Plenty of Flavor for Your Buck

Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for meals that are affordable, packed with flavor, and generous enough to leave me with tomorrow’s lunch. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask, right? I’ve been rediscovering some grocery store basics and giving them new life, layering in flavor with my favorite herbs and spices. These recipes are meant to be flexible, so don’t be afraid to experiment by swapping in different cheeses, trying new spice combinations, or even swapping the main ingredients (tuna for salmon, broccoli for cabbage, etc.). A little creativity can turn simple ingredients into something seriously delicious.

Cheesy Salmon-Rice Bake

(Makes 4-5 servings)

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
2 cups milk
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup Monterey Jack cheese
4 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ curry powder
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 (7½-ounce) cans salmon without skin and bones

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and salt, and whisk for 1 minute or until flour is cooked and mixture darkens to a roux.
3. Remove pan from heat, and gradually whisk in milk. Return pan to heat and stir with a spoon until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Add curry powder, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and dill weed.
5. Fold the salmon into the sauce, breaking it up into large pieces. Add rice.
6. Spoon mixture into greased baking dish, and top with cheese.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Cabbage is not just economical. It’s also a flavor chameleon, able to take on so many flavors — Italian, Asian, or the Southern treat of bacon grease and chopped bacon. This recipe is a last-minute lifesaver because it uses cupboard staples.

Garlic-Ginger Cabbage

(Makes 4 servings)

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 head green cabbage
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Wash cabbage and coarsely chop.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds (do not brown garlic). Stir in pepper flakes.
4. Add cabbage, and stir constantly for 1 minute or until just wilted.
5. Stir in soy sauce and ginger.
6. Serve hot.

In the spirit of cooking good things while minding my budget, I tried a recipe that a lady gave me years ago in my hometown church. I’d stashed it away and forgotten it. Maybe it was the name that made me hesitate. I have no idea who Bubboo was (a grandmother of someone), and the secret recipe was divulged freely. Anyway, the cake turned out to be delicious.

Bubboo’s Secret Pineapple Pound Cake

(Makes 10 servings)

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup vegetable shortening
2¼ cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon butter extract (optional)
½ teaspoon pineapple extract (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup crushed pineapple with juice
Glaze for Warm Cake (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. Mix butter and shortening in an electric stand mixer until fluffy.
4. Add sugar, and mix well.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
6. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl.
7. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk, then the other half of the flour mixture.
8. Add extracts and pineapple and juice, and mix just until blended. (Do not over mix at this stage).
9. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate and pour glaze over top.

Glaze for Warm Cake:
Whisk together 1 cup crushed pineapple in juice and 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar, and pour over warm pound cake.