Reducipe - The “Weeknight” Taco

Reducipe
Pronunciation: ri-doos-uh-pee
Function: noun
1 : a recipe that can help lower your food costs in a variety of ways
     a : by scaling back an expensive recipe to be less pricey but still just as tasty
     b : by turning an already inexpensive meal into something special
     c : by using leftovers in creative ways to stretch their use

Now I’m hungry! I call these tacos “weeknight” tacos because they are easy to make and can please the whole family. They remind me of the ground beef and spice mix tacos I used to get as a child except now I make them a little more “grown up” with pico de gallo (instead of tomatoes) and hot sauce.

I remember it was always fun to get tacos because I could add my own toppings and make it how I wanted it. I actually look forward to taco nights now as much as I did back then. This recipe is just that good!

Beef and Bean Tacos are a great way to stretch your grocery dollars. By adding inexpensive canned refried beans you only need a half pound of ground beef. You won’t even miss the extra beef in this dish. Using beans to cut down on the beef is good for your budget and your waistline.

Beef and Bean Tacos

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package taco seasoning mix (hot or mild)
1/3 cup water
1 can refried beans
10-12 crunchy taco shells

Toppings:
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Hot sauce (we prefer mild green Tabasco for this recipe)
Pico de gallo (recipe follows)
Cilantro, chopped
Shredded lettuce

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil then add the beef, onion, garlic, and seasoning mix. Cook, breaking up the beef with wooden spoon, until browned. Stir in the water. Cook, until the liquid has evaporated, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the beans and heat through.

Spoon the beef mixture into each taco. Top each with cheddar cheese, a few dashes of hot sauce, pico de gallo, cilantro, and lettuce. Serve with additional hot sauce. Makes 10-12 tacos.

We prefer the mild green Tabasco sauce with this meal because it adds vinegar which helps cut through the rich and heavily spiced beef mixture. I feel a simple vinegar-based hot sauce really makes this dish sing.

Tips: Heat up the taco shells in the oven for a few minutes while you finish cooking the beef mixture. It improves the flavor of the prepackaged shells and helps keep them from breaking.

Also - I highly recommend that when you build your tacos that you put the cheese directly on top of the beef so it can melt from the heat. I build the tacos in this order: beef, cheese, hot sauce, pico de gallo, cilantro, and lettuce. I find that gives the best results over all.

The beef mixture reheats beautifully. Just keep all the other toppings separate when packing for lunch. A wonderful way to use up the rest of the lettuce and any broken taco shells is to make a taco salad. Use the juice from the pico de gallo as a light dressing.

Here is a quick and easy pico de gallo recipe that we like. We tend to use yellow onions but feel free to use whatever onion you have leftover. Adjust the jalapeno to the heat level you can handle.

Pico de Gallo

1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 limes
Kosher Salt, to taste

Mix the tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze the limes over the mixture and add salt, to taste. Mix thoroughly and let stand for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to marry.

Enjoy!

Reducipe - Chicken Divan

There are many different interpretations of the classic Chicken Divan casserole; most of them have some combination of chicken, broccoli, and cheese. I love the creaminess of this dish and we happen to favor the kind that uses curry powder. Paired with rice it makes a very satisfying meal. It also reheats very well for leftover lunches.

This recipe is a favorite for using up leftover shredded chicken. It is perfect if you are running low on leftover chicken since it tastes great even with very little chicken in it. To me, the chicken is simply an ingredient in this dish, not the star. This week I only had one chicken leg leftover for this dinner and it turned out fine. Eric remarked that it could even go without chicken entirely, just add more broccoli instead.

This recipe is also good to use in weeks where you are having multiple chicken dishes and you need several different flavor profiles. The curry powder lends a different and unique flavor and will help give the variety you need to keep the leftovers tasting new and fresh.

Chicken Divan

2-3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/3 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 (10oz) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded chicken, cooked
½ -1 (10 3/4oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cheddar, shredded
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (a piece of torn up bread works great)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and oil in a hot pan. Sauté mushrooms and onions until the onions are almost translucent and the mushrooms are nicely browned. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl add the broccoli, chicken, and sautéed mushrooms and onions.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar, lemon juice, wine, curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Whisk together and pour the mixture over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well.

