Morning Delight: Bacon and Egg Breakfast Dumplings with Ginger/Soy Sauce

I love being creative when it comes to food.  I get these interesting ideas and I thank God for giving me the ability to cook what I imagine.  Food is a very important part of my life.  I am a self-declared "foodie."  Last night, we ate delicious Asian Lettuce Wraps featured on this blog.  This morning I woke up with those wonderful Asian flavors still on my mind.  I decided to create fusion food between classic American comfort food and Asian cuisine.  This brand new recipe has all the great flavors of an American breakfast of bacon eggs, and all the lightness and spicy flavors of Asia.  This is a marriage made in heaven (for food, of course!) 

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Dumplings with Ginger/Soy Sauce

1 lb. diced turkey bacon (or pork bacon if you prefer)
10 large eggs
1/4 cup of Mexican cheese
1 1/4 cup of white onion
2 Tbsp. of minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Za'ater (you can buy at www.amazon.com)
1 Tbsp. organic butter
1 tsp. seasoned salt
12 oz. pkg of all-natural won-ton wrappers
1/4 cup of water

If you are unfamiliar with folding won-ton wrappers, please take a minute to watch this video:

http://www.chow.com/food-news/55429/how-to-fold-a-wonton/

Begin heating the butter in a large skillet.  Whisk eggs together in a bowl and then pour into the skillet.  Use a spatula to keep the eggs from sticking and scramble the eggs.  While the eggs are cooking, fry bacon in another large skillet over medium-high heat.  When bacon becomes crispy, add onions, Za'ater and seasoned salt.  When onions become translucent, reduce heat to low.  Sprinkle cheese over the scrambled eggs.  Combine eggs with bacon mixture over low heat.  Take out won-ton wrappers and place a teaspoon of egg/bacon filling in the center of the won-ton.  Continue to fold all won-tons.  Place 1/4 cup of water in the bottom of a large saucepan and place a metal steamer basket above the water.  Place dumplings (won-tons) gently into the basket.  Begin to boil the water over medium-high heat, covered, with dumplings steaming for 30 minutes. 

Whisk together soy sauce and ginger in a separate bowl. 

Dip dumplings in sauce and ENJOY!

Serves 48 dumplings for $.19 each

From my home to yours,

Sarah
--The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Wrapping Up the Day: Asian Lettuce Wraps

I used to love visiting this Asian restaurant when I was in college that served the most delicious lettuce wraps.  Today, I began thinking that I should be making these for my family.  They are cheap, healthy and gourmet!  My husband and I are currently in week two of the Insanity workout program, and I am trying to increase my caloric intake.  Although there is fat in these wraps, it is polyunsaturated "good fat". Asian lettuce wraps may be the perfect solution for a quick and delicious snack, lunch or dinner.  These would even be a suitable choice for entertaining friends and family.  These can be made with chicken or beef.  I am choosing chicken for my recipe.  I have not visited this restaraunt in a long time, but I am happy I can make these at home for a fraction of the price of going out!

2 heads of butter lettuce, leaves removed to make individual wraps
8 boneless chicken breasts (preferably organic), cut into 1/4" chunks
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. Kikkoman soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar with garlic
Asian chile pepper sauce (to increase spicy flavor)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tsp of sesame oil

Serves 5 for $2.50 per serving (2 lettuce wraps)

Rinse lettuce heads and pull off individual leaves; pat them dry and set aside.  Be careful that these are not torn.  In medium skillet, cook chicken over medium heat with 2 tbsp. of coconut oil. Cook chicken until juices run clear and meat is white throughout.  Remove chicken and place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb excess liquids.  Combine and cook garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chile pepper sauce over medium heat.  Stir in green onions, cooked chicken and sesame oil.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  While this is cooking, arrange lettuce leaves around the edge of a large serving platter (or individually on each plate) and place the meat in the center of the platter.  You may also spoon the chicken mixture into the center of each lettuce leaf if you are serving people individually.  Wrap the lettuce leaf up to contain the meat, and then ENJOY!

You can substitute 2 lbs. of ground beef for chicken.  The cost will change to $1.70 per serving.

From my home to yours,

Sarah
--The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Keeping it Simple: Hummus

If you know me, you understand why I am posting about hummus on my blog.  I absolutely love this stuff.  I could eat hummus morning, noon and night!  Way back in my college days, I met a man from Saudi Arabia who introduced me to middle eastern cuisine.  Since the first time I ate hummus in a little middle-eastern cafe, I have been hooked!  If you meet me, it will not be long before I am begging you to try it.

I have found that most people think the texture is questionable.  It has the consistency of a bean dip. Not only is hummus delicious, but it also has incredible nutritional properties.  Here is a good article about the health benefits of hummus.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/446490-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-hummus/

Here is a simple but delicious hummus recipe:

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Za'ater
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin

**You can purchase the spice blend "Za'ater" at a any middle eastern specialty store, or online at various websites include www.amazon.com**

Hummus can be eaten with pita chips or inside a sandwich wrap.  I eat hummus with veggies and as a dip for my quesadillas!  Try it today.

