Merry Christmas!

Between parties, holiday dinners, leftovers and travel, this is the last post you'll see from me for the next week or so.

I wish each and every one of you very Merry Christmas spent enjoying good food with loved ones.

Peace.

~GSO Foodie

Recent Dinners

Saturday & Sunday night were "every man for himself" dinners. We were all busy with shopping and wrapping and general Christmas errands, so I told everybody to raid the fridge and pantry and make-do with that they could find.

Monday I was back to cooking but I wasn't feeling terribly inspired or creative, so I went with a lot of convenience foods. I pan-fried 3 Butterball Turkey Tenderloins and served them with cranberry sauce (leftover), a box of Zatarain's rice pilaf (almost free after sale + triple coupon), and a package of Green Giant creamed spinach (cheap after sale + double coupon).

Monday Totals:

$3.75 - turkey tenderloins ($1.25 ea. when purchased $4.99 for bag of 4)
.25 - rice pilaf mix
.43 - frozen spinach

$4.43 - dinner for 3

Friday Dinner

Marinated, Grilled Skirt Steak for Fajitas

Fajitas, Spanish Rice

Tonight I grilled one package of the super-cheap skirt steak I scored at Harris Teeter last week. I didn't have any pre-bottled marinade, but I had a packet of McCormick Southwest marinade mix in my pantry, so I used that. After marinating the steak, I grilled it whole on the George Foreman for about 5 minutes, then I let it rest for 10 before slicing thinly against the grain and serving on heated tortillas with sauteed onions. We passed sour cream, cheese and salsa at the table, and a box of Zatarain's Spanish Rice (made with 1 can tomatoes) rounded out the meal.

Totals:

$1.10 - skirt steak (seriously!)
.25 - marinade mix (purchased after sale + coupon)
.70 - 1/2 package tortillas
.50 - onions, cheese, sour cream, salsa
.25 - rice mix (after triple coupons)
.50 - can tomatoes

$3.30 for dinner for 3

Thursday Dinner

I've had a Macaroni Grill dinner kit kicking around my pantry forever, so I decided to give it a try last night. We had the Creamy Basil chicken variety and in my opinion it was just OK. The rest of the family, including my sister, thought it was delicious. (I admit I'm fussy about dinner kits that require you to add fresh chicken then simmer, because I think the chicken gets dry and tough that way. I seem to be the only one with that issue, though.)

I rounded out the meal with frozen garlic bread slices, and steam-in-the-bag broccoli that I jazzed up with butter, Mrs. Dash, and garlic salt. (My family also raved about the broccoli, but this time I agreed with them.)

Totals:

$2 - Macaroni Grill dinner kit
$2.33 - chicken breasts (bought on sale Buy 1, Get 2 Free)
.30 - steam-in-bag broccoli (BOGO sale + doubled coupon)
$1 - 1/2 box frozen garlic bread slices (after coupon)

$3.63 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us again)

Wednesday Dinner

I didn't intend to have Asian meals featuring rice for two nights in a row, but that's just how it ended up because it was the quickest and easiest thing to serve after a busy day.

Harris Teeter had Birdseye Viola! brand bag-to-skillet frozen meals on sale BOGO last week. When combined with coupons for $1 off 2, the price came down to $4.15 for 2 bags. I've found that some varieties can serve 3 when you add in a few side dishes (like the Garlic Shrimp or Garlic Chicken) but others really don't stretch beyond 2 servings. Their Beef and Broccoli is one of those can't-stretch-it varieties, but it's really good so I buy it whenever I can get 2 bags for under $5.

We served the Beef & Broccoli with a box of Asian Sensations cream cheese wontons as an appetizer/side dish (purchased with a coupon, of course).

$4.15 - Beef & Broccoli (all-in-one meal contains rice)
$2 - cream cheese wontons (after coupon)

$6.15 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Tuesday Dinner

Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry

Let's get started on the back-log of dinner posts, shall we?

Tuesday night I made Crunchy Shrimp Stir-Fry, which I blogged about the very first time I "created" the recipe.

1 package Sea Pak popcorn shrimp, baked according to package directions. 1 bag Asparagus Stir Fry frozen veggies from WalMart, stir-fried according to package directions. 1/3 - 1/2 bottle Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce. Toss everything together at the very last second, then serve over hot cooked rice and serve. (Dish won't re-heat well because shrimp breading will become soggy and fall off, so eat up!)