Place the mixture in a buttered casserole dish (I use a glass 9×9) and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and the breadcrumbs are toasty. Serve with rice. Crusty bread is also nice for any extra sauce. Makes about 4 servings (or 6 if you stretch it).

There may be a lot of ingredients, but it’s really easy to assemble them together. Check it out :

To save money some weeks, we will purchase a whole chicken, and butcher it into pieces at home, and then roast it. On those weeks, where we have lots of shredded chicken, we always try to make a chicken divan as one of our casseroles. By buying chicken in bulk, roasting it and then shredding it, we are able to get more meals out of it than if we ate the chicken as-is. Enjoy and let me know what you think of it!

Reducipe - Orange Rosemary Pork Chops

simply sublime! These pork chops are to die for. Seriously. The pork chops alone are excellent with a hint of garlic and lightly crispy crust but it’s the pan sauce that really makes it. Made from orange juice, brown sugar, Dijon, rosemary, and browned butter it is simply *fantastic*. I have been making this for years and not once have I seen a plate come back that wasn’t licked clean.

I’m not exaggerating.

Not only is this recipe a homerun, it’s also cheap! The priciest part of this meal is by far the pork chops. Most of the ingredients are staples. For me, the only ingredients I didn’t have on hand were the pork chops, rosemary, and orange juice. You can use thin or thick chops; just adjust the cooking time accordingly. I used thick chops but if you use the thin style you can save even more money.

Melissa’s Orange Rosemary Pork Chops

Pork Chops:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 pork chops, thick or thin
1/4 cup flour
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Sauce:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, to taste
Pork chop pan drippings
1 tablespoon butter (to thicken and gloss)

Combine the orange juice, mustard, brown sugar, and rosemary in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over low heat. Season the chops with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper then dredge in the flour. Shake off any excess flour.

Increase the heat to medium high and when the butter starts to brown and smell nutty, put the chops in the skillet. Cook for about 3-6 minutes a side (depending on thickness) or until you reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Remove chops to a platter and keep warm.

Lower the heat to medium. Pour the orange juice mixture into the hot pan with the chop drippings and whisk to combine. Add the remaining butter, whisking to incorporate. Continue to whisk the sauce while it cooks until it thickens slightly. Serve immediately over the chops.

This makes 4 servings. If you make more than 4-6 chops, I highly recommend doubling the sauce.

I like to serve this with mashed potatoes to help sop up the sauce. Check out this line up of ingredients below. Pretty simple, huh?

Ingredients for Orange Rosemary Pork Chops

Tips and tricks: When cooking these chops don’t move or lift them up to check them in the first few minutes. They need that “quality time” with the pan to develop a good sear and beautiful color. Only turn them once.

I remove the chops when they hit ~146 degrees and let carryover cooking take them the rest of the way. It is perfectly safe to eat pork at 150 degrees. If they get past 160 degrees they will turn out more rubbery than succulent.

I also add a dash of cayenne to my flour mixture because I think everything benefits from a little heat. I would not recommend trying this with dried rosemary. The dried rosemary tends to keep its texture in this sauce and it is distracting and unpleasant. Stick with the fresh stuff; you won’t regret it.

If you try this recipe, and I sincerely hope you will, please let me know what you think of it. I spent a long time tweaking this one and I hope others like it as much as my family and I do. Enjoy!

Reducipe - Chicken Tetrazzini

Total comfort food! Chicken Tetrazzini is a rich, luxurious pasta dish that uses up leftover shredded chicken beautifully. It also does wonders for leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. It’s creamy and buttery and velvety smooth with a homemade cream sauce. You must try this out.

This is definitely not a low calorie meal. The cream sauce pretty much ensures that. If you are concerned about that make the portion sizes smaller and feed 6 instead of 4. It reheats wonderfully for leftovers so don’t be afraid to “nuke” it at the office.

