tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78802148940288461972024-03-13T19:07:27.357-04:00GSO Foodie"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." ~ Julia ChildGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-39100117032091837012010-05-12T17:19:00.003-04:002010-05-12T17:22:54.449-04:00On HiatusWell, I put a call out for comments/emails and gave it a full week. I got a couple, but nowhere near as many as I'd hoped. But there was still some interest, and I'm not quite ready to give up on this little project just yet. Here's the compromise I've reached with myself.<br /><br />I'm going on hiatus at least until the school year is over. After that, I hope to have more time to devote to daily blogging, as well as a renewed attitude and fresh food/dinner ideas. I'll email all my "followers" and everyone who has emailed me when I'm back to blogging.<br /><br />Peace.<br /><br />~GSO FoodieGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-45298569452523435872010-05-05T11:32:00.002-04:002010-05-05T11:40:21.906-04:00Continuing the Foodie Blog?It's been a busy week around here and every time I've thought to myself that I needed to update the blog, I was in the middle of something else (or away from home entirely). It's been almost a year since I started this thing, as a refuge to get away from the idjits on the public board where it started. I got a lot of good feedback in the beginning, but over the past few months, none. <br /><br />I'm left wondering if anyone is even still reading and enjoying. So now is your time to speak up if you are. Send me a comment or email to let me know it's worthwhile to continue. Otherwise I think I'm going to have to cross this off as something I don't have time for.GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-53553572439399511562010-04-29T19:11:00.000-04:002010-04-29T19:20:01.220-04:00Thursday Dinner<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S9oSktDPHzI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/PsQWUhP-q4k/s1600/Salmon+with+Lemon+Cilantro+Vinaigrette+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S9oSktDPHzI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/PsQWUhP-q4k/s320/Salmon+with+Lemon+Cilantro+Vinaigrette+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465701519545278258" border="0"></a><a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/salmon-lemon-cilantro-vinaigrette-00000000020574/index.html">Salmon with Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette and Couscous</a><br /></div><br />This is the second time I've made <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/salmon-lemon-cilantro-vinaigrette-00000000020574/index.html">this recipe</a>, which comes from Real Simple magazine. It's light and tangy and a perfect warm-weather dish. This isn't a new photo, it's the one I took the first night I made it. I wasn't fond of edamame for a side dish that night, so tonight I made sauteed spinach and it was a much better accompaniment. I just heated 1 T. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet, and sauteed 1 tsp. minced garlic over medium-high heat. I added in a 10 oz bag of spinach leaves (de-stemmed), and sauteed just until wilted. I seasoned with salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice and served immediately.<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$3 - salmon (from Aldi - 4 fillets for $3.99)<br />$2 - fresh spinach<br />$1 - 1/2 box couscous<br />.50 - ingredients for lemon sauce<br /><br />$6.50 for dinner for 3GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-69180116297496420392010-04-29T18:58:00.000-04:002010-04-29T19:11:35.416-04:00Tuesday & Wednesday DinnersTuesday night The Kid had a function, so the two of us had grilled chicken breasts (Perdue Perfect Portions, bought on meat markdown), and cleaned out the fridge of leftover veggies/sides. Cost, about $1.50 for the chicken.<br /><br />Wednesday I served those Hatfield individually-portioned boneless pork chops that I blogged about last week. I marinated them in Lawry's Signature Steakhouse marinade, then grilled them on the George Foreman. The verdict - tasty, but very large (these were the "London Broil" cut), and a little dry since I overcooked them a bit. On the side we had onion roasted potatoes because I had a large bag of them about to go bad - and also because we love these potatoes. The recipe is on the side of Lipton onion soup mix and is one of the best "convenience foods" recipes ever, in my opinion. For a green veggie we had a Harris Teeter pre-packaged salad kit (also bought on markdown) that consisted of baby spinach, white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette dressing, honey-roasted almonds and golden raisins. I added a little crumbled gorgonzola on my own because it seemed like a good pairing. The salad was especially good, although it came with way too much dressing - the spinach would have drowned had I used it all. So I poured the rest of it into a little plastic container to save for a future salad.<br /><br />Wednesday Totals:<br /><br />$2.40 - pork chops (3 out of 5 purchased for $3.99)<br />$2.29 - salad kit<br />.20 - onion soup mix (sale + triple coupons)<br />.80 - potatoes<br /><br />$5.69 for dinner for 3GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-67983120561888438812010-04-26T22:23:00.003-04:002010-04-26T22:31:28.225-04:00Monday Dinner<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S9ZK2or_jGI/AAAAAAAAAJI/09-uM3cIg6E/s1600/Pork+Chops+Paprikash.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S9ZK2or_jGI/AAAAAAAAAJI/09-uM3cIg6E/s320/Pork+Chops+Paprikash.