money saving recipes

With fall just around the corner and evenings getting a bit cooler I have brought out my arsenal of fall cooking once again.

This usually is accompanied by fall decor and some serious scouring of the internet for new IP (Instant Pot) recipes to try as well.

I LOVE this time of year so much, we work hard freezing and storing as much as we can from our garden, and begin to plan the plantings for the next year. And with school (or in our case online school) back in session I look for ways to save a little time in the kitchen.

While I admit that when I first got my IP I used it for everything. I was intrigued by it’s versatility and time in which I could make tender roasts in minutes, and duplicate the flavor of foods slow cooked all day.

I have found however that my favorite things to make in the IP are main dishes, meats, soups, chili etc…and a salad or bread is easy to throw together while the main dish is quickly cooking on the counter top.

I have been doing a lot of freezer meals lately that we thaw or dump frozen into the IP and have dinner done fast, I literally love these. I will share some soon but here is what we made this weekend in less than 2 hours:

Coconut Peanut Sweet Potato Curry (my current food obsession!)

Chili, Taco Soup, Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Garlicky Chicken Thighs, and Beef Stew. I know I am hungry now too!

I decided I would make a giant batch of Mirepoix, or what most of us know as the basics for almost any recipe: diced onions, celery and carrots. Not only did it save a ton of time on my freezer meals but I was able to freeze a large batch of it each time I want to cook a dish that requires those basics. A cup or two added to a skillet with warm olive or avocado oil and add your zucchini etc… and you have an easy side dish. Or the beginning of a great soup or casserole!

We grew onions this year but did not get a great harvest on those, so they are from the store. But the carrots and celery are from the garden. Even amounts of each mixed and frozen in large freezer bags and I saved time the day I was power-cooking and for quick dishes for weeks to come.

I felt a little bit like Julia Child pronouncing “meer pwah” in my kitchen and feeling quite proud of my latest discovery. And while I know nothing about French cuisine or cooking, I think a true love of learning and enjoyment of food in all of it’s glorious forks is what being a foodie is about.

Most of us are classically trained in our Grandma’s kitchen and create meals our families love with basic components.

But I truly believe it is the love of food and the generosity and hospitality that we share with our family and friends that tastes even better than a six-course meal. It’s hard to beat a pot of chili with cornbread, or big cheesy helpings of lasagna around the table with those you love.

So here is to all the home cooks in your homes, creating and sharing from your heart a gastronomic love language that speaks more from your heart than mere words.