F.E.A.S.T.: Clam Chowder

Wait a minute, didn't I just post something yesterday? I seem to recall doing something with lots of pumpkin....

Eh, what're you gonna do?

Hello again, dear readers!

In honor of the recent snap of cold weather we had a short time back (when everything decided to get down below freezing before jumping back up to the 70s), I decided that it was the perfect time to try my hand at making some soup. OK, so my roommate requested it, but who's keeping track?

So I made it my mission to make New England style (or close enough) clam chowder, from scratch, as a F.E.A.S.T.! I got everything together, I worked my tail off, and I made a pretty delicious bowl of soup, thank you very much. Then I looked at my budget. And then I looked at the clock.

::sigh::

Yeah. So, not a F.E.A.S.T., or at least, not really. I went over on both time and funds, which are two of the four pillars that hold up this whole wacky concept. So to say that this one is teetering would be an understatement. However! The soup was a success, and I think that with a bit of stretching, we can make this work, even if we have to bend the rules a bit. Regardless, I think this one is worth sharing, so I'm going to do just that!

WHAT I USED!!!
2 small yellow onions, diced ($1.0)
10-12 yellow potatoes, cubed (from a $1.5 bag)
4 cans baby clams, water reserved ($8.0)
32oz veggie stock ($2.0)
1pint heavy cream ($2.0)
1/2 package of bacon!, diced (from a $3.5 package)
a few sprigs of fresh thyme ($2.0)
3-5tbs AP flour (stock)
a few bay leaves (stock)

Final Price: $20

Huh, OK, so now that I've written it out, maybe I didn't go as over on the budget as I'd thought. I must be remembering something else. And it does make a lot of chowder, so I don't feel too bad about being on the borderline.

WHAT I DID!!!
In a large stockpot, cook the bacon over medium heat until almost crispy, then toss in the onions. Throw a bit of salt on top of them for good measure. Give the onions about 5-7min to soften. When the onions are cooked, but before they start to take on too much color, sprinkle on your flour. You want enough to absorb all the bacon drippings and form a roux. This will help to thicken the soup. It's hard to describe, but suffice to say, when it looks like a thin paste with no flour lumps, you should be set.

Once you have your roux, add the veggie stock and stir to combine with all the flour. Once it's smooth, add the water from the clams, the cream, and the potatoes. You can toss the bay leaves (which will have to come out at the end) and the thyme in as well, or you can put them in a large tea ball and let them steep that way. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15-20min., or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Toss the clams in, and sprinkle a healthy amount of freshly-ground black pepper over the whole thing. Give it another five minutes for the clams to firm up, and you're ready to serve with (or in!) the bread of your choice!

Alright then, let's get right to our acronym. I, for one, am anxious to see how this all pans out!

Fast: Not really. The whole thing, starting with chopping the veggies, took about an hour and twenty minutes. So no luck there. But what am I saying? Get some help and make it go faster! (Just be careful out there with all the sharp knives, OK?)

Easy: Yeah, it's basically adding a bunch of stuff to a pot and letting it go. That's why I love soup; it really is just that easy!

Affordable: Twenty bucks for about 8 servings seems pretty awesome to me. Woo-hoo! We made this pillar work after all!

Super Tasty: Oh very yes. The clams, so plump and juicy, with just a hint of the sea, were definitely the main attraction. But the seasonings and the potatoes added their own unique flavors as well, providing a perfect balance. It was creamy and hardy without being too thick, like canned chowders so often are. I call it good ol' fashioned comfort food, the kind that fills you up and warms you through. And the bacon, of course, makes everything better.

So there you have it: a savory bowl of clam chowder, prepped in just over an hour with a conscious nod towards a healthy budget. I hope you enjoyed this entry, and I hope that you will give this soup a try and tell me what you think. I more or less crafted it myself, taking elements and inspiration from about three or five different methods I found around the internets, so I am very interested to hear what people think.

(Oh, and this shouldn't be an issue, but we did find a wee piece of clam shell in with the meat, which was very unpleasant to bit down upon, I am sure. Just be careful, kids.)

Until next time, go forth and eat well!

F.E.A.S.T.: Indian-style Curry Sauce

Hello again, dear readers!

