I dug some tilapia fillets out of the freezer. I bounced out to the garden to pick some fresh parsley from the garden, thinking I was going to do the same old Lemon-Dill Tilapia thing (that’s my fall back for when I’m feeling uninspired)…but of course, I opened the fridge to grab the lemon juice…and the garlic bulb practically jumped off the shelf!

Parsley, lemon juice, garlic…Scampi, of course!

Snatched the butter (dairy-free margarine, really) and off I went to make a little something to pour atop the tilapia fillets.

Ended up being fairly simple. And oh my heavens, tasty too!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown rice ($.60)
12 oz. bag frozen tilapia fillets ($2.99)
1/4 cup butter/margarine ($.25)
3 large garlic cloves ($.15)
2 Tbsp lemon juice ($.05)
Fresh parsley from the garden
Salt and pepper
12 oz. bag of peas ($.88)

Directions

Cook the brown rice as directed on package.

Put the tilapia fillets into a greased, glass baking dish.

Melt the butter/margarine.

Crush the garlic and add to the melted butter with the lemon juice and chopped parsley.

Pour over the fillets. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until fish is white and flaky in the middle. (Be warned…your house will smell uh-mazing while the scampi tilapia is baking!)

Cook the peas as directed on package.

Serve Scampi Tilapia Fillets with Brown Rice and Peas.

Cost $4.92

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I dug out some tilapia fillets from the depths of the freezer.  Thankfully they were vacuum packed and in another freezer bag, so they almost as good as fresh!

I wanted to grill the fillets straight on the grill, but they were too thin…so I “foil grill” it is. And we’ll round out the meal with Buttery Succotash with Dill and Grilled Garlic Bread.

Ingredients

4 frozen tilapia fillets ($2.99)
1 Tbsp lemon juice ($.05)
1 Tbsp Seafood seasoning -lemon and dill ($.05)
Grilled Garlic Bread ($.75)
Buttery Succotash with Dill ($1.20)

Directions

1. Place the thawed fish fillets into a foil pouch, add a dash or two of lemon juice to each fillet and season with a little seafood seasoning.  Wrap the fillet in the foil and place on the grill.  Grill for 7-10 minutes, or until fillet is white through and through.

2. Prepare the Buttery Succotash with Dill and the Grilled Garlic Bread.
3. Serve Tilapia on the Grill with Buttery Succotash with Dill and Grilled Garlic Bread.

Cost $5.04

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Hello again! It’s me – Sarah, that overly-enthusiastic-about-garlic lady who introduced y’all to my White Bean Spinach Dip a few weeks back. I hope y’all got a chance to try it out!

This time around, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite soup recipes; Salmon Tomato Chowder. It’s good stuff. If you’re having friends or family over for dinner and want to keep costs low, this is a great recipe to make because, well…because salmon is classy, even in chowder.

First up, we’ll need 2 salmon filets. I generally use the frozen variety (thawed) because I live in a landlocked state and most fish are already frozen before they reach the grocery store (fish lovers can all join me in a loud groan of disapproval at this tragedy).

Anyhow, saute the salmon in a bit of olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes per side. Chop cooked salmon into small pieces.

In a large pot, combine salmon, rotel tomatoes, potato, onion, and corn. Oh, and a little bit of salt and pepper.

When cooking, the best way to achieve good flavors in your food is to add a small amount of seasoning each step of the way. This also gives you more control over the amount of spice that you add.

Add chicken broth and cook over medium heat until the chowder reaches a low boil. Maintain the low boil until the potatoes are fork-tender – about 10 – 15 minutes, depending on how small you chopped them.

Remove chowder from heat and pour in ¼ c. half & half, cream, or whole milk. Stir to combine.

Garnish with scallions for a little burst of color and flavor.

Serve immediately, with a slice or two of artisan bread; y’all enjoy!

Salmon Tomato Chowder (Printable Recipe)

Serves 4

2 salmon filets, patted dry (2.50)
1 large russet potato, chopped small (0.15)
1 medium onion, diced (0.20)
1 c. fresh or frozen corn (0.30)
2 cans undrained Rotel tomatoes, Mexican variety (0.48)
2-3 c. chicken broth (Free – if you make your own)
Salt and pepper
½ tsp. chili powder (0.05)
½ tsp. garlic powder (0.05)
¼ c. half & half, cream or whole milk (0.05 – 0.15)
4 scallions, sliced (0.10)
Artisan loaf (1.00) Check out the day-old bakery section in your grocery store and you’ll likely find some really good deals on bread. Just be sure to freeze or eat it within 2 days.

