Monthly Archives: May 2011

May 26, 2011

Memorial Day – Brats N’ Beer

By 5iveDollarFeasts

It’s Memorial Day right around the corner and that means it’s time to get your grill on! For $4.96 a head.

Whether you are going to relax with your family, have a few friends over, or throw a large pool party (if you’re lucky enough to have a pool) to celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer, you are going to want to heat up your grill and pop open a cold brew.

The first thing you want to do is check your local grocery stores for sales. The week leading up to Memorial day is replete with sales on steaks, ground beef, sausages, ribs, BBQ sauce, etc. Also, if you’re shopping on Sunday, don’t be afraid to check the clearance area of your meat department. The meat there is perfectly good as long as you cook it same day or next day.

I decided to go classic Memorial Day this year: Bratwurst and Beer. Now, I don’t mind if you want to buy some pre-cooked sausages and just throw them on the grill, it’s easy. But, I’m here to tell you, cooking up raw fresh sausages over a flame will get you the most flavor, if you can cook ‘em right.  Cooking fresh sausages can be problematic, however.  You often get them just right on the outside but still raw in the center, or you do cook them through but they are now burnt and blackened on the outside.

I have good news, however.  I have a trick that will ensure juicy, perfectly cooked sausages every time. And it only takes a minimal amount of extra effort. Plus, you get the added bonus of grilled onions to use pass as a condiment.

Now, in the interest a full disclosure, this recipe was inspired by a similar one in Cook’s Illustrated. (I mostly only changed a few things to keep it under my five dollar budget.)

The trick is to cook the raw Brats on the grill over onions in their own baking pan covered. The onions will keep them off of the direct heat and the covering them will ensure that the brats will stay juicy as they cook through.  After they’ve cooked through, you simply throw the brats on an open part of the grill and flame kiss them to a prefect golden brown. (Basically, by cooking the sausages covered, you have created your own “pre-cooked” sausages with minimal fuss, but more flavor.)

I wanted to serve the Brats with a Caesar salad, but not just any Caesar Salad would do on Memorial Day. I mean, it’s warm (hopefully,) the grill is going, I have a cold beer in my hand…so, I went ahead and threw the salad on the grill too. What’s that you say? Why in the world would you grill a Caesar Salad? What reason could you possibly have for that? Well, I’ll give you three: First, the fire gives the romaine a smoky and I’ll say “meaty” flavor since I can’t think of another word.  (Plus, I grilled them where I had the Brats cooking, so it very well could have been meaty. But Caesar salads aren’t vegetarian anyway (anchovies in the dressing (can I do parentheses inside of parentheses? I guess so, I just did))) Secondly, you can make awesome croutons from a baguette straight on the grill, and lastly, how impressive is it to grill a salad?

I also made a Caesar Vinaigrette to keep the dressing a little more healthy. (Although that might be ridiculous as I was also drinking a beer and eating a bratwurst, but I have to save calories somewhere, right?)

Whatever you decide to cook, I hope you have a great Memorial Day. Oh, and remember to drink responsibly. (That means, you can get drunk if you want, just, please find someone else to drive, okay?)

Bratwurst and Grilled Onions

For this recipe you will need some kind of baking pan that can go directly on the grill. If you do not have a grill pan like I do, you can buy an aluminum baking pan. They are very cheap at a store like Smart & Final.  Also, you can just use a couple of pie tins, or even try to create your own “pan” out of tin foil. (The last option does work, but is difficult and imperfect.)

