...or in this case, "Smash". Without a mixer or potato-masher I mashed these puppies with a flimsy whisk. I felt very resourceful (but may purchase a cheap masher next time). I've been wanting to make this quintessentially English dish for quite a while. However I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of the more subtle flavored English sausages that I've tried (to put it nicely). I love my zesty American sausages! Anyway, I found some German sausages that were quite tasty so I finally gave this recipe a whirl. The whole family loved it, including Sweet Pea! The dish was a perfect match with this cold, rainy day. This would also be an easy crowd pleaser (especially if you roast the links in the oven)

Ingredients:
8 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup warm milk
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds favorite sausages (that would be about 5 large American sausages)
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 packet gravy mix (make per directions on packet)

Directions:

Boil the potatoes until the potatoes fall apart when a fork stabs them

While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a skillet and add sausages and onion. Cook until sausages are done and onion is soft. (to make things easier sometimes I throw the sausages and onion in a roasting pan and cook at 350F until sausages are roasted takes about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the sausages)

When potatoes are ready, drain them and mash. Add milk, salt, pepper, and butter (you may need to adjust the amount of the milk to reach your desired creaminess).

Plate up! Put a heap of potatoes on the plate then top with potatoes, onion, and gravy. Good for a Winter's night (or a cold rainy Spring day, apparently)

This recipe was a huge surprise. I was kind of "ho-hum" about it but wanted to make something with mascarpone cheese because it's pretty cheap (in the UK anyway), and we've never tried it. I needed to use up some chestnut mushrooms so this is what I made. It was FABULOUS. I don't know how but the mascarpone tasted like butter! Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm! Sweet Pea enjoyed it too. Two thumbs up all around!

Ingredients:
12 oz pasta - whatever kind tickles your fancy
8oz Italian sausages, or any sausage really (we used pre-sliced German because that's what I had on hand. It was good, but I think we'd prefer chunkier bites of sausage next time)
8 oz mascarpone
2-3 T dry white wine
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
4-5 cloves garlic, finely diced
8oz package of mushrooms, quartered (the mushrooms not the package)
Parm for topping

Directions:
Bring pot of slated water to a boil and cook pasta

In a skillet, cook sausage (if need be), garlic, and mushrooms. When cooked through, add mascarpone, wine, nutmeg, and salt. Mix to combine.

When pasta is done, combine with mascarpone sauce. Enjoy! Be sure to top with lots of Parmesan.

After walking past the oh-so-enticing Asian market so many times, I decided to go in a few days ago. ...until I remembered that our stroller doesn't fit through the door and thats why I don't go in. Knowing full well that Sweet Pea is far to young to conquer the English streets all on her own, I strategically decided to push the buggy really hard through the door jam. Well, after turning and lifting the stroller all caddy-wampus (that was for you AB) we made it in. We still had the issue of meandering around huge bags of rice stacked on the floor but they directed me towards the back to the noodles. Oooooo...noodles. So that's what I got. What to do with the noodles? This recipe is my answer. It was well worth the endeavor (but I think I'll have Cheap go in next time).

This recipe serves 2, so you'll probably have to double it. If you have a large wok, even better. My little cast iron skillet gets quite jammed with this amount, so there's no way I can double it as of now.

Ingredients:
4 oz Chinese egg noodles, boiled in salt water
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced (or raw and you can cook it with the veggies)
1 red pepper, sliced or 1/2 cup frozen pepper medley
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
handful mushrooms (4 or 5), quartered
Sauce:
2 Tbs dark soy sauce
2 Tbs water (if using dark soy, if not just use more soy)
2 Tbs honey
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional, I just had it on hand anyway)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch cayenne

Peanuts or cashews for topping

Directions:
Pour round of regular oil in a hot skillet or wok and add onions (if using raw chicken, add chicken first and cook until almost done). Once onions are slightly translucent, add the rest of the veggies

While veggies are cooking, make the sauce and mix all the ingredients together.

Once veggies are pretty much cooked to likeness add the cooked chicken, cooked noodles and sauce. Mix together well and let simmer for a couple of minutes.

Plate up and top with peanuts/cashews. We so wanted chop-sticks with this, but alas, only had skewers...not the same. Maybe that's something else I should have bought...

Living in England, surrounded by Indian restaurants, I tried to give Biryani a go (learn about Biryani here: WikiBiryani). I needed to use some leftover curry paste and chicken breast. We were pleasantly surprised! Sweet Pea wouldn't touch it but I've now made this twice in two weeks, which says something. We're big fans of chutney and yogurt sauce (recipe at bottom) on the side, or else Biryani can feel a bit dry. Kind of a fun way to spice things up... hee hee... OK, I'm lame, I know...