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464637500356004962" border="0" /></a>Pork Chops Paprikash<br /></div><br /><br />I didn't take a new photo for tonight's dinner - the above pic is one I took the last time I made this dish. As I mentioned in that original blog entry, this recipe is one my mom used to make when I was growing up. I stumbled across it this winter and made a few changes for the sake of taste and convenience. In a nutshell, I brown a large sliced onion, then add boneless chops to the pan to brown. I remove the chops, deglaze with chicken stock, and stir in a little flour until thickened. When the onions are completely tender I stir in sour cream, dried dill, paprika, and caraway seed, then add the chops back. As you can see, I like to serve this over rice (although noodles are good, too). <br /><br />Tonight's side dish was a little experiment. I usually braise red cabbage in apple juice for a sweet-sour taste, but the only juice I had on hand was a Cranberry-Pomegranate blend. I tried that instead and it was absolutely delicious.<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$2.12 - pork chops (meat markdown)<br />.20 - onion<br />free - sour cream<br />.20 - rice<br />.75 - red cabbage<br /><br />$3.07 for dinner for 4GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-43084010896960146092010-04-26T22:17:00.002-04:002010-04-26T22:23:29.405-04:00Weekend DinnersWe were out of town visiting friends for the weekend, but got back Sunday afternoon. I didn't have time to thaw anything, and wasn't up for anything complicated anyway, so pasta fit the bill.<br /><br />Harris Teeter had Barilla bagged tortellini on an eVic special back in February or March. It's not a product I normally buy, but it seemed like a good price to try it. I boiled up a bag of according to package directions, tossed in 1/2 a jar of Barilla Fire-Roasted Tomato sauce that's been in the fridge for awhile, and heated up some frozen sliced garlic bread. I've never tried dried tortellini before but I have to say I was impressed - the taste and texture was very good and the whole family (sister included) loved it. (The Kid isn't fond of red sauce, but instead drizzled on olive oil and topped the pasta with plenty of cracked pepper and grated parmesan.)<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$3 - tortellini<br />free - leftover sauce<br />.80 - frozen garlic bread<br /><br />$3.80 for dinner for 4GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-7146852057760469082010-04-26T22:09:00.003-04:002010-04-26T22:17:27.558-04:00Thursday Dinner<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S9ZHj4Z9s9I/AAAAAAAAAJA/ZOcVH7rI9Xk/s1600/gnocchi+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S9ZHj4Z9s9I/AAAAAAAAAJA/ZOcVH7rI9Xk/s320/gnocchi+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464633879622955986" border="0" /></a>Gnocchi with Ham, Mushrooms, Peas & Parmesan<br /></div><br />One of my favorite dishes to make with leftover ham, so we usually get to have it at least once after Christmas and Easter (we've just about used up the last of the Easter ham now, but I'm proud of how far I stretched it). I sauteed 8 oz. sliced mushrooms in a little butter with garlic salt & pepper, then added about 1 cup diced ham. I boiled the gnocchi in salted water until done (according to package directions) and tossed them into the pan with mushrooms and ham. I added 1/2 a package frozen green peas, lots of cracked black pepper, and a good sprinkle of grated parmesan. (I covered for a few minutes to let the peas thaw.)<br /><br />Totals><br /><br />$1.99 - gnocchi (from Trader Joe's)<br />$1.50 - mushrooms (from Aldi)<br />.50 - 1/2 package peas<br />free - ham<br />.25 - parmesan<br /><br />$4.25 for dinner for 4, with leftover for 1 lunch servingGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-21195382338303246152010-04-21T19:47:00.003-04:002010-04-21T20:02:42.258-04:00Wednesday Dinner<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S8-O0oec_lI/AAAAAAAAAI4/ExLoHBQvH58/s1600/Tamales+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S8-O0oec_lI/AAAAAAAAAI4/ExLoHBQvH58/s320/Tamales+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462741907893190226" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ingrid-hoffmann/chicken-tamales-recipe/index.html">Chicken Tamales<br /></a></div><br /><br />I've never made any sort of tamales before, but after finding <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ingrid-hoffmann/chicken-tamales-recipe/index.html">this recipe</a> in Food Network Magazine a few months ago, I decided to give them a try. (You should also go to the site to see a much more appetizing photo of them. I've said it before - I'm no food photographer, y'all.)<br /><br />According to the article, they're a little more Caribbean than Mexican, which might be why this particular recipe sparked my interest. The traditional Mexican types never inspired me to make them myself. Check out the actual recipe for amounts and techniques, but the basic ingredients were 1 rotisserie chicken (meat separated from skin and bones and shredded), green salsa, cilantro, frozen peas, pimento-stuffed green olives, shredded cheese, and self-rising cornmeal, all wrapped up in corn husks and steamed. <br /><br />The verdict: tasty, but a little dry. Next time, I'll have more green salsa to serve on the side (I used the entire jar in the recipe, so next time I'll buy 2). I might also use less cornmeal. Also, too time-consuming, what with getting all that meat off the chicken carcass. Next time I'll either boil & shred some boneless chicken breasts, or start with canned chicken. <br /><br />The filling was delicious on its own before adding the cornmeal, so I might make that again to fill tacos. <br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$4 - rotisserie chicken<br />$1 - 1/2 package shredded cheese<br />$2.50 - 1 jar green salsa<br />$1 - 1/2 package corn husks<br />.50 - remaining ingredients<br /><br />$9 for 13 tamales (4 of us ate 8 for dinner, so the rest will be for lunches/snacks)GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-34027145116613909372010-04-21T19:32:00.002-04:002010-04-21T19:40:40.933-04:00Tuesday DinnerI'm always looking out for inexpensive quick dinners for nights when I'm too tired and/or too busy to cook. I had a different meal entirely planned for last night, but was out running errands so late that I scrapped the plans. Instead, I picked up a deli pizza from Aldi because I was there anyway. These are the same sort of giant pizzas sold fresh (not frozen) and uncooked at Walmart, Costco, etc. I'd never tried the Aldi version before, but I figured it would make a decent on-the-fly dinner with a side salad.