Hello Everyone,
This week is super exciting for me because we have a lot to celebrate. My second child has her second birthday party this weekend as well as the baby’s baptism. You also chose this week’s menu to be under $10 per meal. I accomplished this with one exception, Emmy’s chicken pasta. This can be done for less than $10 but you’ll have to use some serious coupon work. The rest easily fall into this category. Not only are these meals cheap but they are awesome!!! The homemade dressing is my newest addiction. I use it on everything from salad to grilled veggies to a marinade for my meat.
The drink for this week is also a favorite that reminds me of the Czech Republic every time I have it, and that is often. It is also under $10. You could go grocery shopping this week with $100 and walk out with money in your pocket. Add coupons to that and you could match my savings, I spent $50.29 and saved $54.50. And that was for the whole week!
I challenge you to try and let me know how it works out for you. If you need a little help, try http://www.couponmom.com/ for some great tips plus listings of all the sale items for your favorite grocery store.
Day 1 – Meatless Monday Mac-n-Goat Cheese (adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe)
I tried this recipe and made some pretty major changes to make it fit our $10 limit. I think it is better than the original recipe plus half the carbs!
½ box whole-wheat pasta cooked to directions with ¼ cup pasta liquids reserved
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut into halves
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and wrung dry
4 ounces goat cheese crumbled (use the store brand)
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes, spinach, and reserved pasta water and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Mix pasta, veggies, and cheese in serving bowl.
Day 2 – Grilled Chicken over Salad with Emmy’s Homemade Dressing
My friend Emmy made me dinner when the baby was born. We all loved it and I decided to split it into two meals. This is the first. Warning: this dressing is intoxicating. I now eat it on everything.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 T honey
2 T Dijon or spicy mustard
Combine all ingredients in a jar. Screw on lid and shake until combined. You will need to shake it before each use.
Pour half into a zip-top bag and add 4 chicken breasts to bag. Let out the air and zip shut. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes. Cook chicken on grill or grill pan until juices run clear. Slice and serve over a salad with remaining dressing in jar.
Day 3 – Emmy’s Chicken Pasta
This is her exact recipe. It has lots of ways you can change it to suit your tastes but the original recipe is to die for.
1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken breasts,
salt and pepper both sides and sauté or grill till done. Cut in pieces before or after cooking. Set aside.
Sauté 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, ½ chopped onion, a few handfuls of mushrooms, 1 chopped bell pepper, and a several spoonfuls of sun dried tomatoes. Sauté until veggies get soft.
Pour 1 jar of marinara and 1 jar of alfredo sauce over veggies (I use Clasico but I’m sure it doesn’t matter), add chicken and cover on low until you are ready to serve with pasta. May need a little salt and pepper depending on what sauce you use.
Day 4 – Honey-Pecan Pork with Frozen Veggies
This is so easy you may never eat take-out again. Serve it with rice and a frozen veggie.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Awesome-Honey-Pecan-Pork-Chops/Detail.aspx
Day 5 – Tequila Lime Chicken
This is one great recipe, especially if you like Mexican food.
http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2752
Day 6 – Whole-wheat Banana Banana Bread
I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and had to make it whole-wheat. It works great just by swapping the original all-purpose with whole-wheat or unbleached flour. You can also use baby food bananas, sweet potatoes, or other fruits. Have fun with this one.
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas or baby food of your choice
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Day 7 – Leftover Night
Enjoy the fruits of your week’s labor. Pull out all the leftovers and let everyone warm up their favorite or just grab a frozen pizza and pop it in the oven. Either way, rest! You deserve it.
Cocktail of the week – Red Wine Cola Spritzer
My cousin Jenny and I drank these most evenings when we were in Tabor, Czech Republic. It was the perfect summer drink when you knew you had a mile walk home.
3 ounces (half a glass) red wine
3 ounces (half a glass) cola (I always use diet but it’s great with whatever you have)
Combine and enjoy!
This week’s meals are so good, I may eat them again next week. Let me in on some of your family’s faves. I’d love to use them in the weeks to come.
With really great, cheap food,
Brooke
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