Author: frugalsteward

You see the posts all over the internet, women getting together and making massive amounts of food. They advertise they made 150 meals in four hours. Is that even possible?

You probably don’t want to go that big right away, I’m not even there yet. Coordinating up to five different people takes considerable planning and effort. However, it is definitely possible with the following tips:

• Make sure that you have the space to accommodate everyone. Is there additional space in the dining area that people can use to cut while others are in the kitchen assembling or do you want everyone together in the same space? Space is essential to determine how many people to involve.
• Get a solid commitment from each person. Especially if they are all responsible for bringing ingredients, equipment, if you’re all planning on taking home a certain amount of food, etc. This one has some leeway if you’re doing this for a baby shower and prepping together for one person.
• Decide on what type of recipes and which ones you will be using in advance. This way you can split up shared ingredients, spices, and everyone will be on the same page.
• Take out the trash before you begin. Even with a small amount of prep it will fill fast.
• Note how much equipment and tools you will need. Each person may need to supplement measuring cups, spoons, slow cookers, etc. to keep the process moving.
• Don’t forget the snacks! Prepping mass quantities of food requires sustained energy!
• A few days before the prep party check in with each guest and make sure they know the quantity of items they are supposed to bring.
• The day of the event divide up tasks if necessary. Some may want to cut veggies, some may want to do dish duty throughout the day, and others may want to assemble.

It’s raining and cool today so I decided to modify a recipe I found and get ready for fall with some healthy, delicious soup! I took advantage of our local farmer’s market and picked up a bunch of kale and a large leek. Most of the other items I had on hand so this was a fairly inexpensive soup and it made about 5 quarts!

Recipe:
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds chicken, deboned and skin removed, cut into small cubes
10 cups chicken broth
8 cups kale
3 large carrots, finely chopped or sliced
1 medium leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced or peel removed and cut into small cubes
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
4 cups cooked rice

Coat chicken in olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning and cook in a large pan on stovetop over medium heat until cooked through.

In a 6 qt pot combine a bit of olive oil, carrots, and leeks and cook over medium heat until carrots become slightly tender.

Add in chicken to the carrot mixture and stir well. Slowly add in chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and add in lemon slices and kale. Simmer until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Add in rice and heat through.

For extra lemon flavor use and additional 1/2 cup of lemon juice when cooking the rice. For a bit of a kick add in more black pepper to taste.

The other night I was watching and unburger challenge on The Food Network. I was disappointed that no one made a veggie option so I came up with my own. Presenting the Fajita Unburger! Definitely will be making this one again.

I first cut up peppers and onion. I used a red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and some orange and yellow sweet mini peppers I had on hand. I added in a red onion for more flavor.

Next I mixed up some fajita seasoning using paprika, chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, minced onion, and a bit of oregano. Chipotle would have been a good addition as well.

I then squeezed fresh lime into the mix to give it a bit more flavor.

While that was cooking I rubbed garlic powder all over a portabella mushroom cap and baked for 15 minutes. I also started on the homemade pico.

I used the rest of the onion and lime. I omitted jalepeno because I added extra cayenne to the pepper mixture. I’m also one of those people that doesn’t like cilantro so I omitted that as well.

Once the mushroom cap had baked for 15 minutes I added in the pepper mixture and topped with cheese and stuck it back in the oven to finish baking and to melt the cheese.

I then topped with the pico and a bit of sour cream. I probably would have made the mushroom have a bit more flavor and used more lime juice, but otherwise it was pretty tasty!

It’s that time of year where gardens are starting to produce an overabundance of veggies. Like most years, I know people that have so much kale that they don’t know what to do with it all. Freezers are already full and friends have already taken more than enough, yet the plants keep producing. Is there a solution to this so that the food doesn’t get wasted?

Actually, there is a viable solution that’s fairly quick and easy-kale chips. I’m personally not a fan of this vitamin packed snack, but I’ve found a good use for them. I simply make them in my oven and then crush them up and use them like seasoning. Save it for soup for this fall, sprinkle in pasta sauce, sprinkle on your favorite meal, etc. They really don’t have a strong flavor and the vitamins stay in the veggie even when roasted in the oven. Plus the crushed kale chips take far less storage space in the kitchen. For best results store in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid.