Let's take care of business first. It's Christmastime and you are here looking for some holiday recipes, for sure. Well, I got your back! Just click right here to
see a Santa sleigh-full. It's a link to my holiday recipes from blog
posts past; everything from pies to luscious side dishes, and roast
turkey to party appetizers. Happy Holidays to you, thanks
for visiting, and read on.
Baked Turkey with Sage & Stuffing
What follows is my year in GIFs. It's a Christmas stocking stuffed with short animation clips I've made. A GIF is about a dozen photos,or a video clip a few seconds long, that I upload to a website to convert into a short video that lasts a few seconds. A GIF does not have sound and the clip keeps replaying.
Fettuccine Alfredo - based on one of my most popular recipes from years ago. I made a
video version at the beginning of this year. As good as Olive Garden's recipe?
I like to do time-lapse GIFs that show a recipe cooking from start to finish, so you can see the transformation, like for cheesy Chicken Parmesanand roast pork shoulder above, and a creamyBaked Artichoke Dip appetizer below.
Another Restaurant Nocturne of a new eatery located in Koreatown. The restaurant, Saint Martha, is named for the Catholic saint of cooks and maids.
Is it a dessert or savory side dish? You be the judge for my cheap$kate video version of Corn Pudding. Maybe it's best to let your guests determine the verdict. And for these coming holidays I sentence you to make a luscious Corn Pudding!
You only need four ingredients: corn, milk, eggs and a tablespoon of honey.
The only big decision is about corn. Do you use fresh corn from the cob, a few cans of cooked corn, or fresh frozen bag of corn kernels? I went the easy route and used frozen, but you can use any type you prefer.
It couldn't be easier to make. Add 3 whisked eggs to milk and stir in a
one pound bag of corn kernels (3 cups,) and finally drizzle on a
tablespoon of honey (or your favorite sweetener.) Bake the mixture for
45 minutes at 350 degrees -- that's it.
Some recipes sprinkle on a little ground nutmeg for extra festive holiday flavor.
The ingredients are cheap, just the way I like it, especially one pound bags of frozen corn and canned corn.
I think you will like the texture -- it's similar to flan, with the extra crunchy addition of sweet corn kernels.
This side dish is perfect for travel and can be done at the last minute. I did it in under an hour, most of the time reserved for baking. You can make it ahead of time and serve it chilled or warm.
My latest recipe video below features sweet and savory side dish recipe that's simply delicious to make. So for this Christmas holiday meal serve my cheap$kate side dish of Corn Pudding, it has all the right ingredients.
3 cups corn kernels - fresh, frozen or drained from can. I used a one pound package of frozen corn kernels, that I defrosted and drained.
2 cups milk - regular or low fat. I used 2 percent milk
3 medium eggs - add an extra egg if they are small. 1 used medium eggs.
1 tablespoon honey - Okay to use any favorite sweetener. You can add less, or leave out sweetener, it will still be slightly sweet from the corn.
Salt and pepper to taste - I left it out for this version.
Directions
Prepare corn kernels, you want 3 cups total. If you use fresh corn removed from the cob, it may take about 4 to 6 ears to fill 3 cups. For canned corn use three 16 ounce cans and drain liquid.
I used a one pound bag of frozen corn. In this video I added it without defrosting, but best to let it defrost and drain any liquid, which will later settle to bottom of the pudding. (If you are eating it all in one sitting soon after baking, then no need to defrost frozen corn.)
In a bowl or baking dish, whisk 3 eggs together. Don't overdo it, just blend enough to mix well.
Pour milk into baking dish. Add the blended eggs. Stir and mix.
click on any photo to see larger
Finally add the corn and sweetener, again mix well.Okay to leave out any sweetener, corn has a bit of sweetness already.
It's best to use a deep dish so you have a thick pudding. If you only have a shallow baking pan then reduce baking time by about 10 minutes, so pudding doesn't dry out too much.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This will allow pudding to set (serve too soon and the Corn Pudding may be too watery.)
Hindsight
Some recipes add a cup (or two) of crumbled or shredded cheese and a sprinkle of nutmeg. And to keep the side dish more savory, you can leave out the sweetener.
Make sure to drain canned corn. Also, to further reduce water accumulation, defrost frozen corn and drain it too. I found a little water on the bottom of the pudding after it cooled down. You can pour it out when baking dish is easier to handle.
By the next day the Corn Pudding will start to break apart - the kernels will separate from the pudding in clumps. It will still taste fine. Also water will continue to come from the corn kernels, just drain the liquid off before serving.
You never know what edibles you'll find at the local 99c only Store - everything from a package of Chia Seeds to a large container of frozen Chicken Livers. And here are some of the best, or at least, the most unusual Food Finds of 2015 that I've run across.
Even seaweed snacks have made an appearance. You know what they are right? They are super thin sheets of dried seaweed - they dissolve in your mouth like the host given to Catholics during the Eucharist - or those sheets of breath mints.
