No one-trick ponies

I usually buy frozen, cryo-vaced salmon from Whole Foods. It's a little cheaper than the fresh stuff and I can keep it frozen for a later date or defrost for immediate consumption. I bought two pieces for just under a pound at $8.57. 

Most of the time I grill the salmon in my grill pan, but this time I dusted it with seasoned flour and seared it in a pan with some olive oil. I love pan-seared fish because it has that crunchy top layer but also a softness underneath.

Every night we eat salad and to keep it from getting boring I buy lots of salad dressings and toppings. Nuts, dried fruit, cheese, vegetables and, my favorite, wasabi peas, are great to bulk up and spice up salads. These salad additions aren't one-trick ponies, they are versatile ingredients that I incorporate into lots of main dishes. For instance, tonight I grilled thick slices of eggplant ($2.49), topped them with goat cheese ($4.99) while they were still hot then sliced some red peppers ($3.99) to finish the dish.

Get this:

Roasted red peppers-1, chopped

Eggplant-1, use half and cut into 1/2 inch slices

Goat cheese crumbles-1/2 cup

Salmon-2 fillets

Flour-1/2 cup

salt-to taste

pepper-to taste

oregano-to taste

garlic powder-to taste

Spend this:

$10.73 

I only used half the eggplant, a few slivers of red pepper, 1/2 cup of goat cheese and a fraction of the herbs and flour I have on hand. 

Note this:

I really try to use only what I need so that I can parlay the remaining ingredients into a dish for the next night. Waste not, want not.

The Real Housewives of the 1950's

Yesterday, I found an all-natural pot roast for $4.99/lb and bought it. I've never made a roast at home. It seems like a meal for a large dinner party. It seems so crock-pot. It's like a visit from the 1950's.

I picked up some carrots and celery. I knew I had an onion at home so I skipped on that. We are taking it easy on carb consumption, so I didn't buy potatoes either. My purchases cost me a total of $11.66. I got a nice sized roast weighing in at a little over 1.5 lbs-that was the bulk of my purchase.

When I arrived home, I rummaged through the fridge. Wine! Thyme! Fantastic finds both left from a party I had thrown two days prior.

I heated my pot (right about now I'm wishing I had that huge Le Creuset oval casserole pot) and added some oil. I heavily seasoned then seared the meat on both sides. Once the meat was dark brown and crusty, in went the wine. I covered the meat halfway with it. After the wine reduced for a few minutes I added water and the vegetables and herbs. It simmered on medium heat for 1.5 hours then we feasted.

Get this:

canola oil-1 tbs.
pot roast-1 or 2 lbs.
onion-half, chopped
celery-2 stems, chopped
carrot-2, peeled and chopped
thyme-4 sprigs
red wine-enough to submerge half of the roast
salt-to taste
pepper-to taste
garlic powder-to taste