Chef Gaynol

Mexican Chicken Pizza

If you're a pizza traditionalist then this post is not for you.  If you're open to topping pizza with just about anything you can find in the kitchen, then keep reading.  I was inspired by an article in the July edition of Food and Wine Magazine where Spike Mendelsohn used black beans as a base for a pizza.

Meal Planning 101

Much like the Cylons, when it comes to enslaving humanity or getting dinner on the table, you need a plan. Not having a strategy for how you're going to feed the galloping hoards is a lot like searching for a mythical planet with dwindling food, oxygen and patience.  Yet that is exactly what most people do.  According to Progressive Grocer almost 60% of decisions about what to serve are made within an hour of a meal.  26% are determined the same day.  In short only 24% of meals are completely planned before a shopping trip. This last minute, fly by the seat of your capri pants costs you not only time but money.  Here's my strategy for taking back your time, preserving your sanity and not feeding your family at the drive through.  And you can do it in about 15 minutes a week.

Summer Panzanella

I'm teaching an Operation Frontline class this July and I wanted to come up with some new summer recipes to incorporate in the class.  This is my version of a panzanella which uses lots of fresh vegetables and gets its protein from both beans and fresh cheese.  

Hunger Challenge - Dinners

For dinner this week I decided on two entrees.  The first being a economy version of my Pasta with Parmesan, Pancetta and Peas. To reduce the cost, I substituted good bacon for the pancetta and reduced the amount of Parmesan cheese.  The result was just as good but much cheaper as pancetta sells for $14.99 a pound

Pasta, one pound box on sale for                                1.25

Niman Ranch Bacon                                                     4.79 

Frozen peas, 16 ounces                                                   1.49

Parmesan cheese, 5 ounces                                           5.00

Total    12.53 or $3.13 a serving

The bacon I used was selling for $6.19 at my grocery store, so I ended up buying it at Trader Joe's for 4.79.  The Parmesan is $15.99 a pound, but it has such great flavor, I wanted to use as much as my budget would allow.

Hunger Challenge - Lunches

Cameo Apple, Jicama and Orange Salad

So it was what passes for hot here today and I was in the mood for something light and fruity.  Also, I wanted to make sure we were getting our fruits and veggies in and this salad was the way to do it.  Remember that orange, I zested when I made the Bran Muffins with Golden Raisins?  It was just sitting in a plastic bag looking all scrapped and pathetic, so I peeled it, sliced it into strips and threw it together with some  jicama and apple.  For dressing, I squeezed a couple of the orange segments dry and used the juice that was left from the baby lemon.   Fruit Salad on the cheap!

Orange (already accounted for)            0.00

Jicama about 1 pound                               1.47

Cameo apples 1 pound                            1.48

Lemon juice (already accounted for)    0.00

Total for eight servings                            2.95 or   .36 a serving