This week's humble offering is the result of a two-part challenge I recently issued to myself. Well, I say that, but it didn't exactly develop that way. You see, I wanted to create a new F.E.A.S.T., mostly because I haven't done one in a while. I've also been wanting to try making a curry sauce, since I've never actually done that before. Lo and behold, the idea came: why not do both?

Before I jump into the ingredient list, I feel I should also admit something: I'm not very familiar with Indian food. In fact, I can't honestly recall but maybe one or two times in my life where I've actually eaten it. Don't get me wrong: I have nothing against the cuisine. It's just not ever something where I've said to myself, "Self, what d'you say to some Indian food?"

That being said, I can neither confirm nor deny how "authentic" this dish is. I basically looked up a few basic curry recipes and then came up with my own using the common ingredients and what sounded tasty. I have it on the authority of those who tried it that it does in fact taste like Indian-style curry, however. So that's something, right? Regardless, it was quite good, and I highly recommend you give it a try, if only so you can say that you have!

WHAT I USED!!!
1 yellow onion, sliced  ($1.0)
2 tsp minced garlic (or about four cloves)  (stock)
1 inch ginger, peeled and diced  ($0.5)
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped  ($3.0)
1 8oz can tomato sauce  ($1.0)
1 4oz can green chiles  ($1.0)
1 6oz tub plain Greek yogurt ($1.5)
1 cup cilantro ($1.0)
2 tsp turmeric  (stock)
2 tsp cumin  (stock)
2 tsp coriander  (stock)
1 tsp paprika  (stock)
1 tsp cinnamon  (stock)
1 tsp cayenne pepper  (stock)

Final price: $9.0 for the whole thing.

OK, I admit, some of you may not obsessively keep as many spices on hand as I do. But let's say you do have to go out an buy some of them. You're still getting away for pretty cheap, since you only need a little bit out of each jar, right? That means you'll have everything on hand to make the curry again, and that's just a win-win situation in my book.

WHAT I DID!!!
In a large saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high to high heat. Toss in your onion and bell pepper, and saute them until the pepper softens and the onion starts to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drop the heat to low, then add your ginger and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Add all six spices and whisk well to combine. Add in your tomato sauce, green chiles, and cilantro. Once that's all incorporated, slowly whisk in the yogurt.

Now, working carefully, drop the whole mix into a blender or food processor and start pulsing. Add about a cup of water, then blend until smooth.

Put the mix back in the saucepan over low heat, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, covered. Serve over rice, chicken, vegetables, or whatever you like.

And there we have it. Let's compare to our acronym:

Fast: The whole process took me about an hour to concoct. Admittedly, with the rice and chicken, it was closer to an hour and a half, but the sauce itself was relatively quick to make, even with the simmering.

Easy: Yes, I'd say so. I could've been a lot more complicated, toasting the spices, using fresh spices (I wish!), adding more exotic ingredients, but I decided that what I had would suffice. And guess what? I was right!

Affordable: At under $10 to serve four to six people, we're doing just fine financially. Even if you do have to spend a little more to acquire some of the spices, you still come out ahead, since now you have said ingredients on hand and ready to go for the next time.

Super Tasty: Hell yeah. This curry is rich and savory, with a smoky subtle heat to it that you just have to experience to truly understand. Honestly, I am actually quite pleased with how it turned out.

I wish I could better explain the flavor, but beyond calling it "exotic," I'm a bit at a loss for words. So, I challenge each of you reading this to go out and craft this wonderful sauce for yourselves so you can be at a loss for words as well. I promise you won't regret it.

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading. If you have any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Until next time, go forth and eat well!

Take Two: Fish Pouches

Hello friends!

This past week I decided to try my hand at the fish pouches again. As you may recall from my last attempt, the results were of a mixed success. I am happy to report that I got much better results this time. Unfortunately, I don't think it quite qualifies as a F.E.A.S.T. anymore, but I'll let you be the judge.

THE INGREDIENTS!!!
4 flounder fillets  (from a $4.50 frozen bag)
1 cup uncooked white rice  (don't ask the price; I'm pulling this from a huge bag)
1 cup golden yellow grape tomatoes  (from a $3.50 package)
1 red bell pepper  ($1.00)
1 medium sweet yellow onion  ($1.00)
2 14.5oz cans veggie broth  ($2.00)
2 small lemons  ($0.50)
chopped garlic, about 8 cloves worth  (staple)
Italian seasoning  (staple)

salt and pepper  (they better be staples!)


