Nacho Twist

I am not a fan (pardon the pun for this upcoming football weekend!), of the bright orange gooey cheese used on nachos.  It just looks so artificial.  I like to use real sharp cheddar cheese when I make nachos.  The problem is it has a weird consistency when melted and remelted.  The trick is to add a little bit of a fattier cheese to keep it creamy at a low temperature.  I use a french herb cream cheese (Boursin cheese is my ultimate favorite, but I couldn't find it in the store this week) to the cheddar to give it a tangy, garlicky flavor.  My advice is to add it a little at a time so you get the taste you like.  It can overwhelm the cheddar taste if you use too much.  Plain cream cheese works just as well.
This sauce is deliciously decadent on baked potatoes and french fries too!  So, whichever team you are rooting for, enjoy good food!

Nacho Cheese Sauce
printable recipe

3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 c. milk
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-8 oz. herb cream cheese or plain cream cheese
Optional: can of chopped jalapenos to taste

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the milk and stir to blend.  Cook, stirring often until thick and smooth.

Add the shredded cheddar and stir until melted and smooth.

Add the cream cheese, stir to melt.  If using, add jalapenos.  Heat through until bubbly.

Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips and toppings.

Turkey Milanese and Rice with Peas and Mushrooms

I couldn't come up with a catchy title for this easy weeknight meal blog post.  I wanted to make something that wasn't all in one pot or casserole dish.  I don't know, sometimes one simply wants a plate full of food. The turkey breast on sale offered a twist on a light protein.  Paired with the rice and roasted Brussel sprouts, this meal was actually company worthy!  Total dollar amount per serving (6), about $4!  I am telling you, plan your week around your local sale flyer and you can have variety and good food all week!

Items from the Shop 'n Save Sale Flyer:

Honeysuckle White Turkey Fillets
Hillandale large Eggs
DeLallo Bread Crumbs
Chicken Broth
White Mushrooms
Everyday Essentials Frozen Peas
Brussel Sprouts
DeLallo Olive Oil

Pantry Items:
butter
flour
lemon
rice
onion
garlic

Turkey Milanese
printable recipe

1 1/2 lb. turkey breast
1/2 c. flour
salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3-4 T. olive oil
lemon wedges

Cut the turkey into 6 or more pieces.  With each one, layer between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with a mallet or heavy pan until 1/4" thick.  Repeat with all pieces.

In one shallow dish season the flour with salt and pepper.
In a second dish add the beaten eggs.
In a third dish place the bread crumbs.

Dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking off excess.

Dip in egg and coat well.

Press into the bread crumbs and again, shake off excess.

Heat a few tablespoons of oil on medium high heat in a heavy skillet.  Add the cutlets, working in batches so no to crowd the pan, and cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. 

Remove and set on a paper towel lined plate to remove any oil.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Rice with Peas and Mushrooms
printable recipe

1 cup quick cooking rice
2 c. Chicken Broth
1 T. butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 onion, diced small
6-8 mushrooms, chopped
3/4 c. frozen peas

Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add onion and garlic.  Saute for 2-3 minutes until onion is soft.

Add the chopped mushrooms and dry rice.
Saute until mushrooms soften, stirring to coat rice with butter.

Add the broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
Add the peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Beef Stew with Potatoes and Green Beans

Much thought goes into dinner for Mondays.  As a mom with grown children with households of their own, I miss the joy of cooking their favorites.  You know what I mean-birthday favs, 'get a good report card' dinners, sad break up meals, no school day dinners, the list is long for reasons to  make a family meal special (yup we even ate rice, wore bathrobes and drew on Fu Manchu mustaches for Chinese New Year, simply so a class made paper lantern could be hung from the light for Chinese New Year, haha yes, preschool kids, not high school as dad likes to tell it!).  Well, I get that pleasure on Mondays.  Although it isn't due to their life's events anymore, they still appreciate and look forward to 'Mum' toting dinner into them as a treat once a week.
This week's grocery sales included everything to make a delicious Beef Stew.  It filled the Monday bill perfectly.  Easy to tote, cost effective for 3 families, and I know everyone likes it!  Beef Chuck Roast is a good choice for stews, soups and sandwiches because it cooks slowly and becomes deliciously tender.  It was on sale for $3.98 lb.  With no waste, cut in cubes and used in stew, you can stretch your protein to feed a crowd in a perfect way!
I need to add an aside here-there is a generous 2 c. of dry red wine in this recipe.  :) my regulars know I like to cook with wine; um, ok so I really like to drink it too!  It gives sauces a rich, gourmet flavor.  Even if you do not care for wine, I encourage you to try cooking with it.  All of the alcohol cooks off so don't give that a second thought and it provides a subtle layer of flavor.  If you do not wish to use it, simply sub with more beef stock.


