Easy Recipes

Sometimes food doesn't need to be good just easy and cheap. Recipes that I have found online then trailed with suggestions for improvements.

[only-tiktoks]

[fieldbears]

Sharing the secrets of your hearth with strangers who will never be able to meet or thank you. Honoring the dead through learning their traditions of the home; emulation and exaltation. A good carrot cake.

[harcodia]

Screenshots for those who want to try to make the recipes. One was completely blocked by text but I thought maybe someone would like to make them ♡

Someone with better typing skills if ya wanna type em up….. ♡

[trainsofthought]

I looked up the obscured grave with the blueberry pie recipe:

From Margaret Davis

GLAZED BLUEBERRY PIE

- Soften a 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese.

- Spread in bottom of cooled, cooked pastry shell.

- Fill shell with 3 cups of blueberries.

- To an additional 1 cup of blueberries add 1 cup of water.

- Bring just to boiling.

- Simmer 2 min.

- Strain reserving juice, about ½ cup.

- Combine ¾ cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons corn starch.

- Gradually add reserved juice.

- Cook, stirring constantly until thick and clear.

- Cool slightly and add:

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

- Pour over berries in pastry shell and chill.

the others are:

From Kathryn Andrews

KAY’S FUDGE

- 2 SQ. chocolate

- 2 TBS. butter

- Melt on low heat

- Stir in 1 cup milk

- Bring to boil

- 3 cups sugar

- 1 TSP. vanilla

- Pinch of salt

- Cook to softball stage

- Pour on marble slab

- Cool & Beat & Eat

From Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson

SPRITZ COOKIES

- 1 cup of butter ormargarine

- ¾ cup sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 1 egg

- 2 ¼ cups of flour

- ½ teaspoon baking powder.

- ⅛ teaspoon salt

From Constance Galberd

CONNIE’S DATE & NUT BREAD

100% Good Stuff - 0% Bad Stuff

Ingredients:

- 8 oz. dates cut into small pieces

- 1 cup raisins

- 2 cups boiling water

- 2 tsp. baking soda

- 1 ½ cups sugar

- 2 eggs, well beaten

- 4 cups flour

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- ½ cup chopped nuts

Directions:

- Pour boiling water (where 2 tsp. of baking soda have been dissolved) over dates and raisins. Cool.

- Add 1 ½ C. sugar and mix well.

- Add 2 eggs, well beaten.

- Gradually mix in 4 C. of flour and 2 tsp. of baking powder. Beat thoroughly.

- Add ½ C. of chopped nuts. Beat thoroughly.

- Bake at 350 for ¾ - 1 hr.

Bake in tin cans.

One batch = 13 small cans

From Christine Hammills

A GOOD CARROT CAKE

CARROT CAKE

Ingredients:

- 2 cups flour

- 4 eggs

- 2 tsp. baking powder

- 2 cups sugar

- 1 ½ tsp. soda

- 1 ½ cups oil

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 cups grated carrots

- 2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1 (8 ½ oz.) crushed pineapple, drained

- ⅔ cup chopped nuts

Directions:

- Sift together flour, baking powder, soda salt, and cinnamon.

- Beat eggs and add sugar.

-Let stand 10 mins.

-Mix in oil, pineapple, carrots, nuts, flour mixture.

-Turn into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

-Bake at 350’ for 35 – 40 min.

-Cool in pans for 10 min, remove to wire racks, and cool well.

VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients:

- ½ cup butter

- 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

- Mix butter, cream cheese, vanilla then add sugar. First between layers, top and sides.

From Annabell Gunderson

ANNABELL’S SNICKERDOODLES

Mix Thoroughly:

- 1 c shortening

- 1 c margarine

- 3 c sugar

- 4 eggs

Sift Together And Stir In:

- 5 ½ c flour

- 4 tsp cream of tartar

- 2 tsp soda

- ½ tsp salt

Directions:

- Roll (softly) into balls the size of small walnuts.