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, diced and roasted
1 onion, chopped and roasted
1 small red bell pepper, sliced or 1/2 cup frozen pepper medley
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 Tablespoons raisins
2 1/2 cups stock
1 cup basmati
2 Tablespoons favorite curry paste (I use Patak's which is sold both in US and UK)
2 cloves garlic, finely diced or minced
Topping:
2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup torn fresh cilantro

Serve with store bought mango chutney and yogurt sauce (below)

Directions:
I roast the chicken, diced sweet potato and chopped onion together in the oven before hand

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix together sweet potato, chicken, onion, bell pepper, and raisins and put in roasting pan

Mix the stock, paste, and garlic until well blended. Then add uncooked rice

Pour stock mixture over veggie/chicken in the roasting pan and stir around until everything is evenly distributed

Cover the pan tightly with foil and put in the oven for 45-55 minutes or until rice is soft (might want to remix around 30 minutes so rice on top doesn't get crunchy)

Once rice is tender, take out of the oven and mix in lemon juice (and fluff Biryani while you're at it) Top with almonds and cilantro and enjoy!

I serve mine with store bought mango chutney and yogurt sauce. Make sure you add a sauce, I personally think the biryani needs a complement.

Yogurt sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons minced onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro or mint
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Up until a year ago, I had no idea this decadent dessert existed. We just happened to visit friends in Kentucky over Derby weekend, so they had a fab party with mint juleps and Derby Pie. Derby pie, where have you been all my life? With the chocolate and nut combo (not to forget the butter and sugar), I'm completely a fan. Even though we didn't make it to KY this year (or even watch the Derby), I decided to use Derby day as an excuse to make this dreamy pie. With pretty basic ingredients, this dish isn't too rough on the pocketbook either! We're going to start enjoying this on more than just Derby day.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon almond extract or 2 Tbs Bourbon (Bourbon is traditional and extract is cheap... we opted for cheap)
1 cup crumbled pecans or walnuts, toasted
1 cup chocolate chips

Pie crust, I used my staple recipe - Light Pie Crust

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F (and par-bake crust if need be)

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs together

Add the flour, salt, and extract/Bourbon and continue mixing

Add the toasted nuts and chocolate chips, mix well and then dump into crust.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. This is great "à la mode" (with ice cream)!

This is my staple pie crust. I have to admit, I'm definitely not the biggest crust fan out there. I kind of hate that the pie crust can be higher cal than what's actually in the crust (and believe me, I'm not a calorie counter). So for that reason, I like this crust. It's light, flaky, has good flavor, and doesn't contain half a days amount of calories in the crust alone. I do like a rich crust on occasion, but not for regular, weekly stuff. I have to admit, I've been debating on posting this because thick crust lovers out there will hate me.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbs oil
2-3 Tbs water
pinch of salt

Directions:
Mix all together and you should be able to form a pie crust ball

put in the middle of a greased 9inch pie pan and "mush and spread" (that's what I tell Sweet Pea). Heads up, it will be a thinner pie crust

...you could roll it out, but I'm not that sophisticated

I like to pre-bake mine at 350F for 5-8 minutes

...and the rest is up to you.

I've never actually thought of this as a real soufflé but randomly, the other day when I made the batter the night before, it poofed! It's always stayed relatively flat. So I'm not too sure what chemical reaction went on there but apparently letting the batter sit does help. My mom makes this quite often and she got it from a friend. I like to top it with sugared fruit to enjoy a nice fruity treat in the morning. Best of all, this recipe is really easy so mix everything the night before and whack it in the oven the next morning (thus, great for company).

Ingredients:
3 eggs
5 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons butter for pan

Directions:
Beat eggs, sugar, and milk together

Add the remaining flour, salt, and vanilla. Cover and let rest in the fridge

Heat oven to 425F and put butter in an 8 inch dish. Put dish in the oven to melt the butter then pour mixed batter into warmed dish.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Enjoy!

Oh, the delicious Avocado, Tomato, and Mozzarella salad. If I had to pick a current staple in my life (in terms of food, of course), this would be it. Contrary to the name, it's actually incredibly cheap to make, especially in England. I get Fresh mozzarella for 47p and tomatoes and avocado's at the market. And on rainy British days I like to dine on this and pretend I'm sitting in California sunshine.

Ingredients:
1 ball fresh Mozzarella
1 small hass avocado, or 1/2 of a large one (what they tend to sell in the States)
1 small tomato, juiced and diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
a large pinch of fresh cilantro, or in the winter I use about 1/4tea dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

crusty bread on the side

Directions:
Dice and salt the mozzarella, avocado, and tomato

Sprinkle with lemon juice and cilantro/basil

Thats it! Enjoy! Sweet Pea won't touch this but she does like to steal my bread.

I promised another Halloumi recipe, and thanks to Nigella, here it is. I think my favorite idea in this recipe is the sweet potato, baking potato combo. The best of both worlds. Even Cheap liked this! Which says a lot because he seems to have issues with the dreaded sweet potato, even if it's covered in marshmallows and butter... crazy, I know.

Ingredients:
1 Sweet Potato
2 Baking Potatoes
1 onion, chopped (red would be nice but we used yellow)
6 cloves garlic, cloves- peeled but still whole
3 Tablespoons oil
8 oz Halloumi, sliced thin (Feta would be the closest alternative)

Optional:
Any other veggies that you might have laying around

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

Dice up the potatoes into 1inch chunks

Mix with onions, garlic and oil but don't salt because the Halloumi is salty

Pour mixture into roasting pan and top with the thinly sliced Halloumi

Bake for about 30 minutes or until potatoes and cheese are golden.