<br /><br />The verdict: best pizza of its kind that we've tried, with a bonus of also being the cheapest. It's a little better than the Costco pizzas, and head & shoulders above the ones from Walmart.<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$5.99 - cheese pizza<br />$1 - lettuce & tomatoes for salad<br /><br />$6.99 for dinner for 4 with leftover pizza for 2 lunch servings todayGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-67035049455584995452010-04-19T22:26:00.002-04:002010-04-19T22:42:59.569-04:00Monday DinnerI've run into some good Harris Teeter meat markdowns over the last few days. One to keep an eye out for is Hatfield pre-packaged pork chops. There are several varieties & cuts, all pre-portioned & individually wrapped, sold in 24 - 30 oz. bags. I've found marked-down short-dated packages at more than one store this week, in the $3.99 - $4.99 range (down from $8.99). All the packages have a $1 off coupon inside, so it's worth it to open the package when you get it home even if you aren't cooking the chops yet. (I'm freezing mine for future meals.) I'll carry these coupons with me in the hopes of getting an even better deal. <br /><br />I took advantage of another meat markdown tonight - angus skirt steak, which I used for beef stir-fry. I just sliced against the grain into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried in a little hot oil until browned. I removed them from the pan and added in a bag of Birds-Eye broccoli stir fry veggies, and stir-fried until thawed. I prepared a packet of Sundown Beef & Broccoli stir-fry sauce according to directions (adding water & soy sauce), added it to the veggies and then added the beef back in. I served the stir-fry over Jasmine Rice (more of the Uncle Ben's Ready Rice pouches I have stockpiled), and served it with Kahiki frozen egg rolls.<br /><br />The verdict: eh. I think it was too close to what I had for lunch for me to truly enjoy it. The rest of the family did, including my sister who ate with us. And The Kid concocted a special egg-roll dipping sauce (soy sauce, wasabi paste and sesame oil) that was delicious. In fact, The Kid heated another egg roll and made another batch of sauce as a bedtime snack. (These egg rolls are great - only 100 calories and 5 grams of fat, plus plenty of veggies.) <br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$3.50 - beef skirt steak<br />.55 - stir fry veggies (after sale + coupon)<br />$1 - stir fry sauce mix<br />.4 - rice<br />.65 - egg rolls (triple coupons)<br /><br />$5.74 for dinner for 4, plus leftover stir fry for another servingGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-33599933924131656602010-04-18T18:05:00.002-04:002010-04-18T18:15:51.225-04:00Thursday - Sunday MealsThursday night was a quickie sort of meal - frozen chicken taquitos and refried beans. The Taquitos were BOGO at HT the other week, plus I had $1 off coupons, which brought the cost down to about $2.25/box. The refried beans were something like .20 a can after triple coupons. (Y'all know I don't like to spend much on convenience foods. If I'm going to go over my nightly dinner budget I'd just as soon eat out.) <br /><br />Friday was a close repeat of Monday's dinner because I guess I was out of steam and ideas. I marinated chicken breasts in Lawry's Signature Steakhouse marinade, then slapped them on the George Foreman. They ended up too thick for sandwiches because I hadn't pounded or butterflied them beforehand, so I sliced them thin on the bias and arranged the slices on bakery rolls. We topped them with sliced pepperjack cheese, lettuce & tomato and served with oven fries. Totals should be about the same for Monday, minus the edamame.<br /><br />Saturday I boiled a 2 lb. bag of frozen EZ-peel shrimp with some Old Bay. I served them hot with rice, leftover collards, and a pan of cornbread. The shrimp was $5.98 (as cheap as it ever gets at HT), the rice was those Uncle Ben's Ready Rice microwave pouches I got for 4 cents apiece during triple coupons, the leftover collards were free, and the cornbread probably cost me less than $1 to make.<br /><br />Sunday is The Kid's night at youth group, so we're cleaning out the fridge of leftovers.GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-10183055797051299772010-04-15T11:31:00.003-04:002010-04-15T11:57:06.054-04:00Wednesday DinnerLast night's dinner was just what we needed after leaving the table unsatisfied on Tuesday. I made homemade mac & cheese and homemade collards. I confess it was the first time I tried making collards from scratch - I always just get Margaret Holmes or Glory Foods brands in the can (which are darned tasty). But I made them from scratch this time because I had that lovely ham bone left over from Easter and I couldn't bear to just throw it out. I always use the one from Christmas to make split-pea soup, but that's really a cold-weather dish. I searched out ways to use my ham bone in (that sounds vaguely dirty, doesn't it? LOL), and collards were just about the only non-soup recipe suggested. <br /><br />Now, as to why I'd never made collards before. Well, it's largely because my cooking experience is far more high-end than low-end. That's partly because those are the recipes that always interested me most. And it's also due to having a Midwestern mother. I just didn't grow up with Southern foods like collards at the table. Now The Kid pointed out that my collards weren't "really homemade" because I took a shortcut and started with frozen, bagged collards instead of fresh. I said that was hair-splitting, like saying that homemade mac & cheese isn't homemade unless you make the pasta from scratch, too. <br /><br />I cut as much of the leftover ham off the bone as I could and set it aside. (This is long after we removed the sliced ham and cut away the big chunks. This is just what was clinging close to the bone.) I placed the bone in a large stock pot, covered with water, and simmered over medium heat for about 3 hours, or until the bone was clean and made a rich broth. I removed the bone, strained out all the little solid bits, then added 2 bags of frozen collards to the pot. I brought to a boil for 3 minutes, then reduced heat and simmered for another 45. To season, I added lots of salt, about 1/4 cup sugar, several dashes liquid smoke, and several dashes hot sauce. At the very end, I added all the reserved ham, which I had chopped (about 1 cup). We passed vinegar and more hot sauce at the table. These came out AWESOME. Now I won't say I'll never go back to canned because I just can't see going to all this time and trouble on a regular basis. But I'll definitely be doing this again...and again...and again.<br /><br />My mac & cheese is as basic as you can get, but I think it's about as good as you can get, too. I just melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan or skillet, then add 1/4 cup flour. I cook the roux for about 4 - 5 minutes, or until it's fragrant and lightly golden, then add about 4 cups of milk. (I use 2% because that's what we buy.) I season with plenty of salt (although The Kid always says I don't use enough), pepper, dried mustard, paprika, and a little nutmeg, then bring the sauce to a simmer to thicken. I remove from the heat for about 10 minutes to cool a little, then stir in one 8oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I fold the sauce in to my cooked macaroni (1 lb. box) in a large casserole dish. I top with Panko breadcrumbs - about 1/2 cup, mixed with 1 T. melted butter. Then I bake at 350 for 40 minutes. <br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$3 - collards (2 bags, frozen)<br />.40 - macaroni (B2G3 free sale at HT)<br />$1.50 - cheddar cheese (BOGO sale at HT)<br />free - milk (free coupon from Kelloggs for buying cereal)<br />.25 - butter, breadcrumbs<br /><br />$5.15 for dinner for 3, with leftover mac & cheese for at least 3 more servings, and leftover collards to feed an armyGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-56794640969939405992010-04-13T18:36:00.003-04:002010-04-13T18:52:20.261-04:00Tuesday DinnerTonight's dinner was full of favorites, but nothing came out quite the way it should have.<br /><br />First, I made my "Fake-Out" Lemon-Asparagus Risotto. I've gotten in the habit of making it with broccoli when fresh asparagus is out of season. Let's face it, that's most of the year. So I'd completely forgotten that The Kid didn't much care for it with asparagus. (I was reminded of that tonight after dinner was already on the stove and it was too late to change.) Second, my asparagus spears were so thin I was afraid they'd turn to mush during cooking, so I delayed longer than usual before adding them. As a result, they were undercooked and had a rather grassy flavor.<br /><br />The solution? I'm going to change the recipe to "Fake-Out" Lemon-Broccoli Risotto and leave it at that. Turns out I like it better with broccoli, too.<br /><br />The entree was baked salmon fillets, but those didn't turn out so great, either. Normally I just coat them liberally with Chef Prud'homme's Magic Salmon Seasoning and quickly pan-fry them. But tonight my big skillet was already in use for the risotto (I've never made them both together before). So I decided to bake the salmon instead. Since they didn't lose a lot of their seasoning while being turned (as happens during pan-frying), they ended up much too peppery/spicy. <br /><br />So, all in all, good food that turned out....not so good. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. <br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$3 - salmon<br />$1.29 - asparagus<br />$2 - remaining risotto ingredients (rice, lemon, onion, chicken broth, etc)<br /><br />$6.29 for dinner for 3 (with lots of risotto left over - hopefully the asparagus will cook more fully upon reheating)GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-38736538862407753182010-04-12T22:40:00.002-04:002010-04-12T22:54:22.277-04:00Saturday, Sunday & Monday DinnersSaturday was all about getting the garden planted. This year we're growing tomatoes (3 kinds), squash, bell peppers, arugula, bok choy, edamame, pole beans, romaine lettuce plus a heat-resistant lettuce blend of several varieties, and basil, chives, parsley and cilantro. It was a lot less work than last year because the raised beds were already in place, but I was still hot and tired by the time we were done. So I made it easy on myself and told everybody to clean the fridge out of leftovers. That also meant dinner was free, because I'd already accounted for the cost in other meals.<br /><br />Sunday was a similar story, but this time we were busy running errands and ate a late lunch out. So everyone fended for themselves - the adults had leftover potato soup and The Kid had PB&J.