- Roll in mixture of 6 tsp sugar and 6 tsp cinnamon.

- Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

- Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes or 400 F for 6-8 until lightly brown, but still soft.

Secret is: Keep dough fluffy!

[jeanjauthor]

Humans have been eating meals in honor of the memory of our lost loved ones for as long as humans have been human…and probably even proto-human.

[invertprivileges]

Every time we have the pesto egg honey grilled cheese for dinner I think “eh this isn’t going to be as good as I remember it being” but it is

[dykemind]

drop that recipe ma’am

[invertprivileges]

Breakfast Grilled Cheese with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Pesto.

Soft scrambled eggs, fontina cheese, and basil pesto all sandwiched together between two slices of sourdough bread, then pan cooked and fini

its too good for its own good

[gretchensinister]

They're right about how good this is

[avari20]

Broke af?

But still interested in feeding yourself? What if I told you that there’s a woman with a blog who had to feed both herself and her young son…on 10 British pounds ($15/14 Euro) per week?

Let me tell you a thing.

This woman saved my life last year. Actually saved my life. I had a piggy bank full of change and that’s it. Many people in my fandom might remember that dark time as when I had to hock my writing skills in exchange for donations. I cried a lot then. 

This is real talk, people: I marked down exactly what I needed to buy, totaled it, counted out that exact change, and then went to three different stores to buy what I needed so I didn’t have to dump a load of change on just one person. I was already embarrassed, but to feel people staring? Utter shame suffused me. The reasons behind that are another post all together. 

AgirlcalledJack.com is run by a British woman who was on benefits for years. Things got desperate. She had to find a way to feed herself and her son using just the basics that could be found at the supermarket. But the recipes she came up with are amazing. 

You have to consider the differing costs of things between countries, but if you just have three ingredients in your cupboard, this woman will tell you what to do with it. Check what you already have. Chances are you have the basics of a filling meal already. 

Here’s her list of kitchen basics. 

Bake your own bread. It’s easier than you think. Here’s a list of many recipes, each using some variation of just plain flour, yeast, some oil, maybe water or lemon juice. And kneading bread is therapeutic. 

Make your own pasta–gluten free. 

She gets it. She really does. This is the article that started it all. It’s called “Hunger Hurts”.

She has vegan recipes.

A carrot, a can of kidney beans, and some cumin will get you a really filling soup…or throw in some flour for binding and you’ve got yourself a burger. 

Don’t have an oven or the stove isn’t available? She covers that in her Microwave Cooking section. 

She has a book, but many recipes can be found on her blog for free. She prices her recipes down to the cent, and every year she participates in a project called “Living Below the Line” where she has to live on 1 BP per day of food for five days. 

Things improved for me a little, but her website is my go to. I learned how to bake bread (using my crockpot, but that was my own twist), and I have a little cart full of things that saved me back then, just in case I need them again. She gives you the tools to feed yourself, for very little money, and that’s a fabulous feeling. 

Tip: Whenever you have a little extra money, buy a 10 dollar/pound/euro giftcard from your discount grocer. Stash it. That’s your super emergency money. Make sure they don’t charge by the month for lack of use, though.

I don’t care if it sounds like an advertisement–you won’t be buying anything from the site. What I DO care about is your mental, emotional, and physical health–and dammit, food’s right in the center of that. 

If you don’t need this now, pass it on to someone who does. Pass it on anyway, because do you REALLY know which of the people in your life is in need? Which follower might be staring at their own piggy bank? Trust me: someone out there needs to see this. 

[his-quietus-make]

Reblogging for all the impoverished students. Jack is the breadline queen. And if you don’t need this - donate to your nearest food bank, stat.

[breelandwalker]

Reblogging for students, working folks, and everyone who’s ever had to choose between essentials at the store because you can only afford milk OR bread, not both.

