Cooking with Confidence

COOKING with CONFIDENCE Moira Ryan, LPC 1

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This cookbook is not for everybody. It’s not for those of us lucky enough to already know they’re awesome cooks. Nope, this cookbook is just for those of us who don’t yet know how great we are. This cookbook is for those of us who’ve been taught to think that we’re not any good at cooking, so why bother? It’s for the parts of us that think “TV dinners are beAer than I’ll ever make,” “Why bother cooking when it’s just for me?” or “I get along ok eaEng what I know; why change?” For the past ten years, I’ve facilitated cooking classes for folks living on food stamps. I’ve learned a lot from my clients - they’ve been wonderfully honest about what works and what doesn’t. Things that don’t work: • extremely simple, extremely cheap meals (because there’s almost no prep to do, and those recipes don’t take up enough Eme to warrant coming all the way to class) • meals that aren’t budget-friendly • recipes with too much prep work (dicing one onion per person seems to be about the right amount) Things that do work: • “restaurant ideas” (like how to cook rice, or make pizza dough) that make you feel like magic when you have permission to try them out • meals with just a liAle meat (folks tend to prefer pork-loaded dishes, but on a food stamp budget, lots tend to buy bacon or chicken once a month at best) • tacos (duh - though most of us would never make fully-loaded tacos at home) One more thing: It’s more fun to veer wildly around cooking topics - pizza one week, followed by taco salads the next, then clam chowder. However, pracEcing this way has been, in my experience, less helpful in really feeling successful at learning to cook. Because most of us have trouble cooking for ourselves on a regular basis (Eme, opportunity, funds, etc), pracEcing one cheap, basic idea a few Emes in a row in group seems to do wonders for growing a feeling of cooking confidence. For that reason, we’re organizing each chapter here around learning a basic idea, and then pracEcing variaEons of that idea over the following four classes. Recipes here are scaled for one person to make for themselves, unless the recipe says otherwise. Some folks will only want to eat 1/4 of a serving, and some will feel good about eaEng 4 servings. Some recipes will be easier to make in group as a team, and some will be more helpful for each person to prepare individually. If a recipe seems too easy/quick to make, my advice is to add a chopped salad - and maybe invite talk about what knowledge folks bring to cooking a similar meal, what folks grew up with (sharing good memories is always a good thing), as well as their thoughts about what you’re making now. Have fun! Moira Portland, Ore. - July 2019 3

Take a moment to consider… 1) Which thing do you like or care about more when you are cooking a meal? PIZZA or LIVER AND ONIONS ADVENTUROUS or FAMILIAR QUICK AND EASY, PLEASE or I ENJOY THE PROCESS JUST SALT AND PEPPER or HERBS AND SPICES, TOO 2) Rate each item in order (1 = most important, 7= least important to you) __________ Accessing free food __________ Socializing in a safe, sober space __________ Learning new techniques __________ Gelng to share your knowledge and ideas with others __________ Trying out new, exoEc recipes __________ Being part of a team working on a shared goal __________ Having a healthy meal 3) What meals would you most like to pracAce making? __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 4) How confidant are you with cooking in general? I ROCK I’M PRETTY GOOD I’M OK I CAN BOIL WATER!! 4

Pantry Basics Must Have Helpful to Have Oil, buAer, or ghee Frying pan / skillet Wine vinegar Pot with a lid Salt + Pepper (you have to have a pot or a pan) Flour Baking pan / pie plate Sugar Colander / drainer Measuring cups / spoons Cheese grater Chef’s knife Rolling pin Blender 5

