Rice Pudding -For Breakfast?

A few weeks ago while staying at the ADC Gastinsza (a “Hotel” in Zavolzhye) we were served this delightful dish -actually, every morning for breakfast. I personally thought it was absolutely delicious, and reminiscent of something I have had before. So I consulted my Russian friend and she said that it was probably just rice boiled in milk.

I made my way to the Spar grocery store across the street and bought the best kind of rice I could come up with, as well as some good old 2.5% milk. Then something clicked- Holy moly! It’s Rice Pudding! So I looked for a recipe online to guide me and marched forward, excitedly anticipating the results.
Since they don’t have half the ingredients here that are called for in this original recipe (which I encourage you to check out HERE) I will give you my Russian interpretation:

• 2 1/2 cups of any kind of milk
• 1/3 cup of uncooked short grain white rice
• Pinch of salt

1. Put the rice, milk, salt in a pot, bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until rice is tender, continuing to stir.
3. Eat your heart out.

Can you say easy and cheap and delicious- and exactly what we were eating last week! Due to my low budget and lack of resources, I am literally going to make this weekly. (Can someone ship me some cinnamon or nutmeg? I will love you forever.) It’s almost as good as my grandma graham’s recipe.

The Haynes Black Bean Soup Recipe

So I was at a friends house recently when they served me this beauty of a meal. Im all for great tasting and cheap delicious eats. Let me tell you, this fits right into my budget and delights my taste buds. Ive made 2 pots in the past two weeks and both my roommate and I have taken  it to work for lunch  multiple times. It would also be a great main course for a family!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
¾ c. chopped celery
¾ c. chopped carrot
4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
3 (15.5 oz. each) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
juice from 1 lime
1 T. tomato paste

In large stockpot heat oil, onion, and garlic. Cook until tender. Stir in cumin and cook 1 minute. Add celery, carrots, stock, and beans. Heat to boiling. Cook on low, covered for 15-20 minutes. Stir in lime juice and tomato paste. To thicken, puree beans and return to pot. (I used a potato masher and just mashed the beans in the soup while still in the stockpot).

Variations on how you can enjoy this dish:

• with cheese and sour cream on top
• with smooth guacamole, sour cream, and cheese mixed in
• over a bed of rice
• next to or mixed with seasoned diced tomatoes 
• add diced tomatoes and create a dip for tortilla chips   
• all of the above? haha 

Note: At first I had no idea what Cumin was, and didnt even have any. But I found it at my local market and as soon as I smelled it I knew exactly what it was! I recommend buying this spice for future dishes. Its very popular in many ethnic cuisines and makes beans, rice, and meat stand out. Dont be afraid of picking some up!

I already had all of the ingredients, but per serving I would say about $1.50. 

Enjoy! 

A Delightful Thanksgiving Recipe

Hey yo! This is cross posted with my other blog, Shoot Son. Dang Girl, so fee free o head over there if you for some reason want to see the exact same post.
I figured that I would share with you a recipe that I have made countless times, and each time the pot is completely wiped clean by the end of the meal. (Great for potlucks or big gatherings of people.)

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE: Crock pot style.

I originally found this recipe from Crockpot365 but since she isnt personally fond of her own recipe, Ive decided to not copy and paste her words, but instead give you my interpretation, because I mix it up a little bit. I use my crock pot because I like how easy it is, just set it and forget it. It gives you more time and freedom to do other things through the day and not worry about baking time or whatever.

Ingredients
4 cups green beans (however you like them- canned, fresh, french cut, etc)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French's French fried onions
1 Table spoon of Parmesan Cheese (or parm/ramano mix)
1 dash of garlic powder
1 dash of onion powder
1 dash of pepper

  So get out your crock pot. Pour in the green beans. I try to drain them first. Now pour in the cream of mushroom soup and mix it up. You can slosh around a bit of water in the soup can to get it all out, and then pour all of that in. Add the table spoon of parmesan cheese, and the dash of garlic powder, dash of onion powder, pepper, mix it up.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3.