Total price: about $12.50, unless you need to restock your staples.

THE METHOD!!!
Preheat your oven to 425. Tear off four large sheets of parchment. Line a cookie sheet or other containment vessel with foil (for ease of cleanup and whatnot).

Slice your tomatoes in half, and remove the seeds. This can most easily be accomplished through gentle squeezing, which is oddly satisfying. Chop your onion and red pepper, and divide each into four even piles. Have your garlic chopped if it doesn't already come that way.

Assemble your pouches. On each sheet of parchment, place 1/4 cup of rice in a rectangular pile, then place a piece of frozen fish over top. Trust me on this, okay? Next, add one of the onion/pepper piles over top of that. Then add your chopped garlic, about two cloves' worth. Squeeze half a lemon over top and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Now seal your pouches. Fold the parchment up like a hot dog going longways with the fish. Then, crease the edges together and fold downward. Now staple them shut. Yes, with actual staples. Twist one of the ends up to close it, angling the fold upwards. Have the other end ready to twist, but do not seal it yet.

Pour about six ounces (about half a can) of your veggie broth into each pouch, then twist the end shut. Place each pouch side-by-side on your sheet pan, and set the whole thing in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then gently rotate the pouches by moving the outer two in and the middle two out. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer. When the timer beeps at you, pull the pouches out of the oven, and allow them to sit another 15 minutes so that the rice can finish absorbing all the liquids. When that's done, tear into them and gobble them up!

I had much better results this go around. The fish was wonderfully cooked, the rice was a perfect al dente, and the veggies were all tender without being mushy. The seasonings were more spot on then last time, but I think I still need to work on them just a bit. But to really guage the success, we need to compare to our acronym:

Fast: Much better than last time, but still over my goal of 1 hour from start to finish. It was more like 1 hour 15 minutes, but a goal is a goal, right? To be fair, I think this is the only shortcoming here.

Easy: Yep. Just chop and assemble. Even the clean up is a breeze, since the cooking vessels get tossed in the garbage.

Affordable: At around $12 to $15, this is exactly where I want the budget to land, so I call this a win, especially compared to last time.

Super Tasty: The flavors were much better this time, although I still think there's some room for improvement. But that having been said, I am still quite pleased with the results.

So there you have it. A great success, but one that still leaves me with some room to tinker around. After all, cooking is, at its heart, as much an art as a science, and finding that balance takes a great deal of work. As I said though, I am pleased with how this turned out, and I'm looking forward to tinkering with it some more in the future. I love the whole pouch cooking concept, and I am excited to see where I can take it next.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Please post any thoughts you have on the subject at your leisure. Go forth and eat well!

F.E.A.S.T.: Broccoli Cheese Soup

Hello everyone! And Happy 2014! Woo!

As we all know, the weather has been exceptionally cold recently. In fact, just a month ago, we here in Texas experienced a weekend that has been dubbed "the icepocalypse." And from what I hear, things continue to be hoary across the whole of the US.

It's almost like it's winter or something. I guess the Starks were right, huh?

Well, when the weather turns chilly, I turn to the kinds of foods that keep you warm on the inside, such as good tea and hot chocolate. But man can not live on tea alone (no matter how hard he tries...) so that means we need some kind of warming comfort food. Lo and behold: soup! There's just something intrinsically comforting about a piping hot bowl of savory soup on a frigid day. You can just feel the wholesome warmth spread through you with each spoonful.

This method actually comes from my sister, who developed it when she was in high school. It's super delicious and super easy, so I thought I would present it to all of you, dear readers, as a F.E.A.S.T!

Without further ado, let us begin!

THE INGREDIENTS!!!
1 stick of butter  (stock)
1 medium yellow onion, diced  ($1.0)
3/4 cup flour  (stock)
5 cups chicken broth  ($3.0) (obtained from one 32oz box and one 14.5oz can)
1 16oz bag frozen broccoli  ($1.5)
16oz Velvetta cheese, chopped small  (I bought a $6 32oz block and used half, so... call it $3.0?)

The final price on all of this? Oh, something like $8.50 for a whole pot of soup guaranteed to fill you up and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. C'mon, you have to admit that's a pretty sweet deal.

THE METHOD!!!
Pour the chicken broth into a large pot set over medium heat. Add the frozen broccoli and bring it to a bare simmer.

Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Bring the heat up to medium and add your onion. Sweat the onion for about 10min., or until it turns translucent and starts to pick up a little color. Add the flour 1/4cup at a time, stirring to incorporate fully. (The goal here is to make a basic roux, which will act as a thickening agent to make the soup nice and luscious.)

Add said concoction to the pot of chicken stock and broccoli, and stir until all the flour clumps are gone and the liquid turns a pale off-white color. Do NOT let the soup boil, or the whole thing will turn grainy and gross.

Add the cheese a handful of chunks at a time, stirring to incorporate. When the cheese has all melted, add in the next bunch. Once the cheese is all melted, season with fresh black pepper and serve with some crusty bread. If you aren't serving right away, put a pat of butter on the surface to melt (it prevents a skin from forming).

That's it.

There now, didn't I say this was super easy? Let's check our anagram:

Fast: From beginning to end, chopping onions to consuming, this whole process took about 45 minutes. And I made frosting at the same time. And did a load of laundry. No, seriously.

Easy: Ummm, yeah, totally.

Affordable: See above, regarding "totally."

Super Tasty: Ok, I know what some of you are thinking: Velvetta? Really? But trust me, this stuff is made for a method like this. You can do it with real cheddar (I have) but somehow it doesn't seem to work as well. So Velvetta it is. Oh, don't look at me like that, just try it... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The other nice thing about this recipe is that it's versatile. Want it strictly vegetarian? Use veggie stock instead. Want it spicy? Sure, add some hot sauce or peppers to the mix. Don't like broccoli? Well, OK, I can't help you there; it is broccoli cheese soup after all. Oh, just try it already, I promise it's good!

Oh, one last thing: if you have any leftovers (ha!), let the soup cool to room temp, then pour into quart-size Ziploc freezer bags. Lay it out flat in you freezer and let it harden. To reheat, bring a pot of water to just below a simmer. Once the water's heated, place the soup bag (still sealed please!) in the pot. The water will thaw and reheat the soup in about 15 minutes or so. And it'll be just as good as before!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about this tasty, tasty soup. And I hope some of you will try it out and let me know what you think of it. As always, comments are appreciated.

Thanks again everyone! Go forth and eat well!

F.E.A.S.T.: Fish Pouches

Hey everyone!

So this week's culinary shenanigan is my attempt at another F.E.A.S.T.. Unfortunately, this one was not quite as successful as my last, but hey, experimentation is a part of this whole wacky process, right?

This week, I wanted to try something I haven't done in a while: pouch cooking. What's that, you ask? Excellent question. Essentially, it's exactly what it sounds like: cooking in a pouch. You basically wrap all your food up in a pouch of folded parchment paper or aluminum foil, throw the package in the oven (or into a bed of hot coals, though I've never tried this), and steam/bake the whole thing.

So, how do you do it, you ask? Another excellent question. Boy, you're really on top of things today, aren't you? First you pick a protein. I feel that since other meats like beef or pork really benefit from browning, and there's none of that here, fish is an excellent choice. I had some tilapia left over from my Fish and Chips meal a few weeks ago, so I went with that. Second, you pick a starch, such as rice or pasta. I went with gold potatoes, because I thought they'd be tasty. Third, you pick a few veggies to accompany your meat. I went with tomatoes, bell peppers, and mushrooms. You also select a couple of aromatics, in my case, an onion and some garlic. Finally, you choose your seasonings (salt and lemon in my case) and a flavored liquid (white wine here).

I'll have more to say afterwards, but I figure let's get down to the actual cooking first.

THE INGREDIENTS!!!
4 tilapia fillets  (from a $4 frozen bag)
6 gold potatoes  (about $2)
4 roma tomatoes  (about $1)
1 red bell pepper  (about $2)
1 yellow bell pepper  (about $2)
8 baby 'bella mushrooms  (from a $4 package)
1 medium yellow onion  (about $1)
4 cloves of garlic  (about $0.50)
salt
2 lemons  ($0.25 each)
A few good splashes white wine  (from a $3 bottle, but you can use fancier)

Final price: about $20, give or take.

THE METHOD!!!
Make sure your fish is well thawed in the fridge first. Once it's thawed, season it with a little salt. Set your oven for 425 degrees.

Now start chopping. Dice your potatoes. You'll want them small so that they can cook thoroughly. Seed and chop your tomatoes. Seed and chop your peppers. Clean and slice your mushrooms. Peel and slice your onion. Peel and smash your garlic cloves.