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Table of Contents Flavor-Packed Snacks Fruit + Cheese Plate ……………………………………………….……… 12 Blender-Ready Dips, Four Ways …..………………………………… 20 Veggie PlaAer ………………………..……………………………………… 26 Smoothies …………………………………………………………………….. 32 Perfect Granola …………………………………………………………….. 38 Cooking with Red Sauce Cream of Tomato Soup / French Flavors ……………………….. 52 Tomato + Egg SEr Fry / Chinese Flavors …….……………..…… 58 Shakshuka / North African Flavors ………………………….…….. 64 Lasagna / Italian Flavors ……………………………………………….. 70 Pizza Whatever’s-in-the-Cupboard Pizza………………………..………. 84 Roasted Red Pepper + Anchovy Pizza …………………..……….. 88 Green Pepper + Mushroom Pizza ……………….……….…..……. 94 Spinach + Feta Pizza ………………………………………………..….. 100 Pizza Margherita …………………………………………………….…… 106 Pasta Box Mac + Cheese: Add a Vegetable …………………………… 120 Homemade Mac + Cheese…………………………..………………. 126 Noodles with Peanut Sauce ………………………………………… 132 Pasta Primavera .…..…………………………………….…………….… 138 Pasta Salad, Two Ways ………………………………………………… 145 Rice Bowls Rice with Soy Sauce ……………………………………………………. 162 Cuban-Style Rice and Beans ……………………………..………… 166 Japanese Curry …………………………………………………………… 172 Tex-Mex Rice Bowl ……………………………………………..………. 178 California Rice Bowl ……………………………………………………. 184 7

Table of Contents Eggs Eggs: PracEce Required ……………………….……………………. 196 Eggs + Latkes …….…………………………….……………………….. 202 Baked Eggs with Vegetables .…………………………………….. 208 Thai Fried Rice ………………………………………………………….. 214 Breakfast Sandwiches, Three Ways …………………………… 220 Soup Egg Drop Soup …………………………………………………………. 234 Cream of Whatever Soup ………………………………………… 238 Cheddar Potato Soup ………………………………………………. 244 Spicy Peanut Soup ……………….………………………………….. 250 Ribollita ………..…………………………………………………………. 256 Dumplings for Days Pork + Beef Pelmeni (Russian Dumplings) ………………… 272 Pierogi (Polish Dumplings) ……………………………………….. 278 Spinach + Cheese Tortelloni (Italian Dumplings) ………. 284 Mini Empanadas (Tex-Mex Dumplings) …………………….. 290 Pork Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings) ………………………..….. 296 Dessert Some Tropical Sunshine …………………………………….…….. 308 Any-Fruit-You-Like Crisp ……………………………………….….. 313 Lemon Pie ……………………………………………………….………. 319 Chocolate Budino …………………………………………………….. 325 Churros …………………………………………………………….……… 331 8

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Flavor-Packed Snacks It's sooooo easy to stop by the convenience store and grab a burrito, chips, or ice cream. And, those things are delicious and there’s nothing wrong with treaEng yourself! Here’s some other ideas, for when you want to go to the grocery store just once a week. 10

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Fruit + Cheese Plate 12

Eat Seasonal: Fruit Winter grapefruit, orange, mandarin slices, kiwi Spring pineapple, strawberries (with balsamic) 13

Produce like fresh fruits are some of the most flavorful and affordable items at the grocery store, but we don’t owen get the chance to play around with them. Let’s experiment! Summer peach, berries, chopped melons, sliced apricot, cherries Fall sliced pear, grapes, apple 14

Taste: Fruit + Cheese Plate Circle what you like. Draw connec3ng lines to remember flavors you like to taste together. banana peanut buAer cantaloup ricoAa orange lemon curd grapefruit cheddar squares pear gouda squares pineapple honey mixed berries balsamic vinegar kiwi coconut milk apple almonds strawberry blue cheese crumbles 15

Produce Shopping If it’s priced by the pound, Check the produce Only need one banana? you are not obligated to secEon owen to find If they're priced by the buy the whole bag. the best deals. pound, no need to take the whole bunch! Usually, sower = more Pre-packaged, pre-cut Peel your own carrots ripe. Feel before you buy! veggies are expensive! for a huge discount. Sample produce shopping: 14 cherries = $0.92 1 pint of strawberries = $2 1 banana = $0.25 1 small pear = $0.57 1 medium carrot = $0.21 TOTAL = $3.95 16