1 package of Bratwurst (or any other fresh sausage of your choice; 4 to 6 sausages normally in a package)

2 large onions (preferably red, but any will do)

1 teaspoon of dried thyme (or 1 Tablespoon of fresh)

salt and pepper to taste

1 package of hot dog buns

  1. Preheat the grill (This step is so often skipped. Always preheat your grill. You wouldn’t skip preheating your oven, would you?)
  2. Cut the onions in half and then in slices from pole to pole (root to tip.) Combine them in a microwave safe bowl with the thyme, salt and pepper. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5 minutes. (This will help you get the onions nice and grilled in a shorter amount of time.)
  3. Transfer  the onions to your baking tray. Place the sausages on top of the onions in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and place the grill over medium high heat. Close the grill’s lid and cook for 15 minutes.
  4. Uncover, remove the sausages and place them directly on an open part of the grill (continue to let the onions cook in their baking tray.) Cook the sausages for 8 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Remove the sausages from the grill, and cover with tin foil until ready to serve.
  5. Cover the grill and let the onions continue to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until dark golden brown and caramelized. Serve the sausages topped with the grilled onions. Pass your favorite condiments.
This recipe also works with red peppers and/or sauerkraut.

Grilled Caesar Salad

1 head of romaine lettuce

1  baguette (French or sourdough)

Caesar dressing (recipe below)

Parmesan Cheese

Anchovies for garnish (optional)

  1. Chop a whole head of romaine lettuce into fourths lengthwise and place on a pre-heated grill for 5 to 10 minutes, rotating regularly.
  2. Slice the baguette diagonally, brush them with olive oil, and place them on the grill. Toast them for two minutes on each side so they become nice and crisp like a crouton.
  3. Serve the romaine lettuce topped with the croutons (toasted baguette slices,) parmesan cheese, and the optional anchovies. Pass Caesar dressing.

Caesar Vinaigrette

4 to 5 anchovies

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. mustard (preferably a deli mustard)

3 Tbsp.  lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup parmesan cheese

pepper

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup white wine vinegar

  1. Combine the anchovies, Worcestershire sauce,  mustard, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and parmesan cheese into a small food processor. Taste. (I cannot stress tasting enough here. The amounts in any salad dressing recipe are very approximate and need to be made to your taste.) This is the base of the dressing. At this point the dressing should taste like a classic Caesar dressing, except perhaps more powerful. Adjust the flavors to taste.
  2. Add olive oil and white wine vinegar, blend again.  Adjust the flavors to taste. Serve well shaken. (This is a vinagrette and the oil will seprate out over time, so it will need to be well shaken every time before serving.)

Accounting

1 package fresh Bratwurst $3.49 + honey wheat hot dog buns $2.29 + 2 red onions (@1.99 per pound) $2.29 + 1 head of Romaine lettuce $1.99 + 1 baguette $1.39 + 1 lemon $.25 + 1/4 of grated parmesan cheese (@2.99 for generic package) $.75 + anchovies $1.49 + 1/2 container of white wine vinegar (@ $1.99 for 1 bottle generic) $1.00 + 4 beers (@ 12.99 for a Samuel Adams Summer Styles Variety 12-pack) $4.33 + 1/4 relish bottle (@ $ 2.29) $.57 = $19.84

÷4 people

Comes to $4,96 per person!

Sorry, I only budgeted for 1 beer a person with dinner. If you want more, you’ll have to splurge.

Kitchen Basics Used

Dried Thyme, olive oil, garlic, worcestershire sauce, mustard, ketchup (as a condiment.)

By the way, you’ll have plenty of salad dressing leftover!

4 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in German, Grilling, Holidays, Recipes, Vegetables

May 19, 2011

Champagne Breakfast

By 5iveDollarFeasts

Enjoy a Champagne Breakfast this Sunday with your family of four for less than Denny’s Grand Slam. Only $3.90 per person!

I would say Sunday morning breakfast is as American as apple pie, but that would be wrong. It is a much, much more American tradition than apple pie. (Actually, we should start a movement to change that saying. I can think of ten things off the top of my head that are more American than apple pie. Not to knock apple pie, of course. Apple pie is delicious.) When I am abroad, the one thing I miss most is an American breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, the novelty of a light breakfast of a croissant in France or fish in Japan may be a refreshing change at first, but I guarantee that after a week in another country you will begin to crave eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and all the things that make a great weekend morning breakfast in the contiguous fifty.