From my home to yours,

Sarah
--The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Satisfy the Sweet Craving: Agave Sweet Tea

This afternoon, after eating some delicious Mac n' Cheese with Leftover Turkey Bacon, I became very thirsty and we have run out of everything but water.  Time to visit the grocery store.  I suddenly remembered that I had some Lipton Cold Brew tea bags in the pantry.  I prefer my tea sweet, one of the downfalls of moving to Oklahoma.  I have become fascinated (and somewhat addicted) to sweet tea. 

I found a way to have my sweet tea and not feel guilty about it!  Recently, I read about the amazing health benefits of eating agave cactus honey powder.  This sweetener is 1.4 times sweeter than refined sugar and actually balances out your insulin levels, rather than causing your body's insulin to spike.  It metabolizes differently than refined sugar as well and actually helps your body.  So, I decided to replace the refined sugar of sweet tea with agave cactus honey powder.  It definitely satisfies my sweet craving!

Here is a good article about the great health benefits of agave cactus honey powder. 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/550034-health-benefits-of-cactus-honey-powder/

Agave Sweet Tea

1 gallon water (filtered with Brita)
4 bags Lipton Cold Brew Tea
1/2 cup of Cactus (Agave) honey powder

Serves 16 (8 oz. glasses) for $,09 per serving

Brew tea bags in cold water for 10 minutes, remove.  Stir in cactus honey powder.  Refrigerate and enjoy!

From my home to yours,

Sarah
--The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Using What's on Hand: Mac n' Cheese with Leftover Turkey Bacon

Thank God it is Friday.  In our house, Friday means pizza and movie night.  We have pizza EVERY Friday night, rain or shine!  This is my day to clean up the house, get ready to have a fun-filled weekend with family, and use whatever is in the pantry and fridge for quick breakfast and lunch meals.  Today, I created something new (as I often do), giving a twist to an old favorite, I thought to use the leftover turkey bacon from breakfast a couple of days ago and combine it with homemade mac n' cheese.

I started making homemade mac n' cheese just this past year after realizing how easy it was to make, and also how much more delicious it is than out of the box mac.  My kids also have quickly grown quite fond of the homemade favorite.  However, I have always combined it with traditional pork bacon to give it an extra boost of flavor and protein, but that also comes with a high amount of fat.  I have recently begun to enjoy turkey bacon instead with less fat and calories.  My family will be healther and happier with this choice.  We will still have an occasional meal with pork bacon, as you can't completely give up the things you love~

I believe that some delicious, but unhealthy things are good in moderation.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Mac n' Cheese with Leftover Turkey Bacon

12 oz. box of Hidden Vegetable twisted elbow pasta
3 Tbsp. organic butter
6 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour
10 oz. low fat evaporated milk
1 cup mexican cheese
1 cup leftover turkey bacon (or however much you have!)

Serves 6 for $1.17 per serving

Boil water and cook pasta as instructed on the box.  While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  When butter is melted, whisk flour into melted butter in the pan, making a roux.  Cook roux at medium-high heat for a few minutes, constantly stirring.  Roux will begin to bubble and thicken.  Add evaporated milk to the roux, and continue to whisk together.  Sauce will begin to thicken for 5-7 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted on medium-low.  Add cheese mixture to strained pasta.  Heat up leftover turkey bacon in the microwave for 60 seconds.  Stack slices of bacon and use kitchen shears to cut the bacon into small pieces.  Fold bacon into mac n' cheese.  Enjoy!

From my home to yours,

Sarah
-The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Making Your Own Tortilla Chips: with Mango and Avocado Salsa

I began making my own tortillas chips a couple of months ago.  It sounds complicated and there are a couple of different methods to doing this, but I am going to share with you the method I use that is fast and delicious.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

1 pkg. of 8" flour tortillas (or corn if you prefer)
1/4 c. of coconut oil (olive oil tastes delicious as well!)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. of black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Serves 4 @ $.88

Mango-Avocado Salsa

2 large ripe Hass avocados
2 large ripe mangoes
dash of kosher salt
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp. of lime juice

Serves 4 @ $1.30

Total Cost: $2.19 per serving

For making the tortillas, spray large baking sheet with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the tortillas from their package and keep them stacked up perfectly straight.  Take a large knife and cut them into 8 equal pieces.  This will produce approximately 80 chips!  Line them out on the baking sheet, alternating directions so they form a straight row.  Take a kitchen brush and lightly coat the top of the tortilla triangles with either coconut or olive oil.  In a separate bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Sprinkle this mixture over each tortilla chip.  Bake chips for 12-13 minutes.  They should be firm and crispy, but without a greasy appearance. 

While the chips are baking, dice avocados and mangoes and mix together with salt, pepper and lime juice.  Eat together with tortilla chips! 

Enjoy this healthy, wonderful snack without the fat associated with store-bought tortilla chips.  You will never want to buy tortilla chips again! 

From my home to yours!