Sale Items from the Shop 'n Save Sale Flyer:
Beef Chuck Roast
Potatoes
Celery
Butter
Frozen Green Beans
Crushed Tomatoes
Grands Biscuits

From the Pantry:
Beef Stock
onion
carrots
flour
thyme
dry red wine-optional

Beef Stew with Potatoes and Green Beans
printable recipe
12-15 servings

3 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1" cubes
kosher salt and pepper
6 T. butter
8 carrots, peeled and cut in 1" cubes
4 celery stalks, cut in 1" cubes
3 onions, diced
4 T. flour
32 oz. beef stock
2 c. dry red wine-optional, may be substituted for more stock
1 (28 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes
small bunch of fresh thyme
4 potatoes, peeled and cut in 1" pieces
1 bag of frozen green beans

Season the beef chunks with salt and pepper.  In a large heavy bottom pot, melt 2 T. butter.  Add half of the beef cubes.  Brown, stirring to cook all sides.  The meat will create liquid at first, but as it evaporates the meat will brown nicely.  Remove to a bowl.

Repeat with the second batch of beef and remove to the bowl.
Add the carrots, onion and celery to the pot.  Use the remaining butter if necessary.  Brown the vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour.  Stir and cook for a few minutes until the flour is absorbed.

Add the stock, tomatoes, browned beef, thyme and wine, if using.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover pot partially.  Cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and beans.  Cover the pot completely and cook for an additional 45 minutes or until potatoes and beef are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Snow Day Soup

Seriously, who isn't going to put a pot of soup on during this week of snow?  I had taken advantage of the 10/$1 items while at the store this week and bought some chicken, not really having a plan with it.  Which by the way is only $1.98 lb. for skinless, boneless breasts and thighs!  As the weather predictions got worse and worse, my couch and a movie were calling my name!  Here is a recipe that fits my Food Trifecta-inexpensive (10-12 servings for about $15!), healthy and yup, so important-easy clean up!  One pot, lots of veges, and a tasty blend of spices, along with about 15 minutes to put together, I was curled up on a Sunday afternoon knowing I would be happy come dinner time!
Use this as a skeleton recipe when needing a quick dinner in a pinch.  Switch out the protein, veges and beans for what you have on hand.  Combine black beans with some Mexican flavors like cumin and chili powder; use chicken with lemon and oregano for a Greek flair; or what about using some of the shrimp you have on hand with some old bay and white beans? That may be interesting.
Stay warm and eat soup!

Items from Shop 'n Save Sale Flyer (this week and last!):
Chicken
Beans
canned tomatoes
chicken broth
celery
carrot

From the Pantry:
spices
onion
tomato paste

Chicken and Bean Soup
printable recipe

3 T. olive oil
3 stalks celery, chopped in 1" pieces
1 (16 oz.) bag of baby carrots, or 3 carrots, peeled and cut in 1" pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of chicken broth
2 T. tomato paste
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cut in pieces
2 (15 oz.) cans of red kidney beans, rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 T. dried Italian spices
2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper

In a large pot heat the oil.  Saute the onion, celery and carrots for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, broth, tomato paste and spices.

Add the chicken.

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.'
Add the kidney beans and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, until beans are soften and soup has thickened slightly.

Discard bay leaves before serving.

Chinese Take Out

Junk Food Friday is the night of the week it is no holds barred on health and happiness!  So many choices-pizza, fries, nachos.......    Tonight we had a 'hankerin' (how is that for a western PA expression?) for Chinese.  I had to make a run to the store for a few necessities, so I glanced at the Shop 'n Save sale flyer for some inspiration and decided on: Fried Rice, Stir Fry Veges and Teriyaki Shrimp.  These are my own put together recipes; you may need to play with measurements to suit your own taste such as spiciness.  Best buy of the week is the Jumbo Pink Shrimp (uncooked, shell on) for $17.98 for 2 lbs.  I used less than half of them for tonight's fun meal.  Add the shrimp to the veges and rice and I did 4 servings of Take Out for about $6 per serving.
Yea, yea, I hear you....yes, it took me some effort to chop everything.  As some of you know, give me a TV, a glass of wine and veges to chop and I am relaxed and in the zone.  There is simply something calming to me about the uniformity, the color and the routine of chopping veges.  If this is not your way to find your zen, I suggest you not use the variety, buy pre-cut, or chop ahead of time and store in the fridge for when you are ready to cook.
The one item I encourage you to splurge on is pure Sesame Oil.  This is the key to getting your dish to taste like the dishes from a restaurant.  It has a long shelf life and you only use a drizzle; but, oh what a difference it makes!  The only thing missing was the fortune cookies......hmmm, I may have to try them next time!

