This week I had a really restricted budget to work with so I've had to raid my freezer for frozen left overs. My fridge is running very low on supplies but I'm trying to make the most of things.
Now take Monday, I had a ton of BBQ pulled pork in the freezer and I had the idea of turning them into tacos. So I added a generous helping of cumin and three puréed ancho chilis reconstituted in chicken stock. I also added a liberal dose of penzys southwestern adobe seasoning. This resulted in a tasty taco meat with a hint of sweetness altogether a great use of meat especially when I'm looking to feed a crowd and not spend a lot of money.
Tonight was an experiment with left over gazpacho. I took chicken, added poultry seasoning and put it in the oven to bake. I had by fortune broccoli in the fridge so I threw that in there on another baking sheet. Now here is where I wasn't sure if I wanted to heat the gazpacho or not in the end I opted to heat it through, I added some ground almond to thicken and put it down over the top of the chicken. Ultimately not bad either! And total cost of the meal for this week $0! And we had plenty of good nutrition low fat etc and loads of veggies for the kids.
Tomorrow I'm gonna use up left overs from Monday. Did I mention it was a lot of pork?
Thursday in using again ingredients in my pantry I'm lacking a bit in fresh veggies but it will just have to do. Plus I eat carrots and celery throughout the day so it's not all bad right?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Wine and pairings
An update on the pairing from last night, we had the curried scallops with the next: 2009 riesling . Now I'm not always a riesling lover finding sometimes it can be a bit sweet. Last night my mind was changed. The dinner was perfectly simple delicious, and the wine was the absolute perfect compliment. There would be bites of food followed by a sip of wine where you would suddenly find a surprise on the tongue as the flavors melded.
When joining the wine of the month club, they send you a booklet with information about the current selection. That I found gives me some knowledge and the food pairings I'm actually trying to follow. It's an adventure, I'm looking for new recipes and just enjoying the experience. It's always fun trying a random recipe and hoping for the best. I'm glad I chose the mild yellow curry for this one anything too spicy would have overpowered the wine. Instead we I felt the magic dance on my tongue as the flavors lingered and melded in harmony.
I frequently ask for advice when choosing a wine to compliment a dinner but not the other way around. It certainly opens up the palate and eyes to new possibilities. And please notice the size of my portion! It's one of the ways I'm managing to loose weight and still eat indulgent meals.
When joining the wine of the month club, they send you a booklet with information about the current selection. That I found gives me some knowledge and the food pairings I'm actually trying to follow. It's an adventure, I'm looking for new recipes and just enjoying the experience. It's always fun trying a random recipe and hoping for the best. I'm glad I chose the mild yellow curry for this one anything too spicy would have overpowered the wine. Instead we I felt the magic dance on my tongue as the flavors lingered and melded in harmony.
I frequently ask for advice when choosing a wine to compliment a dinner but not the other way around. It certainly opens up the palate and eyes to new possibilities. And please notice the size of my portion! It's one of the ways I'm managing to loose weight and still eat indulgent meals.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Planning planning
Oddly enough I tend to plan meals etc in about a two week cycle. I have my budget and some weeks I have to blow it to restock on essentials, and then there are the splurge dinners too. I work with my hubby's paycheck and juggle accordingly. Then I also have to take weeks activities into account, for example Sunday is gonna be crazy so I'm just going to put the crock pot on and not worry about dinner. Next Friday we have an event planned in the am and dinner with guests in the evening and we will have to shop the day before. In my defense I am pretty good at keeping track of what is in the freezer and I know what meals will give
me leftovers. This means I can splurge one week but I have to balance the following week.
Now my current challenge is to cook a meal based on wine pairings to match with the wine of the month club. So tonight I'm doing curried scallops! That is my splurge. I also hope at some point to be able to afford a new wine cellar for our growing wine collection. . It almost makes us sound like we drink a lot, the truth couldn't be further from the truth. We are actually stock piling the wine and still have yet to drink Decembers second bottle! So we are now having to consider storage again.
