Archive for the 'Frugal Friday' Category

The economics of eating…

Published by Hal on April 9, 2008 in Frugal Friday and observations of food. 1 Comment

I work in a profession that is notorious for not keeping regular hours. Fortunately, I seem to do pretty well when it comes to managing my time, so I can usually come home and relax a little before going to bed. But that doesn’t mean that I get the joy of exercising my passion frequently because I come home late, or when I get home I’m so mentally drained that  just want to veg out (dear readers, that’s what happened a few months ago when I stopped writing every day–but that’s a different post).

So, sometimes we just go out to eat. But, let me tell you just how expensive that can get. In February we spent nearly $800 on food between groceries and dining out. It was about 50-50 because we hosted a SuperBowl party, otherwise dining out would have killed groceries. March was a little better, but only because we had to exercise some restraint to pay for some of the largesse of February (we bought computers and booked vacation, as well as spent a million dollars on food). This is what prompted me to post about recreating a favorite salad at home.

Other times, we simply buy convenience foods and make something “semi-homemade.” We’ve been doing that a lot this week–Stacie learned how to make a really good pizza dough, but it takes about an hour and a half, which means if we both get home around 5:30, we’re not eating until 7 or later. So, we bought two pizza crusts and a jar of sauce, with some cheese. Cost us about 8 dollars, and we should have gotten 8 meals (2 people, 4 meals each) out of this, and saved us at least an hour and a half (I’m not factoring the time spend making a good sauce, though, which may add more time).

And, on the far end, we just make everything from scratch. This is probably the cheapest option–I spent as much on a bag of flour as I did on the pizza crusts, and I could make 30 or 40 crusts from that flour–but it’s also the most expensive in terms of time. There have been days where I’ve spent hours in the kitchen–first, because I love it, and second, because I needed to between making sauces, baking bread, or whatever, something needed my attention.

Thinking about this makes me realize why cookbooks emphasizing 30 minute meals are so popular–not very many people have the money to go out every night, and not very many people have the time to indulge in a large cooking expedition every night. Furthermore, it seems that the American palate has been conditioned to expect “Wow!” at every meal, or at least something better than bologna and cheese. So, we compromise on cost and time and opt for quick fix dinners. Have you thought about this lately? Is this healthy? Do you really need to have vodka cream pasta each night, or would a simple sandwich with a simple salad suffice?

I’m guessing so, but we don’t want it to suffice. At least we–well, some of us–aren’t eating out at every turn, wasting even more money to save time.

South-Western Inspired Chicken & BLT Salad

Published by Hal on February 25, 2008 in Frugal Friday, recipes and rotisserie chicken. 1 Comment

Stacie and I really like food, and I really enjoy cooking (that’s part of how this blog came about). But, sometimes I just don’t want to cook, or I say “the kitchen is a disaster after last night and we need to clean it before we can prepare dinner tonight.”

This, my friends, is how Stacie and I managed to spend just over $400 on going out to eat last month. Now, to our credit, we also spent about as much money on grocery food. But, of course, we hosted a large party at the beginning of the month… And, then, we had a $130 grocery bill Sunday–but $40 was because of meat; almost enough to make me go vegetarian, really! (I should also note that $400 is really easy to hit–neither of us have been particularly diligent about not going out during lunch, though we really should be bringing or eating leftovers. We’ll be watching it a little better in March).

So, I’ve been looking at making some of the food that we enjoy when we go out to eat. There have been two amazing salads that are sort of the same thing, one from Chili’s, the other from a local pub here called “Yogi’s.” The Chili’s version is called a South Western Cobb salad; it’s not a true Cobb salad, since the cheese isn’t marbled. That’s fine with me, however, because I don’t really like marbled/moldy cheese. The Yogi’s version is called a Yucatan Salad. Basically, it’s a romaine based salad with black beans, corn, avocado, salsa, and cheese. Delicious.

