It's been a tight month here at the cottage. Whenever we are short on money, it's made up out of the food budget. That's just the way it is when you live on a shoestring budget.
So I've been getting creative in the kitchen— using things up and making do. Cooking from scratch is key. I've been using our small budget for fill in things that we need like onions and potatoes and butter.
This is a chicken lentil stew that I made earlier this week. My husband really liked it, and he insisted that I write down how I made it. This isn't so much a recipe but the method I used to put it all together. You may not like lentils, but hang in here with me. There are options.
I had two chicken legs in the freezer. I put them in the slow cooker with some dried minced onions, salt and pepper. I covered it all with boiling water from my electric kettle (I love it so much, I bought a second for a gift.); then, I cooked it all on high until I had a nice broth and cooked chicken.
Okay, here's where the creativity began. I chopped three stalks of celery, an onion, and several carrots and sauted them in a bit of butter in my electric skillet. I found some sliced okra in the freezer and put in about a cup. After the onion was done, I spooned the broth into the skillet and set the chicken aside to cool. I knew I needed more bulk. My choices were potatoes, barley, rice, lentils, or noodles. I chose lentils, because they are nutritious, and I had some I needed to use up.
Next, I opened the spice cabinet. I chose garlic powder, Italian seasoning, more salt and pepper, and a bit of turmeric. Interestingly enough, when it was done, the primary flavor we tasted was rosemary.
I simmered it all, adding a bit more boiling water as needed, until the lentils were soft. The carrots and celery were still just a bit firm, but they were done through. Meanwhile, I deboned the chicken and added it to the stew.
Delicious!
Now, do I expect you to do it like this? No. Absolutely not. I'm sharing this to show you that you can start with something as simple as a couple of frozen chicken legs and end up with a delicious soup or stew by just adding in whatever ingredients you have on hand.
What do you have in your freezer, fridge or cupboard? The options are endless if you don't hold yourself to a recipe.
When times are tough, it's all about possibility thinking. What can you do with what you have? That's what I'm doing. I invite you to pray and ask God to help you do the same.
Have a wonderful week my frugal friends!
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
P.S. Tonight I'll stir fry cabbage a neighbor gave us with some hamburger and onions. It's comfort food for us, because it's something I made for the kids when they were growing up. We can do this thing together.
Do you have any simple meals that you make when times are tough?
Let's learn from each other and encourage each other. God always provides.
