Skillet Cooked Salmon

I went a bit extravagant for this one.  It's pretty basic, but also quite expensive.  This can be adapted to pretty much any fish, I just got salmon because it's one of my favorites.  You can get frozen fish, but I much prefer fish from the meat counter, so that's what I got.


Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds Salmon fillets
• $9 per pound
• some Olive Oil
• $5.45 for about 9 ounces
• 6 ounces of "Zesty Salmon Sauce" from the meat counter
• $2.50 for 6 ounces

Dishes and Utensils

• Large skillet
• Flipper
• Spoon or knife or your preferred spreading mechanism
• A lid to cover the aforementioned skillet

Cost: $16.50

People fed: 2 - 3

Cook time: 30 - 40 minutes

Directions:

First take a moment to get over the shock of spending that much for a meal for 2 or 3 people.  No seriously, this is just stupid.  But it tastes so good.

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of our system, put some oil in the skillet.  The oil is always an approximation.  I usually pour enough to cover about half of the base of the skillet, then move the oil around to see if it will cover the entire bottom.  If it doesn't I will add more oil.  Turn your stove on medium-low (3/10) and place your salmon in scale-side down.  If your fish does not have scales or any of that nonsense, just throw it on whichever side seems more pleasant.  Liberally plaster the upper side of the fish with your sauce.  Use it all or until you look at it and think "I seriously can not put any more sauce on here."  Once your fish is sufficiently sauced, put a lid on the skillet.

Every 5 to 10 minutes check on the fish to make sure nothing weird is happening.  Also use the flipper to make sure that the fish does not stick to the bottom of the skillet.  It's not a huge deal if it does because it's just the scales.  After the surface of the fish looks cooked, let it go for a little bit longer to ensure that the insides are cooked as well.  If you want to really make sure this is cooked, use your flipper to cut the fillet in half.  If it looks cooked (does not look like it did in raw form), then you're good!

This goes well with a side of rice or pasta.  I used some "add water and milk" pasta thing I got at Aldi.

Chicken Curry

Another recipe from my 30 minute dinners cook book.  Apparently I don't make much from here... because this is the last one that I remember making.  Oh well!  Chicken curry is a traditional Indian/South Asian meal.  It tends to be a bit on the spicy side, but this dish is not.  You could add more curry to get a bigger kick though.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups rice
• $1.20 for a bag of 7 or 8 cups
• .75 pounds chicken breasts
• $6 for 3 pounds
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 medium onion
• $.60
• 1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
• around $1 for 1 ounce
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• $13 for 266 bouillon cubes
• 1 5.5-ounce can of tomato juice
• $.30
• 8 ounces of pineapple tidbits
• 20 ounce can is $.80

Dishes and utensils:

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Large skillet
• Bowl

People fed: 3-4

Total cost: $3

Cook time: 30 minutes

Directions:
 Cook rice as directed to do so on the bag.  While rice is cooking,  cut chicken into thin slices about an inch long.  In the skillet heat the oil on medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink (about 3 minutes).  Cut the onion while chicken is cooking.  Put the chicken in the bowl and add the onion and curry to the oil in the skillet.  Stir in the flour, chicken broth*, and tomato juice one at a time, complete stirring in each item before adding the next one.


* Chicken broth is made by placing a bouillon cube in 8 ounces of water and boiling it, either in the microwave or on the stove.


Return the chicken to the skillet.  Stir in the pineapple.  Cook until everything is hot.  Serve on the rice.


If you prefer your dishes extra spicy, simple add more curry.  A common way to counter-act curry that is too spicy is to use plain yogurt or some sort of plain yogurt based sauce.  I have never made this, but if I ever do I'll be sure to include the recipe!

Chicken and noodle skillet dinner

Another things in common with many of my dishes is that they generally involve either chicken or ground turkey.  Sometimes ham.  This dish (found in Better Homes and Gardens Big Book of 30 minute dinners) originally called for pork... but I used chicken.  It's cheaper.

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 pound chicken
• $3 pounds for $6
• 1 medium onion
• about $.50
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3 cups of frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
• $1
• 4 ounces dried noodles of your choice
• Usually around $.80 for 16 ounces
• 1 10.75-ounce can of cream of celery
• $.70
• 1 cup chicken broth (bouillon) (this is 1 bouillon cube)
•  $13 for 226 cubes
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Dishes and utensils:

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Large skillet

People fed: 3-4

Total Cost:  $3.25


Cook time: 30 minutes


Directions:


Defrost the chicken (or whatever meat you want to use) and cut it into thin "bite-sized" pieces.  Also chop up the onion.  In the skillet combine the oil, meat, and onion.  Cook until the chicken is no longer raw (or about 4 minutes on medium-high).  Add in the vegetables, uncooked noodles, soup, broth*, water and pepper.

*Separately (and beforehand), put a bouillon cube in 8 ounces of water and heat it to a boil, be it in the microwave or on the stove. Whichever is your preference.  This makes 1 cup of broth.

