoes.

Then, I had to chase the half peeled potatoes across the counter because once they were peeled, they were slippery and hard to hold in order to cut in half.

After setting the potatoes in the milk/water broth, I seasoned them with pepper and garlic salt.

At 5:58pm, I turned the electric stovetop to "medium." Who knew really, since the dial had no indicators.

At 6:14pm, I realized I had turned on the back burner instead of the front burner. They are not marked. This time, I took white nail polish and marked the burners F or R, respectively.

Soon after, I checked the potatoes and the liquid was boiling, there did not seem to be a low setting on the stovetop.

6:18pm, Checked and found the potatoes cooking on low now, not done, not even close. Tried 4 different settings. Now I wonder if they are cooking at all. Tried another setting.

6:57pm, They are cooking at a low boil. Fine. They will be cooked thoroughly.

7:07pm, They are done. They tasted pretty good. I added a little bit more salt.

In the end, I always feel like I spent an inordinate amount of time cooking even a simple dish and then I face a sink full of dishes.

In Mexico, the real landlords are the ants. They send out tracker ants looking for microscopic morsels of food and then after communication is made, streams of ants come to help bring home the booty. So, cleaning up immediately is essential.

This is why eating out can be so attractive. But, as a frugal cook, I accept the challenge to continue to create a diverse menu of frugal, tasty, "healthy" meals.

Here are the ingredients I used: 

2 medium, white Mexican potatoes, peeled and cut in half vertically
about a cup of milk and water mix
1/2 cube of chicken bullion
black pepper
garlic salt
a dab of olive oil

add milk and water to pan to fill with 1/2 inch of liquid
add chicken bullion and stir
set potatoes in broth
season with black pepper, garlic salt, and a dab of olive oil
cover
cook on low for 15-40 minutes until done
check to make sure they don’t stick

Ok, when I do this again, I will use a slow boil because the potatoes were hard and took a long time to cook on low.

UPDATE:

I had 1 potato and the leftover broth from making the stovies. I poured the broth into a glass casserole dish; cleaned and peeled the potato and placed the two halves in the broth and seasoned. I cooked the potatoes in the microwave for 15 minutes and it came out --- drum roll -- Perfect!!!

50% off Gina's Dream

Smashwords is offering Gina's Dream for $1.50 for 30 days.

Go to: https://www.smashwords.com/

Use the coupon code: QS34B and get 50% off.

Any questions or problems, send me an email at ria.stonemail@gmail.com.

Enjoy.