dollar store dinner.

Back when I was in San Diego, I was a thrifty shopper. At the time, I was living with both my sister and my best friend. My paycheck had to stretch between paying the bills, covering a third of the rent, and grocery shopping. Suddenly, the dollar stores around me became an important resource and discounted groceries quickly lost its bougie stigma.

Luckily for me, I lived in California. Latin and Ethnic stores were aplenty and the discount dollar stores were surprisingly stocked with decent ingredients. My all time favorites would probably be the 99 Cent Only Store and Grocery Outlet.
 

Pan-Seared Chicken Drumsticks with Mushroom Gravy,
Cheesy Garlic Grits, and Pan-Roasted Asparagus

While Latin groceries like Northgate Market and Poncho Villa Farmer's Market were excellent places to pick up some cheap produce, I loved going to the 99 Cent Only Store for other produce that these markets didn't carry. Asparagus, shallots, garlic, and even surprisingly organic products could be found here along with a multitude of different spices. These stores were always clean, if a little overstocked, but never disgusting. And what other place could I stock up on candy and chocolates to my heart's content?

Grocery Outlet is probably my favorite out of the two. These stores almost always carried the "fancier" stuff. Cheeses galore, organic products, great produce section, fantastic frozen items, and wines and beers. I'd pick up my cheese tray stuffs here along with a couple of cornish hens, a bag of frozen salmon fillets, fancy bread, and flax milk (to name a few). They also had household items like bedding and a vast array of personal hygiene products, often brand names.

Here in Georgia, cheap produce is better at the local farmer's markets in Jacksonville and, at times, Walmart. I've only got a couple of discount stores in my area but I'm finding that I miss the selection that I was privileged to have when I was back in San Diego. With that being said, the Dollar Tree by my house isn't too bad. No produce but their frozen section has some interesting items in it.

The main thing that caught my eye were the frozen chicken drumsticks. Now, I have a perfectly fantastic butcher that I go to for all my meat-eating needs. However, I thought that it would be a fun experiment to see what kind of dish I could come up with by just using dollar store items. With a little browsing, I found most of the items I wanted to use for my "Dollar Store Dinner":
 
      - chicken drumsticks
      - white sliced button mushrooms
      - shallots
      - asparagus
      - polenta or grits
      - shredded cheese
      - fresh thyme
      - minced bottled garlic
      - low-sodium chicken broth
      - paprika
      - parsley
      - kosher salt
      - ground pepper
 
So what's my Dollar Store Dinner? It consisted of scoring and pan-searing the chicken legs with some thyme. I finished it in the oven then made a mushroom gravy with shallots and the drippings. For the side, I made some cheesy garlic grits and I ended up roasting the asparagus in order to attempt to salvage the fact that it was previously frozen. Note to self: NEVER buy frozen asparagus. Lol, too bad there isn't a 99 Cent Only Store around here! I definitely would've been able to get that fresh!

So, can you make a healthy meal from the dollar store? Oh, hell yeah! Enhanced with just a few fridge and pantry staples and you can get one rockin' dinner that's as good as any restaurant dish. Mmmm!

So, for this experiment: Successful!

Want more recipes like this? Check out The 99 Cent Chef whose whole blog is dedicated to taking the "haute out of cuisine" using ingredients that cost around 99 cents each, or 99 cents per pound. :)

onion time!

one vegetable that i really enjoy is the onion. onion, to me, reminds me of when i was a kid and how my mom would use to put it in all of her cooking. eggs? add some onion. sardines? add some onion. fish, poultry, meat, veggies...you name it, it had onion in it. later on, i'd grow to love all the other onion varieties i hadn't had before and pretty soon i was hooked. whenever i make sandwiches, you'd probably find a butt load of these strong tasting vegetable inside. oh, and did i mention i love onion soup??

 

which leads me to the bread i made today. i was hankering for something oniony and i spied my pile of onions. since i was on a bread schtick, i thought i'd made some onion bread! i had some asparagus too, so i threw some in. :) this is definitely a savoury bread that packs a dallop of flavor. very intensley oniony, a subtle taste of asparagus, and then followed by a hit of garlic. the apartment smelled amazing as this was baking and when i cut off a slice, it was exactly what i was hoping for. fantastically flavorful! i made some sandwiches from this and i was in heaven!