The weekend breakfast tradition is so ingrained in our culture that we have whole restaurant chains that thrive off of breakfast alone. Unfortunately, I fear too many people are finding their weekend breakfasts at these chains.  I am here to tell you, you can have a better tasting, healthier breakfast at home for less money, including a refreshing mimosa. (Not that I want to single-handedly destroy the American economy. Eating out once in a while is fine. Although, maybe check out the more locally owned and ran restaurants? They often have better deals and better food. Use Yelp if you are worried about taking a risk. Their reviews will make sure you are finding a tasty meal. More on yelp later.)

First it must be said that I am picky about my pancakes. I was raised on buttermilk pancakes made from scratch and now I find that while most people are satisfied by bisquick pancakes, they’re just to dry and cakey to satisfy my occasional craving for griddle cakes.  I have recently found a dry mix that satisfies me for a tenth of the price and effort of my Mom’s pancakes.  Trader Joe’s makes a Buttermilk Pancake mix for $1.99! (I know I talk a lot about Trader Joe’s and while they are easy to find out here on the west coast, I know some people may not find them as accessible. If you know of any good dry mixes in your neck of the woods, please post them below.)

We topped the pancakes with strawberries (which have gone on sale for 99 cents during strawberry season her in Southern California,) lime butter, and whipped cream. But pancakes were not enough for a feast, so we also wanted some scrambled eggs and sausages.  We bought some eggs and some bleu cheese to add a slightly special taste to the eggs. Bleu cheese is also a great counterpoint to both the champagne and the strawberries. And we bought Jones All Natural Light Sausages on sale two for four dollars. These sausages prove that the word “light” is not always a dirty word in cooking.  I like these sausages better than many…let’s say…full fat sausages. Also, I cannot tell the difference between light whipped cream and regular, so I grabbed that as well. We also bought orange juice and an affordable Cava for $4.99 to make mimosas for everyone.

Now, there isn’t really a recipe for this breakfast, but here are the basic instructions for what Jodie and I made for our Champagne Breakfast:

Pancakes

1 package pancake mix (We used Trader Joe’s Buttermilk mix, but I also like pancake mix from bulk containers if you have a store that still sells dry goods this way. Henry’s Market is a locally owned store that sells in this fashion.)

2 eggs (or follow the ingredients listed on your pancake mix)

1 small clamshell of strawberries

¼ cup lime butter (recipe follows)

whipped cream

canola or vegetable oil

  1. Make pancake batter as directed on package. Refrigerate if you are not going to use right away.
  2. Rinse strawberries. Remove green tops, and half lengthwise.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Brush the skillet with oil. Pour pancake batter onto skillet in desired size (about two inches in diameter for the classic pancake stack.) When the batter begins to form bubbles all over the top of the batter, flip the griddlecake with a spatula. Cook on this side another minute or two and then remove to a plate.
  4. Serve 3 pancakes, stacked, topped with lime butter, strawberries, and whipped cream.

Lime Butter

Basically this is 2 parts butter, 1 part sugar, and ½ part (if you can say that) lime juice

¼ cup butter

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. lime juice

zest from the same lime (optional)

  1. Soften the butter. (Preferably by leaving the butter out for a half hour, but you can also soften the butter in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds. Do not allow the butter to melt.
  2. Mix in sugar, juice, and optional zest. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Scrambled Eggs

Here is how I make my scrambled eggs, but follow whatever recipe you like best. Just add bleu cheese in at the end.

6 eggs (I always use 1 egg per person and add 2. It seems to always work out to a perfect portion per person. Well, at least when you are serving under 10 people.)

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp milk (this is very approximate)

2 Tbsp bleu cheese

salt and pepper to taste

  1. Crack eggs into a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper, and add 3 small splashes of milk. Using a fork, whisk egg mixture until well blended.
  2. Melt butter in a pan.  Add egg mixture. Stir the eggs occasionally with a wooden spoon as they cook. (Everyone likes their eggs differently. I prefer mine very fluffy, so I stir the eggs a lot to get small “curds” of eggs. If you prefer a more diner style, let the eggs cook longer and stir only a few times toward the end of cooking.)
  3. Add bleu cheese as the eggs finish firming up. Remove eggs from flame and serve immediately. (Again, everyone likes their eggs cooked to a different degree. Eggs are completely safe if left a little runny if you prefer them that way, or you may cook them “hard” if you prefer the eggs cooked well. I like my scrambled eggs somewhere in the middle.)

