Here are some specials at Harris Teeter this week:
Alaska Sockeye Salmon Fillets (Wild Caught) - $10.99 per pound Blueberries - $1.25 per pint Strawberries - $1.25 per pound Beef Back Ribs - $1.97 per pound Yellow Onions - $1.97 per 3lb bag Watermelon - $3.50 each
Please note that each Harris Teeter location may have different specials than listed above. Check out the weekly specials at a location near you here. Also, you can have weekly specials from Harris Teeter sent directly to your email box by signing up for their E-VIC service.
Turns out that Safeway also has Filet Mignon Steak on sale for $8.99 a pound. I've never bought that cut of meat at a grocery store so I can't tell you if that is a good price or not but I'm guessing it is.
Good Morning! Since I've been so bad about posting sales, I promised myself that I would get this Wednesday's Safeway sale posted early. Looks like this week has something I've never seen at Safeway before: Wild Caught Salmon. The only salmon I have ever found at Safeway is farm raised with color added and I just can't do that. It is $7.99 per lb which isn't too bad for wild caught. With the mangoes, red onions, and salmon on sale, this week would be ideal to try a salmon and mango salsa recipe like this one. Here are some other deals:
Beef Tenderloin - $6.99 per lb London Broil - $1.99 per lb Pork Loin Chops - $1.99 per lb Blueberries - $0.99 per pint (blueberry season is pretty much over so enjoy them while you can.) Mangos - 2 for $1 Tomatoes - $1.49 Watermelon - Buy one Get one Red Onions - $0.99 per lb Red, Green, and Romaine Lettuce - $0.99 per lb Peaches and Nectarines - $1.49 per lb
Please note that each Safeway location is different. Please check your local Safeway Weekly Special on Safeway.com to see their specials.
About once a month, my friends and I plan a dinner party together. July was my month to host. This was the perfect month for me since I've made the decision to move to a house and I got to host it in my future home. For a month I thought I was going to do an Asian grill night with some Korean BBQ and some Vietnamese grilled pork with noodles. In the end, I decided on a gourmet burger and grilled pizza night. This past week was spent reading food blogs and stealing recipes. The party list grew to twenty people and I started to get more ambitious. There were about five different recipes I was sure I wanted to make. The day started at noon with some food shopping and some prep work. I had it all under control.
Well, I thought I had everything under control. The first item that I started to prep were Bleu Cheese Stuffed burgers. To two pounds of beef, I added half a cup of diced red onions, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of Lawry's seasoning, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper. 4 oz of Bleu cheese and 4 oz of cream cheese were mixed, small patties were formed, a spoon of the the Bleu cheese mixture was placed on top, another small patty was placed on top and the sides pinched together. We ended up with four LARGE patties that were placed in the fridge until grill time. This burger was pretty spectacular. Bleu cheese goes so well with beef.
The first pizza was this Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza from Smitten Kitchen. Instead of yellow summer squash, I used sliced Japanese eggplant. The coloring wasn't as pretty but the eggplant seemed to work fine. I also substituted thyme for the basil. Some cream cheese was added to the goat cheese to cut the sharpness of the flavor. This pizza gave me the opportunity to use my pizza stone which worked out well.
Once the guest started to arrive, the grilling began. My friend Michael was a big help because unlike me, he was very comfortable with dough. The dough was purchased from Trader Joes for $0.99 a piece. The problems I had last week were fixed this week. I used a lot more flour when rolling out the dough and used the flour appropriately (on the rolling pin and on my hands.) The dough was rolled out nice and smooth and the grilling began. Then...it was all a blur.
The dough cooked incredibly fast. Within minutes, the top of the dough began to bubble and the bottom began to harden and get grill marks. We watched it carefully and flipped it when it was just right. Then toppings were quickly placed on top (tomato sauce, pepperoni and cheese) and the grill door was closed to heat the toppings. Everything happened so fast. I ran back in to roll out the next batch of dough and to prepare the next set of toppings. (Salami and cheese; Salami and grilled vegetables). The next thing I remembered was that we had four fully grilled pizzas and it was time for the burgers to be placed on the grill. There was a pizza I did not get to make (Bleu cheese with BBQ chicken) but sometimes you just have to stop and enjoy the party you are throwing.