Produce Prices Averaged from the USDA and two Portland-area grocery stores Keep in mind prices change frequently! Fruit Vegetables Grapefruit $1 per pound Potato $.60 per potato Orange $1 per pound $5 per bag Brussels sprout $3 per pound $.50 per kiwi Tangerine $4 per pineapple Kale $2.80 per pound Kiwi $4 per pint $1 per pound ArEchoke $2.50 per arEchoke Pineapple $4 per half-pint Spinach $2 per bag Strawberry $2 per pound $1 per apricot Asparagus $2 per pound Peach $3.50 per pound Broccoli $2.25 per pound Berries $1 per pear $2.25 per pound Corn $.50 per ear $1.50 per pound Melons Tomato $1 per pound Apricots Bell pepper $1.25 per pepper Cherries Cucumber $.50 per cucumber Pear Carrot $.30 per carrot Grape Sweet potato $.60 per potato Apples Cauliflower $2.25 per pound 17

Notes for next time… Future Fruit + Cheese Plate #1 Write (or draw) in 4 or 5 items that go well together Future Fruit + Cheese Plate #2 Write (or draw) in 4 or 5 items that go well together 18

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Blender-Ready Dips, Four Ways These dips are great if you’re sick of ranch - and, they also work great as spreads for toast, pasta sauces, pizza sauces, sauces for chicken or cooked vegetables… Taste, and think about how you would like to use them. 
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Chermoula from North Africa What You Need: • 1 bunch cilantro • 1 teaspoon ground • 1/2 bunch parsley coriander • 4 cloves garlic • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1/3 cup olive oil • big pinch cayenne • 1 teaspoon ground cumin pepper Measure everything out, and then dump it into a blender. Blend unEl smooth. If you don’t have a blender, you can shop and smash everything into a paste - it just takes a liAle more work. 21

Romesco What You Need: from Spain • 4 tablespoons of • 1 tablespoon wine canned, diced tomatoes vinegar Tzatziki • Big splash of olive oil • 2 tablespoons parsley from Greece • 1/2 cup of almonds • 2 garlic cloves • 1 roasted red pepper • 1 slice toasted bread See page 90 for how to roast a pepper What You Need: • 2 big pinches salt • 1 packet fresh dill • 2 cups plain yogurt • 5 cloves garlic • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1/2 a cucumber, chopped and squeezed hard to remove water 22

Peanut Sauce from Thailand What You Need: • 1/4 cup peanut buAer • op?onal: ginger, garlic, or • 2 tablespoons soy sauce red pepper flakes, to taste • 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar *Don’t use a blender for this one; just smash it all together. Peanut Sauce can be a great addiEon to pasta. What else would these sauces pair well with? 23

Notes for next time… Chermoula What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ Romesco What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ Tzatziki What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ Peanut Sauce What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ 24

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Veggie Platter Taste! Which veggies taste best plain, doused with vinegar, dipped in peanut sauce, or covered in salt and buAer? 26

Eat Seasonal: Vegetables Winter potato (baked), brussels sprouts (cooked in buAer on stovetop), kale Spring arEchoke, spinach (dressed with balsamic), asparagus (boiled and tossed with olive oil), broccoli (with ranch) 27

Veggies are cheapest and most delicious when they’re “in season.” (This is also when they’re more likely to be in a food box.) Summer corn (about to be boiled), bell peppers, tomato, cucumber slices Fall carrots, sweet potato, cauliflower 28

Taste: Veggie Platter Circle what you like. Draw connec3ng lines to remember flavors you like to taste together. cooked asparagus hummus cherry tomatoes blue cheese dip baby carrots ranch cucumber balsamic vinegar bell pepper olive oil cauliflower peanut sauce olives buAer + salt cooked broccoli chermoula radish romesco snow peas tzatziki 29

Notes for next time… Future Veggie PlaTer #1 Write in 4 veggies and 1 dipping sauce that go well together Future Veggie PlaTer #2 Write in 4 veggies and 1 dipping sauce that go well together 30