This puppy will steal the show. Enjoy!

A great meal with minimal ingredients- not to mention the cheesy, porky, pestoy flavor trifecta. I also enjoy taking a mallet to the pork to get rid of any known or unknown tension.

Ingredients:
4 pork steaks, or pork escallop (mine were about 1/2in thick)
3-4 teaspoons basil pesto
2 balls of fresh mozzarella
4 skewers or toothpicks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

Pound pork down to about 1/4inch thickness

Spread a thin layer of pesto over the top of the pork. I used about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pesto per steak

Cut mozzarella ball in half and place in the center of the steak (on top of the pesto)

Weave pork closed with the skewer and sear on a hot, oven-proof pan

...this is kind of my "to be continued..." portion of the recipe. I tried cooking the meat fully on the stove but ended up with uncooked pork. So next time I'm sticking it in the oven. I'll have to get back to you with timing.

Place pan in the oven and bake until meat is cooked all the way through.

I served this over Lemon Risotto but you could also use orzo or potatoes... or anything else. Mmmmm, enjoy!

I wanted Panera. Specifically their broccoli and cheese soup. So instead of waiting until Panera tries to break into the UK market, I decided to make my own. I'll be making this lots and also avoiding long lunch lines when we move back to the States.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tea garlic powder
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
2 cups broccoli florets cut into small florets

Crusty bread for dipping

Directions:
In a large pot pour a round of oil and sauté onion and minced garlic until onion is translucent.

Add carrot and flour and mix until veggies are evenly covered with flour

Add the stock and then the potatoes. Let simmer until the potatoes are soft.

Add milk cheese and broccoli and let soup simmer 10 minutes longer.

Soups up!

So we were craving Chinese food again but yet again, don't want to shell out the cash for some pricey (in England anyway) orange chicken. This sauce makes a lot but is great on breaded chicken, or battered chicken, or possibly grilled chicken...

Ingredients:
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup OJ
1/3 cup vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 T orange zest
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 green onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons corn starch

Directions:
Dump all ingredients in a microwavable bowl and cook on high until sauce is obviously thickened. May take a minute or two.

...who needs "take-away" anyway?

I remember learning about this soup in French class... "Soupe à l'Oignon" We'd have to say sentences in French like, "I would like the onion soup and my friend would like ham" ...very creative, and not to mention classy. This is definitely an onion soup and not something I crave lots of. But when the weather is cold, there's something so wonderful about warm oniony broth covered and baked with cheese. And lets face it, you can't get much cheaper than onion. By the way, I didn't absolutely cover the pictured soup with cheese because I figured if I was going to take a picture, one might as well get a glimpse of the soup. I'll be sure to cover and bake next time.

Ingredients:
2 T butter
7 onions any variety (I used red and yellow)
6 cups stock (veggie, chicken, beef... traditional is beef but whatever you fancy)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons sugar
Cheese for topping (swiss, mature cheddar, gruyère if it's not too $$)
1 loaf of ciabatta or crusty bread, cut into inch cubes


Optional:
1/2 cup white wine for chick or veggie broth or 1/2 cup red for beef broth

Directions:
In a large pot melt butter and add onion and garlic. Cook until onion becomes translucent.

Add whichever stock, rosemary, salt, sugar, and wine (if desired) and let simmer for 20-30 minutes

Ladle soup into oven proof bowls (mine at home are regular ceramic and they work fine)

This is where my picture is slightly deceiving, we don't have proper bowls in our student housing so I had to use a mini mug... Cut bread into inch squares and place on top of soup. Then top off with lots of cheese.

Put the cheese topped bowls under the broiler until cheese melts, keep a close eye because you don't want bowls to get too hot.

Enjoy the ooey gooey goodness!

Probably one of the best takeaways from our visit to Athens, Greece was our daily, very cheap, chicken gyro. My mouth just waters as I remember sitting along fountains or by ancient ruins and devouring this fine, saucy fare. Not only do we try to eat as cheaply as possible, we currently try to travel as cheaply as possible (hopefully that will change). This yummy Greek street food filled our bellies with flare and our favorite ingredient was the in-sandwich-fries. Wouldn't have thought to do that but who am I to argue with tradition? Cheap and I make this to reminisce over cheap Greek good eats (even if we couldn't seem to find any shade to enjoy this in).

Ingredients:
Chicken marinade:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 medium-sized chicken breasts, or 2 large chicken breasts

4 flat-breads
leafy greens
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olives (green of black)
1 cup crumbled feta
french fries (we use leftover or freezer to make it simple)
Tzatziki Sauce

Directions:
Mix together marinade and then add chicken. Let chicken marinate for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450F

When chicken is done marinating, bake for 25-30 minutes (or until golden). You can use this time to chop up all your toppings

After chicken is done cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes and then cut into thin slices.

It's fun to set everything out and let folks pick any or all (which we prefer in the Cheap household) of the toppings they wish.

Enjoy!

We had some leftover cucumber... hmmm... what should I do.. Ah-ha! Chicken gyros with fabulous summery tzatziki sauce! Sweet Pea surprisingly enjoyed this so much that she dipped her bread and then sucked all the sauce off. We'll teach her the no double dipping rule in a few years.