My favorite pizza of the night was the roasted vegetables with feta. It had half a head of roasted garlic, red peppers, eggplant, onions, tomato sauce, and a nice generous sprinkling of feta. It occurred to me later that I enjoyed this pizza more because the crust had a lot of flavor from the grilling and the taste of the feta was more pronounced than the taste of the mozzarella. The roasted garlic also helped in the flavor category.
The prettiest pizza goes to the heirloom tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella pizza. Look at that beauty. (The heirloom tomatoes at the top of this posting looks like candy doesn't it?) The evening was quite the success. The severe thunderstorm warning scared me a bit but the rain held off and my friends got to hang out on the porch, drink beer, make bad jokes, and eat some serious grub. The cost of this whole affair was quite minimal considering that a lot of my friends brought meat and toppings for the pizza. I should also mention the other dishes that were brought that night.
Dough scares me. It just does. I think its the whole deal with the flour, the yeast, the waiting for it to rise, etc. It could just be that I grew up on rice and baking is not in my blood. It will be a cooking hurtle that I will someday overcome but at this time, I'm just not ready for it.
For my birthday last winter, I got a pizza stone as a gift. Its been sitting in my kitchen for six months unused. My fear of making the dough kept me from delicious homemade pizza. When I heard that Matchbox, (whose pizzas are quite delicious) sold dough, it got me thinking that I may never need to actually make my own dough (Matchbox sells their dough for $4.) I knew Trader Joes sells dough for a great price and they also have a whole wheat option. The price is $0.99 for 16 oz of dough. The problem is that Trader Joes in DC is not in the most convenient location (for me.)
It was on a Tuesday afternoon that my friends and I decided to get together for a spontaneous make-our-own-pizza dinner. None of us have ever made our own pizza dough and we had some time issues. My mission was to find a local shop on U Street that sold dough. Pizza Bolis - No. Pizza Hut - No. Coppi's - Yes ($6 per pizza dough; unfortunately, I'm NOT their pizza crust's #1 fan though I think their salads are fantastic), Italian Pizza Kitchen - Yes ($3 each.) IPK was the closest restaurant to my friend's house and so IPK won.
After work, I made my way towards U Street. On my way there, I decided to stop by Whole Foods because I heard from @Macheesmo that they might sell pizza dough. They didn't but I decided to get some whole wheat naan in case the dough didn't turn out as well as we would have liked. During my low-carb days, I made my fair share of low-carb pizzas using whole wheat pita or naan. They were pretty good.
My friends are great collaborators. Jazmin brought basil and tomatoes from her garden. Crickett sauteed some spinach, mushrooms, red onions, and other delish vegetables and provided the mozzarella cheese. Sarah brought the red wine. Annie brought the cheesecake. I brought the dough, feta cheese, and some tomatoes from North Carolina.
Do you see this picture above? Do you notice something strange? Yeah...its called Thrifty DC Cook doesn't know jack about rolling out dough. Crickett was doing her best to roll it out using a roller. I tried picking it up and throwing it around the way Lucille Ball did on "I Love Lucy." The dough bounced back whenever we tried to move it and eventually we thought that this is as good as it was going to get and so we had THICK crust pizza (I actually think of it as ball of Pizza.) Luckily, some of us liked it. I'm a thin crust girl and I did not.
The pizzas that were made with the whole wheat naan were DELISH! They came out of the oven hot and the crust toasted with a slight crunch. Yum.
Total, we made four different types of pizzas. Crickett was the main chef that day and what I can tell you is that some of the pizzas had feta, artichokes, sauteed spinach, tomatoes, basil, mozarella, etc. The one below is the second of the two fresh doughs that we bought. I worked on this dough a little more and got it rolled out a little thinner than the first but it was still thicker than I would have liked. I also poked some holes into the dough and could not figure out how to fix it. In the end, I just pinched the holes together when it was resting on the pizza stone. This one was made with tomato sauce, lots of basil, fresh tomatoes, and mozzarella.
If I ever get the guts to tackle dough, I'll use this recipe sent to me by @Metocurean. Hopefully, I also work my charms on the cook at Astor Mediterranean on Columbia Road for the recipe of their crust. The crust on their pizzas is GOOD. I swear they must inject olive oil into the crust as it bakes.