[sonicskullsalt]

Her blog is called Cooking on a bootstrap now

Here’s an up to date link

COOKING ON A BOOTSTRAP

by Jack Monroe, bestselling author of 'A Girl Called Jack'

[recipes-for-students]

No Fuss Microwave Pasta:

Recipe adapted from here

Serves: 1, Prep time: > 2 minutes (min), Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Single serving of pasta (~75g)

2-3 tbsp tomato puree

Seasonings of choice (e.g basil, oregano, garlic, chilli flakes etc.)

Cheese (optional)

Method:

In a microwavable bowl put your pasta with salt then cover with boiling water. Pouring a cm or two is above the pasta.

Place in microwave cooking as long as directed by package instructions baring in mind to stir every 2-3 minutes to prevent sticking.

Once pasta is cooked you should have enough water to cover the bottom of the bowl add the tomato puree to this, allowing the water to thin the puree.

You can now add any seasonings you desire. I used about 1/2 tsp of basil and oregano with a tsp of garlic granules.

Mix then at this point you can cover the top with cheese then place back in the microwave for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning.

Once done check the seasoning then enjoy.

This is a nice cheap, lazy dish for days when you're not up to cooking. The recipe is fairly simple so can easily be adapted I added spinach for some vegetable during the fourth step as well as a tbsp of butter to add some creaminess and combat any acidity in the tomato. It is also at this stage you could add any precooked protein. This is intended as a no prep sort of dish but obviously you could use fresh garlic, vegetables and also cook some protein to go along with it but it works well on its own.

[spaceshipsandpurpledrank]

[spaceshipsandpurpledrank]

@badatwritingstuff

[badatwritingstuff]

"roughly chopped" into the most beautifully uniform cuts I've ever seen. Okay man, my roughly chopped looks like I did it with my teeth 😭

[dduane]

(sigh) Same.

[recipes-for-students]

Fresh Pasta:

Ingredients:

85g plain flour

1 egg

1tsp milk

1 drop of olive oil

1 pinch of salt

Method:

Combine the plain flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre.

Whisk the egg, milk and olive oil in a small bowl until well blended.

Gradually pour mixture into well while mixing with a fork to form a ball of dough.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and begin to knead dough. Continue kneading for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (adding more flour if necessary).

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.

Unwrap dough and knead briefly on lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 5mm in thickness.

Carefully feed the pasta sheet through the pasta machine and choose your desired shape. Then lay the sheet of pasta on a clean piece of cling film and set off to the side to dry.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add pasta. Pasta is ready after 8 minutes or when al dente.

This is a basic pasta recipe so it can be adapted for other uses and flavours too, such as for ravioli or lasagne. I like to add garlic, any herbs or seasonings I'm using (e.g paprika, chilli powder/flakes etc.) straight to the dough. You can also add spinach, tomato or cocoa to colour the dough.

[recipes-for-students]

Yeast Based Flatbread:

Ingredients:

500g strong white flour

2 tsp salt

7g sachet fast-action yeast

3 tbsp olive oil

300ml water

Garlic butter (optional):

5 cloves of garlic

a bunch of fresh soft herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, basil, dill

45g unsalted butter

Method:

Mix the flour, salt, yeast, and oil in a large bowl and add enough water to make a soft, but not sloppy, dough. Knead well. Put into a lightly oiled bowl to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.

While the flatbreads are proving, start the garlic butter. Start by peeling the garlic cloves and crush them with a garlic crusher.

Pick the herb leaves onto a chopping board and finely chop them, discarding the stalks.

Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat, then stir through the garlic and chopped herbs, then set aside.

Now return to the flatbreads. Divide the dough into 5 pieces, about 250g each, and use a rolling pin to flatten each one into a circle, 15cm in diameter, about 1cm thick. 

Heat a large frying pan to a medium heat and dry-fry each piece until browned on both sides, about 5 mins in total.

Brush the flatbreads all over with the herby garlic butter as they come off the pan, then pile onto a serving board so everyone can dig in and help themselves.

