La Banderita Flour Tortillas

 

Ingredients: Enriched bleach flour, water, vegetable shortening (hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils); contains 2% or less of the following: baking powder, salt, calcium propionate, distilled mono and diglycerides, sorbic acid, fumaric acid, baking soda and sugar. Contains: Wheat.

These turned out to be much better than these did. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact La Banderita starts with flour, water and shortening, the typical ingredients for tortillas, and La Tortilla Factory started with water, masa flour and wheat gluten.

Available at Henry's Market for about $3. I lost the receipt.

Pride of Szeged Hungarian Paprika

Many recipes I come across call for Hungarian sweet paprika. I used to use smoked paprika in it's place because I love it -- it's delicious.

This time, I figured I might as well get some of this popular Hungarian paprika.

I wonder how you're supposed to accurately measure a teaspoon of this stuff without slopping it all over the place?


In case you're wondering, there is a patent pending on the tamper-proof cap.

Szeged Hungarian Paprika, available in the baking aisle at Ralph's for $4.99/5 oz.

Summer-in-a-Bowl Pasta

This pasta dish was in the summer 2011 edition of Cooking Club magazine. Normally, I avoid preparing things that call for heavy whipping cream -- not that I don't care for it, but it seems weird to me to use it in a pasta dish. I know, I'm wacko. As the recipe calls for fresh corn, one of my favorites of summer, and fresh basil, I had to try it once.

Summer-in-a-Bowl Pasta

adapted from Cooking Club of America

click to print

8 oz. farfalle (bow-tie pasta)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, halved, sliced (3 cups)
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 c fresh corn kernels (3 to 4 ears)
1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, sliced (1 cup)
1 large tomato, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
3/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/3 c slightly packed chopped fresh basil
1/4 c chopped fresh chives

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.


Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook and stir onion 1 minute.

Hint: break up the half-rings before putting them in the skillet -- you might save yourself the risk of overcooking them.

Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add corn, bell pepper and zucchini; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until barely crisp-tender.

Stir in tomato, 1/4 cup of the cheese, cream, reserved pasta water, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.

Bring to a boil; boil 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.


Add pasta to skillet. Toss with basil, chives and remaining cheese.

The last of the cheese was supposed to be used as garnishing cheese, but I'm into ease.


This recipe goes pretty swiftly, so be sure to practice mise en place. If you time it right, the pasta can be readied while the corn mixture is cooking along, which will save some time.

Tastewise, I liked it. It was creamy but not excessively so. If you're not a big cheese fan, I'm sure you could cut the quantity in half and not feel it was lacking in texture, though you might want to boil off more of the liquid and make it a little thicker.

Personally I think I prefer my pastas with red sauces rather than creamy ones. That or I was thinking Summer-in-a-Bowl Pasta was going to taste like Spicy Southwestern Corn with pasta. Probably the latter. Wow, I should totally make that corn dish with pasta! Cha-ching!

Cost:

• farfalle: $0.75
• red onion: $0.44
• garlic: $0.45
• corn: $1.56
• bell pepper: $1.61
• zucchini: $0.41
• tomato: $0.61
• Parmesan cheese: $3
• heavy whipping cream: $0.57
• fresh basil: $1.65
• fresh chives: $0.32

Total: $11.37 or $2.84 for each of four filling 2-cup servings.

Ralph's Heavy Whipping Cream

Typically, heavy whipping cream is not on my grocery list. I guess I consider it the ingredient in whipped cream and that's it.

See the ingredient statement? Heavy cream, skim milk, contains less than 1% of each of the following ingredients: mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 80 and carrageenan. Contains 36% milkfat.

It's the milkfat that let's you whip it into cream.

Fortunately, when I do decide to get some, it's available in a half-pint so I'm not wasting a ton.

Just an FYI, if you have some, you can use it to make Turkey Pocket Pies, Part 1. Or make White Russians, aka known as "Caucasians" by Jeff, The Dude, Lebowski.

Ralph's heavy whipping cream, available for $2.29/half-pint.

Harvest Sensations Fresh Chives

I bought this pack of Harvest Sensations chives.


Sure, you know chives. Usually finally chopped on a fluffy bed of sour cream in a buttery baked potato.

When I buy chives, as well as any other fresh herb, the majority will go to waste. In case you buy chives know you can also use them in:

• Herbed New Potatoes
• Roasted Beet Salad with Spiced Pecans and Champagne Vinaigrette
• New Potatoes with Chive Butter
• Roasted New Potatoes Smothered in Chives

Harvest Sensations Fresh Chives, available at Grower's Direct for $1.29 per 1-oz package.

Food Plan and Grocery List, 071611

I'm going to do a butterflied chicken that I've had off an on in my queue for a while. That it will go well with Spicy Southwestern Corn is a plus. To change things up a little, I'm going to do a pasta dish too.

• Summer-in-a-Bowl Pasta
• Mexican-Style Butterflied Chicken
• Spicy Southwestern Corn
• Two-Bean Salsa with Corn and Tomatoes

Grower's Direct:

• tomatoes: $1.83/1.54 lb (3)
• limes: $0.36/0.40 lb (2)
• zucchini: $0.82/0.92 lb (2)
• red onion: $0.44/0.75 lb
• red bell pepper: $1.61/0.54 lb
• sweet white corn on the cob: $2.73/7 ears
• garlic bulbs: $0.97/0.39 lb (2)
• poblano pepper: $0.43/0.33 lb
• fresh basil: $1.65
• fresh chives: $1.29
• TOTAL: $12.13

Ralph's:

• Mission tortilla chips: $3.29
• tortillas: $2.49
• Barilla farfalle pasta:$1.50/16 oz
• Private Selection parmesan cheese: $3.99/8 oz
• Ralph's frozen corn: $1/12 oz
• Hungarian paprika: $4.99
• La Victoria mild green chiles: $1.59/4 oz
• Ralph's heavy whipping cream: $2.29/pint
• cherries: $3.49/1.97 lb
• Hass avocado: $1
• Foster Farms whole chicken: $5.54/3.28 lb
• TOTAL: $31.17

Stater Bros.:

• Stater Bros. Monterey jack cheese: $4.99/16 oz.
• TOTAL: $4.99

Grand Total: $48.29
Total for the year: $815.99

Cost of Take-Out Lunch, Week Ending 071511

Wednesday: Chipotle Tacos
Thursday: A's Cheeseburger, Onion Rings and soda: $8.07
Friday: B's Rockin' Burrito Bandito Ensalada: $7.49

Total: $15.56
Total for the year: $822.03