So, knowing that Stacie and I spent a small fortune on food last month, tonight I decided to recreate this favorite from these two restaurants. But, not before I watched this:

Yes, that’s exactly right :) This “salad” is probably a loose interpretation of the word, but it was still pretty tasty. And, it’s definitely better than a taco salad. So, I’m okay with it. Again, this is probably an occasional treat (unless you leave out some of the bad stuff), but just as tasty and definitely cheaper than the restaurant version.Big Salad FrontIngredients

  • 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup of tomato salsa, pico de gallo, or 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 8 slices of bacon, crisped and crumbed
  • 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar, or blended, cheese
  • 1/2 cup of thawed, frozen corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup of drained and rinsed black beans
  • 1/2 cup of rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • 1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 medium eggs, hard-boiled

Procedure

Layer half the lettuce on a dinner plate. Then, in rows, layer half of the remaining ingredients. Repeat for the second serving. Toss and serve with your favorite dressing.

It won’t get me a mention in a Bud Light commercial, but darn it, it was a valiant try!

Salmon and Roasted Vegetables

Published by Hal on February 8, 2008 in Fish Fry-day and Frugal Friday. 0 Comments

On this Frugal Friday, I’m mindful that it’s currently the first Friday in Lent, which means that many people aren’t eating meat. Fish is still permissible, and I’ve heard horror stories of how people, growing up, were forced to eat tuna casserole every Friday. I promise, I’m not going to do that (unless it’s tasty!).

I thought, for this Frugal Friday, I’d introduce a segment called “Fish Fry-day,” (Quiet! I can hear you groaning! It’s punny!) where, for the next six weeks, I’ll look at simple, inexpensive ways to prepare seafood during this Lenten season.

Tonight, Stacie and I are going to be very simple. We LOVE salmon; it’s perhaps one of our favorite fish. The preparation is extremely simple: Preheat the oven to 425. Place some cut vegetables on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of oil, and lightly season (salt and pepper). roast for 25-35 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to caramelize. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand or whatever you like roasted–I might try some cauliflower tonight, or maybe I’ll go with some squash and peppers. We’ll see what strikes me at the grocery tonight.

Near the end of the process, heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season both sides of a salmon fillet (or two) with salt and pepper and place into the skillet, skin side down if necessary. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until the salmon has reached it’s desired done-ness.You can use less oil–I’m just trying to use enough to get some nice color on the fish, since I have non-stick cookware.

That’s it! Simple as pie.

Photo courtesy of reesie.

Frugal Friday: Making Something From Nothing

Published by Hal on January 25, 2008 in Frugal Friday and recipes. 0 Comments

I came home from work and working out the other night and needed something dinner. Unfortunately, my wife had already eaten with some of her friends, so I was on my own. Rather than revert to a TV dinner, I decided to see what I had on hand. I was feeling something Asian inspired, but it needed to be healthful–so no General Tso’s chicken for me, though it’s actually really easy to make!

No, instead I settled on stir fried (from a skillet, if that’s even technically possible) chicken with a soy-sauce glaze and yellow rice. There’s no reason for me to have yellow rice, and it’s kind of a cheat on saffron rice (which is also yellow)–I just like the color and it’s different than standard rice. You can use saffron, though that’s expensive and probably not a good use of such a premium ingredient for something you’ll just whip up; I just used 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric–hardly any flavor, but lots of color.

To just whip something up, the first thing I needed to do was take an inventory of what ingredients I had. We had just gone to the grocery store the night before, so we had a pretty full refrigerator and pantry; but, some things were off limits because I had other plans for them. I did have plenty of root vegetables which make a good base for any dish. I couldn’t use any of the fresh meat we bought, but I did have some frozen chicken tenders in the freezer. So, chicken and vegetables it was going to be.

Second, I needed a plan. I took a few minutes to think about what I was going to do. I knew it needed to be quick, since it was already 8 p.m., so I opted to dice my vegetables and cut the chicken into bite sized chunks. But, I also needed to season the food somehow. There was some soy sauce, rice vinegar, and rice wine in the fridge from when I made General Tso’s chicken a while back, and I had some sugar on hand, so I thought I whip up a quick glaze from that.