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup thinly grated cucumber
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Mix everything together and enjoy.

If you have leftovers, this would be great topped on grilled salmon. Mmmmm.

Apparently this is a great compliment with purple crayon, which Sweet Pea enjoyed just prior to eating the muffin. I had a difficult time naming this because I wanted to emphasize that these are Blueberry muffins with a hint of banana, and not the other way around. I'm not sure how well I did that but I have to say, the streusel topping gives these muffins extra get-out-of-bed power.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 extra ripe bananas
1 cup blueberries

Streusel topping:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter, softened


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F

Cream together sugar, oil, and egg. Then add milk and almond extract.

Add the dry ingredients and mix together.

Add fruit and mix again. Be sure to mix until just blended, over mixing adds air bubbles which aren't very tasty or pretty.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter

In a new bowl, mush together streusel topping. I like to use my hands, they do the best job.

Top the muffins with the streusel and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

The first time I had gnocchi was for my High School prom dinner. We ate at an Italian restaurant that was rumored to be run by the mafia (gotta love HS rumors). I had just finished my AP exams and had an hour to get ready for dinner. I probably looked like I got ready in an hour but boy did I have fun with my gang and the gnocchi kept me going until 3am. Gnocchi is traditionally made with potato, but Cheap and I prefer this fluffier and easier version.

Due to the sticky batter, I like to drop mine instead of rolling and slicing (which is another option you can try if you're a master at rolling sticky dough- icky) The pasta looks more uniform with the rolling but I like how rustic the drop version appears.

Ingredients:
1 8oz container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

Directions:
Strain the ricotta of any excess liquid

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. The dough will be a bit sticky. Add more flour if need be, but remember the more flour that's added the less fluffy the gnocchi becomes. Chill while you bring salted water to a boil over the stove.

Once water is boiling, I like to cover my fingertips in flour and pick up pinches of batter and drop them into the water. Make sure the water is boiling. (I have been known to use lukewarm water and consequently turn my gnocchi to mush- Cheap would deny it ever happened)

Let gnocchi boil until the pasta rises to the top. Let boil for a few minutes longer and then strain.

Top with favorite pasta topping- marinara, brown butter and sage, possibilities are endless..

Or I guess this should really be called "oven-dried tomatoes".. Either way, it's a fabulous way to enjoy leftover tomatoes without losing them to the composte pile. This recipe is definitely an eye-baller. It's hard to give exact measurements depending on the amount and size of tomatoes used. That being said, it's hard to mess up. We love to have these dried tomatoes around to throw into sandwhiches and pasta. I freeze mine once I'm done and Sweet Pea loves squeezing the juice out of the "matoes"... just takes a bit more clean up in the end...

Ingredients:
As many ripe tomatoes as you want to dry (Roma and cherry are nice because they have less juice)
Extra virgin olive oil
Minced garlic or garlic powder
Basil or favorite Italian herbs
Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200F

Cut the eye of the tomato off and squeeze all the juice out. For larger tomatoes, I cut the tomato in half. For smaller, like cherry, I leave it whole

Put the juice free tomatoes in a bowl and pour enough olive oil to coat all the tomatoes (as a reference I pour about 1 Tbs oil for about 2 cups tomatoes)

Add herbs and garlic (as much as you like) and salt

Put seasoned tomatoes in a single layer on a pan and check on them every hour. I cook mine until they're slightly tough but still soft. I don't like them too crunchy. It can take anywhere from 1-4 hours. Mine usually take 2 hours but times will very with the size of tomatoes and ovens.

A light and flavorful dish with a rather naughty name- that's why I left it in Italian. The dish was conjured up mid-1900's so I had nothing to do with the nomenclature. I made this with the leftover capers from the very tasty Chicken Piccata the other night. It's such an easy dish to prepare on nights where we don't want a lot to eat (like last night). The only difficulty was getting the olives in the actual dish before Cheap & Sweet Pea inhaled them all.

Ingredients:
6 oz Fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, whatever...
2-3 Tbs Extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove , sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved or Sun-Dried
1 Tbs capers
1/2 cup green or black olives, halved
Salt and pepper to taste

LOTS of grated Parmesan to top

Directions:
Boil pasta in heavily salted water until it reaches your desired consistency

Drain water and add everything else.

That's it.

Enjoy!

An old standby that almost never has any leftovers...

1/4 cup mayo (can definitely use light)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon favorite mustard- we like French Mustard (not to be confused with French's Mustard)
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
dash of salt

Mix all together and use for dressing or dipping

A Spanish Omelet. Or as we at the Cheap household like to call it, Tortilla de Patatas! ... well maybe not. We probably couldn't even pronounce that right because I went to French camp (yes, it's true). Rumor has it that this fine fare is served at bars and cafés as tapas in Spain. We enjoyed ours as dinner. And although I don't believe it's authentic, we topped ours with cheese. We just had to. Egg and potato just beg for cheddar. An easy dish that's fast to prepare!

