Frugal Fridays - Fourth of July!

Today was neat, since not only is it the Fourth of July, but it's also Friday, which means I got to plan a Frugal Fridays meal. This is pretty much what we would have eaten anyway, but it's fun to go through the ingredients and see exactly how much this meal cost us.

Once again (unplanned) we ended up making a meal with chicken, a salad, and a starch. Tonight we tried to keep the heat out of the kitchen, because today was HOT! Our meal featured: Grilled Lemon Chicken, a deliciously marinated main dish; Tangy Potato Salad, using microwaved potatoes and cheese instead of boiled eggs; and Dinner Rolls made from bread machine French bread dough, left over from lunch today (the heat the oven created when we made these this afternoon is the biggest reason we decided not to heat up the kitchen this evening).


Prices of ingredients, in order of appearance:
Lemon juice - 1/4 cup + 1 tsp. - $0.21
Chicken leg quarters - 1 lb. - $0.50
Potatoes - 3 - $0.40
Celery - 2 stalks - $0.20
Monterey jack - 2 oz. - $0.60
Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup - $0.22
Flour - 3 1/2 cups - $0.45
Yeast - 1 tbsp. - $0.20

Total Price - $2.78, but some of that shouldn't really count. We only ate four rolls tonight, but the recipe makes 12 and some were consumed earlier today for lunch. Even so, definitely under $10!

When you buy yeast in bulk (such as at WinCo), it is so very much cheaper than buying it in a jar, or (gag) in those dumb little packets. I don't recall the exact price per ounce that we got, but it was less than 20 cents. So I'm probably overestimating to say that our tablespoon of yeast (just over one ounce) cost that much.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 chicken pieces (we used 2 leg quarters, separated)

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Place chicken in quart-sized ziploc bag, pour marinade over the chicken. Refrigerate at least 3 hours, turning bag over every so often to make sure all the chicken gets marinated.

Grill chicken over medium coals for 45 minutes, turning and basting frequently.

Tangy Potato Salad

3 medium potatoes
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 oz. Monterey jack cheese, diced
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. mustard
1 tbsp. dill relish
Salt and pepper to taste

In order to keep from heating up the kitchen, I microwave-cooked the potatoes. I think this would have turned out with a better texture had I boiled them. So cut the potatoes into chunks and boil them until done. Drain and cool. Add celery and cheese.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, then fold gently into potato mixture. Chill until serving. Garnish with some paprika if desired.

French Bread Rolls

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. active dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread pan of bread machine in order recommended by manufacturer. Set machine to dough cycle, or remove after first rise.

Place dough on lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 pieces. Shape each rolls. Place on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size.

Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Fugal Fridays - Fruit Infused!

This is a new blogging event that I'm going to try to participate in on a regular basis. You can find it at Fugal Fridays. The rules are simple: prepare a meal for four costing under $10 (commonly used condiments don't count). Well, hey - I can do that! I mean, we spend around $30 a week on groceries for the four of us, so a ten-dollar meal is no biggie.

I'm a tad bit late in posting this - it was supposed to be posted by this morning at the latest. But it was a really good meal, so I'll post it anyway.

I list the cost of ingredients assuming you buy the cheapest available - I buy store brand of everything!

The meal I chose to prepare features two special, fruit-infused dishes that are very delicious, and very inexpensive.

The Spread:
Ginger-Fruit Crockpot Chicken
Pasta Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Rice
Ginger-Fruit Gravy


Ginger-Fruit Crockpot Chicken
This was a delicious main course, and very inexpensive. Our grocery store sells chicken leg quarters in a 10-lb. bag for $5 - that's 50 cents per pound. The marinade consisted pretty much of common items with negligible cost. Of course, you could just go out and buy a marinade - but this was very easy and quick to mix up, and costs next to nothing!

1/4 cup pineapple juice - $0.15
2 tbsp. apricot jam - free (home canned)
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
2 chicken leg quarters (1 lb. total) - $0.50

Prep: Combine all ingredients in quart-sized freezer bag and freeze until ready to use.

To cook: The morning before you want to actually eat this, cut the bag away from the frozen chicken and marinade and plunk the whole thing into your crockpot. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours, until chicken is done (juices run clear when you poke the thickest part of the thigh).

Pasta Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
6 oz. macaroni - $0.65
1 tbsp. olive oil - $0.17
2 eggs - $0.34
1/4 cup orange juice - $0.08
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. mustard
2 tsp. honey
1/8 tsp. pepper
Several large lettuce leaves - free (from garden)

Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Toss with olive oil. Cover and place in refrigerator.

Bring eggs to a boil, then turn off heat. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse in cold water. Peel and chop eggs, and add them to the pasta. Return to fridge while you make the vinaigrette.

Combine orange juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, and pepper in a container with tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to mix. Pour over pasta and eggs. Return to refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.

Just before serving, cut up lettuce and add to the salad.

Rice
1 cup long-grain rice - $0.60
2 cups water

Cook according to directions on rice package.

Ginger-Fruit Gravy
Sauce from chicken
1 tbsp. corn starch

Pour sauce from crockpot (after cooking the chicken) into a saucepan. Bring to a boil on the stove. Spoon about 1/4 cup into a small bowl. Whisk in corn starch, then pour back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Heat until thickened. Serve over rice.

There you have it: an entire meal for four, costing a grand total of $2.49 plus an insignificant amount for condiments and spices. Am I good or what?!