The flatbread recipe is adaptable for other uses and flavours too. I often forego making the garlic butter and add the garlic, any herbs or seasonings I'm using (e.g paprika, chilli powder/flakes etc.) straight to the dough.

[petermorwood]

Sausage Goulash...

…as mentioned in passing here, and requested by @aqueerpolysocialist.

This was a recipe seen and transcribed nearly 30 years ago, back when dinosaurs walked the earth and German TV channels (here ZDF) were available on Irish / UK satellite.

I have a feeling it was originally a Very Economical Dish, mostly potatoes and onions with a lot less (but more strongly flavoured / smoked) sausage and lots of pepper or the hottest paprika available.

It also makes a very good soup by dicing the potatoes / slicing the sausages smaller and more suitable for a spoon, and increasing the amount of liquid to at least 500ml / 1 pint.

I haven’t tried making either goulash or soup with a dark beer like Guinness or Köstritzer, but my Mind Palate suggests it would be rather good.

Ingredients:

3 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 oz / 30g butter

1 lb / 500g smoked sausage (any type) sliced

2¼ lb / 1kg potatoes, cut into 1-inch / 2.5 cm cubes

2-3 Tbsp hot paprika (or regular paprika + cayenne to taste)

2 tsp dried marjoram

2 tsp crushed caraway seed

12 f1.oz / 350 ml water, stock or beer

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Method:

Melt the butter in a heavy casserole, add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened and just beginning to colour, then remove with a slotted spoon.

Put the sliced sausage into the casserole and sauté until brown, then remove with a slotted spoon.

Put the cubed potatoes into the casserole and sauté until the edges begin to brown.

Return the onions and sausage to the casserole, add the paprika, marjoram, caraway and liquid and stir well. Cover and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are done. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the sauce thickens.

Taste, then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Depending on the type of sausage and heat of paprika, little or none may be required.

Serve garnished with sour cream and snipped chives, either alone or over buttered noodles. Dust with extra paprika if desired. Depending on the thickness of the sauce, a spoon as well as a fork may be needed

Variations (besides using different types of sausage):

Fry chopped smoked bacon in the butter before adding the onions at step 1.

Add a seeded, chopped green pepper (or, as in the photo, some chopped pickled red pepper) with the other ingredients at step 4.

Stir the sour cream into the goulash at step 5 and garnish instead with croutons or fried onions.

[dduane]

…I remember how the kitchen smelled the last time he made this. Can’t wait for him to make it again.

[daily-deliciousness]

Baked shrimp salmon

[daily-deliciousness]

Beef stew

[ugly--cupcakes]

blackberry lime cupcakes

[beths-favourite-recipes]

Witches Brew Punch

[fortheloveoffoodporn]

Shrunken Heads in Cider

Ingredients:

2 cups lemon juice

2 tablespoons coarse salt

8 large Granny Smith apples

32 whole cloves

2 gallons of apple cider

2 (12-ounce) cans of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

2 cups spiced rum (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Mix lemon juice and salt; set aside.

Peel apples and cut each in half through the stem; remove seeds and core. Using a sharp paring knife, carve a face, as desired, on the rounded side of each apple half. Place apples in the lemon mixture for one minute; transfer to paper towels to drain.

Place apples face-side up on a prepared baking sheet and transfer them to the oven. Let bake until the apples are dry and brown around the edges, about 90 minutes. Remove apples from baking sheets and press cloves into the "eye" sockets.

Combine cider, lemonade, and rum (if using) in a large punchbowl; float shrunken heads on top.

[ghjco]

Mummified Pumpkin Doughnuts (V, GF)

While “boo” is the more traditional Halloween outburst, guests stopping by your haunted house won’t be able to help themselves but to cheer for these mummified doughnuts. Made with jack-o’-lantern purée, they’re Halloween-y to the core—the perfect treat for tricksters. Check out the full recipe, translated from the original hieroglyphics, below.

