easy, fun, good (does the job)

that's me...
jk

After a long at school..and finally completing my sister's website (my first one I must tell you) I didn't want to cook anything complicated at all. So I turned on the Soundmen, to keep me company, and got to work.

easy.
can of black beans.
bag of 5 min rice
shredded cheese
rest of the onion from the other night
chopped garlic
roommate's tomato (he told me to use it. thanks Bart!)

1. put the rice on to boil
2. put garlic and onion in a separate pan with a bit of oil
3. pour in the can of black beans
4. dance around a little bit to the Soundmen (at least nod your head)
   
5. add cut up tomato (again, thanks Bart)
   

this should only take 5-7 mins.

fun.
(don't forget to nod your head and dance. no ones looking.)

rice on plate.
beans/tomato/onion mixture on top
a little cheese...
-how about some milk tonight? or one of those PBR's someone left in my fridge?

and wala. dinner.

good (does the job).

A little Remix

left over tomato soup- perked up

and edamame salad- the remix

Today, I was inspired by a post that a friend put up on FB from the New York Times. I was interested in the video on the edamame salad as I had some in my freezer.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/05/27/dining/1194817113213/edamame-salad.html

so...I went to work preparing my dinner with what I already had. (and a couple of ingredients i picked up at the store on my way home from school)

here goes...

Edamame
Salad-
the remix.

First I opened half the bag of frozen edamame (from my freezer)and put that on to boil.
I had some cucumber that I didn't want to go bad in my fridge, so I chopped up half of that. Put it aside.
I just purchased an onion. Chopped up 3/4 of that. Put it aside.
Put the olive oil in a bowl as the recipe suggested
Some Salt.
I didn't have an lemon, but I did have a bottle of lemon juice in the fridge...so i went with that.
no lemon means no lemon zest..but I did have an orange=orange zest

Edamame done. Shelled them. Into bowl.
I mixed up all my ingredient.

wala: Edamame Salad: the remix

Simultaneously I also...Doctored up my left over soup

Left
over
tomato
soup-
perked up.

I took half that chopped up onion and put it into to a soup pan already ready with olive oil.
chopped up my clove of garlic (already had that)
threw in some spinach that was in the fridge (ever notice how when you buy that stuff there is sooo much..basically I'm always eating it)
sauteed them until the onion was almost clear.
Poured in my left over tomato soup (the hippie kind in a box)
let it simmer while I made the salad.

when it was done I wanted it creamy so I added a bit of milk.

wala...
my
dinner
was
made

iced tea from fridge with a wedge of that orange. (save the rest of orange for lunch tomorrow)
and I've got a meal...that for today, I only bought the onion and the orange, while using leftovers and previously purchased food from a few days back.

it was quite yummy. Especially that salad.

First Post....

so...

this is all new to me...so bare with me as I get my barrings. My other blog is about life, design, and what gets me there. This is also a new forum for me. I want to test it out.

Let me give you a little background on myself...I grew up in Texas with a younger sis and a single mom who ate frugally as we were not the rich oil tycoons as one might think. So...subsequently I learned how to live on the cheap. Now that I have gotten myself back into school after being let go of twice last year...and amidst this economy- I find myself ever so much in the need to budget my food money again. I find it sort of exciting, to make the best foods out of what I have. It's like solving a problem.

Let me also make a note...that I am not at all what one would call a baker, or an amazing cook (you can ask my ex about that) My domestic capabilities tend to lean more towards keeping things organized and clean. Thus, my food cooking choices, are for those, who like me, care to eat healthy, and quickly, on a budget, and who want to perhaps learn a little along the way.

I have moved through the US about every three years for the past ten years. So my influences (including food) are broad. And I tend to take them with me.

Enjoy, comment, post. Let's learn how to eat cheap and oh-so- lovely.