I thought this might be fun! Anyone else got some good ideas for simple, cheap and delicious alternatives to expensive food products?

POOR MAN's Parmesan

INGREDIENTS
4 slices of bread (Toasted)
4 cloves of fresh garlic
salt (to taste)
½ cup parsley
Olive oil

HOW TO MAKE
Toast 4 slices of bread
In a food processor blitz the bread with 4 cloves of fresh garlic, salt to taste and I added a handful of parsley from my garden.
Toast in a pan with olive oil until lightly browned.
Stir through steaming hot pasta with a good splash of olive oil.
Simple, cheap and delicious

OTHER IDEAS for Poor Man’s Parmesan

with grilled asparagus, capsicum (peppers) or aubergine
with a fried egg
with crispy ham, bacon, shredded corned beef
with peas or edamame beans
with garlic sauteed spinach
with tinned tuna, salmon or sardines
with rocket or baby spinach topped with walnuts
with fresh or grilled cherry tomatoes
with a marmite sauce (Nigella)
with vegetable ribbons (carrots and courgettes)
with lemon, chili, olives and anchovies
with crumbled feta or blue cheese
With steamed mussels
with flaked smoked fish or a firm white fish

I love poor mans Parmesan especially with chilli, olives and anchovies. No so cheap but an easy way to add a few adult friendly things especially when you have kids to feed as well. I also top with a pan fried fillet of fish. The Italians say never mix cheese with fish so this fits the bill!!!

Love this but didn't think of it as poor man's Parmesan.
A great idea.

There's a lovely Marcella Hazan recipe for pasta with scallops and fried breadcrumbs. It seems very plain and simple but tastes complex.

Vanessa Wrote:
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The Italians say never
> mix cheese with fish so this fits the bill!!!

Hm, I should have read this earlier today. I'm finishing off odds and ends out of my fridge before I go on holiday and had some cottage cheese to be used up. I blitzed it with the zest and juice of a lime, a teaspoonful of capers, salt & pepper and a bit of water to thin it down. I should have added a bit of cornflour because when I heated this 'sauce', it split. I added it to a spring onion, a chopped up tomato and a couple of cloves of garlic that I had gently fried, then added a small drained can of salmon. I served it with linguine, and although it was fish and cheese, it tasted good.

Someone also once told me that 'blue and green should never be seen', but having no fashion sense, I often wear the complimentary colours of blue and green. The old adages are not always right!

I should have mentioned it's Italian name is Pangritata.

I was watching a repeat of Simply Italian on Choice TV last week and the host, Michaela Chiappa, said that as an economy measure her mum used to make fake parmesan cheese by putting a piece of cheddar on some greaseproof paper in the airing cupboard and leaving it for a few weeks. It makes sense because cheddar that's gone a bit hard definitely has a stronger flavour.
That truly is 'poor man's parmesan'!

IngridO Wrote:
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> I should have mentioned it's Italian name is
> Pangritata.


Pangrattato ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2014 11:12AM by TPANDAV.

TPANDAV : I think Pangrattato is Italian for breadcrumbs and Pangritata is the process of toasting all the ingredients together in olive oil. YUM.

DK: Great Idea! Might try that!

(I believe) Poor Mans Parmesan, was created by Southern Italian peasants who would use up stale bread, toast it and toss it through pasta.

Instead of toasting with olive oil, try coconut oil. Twice as delicious.

Coconut oil seems to be popular these days. I've only used it once from a recipe in NZGardener Mag for a fresh rub to put on chicken or lamb

1/4 cup Coconut oil + 1 tablespoon Rosemary and thyme and oregano plus seasalt & pepper and and a squeeze of lemon juice

Put the coconut oil, which will likely be saturated (solid) into a bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of water and bring gently up on the heat until the oil has melted. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the warm water to keep it in a liquid state as you prepare and add the remaining ingredients.
Start with the lemon zest either by grating or using a zester, add to the boil then squeeze in the juice. Add the salt and pepper then the remaining herbs. It’s important never to chop oily herbs otherwise they oxidize quickly, blacken at the edges and lose their fragrant qualities. Mix really well then transfer to warm, sterilized glass jars (I use 100g jars from Arthur Holmes) and seal. Refrigerate to store and use within 3 weeks.

They suggest you can also stir it through wholegrain and cous cous warm salads such as lentils and quinoa.

What else do you use Cocount Oil in?

I use coconut oil often as a frying medium, particularly for South In*ian and South East Asian food.

[* = d]

I just can't get my head around using coconut oil after years of being advised against it! I can only think kremelta and it's not appealing

Fionah: Why were you advised against using Coconut Oil?

Brilliant. Just the inspiration I needed. Sounds great and will be a must make for tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!!

TPANDAV
where do you find the recipe of Marcella Hazan for pasta with scallop and fried breadcrumbs. Sounds good but i couldnt find it . Thanks

Page 199 of The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, and it was in the original Classic Italian Cookbook. If you don't have either I'll see if I can find it on line for you.

[books.google.co.nz]

[www.sweetbitesblog.com]

[jonoandjules.com]