I get asked frequently about seafood and how to use it to make a $5 Dinner. And to be quite honest, it's tough. The key is getting the seafood for a rock bottom price...or combining it with another protein to keep overall meal costs down (like doing a mix of chicken pieces and shrimp in a jambalaya type dish.) I often find that seafood deals are unadvertised or can be found … [Read more...]
Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole
This casserole is a nice way to add more fresh vegetables, and some whole grain rice, to the dinner menu. I used celery and broccoli since this was what we had available. You can substitute this for your favorite fresh vegetables, or whatever you have on hand. I also used a can of cream corn, to bring an added fun flavor, and a little creaminess. My teenage … [Read more...]
Curried Lentils & Rice with Caramelized Onions
Balance. This dish is all about balance. Balance of flavors. Balance of textures. Balance of sweet and heat. Cooking these lentils in the sauce, as opposed to cooking the lentils, then adding in the sauce, really makes a difference in the depth of the flavor of the entire meal. I thought about adding another teaspoon of curry powder (cuz I love me some curry!), but I … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Spicy Sausage and Peppers
This recipe is part of the 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Packs from Costco for $150 meal plan. I'm often asked about my "5 minute meals". Usually by people who know someone who knows me. They get the whole time-dollar thing mixed up. But if I were to start coming up with 5 minute meals, this would be first on the list. Because it takes you less than 5 minutes to get our your slow … [Read more...]
Mexican Rice
I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore the lovely rice you get on the side at a Mexican restaurant. Tex Mex is the name of the game. After much trial and error I think I've finally recreated a recipe that's really close to what you'll find in a local restaurant. This rice pairs perfectly with any sort of Mexican dish and is super simple and cheap to put together. It's … [Read more...]
Southwest Wild Rice Pilaf
I've had some wild rice in my pantry for way too long...and it's time to use it up! I like wild rice...but not "all" wild rice. Meaning I don't like to eat just wild rice as a side dish...even when it's flavored well, cooked in stock, etc. It has a "harsh" taste, if you will. So when making this pilaf, I decided to do a combination of brown rice and wild rice...to "tame" the … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken
This was one of those meals that sorta came together and ended up "balancing" perfectly. I started out with chicken and pineapple in the slow cooker. Then as dinnertime drew closer, I decided that rice would be a nice complement, and found a side of the red cabbage apple slaw in the fridge! (How to Shred Cabbage here.) Voila! Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken Pineapple … [Read more...]
Smothered Okra with Chicken and Rice
When Steve and I lived in the Dominican Republic, one of our favorite side dishes was smothered okra. I would go into the fruit and veggie market and get a pound of fresh okra. I'd grab some peppers and an onion, then I'd probably pay $1 for it all...maybe $1.25, and I'd be on my way. Eddy was my market man...and he always gave me a great deal! Nothing had prices on it, but … [Read more...]
Easy Fried Rice
This is a guest post recipe from Connie. My family of 10 loves this recipe. There are so many ways to prepare it by adding different vegetables and meats, that we often vary it by what we have in the fridge. The "must haves" for this recipe are simple - just rice, eggs, and soy sauce. Then you can add any other veggies or leftover meats that you have available to round out … [Read more...]
Chicken & Black Bean Burritos
If the tortillas were larger, this would remind me of Freebirds. With a backwards F. If there were fresh cilantro mixed into the rice, or fresh guacamole to put on top, this would remind me of Chipotle. Either way, you can't go wrong with these...super simple. Super cheap. Super yummy! But before we get to the recipe... Tacos v. Burritos. What's the main … [Read more...]