Totals:

$2.50 - shrimp (sale price and $1 coupon)
$1.69 - veggies
.80 - stir fry sauce
.20 - rice

$5.19 for dinner for 3

Monday Dinner

Monday's meal was strictly heat'n'eat, although a little better quality than usual. I mentioned on Saturday that I got a great deal on some stuffed flank steak rolls from the Harris Teeter butcher case. They were filled with spinach and feta, and required only 30 minutes at 350. They were delicious - much more flavorful and tender than I had expected. Even if they had been only so-so, I couldn't have complained much after paying only $1.15 down from $9.90. On the side I microwaved a container of HT brand garlic mashed potatoes (also on markdown) and a box of Green Giant baby peas in butter sauce, which made for a very tasty meal.

Totals:

$1.15 - stuffed flank steak
$1.50 - mashed potatoes
.43 - peas

$4.08 for dinner for 3

Sunday Dinner

The Kid had a holiday function last night, so we adults just had Reuben Sandwiches and oven fries. The Kid likes Reubens but won't shed a tear over missing them. You know how it is with kids - cooking something they really like on a night they aren't home can quickly turn into a Major Incident. So I just avoid all that noise and cook something The Kid won't mind missing. It used to be easier when The Kid was younger, because the dislike list was slightly longer. But my kid has always been a Foodie at heart; an adventurous eater with a surprisingly sophisticated palate.

The pastrami and baby swiss were on sale at Harris Teeter this week, buy 2, get 3 free. That brings the price to $1.80 per package, or $3.60 per lb. (I've already covered that using pastrami instead of corned beef technically turns my Reubens into Rachels.) The sauerkraut was already in the fridge, leftover from last week's bratwurst dinner. The steak fries were the (little less than) 1/2 package leftover from Friday's dinner.

The only thing I bought new & full price was the rye bread, which is one of those items I never, ever see on sale. Even when a brand of "wide-pan" bread goes on sale, it's only for the various wheat, white and whole grain varieties. Rye and pumpernickel are excluded for some reason. There also seems to be some price-fixing going on, because it's never less than $2.99 at the major grocery chains, and not much cheaper at $2.49 at WalMart. This concludes the long and useless explanation portion of the blog. :)

For the sandwiches, I smeared a little spicy brown mustard on my rye bread, then layered 1 slice swiss, 2 slices pastrami, sauekraut, and another slice of swiss so the cheese would block the soggy fillings from the bread on both sides. A little butter on the outside, then I pressed on the big silver griddle my mother received as a wedding gift in 1949. A toaster went with it, too, but that's long since gone to appliance heaven since you could get a replacement toaster anywhere. But this foldover griddle, I consider it a family heirloom if not an outright national treasure. To put it another way, it would be on my list of items I'd foolishly try to save in a fire.

Totals:

$1 - 1/2 bag steak fries
.80 - rye bread
$1.80 - 1/2 package each pastrami & baby swiss
free - sauerkraut (accounted for in previous meal)

$3.60 for dinner for 2

Harris Teeter Deals & Saturday Dinner

Marinated Grilled Tuna Medallions, Jasmine Rice, Edamame

I was so busy today, I didn't think about dinner until 3pm or so. That's when I realized that although my freezer was packed, there wasn't a lot there for quick n' easy meals. Almost everything I had was time and labor-intensive, plus needed to be thawed on top of that. So I did something this afternoon that I almost never do. I made a quick "dinner run" to Harris Teeter. I thought I'd just pick up a frozen pizza and be done with it. But - lucky me! - I ran into a wealth of wonderful meat and seafood markdowns. The meat manager said he'd marked things down first thing in the morning, then marked them even lower for the evening so they'd move and he wouldn't have to throw them out.

I got a pound of fresh tuna medallions for $3.22 (down from $8.99 per lb), flank steak rolls stuffed with cheese and spinach for $1.15 (for the whole package!), plus boneless chicken thighs and Angus Reserve skirt steak. The skirt steak was an especially good find, because yesterday I got an eVic offer in my email for $3 off my total purchase if I bought Angus Reserve skirt steak or flank steak. The price of my 2 packages of skirt steak would have been over $12 at full price. But after markdown and the extra $3 off at the register, I only paid $2.38 total!

Harris Teeter had a lot of other good deals today with coupons. Texas Toast croutons were free after a .50 coupon was doubled. Green Giant boxed vegetables were .49 for the first one (eVic special), and .99 for others after that. A coupon for .60 off 3 was doubled, bringing the price to $1.29 for 3 boxes, or .43 each. Birdseye Voila frozen bag-to-skillet dinners are BOGO. Add a coupon for $1 off 2, and you can get 2 bags for $4.15 total.

So my quick "dinner run" turned into a major shopping trip, but I got a lot of good dinners for tonight and the next few nights.

