The Summertime Cooking Blues

It’s hot here. I mean really hot. Like record-breaking hot. With the mercury straining towards (and possibly passing) 100 degrees, even Seattle’s die-hard outdoorsman are ditching the outdoor activities and seeking air conditioning. Restaurants without AC are struggling to keep patrons satisfied and movie theaters, malls and arcades are seeing more foot traffic. 

In 100 degree stagnant air (keep in mind that very few houses in Seattle have air conditioning since it’s only like this one—possibly two—weeks out of the year), not many people want to heat up the oven or even stand outside in front of a grill. So, salads it is! 

The other day I was actually craving Greek salad. Not the lettuce Greek Salad, but the kind that just consists of big hunks of cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and feta. I went searching for a dressing recipe and found one that I took the general ingredients and whipped it up with a few changes. So, what you see here is actually an original recipe, albeit adapted from another recipe.

So, here it is. I wasn’t really measuring, more just eyeballin’ it, so sorry there aren’t any exact measurements … just what tasted good with what I had. 

RECIPE:

Summer Greek Salad 

Salad:

½ pound small potatoes (I used Dutch Butter, but fingerlings or red would work fine)

3 large tomatoes 

2 Cucumbers

½ medium Red Onion

1 pound green beans

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ pound Greek Olives (I did a mix of Kalamata and green)

Dressing: 

(Again, no measurements, just what tasted good)

Equal parts Olive oil and Red Wine Vinegar

Lemon Juice

Dry Oregano (not too much, it can be overpowering)

Salt and Pepper

Quarter the potatoes into bite size pieces and boil until a fork inserts smoothly. While potatoes are boiling, chop tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion. These should be big bite size pieces. Combine in a large bowl. Stem and halve the green beans. Steam in microwave safe bowl for about 45 seconds (they should still be crunchy). Add to the large bowl. Add the feta and olives to the bowl as well. 

For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl (I ended up with about a cup total of dressing.) 

When the potatoes are done, strain and let cool for a few minutes. When they are slightly cooled, add to the rest of the salad. 

I served this with Pita bread (great for dunking in the dressing!). 

A great summer time meal that’s little effort!

Receipt:

3 Tomatoes: $1.34

Red Onion: $0.46

Green Beans: $0.98

Dutch Butter Potatoes: $0.98

Greek Olive Mix: $3.75

2 Cucumbers: $0.96

Feta: $1.99

Olive Oil: $0.75

Red Wine Vinegar: $0.50

Lemon Juice: $0.30

Total: $12.01 / 6 large portions: $2.00/serving

(could be even cheaper if you use canned black olives, or if you leave the olives out all together)

Let's Talk Rotisserie!

Chicken Chilaquiles, $1.29 per serving (This makes a lot--I got six generous servings--so be prepared for leftovers! But the leftovers are oh, so good! The flavors meld together for an even better dish the next day!)

(Also, I'm experimenting with photography here, so bear with me. I am a few weeks away from a new camera, so I'm excited to play around with that on here.)

I love rotisserie chicken. I always have, and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it. Not all rotisserie chicken is created equal though. I’ve experimented with roasting my own chicken with marginal success (I think absolute success will come with experience for this). But picking up a piping hot rotisserie chicken from the meat section is just so quick and easy (and depending on where you get it -- cheap!, but more on that later).

I remember my mom roasting (or maybe she poached it?) chicken for her chicken noodle soup recipe. She had to continually swat my hand away as I swooped in to steal a few of the pieces. I love it ... the meat is so tender and mouthwateringly delicious that I could, if I let myself, eat half a bird. And as much as I know the skin is the fattiest part and the part that is supposed to be discarded with bones, I can’t help slipping a few pieces in my mouth and have them melt like nothing else does.

Okay, I’m getting away from myself here. The recipe I’m giving today uses rotisserie chicken (or, if you’re ambitious, you can roast your own) and the only place I go for my chicken is Costco. Their Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken is one of their best sellers for a reason -- they are delicious, perfectly and simply cooked with the right seasonings and so ridiculously cheap ($4.99 for a 3 pounder) that in this case, it’s cheaper to get the premade than make it yourself. Head to your nearest Costco to pick one up and you’ll see what I mean (while you’re at it, pick up the dried Montgomery Cherries too! They are so good!)!

Now for the recipe. I found this recipe in the Everyday Food “Great Food Fast” cookbook (which, ironically, I got at Costco!). This is a great cookbook that breaks the recipes up by season and has approachable meals that even I can master. The Chicken Chilaquiles is one of them. (Extra points if you know how to say chilaquiles.) I’ve made this several times and each time, I fall in love again. It’s smoky and has a little bit of a kick, thanks to the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (an ingredient that really isn’t as intimidating as it seems); their smokiness is offset by the coolness of the sour cream and freshness of the cilantro.