Since I frequently mention Safeway on this blog, I figure I should share with you this post titled "Help Verify Safeway Nicknames" from the Prince of Petworth. Enjoy!
A friend of mine runs a website called Wingipedia. Its a site where he and others rate wings that can be found around DC. He rates the wings on temperature, spice, flavor, etc. There are some good finds along Georgia Avenue on that site. Though this site does not recommend Nellie's on 9th and U Street, I do (but I also don't remember the wings I had being breaded.) The wings were meaty and moist (not fried until they were dried out), and their Bourbon Whiskey sauce is good. But frankly, I really enjoy wings that are made in my own kitchen. Get 2 pounds of wings, 1/2 a cup of Franks Hot Sauce, 1/3 cup of butter, and some garlic. Brush wings with olive oil, season, and bake for about 45 minutes at 450F. Saute minced garlic on medium-low until they are soft in the butter (is there a term for stewed in butter?.) Once the chicken is out of the oven, mix hot sauce with the butter and cover the wings with the sauce. Put wings back in the oven for another ten minutes. Finger licken good.
Wingettes are on sale at Safeway for $2.69 per lb. Here are some other specials at Safeway this week:
Whole Chicken - $0.99 per lb Pork Spare Ribs - $1.49 per lb Pepsi Products - $0.59 per 2 litre Honey Nut Cheerios - $1.50 per box Express Bag Salad - $1 each Plums - $1.49 per lb
I have been a bad, bad blogger. For the last week or so, I've neglected my cooking, my picture taking, and my writing. Instead, I decided to be a good vacationer and I did a damn good job doing it. With the help of my friend JR, his mom Rita, and their friends, I went swimming, watched plays, ate "Rita's Special" at Stripers, got stranded out in the "sound" while sailing, burned my hand by grabbing on to a hot pan that just came out of the oven, laughed like crazy, raced through South Virginia to miss not one but two different trains, and just simply had a crazy, wonderful vacation. The best memory I have of this trip is sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch, reading a book, smelling the fresh salty air, and listening to the water lap up against the shore. Everything felt so good out there.
We were down in North Carolina in the Outerbanks and barbecue was definitely on the list of "must eat." JR's favorite place is a place called Pigman's. Its a simple place where you order and pick up your food at a counter. BBQ pork ribs is how I judge most barbecue joints. I like my ribs tender and falling off the bone. Unfortunately, the ribs here were a little disappointing but the pulled pork was very good. And the coleslaw...probably the best coleslaw I can remember eating. It was crunchy, creamy, and refreshing with the bbq. I was not a fan of their hush puppies at first but the sweet, corn taste started to grow on me. Did I mention the cold sweet tea I drank with this meal? If I get a chance to come back again, I will be ordering the pulled pork sandwich.
A part of the trip included Manteo's Farmers Market. I'm glad to report that DC farmers markets carry a lot more variety and a lot more produce but I find the fruit and vegtables sold out of the back of a truck kind of charming. This vendor gave me a woven basket that I will be carrying with me to the market here in DC.
But all good things must come to an end. Someone told me that good things end so that better things can come along. ***frown*** I guess. I'd still rather be on vacation.
***Note: If it wasn't for JR, this blog would have been called "Thirfty DC Cook." Thanks for being a great proof reader, JR!
There is something you should probably know about me. I'm lactose intolerant. Its not the most terrible thing that could happen to me but its pretty terrible because I love dairy products. Cheese, ice cream, milk...I love it all. Its not like I live without any dairy in my life but I have to be really careful when I'm dining out or if I have plans later on that day. An upset stomach does not make for a happy time. I think that is why I idealize a good bowl of cereal the way I do. There have been nights when I don't have any plans and I would gleefully walk to the grocery store and pick up some milk and cereal and spend an evening watching a movie with my bowl of cereal. Even now I think about those evenings with a bit of delight.