Ingredients:
3 large potatoes, cooked and diced (I like to oven-roast mine ahead of time)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 6oz sliced chorizo sausage or casing removed and browned (depending on which type of chorizo you have)
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon salt

Garlic Aioli:
which we spread unashamedly all over the omelet...
4 Tbs mayo (we used light)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
In a hot, oven-proof, oiled pan add garlic and onions and cook until onion is translucent

Add cooked potatoes and chorizo and continue to cook

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, spinach, salt, water. Pour mixture over cooking veggies and turn the stove down to low.

Let the eggs cook over the stove until you see the edges starting to firm up

Mix together mayo, lemon juice, and garlic powder and place to the side

Turn on broiler and place the omelet (pan and all) underneath. Watch the omelet until the middle firms up (should take about 5 min or less).

Serve it up and enjoy!

We're typically whole wheat bread purists. We kind of figure that we might as well make our bread healthy and I personally think it tastes better... except with this. For us, French toast and wheaty bread make a bad combo. So, I'll occasionally buy some white or challah bread just for a yummy Saturday morning breakfast. I'm also a sugared doughnut fanatic, so this recipe is a happy moment for me. Another bonus, it's always nice to have an easy breakfast treat right at your fingertips. I think it goes without saying that Sweet Pea enjoyed this as well. Thanks Nigella!

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten together
1/2 cup milk
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 slices white bread or if you have stale challah bread (sweet braided bread), use that!
2 Tbs butter (or oil)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Mix beaten eggs, milk, and vanilla in a bowl

Pour mixture into a large baking dish (9x13ish) and place bread in mixture. Let the slices soak up egg/milk for about 2-3 minutes per side

Add butter to a hot skillet or griddle. Cook soaked bread on griddle until each side is toasty

While bread is toasting, mix cinnamon and sugar together in a shallow bowl.

Once toast is done, move directly to the sugar mixture and cover bread with crispy sugar and cinnamon.

Enjoy with jam, honey syrup, or just as is!

This was my attempt to be very sneaky and get Sweet Pea to consume her loathed veggies. It worked... sort of. She had a full square right out of the oven. Cheap and some of my gal pals really enjoyed them as well, so they were a success all the way around. These are great for brunches, showers, or afternoon snacks.

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 10oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup flour
1 tea salt
1 tea baking powder
1/2 tea garlic powder
1 onion, diced and sautéed, or 1/2 tea onion powder (to make it easier)
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 8oz package shredded sharp cheddar, or about two cups

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F

Reserve about 1/2 cup sharp cheddar then mix all the remaining ingredients together. Seems simple, I know.

Dump mixture into a greased baking dish (8x8 would be a good size) and top with the remaining half cup of cheddar

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Enjoy!

What a sunny meal. I use a similar recipe to the one in my "Joy of Cooking" cookbook so Cheap called this "The Joy of Eating". Besides the fact that I love this classic dish, I made it because capers are so cheap in the UK. My US grocer carries capers for $6 per crazy-tiny-bottle...eek! That's more than the cost of the chicken! When I make this in the States and can't find a good deal on capers, I finely chop some green olives and pocket the extra cash. I know it's not a direct switch, but it works. I'm not exactly sure what Piccata means, but I hope it's along the lines of awesome flavor in the mouth.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
For sauce:
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbs butter
2-3 Tbs lemon juice (depending how lemony you like it)
2 Tbs capers (or diced green olives if capers are too $$$)

Directions:
Take thawed chicken breasts and cut the chicken crosswise and butterfly them open(I'm horrible at this because our provided knives are dull- I have Cheap do it. Sometimes I use a mallet to tenderize as well)

Salt and pepper the chicken

Put flour on a plate and cover the chicken in the flour so all the raw bits are covered

In a skillet large enough for all your chicken, pour 1-2 Tbs olive oil so that the bottom of the pan is lightly coated. Place flour-covered chicken into the skillet and cook on med-high on one side until flour is looking gold and crusty. Then flip.

When chicken is pretty much cooked through, add chicken stock, lemon juice, capers, and butter to the pan. Let sauce simmer until it reduces by almost half- about 3 min.

Plate the Piccata up and pour the extra sauce over. Mmmmmm!


I served it with Incredibly Easy Roast Potatoes and steamed green beans.

I could swim in this sauce. It's divine. I used to steer away from sesame seed dishes because a little glass grocery store bottle of the stuff can be quite pricey (I find that the same can go for poppy seed). Well, I found some in bulk, which is totally the way to go. But I needed a divine dish for my new found (reasonably priced) seeds. This dish definitely does the sesame seed justice. As for toddler approval, Sweet Pea really enjoyed playing with her Daddy's noodles but didn't give them a chance until Cheap's last few bites.

Ingredients:
6 oz linguine or spaghetti (I actually used whole wheat)
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1/4 tea garlic powder
1 Tbs vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
¼ cup soy sauce (I had dark soy sauce so I used halved the soy sauce with water)
¼ cup sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 small chicken breasts, cooked (however you please) and thinly sliced
4 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 lbs sugar snap peas (can use other green if snap peas are $$)
2 green onions, diced
1 small cucumber, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
salt to taste

Directions:
Put diced cucumber and green onions to the side

Add pasta to a pot of boiling salted water

Toast sesame seeds under a broiler or in a frying pan for a couple of minutes (will toast fast)

In a small mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, cayenne pepper, and 3 Tbs of the toasted sesame seeds (Oh this sauce is so good...)