Two Marinades

I have lots of baggies of chicken leg quarters in my freezer. I decided to make some marinade to dress up a couple of them. When I want a no-fuss, no-work meal, all I have to do is cut away the bag, dump the frozen block into the crock pot, and cook it all day. Thanks CrockPot Lady for the idea!

Each marinade is poured into a quart freezer bag with two chicken leg quarters and a quarter cup of water.

Teriyaki Marinade (the one on the left)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper

Fruit Ginger Marinade (the one on the right)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp. apricot jam
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. lemon zest (or 1/2 tsp. lemon extract, or 1 tbsp. lemon juice)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

To make/use either marinade, combine all ingredients. Pour over chicken in bag. Add 1/4 cup water to the bowl the marinade was in, swish it around, and pour over the chicken - makes sure you get all that good marinade stuff in with the chicken. Freeze.

To cook, plop chicken and marinade into slow cooker. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 4-6 hours. Serve chicken and resulting sauce over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes - yum!

I'll post the results when I actually cook these. I look forward to it!

George Foreman's Southwest Rub

Jeff put together this rub for a steak dinner that was supposed to be at our church. Due to some miscommunication, however, either the dinner never happened or we got the wrong day or time, or something, because we showed up and there was nothing there. So we took our rubs home and Jeff made a delicious chicken dinner with this one.

Southwest Rub
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground coriander (we didn't have this, and substituted a packet of Sazon Goya)
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Makes 1/2 cup.

Jeff used about two tablespoons of this rub on a couple chicken leg quarters. He simmered them in a covered skillet with chopped onion and about 1/2 cup leftover rice from the fridge. He added lots of water and cooked it all until the chicken was done (juices run clear), and the water had simmered off. It was so flavorful, a bit spicy, and just very good!

Paprika Chicken and Onions with Spiced Sweet Potato and Apple Mash

Here's a yummy dinner that Jeff and I made up tonight. Jeff was in charge of the chicken, and I did the potatoes. Jeff altered a George Foreman recipe for Chicken Paprika Rub, and thought it would be neat to cook the chicken with chopped-up onion all wrapped in foil. It cooked up in its own juices, creating a deliciously moist and flavorful main dish. As far as chicken goes, this was absolutely amazing!

We had a sweet potato that needed to be used, so decided to create a sweet side dish that would complement the savory spiciness of the chicken and onions. I looked up "mashed sweet potatoes" on allrecipes.com, and took elements from lots of different recipes to create this one. The potato mash I came up with was a bit more wet than I would have liked. Next time I think I'll use sour cream or whipping cream instead of milk. But on the whole it turned out quite good. Zaylee didn't end up caring for it on its own, but enjoyed using it to dip her chicken in - she loves dipping foods!

Paprika Chicken and Onions
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 onion, diced

Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl. Coat the chicken with the seasoning mixture. Cut two pieces of foil, 12x12 inches. Place 1/2 chopped onion on each piece of foil, top each with one seasoned chicken breast. Fold foil around chicken and onion. Place foil packets in a 9x13 pan and bake. We took a while figuring out the right temperature with this. We started them at 325, then realized they were cooking too slow, and turned up the temperature a few times until they ended up being at about 425. Cooking time will vary according to oven temperature - just cook until the chicken is completely done (juices run clear).

1 chicken/onion packet = 280 calories

Spiced Sweet Potato and Apple Mash
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks (I used Red Delicious)
6 large marshmallows
2-4 tbsp. milk
2-4 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Place sweet potato and apple into large saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil over medium-high heat until the sweet potato is tender. Drain.

Immediately place sweet potato and apple into a large mixing bowl and add other ingredients. Stir around to cover marshmallows. Cover bowl and let sit for a few minutes to help the marshmallows melt. Using an electric mixer, beat mixture until it is mostly smooth, only a little bit chunky. Taste and add salt, sugar, etc. as needed.

Yield 6 servings
1 serving = 100 calories

Original recipe for George Foreman's Chicken Paprika Rub
1/2 cup paprika
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cayenne powder
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Makes 1/2 cup.

Lemonny Peppered Beef Kabobs

We were excited to be able to use our recently-purchased kabob skewers. This is what we came up with.


1 lb. beef steak (we used bottom round, or something like that)
1 8-oz. pkg. whole mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 cup baby carrots
1 to 1 1/2 large tomato(s)

Beefy Pepper Marinade (from George Foreman Grilling Machine Cookbook):
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Prepare marinade by mixing all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, being sure to completely dissolve honey; set aside. Prepare ingredients: Cut steak into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes; cut onion and tomato into large chunks; cut baby carrots in half widthwise. Add beef and mushrooms to marinade and stir gently to make sure they're all covered well. Marinate for about an hour. Thread all the meat and veggies onto skewers. Save the marinade to baste later.

Bake kabobs on roasting pan at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, then use the marinade to baste all the kabobs. Set oven to broil and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy. This made 8 large (10-12 inches?) kabobs.

Savory Roast Vegetables

This is actually a combination of a couple different recipes, put together to make something new. (Michelle might recognize part of this recipe). This was our dinner tonight, and Zaylee can't get enough of it!
1 tsp. each:
black pepper
oregano
basil
paprika
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
chili powder
2 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large sweet potato, cut into 1-inch strips
1 russet potato, cut into 1-inch strips
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup baby carrots

Preheat oven to 425.

Stir together spices. Toss with oil and vegetables in a large roasting pan. Roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn vegetables with spatula and roast until tender and golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.