This week at Safeway, my favorite cereals are on sale. Here are the specials:
Beef Chuck Blade Roast - $1.69 per lb Boneless Whole Pork Loin - $1.69 per lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast or Thighs - $1.69 per lb Fresh Crabmeat - $8.99 each Captain Crunch - $1.88 per box Blueberries - $3.99 per quart Yellow Peaches - $0.99 per lb Vine Ripe Tomatoes - $0.99 per lb Whole Chicken - $1.49 per lb Lucerne Butter - $2.49 Raisin Bran - $2.50 per box
Food was delicious. My cousins Michelle and Tina and I shared two plate specials of the Memphis Dry Rub Ribs, Tennesse Whiskey Beer Chicken, Coleslaw, Baked Beans with Burnt Ends, Cajun Dirty Rice, and Cornbread. There was a lot of food but we still left with a doggie bag.
The total bill came out to be $39. We each pitched in $13 and had a fabulous meal. I love New York.
And look! You can order a whole pig (plus sides) for $480 + tax. I think that is pretty exciting. I hear that they smoke the pig for over 9 hours.
Yes, I actually went to the grocery store while on vacation. I just couldn't help myself. I wanted some fruit and I kinda wanted to see what the prices are like in NYC. My cousin Tina lives in South Manhattan so we went to whichever grocery store we could find nearby. Jubilee Market Place claims to be "an extraordinary specialty food market." In my language, that means expensive. Most items were more expensive than in DC but there were some good deals. And I promise that I won't be spending my entire time looking at food prices while I'm on vacation. Maybe...
Blueberries - $1.99 pint Pineapple - $2.99 each Celery - $1.50 each Iceberg Lettuce - $1.50 each Dozen Organic Eggs - $3.99 each 1/2 Gallon of Milk - $3.99 each Chicken Legs - $1.89 per lb Boneless Chicken Breast - $3.99 per lb Lean Ground Beef - $3.29 per lb Feta Cheese - $1.99 per 4oz
The following is a guest blog written by Jazmin Gargoum.
Recently, I was asked to plan a fundraiser for a group called Forgotten Voices which provides care for children orphaned by AIDS in Africa.The fundraising goal is relatively small, $600 to send 40 students to school for a four month period.For our target audience of young professionals and activists like me, every penny counts.My goal was to develop a plan for an enticing and cost effective fundraiser that would be economical for our guests as well as profitable for the cause.
Many bars in DC offer happy hour fundraising packages with a cover charge and a small portion of the cost of each drink sold donated to the cause.While it's a good marketing technique for the bar and raises some money for the benefit, it isn’t the most efficient use of the contributors' money.If I assume the average guest spends $5 on cover, $10 on food, and buys four drinks at the $4 happy hour rate, roughly $9 would go towards the fundraiser, and $22 to the bar, pre-tax and tip.$30 may be a reasonable amount for a person to spend on a Friday night, but if the goal is fundraising, only one third of that income is going to the cause.
I needed a plan that would have all of the enjoyable features of a fundraiser bar night – music, food, and booze – but would raise more money for our charity while having a smaller effect on our guests’ wallets.What made the most sense to me was a house party fundraiser.A $10 minimum donation grants admission, food and beverages.So if $30 is what would typically be spent at a bar for a fundraiser, even if our guests put in just $5 over the minimum donation, they are spending half of what they would have elsewhere, while increasing their charitable donation by 50 percent.
There will be a tip jar for donations towards food and beverages, but with a tight food budget, and food and drink donations from friends, most of that money will go towards our goal rather than cost reimbursement.The best way to keep costs down on food and drinks is by planning ahead and asking friends to donate cooking services.By doing price comparisons and choosing menu items that stretch a long way, a lot of money can be saved – especially if some ingredients can be purchased in bulk and used in several dishes.
It’s difficult for young professionals to think of spending our income on anything beyond the necessities and time out with our friends.Budgeting for causes that we care about is something that we will do when we have more disposable income.My hope is that this fundraiser will provide something beyond the typical Friday night out – fun, with a little bit of learning, and a cost effective opportunity to give back.
To learn more about Forgotten Voices and the fundraiser, please visit ForgottenVoices.org.Recipes used for the event and shopping tips are below.Please join us at 934 T St. NW on July 10th at 6:00pm.
Forgotten Voices Fundraiser Menu
For the Forgotten Voices fundraiser, my goal was to keep our food costs to a minimum, while providing a quality spread.I spent under $30 on beef hot dogs and chicken from Costco to throw on the grill, and will be making potato salad and two pots of red beans and rice – one vegetarian and one with ground beef and beef smoked sausage. The ingredients for the red beans, potato salad and a veggie tray were purchased for $25 from the Bestway Supermarket in Mount Pleasant.Bestway is a great place to buy inexpensive, quality produce.That, plus chips, salsa, beer, and our donated deserts, and I’m ready to host.