As the pasta finishes up, add the sugar snap peas to blanch them for about 4 minutes. Then drain liquid from pasta and s.s.peas

Mix pasta with sauce and sliced chicken. Place in a serving bowl (or individual bowls) and sprinkle cucumber, green onion and the remaining 1 Tbs of toasted sesame seeds on top. Dig in!

I actually had a craving for Salmon! Yippee! I rarely crave fish, so on the rare occasion that I do, I make sure to take advantage of it. This is so easy and with Salmon on sale (why do I always want to capitalize Salmon? Hmm.. weird) all I can say is "WAHOO!" I enjoy Salmon (I did it again!) with the caramelized topping that kind of pops like a crème brûlée when you first cut in. And my mom's favorite restaurant once offered salmon with small potatoes underneath, which I thought made a ka-pow combo. So I made my own (even better) version.

By the way, for some reason the top of my salmon looks burnt in the picture more than caramelized. I swear, it wasn't burnt. I'm happy to note that it was a very tender fillet.

Ingredients:
For potatoes:
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
2 sprigs of rosemary (if you don't have rosemary you could use 2 cloves minced garlic and make garlic potatoes)

For Salmon:
4 Salmon fillets
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice


Optional:
Leafy greens to top (I used arugula, which the Brits call "rocket")

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet and add rosemary

When rosemary starts to sizzle, add potatoes and onion. Stir occasionally and let cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes or so. If the potatoes are starting to look dry, you might want to add a bit more oil (not to throw a wrench in the mix, but if I have to cook a lot of raw potatoes for more people, I put the diced taters in a 400F oven for 40 min)

While the potatoes are cooking, mix honey, soy sauce, balsamic, and lemon juice to make dressing for the salmon

Pour dressing over the raw salmon, just so each fillet is topped and reserve the rest for dipping

Once the potatoes are done, remove from the hot skillet onto a plate and let rest

Put hot skillet back on the stove and add salmon, marinated side down. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on high so that the top of the salmon gets caramelized. Then flip the fillets over and let the fish cook for 3 more minutes. The salmon should be slightly pink in the center.

Place salmon over the potatoes and the optional leafy greens on top of the salmon. Pour the rest of the dressing over the salmon and enjoy! You'll feel like quite the gourmet!

"Mmmm...Mmmm...Mmmm!" --Sweet Pea
Talk about a satisfying response! I love happy, emphatic toddlers!

When I was younger, I used to meet up with High School buddies at the Original Pancake House. One Saturday the waiter made a mistake on our neighbor table's order so instead of throwing out the food, they offered it to the teenagers- of course they would eat it... and we did! It was an apple pancake and oh my, it was delicious! Reliving my teenage good eats, I've been making this with Cheap since we've been married. It's cheaper than the restaurant version (except on the rare occasions where it's offered for free) and a great way to use up aging apples. We're big fans of large weekend breakfasts-- "Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm!"

Ingredients:
Apples:
2 Tablespoons butter (or oil)
2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pancake:
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F and add butter to an oven-proof skillet and melt

Dump in the sliced apples, cinnamon, and sugar and mix together. Stir occasionally and let apples cook until soft

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk, water, flour, and salt together in a mixing bowl

When apples are soft, pour batter over apples and immediately put the skillet in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the dutch pancake is tall and golden

Once the apple pancake is finished baking, take it out of the oven and flip it onto a plate so the apples are on top. Enjoy quickly, the pancake will fall a bit but it still tastes wonderful. We eat ours with maple syrup or powdered sugar. Enjoy!

I'm now going to go play with my toddler who's wearing her winter coat and taking her bear for a ride in a stroller around the dinner table.

I had a hankering. I had a hankering for bacon, avocado, egg, and cheese... what was one to do? Whip up the slightly tedious Cobb Salad! I say "slightly tedious" because if you don't have any leftover chicken, bacon, or egg, one must cook up three items to enjoy the cobby goodness. But it is worth it, and made easier with leftovers (I had chicken and also a husband who loves to slice). And with basic ingredients it's cheap to make. To embellish with a brief (2 minute Google search) history, the Cobb Salad (cir. 1937) was created by famous LA restaurateur Robert Cobb for a Hollywood friend as a late night snack. The friend continued to ask for the "Cobb" Salad and a new Hollywood tradition had begun. I'm glad it did and Thank you Mr.Cobb.

Ingredients:
1 head of Romaine, chopped
5 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled
1-2 avocado's, diced
2 hard boiled eggs, finely diced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced (I had leftover breaded chicken, so that's what I used)
1/2 cup blue cheese or shredded cheddar cheese (traditionally it's blue but the overpowering flavor can ruin the salad if someone doesn't like it)


Optional Honey Mustard Dressing:
1/4 cup mayo (can definitely use light)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon favorite mustard
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
dash of salt

Directions:
Once everything is cooked (if need be), diced and shredded, the rest is easy!

