Salmon with Orzo and a Salad

Tonight we are having salmon for dinner.  Again, Costco special, I buy the frozen steaks for $20 there are close to 15 steaks in there.  They defrost quickly and are super easy to cook!  For Christmas we received a Himalayan salt stone which is what I generally cook my salmon on.  With the stones you can heat them up on a gas flame on your stove or heat them in the oven.  Once the stone is heated, you can place the salmon steaks directly on the stone and they cook quickly with a light salt flavor. I top them with a little mixture of dry dill and butter.  IF you don't have a salt stone, you can broil them in the oven in a foil lined baking pan, just make sure you keep your eye on them they cook fast!
In the meantime, I will boil some water for the orzo and make a side salad with the artisan lettuce pack from Costco, some cucumber, bell peppers, avocado and parmesan cheese.
Serve the salmon on top of the orzo, or if you are watching the carbs, let the salmon cool a little and put it on top of the salad!

Don't forget the homemade ice cream for dessert! :)

Off Script...

So I have to go 'Off Script' a little bit tonight...the beauty is that by shopping at Costco in bulk and budget I can do that with what is in my house.  I'm going to make BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches.  I will defrost 4 packs of the double breasts from Costco (which only means they will be on my list for my next trip).  I will cook them in simmering beer in a pan on the stove, or you can use water if you don't like the flavor of beer.  Cook them until they are done and then 'fork pull' them apart to shredded meat.  (This is also an inexpensive way to make chicken salad sandwiches!) Once you shred all of the meat you can put it in an oven safe dish and keep it warm in the oven at 175 degrees until your company shows up.  MAKE SURE YOU PUT A FARE AMOUNT OF THE COOKING LIQUID IN THE DISH to keep the chicken moist.
For the buns I'm going to make the French bread recipe in my bread maker.  When you make the 2lb loaf option you can get 6-8 good sized buns done, even though it doesn't look like it, they rise and get big even in the oven.  And once you have a homemade bun you will never go back to store bought!  My mouth is watering just thinking about them!  Put them on dough cycle and when you take it out break it apart into rounds and put on a baking sheet.  Let them rise for 30 mins and bake at 400 degrees for 22 mins.
For the BBQ sauce I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make yet...I will tell you it will be made with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar and I might throw in some maple syrup.  I will let you know!

Everything from what I have in the house...I will be feeding about 8 adults and 2 kids for under $15 total!

Keep it simple!

Lemony Chicken Pan Roast with Zucchini and Feta

From Food and Wine again, was super simple...I didn't have fresh oregano so I used dried...The chicken thighs were at Costco for a little over $6 and I got twice as much than the recipe asked for, but I wouldn't hesitate using chicken breasts, just make sure they are cooked...I felt like a gourmet and it was probably one of the SIMPLEST recipes I've made for under $5.  I served it over Orzo pasta which is a staple in my house!

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1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 1/2 pounds)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large lemon, cut into eighths

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (about 2 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped oregano

1/4 pound feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

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Yield: 4

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large roasting pan, skin side up. Pour off half of the fat in the skillet. Add the zucchini, lemon and olives to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring once, until the zucchini and lemon are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the roasting pan, spreading the vegetables around the chicken. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife. Preheat the broiler. Scatter the feta on top of the chicken and zucchini and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned.

*Sorry about the picture quality...I don't know why it uploaded like this

New Recipe: Peanut Noodle Salad with Cucumber and Roast Pork

This is a new recipe I'm trying.  Pork loins are so inexpensive...I just bought 4 at Costco for $20 and will only need to use 1 for my family of 3 eaters.  This recipe is from Food and Wine, although I'm going to modify it a bit:

Serving for 6
1 teaspoon fresh chives
3 T vegetable oil
One 1 Lb pork tenderloin
Salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I'm going to use chunky because that is what I have)
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar (something I would get at the market just to have on my shelf)
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T honey
10 ounces dried linguine
One cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
Fresh basil