Sausages

1 package frozen Jones All Natural Light Sausages (or your favorite affordable sausages)

  1. Cook the sausage according to the directions on the package. Serve immediately.

Mimosas

1 bottle sparkling white wine (Cava, Proseco, Sparkling Chardonnay, Champagne, etc.)

Orange Juice

  1. Pour champagne glass ¾ full of sparkling wine. Add orange juice to fill the glass. Enjoy cold.

Accounting

Buttermilk Pancake Mix (1/2 package @ $1.99) $1.00 + Strawberries $.99 + light whipped cream (1/2 bottle @ $1.99) $1.00 + 1 box Jones light sausages $2.00 + 1 package of cage free eggs $2.29 + ½ carton of crumbled bleu cheese (@$2.99) $1.50 + ¼ carton of orange juice (@ $1.99) $1.00 + Cava from Trader Joe’s $4.99 + 1 lime $.33 + 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter $.50 = $15.61

÷4 people

$3.90 per person!

Notes

While I didn’t use nearly half the pancake mix, whipped cream, or bleu cheese, I added that much to the accounting to keep the price as fair as possible. I also added butter to the accounting even though I often consider it a kitchen basic, because so much is used in this recipe.

Kitchen Basics Used:

Canola or vegetable oil, sugar, milk, salt and pepper

Please comment below and share the sales in markets in your area!

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in American, Breakfast, Cocktails, Recipes

May 12, 2011

Chicken Piccata

By 5iveDollarFeasts

Enjoy a delicious pasta dish for just $4.87 per person!

For a recent newsletter for the Renal Support Network, I was asked to create some recipes for patients on dialysis. This was my second time creating recipes for Live & Give and this time I was given a theme: pasta. So as part of my “We’re Bringing Pasta Back” article, I modified a Chicken Piccata recipe for the very complex renal diet. (I won’t go into that anymore here. Feel free to scroll to the bottom of the above link to read the article in it’s entirety.)

Well, recently I came into a…well….a….look there is no better way to say this…a crapload of lemons (from a neighbor’s tree.)  I knew I had half a jar of capers in my fridge from a month ago when I was experimenting with the recipe. (Capers are basically pickled buds from the caper plant, so they have a long shelf-life in the fridge.) So, I thought it would be a good time to make the recipe again. (I added the salt back in, making this less renal friendly.  The renal friendly chicken piccata can be found here. There is very little difference in recipe or flavor, however.)

This is an important budget point: use what you have left in your fridge. Don’t let capers, chicken broth, cream or whatever other ingredient you’ve bought go to waste. Make sure they do double duty in another recipe if at all possible. Capers can be used with lox, in a red sauce, or even can spice up a store bought tartare sauce. (Capers are a key ingredient in a good tartare sauce.)

So, I went to the store and grabbed some  cheap chicken breasts and pasta. I also needed a vegetable. I found kale on sale.

Kale is returning to fashion these days slowly. Let me use a strange analogy for a second: gin vs. vodka.  For a long time gin was the most popular ingredient in a martini. In the 90s, we rebelled from our parent’s version of this popular drink and started ordering vodka martinis (tasteless cousins to the real thing, in my very humble opinion.) Still, despite the whims of temporary fashion, gin has started to become popular once again. I believe the same is true of kale. For instance, my mother hates kale. But I am convinced it is that her parents cooked kale incorrectly. Kale was often over-cooked to a rubbery and over bitter mush of creamy disgustingness. But, honestly, Kale is delicious. It just needs a small amount of care. A lightly sautéed and just wilted kale is crisp and delicious. A perfect counterpoint to Picatta. My favorite kale is made with bacon, but as my wife, Jodie, is allergic the nitrates in most bacon, and the fact that bacon is rather unhealthy, I made a garlicky (garlic is also a lot cheaper than bacon) kale to counterpoint the salty lemon flavor of the chicken piccata.

