Guru Goddess

A great treat to serve on the side for these chilly fall days.

What You Need:

 

3 large baking potatoes

1/4 C canola oil

2 t paprika

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

 

How to Make It:

 

Place the oven temperature on 425 degrees and allow the oven to heat while preparing the potatoes.

Line a baking pan with foil then spray the foil with a non stick cooking spray.

Wash the potatoes under cold water then pat dry.

Cut each potato into 8 even size wedges.

Place the oil, paprika, salt and pepper into a sealable plastic bag.

Seal and shake to mix the ingredients together.

Add the potatoes and reseal.

Shake until all the potatoes are covered well.

Remove the potatoes and place skin side down in the prepared baking pan.

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over all the potatoes.

Bake 35 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

 

Serving Size:  6

 

These potato wedges make a great side dish for any lunch. 

Serve them with a little sour cream or salsa and your loved ones will be in seventh heaven. 

What You Need:

 

1 (4 oz) pkg. pepperoni slices

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 C cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 C Italian dressing

1 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 (13.4 oz) pkg. refrigerated pizza dough

 

How to Make It:

 

Place the oven on 400 degrees and allow the oven to heat while preparing the pizza bites.

Spray a large baking pan with a non stick cooking spray.

Place the pepperoni in a mixing bowl.

Add the green pepper, onion and tomatoes to the bowl and toss to combine.

Pour the dressing into the bowl and toss again to make sure all the ingredients are covered well.

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the entire mixture.

Unroll the pizza dough and cut it into 2 inch pieces with a sharp knife.

Lay the dough pieces over the top of the pepperoni mixture.

Bake 10 minutes or until the top is a golden brown and the mixture is heated through.

Let stand 5 minutes then invert on a large serving plate.

 

Serving Size:  6

 

This is a fun and easy appetizers for children’s parties. 

Serve it with warm pizza sauce as a dip and watch them gobble it right up.

 

 

A great hearty side dish.

What You Need:

 

5 lbs. potatoes

1/2 C + 1 1/2 T butter, divided

1/2 C flour

2 1/2 C chicken broth

2 1/2 C half and half

4 egg yolks

1/2 C fresh parsley, minced

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1/2 C seasoned bread crumbs

 

How to Make It:

 

Place the unpeeled potatoes into a large kettle and cover with water.

Place the kettle over high heat and bring the water to a brisk boil.

Reduce the heat to medium, cover the kettle and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes or until they are just beginning to tender.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water.

Allow the potatoes to cool enough to handle.

Remove the skins and cut the potatoes into slices.

In a saucepan over low heat melt the 1/2 C of butter.

Once the butter has melted stir in the flour until smooth.

Add the chicken broth and cream.

Adjust the heat to medium and allow the mixture to come to a brisk boil.

Stirring continuously boil the mixture for 2 minutes or until it begins to thicken.

Take the pan off the heat.

Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and beat slightly with a fork.

Pour 1 C of the hot sauce into the egg yolks and stir to combine.

Place the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining sauce.

Place the pan over medium heat and stirring continuously add in the parsley, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and stirring continuously cook for 2 minutes.

Set the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Spread 1 C of the sauce into the bottom of an ungreased 3 qt baking dish. 

Top the sauce in the baking dish with 1/3 of the potatoes.

Continue with 2 more layers of the sauce then potatoes.

Melt the remaining butter then toss with the bread crumbs.

Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake 35 minutes or until bubbly.

 

Serving Size:  12

What You Need:

 

1 t cumin

1 t chili powder

4 boneless pork chops

1 T canola oil

1 1/4 C mild salsa

1 t baking cocoa

1/8 t cinnamon

2 T cilantro, minced

1 green onion, chopped

 

How to Make It:

 

Place the cumin and chili powder together in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Rub the pork chops with the mixture on both sides.

Place the canola oil into a large skillet over medium heat and allow it to heat up.

Place the pork chops into the hot oil and brown 4 minutes.

Turn and continue browning 3 minutes.

Place the salsa, cocoa and cinnamon into another small bowl and whisk to combine.

Pour over the chops in the skillet and bring the mixture to a brisk boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until the meat is fork tender.

Be sure to turn the chops once and stir the mixture a couple of times during cooking.

Remove the chops to a serving plate and sprinkle the cilantro and green onion over the tops.

 

Serving Size:  4

 

This recipe works for a fast Valentine’s Day dinner.  They only take about 20 minutes to prepare and cook. They are also a spicy touch to your Valentine’s Day dinner.  Leave off the rub if you believe they are too spicy. 

There are several ways in which meal planning can save money.

Whether you purchase groceries on sale or at a warehouse, always buy in bulk.  Buy those items that you can prepare in one meal which you can then make last several means.

For example, whole chickens are reasonably priced.  You can purchase two and make a pot of chicken stew, a pot pie, a roast chicken, a stir fry, a chicken salad, and so on. Vegetables on sale or from the local farmers market can be added to the meal as well as well. Whatever you don’t eat, freeze.

(And if you have ANY spare room in your house, I suggest you invest in a small to medium sized chest freezer for the same reason, to save money.)

Any type of home-made soup or stew can be easily frozen for lunches or dinners, and helps  meat  stretch much further.

There are a myriad of recipes online that offer tips and suggestions on how to prepare meals for up to a month in advance. Do your research based on a main ingredient, book up the dishes, and then eat or freeze into meal sized portions for the family.

With the current recession, more and more families are utilizing coupons, Sunday circulars, and store circulars to purchase items on sale. This is a great idea that can help you save bit, especially if you get double coupons.

In addition, stock up on store brand items.  They are often  just as good as brand-name items, and are sometimes manufactured by the very same company that makes the premium brands.

If you budget accordingly, you can prepare meals that are affordable and easy to prepare.

Here’s another example on how you can save money.  Instead of ordering a pizza (the price and delivery are quite expensive), buy English muffins on sale, or a large loaf of French bread, a jar of pasta sauce (or use your own homemade sauce), and a small mozzarella cheese package (low fat is best to save money and calories too).

With the muffins, or bread slices, you can make mini pizzas for your family!  They are even more delicious than regular pizza and cost half the price.

Utilizing the items in your home can assist you in preparing creative meals.  One-pot stew is always a favorite, for which you can purchase inexpensive pieces of meat.  Just add vegetables from your garden or farmer’s market.  You can also freeze this, so why not make enough for several servings.

It even makes a great pet food; all you have to do is run it in the blender to desired consistency, and you can get very high quality but inexpensive dog vitamins as chewables or ones you can throw into the food before you blend it, for a cheap,  nutritious meal that will save a ton on pet food bills.

Meal planning done well in advance, in conjunction with whatever is on sale, is an affordable way to save money over the long term.