Gourmet Meals For Less

Spaghetti Squash is just plain cool!...Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Greens

 

A week or so ago, I had a chance to cook this great recipe for my hubby and I.  Can’t remember where the kids were that evening, but it was nice to sit out on the deck and enjoy a quiet meal together.

 

I love spaghetti squash….it’s just a cool vegetable.  I was so excited to find this recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray.  It not only was a 30-minute meal, but also fell into the $10 and under category.  You can’t beat that combination!  As often as I have made spaghetti squash, I am still amazed when I run my fork through the flesh of the squash and it breaks into noodle like strands.  It truly can be used to replace your “spaghetti” dishes, which is perfect for those with gluten allergies or working to reduce their carbs. 

 

 

Bowties and Brussels Sprouts...a great combination

 

Today will be a quick entry...why?  One, because it's beautiful outside and I for one am going to enjoy every second of it, two because hubby is home today and willing to lay my flagstone around my fire pit, one must take full advantage of these opportunities.

This recipe is once again a fabulous one from Everyday with Rachael Ray, found in her $10 and under section no less.  Now, vegetarian meals aren't always high up on the list for my meat loving family, especially the two male members of it.  But they both said they loved this one.

It was such an unusual combination of ingredients I just had to try it, it did not disappoint.  And, the best thing of all it took easily under 30 minutes to make.  The perfect weeknight meal. 

Third rollover is a charm....Jerk Chicken Quesadillas with Slaw

this picture is why I love natural light 
Slaw Salad

I am tired.... and I hear you saying..."uh huh, what mom isn't?"  and I know that...but that still doesn't change the fact that "I" am tired.  And can't come up with anything clever or witty to say tonight.  It's just been one of those weeks and I'm ready for the sunshine to come out to stay, permanently!  So tonight you get just a recipe.  I will edit this later to include the price breakdown, it was under $10...didn't doubt it on this one.  So stay tuned for a more detailed breakdown and critique, but for those who might actually make the Rollover Menu in 3 days I wanted you to have this last recipe.  And thanks for understanding about my ho hum entry cause it's just been a ho hum kind of day.

Rolling it over...Jerk Chicken Sweet and Spicy Sesame Noodles

As promised here is recipe #2 from my second round of Rachael Ray Rollover Meals.  Recipe #1, Jerk Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Pineapples was a huge success...but oh my!  This one was even better.  I thought it was interesting that we found the same thing to be true with the Pork Loin Rollover Meal.  We really liked the main recipe, but LOVED the Pork Loin Chili even better.  Maybe it's because in both cases the meat has had time to absorb even more of the flavors while waiting in the fridge to be used for the follow-up recipes.  But whatever it is, this recipe did not fail.

I was so excited to have a guest 'taste tester" over for the Sesame Noodles.  I often get suspicious that my family is so happy to have a good hot meal and is afraid that this might cease to exist if they are too critical, that they might not always be giving me their unfettered opinion.  So, it's nice when someone else is over to give me feedback. 


Now this person, tends to be a little bias cause she loves me dearly, and she knows when she stops in she is likely to get something good to eat, but I know she will ALWAYS tell me the truth...we have that kind of relationship...and it's a good thing.  So I was glad to get her take on this recipe...the fact that my friend who is very careful with "portion control" went back for seconds..and shhh I think even thirds...was a good sign!  She gave it two thumbs up and so did hubby and I, so I consider this one a big success!  I hope you will too...oh and it makes a TON!  Way more than I thought it would, so it's a great one for extra guests. 

And please indulge me for a minute on a little side note here to my extra guest...

Thank you for spending the evening with us.  It was full of good eating, hysterical laughter, some "interesting cartoons" (hehe) and "from the heart" conversation...you are a joy in my life!

 

 

Rachael Ray rollover meal round 2....Jerk Chicken

Here's the next promised 3 day Rachael Ray Rollover Meal Plan.  Jerk Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Pineapple. I love these because it allows me to focus most of my cooking energy on one night making the next two evenings of meal preparation a breeze.

After having completed two of these plans now, the first one was Roast Pork Loin, I have realized that it is VERY important to start that first meal on a day when you have some extra time.  You do not want to make this first meal when you feel rushed or frazzled.  Save the next two meals for your "busy" days...now if I could just learn to take my own advise..

So, you are wondering, how was the jerk chicken with roasted vegetables and pineapple?  My husband's words when he walked in the door should give you a clue..."Oh man!  That smells SO good, what is it?"  Nothing like hearing those words to make you forget the hour you just spent blending from scratch jerk chicken rub; and peeling and coring a whole pineapple while trying to avoid chopping off a finger.

