I have broken up with Dunkin Donuts

Confession.  I am addicted to coffee.  And when I say addicted, I mean ADDICTED.  I can not start my day without it.  Period.  I like it any way I can get it--hot, cold, straight or fancied up, if you're offering it, I'll take it.

I might take it any way, but I prefer it iced and carmel.

Have you ever had Dunkin Donuts Iced Carmel Latte?  That, to me, is the BEST thing on earth.  It's the perfect marriage of both caffeine and sweetness.  I can suck it down like water.  Actually, maybe even faster than water, because it's a whole lot better!

Since that little sucker is almost $4 though, I've been on a loooong quest to make the perfect replica at home.  My quest has taken me from coffee flavors to syrups to some really horrible "shot syrup" and everything in between.  I have, for awhile now, settled on the method of brewing it hot, refrigerating it in a glass bottle and adding Baileys Coffee creamer.  It was a good solution--it's held me over for a year.  But, I was reading a blog about coffee and decided that it was try to get this right, again.

Can I just tell you:  I WILL NEVER BUY ICED COFFEE AGAIN.  It is that good.

Now, before you read on, please know that this is going to seem a little crazy, and a bit time consuming--but I assure you, it's well worth that effort.  It's my take on a massive cold-french-press coffee, without the french press.  :)  Out of my form though, I'm going to give you some photo illustrations of the processes--

Step 1:  Get a soup-pot and a bag of coffee, ground.  

Step 2:  Place the coffee grounds in the pot.

Step 3:  Add water, just right on top of the grounds!

Step 4:  Mix it up.  Make certain all those grounds are wet and will absorb the water! Cover and let set for hours (I let mine sit for around 6)

Step 5:  Get a large jug/canister that you can transfer the coffee to/dispense from. (pictured is a great refrigerator-jug from walmart that cost about $5)

Step 6:  Cover the top of the opening with a cheescloth and strainer. 

Step 7:  In small batches (about 1 cup each) strain the coffee grounds out--and the coffee into the new container.   You will have to rinse the cloth a few times to get the coffee "sludge" off.  This process is a bit time consuming--so go slow, otherwise you'll end up with coffee grounds in your yummy drinks!

Step 8:  You can choose to leave, or add more water-depending on your taste preference.  The original mixture is strong-and black, so I lightened it up a little bit, with an additional 3-4 cups of water.

Step 9:  Now the fun part--flavor it up!   This is where the real magic happens.  There are a lot of ways you can go with this depending on your preferences.  My goal was to replicate DD's happiness, so I was looking for the perfect combination of sweetness and creaminess.  Do you know what achieves this?!  Canned, condensed sweetened milk and carmel syrup (I used Eagle Brand and Smuckers).  Add just a little sweetened milk and carmel to a glass and stir.  Add ice and coffee--and stir some more.

The result was a light, carmel, lovely iced latte that beats the socks-off of DD.

I'm sorry, Dunkin, we've had a spectacular run, but all good things must come to an end.

Pan-Fried Tilapia and Summer Saute

Holy moly, summer is upon us!  Is it hot enough for you?  The temperature has been rising and we have been sweating our little bums off on the NJ shore.  Thank goodness for air conditioner.

What's good about summer?  Meh, not much in my book.  The ONE thing I look forward to during this time of year is the food--fresh fruit and veggies galore!

We have been munching down on all sorts of healthy goodness around our house this summer and thinking of creative ways to keep it fresh has been a good challenge.  I mean, how many ways can you REALLY make squash?  Oh, and did I mention that the dear husband hates squash?  (who hates squash?!)  To add yet another challenge to the mix, we're also on this whole "see how much we can save in life" kick, which means our meals have to be both a) healthy; and b) cheap.

This week, while shopping, I had a TON of coupons for free and/or low-cost veggies and there was a great sale on fresh fish, so I stocked up.   Armed with with both, I had some serious cooking to do.  Ya.

The outcome was a great meal that prompted a "I still don't understand why you didn't go go culinary school" from the husband.  I think that means he liked it. :)

Pan Fried Tilapia and Summer Saute


Ingredients: 
2 tilapia filets-fresh
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (any kind)
2 eggs
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 squash sliced into thin slices
1 zucchini sliced into thin slices
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp old bay seasoning

Directions:

In a large saute pan, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute.  Add butter and let it melt.  Add zucchini and let simmer for about 1 minute.  Add corn and squash, cook for about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and old bay seasoning.  Let simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let rest.

In a large saute pan, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs together.  Place bread crumbs on plate.  Dredge tilapia through egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs-transfer immediately to pan to cook.  Cook on each side until golden and crispy.  Flip only once.