<br /><br />Monday I was back in the kitchen. We had grilled teriyaki chicken sandwiches on soft rolls, plus frozen french fries and steamed edamame. For the sandwiches, I butterflied thick chicken breasts, marinated in teriyaki sauce, and grilled on the George Foreman. Halfway through, I topped each with a pineapple slice, then served on buns with sliced monterey jack cheese. <br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$1.50 - chicken<br />.75 - rolls<br />.30 - cheese<br />.20 - pineapple<br />.66 - frozen french fries<br />$1.66 - steamable edamame<br /><br />$5.07 for dinner for 3, with leftover edamameGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-35321434814507290282010-04-10T05:29:00.002-04:002010-04-10T05:47:42.043-04:00Friday DinnerLast night's dinner was a big pot of potato soup with ham, plus fresh fruit (strawberries & pineapple) and a loaf of cheese bread on the side. My soup recipe is the sort of thing I don't really measure, but the following amounts should be close:<br /><br />I peeled & boiled about 8 smallish russet potatoes, then drained them and set aside. In the same big pot, I sauteed a large onion, chopped, in about 4 T. of butter. When the onion was tender and golden, I upped the heat and added 4 T. flour to make a roux. I cooked for a few minutes, then added about 3 cups of milk and brought to a simmer to thicken. Then I added about 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth and the potatoes. I used a potato masher to break them up well into small chunks. I seasoned with plenty of salt & pepper, plus celery seed, ground mustard, and a dash of nutmeg. Lastly, I added about 2 cups chopped leftover ham, and heated thoroughly. <br /><br />It was darned good - quite possibly the best potato soup I've ever made (and I've made lots over the years). The cheese bread comes from the Walmart bakery, and is a frequently requested purchase at my house. It's a bargain at $3 a loaf - my other favorite, La Brea Semolina Cheese Bread from Harris Teeter, runs about $4.50. Fresh strawberries ($1.25/lb at Harris Teeter) and fresh chunked pineapple ($2/each at WalMart) made a nice tart counterpoint to the richness of the soup and bread. <br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$2 - soup ingredients (at most, with cost of ham accounted for at Easter)<br />$1.50 - 1/2 loaf of bread<br />$1.50 - pineapple & strawberries (about 1/2 of each)<br /><br />$5 for dinner for 3, with about 1.5 quarts of soup left overGSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-806470364820084452010-04-08T22:14:00.001-04:002010-04-08T22:17:35.294-04:00From the Bakery - Banana Praline MuffinsMy camera batteries are now dead, and I'm afraid there won't be any of <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banana-Praline-Muffins/Detail.aspx?prop31=5">these</a> left by the time they've recharged. <br /><br />So go <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banana-Praline-Muffins/Detail.aspx?prop31=5">here</a> to get the recipe and make them yourself. They rock.GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-5894301413844234402010-04-08T19:36:00.002-04:002010-04-08T19:59:13.882-04:00Thursday Dinner<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S75oyHWk74I/AAAAAAAAAIw/9clLq2E8NfY/s1600/Crab+Cakes+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S75oyHWk74I/AAAAAAAAAIw/9clLq2E8NfY/s320/Crab+Cakes+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457915008596111234" border="0" /></a>Crab Cakes with roasted asparagus, basmati rice, and hollandaise sauce<br /></div><br /><br />One-pound tubs of pasteurized (refrigerated) crabmeat are on sale this week at Harris Teeter. At $11.99/lb, it's still way out of my price range. But I tell you this because it's likely they've ordered extra for the sale, and that increases the possibility that they'll be overstocked and have to eventually mark some down. That's how I ran across several tubs of crabmeat marked down to - wait for it - $4 each. The store had 6 at that price, but I knew I couldn't use up that many so I only bought 3. They went straight into my freezer, but I plan to use them up fairly quickly anyway.<br /><br />The crab cakes recipe I used is fairly standard. There are a zillion variations that call for onions, celery and/or bell peppers, but I really think simpler is better. On the side I served roasted fresh asparagus ($1.29/lb at Harris Teeter), hollandaise sauce (from a Knorr mix), and basmati rice (Uncle Ben's Ready Rice packages - only 4 cents each during triple coupons 2 weeks ago! I'm embarrassed to tell you how many I bought at that price). It was a wonderful dinner but I really wish crab cakes smelled as good as they taste, because now the kitchen fairly reeks of fish. Yuck!<br /><br />Crab Cakes<br /><br />1 lb. pasteurized crabmeat, picked over<br />1 egg<br />1 tsp. Dijon mustard<br />1 Tsp. mayonnaise (I used Hellman's Light)<br />10 saltine crackers, crushed<br />1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning<br /><br />Combine ingredients and form into patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to "set up," then pan fry in hot oil for 3 - 4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Squeeze a fresh lemon wedge over before serving.<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$4 - crabmeat<br />.08 - 2 packages basmati rice (see above)<br />$1.29 - asparagus<br />.75 - hollandaise mix<br />.25 - additional ingredients (milk, butter, egg, etc.)<br /><br />$6.37 for dinner for 3, plus leftover everything for lunch tomorrow<br /><br />(For The Kid's lunch tomorrow I'm making a crabcake sandwich on a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, and light mayo mixed with more Old Bay. My lunch will be leftover rice and asparagus with hollandaise.)GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-32698623817639562932010-04-07T22:02:00.003-04:002010-04-07T22:28:21.940-04:00Tuesday & Wednesday DinnersDo you ever just forget about a favorite recipe? That's what happened with Tuesday night's dinner. I did a lot of cooking before our mountain trip because I didn't want to show up at our friends' house empty-handed. While searching (in vain) for my signature chocolate cake recipe, I came across my old recipe for Asian Sloppy Joes. These are so delicious, easy, and a favorite of my late father's - but I can't remember the last time I made them. (Possibly not since his death 2 years ago.) I'm not sure why, I just forgot about them. But after rediscovering the recipe, I was determined to make them as soon as possible - and I did. (P.S. I never did find my recipe for Scotch Chocolate Cake, but a quick internet search turned up a recipe that was *almost* identical. Luckily, I knew my own recipe well enough to know where to make the changes.)