Falling down on the job

My faithful blog readers (of whom there *might* be four, but let's try and grow that number, shall we?), I do owe you an apology.

It has been several days since my last post.

And I have spent a lot of money on food lately.

So, I will be starting fresh today. I have a couple more recipes for you. These are a little fancier, but still able to be done on a dime. I also happened upon a great wine sale at my local grocer, and bought 2 bottles for about $8 total. One bottle was pretty good; the other was a little hit-and-miss. But, for the casual glass with dinner, they worked just fine.

I'm no sommelier, but I think I've got an ok system for choosing good wines under $10. One of my favorites is the Cabernet Sauvignon from the Chilean winery called 120. They just upped the price from about $5.50 to near $9, but it is still a great value for a really good wine. Many of the Australian wines, too, come in with a small price tag but generally have a nice palate.

Now, for the recipes.

Flank Steak with veggies (props to my friend Louise for this one)
Flank steak is a pretty cheap piece of meat. Make sure you buy it tenderized. One $4.25 piece is plenty for 2 people.
Season the steak with sea salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt about 2 tbl butter. Add shallots, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. You can also throw in any fresh herbs: basil, oregano, or rosemary would all be good. Add about a glass of wine, and reduce to a thickish sauce (or cook until the veggies are very tender). Broil the steak for about 5 minutes, being careful not to dry it out. (Just in case, make sure your veggies have a lot of sauce, so you can sop it up with the steak.)

Grilled or Baked Salmon and Asparagus
Salmon is such a great, filling fish. We don't eat it enough. But, if you buy it in season (watch the prices at your local store), you can get a real deal for 2 people.
I have a couple of different recipes I like for salmon.
Pecan-crusted Salmon
Mix bread crumbs, pecan pieces, and any dry herbs you enjoy. I buy Italian bread crumbs and then just add a little more oregano and garlic powder. Rub on fish. Place 1 tsp butter on each 6-oz fillet. Broil in oven until opaque throughout.
Grilled Herbed Salmon
Create a "dry rub" for your salmon. I like to use cilantro, lemon pepper, sea salt, and garlic powder. Rub onto fish. Grill in a ridged pan on the stove, making sure that the heat is not so high that you'll burn the outside before the inside is cooked.

Grilled Asparagus: marinate asparagus (only buy IN SEASON!) in Italian dressing, or olive oil and vinegar with a smattering of your favorite spices. Don't overdo it. Before grilling the fish, throw it on your pan and cook until tender.

Cream Cheese Rustic Tart
This is a variation on an Italian recipe. My mom had the great idea to simply replace the mascarpone with cream cheese (the real stuff, not the fat-free kind!), which saves about $3. You can use any fresh (bakeable) fruit that's in season... Peaches, pears, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pineapple....come up with your own winning combo.
1 Failsafe pie crust
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/4 c granulated sugar
4 or 5 peaches, pears, strawberries, or any other bakeable fruit
1/4 c blueberries (frozen is fine) --optional

Roll out pie crust in a "rustic" fashion and transfer to a cookie sheet. Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in fresh fruit. Pile mixture onto pie crust, and then fold the edges of the crust over. Be sure not to close it up; leave a hole in the middle (you'll see the fruit). Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.
To get a shine on your crust, baste it with an egg before baking.

Enjoy your budget gourmet!

I'll be back sooner than last time.