Serve with light scattering of scallions atop both stir fry and tilapia--and add sour cream for a bit of bite!  

Cost Breakdown: $2.75 per person
Calories:  Approximately 320 per person.

Suped-Up Stuffed Chicken

Sometimes I totally forget about the tried-and-true loves of my kitchen.  I'll go months on end without pulling out spices that I adore for no reason at all.  When I find them, tucked in a corner, it's like I've won the culinary lottery--interesting meals are literally right around the corner!

Such was this week when I found old-bay seasoning, nestled in a corner that I'd hadn't reached in months.  Maybe longer.  YES!  I LOVE old bay.  I firmly believe it goes perfectly on just about anything from fries, to chicken, to pork and beyond.  That's where I started this meal-old bay.  What I came up with was delicious chicken that had my husband asking for more.  Winner.

Suped-up Stuffed Chicken:

Ingredients:

2 thin-sliced chicken breasts, brined for 24 hours
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs old bay seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh parsley
2 Tbs blue cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk olive oil, old bay seasoning, garlic salt, lime juice, fresh parsley and blue cheese together.  Poor over chicken and set aside for about 30 minutes.

In a medium skillet, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  Remove chicken from marinade and lay flat.  In center of chicken breast, sprinkle 1 Tbs blue cheese and fold over each side.  Lay chicken in pan, fold down.  Cook until chicken is white-throughout-about 3-5 minutes, turning once.

Served along side old-bay homefries and vegetable tubitini.

Cost:  Approximately $1/person for chicken, prepared.
Calories: Approximately 220, based on chicken weight and cheese brand

Spicy Blue Cheese Crusted Pork

Do you KNOW how hard it is to keep a thrice-a-week-blog?  It's basically like tending to a newborn that never grows up.  It never gets easier and I'm always on the prowl for ways to make it better, help it grow.  

Last time we checked in with one another, I committed that I'd start sharing more of the "healthy" issues as well as the financial ones associated with my food and cooking.  Promises will be made good this evening.  

Since we last spoke, I've actually been devoting quite a bit of my time to my husband and I's new co-blog (oh, wait, snap?  Did you say spill the beans?  Yup, there's a co-blog coming.  Brace yourselves.) and our passion for savings.  Mike's always been thrifty (brag moment: that's how he bought me my big ass engagement ring and why we were able to pay for our honeymoon in cash) and I've been a couponer-in-closet for a few years.  I've talked about it casually, but never really put more than the casual towards it.  Until now.  Not long ago we decided to really make a financial change in our families future--and for us, that also meant building a stockpile.  (ya, ya, ya, we're THOSE people)  I wont go into details here, those are for later (and um, a different blog) but we have seen those efforts pay in our dinners, while still keepin' it fresh.  

Now, on to the real reason you've stopped by: FOOD.

Tonight's dinner was pork.  Why? Because we love it.  And because it's healthy.  And because we had it.  

Spicy Blue Cheese Crusted Pork 

Ingredients:

2 pork chops (4-5 oz each) brined in quick-brine (see recipe)

1 Tbs Dijon mustard, whole seeds

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion salt

2 Tbs crumbed blue cheese

Directions:

Bring indoor grill (or George) to heat.  Remove pork from brine (where you've brined for at least 12 hours, up to 24) and let rest for about 5 minutes.  Pat dry and season liberally with garlic and onion salt.  In small bowl, whisk mustard and soy sauce together.  Coat each side of the pork.  Place pork on grill and let sear for about 3-4 minutes before turning.  Cook until slightly pink in middle, or to temperature.  While still on grill, spoon blue cheese over top and let melt.  

Remove from heat and serve aside roasted garlic potatoes and healthy salad.  Tonight we chose Green Giant microwavable sides.

Calories:  Pork: 250 calories (depends how generous you are with cheese), Potatoes: 150, Salad w/ Dressing: 75.  Total: 475 (roughly)

What'd it cost?  Good question.  The pork I bought on special weeks ago, they had a 5 for $19.99 sale at the store.  For that I got a package of pork that has 2 meals in it.  So, the pork portion of tonight's meal was about $2.50.  The potatoes were about $.50 and the salad figures out to about .25.  (Mostly because I scored salad dressing for free a few weeks ago with an amazing sale at Walmart.)  Dinner for 2: $3.25.  

That's what I call a money-saving-meal.  

Balsamic Dijon Salmon En Papillote

Remember when I said my favorite things to cook cycle?  Well, right now, my cooking radar has landed directly on salmon.

Can I just tell you how much I love salmon?!

Since I'm a big fan of the easy, breezy, Thursday cooking-I turned to En Papillote, which is about the easiest way you could cook, and fancy-which makes it doubly cool.

