Chive Mustard Chicken - $10 a day!

Chive Mustard Chicken - $10 a day!

origin - Nightly Specials, epicurious.com
difficulty - medium
health meter - high

How many different ways can you prepare chicken?? Oh let me count the ways. Let's face it, chicken is one of the most healthy, lean, inexpensive proteins you can cook with. A simple sauce can dramatically change your chicken and is not only easy to prepare, but delicious as well. Following is a new recipe that simply adds a flavorful sauce to boneless chicken breasts. I served this with a new orzo concoction that I came up with - although it is certainly a lot of flavor on one plate! Great side dishes that incorporate healthy vegetables are always good to have on hand (chicken sale buy one get one free $3.50, half package of chives $1.50, half box of orzo $1.00, fresh spinach $.75, shallots $1.00, 2 oz goat cheese $2.00). This recipe would also work great with pork cutlets or veal scallops!

Chive Mustard Chicken

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Four 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, slightly pounded, and flattened
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup brandy, apple brandy, pear brandy, or Kentucky bourbon
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock, or store-bought low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream - I used half/half and reduced longer
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1. Heat the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan until it begins to melt and foam. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the breasts to the pan and brown them on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn them over and cook them until well browned on the other side, about 6 more minutes. The chicken is done when it is firm to the touch and the juices run clear. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

2. Add the shallots to the same pan and sauté until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat, move the pan away from the flame, lean away from it, and carefully pour in the brandy, taking care not to let it flame. (If it does flame, cover with a pot lid until the brandy cooks out.) Continuing to be mindful of potential flare-ups, return the pan to the stove and let the brandy evaporate over low heat.

3. Add the wine to the pan, raise the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. Whisk in the mustard and let reduce for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

4. Stir in the cream and bring just to a boil. Stir in the chives. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer gently until the stock has reduced and thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

5. To serve, put 1 chicken breast in the center of each of 4 plates and spoon some sauce over the top.

Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo

1 cup dried orzo
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots or sweet onions
salt/pepper to taste
1 tsp italian seasoning blend
1 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes (reconstitute in warm broth if they are too tough)
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
2 oz. crumbled goat cheese (or 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese)

Heat olive oil and butter on medium high heat, add shallots and cook until softened. Add dried orzo and stir until slightly browned. Add salt/pepper, italian seasoning and broth. Bring to boil, stir, and turn heat down to low. Cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Remove lid and add spinach and tomatoes. Cook until spinach wilts, remove from heat and stir in goat cheese and pine nuts.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches - $10 a day!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches - $10 a day!

origin - Lisa Lou
difficulty - easy
health meter - medium

When trying to cook on a budget, one rule I go by is to shop what is on sale. The grocery stores run specials on meats every week and it is absolutely the way to go on a budget. Arming yourself with 'stand by' recipes for each category of meat will take the pressure off of planning. That way you just wait to see what's on sale and what looks good when you're shopping and go from there. This week pork tenderloins were on sale for $4.99/lb. Two tenderloins per package are very common so I try to use one and freeze one. Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat and an excellent slow cooker candidate. I decided to change it up a bit and try a different type of barbecue sauce to cook the pork in - it's much more on the 'vinegar' side than the sweet, thick sauce you are most likely used to. I'm sure all of you have Heinz Tomato Ketchup in your pantry already - that's half the battle! I served this with a simple cole slaw and roasted yukon potatoes to round off the meal (Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins K and C and very low in calories). This meal makes great leftovers for lunch the next day (pork $4.99, pre shredded cole slaw $2.00, yukon potatoes $3.00).

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1-1.5 lbs pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple juice
3/4 chopped onion
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons yellow or dijon mustard
3/4 cup Heinz ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

Saute onion in olive oil until soft approximately 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Place tenderloin in slow cooker and cover with half the sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4). Using two forks, separate and shred the meat. Add more sauce to desired consistency and taste. Leaving the cover off let simmer on high (in the slow cooker) to reduce sauce slightly. Serve over sandwich rolls with extra sauce on the side.

Easy Creamy Cole Slaw

1 package pre shredded cole slaw mix
2/3 cup low fat mayo (or regular)
1/3 cup low fat sour cream (not fat free - this has a funny taste)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp celery salt (omit if necessary)
salt/pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except cole slaw. Fold into the cole slaw mix and refrigerate for 15 minutes - or all day! Enjoy.

Korean Short Rib Soup - $10 and 1 Pot!

Korean Short Rib Soup - $10 and 1 Pot!

origin - Food Network Kitchen
difficulty - medium
health meter - medium (short ribs aren't the leanest cut of beef....)

Nothing beats an entire meal for less than $10 AND leaving it in the slow cooker all day only to come home to a delicious meal! (you do have to cook the noodles separately - but that's a cinch!) This is a noodle pot meal that reminds me of something from LuLu's Noodles in Oakland, PA. The depth of flavor in this broth is amazing and the richness of the meat makes it a satisfying meal. I made a few changes as I was out of chili paste - so note changes below. You could easily add any vegetables you want, just be sure not to overcook them. I was able to make this for under $10 because I made a trip to the Strip District where produce is less expensive. Tally it up - short ribs were on sale (absolutely don't need english cut) for $5.00/2 lbs, noodles $1.50, cilantro $1.50, scallions $1.oo, carrots $1.00 and everything else was in my cupboard already!