Nothing in this meal is very expensive and it gives you a good way to use up that leftover chicken later in the week. To make it cheaper you could substitute dried thyme for fresh (although it isn’t as good) and you could use chicken broth instead of wine. I highly recommend you use wine though - the acidity really improves the dish. What better excuse to open a bottle?

Chicken Tetrazzini (adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)

6-7 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup shredded chicken, cooked
1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (dried is ok in a pinch)
1/4 cup white wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (no skim - whole or 2% preferred)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pinch ground nutmeg
2 good shakes of garlic powder
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
8 ounces linguine
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Spread 1 tablespoon of butter inside a baking dish that has 2 inch sides. Put the chicken in a large mixing bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to a hot pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and they become pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, garlic powder, nutmeg, and salt and pepper (to taste). Increase the heat to medium and cover to bring to a boil. Remove the lid and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5-10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm, about 6-7 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, and peas to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta and dot with the remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Generously serves 4.

The mushrooms and the onions add so much volume and texture that I only used the meat from one chicken leg for the whole meal. Here are the ingredients laid out (minus the olive oil, I ran out of cups!).

I like to serve this with something like a veggie or a salad. It helps cut through the richness. Also, I like to add a dash of cayenne for some heat. Don’t be stingy with the breadcrumbs. You will really like that crust. Fresh chopped parsley looks great as a garnish. Enjoy!

Reducipe - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup Chicken Tortilla is as common as Chicken Noodle in my area. It’s spicy and rich and with it’s variety of toppings it feels like you get a different little treasure in each spoonful. It’s wonderful in both hot and cool weather and can be made on a tight budget.

This soup is a cheap and tasty way to use up leftover shredded chicken. Soups are famous for being an inexpensive way to feed your family and this one is no exception. It is based on vegetables and although it requires more fresh ingredients and preparation than some other soups it is well worth the effort.

I have found that you can stretch a small amount of leftover chicken by putting the individual portions directly into the bowls of soup. That way you aren’t fishing for pieces in the big pot later and you know everyone gets an equal share. When packing this soup up for lunch the next day, I go ahead and add the leftover chicken to the broth so it will heat up together. Pack all the other toppings on the side and add them after re-heating.

My husband just adores this soup. It serves 4-6 but with us it’s usually gone by the next day’s lunch.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium white onions, diced
3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 quart chicken stock
Spices, to taste
    Cumin
    Chili Powder
    Mexican Oregano
    Onion Powder
    Garlic Powder
    Cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toppings
Canola oil, for pan-frying
10 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 cup shredded chicken, cooked and kept warm
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
1/2-1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 limes, cut in wedges, for serving

Place a stockpot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, tomatoes, garlic, and jalapenos; cook, stirring for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked down. Season with spices and salt and pepper and stir to mix. Pour in the stock, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1-inch of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high flame. When the oil begins to smoke, add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until they are crisp on all sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined platter and sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.

Ladle the hot soup into soup bowls and put a pile of warm shredded chicken in each. Top with the diced avocado, cheese, and tortilla strips. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Serves 4-6.

Don’t be afraid to fry up your own tortilla strips. They taste much better than thin tortilla chips with this soup. You can use the leftover tortillas to make enchiladas later in the week if you want. They tend to keep a long time so I always find a way to use them up. Here are a look at all the ingredients used.

This is what this soup cost me to make this week (excluding frying oil and spices).

Ingredients	Cost	Ingredients	Cost
Tomatoes	$1.01	Garlic	$0.05
Avocados	$1.58	Limes	$0.50
Onions	$0.99	Chicken (1 chicken leg)	$0.81
Cilantro	$0.25	Canned Broth (4 cans)	$2.00
Jalapenos	$0.12	Cheese (leftover, est.)	$0.50
Tortillas (1/2 pkg)	$0.50	Olive Oil (est.)	$.10
			$8.41 or $1.40 a serving

Canned broth was the single most expensive ingredient so if you substitute your own homemade stock you could save even more. Avocados can be pricey and can be omitted but do try to use them if you can. The creamy coolness of the avocado against the spiciness of the soup really adds something special. Enjoy!