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Smoothies 
 Got a blender and some whole fruits and vegetables you don’t like the taste of? Don’t want to waste your Eme chewing? Plan for a smoothie a day! It just takes a liAle preparaEon… 32

BERRY SMOOTHIE BLUE PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE LIQUID • mixture of yogurt and milk LIQUID • orange juice to cover to cover everything everything (or pineapple FRUIT juice from the En) • big handful frozen berries FRUIT OPTIONAL EXTRA FLAVOR • big handful frozen berries • a liAle honey, to taste • 1/4 cup pineapple chunks Blend in a blender un3l smooth. 33

GOOD MORNING JUICE GREEN SMOOTHIE FRUIT FRUIT • 1 red apple (no seeds) • 1/2 a frozen banana • 1 green apple (no seeds) • juice of one lemon EXTRA FLAVOR EXTRA FLAVOR • a liAle sugar, to taste • a 1-inch piece of ginger PROTEIN Add water if needed • huge spoonful peanut buAer • enough almond milk to Blend in a blender un3l smooth. cover everything VEGETABLES • big fiszul spinach or kale 34

Recipe Basics: Smoothies Frozen Fruit Take some ripe bananas, peel, cut in half, and throw into a baggie in the freezer. Bananas are a great source of potassium and fiber. Frozen berries are a great source of fiber and vitamin C. Frozen peaches or pineapple are delicious. Frozen fruits last for months, and you’ll only use a handful per smoothie. Fresh fruit works great, too! Liquid You need some liquid. Cow’s milk is great for vitamin D, calcium, and protein. Non-dairy milk is delicious. Apple or orange juice also offer potassium and fiber. If you’re using juice as your liquid, yogurt (either refrigerated or frozen) can help thicken the smoothie (and help your digesEon), but isn't necessary. Play around with how much liquid you like using. Extra NutriAon Nut buAer is delicious, and a tablespoon contains a good amount of fiber and protein. Spinach is great for iron, magnesium and fiber. Kale is great for vitamins C and A. When liquified, greens don’t have much of a taste. Use a handful, or more or less. 35

Notes for next time… Future Smoothie #1 Fruit _________________________________ Liquid ________________________________ Extra flavor (if any) ______________________ Vegetables / Protein (if any) _______________ Future Smoothie #2 Fruit _________________________________ Liquid ________________________________ Extra flavor (if any) ______________________ Vegetables / Protein (if any) _______________ 36

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Perfect Granola Adapted from Daniel Humm via Sam Siwon (New York Times) 
 Also known as Müesli (“myself”) or “d’Spsys”(“the dish”), this is an idea of combining oats, seeds, nuts, and fruit invented by a Swiss doctor around 1900. SomeEmes granola is boring. Let’s make this one delicious! 38

Don’t buy a whole thing of INGREDIENTS: seeds, nuts, or dried fruit… PROTEIN Visit the bulk aisle instead! • 1 1/3 cups rolled oats • 1/2 cup pistachios, peanuts, or hazelnuts • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds FRUIT • 1/4 cup dried cherries, pineapple, dates, or raisins • 1/2 cup coconut flakes LIQUID / EXTRA FLAVOR • 1 tablespoon salt • 3 tablespoons sugar • 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey • 3 tablespoons oil Oats, nuts, coconut, seeds, and dried blueberries (they were cheaper!) for this recipe cost $6 at the bulk aisle. This recipe makes 10+ servings of granola. 39

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees What it preheaAng? Heating the oven before using it. If you turn on the oven and immediately put food inside it, your food will cook at a lower temperature for a while as the oven slowly heats up. This will make a recipe’s cooking time incorrect, so if you forget to preheat, check your food often towards the end of cooking to see if it’s done. Note: cooking is chemistry! Some foods just won’t cook unless the oven’s preheated. 2. Mix oats, nuts, coconut flakes, and seeds in a bowl with salt 3. Gently cook your sugar sauce in a pot Over low heat, sEr sugar, syrup, and oil unEl sugar dissolves. 40