For tonight, I marinated the tuna medallions in Ken's Steakhouse Sesame & Ginger marinade that was free after triple coupons a few months ago. (The bottle has been unopened, in my pantry.) I grilled the tuna on the George Foreman, made jasmine rice, and steam-in-the-bag edamame. The tuna needed just a little extra "oomph" at the table, so I mixed up a quick dipping sauce of wasabi paste and soy sauce.

Totals:

$3. 22 - tuna
free - marinade
.50 - jasmine rice
$1.33 - edamame (Pictsweet 3/$4 at HT this week)

$5.05 for dinner for 3

Friday Dinner

Friday afternoon was spent running errands all over, so I knew I wouldn't have much time to cook when I got home. I decided burgers n' fries would be the quickest & easiest thing I had to put together, but I jazzed 'em up so they'd be GOOD burgers n' fries. After I thawed out another package of that ground chuck I got for free after triple coupons last month, I made 3 big patties and seasoned both sides with garlic salt and McCormick Smokehouse Black Pepper (both were also triple coupon freebies from awhile back). I grilled the burgers on the George Foreman, then topped with sliced pepperjack cheese, A-1 sauce, and served on toasted potato rolls. The fries were just frozen steak fries, oven-baked and sprinkled with seasoned salt.

Totals:

free - ground chuck
.75 - potato rolls
.60 - sliced pepperjack
$1 - 1/2 package frozen fries

$2.35 for dinner for 3

Thursday Dinner

Turkey Enchiladas

Thursday night I used up the last of the Thanksgiving turkey (I'd frozen it). I can't take any credit for originality; I used this Turkey Enchiladas recipe from Campbell's. I thought the recipe was just OK, but the rest of the family thought it was delicious and gobbled down every bite. For a vegetable side, I opened a can of french-cut green beans and heated them in a little chicken bullion for extra flavor.

Totals:

free - turkey (leftover)
.60 - tortillas
.60 - can soup
free - can of green chiles (free after triple coupons)
$1 - cheese
.50 - remaining ingredients
.33 - can of green beans

$3.03 for dinner for 3

Tuesday & Wednesday Dinners

Curried Coconut Chicken

Tuesday night was our new favorite, Curried Coconut Chicken. Harris Teeter had a great price on fresh boneless chicken breasts, and I already had everything else on hand, including a can of coconut milk with only 1/2 cup used because I made Banana Tres Leches Dessert for Thanksgiving. (Hint: use Cool Whip or whipped cream to top the cake, not frosting as called for in original recipe.)

Totals:

$2.33 - chicken
$1.19 - coconut milk
.20 - tomato sauce
.50 - diced tomatoes
.20 - rice
.20 - onion

$4.62 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)


__________

Wednesday night we got caught in the big blackout. Our power went out around 1:45 this afternoon and stayed out until some time between 7pm and 8pm (while we were eating out).

Monday Dinner

Citrus Shrimp with rice and Sesame Broccoli

Monday's dinner was a replica of one I've made many times before (the photo is from a previous night, too). Here is my original recipe, based on one I got from a personal chef:

Citrus Shrimp and Sesame Broccoli

However, since I'm always tweaking my recipes based on need or whim, I didn't make it quite like usual last night.

First off, I had a whole 2-lb bag of shrimp that had been in my freezer for too long and needed to go. (Usually I just use 1/2 bag and save the rest.) Second, I didn't have any fresh oranges. Third, I was lazy after peeling a whole 2 lbs of shrimp and wanted as many shortcuts as possible after that. So instead of fresh garlic, I sprinkled the shrimp all over with garlic salt. Instead of fresh juice and zest from lemons and oranges, I just used OJ from the fridge. The result: almost (but not quite) as good as the original. Nobody complained, and I don't think anybody wondered "what was wrong" but I just didn't get all the raves and lip-smacking that usually accompany this dish. So I'll probably do it the "right" way when I have the time, but know this is an acceptable fall-back.

Totals:

$6 - shrimp (2 lbs)
.50 - broccoli (BOGO + double coupon)
.25- OJ

$6.75 for dinner for 3, with 2 full servings of everything left over.

Weekend Dinners

Friday night we ate out with friends.

Saturday was a busy day and I was exhausted and out of dinner ideas, so I relied on spaghetti, sauce from a jar, and frozen garlic bread. A ho-hum dinner if there ever was one.

Saturday totals:

.50 - spaghetti
$1 - Ragu sauce (sale + triple coupon)
.75 - 1/2 box garlic bread slices (double coupon)

$2.25 for dinner for 3


Sunday night I cooked some fresh bratwurst that I'd found marked down in the Harris Teeter butcher case for .84 (I got 2 packages at this price). I boiled the brats in a large skillet with a half-can of beer until all the liquid was gone, then let them brown. I served on potato buns with heated sauerkraut and spicy mustard, with onion-roasted potatoes on the side.