 

one thing i have to say though, i'd probably cut down on the onion, next time. originally i put in a whole onion and a half(!) in it. that's not to say that it was too much...it just made some parts of the bread a little wetter than i wanted it to be. how to fix it? i popped it in the toaster, of course! made for a chewy and crispity-crunchety munch of happiness in my mouth! also, i thought i could maybe "braid" the bread so that it would be nice and pretty, but the dough was too wet when i put it together so that was a bust. i had to mix the whole thing together and let it sit again so it'd rise properly. *sigh* other than that, i totally need to make this again!

i rewrote the original recipe so the one below is made with all the adjustments in ingredients/methods from this test run. when i make it next time...it'll be awesomely perrrfffffect! >:D

No-Knead Caramelized Onion, Asparagus, and Garlic Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water plus more if needed
2 cup all-purpose flour*
1 1/4 bread flour flour*
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp granulated roasted garlic or 4-6 garlic cloves minced to a paste
2 1/2 tsp granulated yeast
1 tsp sugar plus more to caramelize onions
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 bunch of asparagus, cut into half inch pieces
cornmeal for dusting

*i ran out of bread flour, lol. sub all flour as either all-purpose or bread flour. :)

in a pan, caramelize onions with a little sugar until almost done. take asparagus and a little bit of the garlic and cook with the onion (season at this point with just a little salt and peper if you want) until onions are completely caramelized and the asparagus is tender. set aside to cool.

meanwhile, mix flour(s) salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, and yeast together until combined. then add the asparagus and onion mixture and the warm water to make a wet dough. if it's too dry, add some more water little by little until you get a shaggy dough. let rise for about 2-5 hours minimum or leave on a warm area, covered, overnight.

 

to bake, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with your dutch oven and lid inside. prepare a parchment paper with scattered cornmeal. with greased hands, take the risen dough and make a ball then place the rounded dough on prepared parchment. let rest, loosely covered with saran wrap, until your oven is hot (about 20-30 minutes). once the oven is hot, take your dough with the parchment paper and carefully place it in the dutch oven and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. remove lid and bake an additional 15-30 minutes or until top is golden brown. let cool 15 minutes before serving.

makes one loaf.

big bang and dinner.

just a quick post. had my sister over last night and made some delicious food. For the main we made some broiled chicken and for the sides we did asparagus with leeks and bacon with caramelized onion and goat cheese mashed potatoes. Couple that with a four hour marathon of big bang theory and you got yourself a good night! XD life is good. :)

 
Easy Garlic Broiled Chicken
(from All Recipes)

1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp sminced garlic
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried parsley
6 boneless chicken thighs, with skin
dried parsley, to taste

1. Preheat the oven broiler. Lightly grease a baking pan.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, mix the butter, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, and parsley. Cook 2 minutes on High in the microwave, or until butter is melted.

3. Arrange chicken on the baking pan, and coat with the butter mixture, reserving some of the mixture for basting.

4. Broil chicken 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until juices run clear, turning occasionally and basting with remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

 

Absurdly Addictive Asparagus
(from Food52)

4 ounces pancetta, cut into 3/8 inch to 1/4 inch dice
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced into 2 inch pieces on the bias
1 1/4 cup leek, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1-2 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. In a large non-stick pan, sauté pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and leek and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.

 

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
(from Food52)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 pounds yellow onions (approximately 2 large onions), thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1.5 cups half and half
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
3 ounces goat cheese
Black pepper

1. To make the caramelized onions, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir them to coat with the fat. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. If the onions get too dry, add a small amount of water to deglaze the pan. Set aside.

2. Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the half and half, garlic, bay leaf, and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

4. Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot, dry pot. Stir them over low heat for 2 minutes until they are dry. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. Gently stir in the hot cream mixture a little at a time until the potatoes are smooth and creamy (discard the garlic and bay leaf). You may not need to use all of the liquid. Set aside a small amount of the caramelized onions for garnish and stir the remaining onions into the mashed potatoes. Crumble the goat cheese into the potatoes and stir to combine well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. (deviated from here. i just took out the bay leaf and mashed everything together, stired in 3/4 of the caramelized onions and all of the goat cheese, seasoned it, and garnished it with the rest of the onions while in the pot.)

5. Spoon the mashed potatoes into a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining caramelized onions. Serve hot.

game time.

cornish game hen, that is. picked a couple of these up in walmart the other day and wanted to see if i can do anything with it. searched around on a few sites then saw a reference for cooking light's roasted cornish game hen. i happen to love cooking light's cookbooks and for the most part, their recipes have always been spot-on with me. so...decided to give it a try. :D


i followed the recipe for the most part. anything i didn't have, i substituted as usual. the glaze itself has a pretty similar base to the balsamic one i always do. so, to change it up a bit, i added a touch of rose water, a pinch of savory, and a dash of pepper give it a little bit of complexity. the side was just asparagus with crispy pancetta, garlic, and red onion sauteed in a little bit of olive oil. also, butterflying the hen turned out to be super-duper easy! thank you, youtube! and thank you, mr. ramsay, for showing how to do the drumsticks! XD

one thing i have to say tho...it definitely needed a starch of some sort. the portion still left me and the boyfriend a tad bit peckish and i think having some sort of starch would have probably fixed that problem. that or serve a whole cornish hen to each instead of halving it. who knew they were such small portions? :/ ah, well...c'est la vie.
 

