Comfort Food for the No Money Blues

For a while I was cooking it a bit to get a scrambled egg pasta texture, but I've since gone back to rendering that creamy sauce texture.

We like to make a simple tortellini soup when we're low on funds. Here's the recipe:

TORTELLINI SOUP

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced. Let it soften a bit.

Then, add a 48 oz. can of chicken broth and a couple of tablespoons of Minor's chicken base, if you have it. Stir.

While the broth is coming to a simmer, I add a whole 28 oz. can of stewed tomatoes, juice and all. You can chop the tomatoes up beforehand,if you like.

After the stewed tomatoes go in, I add half of a 10 1/2 oz. package of chopped spinach. Just go ahead and take a cleaver and cleave the package in two. Watch your fingers! Add the frozen half-brick, after carefully removing the wrapping, of course.

Now, let everything in the pot come to a good simmer. That's when I add a package of Buitoni "Chicken and Proscuito" tortelloni (use whatever kind of you like, though) and cook according to package directions.

When it's all done, ladle some into a bowl and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Buon appetito!

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 lg. onion chopped
1 16oz. can kidney beans - undrained
1 160z. can chili beans - undrained
1 16oz. can kernal corn - undrained
1 16oz. can diced tomatoes - undrained
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 4.5oz. can diced green chili
1 cup refried beans
1 1/2 cup water
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning

Brown meat and onion, drain. Add all other ingredients in large pan. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Makes 14 cups.
Freezes nice.

Hillbilly,
Dadgummit, you left out livermush! Don't y'all make it at home in the dishpan up yonderaways no more?
I Shelby Rapidly Roanoking, Mounted Airily Toward Roxboro, Pining For Spruce, My Car Spartaing Along, Spraying Gastonia Leaksville As I Hunger To Be A-Eden, Burlington Down The Road, Blowing Rock As I Pass, Seeing Newland As I Dobs On Into The Sunset, Not Fishing For Trout,Man (For Went It's Worth), Ort. Carlton in Nearly Unpunably-Named Athens, Georgia.
P. S. I couldn't manage to fit Yadkinville in there. Sorry. Nor Barium Springs.

Ort,
Generally after the barium goes in I am not feeling so springy. Maybe it's good you left that one out.

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

Hillbilly,
Dadgummit, you left out livermush! Don't y'all make it at home in the dishpan up yonderaways no more?

DON'T GET GREEDY! I already included country ham, fried chicken and chicken & dumplings in this pauper's meal. Of course, we did squeeze in the livermush and other varous pork products during the week. We used "every part of the pig except the squeal", and we took care of that with our squeals of delight when we bit into that first piece of tenderloin on butchering day or into the first slice of the county ham when we determined that it had cured long enough to make good red eye gravy. I won't go into detail about the ways we used some parts of the pig. But just about all of it was edible, and good to those with a high "squeamish" threshhold.

Since it is September 27th and the end of the month, last night I had a favorite. Chicken ala king in toast. Here is the recipe:
open up as many cans of Swanson's Chicken ala King as you can afford, get the cheapest bag of rice you can find, usually the grocery store home brand, a loaf of white bread.
If you paid the 'lectric bill and had use of the toaster, or if you didn't sell it at last weeks garage sale to get some money for smokes and beer, toast up a bunch o' the bread and put the cooked rice on top. then, open them cans and pour it on. Salt and pepper to taste.( make sure you get plenty o' those packets next time your at the convenience store.

lol..spadoman, you are a soulmate. I know all too well about the 27th day of the month. I often do the bean tricks mentioned abouve with the additionof rice. (remember folks , beans and rice make the ultimate complex carbohydrate, the GOOD kind.)

quote:

Originally posted by redtressed

lol..spadoman, you are a soulmate. I know all too well about the 27th day of the month. I often do the bean tricks mentioned abouve with the additionof rice. (remember folks , beans and rice make the ultimate complex carbohydrate, the GOOD kind.)

Well allright, I made it to the 30th of the month. After I eat all the leftovers today, I can start thinking about the great meals ahead because tomorrow is the first of the month again!
It will be wonderful to get a fresh new jar of peanut butter. I can stock up on the Ramen noodles and creamettes elbows. I see there is a sale on Festal peas, corn and green beans as well as campbells tomato soups.
Yes, I know my poor folk food roots!

Ramen noodle soup. You cant get any cheaper then that and I actually like it. Beef and chicken are good.

Hi Redtressed -

Have you tried Welsh Rarebit? It's not all that nutritious, but it's a nice snack. It's basically butter, flour, milk and cheese, stirred into a gloppy mess and then poured over toast. I will find a recipe if you need one.

-Yumbo (also raised by a resourceful single mom and forever grateful for it)

I used to receive all the fresh canned tomatoes I could use from my late mom. I found another way to use them one day when I had a lot of rice in the refrigerator:

Saute a half cup onions in 2 or 3 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Add 2 cups of cooked rice and fry for a few minutes.
Add salt and fresh ground pepper.
Add desired amount of tomatoes (canned chopped tomatoes are fine)
Add some cayenne pepper

Cook over low heat for a few minutes. When the liquid of the tomatoes about disappears, throw a few slices of American cheese into the mix and turn the rice a few times for a fast melt. Remove from heat and serve.

Note: The olive oil married to tomatoes and cayenne make this dish. You must use olive oil.

Quick, tasty and filling.

mmmmmmmmmmm welsh rarebit is a good standby here too. All these recipes sound like treats to me!