Next, I set to work defrosting the chicken, dicing the vegetables, and sauteeing everything. While I let the vegetables work, I started the rice. Once everything was started and working, I prepared the glaze.

Finally, everything came together and I enjoyed my dinner. I made enough for two so I could have some at work the next day. Now, I’m sharing this recipe with you so you might be inspired to experiment in your own home.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 1/4 green pepper, diced
  • 1 rib of celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 1 large (or 2 regular) chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Procedure

  1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and cook until soft.
  3. Add the green pepper, celery, and garlic and continue to cook until the onion begins to caramelize.
  4. Add the chicken and cook until all sides have turned brown.
  5. In the meantime, combine the water, sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
  6. Pour the glaze over the chicken-vegetable mixture and reduce by about 25%.
  7. Serve over warm rice!

Frugal Friday: Preparing Your Own Skillet Meals in Advance

Published by Hal on January 19, 2008 in Frugal Friday. 0 Comments

This post is provided courtesy of the Simple Dollar. Trent doesn’t know it, but since all articles on his site are in the public domain, I’m yanking it for use here, while I’m traveling this weekend (which is also why this has been posted on Saturday–oops!). If you like this content, and you want to know more about personal finance from an everyman’s perspective, check out his site!  (Original source)

Many busy familes (even on occasion, our own busy family) often resort to prepackaged skillet meals in order to get a hot, prepared meal on the table quickly at dinnertime. With both parents getting home at five or later and a desire to get a meal on the table early enough so that there is some semblance of a family evening, it’s not surprising that the ease of preparation, the speed, and the relative healthiness of prepackaged skillet meals have become popular.

There are a few problems here, though:

Prepackaged skillet meals are often very expensive for what you get. Skillet meals are almost always at least $6 and often cost significantly more than that. Pick up five of them at once and you’re talking a bill of $35 or so. The food in the bag often adds up to less than a pound in total weight.

Such meals are often laden with preservatives and “industrial” ingredients. As a rule of thumb, if I don’t know what that ingredient is, I don’t like to eat it. Using that rule, pick up pretty much any prepackaged meal you can find and read that ingredient list. My stomach is flopping.

Such meals are often not very healthy in terms of fat, sodium, etc. These meals are designed to be tasty, not to be healthy. Based on the nutrition facts on these items, I’d have to say that most of them don’t worry about healthy too much at all.

I generally like most of the prepackaged skillet meal offerings, I just wish they were healthier - and preferably cheaper. As a frugal parent, I’d like to find a better solution to this situation. I’d like to have a healthy and tasty meal that I could prepare quickly.

My solution? Make a whole bunch of them in advance.

All you have to do is find a good skillet meal recipe, quadruple the recipe, prepare all of the ingredients, then fill four freezer bags with the meal. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, get that bag out of the freezer, thaw it, and then cook it in the skillet until it’s nice and warm. Done!

You can find countless skillet recipes online. My usual technique is to cook the meat in advance, then add all of the needed ingredients to the ziploc bags. Here’s an example:

Trent’s Beef and Vegetable Skillet Meal

The normal recipe involves the following:

3/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup peas (frozen ones are okay)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups water

I add everything but the ground beef to each bag. Then, I cook up three pounds of ground beef and drain it, then add a quarter of that beef to each ziploc bag. On the outside I write “beef and vegetable skillet - simmer 40 minutes” on masking tape (so I can reuse the bag for another meal later) and I toss the bags in the freezer.

When I come home, I get out a bag, run it under hot water for a bit so that I can easily get the contents out, then I put it in a skillet on high until it’s just barely boiling, then I drop the heat until it stays just barely boiling. I cook it for about forty minutes or so, then it’s ready to serve.

A similar philosophy applies for pretty much any skillet meal you might prepare. They all work pretty well.

Making skillet meals in advance actually makes for a great weekend afternoon project that saves money and helps you to eat healthier. The meal above is really healthy - it’s loaded with vegetables and, if you cook lean ground beef and properly drain it, it’s very low fat, too.

