Tuesday Dinner

I took photos of last night's dinner but they came out dark and unappealing, so I scrapped them. (I really like the idea of adding photos to the blog when I can, but the Foodie is not a photographer, y'all.)

Last night was strictly a heat 'n serve dinner. I wrote awhile back about Voila bag-to-skillet dinners on sale BOGO at Harris Teeter. (This is a product that goes on sale frequently.) In addition to the sale, I had a coupon, which brought the price to $3.65 for 2 bags. Some varieties are enough to serve my family of 3 with one bag, but our favorite flavor (Beef and Broccoli) is not. We need 2 bags of this to serve 3, although we usually have a little left over. We all really love this variety; I just wish the rice was packaged separately because it gets a little mushy, and the whole thing a big soupy, when heated with the meat, veggies and sauce.

On the side I served a recent Trader Joe's purchase - Mini Chicken-Cilantro Wontons. These come frozen, in a bag, and only require a little pan-frying/steaming. (First you stir-fry in a little oil, then add a bit of water to finish the cooking.) I followed the recipe on the back of the bag and whipped up a little dipping sauce with soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. They were absolutely delicious and an item I'll be putting on my "must buy" list for future visits.

The result: a dinner that, while it doesn't rival Chinese take-out, sure fulfills the craving. A bit more expensive than my goal (to average no more than $5 per meal), but worth the small splurge.

totals:

$3.65 - 2 bags Birdseye Voila Beef & Broccoli
$2.99 - Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Wontons

$6.64 for dinner for 3 (with 1 small serving Beef & Broccoli left over)