Make sure you have four large sheets of parchment paper ready to go. You want them big enough that they'll be able to fold over the food with enough left over to be folded shut.

Begin your assembly. You'll divide everything four ways, naturally. Place your potatoes down first. Lay a piece of fish on top. Squeeze half a lemon over the fish. Pile on your tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Last, give the whole thing a good splash (maybe 1/4 cup?) of wine. Fold the parchment over, and crease your edges together to seal the whole thing shut. (Watch out that you don't let your liquids leak away!)

Place on a cookie sheet (for ease of movement) and bake for at least 30 minutes (it took me closer to 50, actually) or until everything is done as you desire.

Ok, like I said, I wasn't terribly pleased with my results this time. Oh, everything was cooked through, so the process worked, don't get me wrong. But I had a few points of contention.

For one thing, I used too much food in each pouch. This increased the cooking time by nearly double and made the pouches difficult to seal. I actually had to double layer one of them because the first layer was too small. For another, I need to improve on my seasonings, as the whole thing tasted a bit bland. Plus, the flavors of my veggies and aromatics didn't mesh as well as I would have liked, but that could also be because the seasonings were off.

Let's review the acronym:

Fast: Sadly, no. The whole process took about 2 hours from start to eat, which is double my target time. Next time, I want to use fewer veggies (four instead of six potatoes, only one pepper, etc.) to decrease both my prep time and my cook time.

Easy: The process itself if actually pretty straightforward: chop everything up and throw together in a pouch. Cook. Done. So here, I'd say we have success.

Affordable: Here I pushed things a bit. My goal here is not to go above $20 for four people to eat, as $5/person seems pretty cheap to me. But again, next time I plan to use less food, which will also reduce the cost.

Super Tasty: Unfortunately, the best word to describe the taste here is "meh." It wasn't bad by any stretch, but it was hardly Super Tasty. It needed more seasoning, and it needed more contrasting flavors. Definitely something to work on.

So in the end, the meal itself was less than successful.

But fear not! I have not given up hope!

I plan to try this again after some careful consideration. In fact, while writing this, I came up with a fairly wacky idea that I plan to try at the earliest opportunity. But as I said, I will revisit this method, in the hopes that I can improve on the whole thing and turn it into a proper F.E.A.S.T.! So keep your eyes open for my next few posts!

Thanks again for reading everyone! Go forth and eat well!

F.E.A.S.T.: Sloppy Joes from Scratch

Hello again everyone! I hope you're ready for another F.E.A.S.T., 'cause I've got a good one lined up.

Everybody loves Sloppy Joes, right? I mean, it's good, wholesome comfort food from our childhood. The problem is: who ever makes them from scratch? I mean, why do that when you can just as easily buy a can of Manwich, right?

Well, I say to hell with that!

Sloppy Joes are easy to make, even from scratch, and I guarantee this version will taste better than anything coming out of a can. Sure, it takes a little more effort, but trust me, it's totally worth it. Even better, it's not even pricey, and the whole thing takes about 45 minutes from start to eat. Don't believe me? Well, read on then.

THE INGREDIENTS!!!
1 to 1 1/4 lbs ground beef  ($3.50)
1 medium onion, diced  ($0.75)
1 red bell pepper, diced  ($1.75)
2 tsp diced garlic, or 2-4 cloves  (staple)
1 8oz can tomato sauce  ($0.25)
1/2 cup ketchup  (staple)
1/2 cup chili sauce  (from a $1.50 bottle, see below!)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce  (staple)
3 tbsp brown sugar  (staple)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar  (staple)
1 tsp cumin  (staple)
hot sauce, to taste (optional)
ground red pepper, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste (not optional)

Final price? $7.75

Ok, I admit, some of you may not keep some of the things I listed as "staples" on hand at all times like I do. So you can round up to $10-15 if you want. The Worcestershire sauce is probably the most expensive at about $3-4/bottle. Trust me though, it's worth it. And since all of these things will keep forever, you'll get plenty of meals out of each.

THE METHOD!!!
This couldn't be simpler. To begin, brown your beef in a skillet set over medium to med-high heat. When you can't see any more pink, drain off the fat.

Next, add your onion, garlic, and bell pepper, plus a good pinch of salt, and cook until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes or so.

