What You Should Have Eaten #58

Ricotta Pasta 

with Grape Tomatoes, Peas, and Basil

This is the first of a series of ricotta pasta variations that Ray has in her book, 365: No Repeats.

My drink with this meal (and I guess I should be honest with myself, the drinks are with the cooking, not the meal itself. I’m usually halfway into a beer by the time dinner hits the table) was a Port Flip.  It’s port, cognac, sugar syrup, egg yolk, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. I usually tend to stay away from the flips because I’m not all that crazy about raw eggs, but I was feeling adventurous…and it wasn’t bad. Sweet and frothy.

The dinner itself was extremely simple to make. Simple and cheap, which is how I like my meals.

The only alterations I made to this meal were substituting grated parmesan cheese for the Parmigiano-Reggiano, taking out the onion, and using dried parsley and basil instead of their fresh counterparts.

The simplicity of this meal is such that there’s really nothing else to write about. The kids even enjoyed it…after they picked out the peas and tomatoes, of course. This is definitely a meal I can see myself making during the week so I don’t have to rely on frozen dinners, pizza, or fast food.

What You Should Have Eaten #52

Greek Bread Salad with Grilled Shrimp

I held off on this recipe for a week or so so I could cook it in honor of a friend who was getting married. She’s Greek, the recipe is Greek…kismet!

I was disappointed that I couldn’t also include the drink in this tribute, but I had no ouzo or metaxa in my liquor cabinet. So I made a Green Dragon, which is cognac and crème de menthe. I was not expecting this mixture to be that great, but it surprised me. I figured crème de menthe would be a better mixer with a clear liquor like vodka or gin, but it works here.

I didn’t get 20 shrimp. Now that this blog is all about cooking these recipes on a budget, my options were limited. Fresh was out of the question, so onto frozen. The bag I got still felt like a bit of a rip-off, even on sale.

Some of my personal preferences show up here: no onions, regular cucumber instead of seedless, and no olives. That last one became a rule after a horrible experience with them a few months ago. Ugh, I still have nightmares about it.

This is the first time I’ve used feta cheese. It won’t be my last.

I didn’t grill the shrimp. It was a bit chilly, plus I think I need a new charcoal chimney. I left mine out after the last time I used it, and it’s rusted all to hell. I’m not going to risk rust flakes coming off onto the charcoal and infusing into the food…if that’s even possible. Just won’t risk it. So I sautéed them instead. I covered them with garlic, fresh mint and lemon juice, added just a hint of bread crumbs (not sure why, just felt right at the time), then dumped everything in a hot pan with butter. It was spectacular.

Since I didn’t fire up the grill, that means I also didn’t grill the pita. No worries, though. I just popped them in the toaster, and they turned out just fine.

Despite being a salad almost totally devoid of any leafy greens, I really enjoyed it. Also, it was surprisingly filling.  

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Eaten #51

Chili Dog Bacon Cheeseburgers and Fiery Fries

Pernod. Gah. It’s like death. If I hadn’t spent so much on this bottle, I’d dump it in the sink. The vodka and the cognac don’t help. It’s all yellow licorice death.

I was looking forward to this. Chopped up hotdogs mixed in with ground beef? Plus bacon? Oh my God.

I’m starting to do these recipes on somewhat of a smaller budget, so I might be making some substitutes with various ingredients in the recipes to come. I got thick-cut bacon, but my budget bacon didn’t come in a center-cut or smoky option.

I went with these cheapo Kroger frozen shoestring fries. This giant bag, which usually lasts about three weeks between me and the kids, costs less than a buck fifty.

I had a difficult time with the hot dogs. I wanted to get all-beef ones, maybe even brats, but the budget didn’t allow it. Next time, though, and I promise there will be a next time for these burgers. And rather than getting some super-special deli cheese, I went with some generic pre-packaged slices.

Hot sauce, no. Chili powder, yes.

I didn’t follow the directions 100% when it came to the fries. I baked them like the package said. I melted some butter in the microwave and mixed it with the garlic. When the fries were done, I poured the butter over the fries, mixed everything up a bit, then popped them back in the oven for a bit. I’d never made garlic fries before, but these were awesome.

It may not have been pretty, but this was a damn fine meal. It’s burgers and fries, so what more do I need to say? This is enough of an American staple that you know if you like them or not. Adding bacon or hot dogs probably won’t change your mind, even though they do make a tasty regular burger into a super-tasty awesome burger.

Y’know, maybe that’ll be my new thing. Rachel Ray on a budget. If you’re reading this and have any thoughts, please leave them in the comment section. These are mostly extremely good recipes, but sometimes my heart stops, just for a second, when I see that grocery bill. Let’s see what I can do with these recipes on a budget.

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Eaten #22

Sliced Herb and Garlic Tagliata
over Shaved Portobello, Celery, and Parmigiano-Reggiano Salad

This is a big undertaking for me. First, it’s the first time that I’ll be cooking steaks on my grill. I’m nervous and excited. Second, I’m throwing in some sweet potato fries. Why not? Third, the cocktail I’m having is something that I created.

I went the obvious route with the drink. The advocaat I’m trying to get rid of is egg based, so why not French Toast? Plus, with the ingredients and the fact that it’s a mixed drink, it’s also a play on words.

It’s a simple drink: advocaat and cognac with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon. Ooh, it looks like I’ve sorely underestimated my cognac supply. I could punch it up with a little brandy, but I think I’m just going to make it a shot.

When I travel, I like to get a new shot glass from wherever I’m visiting. It’s given me a small but interesting collection.

I didn’t plan on the shot being layered, but I guess it doesn’t really matter. Looks kind of neat. And as a shot, it tasted pretty good. After last week’s debacle, I don’t think I can deal with an entire drink that’s mostly advocaat. It’s just too thick.

This is the first time I’ve actually chopped fresh garlic rather than using my jar of minced. Meh, too much work. I’m sure the minced would have worked just fine.

I didn't have much luck with the charcoal on my first few grilling attempts. I don't want to use lighter fluid, so I used rolled up newspaper pages as recommended by the little Weber booklet that came with the grill. Then I picked up this package of  Strike-A-Fire. It's like a giant, slow-burning match, and it's wonderful for getting the charcoal started.

I’m using baby portabello mushroom caps because they were a LOT cheaper.

I thought the steaks turned out wonderfully. Nicely done with a bit of pink in the middle. It was good by itself, but also nice with the salad.

I was most impressed with the sweet potato fries. I only used the recipe linked at the top for a basic guideline. I sliced up two sweet potatoes into somewhat thin fries. I tossed them in a bowl with some olive oil, then spread them on some aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. I then generously sprinkled some Seasonall all over them. Baked at 420 degrees for 45 minutes with a quick flip halfway through, and they ended up being delicious. Two out of the three kids liked them.

My sister wasn’t too keen on the idea of chocolate chip snickerdoodles, but she ended up having a few. She also named them. Since I used regular and white chocolate chips, we’re now calling them moo-doodles. I love it.