The result was an affordable tasty traditional Italian feast.

Chicken Piccata

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat to a ½” thickness (this step can be skipped for ease by buying “thinly sliced” chicken breasts or chicken breast “cutlets” commonly sold in stores)

salt & pepper

flour for dredging

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine

juice of ½ lemon (about ½ Tbsp)

½ lemon, sliced

1 Tablespoon capers, drained

4 oz. (about 1 cup dry) farfalle (bowtie) or other favorite pasta

  1. Season the pounded chicken breasts (or cutlets) with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat the breasts well with flour.
  2. Boil the water for the pasta and cook as directed by the package.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium heat until shimmering.  Add the floured chicken breasts and cook, uncovered 3 to 6 minutes per side, until the breasts are golden brown.  When done, remove the chicken breasts from the pan and transfer to a plate.
  4. Add wine to the pan and bring to a simmer. (Be careful, this may cause some minor sizzling.) Add the lemon juice and capers. Adjust the amount of lemon juice to taste. Do not overcook, as the lemon juice will become bitter if over-cooked.
  5. Return chicken to the pan and top with lemon slices. Cover the pan, and reheat the chicken, no longer than two minutes. Serve immediately over the pasta, passing extra pan sauce as needed.
Garlicky Kale
1 bunch of kale
4 to 6 cloves of garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
water
  1. Thinly slice the garlic. Place the garlic in a pan with the oil and place on medium-low heat. Let the garlic poach to a light golden brown.
  2. Meanwhile, chop the kale into manageable two to three inch chunks.
  3. Once the garlic has poached to a nice golden brown, add the kale. Sautee for two minutes stirring the kale and the garlic.  Add just a splash of water, cover the pan, and let the kale steam to a very mild wilt, about five minutes.
  4. Using tongs, serve the kale in a bowl, making sure to shake of any excess water if necessary.
Accounting
2 Chicken Breasts (1/3 package @ $8.31) $2.77 + free lemons $0.00 + leftover capers $0.00 + Chilean Chardonnay Viognier blend $3.99 + pasta $1.99 + kale $.99 = $9.74

÷2 people

Comes to $4.87 per person!

Kitchen Basics Used:

Olive Oil, salt, pepper, garlic

Tips

This is how I was able to come to this meal at under five dollars a head.  You might have to do it differently. You may not have capers lying around in your fridge. No problem, many stores sell capers for just over three dollars now. Buy a bottle of Charles Shaw for two dollars (or three in some areas) to cook with and drink. Also buy farfalle (bowtie pasta) for $.99 instead of the fancier lemon garlic noodles I bought this time at Trader Joe’s. Being flexible, you can create your own five dollar feast.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Chicken & Poultry, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetables

May 5, 2011

Lamb Burgers

By 5iveDollarFeasts

For just $4.99 per person, you can make a nice summer-y 5ive $ Feast for two.

Well, it’s May, and we all know what that means…warm weather is either here or on it’s way. That means it is time to get outside and fire up that grill. Whether it’s your state of the art grill in your backyard (nice four burner grills are very affordable these days. Consumer Reports suggests a Char-Broil as the best buy. They are cheaper than many other grills that get less good reviews. I love mine. No, I don’t receive any money from Char-Broil) or a small charcoal tabletop grill, grilling is possibly the most American culinary tradition.

We Americans truly have a love affair with our grills.  I know guys who do not know how to use a can opener, but can flip a burger or beer baste a brat to perfection every Sunday during football.

Mankind has been cooking meat over an open flame for hundreds of thousands of years. It is a very primordial skill that we all take pride in, even if we rarely turn on our stoves.

While, there is absolutely nothing wrong with grabbing a pack of burgers and sausages and cooking them up on a grill, I thought today I would share a slightly offbeat version of a burger, in case you wanted to stretch your horizons.

