Today I decided to put my new frugal cookery and homemaking goals into practice. I have been "collecting" deep-sale beef soupbones in my freezer - waiting for the day to make stock - and the local supermarket had onions, sour cream and potatoes on sale! So today became "beef stock and re-stuffed baked potato" day.
For the stock, I roasted the bones with 2 halved onions (I leave the skins on for color) in a 400 degree oven for about an hour or so - until they were nice and brown. (I did flip them about 1/2 way thru) While the bones were roasting, I scrubbed and popped in 15 potatoes on the top rack to bake at the same time - might as well use the time the oven was on!
The bones and the potatoes were ready at about the same time, so I pulled all of the potatoes out onto the counter to cool of for a moment. Then I dumped the bones and onions into my stockpot - poured the grease into a clean, warmed jar - and deglazed the pan with a smidge of red wine (the brown bits have some of the best flavor!). I added some more chunks of onion (with skin!), chunks of celery and carrot, and some random veggie scraps from the freezer. Fill it up with water, put it onto boil, and viola! Stock in the making!
Now my potatoes are still steaming away on the counter. They all get sliced in half lengthwise and I use a tablespoon to scoop out most of their innards into a large bowl. Once they are all sliced and empty I line the "shells" up to be stuffed. For this quantity of potatoes I mashed in a 16oz tub of sour cream, 4oz of finely grated cheddar cheese, and a heavy grating of black pepper. Sometimes I also finely chop up jalapenos or other hot pepper and mix them in (yum!!). This mashed mix gets spooned back into the potatoes shells. I laid out the stuffed potatoes onto 2 plates, foil wrapped them carefully, and popped them into my freezer. Once they are frozen solid (I am guessing tomorrow morning) I will take them off the plates and put them into labeled freezer bags. I love to bring one of these potatoes to work (along with a frozen mini-meatloaf) on a day where only a hot lunch will do!
So my potatoes are freezing - my stock is simmering (for another 6 hours or so!) - so what is for dinner? Beef vegetable barley soup! I found an oxtail in the freezer along with the soupbones - tossed it into my stewpot with onions, carrot, potatoes and celery - filled pan with water and simmer away. I added 2 cups of barley and some random mushrooms from the fridge and dinner should be ready soon - with enough leftover for lunch tomorrow PLUS two or three small freezer containers (work lunch again!)
I feel incredible productive today, even though I didn't get to baking bread and muffins. I'll do the baking tomorrow! I will also do the math to see where these frugal cooking experiments truly save money I know the potatoes save hands down - but I am not so sure about the stock. However, canned stock won't work in many recipes due to its saltiness, so I have to factor that in somehow!
For the stock, I roasted the bones with 2 halved onions (I leave the skins on for color) in a 400 degree oven for about an hour or so - until they were nice and brown. (I did flip them about 1/2 way thru) While the bones were roasting, I scrubbed and popped in 15 potatoes on the top rack to bake at the same time - might as well use the time the oven was on!
The bones and the potatoes were ready at about the same time, so I pulled all of the potatoes out onto the counter to cool of for a moment. Then I dumped the bones and onions into my stockpot - poured the grease into a clean, warmed jar - and deglazed the pan with a smidge of red wine (the brown bits have some of the best flavor!). I added some more chunks of onion (with skin!), chunks of celery and carrot, and some random veggie scraps from the freezer. Fill it up with water, put it onto boil, and viola! Stock in the making!
Now my potatoes are still steaming away on the counter. They all get sliced in half lengthwise and I use a tablespoon to scoop out most of their innards into a large bowl. Once they are all sliced and empty I line the "shells" up to be stuffed. For this quantity of potatoes I mashed in a 16oz tub of sour cream, 4oz of finely grated cheddar cheese, and a heavy grating of black pepper. Sometimes I also finely chop up jalapenos or other hot pepper and mix them in (yum!!). This mashed mix gets spooned back into the potatoes shells. I laid out the stuffed potatoes onto 2 plates, foil wrapped them carefully, and popped them into my freezer. Once they are frozen solid (I am guessing tomorrow morning) I will take them off the plates and put them into labeled freezer bags. I love to bring one of these potatoes to work (along with a frozen mini-meatloaf) on a day where only a hot lunch will do!
So my potatoes are freezing - my stock is simmering (for another 6 hours or so!) - so what is for dinner? Beef vegetable barley soup! I found an oxtail in the freezer along with the soupbones - tossed it into my stewpot with onions, carrot, potatoes and celery - filled pan with water and simmer away. I added 2 cups of barley and some random mushrooms from the fridge and dinner should be ready soon - with enough leftover for lunch tomorrow PLUS two or three small freezer containers (work lunch again!)
I feel incredible productive today, even though I didn't get to baking bread and muffins. I'll do the baking tomorrow! I will also do the math to see where these frugal cooking experiments truly save money I know the potatoes save hands down - but I am not so sure about the stock. However, canned stock won't work in many recipes due to its saltiness, so I have to factor that in somehow!
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