Now my weight...I'm unofficially weighing in at 241 lbs that take me to over 20 lbs lost this year. This means I'm also trying to pay attention to what we are eating. I stick with one veggie a week, that stays on no matter what. Fish is a bit trickier I like it fresh so I tend to do it the day I do the shopping. Next week I'm constrained by the day we shop and the budget as its an expensive week with haircuts this week so I'm opting to drop the fish for a meal that is as cheap as I can make it, this will also provide leftovers too so it stretches a buck, in this instance I'm opting for another veggie meal over fish. It's a compromise and one you have to make sometimes.
me leftovers. This means I can splurge one week but I have to balance the following week.
Now my current challenge is to cook a meal based on wine pairings to match with the wine of the month club. So tonight I'm doing curried scallops! That is my splurge. I also hope at some point to be able to afford a new wine cellar for our growing wine collection. . It almost makes us sound like we drink a lot, the truth couldn't be further from the truth. We are actually stock piling the wine and still have yet to drink Decembers second bottle! So we are now having to consider storage again.
Now my weight...I'm unofficially weighing in at 241 lbs that take me to over 20 lbs lost this year. This means I'm also trying to pay attention to what we are eating. I stick with one veggie a week, that stays on no matter what. Fish is a bit trickier I like it fresh so I tend to do it the day I do the shopping. Next week I'm constrained by the day we shop and the budget as its an expensive week with haircuts this week so I'm opting to drop the fish for a meal that is as cheap as I can make it, this will also provide leftovers too so it stretches a buck, in this instance I'm opting for another veggie meal over fish. It's a compromise and one you have to make sometimes.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Being generally busy
Boy a week has gone by quickly! Girls loved the broccoli soup and we had none left after the last time where they barely touched it. Perhaps two hours at the park made the difference.
So my hubby for Xmas got us wine of the month club. It's great and they make food pairings for the wine so tomorrow I will be attempting curried scallops to go with a Riesling. I'm kinda excited to try it. What I'll be looking at is trying to pair the wine with the suggested foods.
Other than that it was a fairly boring week as far as new things are concerned. The black bean cake recipe was a major hit, with dinner for 11 keeping the bill down to around a hundred was no mean fear, but left overs and the scraps in the bottom of the freezer and lots of creative pork dishes we did well.
So my hubby for Xmas got us wine of the month club. It's great and they make food pairings for the wine so tomorrow I will be attempting curried scallops to go with a Riesling. I'm kinda excited to try it. What I'll be looking at is trying to pair the wine with the suggested foods.
Other than that it was a fairly boring week as far as new things are concerned. The black bean cake recipe was a major hit, with dinner for 11 keeping the bill down to around a hundred was no mean fear, but left overs and the scraps in the bottom of the freezer and lots of creative pork dishes we did well.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Choosing meals sticking to a budget
Anyone that knows me knows I love food. I love the different exotic tastes. I am constantly switching up our menus and experimenting with new and different flavors. Now I'm not terribly inventive I admit it. But I am adventurous.
Last week I splurged a bit in the budget but then again I needed meat and a few other staples. The Costco bill was high but it should even out over the coming weeks as I desperatley need to restock my freezer with meat. Last paycheck I bought pork tenderloin. I'm a huge fan of these the meat is cheap and you can do a lot with it and I portion out the pieces so one will feed the four of us for a meal, I think we bout a $15 piece of meat and I bagged it into about 10 meals. Unforuntately i'm almost out of chicken! That means this week I had to include about three pork dishes and that meant being creative.
Tonight I'm doing a braizilian pork rice casserole. I'm also cursing about my broken Rachael Ray Bubble and Brown. I believe I'm going to be putting the double set in I think Eggplant on the top of my list, I miss the middle size dish so baddly. Anyways I had to improvise a little because I just didn't have an appropriate size dish, so I upped the rice and I'm hoping for the best, there will be portions saved.
Last night I attempted the Tom Yong Goong again. I'm still not convinced and I will try again to find the kaffir lime leaves.
Yesterday my neighbor asked for salt, which being the consumate cook I have plenty on hand to spare. She came over a little later with some chicken and rice. Now I do not know what nationality they are my guess is middle eastern towards afghan and pakistan but I could be wrong. Either way the rice was fantastic and the chicken mild with plenty of flavor I will be asking her what it was next time I get a chance.
I also did a great no cream cream of broccoli soup, it used a lot more pepper than I anticipated but overall it was a well received soup, which is just as wel as there are two more meals waiting in the freezer.