Whenever I find ground lamb in the grocery store, I must snatch it up. Normally it can be  expensive, but I love the flavor and I think it is surprisingly versatile. From burgers to kebabs to meatballs or just cooked in your favorite curry sauce, there are many more uses for ground lamb than you might think.

I kept the lamb in my freezer for a couple of weeks until the weather  warmed up.

Then, after a trip to my local Fresh and Easy (they don’t pay me either, I promise) I gathered up the rest of the ingredients I needed.

I wanted to give it a slightly Mediterranean feel, so I grabbed Goat Cheese and a cucumber, and a crispy beet salad mix to serve as a side.  Fresh and Easy also has some very nice Mexican Bolillos that I thought would make the perfect bun.  Jodie and I washed it down with their new pomegranate lime aid, although a wheat beer or glass of pinot noir may have been tasty as well. I used spices readily available in my kitchen, and would recommend that you do the same rather than trying to match exactly what I used. There is no need to run out and grab spices you are not used to.  The result was a surprisingly light but flavorful burger that tasted great on a hot day.

Lamb Burgers

1 pound ground lamb

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp fennel (again, use whatever herbs sound best to you. I love fennel and lamb, but mint, coriander, and/or cumin are all also great choices for dried herbs as well. Use what you have and what you like)

1 tsp dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dill

1 cucumber

2 buns or rolls (I used Mexican Bolillos)

1 small package of herbed goat cheese (if your goat cheese is not herbed, you may add the herbs yourself)

  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat (if using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal by your preferred method and let the coals come to a dull orange glow.)
  2. Combine the ground lamb, garlic, fennel, dried rosemary (or your own spice blend,) salt and pepper into a bowl and mix well. Divide the meat into two even ½ pound balls and place them on a cutting board.
  3. Form the patties.  This is the secret of a good burger and there are a few tricks to it: First, “knead” the meat as if it were dough for three to five minutes per patty.  If you skip this step, your burger will form cracks along the edge of the patty. Each crack is a place where juices can spill out during cooking. Lost juice = lost flavor. Second, and this is tricky, try to pull the meat from the center rather than apply pressure from the top of the burger. This is again to prevent cracks along the edge of the patty.  Whatever technique you find to keep these cracks from appearing, use it. You want one smooth edge all the way around your patties. Third, it is important to make the center of the burger indented from the edge. The center of the burger will plump and it will leave your burger bloated and ball-like if you don’t make an indentation to give it room to plump. Your raw patties should be concave.
  4.  Using tongs and an oiled paper towel, oil the slats of the grill.  Cook the burger for 2 to 3 minutes then turn them ¼ turn, so that you get nice cross-hatching grill marks. (This is for aesthetics only.) Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes (4 to 6 minutes total,) flip the burger and repeat the process.
  5. While the burger is cooking, cut your buns in half if needed. Spread the herbed goat cheese on the underside of the top bun. Slice a cucumber thinly (use a mondolin if you have it, but a chef’s knife will work just fine) and place them on top of the goat cheese. Sprinkle the cucumbers and goat cheese with some dill if you have it on hand.
  6. Remove the finished burgers from the grill and place them on top of the bottom bun.  Top with the upper bun (you know, with all the goat cheese, cucumber goodness on it.) Serve with a side salad topped with any remaining goat cheese or cucmbers.

Accounting

I bought the lamb on sale, the cucumber at a local store with cheap produce, shopped for cheese and sides at Fresh and Easy, and used my own spices at home to make this meal affordable. (I accounted for ½ half the package of buns, even though I only used 2 of 6, just in case you can’t find other ways to use them.)

1 pound ground lamb $3.99 + 1 cucumber $.49 + ½ package of bollilos $1.00 + herbed goat cheese $2.99 + ½ package of crispy beet salad + ¼ of pomegranate limeaid $.75 = $9.22

÷2 people

Comes to $4.61 per person. You don’t have to cook for a crowd to have a 5ive $ Feast!

Kitchen Basics used:

Salt, pepper, garlic, fennel, dried rosemary, dill

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Grilling, Lamb, Mediterranean, Recipes

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