Roasted Cornish Hens with Cherry-Port Glaze
(from Cooking Light)

1/2 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup port
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tbsp rose water
1/4 tsp savory
1/4 tsp paprika or ancho chile powder
2 (1 1/2-pound) Cornish hens
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray.

Combine preserves, port, ginger, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan (added the rosewater, savory, and paprika/ancho chile here as well). Bring to a boil; cook 9 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard giblets and necks from hens. Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Working with 1 hen at a time, tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under hen. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set on wire rack on baking sheet.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Brush hens with cherry mixture; bake 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 165°, brushing with cherry mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove twine; split hens in half lengthwise.
 

Asparagus and Pancetta Saute
(makes 2 servings)

half bunch asparagus, cut into thirds
2 to 3 slices of pancetta, roughly chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Slightly caramelize onion and garlic together in a little olive oil. Add pancetta and cook until crispy. Add the asparagus and saute until tender, about 2 to 5 minutes depending on thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

rusticky ham and veggie tart.

ah, tarts! one of the best ways to use up veggies going bad and little bits and pieces of other random stuff in the kitchen. :) this was a spur of the moment kind of thing and since i was home sick, cooking was an excellent make-me-feel-better activity. :D



let's start with prepping some pretty veggies. i decided to use three different kinds of onions for this one and caramelizing them before going into the tart. figured i'd add some basil and some sun-dried tomatoes to give it a little kick as well.



in to the pan the onions went with a little bit of garlic while i prepped the egg base. looking in the fridge, i spied a couple of leftover slices of canadian bacon and that was put into the mix as well. i was worried that the tomatoes would be too chewy so that was hydrated in olive oil for a few minutes. then all were mixed together with some salt and pepper and into the oven it goes!


tasty! and pretty to boot. :D i paired this up with a side of baby spinach and arugula topped with a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette for a nice lunch. mmm....perfect! definitely love when spur of the moment works! :D

poulet a l'orange...kind of.

well, i intentionally wanted to make gordon ramsay's sticky lemon chicken but i didn't have lemon....i had navel oranges. soooo, i did an orange chicken instead and made a side of sesame asparagus to go along with it. :D

when i go to bevmo to go shopping, i head straight to the minis and decide what liquor i can use in my cooking. i had actually bought a cointreau mini, which is an orange liqueur, a week ago and thought, great! this will go nicely with the recipe i was supposed to follow. it basically remained the same except i took out the water and subbed oj, and lemon juice for lots of orange zest, and cut the thyme in half. i let that sit for ten minutes while i prepped and cooked the chicken.

after that, it was making the glaze syrupy and tossing the chicken in it then making the asparagus side. so what did it taste like? like panda express without the breading but ten times better! XD i'm looking forward to making this again and maybe playing with different citruses and fruits. and i was surprised how well the thyme worked with the oranges...it would probably have been better if the thyme was fresh: the little bitty dry leaves slightly poked you in the mouth when you chewed, lol. also, one thing i think was missing was some sort of starch...maybe a rice dish? i don't know. but it was still pretty awesome. thank you mr. ramsay for this wonderful base recipe! now, all i have to do is see if i can make his other dishes! :D

 

Sticky Lemon Chicken
(from Gordon Ramsey and Food.com)

1 lb chicken leg/thighs, about 8-10
salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 to 4 tbsp honey
1 head garlic, each clove sliced in half
1 whole lemon, Sliced
1/4 to 1/3 cup water
1 tbsp thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley or 2 tbsp dried parsley

1 .In a large skillet pan, add the oil to Med/High Heat. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for about 5-6 minutes, turning each piece.

2. Add the garlic cloves, soy sauce, and honey to the pan, making sure to get all the chicken in the sauces. Coninue to cook for a 5 minutes.

3. Add the water and lay the slices of lemon on top of the chicken in the pan. Put a lid on the pan and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes.

4. Season the chicken with thyme and parlsey. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

 

Sesame Asparagus
(from Delicious Dishes)

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2-9nch-long pieces
4 teaspoons sesame seeds

Stir soy sauce and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Heat oil in heavy large skillet. Add garlic and stir 15 seconds. Add asparagus and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and toss until asparagus is coated, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 4-6