Tacos

This is not a recipe. Really. So maybe don't read any further. BUT if you are curious how a simple family prepares for taco night, then read on...

1 lb of ground beef. Or, in my case, at this time, 10 hamburger patties (or so) from the stellar deal I got on a 25 lb box of burgers. These were a fairly high fat content so I don't use them as burgers :)
1 Taco Dinner Kit - varies from Taco Bell, El Paso brands, depends on what was on sale. This week, it's Taco Bell
Half head of iceburg lettuce, sliced (shredded)
1 tomatoe, diced
1/2 onion, diced
bag of cheese ... mexican blend this week, from my outstanding bargain a few weeks back, 16 oz for 99 cents, been in freezer waiting for this day!
additional taco shells
sour cream
chips
salsa
fresh avacado, diced, only if on sale & coupon available (score!)

And that's it. Cook up the beef, DRAIN and add seasoning. Prepare the veggies as the meat cooks. Serve it up!

Lighter Shrimp Alfredo

So the recipe caught my eye with it being lighter, and the fact that I had EVERYTHING to prepare it NOW.

Originally the recipe is posted here, but I ended up modifying it and will make it again with a few more seasonings added. It was rather bland as was, and I suppose if you have little kids, that's ok, but I have big kids and a discerning hubby :)

1 pkg of raw shrimp, peeled and devined
4 tbs butter, divided
2 tbs olive oil
fresh garlic
fresh parsley
black pepper
1 box of pasta (I used whole wheat pasta, it grows on you after a while)
2 tsp corn starch
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup parm cheese
6 oz container of greek yogurt (plain)

Prepare your pasta. Since the rest of the dish comes together quickly, start your water now and get the pasta cooking.
Whisk the cornstarch with the chicken broth. In medium size sauce pan, melt 2 tbs butter. Pour in broth and whisk til boiling. Add cheese, and continue to watch til cheese is MELTED and smooth (don't make the mistake that the big GLOB is melted, it's not!)
Heat smallish skillet, melt other 2 tbs butter and heat with oil. Toss in shrimp garlic, season with black pepper & a dash of salt. Cook til slightly pink and flip ... keep an eye on them & don't overcook.
Once cheese is melted in saucepan, take of heat and stir in the yogurt til combined. Dump in the shrimp & all stuff from skillet. Mix well.
By now, your pasta should be done (or you may have already drained) ... dish it up and enjoy your much lower fat Alfredo!
Round it out with a green salad and, in our house, cuz we have no breadsticks left, croissants.

Steaks - Ribeyes

Ok, the price of steaks have gone through the roof lately and it just irritates me that there are no good prices to be had anywhere! So last time I was at costco, I bit the bullet and just paid $35 for 4 LARGE ribeye steaks. $7.99 a lb. I know that's not overly expensive BUT I do have the frugal in florida name to live up to!

I took those steaks and I sliced them thiner. They were at least one inch thick so I decided that we didn't need to be eating THAT much steak at a time (ohhh...that's the cheapskate coming out!) Besides, hubby doesn't eat his meat anyway but done. No pink. So if the steaks had been kept that thick, they would have cooked for an hour on the grill and I'm just not having that!!

So, here's what I did a few weekends back with some for friends and dinner one night:

Layed half of the steaks in a large tupperware dish (ziploc, glade, whatever?).
Poured some BBQ sauce in
Poured some leftover coffee in
Added some worchestershire sauce
chopped garlic
A1 Steak sauce
a little water to thin it out
And tried to mix it up some (so really, do the marinade FIRST and then add the steaks!)

Marinate for several hours, with the last 30 minutes or so being on the countertop to come to room temp.

Grill them up & serve with your favorite sides.

Italian Potatoes

Really, I think we need to cut up with a better, more descriptive name, but this is what we've called them for oh, say, 20 years or so.

Red potatoes (or any type really), cut in to LARGE pieces (don't cut smaller than a large bite size!)
Bottle of italian dressing

Parboil the potatoes until a slightly soft. They need to be cooked but not too much so.

Drain and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Dump the potatoes in a large bowl and pour the dressing all over the them. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours (longer is fine).

Fire up the grill and place the babies on the grill and cook til a little charred, turn over periodically to keep from burning too much :) These are a great crowd pleaser.

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

I can't believe it but I've had this recipe for 2 years. To actually hold on to the paper that long ... wow. Originally came from FoodTv - Ellie Krieger but of course, modified to suit our taste.

1/2 cup soy sauce (I use the super thick stuff)
3 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs sherry
4 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 large piece (about the size of the garlic)ginger, grated
dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)
sesame seeds (optional)
2 pks of b/s chix thighs (I use costco brand and there are 5per pack)

Mix marinade all together, pour over the top of chicken in baking dish. Let marinate in fridge for 1 to 8 hours.

Heat oven to 375, bake covered for about an hour (we like our chicken well done, and thighs really do need to cook longer). Take foil off around last 15 minutes, sprinkle with sesame seeds & cook til chicken & seeds are golden (don't burn the seeds!)

Spicy Buttery Shrimp

2 lbs (more or less) shelled & deveined shrimp
1 stick butter (original recipe calls for 2 sticks, but I only use 1)
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs black pepper
1 tbs paprika
3 tbs rosemary
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 basil
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground red pepper (I use flakes & crush)

combine butter & rest of ingredients except shrimp in saucepan and heat til melted. Cook over low heat 10 minutes. Boil water in large saucepan of salted water til boiling, add shrimp & cook 3 minutes.

Place shrimp in dish & add butter mixture.

Generally, I serve with pasta but think I'll try rice next time ... it's pretty rich but yummy. Since we like a little spicier food, I add more red pepper flakes at the end.

Oriental (Cabbage) Salad

I always have friends request or even ask if I'm making this ...

This is pretty good ... and easy to make. It can keep for a few days in fridge (I've had it up to 5 days and it was fine...noodles get soft, that's all).

Small head of cabbage (or you can use a bag of precut coleslaw)
8 green onions (or less if desired)
1/2 cup peanuts (have used cashews or whatevers on hand)
1/2 cup sesame seeds or almonds (can leave out if not on hand)
2 pkgs ramen noodles (save extra seasoning pack for other use - such as rice)
1/2 red pepper, chopped (optional, but does add more flavor)

Dressing (I add all to a jar & put a lid on to mix well)
4 tbs sugar (I try to use 3 tbs as I think it's too much)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup salad/veg oil
6 tbs rice vinegar
* if you want, you can use the ramen seasoning pkg, but I would eliminate the salt above *

Shred or chop cabbage, mix with chopped onions & pepper.

Toast sesame seeds/almonds (put in small pan, saute til they become fragrant, but not too long!!)

Add all dressing ingredients in jar/bowl, mix well

Just before serving, break up all noodles, add noodles, sesame/almonds, peanuts to cabbage mixture. Pour dressing over top & mix well - serve