My Frugal Friday Tip this week is "use what you have". For example, yesterday I didn't have anything planned for supper. I didn't feel good and REALLY wanted to stop and get food. If the Papa John's Pizza Cart was still open when I passed, I'm sure I would have stopped! KFC and Pizza Inn also beckoned to me.... It was too late to order pizza, the ready to go cart was closed, so I just decided to go home and make do.
The first thing I saw when I got home were some beautiful eggplants my sweetie grew and picked. He just had them laying there on the counter as if they were saying "Now how are you going to use me?".
I quickly went on line to look at some eggplant recipes, because they aren't something I've really ever cooked much or had any luck with. All the eggplant parmesean recipes were similar, so I just decided to make up my own recipe to make use of what I had on hand. I washed the eggplants, sliced them into 1/3 inch wheels and browned them a few minutes in some oil. Then after draining them I spread them out in a baking dish. Then I covered them with some Ragu Spagetti Sauce and sprinkled a good sized layer of mozerella cheese and then parmesean cheese. I finished off with some parsley sprinkled on top. I covered it with foil and baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then removed the foil and let it brown for about 10 minutes.
I informed my family (aka guinea pigs) that if they didn't like this dish, they could eat whatever they could find, like hot pockets or tomato sandwhiches.
WE ALL LOVED IT!!! EVEN THE PICKY EATER!!!!
I saved some $$$ by not stopping at the fast food places on the way home from work, not to mention we had a fairly nutritious meal instead.
Tomorrow I plan to use the excess tomatoes we have to make some homemade vegetable soup. I have everything on hand to make that too!
Also next week I think some vegetable lasagna using the eggplants, etc., will be on the menu!
As you can see from the picture, my sweetie has ben hard at work in his garden!
As you can see from the picture, my sweetie has ben hard at work in his garden!
Please Visit www.biblicalwomanhood.com/blog.htm for more frugal ideas!
4 comments:
Yummy... your eggplant parmesean sounded great! I've never had any luck cooking eggplant. I grew some last year, just for fun, and let most of them go to waste. I LOVE Papa John's and I don't get to eat it enough! In fact, that's what we always order out one night while we are at the beach. So next week, I'll be having Papa John's pizza. About the tomatoes... mine are now coming off the vine and I am enjoying one tomato sandwich after another. It just doesn't get any better than that!
Great job on using your resources. I have had to be creative with using garden produce this year too! (My frugal friday post today is some zucchini recipes and ideas). I fried eggplant the other night dipped in egg and milk and then in Italian bread crumbs as I had some to use up. We ate them with heated spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese. My husband really liked it!
Way to go!
I have yet to try eggplant with my crew.
Wow, I'm impressed by the bounty of your sweetie's garden! I just never have that kind of luck. So far, I have 3 reddish tomatoes. I swear I'm the only Long Islander who can't grow tomatoes.
How nice to have fresh picked vegetables for dinner (so much nicer than KFC).
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