Family On A Budget

Another week of clearing out the freezer.

Monday: Baked Chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes. – This has been on my list for the past two weeks. Finally cooked it.

Tuesday: Enchilada casserole. (Recipe to follow)

Wednesday: Cajun Salmon fillets, canned spinach, baked potatoes. (The fillets are from Sams Club)

Thursday: Black Bean Soup, homemade rolls, spinach salad. (using the ham hock in my freezer).

Friday: Dinner Out (From now till Easter we will visit various Fish Frys at local Churches and Fire Halls)

Saturday: Meat Loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans. (Ground beef and turkey from Freezer)

Sunday: Pork, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, kielbasa. (Butterfly pork chops from freezer – They are from Sams Club but they were dry when I broiled them – maybe baking them with sauerkraut will tenderize them.)

I finally made it to Whole Foods to pick up some grains to experiment with. Here is what I made with Spelt Berries. I found the recipe on Kathleen’s Vegetarian Kitchen Blog.

1 cup cooked spelt berries (cooking instructions below)
2 or 3 apples, cored and sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries or raisins
1/3 cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cream cheese, ricotta or small curd cottage cheese (to thicken it a bit)
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, to taste (apple pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice)

1. To cook the spelt berries: boil 1 1/2 cups water, then add 1/2 cup uncooked spelt berries. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about an hour and a half, until tender. Drain any remaining liquid and cool before adding to the salad. (A tip: make a larger batch and put some in the freezer for a future salad).

2. Make the dressing by whisking together or blending until smooth the yogurt or mayo, the cream cheese, lime juice, and honey. Add some apple pie spice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.