Last week I splurged a bit in the budget but then again I needed meat and a few other staples. The Costco bill was high but it should even out over the coming weeks as I desperatley need to restock my freezer with meat. Last paycheck I bought pork tenderloin. I'm a huge fan of these the meat is cheap and you can do a lot with it and I portion out the pieces so one will feed the four of us for a meal, I think we bout a $15 piece of meat and I bagged it into about 10 meals. Unforuntately i'm almost out of chicken! That means this week I had to include about three pork dishes and that meant being creative.
Tonight I'm doing a braizilian pork rice casserole. I'm also cursing about my broken Rachael Ray Bubble and Brown. I believe I'm going to be putting the double set in I think Eggplant on the top of my list, I miss the middle size dish so baddly. Anyways I had to improvise a little because I just didn't have an appropriate size dish, so I upped the rice and I'm hoping for the best, there will be portions saved.
Last night I attempted the Tom Yong Goong again. I'm still not convinced and I will try again to find the kaffir lime leaves.
Yesterday my neighbor asked for salt, which being the consumate cook I have plenty on hand to spare. She came over a little later with some chicken and rice. Now I do not know what nationality they are my guess is middle eastern towards afghan and pakistan but I could be wrong. Either way the rice was fantastic and the chicken mild with plenty of flavor I will be asking her what it was next time I get a chance.
I also did a great no cream cream of broccoli soup, it used a lot more pepper than I anticipated but overall it was a well received soup, which is just as wel as there are two more meals waiting in the freezer.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
My confession - I ate too much!
I ate too much yesterday. I really need to plan cookout picnics and dinners better. But the dinner blew me away. I found a recipe for Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) out on allrecipes.com I read the reviews made a couple of minor changes and was blown away by a magnificent curry. I also made from scratch naan bread. A meal we couldn't get enough of. I couldn't find the methi so left it out but great tasting curry.
Ingredients
2 tbs Butter Unsalted, 3 tbs melted and 2tbs cold
1/4 cup Ground almonds
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Fenugreek (methi)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbs Ginger garlic paste
1/4 cup Heavy cream, chilled
2 tsp Lemon, juice
1/4 onion Onion, chopped
Peanut Oil
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup Yogurt Plain
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bay Leaf
1 Shallot, finely chopped
Notes / Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cream and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
Mix together ground almonds and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Ingredients
2 tbs Butter Unsalted, 3 tbs melted and 2tbs cold
1/4 cup Ground almonds
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Fenugreek (methi)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbs Ginger garlic paste
1/4 cup Heavy cream, chilled
2 tsp Lemon, juice
1/4 onion Onion, chopped
Peanut Oil
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup Yogurt Plain
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bay Leaf
1 Shallot, finely chopped
Notes / Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cream and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
Mix together ground almonds and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
To boredom
Ok boredom it's hard to battle sometimes. I'm actually considering trying to teach myself how to crochet to keep my hands busy. I love stitching but I find that a pain to pick up and put down during the day. Was contemplating getting a book from the library and seeing where it goes.
Last night I did ok with dinner. I probably ate more veggies than necessary but I really don't feel too guilty about that one. This was my plate. The girls finished up what was on their plates again too! This is a very easy recipe requiring marinating the pork all day throwing it I'm the oven in the evening and adding veggies. It is fairly budget friendly too!
It seems my weight is shifting downward rapidly again this week. I wonder where I'll be by weigh in day. Of course we still have our date night to go but it is looking good. I'm still so happy about some of my tshirts fitting again. Means I won't have to spend out too much money on clothes. I'm thinking a few more pounds and I'll be looking at getting out the jeans again that got oh so tight and were relegated to a closet corner.
Last night I did ok with dinner. I probably ate more veggies than necessary but I really don't feel too guilty about that one. This was my plate. The girls finished up what was on their plates again too! This is a very easy recipe requiring marinating the pork all day throwing it I'm the oven in the evening and adding veggies. It is fairly budget friendly too!
It seems my weight is shifting downward rapidly again this week. I wonder where I'll be by weigh in day. Of course we still have our date night to go but it is looking good. I'm still so happy about some of my tshirts fitting again. Means I won't have to spend out too much money on clothes. I'm thinking a few more pounds and I'll be looking at getting out the jeans again that got oh so tight and were relegated to a closet corner.
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