<br /><br />Along with the Asian Sloppy Joes I made on Tuesday, we had sweet potato fries, and Asian-style slaw. The sweet potato fries were frozen (triple coupons), the Asian slaw was just bagged coleslaw mix tossed with Kraft Toasted Sesame dressing and a can of drained Mandarin oranges. <br /><br />Here's the recipe for Asian Sloppy Joes:<br /><br />1 lb. ground turkey<br />1 tsp. minced garlic*<br />1 tsp. minced fresh ginger*<br />1 8 oz. can tomato sauce<br />3 T. hoisin sauce<br />3 T. water<br />2 T. soy sauce<br />2 T. rice wine vinegar<br /><br />Brown ground turkey with garlic and fresh ginger. Drain fat if necessary (I never need to). Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve on heated buns.<br /><br />* - if you don't have fresh garlic and ginger, add 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. ground ginger with sauce ingredients.<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$1.19 - ground turkey (Aldi)<br />.59 - 1/2 package buns<br />.20 - can tomato sauce<br />$1 - 1/2 package sweet potato fries<br />$2 - bagged cole slaw mix<br />.70 - canned mandarin oranges<br /><br />$4.68 for dinner for 4, with leftover sloppy joe mix for 1 - 2 more servings<br /><br />__________<br /><br />Wednesday was a fast-food fundraiser night for The Kid's school, so we ate out.GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-43495450261647443942010-04-05T23:09:00.002-04:002010-04-05T23:13:58.254-04:00Monday DinnerMainly a heat n' eat sort of dinner - leftover Easter ham, leftover yeast rolls, wild rice (Uncle Ben's), and frozen broccoli & cheese. (I have a little grocery shopping to do before I can start to get creative with the leftover ham.)<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />ham & rolls were accounted for in yesterday's dinner, so the only additional expense was:<br /><br />.25 - wild rice (after triple coupons awhile back)<br />.60 - broccoli & cheese (sale + double coupon)<br /><br />.85 for dinner for 3GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-57113917881415523742010-04-04T12:57:00.002-04:002010-04-04T13:14:44.864-04:00Happy Easter<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S7jFTYoYR4I/AAAAAAAAAIo/l7G4lGIfcsk/s1600/Spring+Break+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S7jFTYoYR4I/AAAAAAAAAIo/l7G4lGIfcsk/s400/Spring+Break+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456327885379356546" border="0" /></a>A view from the front porch<br />Floyd County, Virginia<br /></div><br /><br />Happy Easter, y'all!<br /><br />Sorry I've been behind on my dinner posts. We spent Spring Break in the mountains and just got back last night. The above photo is the view from our friends' front porch - you can't tell, but that's a river winding through the valley down there. We can't wait to get back up there when the weather is a little warmer to do some serious 'tubing. (They're about 2 weeks behind us, season-wise. They had a warm week like we did, but everything still looks like winter up there. And that mountain water is COLD.) <br /><br />After a nice, peaceful week in the mountains, I'm happy to be back in my own kitchen but have so much unpacking & laundry that I don't want to spend all day there. I won't post later today, but I already know we're having a easy-on-the-cook Easter dinner. <br /><br />Spiral sliced ham ($1.59/lb at HT, + additional $2 off for eVic members)<br />Mashed sweet potatoes ($1.29 for large can, flavored with a little fresh orange zest & juice), Roasted spring asparagus (2 lbs at $1.29/lb)<br />Hollandaise sauce (from a Knorr mix - .75 after coupon)<br />Sister Shubert's Parker House rolls (.75 after BOGO + double coupon)<br />Edward's Key Lime pie ($5.99 after sale + double coupon)<br /><br />Total $24.36 for a holiday dinner for 5, with lots of leftover everything (especially ham, which I plan to make into several meals to come)GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-68338373434580642972010-03-28T14:26:00.002-04:002010-03-28T14:42:06.151-04:00Recent DinnersThe spring weather has had me in a cleaning/organizing frenzy, plus I'm trying to get ready for a trip we'll be taking in a few days. Consequently, dinners have been more about convenience than usual.<br /><br />Thursday night we had burgers & tater tots. The ground beef was practically free after some creative couponing. I had a coupon for $1.50 off ground beef with the purchase of 2 Classico pasta sauces. Harris Teeter had that brand BOGO last week, plus a sale on ground beef for $1.47/lb. So I picked up 2 jars of sauce for $2.69, plus another .33 for the ground beef (price on package was $1.83 for something like 1.25 lbs.) I served a can of peaches on the side. <br /><br />.33 - ground beef<br />free - American cheese (some long ago deal - time to use this up)<br />.59 - 1/2 package Food Lion brand hamburger buns<br />.75 - 1/2 package Food Lion brand tater tots<br />.50 - canned peaches<br /><br />$2.17 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)<br /><br />_____________________<br /><br />Friday was the second-to-last fish night of Lent. (Thank goodness. I love fish and meatless meals in general but I hate being told what night I have to have them.) I served a bag of Gorton's Crunchy Breaded fish fillets with hush puppies (bagged, frozen) and a can of Del Monte green beans with potatoes. (OK, these have "ham flavor" added so they're probably not technically meatless, but I won't tell the rest of my family if you don't.) <br /><br />$2.25 - fish fillets (BOGO + super double coupon)<br />$1.25 - hush puppies (BOGO)<br />$1 - green beans with potatoes<br /><br />$4.50 for dinner for 5 (sister joined us & brought home leftovers for brother-in-law)<br /><br />______________________________<br /><br />Saturday night I heated up the last of the Jack Daniel's heat-n-serve entrees. If you remember, I got these for $3 apiece because of a Harris Teeter raincheck. I noticed that they're on sale this week BOGO, so you can stock up on them for about $4 apiece if you 're interested.