Plus, the ingredients all together cost only a bit more than one ordinary skillet meal. Compared to the cost of four typical skillet meals, the needed ingredients save about $15, and you can have the bags ready to go into the freezer in less than an hour. That’s $15 saved (compared to prepackaged skillet meals) even without considering the positive health effects - quite a bargain in my eyes.

Frugal Friday: London Broil/Flank Steak

Published by Hal on January 11, 2008 in Frugal Friday and recipes. 3 Comments

I must be getting popular or generating some better hits on Google, because I’m started to get some spam comments! I guess that’s good, but I love real comments, too, so if you’re reading, let me know, and share some good ideas with me!

When I was at home last week and my in-laws wanted to see the potato ricer at work, I needed a dish to serve with my Roasted Red Pepper Mashed Potatoes. The last time I made smashed potatoes, I served a marinaded flank steak over them and it was really tasty. The great thing about flank steak is it’s a very inexpensive cut of meat, and it’s not hard to prepare at all.

At it’s basic level, you get a flank steak, season it liberally and place it under a broiler (about 4 inches from the element) for 4-5 minutes per side. When it’s done, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut it against the grain and serve it in strips with your favorite side. This ensures the meat will be served rare/medium rare, and will stay tender. Because of this particular cut, if you don’t prepare it this way it will be tough and chewy–so don’t over cook it, and don’t cut it with the grain or straight! (photo courtesy of viamarisol)

Alternatively, you could also marinade your flank steak to impart more flavor. I came across this recipe at Kalyn’s Kitchen blog, and gave it a try:

Ingredients:

  • 1 large piece of flank steak, 2-3 pounds
  • Marinade:
    • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1 tsp. dried oregano
    • 1 tsp. onion powder
    • 1 tsp. garlic powder
    • 1 T soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (or use your favorite hot sauce)
    • 2 tsp. lime zest (optional)

Procedure:

Combine marinade ingredients. Put flank steak into a ziploc bag and pour marinade in, seal bag, and marinate all day in refrigerator. (You can marinate up to 24 hours if desired.)

Take meat out of refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before grilling. Preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to medium high (you can only keep your hand there for a few seconds.)

Grill meat to desired doneness, approximately 4-5 minutes per side for rare to medium rare or 6-7 minutes for medium to medium-well. Time will depend on the thickness of your flank steak, the best way to judge the doneness is to use an instant-read meat thermometer.

Remove meat from grill and let rest about 5 minutes. (You can cover with foil to keep it warm if needed.) Slice across the grain and serve warm.

This was the final, plated product, which my family thoroughly enjoyed! Best of all, this dish uses many pantry staples, so my only real cost was that of the meat–3 pounds for about $7, a true frugal buy.

Frugal Friday: Cast Iron Skillets

Published by Hal on January 3, 2008 in Frugal Friday and tools. 0 Comments

Cast Iron SkilletI like saving money. In fact, in my other life, I would like to have started a blog on financial matters, saving money, and making money. Problem is, it’s already been done–a lot–and I’m not always the best at taking the advice I would be giving :)

But, I do read a lot of personal finance blogs (you can see my favorites in the Links section). Sometimes, they even post a foodie Gem, like Jonathan did on “My Money Blog” with his review of his new Cast Iron Skillet. He pointed out that he received a really nice set of anodized, non-stick cookware when he got married (as did I), but after years of misuse they were non-stick(y). So, he purchased a 12 inch cast iron skillet from Amazon and hasn’t looked back.

Cast iron pieces make very economical additions to your cooking tool arsenal. You can usually find these pieces for relatively little money (Jonathan’s was only $15), they are sturdy, cook better than many other bargain pieces, and will last a lifetime. If you are just starting out, I would almost recommend cast iron over a cheap cook set simply for these reasons. And, you can outfit yourself with just some basics for $52 (the skillet Jonathan bought, a 5 quart dutch oven, and a small griddle–thin things you have to flip, like eggs and pancakes, work better in a griddle).

