Recipe Blog

I've recently started a recipe blog as well, so I don't end up spamming this one with recipes. You can check the new one out at http://beckysrecipeblog.blogspot.com/ and hopefully follow that one as well. Though I will probably post shorter links to any great Frugal recipes.

Chicken Schnitzel

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One of my favorite ways to make chicken stretch is to make Chicken Schnitzel. As my mother wants me to teach her how I make mine tonight, I figured I would post my Recipe, so here it is! (The Recipe is for 6-8 servings)

What you need for the Meal:
3-4 Chicken Breasts, Cleaned and cut butterfly style, and then cut to make two thing breasts each. (Can also use Chicken Thighs.)
2 Eggs (mix the eggs together, as if you were making scrambled eggs, can thin with either milk or water. I prefer water)
1/2 cup of flour
1-2 cups of bread crumbs
2-4 teaspoons of olive oil (regular oil can be used as well.)

Preparing the Chicken:
Lay the chicken on a cutting board and cover losely with plastic wrap (I usually just lay it over the chicken). Take a meat pounder and pound out the chicken as thin as you can. (1/8 to 1/4th of an inch thick). I usually let the chicken rest a few minutes while I prepare the eggs, flour, and bread crumbs into different bowls used for the breading process.

The Breading Process: (Easiest to do with your fingers, though it can be a bit messy.) First I coat the chicken with the flour, making sure to get rub it into all the little tiny cracks that might have appeared in the slicing & pounding stages, I do this with all the breast, then I dip it in the eggs, making sure it's fully coated. Then I take the chicken breast and do the same with the bread crumbs, making sure to push in as much extra bread crumbs as I can to get a really full coating.

Cooking! I heat my frying pan up before putting anything in it, I pour the oil in and then put the chicken in right away. Fry on each side for about 4-5 minutes depending on how thin you manage to pound down the chicken. Turning only once. The less you turn, the better your breading sticks.

After both sides are cooked, remove from the pan, and set on paper towel to drain any excess oil and grease off. Serve with Apple Sauce or a Chicken Gravy.

Bulgogi

Yesterday, we had one of my Childhood Favorites.

1/4 cup Japanese or Korean dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
3 medium garlic cloves, crushed, peeled, and grated
3 scallions, root and dark green ends trimmed, and 6-inch stalks minced
2 pounds marbled sirloin or rib steak, sliced paper thin against the grain (Other cuts of thinly slice Beef will do well, you don't want something super tough too)

Whisk together the soy sauce and sugar in a bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the vegetable and sesame oils, sesame seeds, garlic, and scallions until well combined. Add the beef, tossing it with your hands to make sure it is evenly coated on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it, allowing the meat to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

YOu can stick on Skewers or grill flat. Serve with Rice.

Mailing List

I've also recently started a Mailing List, and welcome people to come join it. It's called Frugal in Chicago, and is hosted on Yahoo Groups.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FrugalInChicago
Feel free to Join. I'm not fully limiting it to Chicago, but it's going to be based off trying to be frugal & green in a large city type area.

Recipe: Thrifty Beef & Potato Tacos

1lb ground beef

2 small to 1 large potato diced (small)

Taco Seasoning

Diced Tomatoes

Shredded Lettuce

Cheese

Refried Beans

brown the ground beef, and add in the the diced potatoes in the skillet, add about a cup of water to cover beef & water, add taco seasonings to taste and bring to a boil. Let simmer till the water has reduced and potatoes are tender. (add more water if the potatoes aren't cooked well enough)

Warm your favorite Tortillas, and beans, and serve.

Taco Seasoning

Combine the following:

1 tablespoon of minced dried onions

2 teaspoons of chili powder.

1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot paprika

Stir to blend.

Makes the equivalent of a 1 1/4-ounce package of taco seasoning mix.

Also works well for burritos.