Shrimp on a shrimp-sized budget!

TUESDAY'S DINNER:

Fried Rice* with Shrimp and Sesame Slaw $1.46

This is one of my favorite dishes. Why, you ask? 1) It's easy to make. 2) It's yummy. 3) It's healthy! and D) It's cheap!

What you'll need:

About 3 cups of leftover, cold White Rice

Garlic

Fresh Ginger Root

Toasted Sesame Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil

1 Egg

1 Carrot

Frozen Peas

Broccoli Slaw

Rice Wine Vinegar

Sesame Seeds

Bragg Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce

Large cooked Shrimp (peeled, de-veined, tail off--Trader Joes' frozen shimp are great with about 50-70 shrimp per bag)

Begin defrosting your shrimp about a half hour before you begin cooking. Soak them in soy sauce if you'd like. Warm your pan or wok. Add about a tbs of the toasted sesame oil and about a tbs of your vegetable oil. Once oil is pretty warm, add 1 egg. Scramble in the oil. Move to the side of the pan and add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and about 2 inches of peeled, chopped ginger root. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped carrot and cook for about a minute. Add your shrimp (drained) to the pan and warm (do not overcook--they will get rubbery!). Add your leftover white rice and about 2 tbs of Bragg's or soy sauce. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes. Add about a 1/4 cup of frozen peas and stir. Add more soy sauce to taste. YUM!

While your rice is a-cookin'...pour about 2 tbs of sesame seeds into a small pan. Heat over low-medium heat to toast the seeds. This brings out the nutty sesame flavor of the seeds and adds a nice little crunch factor in the slaw. Just watch that they don't burn! When they get a little bit golden, that's perfect! Turn off that heat. When they cool, throw them into your salad bowl.

For the slaw, we used broccoli slaw this time for a change. I do honestly think that I prefer a cabbage slaw, though. Maybe shred your own nappa cabbage...I don't know. But it still was good! In your salad bowl (over your toasted sesame seeds) pour about 3-4 tbs of the rice wine vinegar. Add about 1 tbs of your toasted sesame oil and a splash of Bragg's or soy sauce. Easy and tasty!

So there you have it! A meal that tastes great and is easy on the budget. Serves about 6!

*Disclaimer: I know, I know, this isn't authentic Chinese food. I equate this recipe to my mother-in-law's ayn-chee-lah-dahs (enchiladas). They're totally gringo, and my great grandmother Isabella Morales probably rolls over in her grave every time I eat them...but they are yummy in their own gringo way! So it is with this rice. Hope you like it!

Comfort Food

Sorry it's been awhile since I posted. Feeling queasy due to the Wee One Within (almost 12 weeks along, now!) has made it difficult to write about food, let alone cook it--but my camera on my phone decided to stop working last week. And I'm just too lazy these days to get out the "regular camera" and upload the pics... Sorry. I'm such a bad blogger lady. BUT--in spite of morning sickness and lame camera action, I have wanted to share some tasty and affordable things with you! And this is one of them.

Creamy Polenta & Grilled Veggies $1.02

What you  need:
Cornmeal (I like Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Cornmeal)
Cream or Evaporated Milk
Stinky Cheese such as Gorgonzola, Blue Cheese, or Roquefort
Unsalted Butter
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 an Eggplant
2 Zucchini
1/4 of a Large Onion
Olive Oil Spray
S&P

Comfort food... Comforting because it's creamy (the polenta). Comforting because it's healthy (the grilled veggies). Comforting because it's CHEAP!

I got the polenta recipe from Giada de Laurentiis' book Everyday Italian. It's super easy and yummy! It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare, so you can be grilling your veggies while you're stirring your polenta! First, get about 6 cups of water boiling in a large heavy saucepan. Begin heating your stovetop grill pan (the kind with the "BBQ lines") so it's nice and hot when you lay your veggies down. Then get your veggies ready. Slice 1 red pepper and 2 zucchini into chunky strips. Take half of an eggplant (save the rest for another dish), and slice into thin(ish) discs. Slice about 1/4 of an onion into rings. Spray the grill pan with a bit of olive oil. Lay your veggies down, turn the heat down slightly, and spray a bit more oil on the veggies. Hit it with some S&P. Once your water is boiling, add a couple teaspoons of salt (I ALWAYS use sea salt--yes, it matters...especially for those of you with high blood pressure) and gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Turn the heat down to low and stir often as it gets thick and tender. Giada says about 15 minutes. Watch your veggies, now! Turn 'em, flip 'em, grill 'em 'till they're tender and bright. Don't overcook them. If you finish them up before your polenta is done, just keep them warm in the oven. It won't be long now.... Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in about 3 tbs unsalted butter. Now add about 3/4 cup of heavy cream. I used evaporated milk because I had it leftover from some muffins I had made a couple of days before. Add about 3 oz of the stinky cheese, cut up. A friend came over the other day and brought a yummy stinky cheese that was creamier and a little bit milder than a big bold Gorgonzola. I think it was called St. Andrews or something. We threw out the package so I don't even know what kind of cheese it was. But, all you need for this recipe is something that has a decent stink on it and is easy melting. When everything's all melty and lovely, add S&P to taste.

ENJOY!