Nearly every one of us will celebrate one or more of the upcoming fall and winter holidays, observances, and celebrations just around the corner. This year why not aim for praiseworthy recipes and meals that are also thrifty and nutritious as well as delicious? You need look no further. Following is a menu for a pretty easy breezy meal all the guests will enjoy. Uncle Morrie won’t need to sit in the corner with salad and applesauce while Cousins Burt and Sheila sift through each dish to avoid anything with meat, your granddaughter can’t have most grains, hubby has an Epi-pen handy in case he accidentally swallows nuts, your sister is diabetic and your old friends, the Carters, are vegan. Yikes! The scenario leaves a lot of guests in a post dinner hunger mode that might well ruin the celebration for them and for you.
Turkey, ham, and brisket are not necessarily meal requirements for every holiday meal, and no one needs marshmallows on yams, cheese and butter in every dish or layer cake for dessert. Exotic fruits and vegetables from other areas of the world might be fun for a holiday meal, but if they’re unseasonal where you live, they’ll be not only more expensive but less nutritional due to their long journey to your table.
Prepare or at least partially prep recipes up to three days ahead, and even longer for items you can freeze.
Look for what’s available and least expensive at the grocery store, including cuts of meat and eggs.
Be aware of what’s plentiful and seasonal where you reside. It will be fresher and less expensive.
When there are sales at the store on dry goods, stock up. We can always have use for canned beans, tomatoes, tuna, fruit, broth, dry milk, nut butters, corn meal, butter, vegetable oil, dry and canned milk and of course flour and baking supplies.
If friends or neighbors have a large supply of certain ingredients or prepared foods and you have something they might use, trade. It won’t cost either of you a penny.
Ask guests to bring a holiday dish, to share, that they enjoy and possibly prefer.
Know your limitations. Base your menu on availability of your time, your expertise and whether you’ll have a kitchen helper or be the chief cook and bottle washer.
Don’t overextend yourself or your budget.
Or be even more creative and make personal pizzas with easy no-yeast yogurt crusts and toppings you have on hand.
Or host a taco party and ask guests to bring components, they adore, for the taco fiesta. Have gluten free and vegan tortillas available if possible or ask guests to bring their preference.
Whether for Thanksgiving or any other winter meal celebration, the menu options are endless when the chef steps out of the conventional meal box and goes creative. Here are two thrifty menus that provide dietary options for all your guests. One is a quick and easy menu. The second is a menu plan for the ardent chef, on a budget, who wants to present showstoppers. Both menus are delicious and nutritious and varied to feed all the tastes and dietary needs of your guests while fitting into your budget. Mix and match or prepare just two or three of the dishes listed. It’s all about variation and deliciousness based on what works for you and your holiday crowd.
EASY MENU:
Stove Top Popcorn (gf/vegan)
White Bean Hummus with Rice Crackers (vegan, gf)
*Potato & Green Chile Stew
Zesty Barbecue Glazed Roast Turkey Drumsticks
Steamed Fresh or Frozen Broccoli with* Tamari aioli (veg, gf)
OR
Steamed Peas with mint and lemon butter (veg, gf)
Cornbread (gf) with butter/margarine
Homemade Jam
Chocolate Wacky Cake (vegan)
& Fruit Compote Sundaes (gf)
OR
*Chocolate Love Pudding (gf, veg/vegan)
& *Carrot Spice Cookies (vegan)
ARDENT MENU:
Humble Pumpkin Soup (veg/vegan)
*White Bean & Spinach Antipasto (gf, vegan)
*Gardeners’ Seasonal Company Galette (vegan / veg) &
Gardeners’ Seasonal Casserole (vegan / veg, gf)*Scalloped Spiced Yams & Apples with walnuts & cranberries (vegan/ veg, gf)
*Turkey Meatballs Stroganoff
Herbed Rice Pilaf (vegan, gf)
*Damper Bread with butter/margarine
*Oregon Apple Tart a la Jacques (veg/vegan)
& Maple Pumpkin Pie
OR
*Light Lemon Cheesecake Cups (gf)
& Zucchini Tahini Brownies (vegan)
By: By Kitchen Maven, Judi Berman-Yamada, https://www.facebook.com/Creativepenandpantry/
Many Recipes in my posts are found in my cookbook, “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times”. The book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. All (100%) of author royalties from retail sales of my cookbook go directly to the Oregon Food Bank, Tillamook Services, to assist families and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Purchasing the cookbook will benefit not only the recipient of the cookbook, but people in need, as well. Living near Tillamook County or even in Portland, you can purchase the book through Food Roots Farm to Table Marketplace for a sale price and all proceeds will go directly to that non-profit organization.