Total Cost: $4.88

Saute the salmon in a bit of olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes per side. Chop cooked salmon into small pieces.

In a large pot, combine salmon, rotel tomatoes, potato, onion, and corn. Oh, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and cook over medium heat until the chowder reaches a low boil. Maintain the low boil until the potatoes are fork-tender – about 10 – 15 minutes, depending on how small you chopped them.

Remove chowder from heat and pour in ¼ c. half &half, cream, or whole milk. Stir to combine. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Sarah Lenhart is the author of Frontier Kitchen, a cooking blog dedicated to simple home cooking that your family will love. She lives in Wyoming with her husband and daughter.

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Operator fail.

Chef fail.

I shall explain! This is the other salmon that I bought when on sale for $2.99/lb.  I immediately added the marinade, wrapped it up in foil, put it into a plastic freezer baggie and froze it.

Operator fail. I forgot to mark which side of the salmon was “up” before freezing it.

Chef fail. I forgot to put the foil on a cookie sheet when I put it into the oven. And I forgot to look to see which side was “up”…oh wait, I wouldn’t have been able to tell…because of my operator FAIL!  Needless to say, the juices immediately spilled all over the oven floor.  So I rectified by placing the foil salmon pack on a cookie sheet…only to have all the juices spill out on to the cookie sheet.  The juices burned. The house smelled bad. But…

The salmon tasted fine.  But I think it would have tasted great, had not all the juices and marinades seeped out…as I baked it upside down.

Ugh.

Live and learn!

Adapted from this recipe on Recipezaar…featured on the OAMM March Menu.

Ingredients
1.2 lb salmon fillet ($3.65)

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil ($.50)
1/4 cup soy sauce ($.20)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar ($.20)
1 Tbsp brown sugar ($.05)
2 garlic cloves, crushed ($.05)
2 tsp red pepper flakes ($.10)
Salt and pepper

1/2 cup wild rice mix + 1/2 cup brown rice ($.40) Trying to use up what’s in the pantry!
1 12 oz. bag of frozen peas ($.50) Sale plus coupon

Directions
1. Place salmon fillet onto foil.
2. Whisk marinade in small bowl. Pour over salmon. Wrap foil around the salmon. Freeze or bake.
(Bake at 350 for an hour from frozen or 20 minutes from fresh.)
3. Cook rice and peas as directed on package instructions.
4. Serve Firecracker Salmon with Rice and Peas.

Cost $5.65

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Several times in 2009, I found fresh Atlantic salmon on sale for $2.99/lb…regularly $7.99/lb!  This great deal never appeared on the front page of the store circular…but was hidden on the inside pages!

I asked for a pound. Brought it home. Cut it into 4 4 oz. portions. Added the marinade. And froze.

Saturday night, it went straight from the freezer to the oven to our plates.

Broccoli from the freezer.  Wild rice mix from the pantry (from Trader Joes…I got it a. way. long. time. ago!)

Voila!

Ingredients
1 lb. Atlantic salmon fillet ($2.99)
3 Tbsp honey ($.30)
1/4 cup orange juice ($.20)
1 tsp ground ginger ($.05)
Salt and Pepper
1 cup gourmet wild rice mix ($.75)
2 broccoli heads ($.50)

Directions
1. Cut salmon into meal size portions, about 4 oz. each. Place into foil.
2. In small bowl, combine honey, orange juice, ginger, salt and pepper. Pour over the salmon. Wrap up salmon in foil and place in plastic baggie. Freeze. (Skip the place in plastic baggie and freeze parts if making this fresh!)
3. If fresh or completely thawed, bake in foil packet at 350 for 15 minutes, or until completely cooked through. If frozen, bake in foil packet at 350 for an hour, or until completely cooked through. Cooking times may vary depending on thickness of salmon fillet.
4. Prepare the wild rice mix, or any other rice, as directed on package instructions.
5. Steam blanched broccoli in stovetop steamer, or in microwavable bowl covered with plastic wrap for 4-5 minutes.

6. Serve Honey Ginger Salmon with Wild Rice Mix and Broccoli.

Cost $4.79

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Nevermind that the high today was just 60.  And there’s a frost advisory for our area tonight. 

Wasn’t gonna stop me from using the grill tonight!

Ingredients
4 frozen tilapia fillets ($2.99) This is my “never pay more than price” for fish!
1 Tbsp seafood seasoning ($.05)
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice ($.05)
Rice with Garden Greens ($.35)
1 large acorn squash (about 2 lbs.) ($1.04) On sale last week for $.49/lb!
2 Tbsp butter/margarine/dairy-free margarine ($.20)
2 Tbsp brown sugar ($.05) Or other preferred sweetener like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup.