Put chopped romaine into a salad bowl

Place crumbled bacon, diced avocados, diced eggs, diced tomatoes, sliced chicken, and shredded cheese in rows on top of the romaine lettuce (like picture above). Gotta love the Cobb presentation!

Serve with dressing on the side, honey mustard and ranch go well!

Cheap and I split this whole thing between the two of us. Needless to say we were quite hungry, and then quite full. But we enjoyed ourselves! Sweet Pea opted for cheese and bread-- I don't think salad is quite her thing yet...

Macaroni and cheese with caramelized onions on top, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Besides Cheap's Aunt's "Party Potatoes" this is my other potluck fave. Pasta and cheese...mmmmm...what a combo! And I have finally landed on a mac and cheese recipe that has lots of flavor. For some reason, past recipes I've tried have been too bland for my taste. With this one, Cheap and Sweet Pea were anxiously awaiting leftovers. Glad my fam likes awesome cheesy carbs as much as I!

Ingredients:
8 oz elbow macaroni or mini shells (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 cups or 8oz shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream (I recommend light for a more subtle sour cream flavor)
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F

Pour a round of oil onto a hot skillet and add onion. Let caramelize (takes about 10 minutes)

While the onions are cooking, dump pasta into a pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta to desired texture

While onions and pasta are cooking, mix together sour cream, milk, cottage cheese, parm, shredded sharp cheddar, and salt

Once pasta is done, strain water and then add pasta to the cheese mixture. Stir together.

In a greased 9x13, pour in pasta mixture and then top with caramelized onions from the skillet

Cover the dish with a pan (or foil or whatever) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from dish and bake for 10 more minutes. Dig in!

My search is over! For years (or so it seems) I have been trying to find the perfect tomato soup recipe. I've tried too creamy ones, too tomatoey ones (yes, I know that's not a word but work with me), bland ones, hot ones, but to borrow the words of Goldilocks, this recipe was "just right". With the simple ingredients, it's surprising how yummy it is, and not to mention healthy- until you top it off with loads of good cheese and serve it up with fries-- heh heh...

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, grated
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock (I'm sure you can use chicken stock if you don't have veggie)
1 teaspoon basil (2 tsp if you're a basil fanatic like me)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional:
2 Tbs cream
Shredded cheese for topping

Directions:
Pour a round of oil into a pot

Add onions, garlic, and carrot and sauté until onions are clear

Pour in the whole can of tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Add basil and salt and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 15-20min to let the flavors combine.

With a blender or hand blender, blend (or as the Brits say, "whizz") the soup to a marinara type consistency. Add cream if you wish and top with cheese! Yummers!

My mom used to make chocolate soufflé all the time. I loved walking into the kitchen filled with a chocolaty aroma and seeing chocolate soufflé rising up out of a dish. Oh the joy! With soufflés all the more popular here in the UK, I couldn't help noticing a continual pang for my mom's kitchen delight. And with super cheap chocolate, how could I not give into my desires and enjoy the fluffy chocolaty goodness?!

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
4 oz of dark or semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites
2 egg yolks

4 ramekins, or mugs (as I used), or a soufflé dish if you have one

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F

Melt chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler

Separate the yolks from the whites, set both yolks to the side

Add sugar to the egg whites and beat (easier with electric mixer or a handy husband) until the whites form meringues with stiff peaks

Add yolks to melted chocolate

Take four ramekins (or mugs), grease them and coat with white sugar (adds a nice little crispy touch)

Take a spoonful of meringue and mix it in with the chocolate

Take the chocolate mixture and add it to the rest of the meringue. Fold the chocolate into the meringue until mixed. Do not over-fold or the meringue will loose its puff

Divide the mixture into the four ramekins/mugs

Put in the oven for 17-20minutes, until soufflés rise and top begins to crisp (Do not open the oven while baking or the soufflés will fall)

Eat right away before they deflate! Great with cool whip, vanilla ice cream, or with chocolate cream poured into the center.

My toddler, Sweet Pea, helped me make some of these for a dinner with friends. I had her mix the dry ingredients as not to get a gooey mess all over her. Well, she took a big bite of flour, then a spoonful of cocoa powder, and lastly, a lick of vanilla extract becoming increasingly disgusted. The brownies were great, fudgey like my man likes them, with a crispy layer on top...mmmm, delish. But Sweet Pea wouldn't try them, she asked for an apple instead. I think this endeavor was a success on many levels.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F

Cream together oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs

Mix together dry ingredients and then add to wet

Stir everything together and pour into a greased 8x8 dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake!

These are great topped with ice-cream (I guess that goes without saying)

Quintessential soul food...the pot pie. I can't post a pot pie recipe without mentioning my dad, the pot pie lover that he was. Growing up, he had a special selection of Marie Callender's pies in our freezer. And I find pot pies are perfect for leftover whatever, veggies, turkey, chicken... And on a cold winters night, enjoying a simmering creamy sauce paired with the crunch of a buttery puff pastry...it's a beautiful thing.

I find that this dish is really quick and easy to make as long as you have somebody help you chop.