A rich, creamy recipe that combines delicious fall flavors with satisfying pasta.
Ingredients:
12 jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces)
1 ¼ cups nonfat ricotta cheese
¾ cup pumpkin
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons basil
¼ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup pasta sauce
Directions:
Wash hands with soap and water.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and place each on a baking sheet to cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, spices and all but 1 Tablespoon of the cheese. Reserve the 1 Tablespoon cheese for topping.
Spread pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish that holds all the shells in a single layer. Fill each shell with about 3 Tablespoons of pumpkin mixture and place shells close together on top of the sauce.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes more.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes:
Freeze unused pumpkin and add to soup, chili or pancake recipes.
Perfectly Paired: Roasted Parsnips and Carrots as Your Ideal Autumn Comfort Side. Roasting these root vegetables brings out their delightful blend of sweet, smoky, and nutty flavors, making them the ultimate accompaniment for a cozy, rainy fall day.
Ingredients:
¾ pound parsnips, peeled if needed
¾ pound carrots, peeled
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the parsnips and carrots into uniform pieces such as 3 x ½-inch sticks or 1-inch thick slices.
3. Place cut parsnips and carrots into a large bowl. Add the vegetable oil and stir to coat the carrots and parsnips.
4. Add the salt, garlic powder and black pepper and stir until the vegetables are well coated with seasonings.
5. Place vegetables in a single layer on large baking sheet being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Lining the baking sheet with foil or baking parchment will help with clean-up.
6. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring the vegetables half way through the time. The carrots and parsnips should be caramelized to a medium brown and blistered.
7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes:
Try adding other seasonings such as thyme or onion powder.
Looking for a kid-friendly, nutritious snack that’s perfect for when you’re on the move? Give these Peanut Butter Cereal Bars a try! Whole grain oats, peanut butter, and dried fruit make a crispy, chewy treat.
Ingredients
½ cup honey (see Notes)
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups rice cereal
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
In a saucepan, bring honey to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and stir in peanut butter.
Add cereal, oats and raisins; mix well. Remove from heat.
Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan. Press mixture into pan. When cool, cut into 16 bars.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Try this recipe with 4 cups of unsweetened cereal flakes instead of the rice cereal and oats.
Honey is not recommended for children under 1 year old.
To avoid peanuts or peanut butter, try sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter.
Photo and recipe credit: https://foodhero.org/recipes/peanut-butter-cereal-bars
2 cups whole kernel corn (fresh, frozen or canned and drained)
2 cups lima beans (fresh, frozen or canned and drained)
2 cups cut okra (fresh or frozen)
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed or diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
In a large saucepan on medium heat, sauté onion in the oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to medium-low and slowly cook until the veggies are tender, the liquids reduce and the flavors are blended, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
The amounts of each vegetable are provided as a guide and do not have to be exact. Create your own combination according to your taste and what’s available!
Try adding other vegetables such as black eyed peas, chopped bell pepper, hot pepper or zucchini.
Try adding other seasonings such as garlic powder, thyme, basil or hot sauce.
If using fresh corn, slice 2 cups kernels from 2 to 4 ears, uncooked or cooked.
If using fresh tomatoes, use 4 large to 6 medium (3 cups chopped, peel first if desired).
Looking for a creative way to use up the overflow of zucchini from your garden?! Give this Zucchini Pie a try!
1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls
3 medium zucchini, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs. Tillamook butter
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. snipped fresh dill
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 ¼ cup grated Tillamook Pepper Jack cheese (divided)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9-inch pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of plate to form a crust; seal perforations.
In a skillet, sauté zucchini and garlic in butter. Add the parsley, dill, salt, pepper and ½ cup cheese.
Spoon into the crust. Pour eggs over top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover edges loosely with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
Yield: 6 servings.
For a lighter version, turn your pie into a frittata! Remove the crescent rolls from the recipe and add your vegetable and egg mixture directly to a well-greased pan and bake as instructed.
Photo & Recipe Source: Abby Carroll
For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