Armed with my salmon (and my husbands swai) I mixed up the following glaze, en-papilloted our fish in individual papillotes, set them in the oven, and 30 minutes later, voila!  Dinner is served.  Mighty darn tasty too.

Balsamic Dijon Salmon En Papillote

Ingredients:
2 filets of fish, approx. 6 oz each (I used salmon and swai, but you can substitute just about any fish.)
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.

Directions:

Set oven to 350.  In small bowl, whisk soy sauce, dijon mustard and balsamic together.  Lay out parchment paper, set one piece of fish in the center, drizzle 1/2 of mixture over fish.  "Wrap" the fish (click here for demonstration).  Set fish on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray, as not to burn the paper.  Cook for approximately 20 minutes-or until fish is done.  You'll know its done when it flakes away easy with a fork.

Serve along side your favorite rice dish!

Balsamic Honey Pork with Ginger Jasmine Rice

Just a few weeks ago, my local shoprite had an amazing deal on meat.  5 for $20.  For that, you could choose any combination of ground beef, pork, steak, chicken.  When the average price of hamburger around here is over $6/package, this was too good of a deal to pass up.  So we stocked up.  For $20, I scored about 10 meals worth of food.  I also snagged $5 in "backbucks" to use on my next purchase. 

Now, I know I may not have NEEDED that much meat at the time, but c'mon, if you can prepare a meal for your family, with meat, for about $2 a night--that's worth the jam-packed-refrigerator, right?!

With pork in hand this week, I rummaged through my refrigerator and found some fresh ginger, jasmine rice, red bell peppers and honey.  I also had some white balsamic vinegar dressing that just needs to leave my house since there is a sale on salad dressing next week ($.20 a 22 oz bottle) and I plan to stock up.

I decided to marinate the pork overnight, grill and do a rice side.  Outcome-divided.  The hubbs doesn't so much enjoy dressings of any kind, I love them.  While he might not SAY he liked it (he's stubborn that way), he sure gobbled it up quickly.  The meal is quick and easy-under 30 minutes and around 370 calories.  (400 if you want to be really safe)

Balsamic Honey Pork with Ginger Jasmine Rice

Ingredients:

2 Boneless pork chopes, marinated overnight, in 2 cups dressing and 1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup white onion

1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

1/2 fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 TBS olive oil

Jasmine Rice prepared as directed

Directions:

Heat indoor grill up.  Remove pork from refrigerator and marinade, let rest about 10 minutes before placing on hot grill.  While pork is down on one side, in a large skillet, bring olive oil to heat.  Add onion and peppers, saute until onions are translucent.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and mix. Add ginger, stir once more and remove from heat.  Mix onion/pepper mixture into prepared jasmine rice. Set aside with lid covering to let flavors marry together.

Flip pork, let cook until 145-160 degrees on thermometer.  (Slightly pink, but mostly brown on inside.)  Remove from heat, let rest 2 minutes and serve.  

Vacuum Sealing In Everyday Kitchens

In college I went through a phase that I wanted "space saver bag" EVERYTHING.  It was an obsession.  I bought the bags, filled them up and giggled with joy as they condensed all the crap I had into one tight little package that I stuffed under a bed.  To say I had odd interests in college would be an understatement.  (or, perhaps I've just always been a housewife-ish-girl?)

What's that got to do with cooking you ask?  Well, my friends, apparently my obsession with vacuuming the air out of things doesn't end with pillows and last seasons clothing.  I also have a love for my food-vacuum-saver.

Last Christmas I put this handy little item on my wish list and my oh-so-fabulous mother got it for me.  Let me just say, the first several weeks of this appliance didn't go all that swell.  I found I wasn't using it as often as I thought and frankly, we just didn't have a ton of leftovers.  It just didn't fit into many practical areas of my kitchen.

That is, until I started marinating in it!

Let me tell you-this thing is the wonder-marinater.  Whisk up some marinade, lay the meat in the bag, pour the marinade over it, seal and suck.  Suck with all the might it will allow--and then set it in the refrigerator and walk away for 24 hours.  Take the package out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking and let the meat rest--and you're good to go.  This little dream-machine will have marinated your  meat, fish, etc. to a lovely flavor that is deep within every nook of your meal.

Again, I'm obsessed.

Tonight, I had top sirloin steak from Omaha Steaks (which, I have to say, were amazing) and had marinated them overnight in soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and white balsamic vinegar, with just a tad of whole-grain dijon mustard.  Hot-dang were these good steaks from the grill!

I shall never marinade any other way.

So, ladies, if you're in the market for a new "must-have" kitchen gadget, this is the one I'm saying  you need.  It preserves, it marinades, it's compact and its cheap.  Really, an all-around-win.