The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (18 page)

Homemade Pizza Crust

price
$4
servings
4
price per serving
$1

T
his is our go-to recipe for a medium-thickness pizza crust. It’s simple and easy and hasn’t failed us yet.

4½ cups flour (all-purpose or high-gluten)

2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1¾ cups cold water

In large bowl, food processor, or standing mixer, combine 4 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add olive oil and water; stir together until mixture becomes dough. Knead 10 minutes, or until elastic, adding more flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Form into 2 large balls; place in 2 lightly oiled bowls. Cover and set aside to rise 1–2 hours. When doubled in size, punch down; let rest 20 minutes. To make pizza, roll dough out on floured surface or toss to form a large flat disk. Pizza dough will keep in refrigerator for up to 6 days.

Quinoa Risotto with Wild Mushrooms

price
$15
servings
5
price per serving
$3

W
e love to cook with quinoa because it’s so incredibly healthy. Admittedly, turning it into a risotto isn’t the healthiest route we could take with this tasty ingredient because it adds butter and oil, but we think it’s worth it for the flavor-packed result. Using homemade broth is key in this recipe, as it holds the entire dish together.

2 cups quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound wild mushrooms, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 large shallot, diced

4 cups chicken stock, hot

2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer; drain well and set aside. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, or until brown and tender. Remove from pan and set aside. In same skillet, heat remaining olive oil and butter. Add onions and shallots; cook 2–3 minutes, until just soft. Add quinoa; cook 2 minutes, until warmed. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer and cook until liquid is reduced and quinoa is softened, about 15–20 minutes. Return mushrooms to pan with thyme and Parmesan cheese; cook until cheese is melted and mushrooms are fully cooked. Adjust seasoning to taste and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Quinoa-Stuffed Summer Squash

price
$18
servings
6
price per serving
$3

W
e first made this dish with gorgeous summer squash from a small roadside farm stand in Maine. The vegetables are stunning to begin with, but they are even more beautiful when overflowing with a flavorful and healthy grain like quinoa. The cumin and Gouda lend the dish a surprising smoky flavor.

6 medium round summer squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup white mushrooms, sliced thinly and halved

¼ cup red wine

2 cups quinoa, cooked according to package instructions

½ teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup smoked Gouda cheese, grated (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Carefully cut along top edge of squash; remove top with stem. If cavity is not large enough to stuff, scoop out squash flesh. Place squash in baking dish; bake 40 minutes, until insides have softened. Heat olive oil in large pan; add onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add pepper and squash flesh; cook 1–2 minutes. Add mushrooms and wine; cook until all vegetables are cooked, about 2 minutes. In large bowl, gently stir together vegetable mixture and quinoa; add cumin, salt, and pepper. Spoon into squash and top with cheese; bake 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and squash is soft. Remove from oven; mix quinoa and cheese together if desired inside squash.

Ratatouille Niçoise

price
$20
servings
8
price per serving
$2.50

T
his recipe requires some chopping, but once everything is prepped it’s quick and easy. The flavors are familiar and rustic, and you should have no trouble finding nearly all the ingredients locally if you set out to make this during late summer or early fall.

½ cup olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 medium green peppers, chopped

4 small zucchini, chopped

2 bay leaves, crumbled

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

teaspoon hot pepper flakes

2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half

1 cup pitted green olives, cut in half

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Heat olive oil in large pot. Sauté onions and garlic 3 minutes. Add eggplant; cook 5 minutes. Add peppers, zucchini, and spices; cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Add olives and parsley. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Serve warm with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Summer Veggie Lasagna

price
$20
servings
8
price per serving
$2.50

O
nce upon a time, we carefully measured the ratio of vegetables to cheese, and made sure we placed the layers in order. Now we realize there’s no way to mess this up, and we add any vegetables we have in the fridge. This dish freezes well and tastes fantastic with every reheat.

2 medium zucchini, sliced thinly (1 yellow, 1 green)

1 medium tomato, sliced thinly

2 portabello mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 peppers, sliced

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 eggplant, sliced thinly

½ cup olive oil

cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 box whole-wheat lasagna pasta

cup pesto (store-bought or homemade)

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

2½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 16-ounce jar tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss vegetables in oil and vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheets; roast 30 minutes, or until caramelized. Cook pasta until just barely done; mix pesto and ricotta together in bowl. In another bowl, combine mozzarella and Parmesan. When vegetables are done, turn oven to 325°F. Layer lasagna in 9" × 13" baking dish by adding sauce to bottom, then 3 noodles,
of pesto-ricotta mixture,
of vegetable mixture, then ¼ of mozzarella-Parmesan mixture. Repeat twice, then add remaining mozzarella-Parmesan and any leftover vegetables or sauce to top. Bake 40 minutes uncovered; let sit 10 minutes before serving. Freeze single portions in plastic containers for up to 6 months for easy weeknight meals.

Spaghetti Squash with Pesto

price
$16
servings
4
price per serving
$4

S
paghetti squash is the ultimate carbohydrate imposter. Like pasta, it tastes like whatever you dress it in. Because we love pesto, it’s an obvious choice for us. We prefer the pesto fresh, but if a store-bought version is more convenient, it’s a forgivable substitute.

2 medium spaghetti squash

¼ cup Basil Pesto

½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 350°F. Halve each squash; place face down on greased baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, until tender. After squash has cooked and cooled slightly, remove seeds from middle; use fork to scrape out flesh—it should come out in spaghetti-like strips. Toss squash and pesto together, topped with Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Japanese Eggplant with Peanut Soy Sauce

price
$18
servings
6
price per serving
$3