Cheap Eaten

[Amateurinawe]

A nice crusty sour dough loaf, a big bowl of the above, with the rest close at hand for a second bowl, would do me just great. Enjoy!

[bower]

Our car was condemned as unroadworthy and not worth fixing two months ago. No public transport here and taxi very expensive from communities outside our own, and no fast solution to the replacement question. I've pretty much put my head down and garden like mad to put it all out of my mind for a bit. Not taking a cab either unless the trip is worthwhile. Until yesterday I haven't had a trip to my usual grocery store since the day I picked up the car from the condemning mechanic and gingerly made my way home with a stop for supplies on the way. I've gotten a few rides/opportunities to stop at a corner store for eggs and such on my way to the farm or with my bro, and one trip to a wholesale place with my DIL for my yearly bag of rice, coffee and apple juice, tuna cans, etc but not a full grocery trip, and not my favorite, has everything but, rural grocery store. I do still have meat and other odds and ends in the freezer and that will tell you the depth of my pandemic stash (and the rareness of dinner guests pandemic scene) but going to the store yesterday was like Christmas. ;D Many treats besides the staples and great deals.
On the cheap eaten report, I did indeed get a lovely chunk of salmon for $11 which I (somewhat mangled) into three fat steaks and cooked last night at half the price for anything cut and packed. I've found that the best method to retain fish quality is to fry all steaks on the day bought, then freeze the extras which thaw /cook perfectly in the time it takes for oven fries chipped in some olive oil sheet pan style for a 'fast food' dinner. Way better than the various breaded fish products I sometimes lean on - until I read the package and realized how little fish is involved and how little protein you get for your serving. Any home made portion I can make is a way better nutritional value..

[worth1]

[mention]Bower[/mention]
I would call it stew too.
It just doesn't have a thick juice like many stews.
As for a runny thin soup not a fan either.

My only exception is Chinese hot and sour soup.
Or something on those lines with lots of flavor and heat.

[bower]

Well there it is, the exception. I love hot and sour soup!
Old fashioned pea soup is pretty good too.
Not sure how I drifted to dissatisfaction with soup.

[worth1]

Well there it is, the exception. I love hot and sour soup!
Old fashioned pea soup is pretty good too.
Not sure how I drifted to dissatisfaction with soup.

Every Thanksgiving my wife would make some god awful squash soup.
Every Thanksgiving there was an argument trying to make me eat it.
I don't want soup for Thanksgiving I want turkey and dressing with cranberries.
Then there was the chicken spaghetti deal.
It totally ticked her off that I would always put soy sauce in mine.
Then another lady at work brought chicken spaghetti to work for an office Thanksgiving deal.
I told her to expect me to bring soy sauce.
She too got ticked off.
Well get mad but I'm putting soy sauce on my chicken spaghetti or I won't eat it.
Well try it without it.
OK I just did but I'm still putting it on my spaghetti.
I can still see those dark Spanish eyes snapping at me in anger.
We were always good friends and it blew over as always.
But she had one hot temper.

[Sue_CT]

Looks delicious!

[worth1]

Found a pound of hot and spicy breakfast sausage in the freezer.
Also have some jars of Alfredo sauce.
That sausage with a few spices like paprika and fennel added will make a good Italian sausage for meatballs and spaghetti with Alfredo sauce.
Determined not to go to the store.

[worth1]

Meatball meat is mixed up and resting for a second mix.
I added......
Fennel.
Black pepper.
Garlic powder.
Sweet paprika
Egg.
Corn starch
Ritz cracker flour.
Chopped green onion.
Homemade bacon cubes.
No one would ever suspect it was breakfast sausage.

[worth1]

Using the Lodge 13.25 cast iron skillet to bake in oven at 170 degrees F.
Low and slow so as not to melt out the fat and juices.

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[worth1]

I just wanted to add that when mixing sausage like this I like to soak the dried spices in a little warm water to make a paste.
This hydrates the spices and helps disperse the flavors.

[worth1]

I have eaten the spaghetti and meatballs but I have leftover meatballs.
Meatball sandwich seems to be the logical thing to make.
Darn i don't have the bread for the sandwich.
Gotta make some.
Tossed together some semolina flour and so on.
No measurements on the fly.
Probably a disaster.
Probably old yeast.
Didn't bother proofing.
We shall see.

[worth1]

Just looked in the oven.
I ain't gotta bloody thing to worry about.

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[worth1]

NOT quite what I was going for but doable.
Beats hell out of a hotdog bun.