This recipe is really easy to make and requires very little prep (save for dissecting the rotisserie chicken). While I love the spice the peppers bring, it’s not very kid friendly. I think you can make part of the batch without the chipotle for the kids and the rest of the batch with the added kick for the adults in the crowd (don’t skip them all together though--they bring a ton of flavor to the dish).

This meal doesn’t really require any side dishes either just the few garnishes that the recipe suggests: tortilla chips, sour cream and feta cheese.

RECIPE

Chicken Chilaquiles

Great Food Fast from Everyday Food, copyright 2007 (page 44)

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can (28 ounce) whole peeled tomatoes in puree

2 chipotle chiles in adobo (from a small can), finely chopped (about 1 heaping tablespoon), plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from same can)

Coarse salt

1 small roasted chicken (about 1 3/4 pounds) or cooked rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded (about 4 cups), carcass discarded

1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus additional sprigs for garnish

4 cups (about 3 ounces) tortilla chips

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)

Combine the oil and garlic in a large (3- to 4-quart) saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their puree (breaking tomatoes up), chipotles and adobo sauce, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; season with salt. Reduce the heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6-8 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in the chopped cilantro.

Divide the chips among 4 shallow bowls; top with the chicken mixture and sauce. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, sour cream and feta. Serve.

Notes: I usually just use the whole rotisserie chicken, rather than just four cups (I consistently get 5 cups out of one), so my final dish turns out to be a little thicker than intended. Also, the smallest can of chipotle peppers in adobo is still too big for this recipe, so I place the extras in individual snack bags (usually two peppers to a bag) and freeze them. They last about two months frozen. For the tortilla chips I like the yellow corn round variety and rather than putting them at the bottom of the dishes, I prefer to use them as a dippers and scoopers.

RECEIPT

I ended up getting really cheap ingredients for this dish, so my amount may be a little skewed, but it shouldn’t be too out of whack.

28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes: $0.95

2 chipotle peppers: $0.25

Rotisserie Chicken: $4.99

Cilantro: $0.15

MIssion Tortilla Chips: $0.21

Sour cream: $0.43

Feta Cheese: $0.75

Total: $7.73 / 6 servings = $1.29

Off Topic: I found a great drink!! Dry Soda’s Cucumber Soda -- sounds weird, I know, but it’s strangely refreshing! This is a local brand so I’m not sure if you all will be able to find it, but I picked mine up at Starbucks. They have several other flavors as well such as Lavender and Kumquat. Bonus: no High Fructose Corn Syrup!!

Apricot-Glazed Chicken

$2.38 per serving (I was able to get 5 servings out of this because I used a whole chicken with wings and thighs, but this can easily just be used with chicken breasts for however many servings you need.)

I tried another new recipe tonight. I think it was a success, but I'm not completely sure. It was tasty, but I think I'd have to try it again to get the "crispiness" that I expected (and the recipe eluded to). Apricot jam, I'm learning, is a great thing to have on hand because it can be made up into a mild glaze (like this recipe) or sauce quite easily. 

Update: I woke up thinking about this recipe (not sure if that's a good thing or not) and was thinking about how the glaze didn't crisp the way I thought it would. I think I know why : I don't have a pastry brush (or any brush for that matter), so I ended up just spooning the glaze on the chicken. I think with a brush, I'd get a thinner layer of the glaze rather than globs. Basting with a brush would be easier than basting with a spoon. Once I get a brush, I'll try this recipe again to see if that makes any difference in the crisp factor.

I found this recipe on Whole Living (somehow associated with Martha Stewart). This recipe was kind of deceptive because it was a 30 Minute Meal, yet it called for "1 whole chicken, cut up into parts" which took me the better part of a half hour to do (something I don't think I will ever do again ... I'll pay the extra cents per pound to get a chicken that is already quartered). So, it took me about an hour, all said and done. 

Overall, it was good -- not wonderful, but not bad either.  The sweetness of the apricot glaze was quite good, definitely a mild flavor that I enjoyed. I think the glaze is something I'll keep on hand for future recipes. I served it with roasted sweet potatoes (by the way, you'll be seeing those around here a lot because I love them).

RECIPE: 

Apricot-Glazed Chicken

www.wholeliving.com

Serves 4.

• 1 cup apricot jam
• 3 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 whole chicken, cut into parts (about 6 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 
  
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• 2. In a small bowl, combine the jam, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brush with the glaze.
• 3. Roast, basting with the glaze, for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken and roast for 10 minutes more. Baste the chicken with the glaze and roast 5 minutes more, or until the glaze is just crisp.