Keep stirring your nonsense until the soup is well mixed with everything else.  That should be a good indicator of how well everything is mixed together.  Bring this to a boil.  When it starts boiling, reduce the heat (to a low or medium-low) and cover.  Let it simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring on occasion.  Taste a noodle or vegetable to see if it's done.  If the noodle is cooked and/or the vegetable is hot, then it's done!

Beef and Biscuit Casserole

This is one that I just tried for the first time today.  And I am currently eating it.  It's quite tasty.  This comes from my "Blue Ribbon Country Cook Book."


Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• I use ground turkey, which is $1.60 per pound
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• About $.60 for one onion
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• $.32
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 bottle is around $1.50
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 4 ounces of Colby Cheese
• 1 package (10 slices) of cheese was $2.  I used 4 slices.
• 1 tube of refrigerated biscuits
• $.50

Dishes and Utensils:

• A 1.5 quart baking dish
• A cutting board
• A knife
• A large skillet

Total Cost: $3.65

People fed: 2 -4

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Then brown your meat.  The recipe calls for half of a cup of onion.  I used half an onion.  Really it's your decision.  Anyhow, chop up as much onion you want to use.

Once the meat is about half browned, add the onion.  Once it is fully browned, turn off the heat and add the tomato sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, and basil.  When I made this I used exactly zero measuring cups.  I just covered the top with a sparse layer of ketchup and figured that would be close.  Then I added a spice layer* of salt and basil, followed by a sparse layer of pepper.

*I'm coining a new phrase.  A spice layer is an amount of a spice that sufficiently covers a food, but not so well covered that you can't see the underlying substance.  It should be dense enough that you don't think there are spots devoid of spice, but not so much spice that there are areas where it is difficult to see what's underneath.

After you mix everything together, put one layer of your meat/tomato goodness in your cooking dish.  The put a layer of cheese on top.  And another layer of meat/tomato.  Then another of cheese.  Finish my putting the rest of the meat/tomato mix on top and insert your dish into the oven for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and turn the oven up to 450.  Cover the top of your dish with some of the biscuits.  I used 8.  The key is to cover your dish without the biscuits touching.  Return your dish to the oven for another 10 minutes.  Remove... and you're done!

It should look something like this.

Just out of the oven

One serving of amazingness.

Stir fry

This is a classic recipe that I make quite frequently.  It's cheap, easy, and feeds a decent number of people.  This is something in common with most of my recipes.


Ingredients:

• 1 bag of frozen vegetables (or an equivalent amount of chopped fresh vegetables).  I usually use California medley or Stir-fry medley or something.
• $1
• 2 or 3 chicken breasts (depending on size and your preference)
• $6 for 3 lbs of chicken breasts
• 4-6 servings of white rice (1 - 1.5 cups of dry rice)
• $1.20 for a bag that's about 7 or so cups
• 4 - 6 eggs (depending on size and your preference)
• $1.25 for a dozen
• Probably some cooking oil
• Like $1 or $1.50 for a bottle of vegetable oil.  Or something.
• Soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce
• Either one is around $1.50
• Some spices
• I just pick one or two spices of whatever sounds good.  It's nice to have a collection of 8 to 10 spices on hand so you can mix and match.  This gives you 36 to 55 possible combinations of flavor.

Dishes and utensils needed:

• 1 small skillet and 1 large skillet
• 1 medium sauce pan (or small pot or whatever you want to call it)
• At least 1 wooden spatula, 1 wooden spoon, 1 fork
• A bowl
• The implication is that you need whatever measuring apparatuses I mentioned previously

Cook time: 45 minutes

People fed: about 4

Total cost: $3.25 (cost of oil, spices, and sauce not included)

Directions:

Start off by defrosting the chicken, using your preferred method.  When you've finished, cut the chicken up into bite-sized pieces and put them in the large skillet.  Use oil if you need to.  Cook the chicken on medium.  At the same time, start cooking the rice.  Keep an eye on it and stir it occasionally until it's done.

Go back to the chicken.  Put a moderate layer of spice on the chicken.  By this time the bottom should be starting to cook, so try to flip the pieces over.  Just make sure all sides of the pieces are getting cooked.  After you flip the pieces, add some more spice.

When the chicken looks about 3/4 cooked (still pink in parts) add the vegetables.  Do your best to get these well mixed in.  Turn the heat down a smidge and throw a lid on it.  Then mix your eggs in the bowl and put them in the small skillet.   Use salt and/or pepper at your preference.  Also, throw some more spice onto the vegetable/chicken mix.

Keep an eye on all the things.  This is generally a good time to put the rice on a lower heat and continuously stir the vegetables. If it looks like it needs more spice, then add some more.  When the eggs look cooked, add them to the vegetable mix.  Keep stirring everything until the chicken is cooked (which I'm sure it will be at this point) and the vegetables are hot.

Once everything is done, put a scoop or two of rice on your plate, the cover with a scoop or two of everything else.  Use sauce as desired.  Garnish with sesame seeds if you like.