1. In a mini food processor, combine the chives, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Process to a moist powder. Season the pork with salt and spread the chive mixture all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter with the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce,  and honey. Season with salt.
3. In an ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the pork and cook over moderately high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned, 2 minutes longer. Turn the pork and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the tenderloin for about 15 minutes for medium meat, turning halfway through. Transfer the pork to a board and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine until al dente. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the cooking water. Rinse the noodles under cold water until cool; toss to remove the excess water and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the noodles to a bowl.
5. Stir the pasta cooking water into the peanut dressing and pour the sauce over the noodles. Toss well. Stir in the cucumber, basil. Transfer the noodles to bowls and garnish with the remaining pea shoots. Slice the pork 1/3 inch thick and serve with the noodle salad.

It's Leftover Pizza Night!!

So here is my recipe for the simple Pizza Dough for those of you who have a bread machine.  I know a lot of people who have bread machines and either haven't used them ever, or haven't used them in FORever.  Well pull it out because the cost you will save from using it is HUGE!  How much does a loaf of bread cost these days? $5?  Anyway, I will save that for another blog...here is my recipe:
Easy Peezy Pizza Dough
2 teaspoons yeast (purchase at Costco and keep it in the freezer it will last for forever...mine is at least 4 years old)
3 cups flour (all purpose or bread)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons

Put your machine on the 'Dough' setting and you will have fresh dough in about an hour and a half.  What will be on your pizza tonight?  Mine will have some meatloaf and grilled squash!  Delish and simple!

Happy cooking!

Costco Precaution

One thing I forgot to mention about shopping at Costco...
When buying their produce make sure you check the expiration dates as the items on the 'top' boxes expire very quickly. Also, I shop Costco on Mondays as I have found that they are less crowded and freshly stocked from the weekend's massive crowds.
And if you are shopping Costco regularly like myself, it is way more valuable to join the Executive membership as the money you get back will pay for your membership and then some.

$200 for 2 weeks worth of food...

So some are wondering how do I only spend $200 for 2 weeks worth of food for my family.  I don't know that I can answer that specifically but I can tell you how I came about trying it and keepin' it simple.  First of all, in watching all of the Extreme couponing shows I got motivated to try and cut down costs.  All that ended up doing was forcing me to drive to 3 different places, spend too much time trying to find every coupon possible, only to realize that most people on those shows are buying frozen foods, candy, top ramen type noodles, deoderant in travel sizes, and laundry detergent...really?!  The only intriguing part for me would be how to get free laundry detergent. So I tried shopping in markets for 4 months, looking at ads and cutting as many coupons, only to find that I could barely get out of the store at around $130-$150 per week!  So after 4 months it was time to try Costco.  I had to have a game plan - keep it right around $200...anything under would be a bonus.  However, the first time I went it would be a little higher because of purchasing toilet paper and paper towels, knowing that I probably wouldn't buy them at the same time again, because off setting them would help in keeping the budget at $200.  Two key tricks were - 1: My husband can't go with me 2:  Don't go hungry...if you go in hungry anticipating samples, you will buy more, so grab a hot dog on your way in!
When you find the Costco that best suits your needs stick with it.  I have been to 4 and have only found that the Costco at the Irvine District has the best for me: half and half, a great produce selection, and short lines except on the weekends!
My list includes: chicken breasts, whole chickens, hamburger meat, pork loins, frozen salmon filets, lunch meat, asparagus, artichokes, bananas, blueberries (if they are cheap), Chinese Chicken Salad, Artisan lettuce (buying lettuce still in 'head' form makes it last longer), 2 gallons of milk, 18 eggs, sour cream, half and half, whipping cream (for the homemade ice cream), yogurt, grated cheese, Florida's OJ, coffee, and sometimes one or two other items.  The produce lasts way longer than the grocery store, and the OJ, coffee, grated cheese and some of the meats I don't have to buy every 2 weeks, I can switch off if I still have the items at home.
When I get home I have some work to do:
*I separate the grated cheese into smaller bags and freeze some
*The ground beef I get as close to 6 pounds as possible and divide it into one pound bags and freeze
*The pork loins come 4 to a pack so I divide them individually and freeze because for a family of 3, we only eat 1 at a time
*blueberries I freeze whole into 1 cup sizes because I use them to make my easy blueberry muffins. 
*Chinese chicken salad is ALL freezable including the wontons and noodles

I have noticed by doing this I force us to eat more out of the house, it is healthier, easier, and I get more creative with what I already have in my house.