Red Beans and Rice:
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds red beans
1 ½ pounds ground beef*
1 pound beef smoked sausage*- sliced
1 small can of tomato paste
2 green bell peppers- diced
2 ribs of celery- sliced
4 roma tomatoes- diced
½ bunch of parsley- finely chopped
Jalapenos to taste- finely chopped (optional)
Fresh garlic to taste- finely chopped (I used 4 large cloves)
Spice mix: salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne- to taste
*These ingredients are not used in the vegetarian version
Soften the red beans using your preferred method.If there is time I soak the beans overnight.Otherwise, I put the beans in a large pot and fill the pot with water to two inches above the beans, bring the water to a boil for two minutes, and then bring the heat setting to low for one hour before draining the beans.
Sauté all of the vegetables in a large pot on medium heat until they are softened.Add the ground beef, sausage and the spice mix and let the meat brown (just add the spice mix for the vegetarian version).Add the can of tomato paste, 1 ½ cups of water and the red beans.Let the beans cook for about an hour, stirring regularly.
Serve over your rice of choice.I use basmati, but any long grain rice will do.Brown rice would be a tasty, healthy option.
Potato Salad:
5 pounds of red potatoes- cut in ¾ inch cubes
2 cups of shredded carrots
2 celery stalks- thinly sliced
½ bunch of parsley- finely chopped
½ red cabbage- finely chopped
1 small red onion- finely chopped
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. sugar
Mayonnaise- to taste
Brown mustard- to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes in a large pot filled with water to two inches above the potatoes.Salt them and let them boil until they are soft.Drain the potatoes and let them cool. Once the vegetables have been shredded, diced and chopped, add the lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. Add this mixture to the cooled potatoes. Add the mayonnaise, brown mustard, salt and pepper and mix the salad thoroughly.
Someone once told me that Dim Sum was served in such small portions because the food was made to compliment the tea and the conversation. You are suppose to sit, talk, sip tea, nibble on food, and enjoy the company of your family or friends. Recently, I had dinner with my uncle and aunt who I feel have perfected cooking for conversation. The meal started with lemongrass pork ribs, boiled meaty pork bones with a dipping sauce, and roasted squab. It peaked with shrimp wonton noodle soup. It ended with key lime pie and fresh, ripe cherries. We sat, sipped wine, and gnawed on some bones, bit into some cherries, and talked. The food was delicious but the company and conversation was just that much more delicious. Looking back at the most memorable meals I have had in my life, it had a lot to do with the company that I enjoyed it with. I hope that I will learn to be technically good at cooking but I also hope that I one day learn to create a meal that people will sit and enjoy for hours.
A good steak dinner was a long time coming for this blog. I've posted more steak sales than any other cut of meat or vegetable. So when my friend Olivia and I confirmed a night when we were both available for dinner, I knew it was my chance to fry up a good steak. While I was picking up the steaks, I saw that Vidalia onions were on sale. Caramelized onions instantly came to mind. I had picked up some artichokes over the weekend in hopes to make stuffed artichokes but instead decided to steam them. Turns out that Olivia "loves" steamed artichokes. We dipped the steamed leaves in an olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper mixture. The meat of the artichoke was so rich. I used the fresh garlic from the farmers market which is considerably sweeter tasting than any other garlic I have purchased at a store. We sat, we ate, we sipped wine, we gossiped about boys, and we enjoyed each others company. Good food. Good people. Good life.
Items purchased at Safeway and Trader Joes
Porterhouse steak - $4.79 per lb ($6.04 for one which Olivia and I split) 2 Sweet White Corn - six for $1 2 lbs of Vadalia Onions - $1.29 per lb (I caramelized two onions and we ate all of it) 4 artichokes - $2.49 for a pack of four 5 cloves of fresh garlic - Free - Gift from Ragini 1/2 a lemon - $0.69 each Maggi Seasoning - Free from previous purchase 2 Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar - Free from previous purchase 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil - Free from previous purchase
Artichokes were steamed in a pot of water with half a lemon. They steamed for 45 minutes until the leaves could easily be pulled off. The dipping sauce was just some olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
The best thing out of this entire meal were the caramelized onions. Two onions were sliced up and vinegar was poured on top of the onions. Heat up a pan to med-high heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and then add the onions. Salt the onions and add a tablespoon of Maggi. Cook until onions are a golden brown and a few pieces are a little burnt. Olivia and I could have eaten an entire bowl of this alone.