4. Bake your granola, then mix in fruit a. b. SEr liquid into dry ingredients Grab a baking sheet (line it with and sEr to combine. En foil to make clean-up easier) and spread granola over it. Bake! c. d. Awer 20 minutes, sEr it all Bake unEl dry and golden, about 20 around for a bit before pulng more minutes. Take out of the oven back in the oven. and mix with fruit. Let cool, and eat tomorrow morning Cover and store on the by the handful, over yogurt, or with counter for 2 months. milk like cereal. 41

Notes for next time… Nuts I like ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Dried fruits I like ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Seeds I like ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ What would I do differently next Ame? More savory, or sweet? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 42

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Snack Plate Smoothie Ideas: Liquid • a handful of cubed or crumbled cheeses • pick one: milk, yogurt, non-dairy milk, apple • in-season (cheap!) fruits that you like • fresh carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, juice, or orange juice - enough to cover over the fruit cherry tomatoes… Fruit • olives (cold or warmed in oil) • 1/4 cup frozen berries of your choice • peanuts or mixed nuts • Enned pineapple, pears, or other fruit • a dip like hummus, ranch, peanut sauce… Blend everything up in a blender. • hard-boiled egg • torn pita bread or crackers Green Smoothie Perfect Granola Blend in a blender unEl smooth: In a big bowl, mix together: • milk or non-dairy milk to cover • 1 1/3 cup rolled oats • big spoonful of peanut buAer • 1/2 cup nuts of your choice • big handful spinach • 1/4 cup seeds of your choice • 1/2 a frozen banana • 1/2 cup coconut flakes • a liAle brown sugar, to taste • 1 tablespoon salt In a small pot over low heat, warm up: • 3 tablespoons sugar • 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey • 3 tablespoons oil SEr sugar sauce into oat mixture. Line a sheet pan with En foil and spread granola over En foil. Bake 40 minutes at 250 degrees, sErring halfway though. Mix in 1/2 cup dried fruit and let cool. 44

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STAMP HERE Try It Again! Pick one recipe from this chapter and make it yourself (or with some help) outside of group. What did you make? ___________________________________________________ What did you learn while you were making this dish? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Would you make it again? ______________ What did you do well? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 46

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Cooking with Red Sauce PUREE PASTE SAUCE Everyone loves tomatoes because they are delicious. Fun fact: popular for centuries in the area now known as Mexico, the tomato (or tomatl, in the language of the Aztecs) wasn’t transported to Italy or Europe until the 1500s. 48

Basic Buttery Red Sauce Red sauce adapted from Marcella Hazan’s “Essen?als of Classic Italian Cooking” Jars or cans of pre-made red sauce = super expensive for no reason. Make your own for cheap! What You Need: • One can (28 ounces) tomato puree • 1/2 an onion • 5-7 tablespoons buAer a. In a large pot over medium-low heat, pour in tomato puree. b. Chop an onion in half, and discard the papery outer layers. Place half the onion, cut-side down, into the tomato mixture. c. Heat, sErring occasionally, unEl the sauce is hot. Keep heaEng and sErring, to mix the flavors together, about 30 minutes. SEr in the buAer unEl it melts. Discard the onion. Note: Covered in the refrigerator, this sauce will be good for (Good on toast) one week. 49

Meal Planning Things that are true: 1) It is more convenient to just get a $3 frozen spaghel dinner than it is to make a bunch of sauce and have to think of things to do with it for the rest of the week. 2) Planning for the future is less interesEng than ordering pizza. 3) Corner store ice cream sandwiches are delicious. Here’s a worksheet you can think about, if you want. No pressure. RED SAUCE MEALS FOR A WEEK To add to a big recipe of red sauce: • Eggs (a very cheap protein) or ground meat (yum, protein) • Milk or broth or water • Some filling carbohydrate - pasta, rice, or bread Op?onal - choose what you like: • garlic, basil, thyme, ginger, MSG, chile pepper - up to you • salt and pepper to taste MONDAY ____________________________ TUESDAY ____________________________ WEDNESDAY ____________________________ THURSDAY ____________________________ FRIDAY ____________________________ 50