Welcome back! I hope you had a great week of cooking and trying new things. If you want to share anything, feel free to leave a comment!
In order to try an be somewhat budget conscious I've started going grocery shopping every other weekend. This forces me to plan for two weeks worth of meals, and also stick to what I plan. Sometimes I still need to go on the off weekends for some veggies or fruit, but for the most part this plan works for me. Also, I've been able to cut some corners by...don't judge.... shopping at Wal-Mart. Now, I know what you're thinking - "ew. Walmart?". But remember, I asked you not to judge :) But if you are, check out this website.... People of Wal-Mart.
But in all honesty - it's so worth it. One weekend I saved my receipt from Rainbow Foods and then went shopping at Wal-Mart to compare. There was a $45 difference (in favor of Wal-Mart)! If that's not reason enough to make the switch, I don't know what is. I even have to drive 13+ miles to get to one because Target basically owns Minneapolis (but I still think it's worth the savings).
So last weekend I bought some steaks and threw them in the freezer, thinking I could come up with a fun recipe. I remembered that the last time I was in Florida I had some AMAZING teriyaki steak - so needless to say, I wanted to try and replicate it. I was pretty hesitant because I seem to always ruin steak by making it too tough or chewy. I used to blame it on the fact that I bought the cheapest cut, but I really think it was the way I was preparing it.
Steak Recipe:
3 Flank Steaks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspon garlic powder
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
Directions:
One way I learned to not only make the meat more tender, but also pack in a lot of flavor is to marinate the it over night. First, take all of the sauce ingredients and mix together well. Take the thawed steaks, place them in a baggie, and then pour in the sauce (leaving some left to use when you're actually cooking). I made sure to move everything around a bit to make sure it mixed well and then placed it in the fridge for over-night.
After marinating for 24 hours, I heated a skillet on the stove to sear the meat. All this does is help the meat gain some of the charred coloring. I seared each side for about 2 minutes on high-heat. Afterwards, I used my George Foreman grill (if you haven't noticed, I love this thing). Since I got thin cuts of meat, it only took about 4-5 minutes on each side to finish cooking. Each time I turned the meat, I added a little bit more of the sauce.
Cheddar Mashed Potatoes:
8 small yukon gold or red potatoes
2 cups ranch dressing
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Not only do I love (and I really mean LOVE) eating potatoes, but I also really like making them. I like pretty much any way of preparing potatoes - except for Tater Tots. People usually look at me I just asked for their first born child when I say that, but I just don't like them. I feel like they taste like rice stuff in breading.
Anyway.... these potatoes are pretty easy, and super tasty. Just take the 8 potatoes and cut them into quarters (this allows them to cook quickly). Then throw them in a bowl with enough water to cover them completely with an inch of water above. I usually toss a little salt in at this point as well. You can tell the potatoes are done by sticking a fork in them (haha - guess that's where that saying comes from) and the potato falls right off.
After draining them, put them back in the bowl and begin mashing. My mom always tells me that I should buy a mixer, but I really like using my hand-held masher. It makes me feel like I'm actually cooking (how Little House on the Prairie of me). This is when you add the cheese, butter, milk, and ranch. (I've done this with bits of bacon as well, which is really yummy too!)
The last two sides I did with this meal were bread and broccoli. Neither of these really require any explanation - other than shameless plugs (after all, what kind of employee would I be if I didn't shamelessly push General Mills products).
First there is the Pillsbury Biscuits. I LOVE these. It's well known that after chocolate and pasta, bread is my third weakness. I could honestly eat rolls and biscuits all-day long. It's really unfortunate that I don't have this affinity for peas or asparagus.
Second, I used the Green Giant Steamer bag of broccoli. These are great because they are easy, yummy, and actually better for you than fresh vegetables. Yeah, can you believe that?? Frozen vegetables are frozen within 8 hours of being picked, which locks in all of the nutrients that are typically lost within the first day of being picked. Do you think that the veggies you see at the store have been picked within the last day? And if so, how often do you eat them that same day?
So there you have it! Another great week of food in the kitchen. I loved this meal because it allowed me to put a spin on a classic, and also use some pre-made ingredients. You don't have to be Suzie Homemaker or Martha Stuart to be a cook. It's ok to not make EVERYTHING from scratch. There's no sense in being in the kitchen for hours - that would almost take the fun out of it. I know you might feel guilty, but cutting corners is allowed. And sometimes, people can't tell and if you don't mention it - they'll never know.
**Side note** This weekend I tried to pass-off store bought pasta salad as my own. Unfortunately I forgot to take the price-tag off of the container I bought it in. Admittedly this was a novice mistake - but hey, just because I'm a First Time Chef doesn't mean I don't still take the easy street!
Until next time...happy cooking!