***In the middle of your cook time, pour the onions evenly over the top and continue cooking.***

Then serve and enjoy.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone=)

Quick and Cheap Cous Cous

Ok yall. Im back with a better recipe than ever before. I got this recipe from a variation of a meal I had with my friend Matt. I dont know if it has a name other than "freaking delicious."

Ingredients:
1 cup dry cous cous                     $0.50
1 (14oz) can of diced tomatoes    $1.00
1 cup of water                             Free
2 tblspoons of butter                    $0.20

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cous cous, stirring well. Let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and mix in 1 can of diced tomatoes.

 So this meal all together costs about $1.70. If used in main course portions, you can get 3 servings. If used as a side dish about 4 servings. That means that if you eat this as a main dish, its less than $0.60 for a meal. You can use whatever brands you have available to you, but I use whole grain couscous from Trader Joes and Del Monte Tomatoes Diced with Basil, Garlic & Oregano from your local super market. I take this to work sometimes as is, just heat up in the micro. Its delicious, cheap, and absolutely a great idea!

Variations:
-Use fresh tomatoes, chop up fresh basil

Obsession Confession: Hummousmous

Yeah you think I'm kidding but I'm really not. We have experimented with the recipe and it has been perfected and it has been tested and loved by multitudes. Hummus. Mixed with cous cous. Thus: Hummousmous. What else would it be called? Cummus? Hummous? Housous? Nothing else can be its title.
And for the recipe. Simple make the normal hummus recipe, spices and all, and then make plain cous cous. and stir in. add some salt and you have pure glory.
Yeah man.
And its soo cheap too. Go to PriceRite, find the "Wall of Goya" and buy those chickpeas like never before, then waltz over to their international aisle, and buy up that couscous. Its madd cheap and you wont regret it. I promise=)

Obsession Confession: Hummus

Ok for realz. I cant get enough hummus. All kinds. All day long I could bask in the glow of the earthy gloppy glory that man kind calls hummus. Seriously, you dont understand. And whats even better. ITS MAD CHEAP TO MAKE! Ok no joke kids. I would say you could make a huge pot of it for under 5 bucks all together.

Now, here is the "recipe" that me and my friends use, even though we dont measure anything and just kinda go with the flow and taste things out.

• 4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed (or galric powder)
  
• 2-3 cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
  
• 2 tablespoons of tahini
  
• 1 squeezed lemon
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• sprinkle of paprika

Just step one: Dump everything together in a food processor or chopper thingy and go crazy.

You can pretty much add any sort of spice or taste to it and it will be glorious. I like the red pepper kinds, and garlic kinds. Also plain is pretty fricken good. The most expensive thing about this treat is the tahini, but once you buy a jar it can be used for ten more batches. You should make this right now.

Eat it with: pita chips, carrots, any vegetable, tortilla chips, bread, eggs, pasta, soup, crackers, tomato basil wheat thins, life.

I swear to the good lord, if you spend $4.99 for a little tub of processed weird ingredient hummus, I cant be your friend anymore.

This might sound disgusting.. but..

So.. I started doing this thing, and it sounds nasty, and its not healthy at all. But its not something you do all the time, only when you have no other food in your apartment and you are hungry and need something to sustain you thats not lame and boring.

Macaroni and Cheese.
with corn.
and tator tots.
And hot sauce.

And you mix it all up.
And eat it.

And its really good. Haha. I love hot sauce.

Ive Got one Hand in My Pocket (and the other in East Side's Pocket)

So you like falafels, hummus, tabouleh? Then East Side Pockets is the best place to go. I went there today, for the FIRST time ever, whats wrong with me, and it was glorious. I chose the Falafel wrap with everything on it minus onions, and the total was a grand $5.50! And its a HUGE wrap full of falafel glory.
Its located on Thayer St, of course. Kitty Corner from Urban Outfitters and up the hill from the Brown bookstore.
GO THERE NOW!