Ribs:
12 English-cut short ribs (about 6 pounds) I used half this amount which made 3 large servings.
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger No need to finely grate, just grate like cheese.
2 tablespoons Korean red chili paste or sambal oelek, plus more for serving I was out, so added 1/2 tsp. of chili pepper flakes.
2 tablespoons dark (toasted) sesame oil If you don't have, just use vegetable oil.
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions (white and green parts, separated), thinly sliced
1/2 cup brandy - if you have this on hand, it really adds depth to the soup.

Noodles and Garnishes:
10 to 12 ounces medium-thick rice noodles (also called rice sticks or jantaboon) Or just use any long pasta - spaghetti, linguini, angel hair etc.)
1 carrot, finely grated I julienned
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 1 cup warm water then rough chopped.
1 small Kirby cucumber, thinly sliced regular cucumber works fine, just remove the seeds.
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, torn
2 limes, cut into wedges

Remove any silver skin from the surface of the short ribs, and then make 2 cuts across the grain, through the meat down to the bone. Put the ribs in the slow cooker.

Whisk together the broth, soy, sugar, ginger, chili paste, sesame oil, garlic, and scallion whites and brandy. Pour over the ribs. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours. (I prefer low 8-10 hrs.)

About 30 minutes before serving, put the rice noodles in a bowl with hot water to cover. Soak until tender and pliable, about 30 minutes. Or cook any noodles according to package directions.

Skim any fat that may collect on top of the beef broth and discard. I highly recommend removing the meat and bones from broth - set aside. Using a gravy skimmer remove all grease from the broth. Remove the bones and extra fat from the meat and slice into large bite size chunks. Return both to slow cooker. I added the carrots and mushrooms(including broth) here and let cook for 15 minutes.

Divide the noodles among 6 large shallow bowls and ladle the broth over top. (Cut the meat from the ribs if desired.) Divide the meat evenly among the bowls. Garnish as desired with the carrots, cucumber, cilantro, lime and the remaining green parts of the scallion and more chili paste, if desired.

Apple Brandy Pork Loin - $10 a day!

Apple Brandy Pork Loin - $10 a day!

origin - Emeril
difficulty - easy
health meter - high

Top Chef remains one of my all time favorite reality tv shows that just seems to get better with every season. On a recent episode the chefs were charged with creating a delicious, healthy, accessible dinner for 4 with $10! It was so much fun to watch that it inspired my husband to challenge me with cooking dinner every night for less than $10. One caveat, I had $50 for the week, so I could spend more one day and less the next etc. Keep in mind, I was not cooking for children as the Top Chef contestants were! As I shared our little game with my good friend Hayley, she asked that I start posting the dinners. It's amazing how many people talk about the rising cost of everything including groceries. So here it goes!

Pork Loin is a very inexpensive and healthy cut of meat. I bought a 1.75 lb pork loin for $5. This could easily feed 4 people. The apple brandy marinade keeps the meat so juicy and tender, you can't dry it out! I decided to cook the loin in the oven instead of on the grill - so please note the changes. I served this with one of my favorite dishes - Israeli Couscous (aka Pearl Couscous). It is NOTHING like the couscous you are thinking of, this is much more like a pasta very similar to orzo. It's a cinch to make and you can season it with any flavors you like. You can either find it in the mediterranean section of your grocery store or with the rice. I rarely have a hard time finding it. It's less than $3 a box, and is enough to make the following recipe 2 times. Some steamed grean beans (less than $2) and you have a balanced, well rounded and delicious meal!

Apple Brandy Pork Loin
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon brandy (you can buy the mini bottles at any liquor store -omit if you must)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (3 to 3 1/4-pound) pork loin, trimmed (I used a 1.75 lb loin - but kept the marinade qty. the same)
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows (I omitted)
To make the marinade, in a bowl, combine the apple juice, brandy, brown sugar, mustard, oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 12 teaspoon of the pepper, the cinnamon, allspice, and cayenne and whisk well to combine and dissolve the sugar.

Place the loin in a large re-sealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Seal and place in a large baking dish. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat a grill to medium-low heat (230 degrees to 250 degrees F).

Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry, discarding the marinade(I like to boil/reduce the leftover marinade and serve as a sauce), and season on all sides with the Essence and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pork loin in a roasting pan and bake for 30-40 meats or until meat thermometer registers 140 degrees. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. OR

Grill the pork with the grill lid closed, turning several times, until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 145 degrees F when inserted into the thickest portion of the meat, about 45 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the meat.

Remove the pork from the grill, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Israeli Couscous

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot minced
1 cup israeli couscous
1 1/3 cups chicken stock - (I always use knorrs bouillon cubes)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning blend
1/4 cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
1/4 cup toasted pecans roughly chopped (or pine nuts, or almonds)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the stock, and the lemon juice, salt/pepper, italian seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the couscous is tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in dried cranberries, pecans and cheese.