Sale Items from the Shop 'n Save Sale Flyer:

Shrimp
Carrots
Mushrooms
Snow Peas
Broccoli
Eggs
Frozen Peas

From the Pantry:
Onion
Garlic
Rice
Soy Sauce
Honey
Sesame Seeds
Sesame Oil

Additional Choices:
Peppers
Zucchini
Green Onions

View this past post for the process and recipe for Fried Rice

Stir Fry Vegetables and Teriyaki Shrimp
printable recipe

6 T. Canola or Peanut Oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger, divided
Crushed red pepper
1/2 yellow onion, diced
6 c. of chopped fresh vegetables, chopped in 1" pieces
3 green onions, cut in 1" pieces, and 1 for garnish
20 large shrimp, shell on, de-veined*

Sauce:
1/2 c. Soy Sauce
2 T. Honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

*Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the shell along the back of the shrimp.  Using the point of a knife, lift out the brown, stringy vein and discard.  Rinse shrimp in cold water and pat dry.

Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Remove 3 T. of the sauce and set aside.
Heat a large heavy bottom skillet or wok over high heat.  Add 4 T. oil.
Starting with the harder vegetables such as onions, peppers, and carrots, begin to add to the pan and quickly stir fry.  Add half of the Garlic and Ginger once the first level of vegetables begin to caramelize.  Season with crushed red pepper to taste.

Add vegetables such as zucchini, celery, broccoli and squash.  Stir Fry until colors brighten and they begin to soften.

If using snow peas, add last to the pan.

Pour sauce over vegetables and stir constantly until sauce thickens and coats all vegetables.  About 2-3 minutes.  Drizzle with a small amount of Sesame Oil.

Remove vegetables to a large platter and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 T. of oil in the pan.  Add the remaining half of the garlic and ginger, along with the green onion pieces.  Quickly fry for a few seconds to wilt the onions and bring out the fragrance of the garlic and ginger.

Add the shrimp and stir fry until shells become opaque and shrimp just begin to curl.

Add the remaining sauce and stir until thick and bubbly. 

Add Shrimp to the vegetable platter.
Garnish with sliced green onions, a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

Roast Chicken with Herb Mushrooms

If you have been following my blog for awhile you know that roasting a chicken is one of my favorite things to do to stretch a dollar.  This week they are on sale for $1.28 lb.  Really in the scope of food cost that is next to nothing!  I wanted to try this recipe because it had off the chart reviews.  Too be honest, it is nothing more than a basic roast chicken with an impressive look if you are serving guests.  Of course, it uses bacon; and, as the saying goes, everything is better with bacon.  You give up the crispy skin of a roast chicken when you wrap the breast this way.  However, it keeps the meat juicy and tender.  The lemon and thyme give it just a hint of herb flavor.  We liked the roasted mushrooms.  They were earthy and caramelized.  Very tasty!  I added a side of roasted potatoes* and Hanover Pennsylvania vegetables (which I had never tried-but they were on sale, so all the better to take a chance.  Delicious-corn, carrots, beans and dried cranberries, an unexpected surprise!).
This made for a great Sunday dinner; and I plan on making chicken salad with the leftovers for lunches and using the bones for stock.  One cannot pass up the value of a whole chicken!

*Just a heads up, I have a fabulous Red Wine Stew started for tomorrow, so check back!

Sale items from the Shop 'n Save flyer:
Whole Chicken
Baby Bella mushrooms
Bacon
Potatoes
Hanover Frozen Vegetables

Pantry:
olive oil
garlic
onion
lemon
thyme

Roast Chicken with Herb Mushrooms
printable recipe

1 (5-6 lb.) whole roaster chicken
kosher salt and pepper
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 lemon, half sliced, the other half quartered
6-7 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
1 bunch fresh Thyme
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil, more for drizzling
1/2 bacon strips, cut in half
1-2 lbs. whole Cremini or baby Bella mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  Season the inside cavity generously with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl combine the onion quarters, lemon quarters (reserve the slices), garlic, half of the thyme, and 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil.

Stuff mixture into the cavity of the chicken.

Fold the wing tips under the bird, and tie up the legs with kitchen twine.
Place on a rack in a roaster pan, breast side up.  Lay the bacon strips, slightly overlapping over the breast meat.

Lay the lemon slices on top.  Sprinkle with remaining thyme.
Season all over with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with a slight amount of olive oil.

Roast for 1 hour, basting half way with pan juices.
Add the mushrooms to the pan, moving them around to coat in the pan juices.

Roast for an additional hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.
*If you would like, in a baking dish add 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch pieces along with several cloves of peeled garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss the potatoes to coat in the oil.  Add these to the oven during the last hour of roasting the chicken. Yum, crunchy, garlicky goodness!