Ingredients:
2-3 Tablespoons of oil or butter
1 onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tea garlic powder
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 med-large potato, peeled and diced (I like to dice small so potato cooks quicker)
1 cup milk
1 large carrot, grated
1 cup sweet peas
2 cups shredded chicken
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Puff pastry sheet for the top (Pillsbury, freezer section)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

In a dutch oven or large pot add oil and sautee onions, mushrooms, and garlic until onions are translucent

Add flour and mix until sautee is evenly covered, then pour in chicken stock

Stir and add potatoes. Bring to a boil.

As potatoes start to soften, add milk then chicken, carrots, peas and seasonings (salt, pepper, cayenne) Let simmer for 10 minutes

Pour sauce into casserole dish and top with puff pastry. Press sides of puff pastry onto sides of the dish

Put pot pie in the oven and bake about 20-25 minutes or until puff pastry is golden.

Let rest for 10 minutes so you don't burn your tongue!

Yes, it's true. The actual name of this dish is in fact, Bubble & Squeak. The name refers to the sounds the ingredients make while cooking (not too sure how that was concluded...). The dish got some press around Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) when folks use leftovers from Christmas or Sunday roast to cook breakfast. How could I not try a recipe who's very essence is about being thrifty and using leftovers (and with such a fun name)?! I actually roasted some veggies specifically for the "Bubble" since I had some onions, carrots, and 'taters that needed to be used up anyway. It took me about 5 minutes to chop things up and I didn't bother peeling a thing. A few turns of oil, salt, whack it in a 400F degree oven for 45min, and voilà. Roasted veg ready for some Bubble.

Ingredients:
Measurements very with the amount of vegetables and potatoes leftover
40% Leftover roasted veggies (mine were onion, carrot)
60% Roasted potatoes
salt to taste

Eggs for scrambling (1-2 eggs/person)
Shredded cheddar for topping

Directions:
Mash potatoes and veggies together (I just used my fingers and mushed -works better than a masher)

You can do 1 of 2 things, make a few small mash pancakes or add the whole mash to the skillet and make 1 large veggie pancake (the smaller ones are easier to manage)

Cook "bubble & squeak" or pancakes until crispy on the bottom, than flip

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs for scramble. I also like to add 1 Tbs water per egg to make them a bit fluffier

Once the "bubble" is crispy on the other side. Put on a plate and set aside.

Add eggs to the hot skillet and cook (should take just a few minutes)

Put scrambled eggs on top of the "bubble" and top with shredded cheddar. I like to serve bacon and sausage on the side.

Even my toddler, the veggie-hater herself, liked this! A little traditional English to start your day. Maybe serve it up with some tea!

Yes, yes, I know! More roast potatoes?! I have quick roast 'taters for dinner in a bind, but if you want traditional roast potatoes and you have the time, make these. It's well worth it. They have a crispy shell that is just oh so divine. You can make this with oil or butter. Butter tastes better but oil is cheaper and better for you, so we opted for the latter option. Cheap and I gobbled up a third of this dish for dinner and then proceeded to gobble up half by bedtime. Whoops!

Ingredients:
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1/4 cup oil or butter
salt to taste
2 sprigs rosemary (this is optional but we have a rosemary plant in our backyard, so I used it)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

Par-boil potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes or until potatoes get soft but still hold their shape well.

Mix potatoes with oil and place cut-side-down in greased roasting pan. Salt generously.

Place in the oven for 25min

After 25min, take the 'taters out of the oven and gently press down on each potato with a potato masher (we don't own one so I used the bottom of a cup -hey, we're cheap and we're not living in England forever). You should be able to smush the potato but you don't want to mash so hard that it falls apart (a few of mine did anyway).

Top with rosemary and put the roast back in the oven for 25min more or until golden brown and crispy.

Let cool for 10 minutes and serve up. These are best right out of the oven. Mmmmmmm!

This is for my cookie-dough enthusiast roomies back in DC. They could sit with a bucket of Pillsbury cookie-dough and eat it by the spoonful while watching TV. I had these little diddies at a Christmas party a few years ago and have been continually planning on making them ever since. Well my procrastination has come to an end! I came up with this recipe and it's exactly what it looks like, cookie-dough wrapped up in a little chocolate package.

PS- what makes this dough extra great is that there is no egg in it (since we're not baking it) so no chance of salmonella, always a good thing!

Ingredients:
Cookie-dough:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3-4 Tbs water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tea vanilla
dash of salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips (my fab mom brought me some from the US)

Chocolate coating:
1 12oz bag of chocolate chips or 12oz of bar chocolate (we used milk chocolate since it's Cheap's fave)

Directions:
Cream together melted butter, sugars, and water.

Add the rest of the ingredients. The end result should be a greasy-type "dough" that you should be unsticky enough that you can kneed it by hand.

Roll the dough into inch-sized balls, place on wax-papered pan. Chill for about an hour.

After an hour melt chocolate (for coating) in microwave or over a double boiler.

Dip chilled balls into chocolate and place back on wax paper.

We had a little chocolate left over so we drizzled it over the chocolate-covered truffles to be artsy-fartsy in our own little way.

Cheap wanted me to add that we made these the day after Sweet Pea's "Ma" & "Papa" left. So sorry guys!