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[worth1]

The sandwich was rather sloppy but I ate it and was satisfied.
That's all that counts.
Half the bread drying out for other needs.
Like French onion soup.
Or maybe dressing.
Next on the agenda is some crazy thing I have going on.
Used the rendered tallow from the brisket to make a dark roux.
Added celery green onions and jalapeño to make a Texas trinity.
In with it I added crushed garlic and diced potatoes.
No liquid yet but covered to trap moisture.
At some point I'll add diced brisket point.
This is one of those deals where you just cook what you have on the fly.
On the side I have oil heated up for fried okra just for a contrast of flavor from the main dish.

[worth1]

And here it is.
Takes forever but worth it.
Going in toasted bread.
More or less a hot open face beef sandwich.

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[worth1]

Next on the agenda is French onion soup Von Worth.
It was a no Brainer considering last night's meal.
Just cook down three huge onions and some fresh garlic.
Add water and a little sweet paprika to add even more flavor and you have a very beefy flavorful onion soup.
Then that dried out homemade bread was ready to cut up into cubes and why not some Colby cheese to boot.
Nothing fancy just use what you have on hand.

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[pepperhead212]

I made my first pasta salad of the summer, with the raw tomatoes, garlic, and basil, and olive oil, this time with some anchovies chopped up in it, as well. I also put some cooked kamut (just to use up the last half cup in the jar), and a can of cannellini, and a can of black beans, rinsed. When the pasta was finished, I put these other 3 ingredients in, just to heat them up, then drained all of it, and combined it with the raw tomato mix. One of my favorite summertime dishes.

3 lbs tomatoes, diced up, salted and drained, with a lot of garlic, anchovies, and some olive oil. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Basil, and a little bit of Thai basil, ready to cut up for adding to the tomatoes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

First pasta salad of the season, using tomatoes, garlic, and basils, from this season. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[karstopography]

Sur la Table bottled mop sauced Chicken thighs and Boudin on the grill. Daughter gave me the sauce, really yummy, surprisingly good. Turned the thighs about every ten minutes and sauced each turn. Keep the thighs at the edge of the direct heat, but not in it, want delectable, but not burned chicken skin. Thighs are still under a $1/pound. DJ’s Boudin is the local favorite for the boudin, grilling boudin in casings is the best way to cook it, but you want a medium low grill just to brown up the casings. People get their fire too hot and incinerate their food at times. DJ’s has the pork/rice/herb thing on Boudin dialed in.

Night before, Savory Spice spice pack Thai Coconut Curry Chicken soup, again with chicken thighs, ones I boned out and skinned. Can of coconut milk, some chicken broth, spice pack, cook in the broth the chicken and shred the chicken once tender, easy peasy. Lime, Cilantro. Served with Rice. Thai flavors work in summer, some capsicum heat, curry, cooling coconut milk, fits our climate.

9 chicken thighs ~ 5# under $5. 4 thighs for first soup dinner for 3 people, enough leftovers for three person lunch, 5 thighs for dinner again for three people, with two remaining grilled thighs for another lunch.

Might be tired of chicken thighs for a bit.

Mostly avoiding the beef section now. Beef is ridiculously expensive at the moment. Had a beautiful Atlantic salmon fillet Monday night $7.97/#. One two pound fillet was more than what three people could eat at a sitting. Brushed the salmon with EVOO, sprinkled on a little italian herb blend, salt, pepper. Baked in 400 degree oven eighteen minutes. Can’t be beat. Fresh asparagus as a side baked in another pan same oven, just a pat or two of butter for those. Who need these crazy complete meals along with special smart ovens all shipped to you? I see the TV ads. I Don’t get it, I must be missing something,

Back to the beef with beef, Choice rib-eye beef steak is about double cost of the salmon, beef tenderloin steak at about $20/#. I’m boycotting beef on cost. If the packers somehow can’t find Labor enough to work the packing/slaughter houses, I’ll do my part and ease their burden by not generating any demand. Demand drops, maybe they can catch up, IDK, not my problem.

[worth1]

It was really hard to fork out the money for the brisket but I'm trying to get my monies worth out of it.
Won't be buying another one anytime soon.
Many if not most of these plants hire workers from Mexico and beyond.
Really cheap labor.
Horrible job.
Might go local and see what they have.

[worth1]

Whipped out my mandolin and sliced up a Yukon gold potato to add to the last of the soup.
Thin slices.
Also added a pinch of small macaroni.
Got the lid on and it's getting very thick and dark.
Very flavorful.
That will spell the end of the kettle of food.
What ever is left over will go to the mystery critters in the dark of the night.