Sunday totals:

.84 - bratwurst
$1 - 1/2 package potato buns
.85 - can sauerkraut
.75 - package onion soup mix (for roasted potatoes)
.60 - about 2 lbs potatoes (purchased on sale for $2.99 for 10 lb bag)

$4.04 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)

Great Deal Alert

E-Z peel raw shrimp is Buy 1, get 2 free this week (thru Tuesday) at Harris Teeter. The price works out to $2.99 per pound, which is as cheap as it ever gets. And you don't have to buy all three 2-lb bags to get this price. You can buy just one bag for $5.98 if you'd like - but I suggest you stock up because the price only goes this low 2 - 3 times per year. I'm thinking ahead to holiday dinners and parties!

Thursday Dinner

One of my all-time favorite dinners is fresh salmon, rice, roasted spring asparagus, and homemade hollandaise sauce. Tonight I made sort of a poor-man's, Thursday-night-in-winter version of that, with lemony salmon cakes, asparagus out-of-season, and hollandaise from a mix.

The salmon cakes were the best I've ever made, and a nice substitute for fillets. The fresh lemon made all the difference in the world. I just took 1 can salmon, drained and picked over, and added 2 eggs, the juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tsp. Chef Paul Prud'homme's Magic Salmon Seasoning, and enough breadcrumbs to bind it all together (about 1/2 - 2/3 cup). I pan-fried them in a little oil until brown and crispy, and kept warm in the oven until serving.

Although roasted asparagus is just about my favorite vegetable in the whole wide world, tonight's version was a disappointment. Even though I loved the off-season price ($1.29/lb at Lowes), I didn't love the off-season flavor. The stalks were bitter and strong, as opposed to sweet and mild, as they are in the spring. So I'm going to try to keep this in mind and resist any too-good-to-be-true pricing until the real asparagus season comes around in March and April.

For special occasions, I'll make an honest-to-goodness hollandaise from scratch, using the blender method. But that's just too time-consuming (as well as too rich and calorie-laden) for everyday meals. So I've become very fond of hollandaise from a mix. McCormick and Knorr both make a very decent mix that you can pick up right next to the chili seasoning and gravy packets. Tonight it was a lifesaver because I don't think I'd have been able to eat the asparagus without it (although it just made the salmon cakes and rice that much yummier).

Totals:

$2 - 1 can salmon
.50 - eggs, lemon, breadcrumbs
$1.29 - asparagus
.20 - rice
$1 - hollandaise mix
.25 - butter for hollandaise mix

$5.23 for dinner for 3, with 1 serving of everything left over for lunch tomorrow

Wednesday Dinner

Tonight's dinner was about using up some odds and ends before they had to be thrown out - 1/2 a bag of fresh spinach, gorzonzola crumbles, a can of french onion soup that got opened by mistake, french bread, etc.

I made French Onion soup topped with bread and gooey melted cheese - traditional "steak house" way. I served this with spinach salads topped with grilled chicken breasts, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and gorgonzola cheese crumbles. Everybody had their dressing of choice at the table (Bleu Cheese and Honey Mustard being my favorites for this salad.)

I was out of bottled marinade (which I only buy when free or nearly free after sale + coupons), so I whipped up my own with a little OJ, the juice from some canned pineapple (another fridge leftover I'll need to get to soon), garlic salt & Mrs. Dash. I marinated them all afternoon, and grilled them on the George Foreman for about 4 minutes. They were tender and delicious, without being too strongly seasoned on their own.

Totals:

$1 - French Onion soup (Progresso brand, .50/can after sale + coupons)
$1 - French Bread & mozzarella cheese
$1 - 1/2 bag fresh spinach (from Aldi)
$1.50 - chicken breasts (BOGO frozen bags from HT)
.50 - misc. salad toppings

$5 for dinner for 3

Tuesday Dinner

Tuesday is our busy day, and we don't get home until just before dinnertime. After looking through my freezer & fridge, I decided that steak was the quickest & easiest thing to make (after defrosting, of course).

I got the ribeyes on markdown at Harris Teeter for about $2 per steak. I seasoned them with garlic salt and Mrs. Dash, then grilled them on the George Foreman. While they were cooking, I sauteed up some fresh mushrooms in butter with fresh garlic, and a dash each of Worchestershire sauce and pepper. I also made package of instant mashed potatoes (loaded baked potato flavor - free after triple coupons), and threw a steamable bag of broccoli and cheese in the microwave. Dinner was on the table in about 20 minutes, with a minimum of fuss.

Totals:

$6 - ribeyes
$1.50 - mushrooms
.50 - broccoli & cheese (sale + double coupon)
free - mashed potatoes

$8 for dinner for 3