Ingredients:

Doughnut Ingredients:

½ cup gluten free flour + 1 cup oat flour (or 1½ cups plain flour)

1 tsp arrowroot powder (Pro Tip: Do not add this if using plain flour.)

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

½ cup Almondmilk

½ coconut sugar

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

⅓ cup pumpkin purée

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:

¼ cup icing sugar

1 tbsp Almondmilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Bandages + Eyes Ingredients:

To make the icing for your creations’ bandages, add a little more icing sugar to the leftover doughnut glaze, along with a little coconut oil, for a thicker paste.

The eyes may be found at your local baking or bulk store, but you may also use raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips for the same effect—get creative!

Steps:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Mix the dry and the wet doughnut ingredients separately, then mix together, ensuring everything is well-combined.

Lightly grease a doughnut pan with coconut oil, then pipe the batter into the pan using a piping or Ziplock bag.

Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven to cool.

Whisk together the glaze ingredients and once your doughnuts are cooled, dip them into the glaze before placing aside to allow the glaze to set.

Pipe the remaining thicker icing mixture onto the glazed doughnuts in bandage-like stripes, then add some eyes to complete your spooky treats. Don’t eat tomb many at once!

-Elena Mari and Nathan Legiehn for Greenhouse

[recipengblog]

▶ Poisen Apples, Halloween Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp blue gel food coloring

1/4 tsp black gel food coloring

6 large apples or 10 medium/small

6 wooden skewers or twigs or same number of apples

waxed papper

vegetable oil

full recipe: https://recipeng.blogspot.com/2021/08/poisen-apples-halloween-recipe.html

[fortheloveoffoodporn]

Witch's Brew Halloween Punch

This Witch’s Brew Halloween Punch will make all your goblins grin! It’s an easy sparkling lime punch the whole family will love. Add dry ice to the punch bowl for an extra-spooky effect!

INGREDIENTS

2 liters ginger ale, chilled

4 cups pineapple juice, chilled

1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh (optional)

1 tub lime sherbet (~48 oz)

1 block of dry ice, (I used 5 lbs for a 3-hour party)

Large cauldron

punch bowl that fits inside cauldron

INSTRUCTIONS

Break the dry ice into large pieces using a mallet or other tool. Be careful that you use gloves when handling it since they can cause burns if it comes into contact with your skin.

Place some of the dry ice in the bottom of your cauldron. Put the remaining dry ice in a cooler nearby. Pour some hot water on top of the ice, so it starts to smoke.

Place the punch bowl on the dry ice inside the cauldron.

Combine the ginger ale, pineapple juice, and lemon juice in the punch bowl, and stir to combine. Add scoops of lime sherbet, mix it for a few minutes until the sherbet starts to melt, then serve! Replenish the dry ice and hot water to keep the smoke effect going.

Note: dry ice can be harmful if swallowed, so do not put it directly in the punch bowl or beverage cups.

[recipes-for-students]

Oven Baked Chips:

Recipes taken from here and here.

Serves: 4-6, Prep time: 10 minutes (min), Cook time: 50-60 mins

Ingredients:

1 Bag of potatoes

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

2 tsp (minimum) of seasoning of choosing

Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Peel and cut the potatoes into sticks with a width of your choosing.

Par-boil your potatoes in salted boiling water for around 5-10 mins until just soft, once done pat dry.

Toss the chips in vegetable oil and the seasoning of your choosing, making sure they’re all covered.

Spread the chips on a large non-stick baking tray lie them flat in a single layer – use two trays rather than overcrowd one.

Roast for 45-50 mins, turning now and then.

When cooked they should be golden brown and crisp with a light fluffy centre. Scatter on salt to serve.

I recommend using more than just 2tsp of seasoning and seasoning again when you get them out of the oven. In the image above I used garlic granules, mixed herbs, chili powder and salt for seasoning.

*Thinner chips are going to need less time to cook, french fry width chips may not even need 45 minutes.