<br /><br />I served the pulled pork BBQ on hamburger buns. Tater tots and leftover corn rounded out the meal.<br /><br />$3 - pulled pork<br />.59 - buns<br />.75 - 1/2 package tater tots<br />free - leftover corn<br /><br />$4.34 for dinner for 4GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-15676425097191443792010-03-25T12:04:00.003-04:002010-03-25T12:32:14.778-04:00Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S6uJ28d17RI/AAAAAAAAAIg/c5Ez6p2Bgiw/s1600/Chicken+with+Creamy+Tomato+Spinach+Rice+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S6uJ28d17RI/AAAAAAAAAIg/c5Ez6p2Bgiw/s320/Chicken+with+Creamy+Tomato+Spinach+Rice+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452603350899354898" border="0" /></a>Chicken with Creamy Tomato-Spinach Rice<br /></div><br />After an unlucky run of blah and just-plain-bad dinners, I was out of my "experimental" mode and determined to cook things I knew everybody liked.<br /><br />Wednesday night I made the above, which is my own take on a recipe I found on Kraft.com. (I forget what they called it, but it was about as inspired as my title.) I've changed it enough to just post what I do:<br /><br />Heat about 1/4 cup Kraft Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette in large non-stick skillet, and brown 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs or breasts (I prefer thighs). Continue to cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated from pan and dressing has cooked down to a thick, syrupy glaze on the chicken. (If you take chicken out when it's cooked through but the pan is still full of liquid, chicken will have no flavor at all.) Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. In same skillet, add 2 cups instant rice, 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender - about 5 minutes. When rice is cooked, stir in 1/2 of a 8 oz. package of cream cheese, cut into chunks. Keep stirring until cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce for the rice. Add 1/2 of an 8 - 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach leaves. Cover pan for 3 -5 minutes, or until the heat has partially wilted the spinach. Stir spinach into rice, top with reserved chicken, and serve.<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$2 - boneless chicken thighs (from Aldi - $5.99/3 lb bag)<br />free - instant rice (after triple coupons)<br />.55 - canned tomatoes<br />.40 - 1/2 package cream cheese<br />$1 - 1/2 package spinach<br />.65 - chicken broth (1/2 carton)<br /><br />$4.60 for dinner for 4 (+ sister) with leftovers for another serving (I used 5 chicken thighs)<br /><br />We also had dessert last night - a Mrs. Smith's Dutch Apple Crumb Topped Pie served with Edy's Caramel Delight reduced fat ice cream. The pie was only $1.75 after sale + triple coupon, and Harris Teeter had Edy's ice cream on sale for $1.99 last week (so I stocked up as much as my full freezer would allow). Total for dessert was about .45 per serving. <br /><br /><br />__________<br /><br />Tuesday was busy as usual for me, so it was more about putting a meal together than actually cooking. I made Veal Parmesan with Italian breaded veal cutlets from Aldi. These are a specialty item they don't carry all year-round, so now is the time to buy them if you're interested. (The High Point Road Aldi had plenty when I went on Monday evening.) At $6 for a package of 9 cutlets, they're also very economical. <br /><br />After pan-frying, I topped the cutlets with mozzarella and baked in the oven to melt the cheese. I served them over spaghetti with jarred sauce (one of the 6 jars of Bertolli I got for free with raincheck and super double coupons). Frozen garlic bread rounded out the meal.<br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$2 - veal cutlets<br />.50 - spaghetti<br />free - sauce<br />.75 - mozzarella cheese<br />.63 - garlic bread (HT brand - $1.68 for 8 slices)<br /><br />$3.88 for dinner for 3GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-65118825862206186072010-03-22T20:16:00.002-04:002010-03-22T20:34:57.618-04:00Recent DinnersI haven't made any nightly dinner posts since last Wednesday, so let me do a quick update:<br /><br />Thursday afternoon was spent sleeping off a migraine, so I was in no shape to cook that night (nor did I have much appetite). So my family opened up a frozen bagged meal - Birdseye Steamfresh was the brand, in some beef, mushroom and pasta flavor. The funny thing is, I served this exact variety a few months ago and everybody (including sister, who was joining us that night) liked it. Not loved it, but liked it well enough for me to buy the same thing again. This time, however, we all thought it was terrible. Go figure. I don't recall exactly what I paid for it, but I think it was around $3 after sale & double coupon. Good thing it wasn't expensive, because we didn't even keep the leftovers. <br /><br />Friday we ate out.<br /><br />Saturday I roasted a Hormel Mesquite BBQ Pork Tenderloin in the oven. On the side I served sauteed pierogies and buttered cabbage. The pork tenderloin was only $3 (down from $8 or so) after sale + super double coupon. The pierogies only .75 a box after BOGO + $1 off coupon. And the cabbage was about $1 for a small head. So $4.75 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us) with leftover pork and cabbage left over. It was a nothing-special sort of meal, but everyone left the table satisfied.