RECEIPT:

I don't buy anything with high fructose corn syrup in it, so I sprung for the more expensive Apricot Jam that didn't contain that as the second ingredient (or have it as any ingredient for that matter). My chicken was a regular Foster Farms Whole Chicken that was on sale for $0.99/pound.

Note: the recipe called for Sherry Vinegar and I accidently grabbed the wrong bottle and picked up Sherry Cooking Wine-- must look more closely at labels! It tasted fine with the Cooking Wine though.

Sherry Cooking Wine: $0.36

Apricot Jam: $4.99

Whole Chicken: $4.75

Dry Mustard: $0.30

Two Sweet Potatoes: $1.48

Total: $11.88 / 5 servings = $2.38

Pear, Avocado & Spinach Salad

Pear, Avocado & Spinach Salad

$2.42 per serving (I used this as the main dish, so I only got three large servings out of it. This can definitely be used as a side for about 6 people, which comes out to $1.21 per side serving.)

I came across this recipe in fresh365.blogspot.com. It’s a fantastic site with some fantastic recipes. This is the first I’ve tried from this site and I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

I ate this salad with a huge hunk of whole wheat bread from a local bakery and a hunk of medium gouda from a local creamery. In total, my meal was probably about $5 with the bread and cheese added on, but was a perfectly light, but satisfying meal. I ate this for dinner and then two lunches and each time I finished it, I left completely satisfied.

Note: I made this for my aunt and uncle last night, and got rave reviews ... it really is an amazing salad! Although, I might take back my comment about it making a great side dish for 6 people since the three of us wiped the bowl clean! I'm making it for them next week as well, but we're going to double it and have it for a full meal.

My pear and avocado were not the most flavorful (didn’t have time to let the produce ripen for a few days), but they were still great additions to this simple salad. Adding gorgonzola brings depth and dimension and goes perfectly with the pear.

Recipe:

Pear, Avocado & Spinach Salad

adapted from Bon Appétit . serves 4

1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c seasoned rice vinegar
juice of one lime
1 T minced fresh cilantro
2 large garlic cloves, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
6-oz baby spinach, tough stems removed
1 Anjou pear, peeled & sliced
1/2 small red onion, minced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted & cubed
1/2 c crumbled gorgonzola cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix spinach, pear, and onion in large serving bowl. Add dressing and toss. Add avocado and gorgonzola, and lightly toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Receipt:

Organic Avocado: $2.00
Cilantro: $0.15
Organic Baby Spinach: $2.98
D’Anjou Pear: $0.61
Gorgonzola Cheese: $1.00
Lime: $0.22
Red Onion: $0.31 

Total: $7.27 / 3 = $2.42

About Recipes & Receipts

We all try to watch our waistlines and our wallets as we try to feed ourselves and our families. So, I’m embarking on a new adventure: taking tally of what I’m eating and what I’m spending. We all know that cooking at home is cheaper than eating out, but there’s a myth that you need to sacrifice flavor for funds. I’m learning as I cook more and more at home, that not only can I eat really well, but my wallet doesn’t have to suffer.

My meals are always approachable and made with ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. I try to use fresh produce as often as possible and try to get quality ingredients that are healthy for me.

I don’t have a goal of keeping each serving price under $5 or anything, but just keeping tally of what everything costs. Some meals will be really cheap, while others will be more of a splurge.

RECIPES: the majority of my recipes these days come from too many several food blogs I stalk each day and the few cookbooks I have in my kitchen. Some recipes will be ones that I’m just trying out, others will be the good-ole stand-bys while others will be meals I grew up with (note to self: ask my mom for her lasagna recipe). I’ll provide the recipe, any images I took during the meal and preparation process, and the link to where I found the recipe. Then I will breakdown the cost of the recipe … a few of the ingredients will be approximations since I won’t be using all that I have to buy (for instance, when I buy a tub of gorgonzola, but only need ½ cup, I’ll just estimate how much it cost for that ½ cup). 

RECEIPTS: I am very grateful to have a pretty cheap grocery store by my work that I frequent about once a week, so that’s partly why my bills are pretty low. They have a great produce section, as well as bulk section, but also keep in mind that Seattle is one of the most expensive cities in the country to buy food (10% higher than the rest of the country), so it probably evens out to what you’d be able to buy. I’m a big sale shopper (although I’m not a coupon cutter), so I’ll let you know what I got on sale as well. When I can, I’ll give brands for the products I bought and I’ll let you know when I bought organic.

I’ll break down the costs of each ingredient, add it all together and divide by the number of servings I get out of the meal to get an overall servings cost. I will not include the cost of Oils, Salt and Pepper and several Spices. If they are a staple in the kitchen, it probably won’t be included in the costing (it’s kind of hard to cost what a “pinch of garlic salt” will come out to).