Directions
1. Thaw frozen tilapia fillets in the refrigerator. Marinate with lemon juice and seafood seasonigs for at least 30 minutes. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side. Cooking time may vary depending on heat of grill and thickness of fillets.
2. Reheat Rice with Garden Greens. (I find that placing partially thawed frozen rice into a saucepan with 1/2 cup of hot water, set over low heat, is the best way to reheat frozen rice.)
3. Cook acorn squash. Serve with butter/margarine and brown sugar.
4. Serve Grilled Tilapia, Rice with Garden Greens and Sweetened Acorn Squash.

Cost $4.73

AND FOR DESSERT (for tomorrow’s lunch that is!!!)

FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
Stop by Mrs. Fields on Thursday, October 1 between 11am and 1pm to get your free chocolate chip cookie! Thanks for the heads up FreeStuff4Free!

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Well kids…when FRESH salmon fillets are on sale for $2.99/lb…there is just no passing that up!  I do believe I had to pick my jaw up off the ground while standing in front of the fresh fish counter!  I have N-E-V-E-R seen such low prices for fresh salmon fillets!  So grilled salmon it is!

Ingredients
1.3 lb. fresh salmon fillet ($3.88)
1 tsp lemon pepper seasonings (free) On sale for $1, used $1 coupon = Free!
1 yellow summer squash, fresh from the garden (free)
Salt/Pepper
2 cups of Rice with Garden Greens ($.35)

Directions
1. Season salmon fillet with lemon pepper seasonings. Grill until fillet is no longer pink in the middle and fish has completely cooked through.
2. Wash and slice squash into circles. Steam in stovetop steamer for 4-5 minutes, or until squash flesh becomes opaque. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Thaw and cook rice with garden greens with about 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan to reheat and “refluff.”
4. Serve Lemon Pepper Salmon with Steamed Squash and Rice with Garden Greens.

Cost $4.23

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I thought I’d try a new sauce for kabobs.  I intended this for grilled salmon, but ended up making shrimp kabobs. A little experiment if you will!  Plus, my first harvest from the garden!

Ingredients
25 shrimp ($2.50) Using up the rest of the bag from when I made Shrimp Scampi!
1/2 onion ($.15)
1 green pepper ($.68)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.05)
4 Tbsp dijon mustard ($.25)
1 Tbsp milk ($.02)
2 Tbsp fresh or dried dill ($.10)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley (From the garden)
1 cup brown rice ($.20)
Fresh Spinach from the Garden!!!!  We’ll call it free!

Directions
1. Thaw shrimp. Cut green pepper and onion into skewer size pieces. Place shrimp, green pepper, and onion on skewers. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a few dashes of dill. Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

2. In small bowl, whisk dijon mustard, milk and dill until creamy. Dip shrimp, peppers and onions into sauce.

3. In medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of rice in 2 1/2 cups of water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until brown rice is cooked through. Fluff with fork before serving.
4. Soak and wash spinach leaves.  Steam in stovetop steamer for 4-5 minutes.
5. Serve Shrimp Kabobs with Creamy Dill Sauce, Rice and Steamed Spinach.

Cost $3.95

***I must say the sauce was delicious!  It was zippy like cocktail sauce, but with a dijon flavor.  Yum!

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I usually plan my meals based on what’s in the freezer or what’s on sale each week. This week I thought I might be in trouble because I had shrimp on the menu, but no shrimp in the freezer. Well, I got lucky! A bag of 40-60 frozen shrimp was on sale from $6.38 to $5.00! PERFECT! I can use half the bag for this meal and the other half later! My goal for each meal is to keep the protein cost at or below $2.50…so this worked out beautifully. I couldn’t have pulled this meal off for under $5 if the shrimp were not on sale! Here’s my recipe!

Ingredients
1 lb. spaghetti noodles ($.97)
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ($.30)
2 Tbsp butter or margarine (free)
4 garlic cloves, crushed ($.20)
3-4 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese ($.25)
About 20 frozen shrimp ($2.50)
4 corn cobs ($.60) On sale this week for $.15 each!!!

Directions
1. In medium saucepan, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain.
2. In skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil, butter or margarine, crushed garlic cloves and parmesan cheese. Stir continuously until starts bubbly. Then reduce heat and add “de-tailed and deveined” shrimp. Let simmer for 6-7
minutes.

3. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add shrimp sauce to the pasta noodles and mix well.
4. Remove husks and threads from corn and boil for 4-5 minutes in large saucepan.
5. Serve Shrimp Scampi and Boiled Corn.

Cost $4.82

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This recipe can now be found exclusively in The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook.

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