Let me know what you think and keep it simpme!

Pampered Chef's Quick and Creamy Mac N Cheese

DO NOT FORGET THE RESERVED COOKING WATER!!!

Ingredients:

16 oz (450 g) uncooked medium shell pasta
1 pkg (12 oz/350 g) frozen butternut squash, thawed (or buy a whole one and bake it at 350 for 45 mins or until done)
1 can (12 oz or 370 mL) evaporated milk
2 cups (500 mL) shredded six-cheese Italian cheese blend
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

Directions:

For pasta, bring salted water to a boil in covered
(4-qt./3.8-L) Casserole. Cook pasta according to package directions. Carefully remove ¼ cup (50 mL) of the cooking water for later use. Drain pasta; return to Casserole and set aside.
For sauce, place squash into (3-qt./2.8-L) Saucepan; gradually add milk, whisking constantly using Silicone Sauce Whisk. Cook over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Add cheese; cook 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture returns to a simmer, whisking constantly. Add salt and reserved cooking water; stir until smooth. Add sauce to pasta; mix to coat.

1. To serve, divide pasta among serving bowls; sprinkle with ground nutmeg, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Meal Planning

So I'm trying to get back on track with my meal planning and shopping.  Ever since baby #2 was born I have planned a little and winged it a lot!  Today I'm planning and shopping.  I try to shop mostly at Costco once every 2 weeks keeping the bill at $200 or less, and maybe having to go to a market for a couple of produce items in between.  A couple of tips I have would be when my fridge is piling up with leftovers I make leftover pizza.  I have a bread machine which I always make bread with, but I also use it to make pizza dough which is delish!  Here are my upcoming meals and I will post a full recipe each day to avoid bombarding you.  If you try a meal, take the time to comment so I know what you like and what you don't.  Also, all meals are simple except for one is more time consuming which is noted.
*Pampered Chef Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (made with mostly Butternut Squash)
*Pizza with grilled squash, zucchini and chicken
*Peanut Noodle Salad with Cucumber and Roast Pork
*Lemony Chicken Pan Roast with Zucchini and Feta
*Rustic Pasta with a garden salad
*BBQ
*Leftover Pizza
*Aztec Chicken with Rice (the time consuming recipe but SO worth the time!)
*Salmon with orzo and a salad
*Asian Grilled Chicken Rolls with Rice (Pampered Chef recipe)

Shopping today and keepin the next 2 weeks simple!

Guest Blog from Michael Notko

Did ya miss me?  Think I had left?  Nope...have 2 kids under 15 months and haven't had the time ;)  Did I mention it is graduation season?  I think that should be a new term...Graduation Season...the time between Spring and Summer...a transitional season if you will.

Anyway, my friend and husband's former bandmate (another story for another time) sent me a delicious looking and sounding meal that is SIMPLE and savory.  Here is the recipe...let me know what you think!

BBQ Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients:
*1 pork loin
*Swiss Cheese
*Dijon Mustard
*Cilantro
*Salt and Pepper

(No there are not quantities listed...I almost prefer it because use your imagination and add more of your favorite ingredient and less of your least favorite ingredient)

Directions:
Butterfly the loin, pound it flat (Michael used his fist), lather with dijon, put cheese and cliantro over, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll it up and tie it with string and throw it on the grill until it's done!  YUM!  Now he has set higher standards for me to take pics of my meals...thanks! :)