The aroma of the chicken cooking truly transformed the whole house...if I closed my eyes I even felt like I was on a Caribbean island somewhere...okay in reality not so much..BUT it did smell really good.  The chicken roasted beautifully, it was moist and delicious.  I was worried about it being a little "spicy" for the kids since it had two jalapenos in the rub but it wasn't at all!  Just a perfect blend of spicy and sweet.

Below you will find the first of three meals.  At the end I will list the additional ingredients you will need for the other two recipes so you can purchase all of them at once.

Variety is the spice of life....Lamb Ragu with Creamed Potatoes and Carrots

 

As much as I love to cook, my $10 challenge has exposed a weakness in my culinary abilities.  It has exposed a lack of diversity in my ingredient choices.  Comparatively to most people we know, we do eat a wide variety of foods and are always willing to try new things.  But, I have realized that I, like most everyone I assume, had gotten in a food rut. 

When it came to protein, we stuck with the usual: chicken, beef, fish…you get the idea.  Then I stumbled upon a $10 meal featured in Everyday with Rachel Ray that frankly called to me from the page, but (and there's always a but isn't there).... it was made with lamb, which frankly made me a little nervous.  Would I like lamb?  Would my family even try it? And most importantly could I even FIND lamb down here in my rural lil’ neck of the woods?

 

That answers to the above question in no particular order where…yes, yes, and unbelievably yes…and on SALE!!  Guess ground lamb isn’t the most popular choice of meat here in this part of Kentucky because there were, no lie, 4 packs in the manager’s special section of the meat case!  What normally runs $6+ a pound was a paltry $3.49! So, their loss was my gain and it allowed me to cook Lamb Ragú over Creamed Potatoes and Carrots.  So be a little adventures and try something new, you never know it might become a favorite!

 

Light and Easy....Chicken and Sweet Onion Sandwiches

Chicken and Sweet Onion Sandwiches with Mixed Green Salad

 

After Friday night's delicious but rich gnocchi recipe I was ready for something a little lighter.  I had seen these wonderful little sandwiches featured in February's edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray and decided I needed to see if I could pull this off for under $10.  I needed something easy because I knew we were going to be spending the day running around and I wanted to come home and cook a quick dinner, this meal fit the bill:

Chicken and Sweet Onion Sandwiches with Mixed Green Salad

Rollover Menu.....Day 3

Indian Curry Roast Veggies with Spiced Rice

 

Last night concluded the third day of my rollover menu experiment.  I have been wanting to prepare one of Rachel Ray's Rollover Meal Plans, and was hoping I could bring it in at under $10 a night.  So far I have succeeded.  The first night's meal: Rollover Roast Pork Loin and Gravy with Roasted Veggies and Potatoes

came in at: $8.96

The second night's meal: Roast Pork Black Bean Chili

came in at: $9.39

My expectations for the third night's meal coming in at well under $10 were high.  1- because it was mostly made up of item's that were from the first night's meal cutting down on the cost and 2- because it was vegetarian.  The largest expense from the first two nights was most obviously the pork loin.  The two male's in my household were viewing with some trepidation the concept of eating dinner without any meat, (my hubby's only consolation to this meatless dinner was getting to take the left over chili to work) so I had to make sure last night's meal delivered...

Rollover Menu....Day 2

Rollover Roast Pork and Black Bean Chili

A little recap for those of you just joining me...I am working through a three day menu plan featured on Rachael Ray's website called "Rollover Meals".  Monday night I completed meal one:

Rollover Roast Pork Loin and Gravy with Roasted Veggies and Potatoes

Last night was meal two.

We are some chili eating fools in this house and we especially love to have it when it's below -20° outside (okay so it's not actually -20° more like just straight 20°but it feels like -20°) so I was excited to try this recipe.  It definitely was chili with a southwestern flair, and the hope was it would be quick and easy since I did the bulk of the food preparation the night before.  Could it deliver on it's promise to make tonight's meal a breeze??

Roll Over Menu....Day 1

Rollover Roast Pork Loin and Gravy with Roasted Veggies and Potatoes

 

I started receiving Everyday with Rachael Ray last year in the mail,

 

and have really enjoyed the section on budget recipes she features every month.  Occasionally on her show and website she will share her "Rollover Meals". 

The premise of the plan is that you can cook the bulk of your ingredients the first night, and roll them over for two more days...so that you end up with three unique meals.  Now Rachael does not imply that these meals will come in at $10 or under, but I wanted to give it a try.  So my first attempt at her "Rollover Meals" consisted of the following three meals:

Rollover Roast Pork Loin and Gravy with Roasted Veggies and Potatoes
Rollover Roast Pork and Black Bean Chili
and
Indian Curry Roast Veggies over Spiced Rice

 So join me over the next three days to see if I can succeed in creating convenient rollover dinners while staying under $10 a meal.