Sarah Cox
-The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Post Workout Snack: Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

My husband and I have recently been doing the Insanity workout program provided by www.teambeachbody.com.  It is a fabulous workout, but I burn up to 900 calories in a single hour.  The coaches with the Team Beach Body recommend that you intake calories immediately upon completing your workout for the day.  I had been thinking about new ideas for my post-workout snack, and I came up with this recipe:

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

Serves 1 for $2.50

1 can chunk white chicken breast
2 Tbsp. of Kraft mayonnaise, made with olive oil
1/2 tsp. of kosher salt
1/2 tsp. of seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. of Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning
1 tsp. of fresh cilantro
1 tsp. of lime juice

Drain the chicken and then pour into a bowl, shredding the meat with your fork.  Add in mayonnaise, salt, creole seasoning, cilantro and lime juice. Stir well and then eat! 

**For a more tasty preparation of this recipe, I recommend cutting up one boneless chicken breast, and sauteing it in a little olive oil, then continue on as stated above.  With this added step of preparation, you will greatly increase your enjoyment of this snack, and also lower the cost to just  $1.60 per serving!**

There are many ways you could eat this snack.  I chose to eat it without bread of any kind, as to eliminate extra carbohydrates and focus on eating protein-rich food.  However, I could see this pairing well with Triscuit crackers, whole grain bread, or even served on a fresh bed of lettuce for dinner.  This meal is satisfying and has a little spice that pairs well with the citrus of the lime.

When I am considering the cost of a meal or snack, I always think about it in reference to what fast-food meals currently cost in comparison.  I could go to McDonald's and eat a McDouble, small Coke, and small fries from the dollar menu and this would equal $3.00.  At the same time, I am consuming fat, useless sugar and calories and it will not sufficiently feed my body with the nutrients that are needed for healthy living.  It is more convenient, but will slowly cause my body to become more sluggish and unhealthy.  I am not saying that it is always wrong to eat fast food.  An occasional stop at a fast-food restaurant is almost unavoidable, especially when you are traveling long distances with children.  We just completed a full month of travel with three young children and consumed far too much fast food!

For this snack, I only spent $2.50 versus $3.00 at McDonald's (from the dollar menu that many people not use).  My husband does not usually order from the dollar menu and his fast food meals can easily equal upwards of $10.  For this amount of money, I can feed the entire family a nutrient-rich meal with whole foods and organic products.  It is simply a matter of choice.  I hope you all enjoy the recipe and please take a minute to leave me your feedback!

From my home to yours,

Sarah Cox
- The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Please visit my website www.cheapgourmetmom.com for more cooking tips, budgeting solutions and information about using coupons.

Welcome to The Cheap Gourmet Mom: Green Chile Pork and Polenta Cakes

Welcome everyone to my new blog The Cheap Gourmet Mom!  This blog goes along with my website called The Cheap Gourmet Mom (www.cheapgourmetmom.com). On this blog, you can find tips and recipes that will taste gourmet and be easy on your wallet.  Each recipe featured will cost between $2 and $3 as a full meal per person.  You can adjust any of these large recipes for a family meal or a sit-down dinner party, and always know that cost you will need in your monthly food budget to serve delicious, amazing food to all your family and friends!  I will be discussing easy ways to use coupons (not extreme-couponing, but everyday 10 minute coupon solutions), and how to use the Internet to fix your cheap gourmet meals!  I will share stories about how I feed my family, navigating their unique culinary tastes (i.e. extremely picky eaters), and explain how spices can liven up any meal if used properly.  I will discuss different handy cooking tips, techniques, and easy ideas for creating kids' snacks and lunches.  I am so glad you decided to visit my blog, and I pray that you will be blessed by what you find here!  Dive in and enjoy.

   Green Chile Pork and Polenta Cakes                                                                   

Cost ($) - serves 7 people @ $3.00 per person

2.5-3 lbs. of lean pork loin(unseasoned)                                                                                 
1 packet of taco seasoning
1- 32 oz. carton of Swanson Organic Vegetable Broth
2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
2 Tbsp. seasoned salt
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. white pepper
4 Tbsp. minced garlic
28 oz. can of Las Palmas Green Chile Sauce (Mild or Medium)
18 oz. Organic Polenta
sour cream (optional)
mexican shredded cheese (optional)

Place thawed lean pork loin in slow-cooker, set on High for 6 hours.  Pour in vegetable broth.  Mix in taco seasoning, onion flakes, seasoned salt, kosher salt, white pepper, and minced garlic.  Let cook in slower-cooker for 5 1/2 hours and pour in entire can of green chile sauce.  Continue to cook on high for another 30 minutes.  Fry 1/2" slices of polenta in a skillet for 3-5 minutes.  Place polenta cakes in the bottom of a bowl and spoon pork and green chile sauce over the cake.  Place a dollop of sour cream on top of the pork (optional) and then a sprinkle of mexican cheese, as desired.  ENJOY!

From my home to yours~

Sarah Cox
a.k.a. - The Cheap Gourmet Mom

Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below! God bless you.