The secret to a good steak is Maggi. It is like a soy sauce but is not soy sauce. This steak was salt, peppered, and marinated in some minced garlic and two tablespoons of Maggi. Then it was pan seared until it was about medium done.
The sweet corn was rinsed, wrapped in foil, and roasted in oven at 400 for 45 minutes. I could have eaten this corn for dessert. It was so sweet.
You see that little smudge of red on the upper right hand side of my plate? That is Sriracha chili sauce. I love dipping my steak in this sauce. Our meal was enjoyed with a bottle of this:
The entire meal cost about $12.20 (this does not include the cost of the wine.) I couldn't even finish my portion of the steak. I'll have it sliced up and on top of a salad tomorrow.
Last week, my friend Joy (who has gifted me with many wonderful dinners at her place) texted me while she was visiting family in Iowa to tell me how inexpensive everything was there compared to DC. She went grocery shopping with her dad and got 18 eggs for $0.75 and a 12-pack of beer for $3.99. "Everything here is 1/3 the price than in DC; houses, food, beer. But its still not enough to make me move back." No worries Joy. You can get some good deals here in DC too. Safeway has an in store coupon for eggs. 18 of them for $0.99. Sunday might be a great day to have a brunch party.
Here are this weeks deals at Safeway:
London Broil - $1.99 per lb
Ground Beef - $1.59 per lb
Whole Pork Tender Loin - $2.99 per lb
Rainer Cherries - $2.88 per lb
Variety of Melons - $0.69 per lb
Green & Yellow Squash - $0.79 per lb
18 Eggs - $0.99 per carton (with Safeway coupon)
Haegan Daez - $3.50 per pint
Bananas - $0.50 per lb
Vidalia Onions - $1.29 per lb
Canned Beans - $1.00 per can
***Disclaimer - Please note that each Safeway location is different. Please check your local Safeway Weekly Special on Safeway.com to see their specials.
This really should be called heart attack in a bite because I truly believe someone could actually have a heart attack after eating this. Its right up there with my bacon wrapped hot dogs. It was the Fourth of July and I wasn't going to show up to a party with some bean dip and a bag of chips. I've got my pride. So, I had to show up with something that was going to have some "wow" to it. This recipe definitely has the "wow" factor and awarded me some pats on the back at the end of the night.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman and my friend Olivia.
Items purchased at YES! Organics and Trader Joes
12 Jalapenos - $4.21 for 12 (paid way too much for these but I was in a bind) 5 oz of goat cheese (I used herb crusted) - $2.49 8 oz of cream cheese - $1.29 12 slices of bacon (strips cut in half) - $4.29 for one package
Preheat oven to 375F.
Rinse jalapenos and dry them. Put on some rubber gloves (this will prevent your hands from burning.) Cut jalapenos in half and remove seeds using a spoon.
Goat cheese and cream cheese should be at room temperature. Mix both cheeses together in a bowl.
Using a butter knife, fill each jalapeno half with the cheese mixture. Wrap each jalapeno with a half strip of bacon. Using toothpicks or half of a short skewer, (I didn't have any toothpicks so I had to cut the short skewers I had in half) pierce through the jalapeno.
Arrange the pieces on a foil covered cookie sheet (please note that the fat in the bacon will cook out so be sure your cookie sheet has sides to catch the fat or you can bake them in a 13x9 pan. If you have a rack to bake it on, that would be best) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until your bacon has fully browned. I had to bake mine for about 35 minutes for the bacon to be crispy (just the way I like it.)
There are only a few reasons for me to head out to Virginia:
1. To visit my family and eat homemade Vietnamese food. 2. To visit Eden Center to eat and shop for Vietnamese food. 3. To visit my friend Angie. 4. To shop at large Asian/International supermarkets.