I have to admit, I only have two pieces of cast-iron cookware in my cooking tool arsenal, but they are often put to (reasonably) good use. I have a small (8 inch) skillet and a griddle/grill-pan. Usually, I use the skillet for corn bread and I make a mean flank-steak with the griddle. Both these items were spared from the “non-essential” designation in our recent move/downsizing, and are permanent fixtures in my woefully small kitchen. And, with the benefits emphasized in the article Jonathan cites, they might make a good investment and replacement for my really nice set of anodized, non-stick cookware, which have their own special holder in the cabinet to prevent damage to the non-stick surface.

I have only three criticisms that keep me from ditching my non-stick for cast-iron completely (and, I’m lumping my beautiful Le Creuset cast iron/enamel dutch oven in the category).

First, they are big and heavy. I love the lightness of my Calphalon, and how I can easily lift, toss, and transport my cookware with one hand.

Second, even when properly seasoned, a cast-iron piece cannot compete with my Calphalon in total non-stick-ness. I don’t like doing dishes, despite my love for food, so I’d rather just wipe out my pans with hot, soapy water, than scrub with my nylon sponge.

Finally, cast iron requires a little more maintenance–when you wash it, you have to ensure it’s dry before you store it, or else it will start to rust (this isn’t stainless steal). Usually, you put a very thin coat of oil on the cooking surface to keep this from happening, and that adds to your clean-up time.

I definitely don’t think these reasons should keep someone from using cast iron in his/her cooking arsenal, but for many people, I would suspect that they will be a supplement, rather than a total replacement, for modern cookware (though, see my note above, about cast iron versus cheap cookware). Still, it’s hard to argue with a perfectly seared steak, or the unique flavor and crispness fried chicken has, when coming from cast iron. Sometimes, the most traditional tools are still the best!

Image Source

Frugal Friday: 5 Uses for a Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken

Published by Hal on December 28, 2007 in Frugal Friday and recipes. 2 Comments

Source

When my wife and I plan our out weekly menu and grocery list, often times it includes a rotisserie chicken. The reason for this is because for about $5 and a half an hour’s worth of work, we can get 5-8 good meals out of one of these chickens. Here are some ideas to help you incorporate a rotisserie chicken into your weekly menu.

1. Chicken Quesadillas

Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with oil (from your Misto sprayer!). Place a soft taco sized tortilla in the skillet, add 2-4 tablespoons of shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon of canned chilies, and about 2-4 tablespoons of mixed Mexican style shredded cheese. Heat until the cheese starts to melt and top with another tortilla. Flip, and heat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Serve with store-bought pico de gallo, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

2. Chicken Soup

Heat a tablespoon of oil, over medium heat, in the bottom of a 3 quart saucepan. Add 1/3 cup each of diced onion, diced celery, and sliced carrots to the pan. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add 2 cans of low-sodium chicken stock, raise the heat to medium-hight and bring to a boil. Add 6 oz of dried egg noodles and 1/2 cup of shredded chicken. Cook until the noodles and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired

3. Chicken Salad

Add 2 cup of shredded chicken to a bowl. Add 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 1/3 cup chopped celery (about one stalk), 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts (about 4-6 halves). Mix the ingredients together until combined, adding more mayonnaise if needed. You can also add about 1 cup of halved, seedless grapes, if you desire.

4. Chicken & Macaroni

This isn’t so much a recipe, as a mix in. Prepare a box of macaroni and cheese according to the package directions, or prepare your favorite mac-and-cheese recipe from scratch. Just before serving, add 1/4 cup of shredded chicken per serving. This is an easy way to add some protein to your meal.

5. Chicken and Ramen

I’m going ultra frugal here. Add 1/2 cup of shredded chicken and 1/3 cup of frozen peas to a prepared packet of chicken-flavored ramen soup. This makes a version of chicken soup that will be quicker and easier than the more “homemade version” in number 2.

I know there are lots of other uses for a rotisserie chicken, so let’s have them! Today, I chose to write about some simple and frugal uses, but you can be more gourmet, too, by combining some basic recipes (i.e., Chicken Tetrazzini: shredded chicken, linguine, and a bechamel sauce made into a creamy Alfredo with some peas and mushrooms, topped with cheese and bread crumbs).

What’s your favorite use for a rotisserie chicken?