As a joke I gave out some to Halloween trick or treaters. Well, I had a fight on my hands when a group of teenage tricksters actually shoved at each other to get a package! I guess dried seaweed snacks have been discovered by the next generation, and good for them.
The 99c only Stores cater to local ethnic enclaves here in Los Angeles, especially Latin and Middle Eastern.
While this Mole may not taste like homemade to transplanted Oaxacans, you can't beat the price. Mole is a complex blend of spices and chilies, really too complex for the average cook to make. I found small boxes of it, and it tastes fine, especially paired with a nice fillet of chicken.
They also sell plantains ready to ripen for sweet fried bananas. I've made them to accompany my Cuban recipes, like tender Roast Pork and Black Beans. I also see peeled and frozen packages of Yucca, a potato-like starch that Central Americans go for.
Click on any photo to see larger.
Whole pomegranates appeal to Middle Eastern tastes buds. I like the sour/sweet pulp. Inside the cardboard hard shells there are tiny fruit lozenges with seeds, and you eat the bright red flesh with seeds - quite tasty. I made an cute video with my neighbor Bob's 4 year old daughter, Lola, where we try to get her to eat some. You can see it here.
My go-to drink of choice is Diet Cran-Pomegranate by Ocean Spray made with real fruit juice. They have carried it here for the last few years. After work I sometimes add it to a shot of gin over ice.
My beer of choice are 16 ounce cans of Henninger Beer from Germany. They don't carry it all the time and I always stock up when they do. It's a light crisp pale lager that goes down easy. I found another refreshing beer on sale once called Chang, from Thailand.
I've lucked out a few times with the frozen fare that comes in. I liked the Veggie Lasagna from Stouffer's and a Whole Grain Pilaf from Luvo. While the servings are small, the quality and taste are superior.
And there are always cans and jars of premade pasta sauce.
The hot sauce du jour is Sriracha, originally bottled in nearby Irwindale. Huy Fong Foods did not copyright the name so the Sriracha lable and flavor is turning up everywhere, like in ketchup and mayo.
99c only Stores offer a wide variety of fresh fruit and veggies,
sometimes it's even organic. You can pick up packages of tomatoes,
potatoes, mushrooms, lettuce and onions.
As for fruit, how about
whole pineapples for 99.99 cents! They even carry coconuts - good luck
cracking them, though. I usually settle for Coconut Chips.
Now don't rush out to your local 99c only Stores hoping to find all of the above. The preferred stock that comes through, often goes right out the door quickly, so that's it. When I find a great deal I stock up -- shopping there keeps you on your toes!
I hope you have had a year of bargains, too. Just stick with me and I'll keep pointing out all the money saving food items, that make up my cheap$kate recipes, I find this coming New Year!
Unfortunately this Deal of the Day is bleh. I mean it's not bad, just mediocre. And that goes for both Atkins Stone Fired Pepperoni and Cheese Pizza.
I know it's hard to find a tasty frozen pizza for a buck. One day I'll find what I'm looking for, just not yet.
In general, I like Atkins frozen meals that show up in my local 99c only Store's frozen case, like this one a click away, here.
I first tried the Stone Fired Pepperoni Pizza. This one had 3 slices of pepperoni, not four slices shown on the box cover - better supervision is needed at the Atkins pizza plant.
The main problem was the lack of tomato sauce and the lack of cheese. I guess to keep the price down they cut the cheese when adding pepperoni. I don't need a lot of tomato sauce, but this single serving had the tiniest smear. You would think since cans of tomato sauce are so cheap that they would ladle it on.
I thought the pepperoni slices were fine. Thin but spicy and pungent just like pepperoni should be.
And the cheese was flavorful with mozzarella and parmesan. Like I said earlier, it could have used more.
And finally, the pizza crust is medium thick and blistered. I prefer thin, but the dough is tasty enough -- Chicago and New York-style crusts have nothing to worry about here.
So on the 99 Cent Chef's Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give Atkins Stone Fired Pepperoni Pizza a 4!
So on to the next Deal of the Day, Atkins Stone Fired Cheese Pizza.
Now, this is more like it. This pizza has plenty of melty, gooey cheese, just the way I like it! It still has too little sauce, but the cheese amount almost makes up for it.
While not the most flavorful mozzarella and parmesan, it's fine. I think an extra shaving or two of parmesan cheese would do the trick.
And it has the same crust. I tried frying this frozen pizza on a George Forman-like grill for a better crust, but due to the thick dough it still did not crisp up enough, before the cheese started melting all over the place, and the too little tomato sauce almost evaporated away.
The ingredient list is too long for both pizzas, but that could be preservatives in the pepperoni and cheeses.
Click on any photo to see larger.
So on the 99 Cent Chef's Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give Atkins Stone Fired Cheese Pizza a 6 ! It's a little better than bleh.
While I shouldn't complain too much for single serving pizzas for a buck, I would recommend the Cheese Pizza over the Pepperoni.
Overall these are not bad Deals of the Day, just a bit underwhelming. Oh well, you can't have it all.