<br /><br />Sunday is The Kid's night at youth group, so we heated a frozen pizza. <br /><br />Monday night was the biggest disappointment of all. I found <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/balsamic-glazed-lamb-meat-loaf-recipe-00000000028094/index.html">this recipe for Balsamic-Glazed Lam Meat Loaf </a>in last month's Real Simple magazine and couldn't wait to try it. The verdict: The Kid liked it a lot, but both of the adults thought it was awful. The thyme called for in the recipe completely overpowered the flavor of the meat, even though I had cut the amount by more than half. (I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like thyme and won't be using it in any future recipes.) I would have thrown out the leftovers but The Kid wanted to save them for lunches. (I think I'll serve it on pita bread with lettuce and tomato, sort of gyro-style.) The only saving grace of the recipe was the red onion/red pepper/white bean mixture served on the side. We all really liked that and I'll be making that on its own again. (I purposely left out the thyme, and used jarred roasted red peppers because that's what I had on hand.) Luckily I didn't pay much for the ground lamb. Harris Teeter was the only store where I was able to find it, but I got it on meat markdown for $2 instead of the normal $6/lb. The cost of the rest of the meatloaf ingredients were negligible, and the total cost for the bean/onion/pepper mixture was about $2.GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-13292036000875451982010-03-17T23:01:00.002-04:002010-03-17T23:38:20.901-04:00Wednesday DinnerTonight's dinner was sort of a theme meal. We had something like a French picnic - chicken liver mousse/pate' served with a loaf of homemade bread, cracked wheat crackers, Dijon mustard, assorted cheeses, grapes and Granny Smith apples. <br /><br />I won't go into a lot of details about the chicken liver mousse/pate' because I know that liver is one of those love it or hate it foods. My recipe is fairly standard and not unlike hundreds of others out there. I'm happy to share it if anyone wants it - just email me. The basic ingredients are bacon, chicken livers, onion, apple, brandy, and spices. <br /><br />I won't price everything out individually, but it was very easy on the wallet - well under $5 with lots of leftover everything. Chicken livers are just about the cheapest meat around at $1.25/lb. A whole batch of pate' costs me less than $2. We always have crackers and Dijon mustard around anyway, and the fruit was what I had on hand for snacking and The Kid's school lunches. I can whip up a loaf of bread machine bread for under 50 cents. The cheeses would have been the most expensive part of the meal, but they were a freebie. If you're in Greensboro, you should really sign up with Earth Fare (Earthfare.com) to be on their email list. Every week they send out a printable coupon for a different free product - sometimes multiple free products! It really is the best deal going. This week's freebie was a 7 oz. block of Kerrygold Irish cheese with any purchase. The Kid and I each went armed with a coupon, so we got a block each of Irish sharp cheddar and a Gouda-like cheese called Blarney Castle. So we were able to add $7 worth of imported cheese to our meal for $0. <br /><br /><br />(NOTE: I love a good freebie like anyone else, but I don't like to feel that I'm taking advantage. Even though there's no minimum purchase required, I always spend at least as much as the freebie is worth. On this visit I got 2 lbs. of bulk dry soybeans for roasting, and The Kid bought a 1-lb container of organic dark chocolate peanut butter.)GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7880214894028846197.post-21631650420240076282010-03-16T19:21:00.004-04:002010-03-16T19:42:13.813-04:00Tuesday Dinner<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S6AS8ZOyfNI/AAAAAAAAAIY/GUg5KruDsWg/s1600-h/Salmon+with+Lemon+Cilantro+Vinaigrette+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LsATk4h1Wk/S6AS8ZOyfNI/AAAAAAAAAIY/GUg5KruDsWg/s320/Salmon+with+Lemon+Cilantro+Vinaigrette+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449376377892666578" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/salmon-lemon-cilantro-vinaigrette-00000000020574/index.html">Salmon with Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette</a><br />(served with couscous and steamed edamame)<br /></div><br /><br />Today wasn't my normal busy Tuesday, so I spent more time than usual in the kitchen. After the Muffin Fiasco this afternoon, I turned my attention to dinner. Luckily this recipe turned out perfectly, even better than I'd hoped, because I would have really been bummed if this one had been a failure, too.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/salmon-lemon-cilantro-vinaigrette-00000000020574/index.html">This recipe</a> came from RealSimple.com, and it was a winner (even though recipes called 'vinaigrette' that contain no vinegar is one of my culinary pet peeves). The treatment of the salmon was nothing special - just pan-seared in olive oil - but the lemon-cilantro vinaigrette really elevated this dish to another level. It was tangy and fresh and green, and I'd love to try it on grilled shrimp or chicken next. On the side I served couscous, as suggested in the recipe. I was apprehensive because I haven't been overly fond of couscous in other dishes. (Although, to be fair, I'm most familiar with it in salads using ingredients I'm not crazy about to begin with - namely cucumbers.) This dish might actually convert me because it was delicious when drizzled with the herby lemon dressing, and its starchy blandness was a perfect balance to the tartness of lemon and the richness of the fish. <br /><br />This dish really called out for some sort of fresh vegetables I didn't have on hand tonight. I served steam-in-the-bag edamame, which wasn't a great combination, although it wasn't bad, either. It just didn't seem like a good fit - Asian with Mediterranean. Next time, I think I'll try it with sauteed spinach or maybe some sliced oranges. <br /><br />Totals:<br /><br />$3 - salmon (3 frozen individual portions from Aldi, sold in bags of 4/$3.99)<br />$1.25 - 1/2 box couscous<br />.30 - cup chicken broth (to cook couscous in)<br />.33 - lemon<br />.30 - cilantro, green onions<br />.83 - steam-in-bag edamame (sale + coupon)<br /><br />$6.01 for dinner for 3GSO Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06414705935461627825noreply@blogger.com0