Sometimes, its hard for me to bring my friends to Asian markets because I worry that they would be repulsed by the whole dead fish lying out on buckets of ice by the seafood counter or the less-manicured-than-Whole Foods produce aisle. Luckily, I have met friends in DC who are not only willing to head to Asian markets with me but feel excited about it. My last trip to Virginia was to have lunch with my friend/co-worker Angie. She spent 2 and half years in Benin, Africa for Peace Corp and after her tales of monster ants and flies, I didn't hesitate to suggest a trip to Grand Mart. We walked through the produce aisle and were instantly excited by the great prices on produce. I go to find the condiments aisle where I immediately picked up some rice vinegar and Chinese cooking wine.
Then I find Angie in the soap aisle with a bar of soap up her nose taking deep breaths. Apparently she walked by the seafood aisle and didn't feel too well afterward. It could be that she is in the second trimester of her pregnancy and has an enhanced sense of smell. Or it could be that even those who had to smoosh giant bugs with their bare hands cannot handle an Asian market's seafood aisle and its pungent scent.
We ended up leaving shortly after that but I did get some good deals on produce. Here are some deals you can find at Grand Mart:
Watermelon - $3 each Pineapple - $2 each Cauliflower - $0.99 a head Strawberries - $1.29 a package (these smelled and tasted amazing) Red Peppers - $0.88 a pound Romaine Lettuce - $2.49 for a pack of three (you can even purchase organic lettuce here) Green Grapes - $0.88 a pound
Porterhouse Steak or T-Bone Steak - $4.99 a lb Sweet White Corn - 12 for $1.99 Chicken Breasts - $0.99 a lb Watermelon - $3.88 a lb Cherries - $1.57 a lb Snow Crab Clusters - $4.99 a lb Nathan's Beef Franks - Buy one Get one Free Blueberries - $2.99 a lb Green and Yellow Squash - $0.99 a lb Large Portabella Caps - $0.99 each
Please check www.giantfood.com to see the specials at your local Giant Supermarket.
Ground turkey is tasteless and can be very disappointing. Where is the fat? Where is the flavor? Where is the beef? Sometimes I stand at the supermarket and look from the package of ground turkey to the package of ground beef. Then back to the ground turkey and back to the ground beef. Then I think about my heart, frown, and pick up the package of ground turkey. Recently, ground turkey and I have come to an understanding. We understand that I will buy ground turkey but I'm going to season the hell out of it. It seems to have accepted its fate well. Below is a recipe for some spicy turkey burgers I made recently.
Items purchased at Safeway
1 pound of ground turkey - $1.99
2 tablespoons of Worcheshire sauce - Free from previous purchase
1/2 cup of diced onions - $0.74 per lb
1 to 2 Jalapenos peppers, sliced - $0.17 each
1/4 teaspoon of salt - Free from previous purchase
1/2 teaspoon of pepper - Free from previous purchase
Olive Oil - Free from previous purchase
Burger Buns - Gifted from friend
(burger buns are on sale for $0.89 for a package of 8)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix the first six ingredients together (be careful not to over mix. It could make the burger pattie too dense.) Form mixture into four patties (these will be thick burgers). Grease frying pan with two tablespoons of olive oil. Place pan on medium-high heat. Sear each side for one minute. Place burger on cookie sheet, put in oven, and bake for ten minutes. Check center of burger to confirm that the burger is cooked through. If not, throw it back into the oven for a few more minutes. The burgers should not dry out since it was already seared on each side.
Top burger with favorite toppings. Enjoy.
(Please note that the burger bun shown in the picture below is actually a burger bun purchased by my friend Anna at the 14th and U Street Farmers market. She wanted me to try it out for...important research.)
Burgers can easily be made for under $5 and is a great recipe to bring to barbecues. With all the seasoning, the burger is tasty and gives you a nice meaty bite without all the fat. You can probably make smaller patties and make eight burgers out of a pound of ground turkey. Also, do not be alarmed by the amount of Jalapenos used. The pepper is less spicy when it is cooked. If you are worried about the heat, replace the jalapenos with a cup of diced red peppers.
After writing this, I read a NY Times article posted by Adventures in Shaw on her Twitter page about making the perfect burger. I'm going to try to make a well in my burgers next time.