When that's done, add all your tomato sauce, ketchup, and chili sauce, and stir to combine. A quick aside: no, the chili sauce is not spicy. It's not Sriracha or anything like that. Essentially, it's a flavored ketchup, but it adds a nice spice-flavor to the mix. If you can't find it, just replace it with more ketchup.

Last, add the Worcestershire, sugar, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper. If you're adding red pepper or hot sauce (woo, Frank's!), now would be the time to add that too.

Stir it all up, give it a few minutes for the flavors to meld, and voila! you're done. Serve on buns, or over rice or potatoes.

Like I said: super easy. And it all gets made in one skillet, so clean-up is a breeze too. So let's go over our acronym, shall we?

Fast: 45 minutes, from the time I stated pulling out veggies to the time I started piling food on the bun. Check.

Easy: Brown the meat. Add veggies. Add flavors. Done. Check.

Affordable: I'll give you that some of the staples may not be normal fare in everyone's kitchen, but they should be. Still, we're talking under $10 for about eight sandwiches worth of food. So I say check.

Super Tasty: Meaty. Savory. A touch of sweet. A touch of spice. The aromatic smell of fresh onion and pepper and garlic, combined with floral scent of tomatoes and earthy aroma of cumin. Trust me, your whole kitchen will smell delicious. Check.

The best part is: you can adjust the meal to suit your tastes. Don't like spices? Forget 'em! Want it a bit sweeter? Up the sugar by a tablespoon or two. Want to be adventurous? Go forth to your spice cabinet and have at it! I've seen methods calling for everything from chili powder to cloves to mustard. Besides, everyone should have their own favorite way to make Sloppy Joes. They're just that good.

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading. Go forth and eat well!

F.E.A.S.T.: Chicken Gyros

The last time I posted a meal like this, I called it a Q.E.C.T., which while technically an acronym, has absolutely no panache whatsoever. So, this time I have a shiny new acronym: F.E.A.S.T.! It stands for Fast, Easy, Affordable, and Super Tasty!

I love it.

It explains exactly what I was going for, and it actually spells out a culinarily-related word. It's also got a touch of irony, which appeals to my literary side. And yes, I know "culinarily" isn't really a word, but if an English Major can't make up words, well, who can? I mean, if Shakespeare could do it, why not me? Right?

But I digress.

So I love gyros. They're great sandwiches, loaded with lots of savory, meaty flavor. They remind me of the week I spent in Greece back in college. Unfortunately, since I don't have a vertical rotisserie (aka the rotating meat rack of goodness) like the kind found in Greek restaurants, it's kind of hard to replicate the experience. AB has a method using a normal rotisserie, but alas, I am lacking in one of those too. So, what did I do? I improvised.

Basically, I substituted chicken for the lamb traditionally used. I also sauteed up the accompaniments, just to help meld the flavors. I think it turned out really well too.

THE INGREDIENTS!!! (and prices, rounded to the nearest $0.25 for convenience)
1 17.6oz tub plain Greek yogurt ($3.25)
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded ($0.75)
4tsp (or cloves) chopped garlic (stock item)
1 good pinch kosher salt (stock item)
4tsp olive oil (stock item)
3tsp red wine vinegar (stock item)
A few good shakes of dried mint (or 5-6 fresh leaves if you have it)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (from a $6.50 frozen package)
3 roma tomatoes, seeded ($0.75)
1 medium white onion ($0.75)
1 6oz can pitted black olives ($1.00)
1 5oz package crumbled feta cheese ($2.00)
lemon juice (from a $0.50 lemon or a bottle)
Pita bread ($2.75)

FINAL PRICE: $17.75 to serve 4 people

THE METHOD!!!
First, make the tzatziki sauce. I'm basing this off the AB method, found here.

Drop your peeled and seeded cucumber into a food processor and pulse a few times to finely chop. Then, drop the cucumber into a tea towel and squeeze the heck out of it to remove any excess liquid.

Combine the Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt, olive oil, vinegar and mint together in a bowl. Chill and serve. This whole process took about 15 minutes, so I'd say it qualifies as fast, no?

Next, the chicken. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Saute the chicken with a little olive oil, salt and pepper over medium to med-high heat until done.

Meanwhile, slice your onion to your desired size and shape. I prefer half-moons for this, but whatever works for you is fine. Make like with the chicken, and saute with a little olive oil and salt over medium to med-high heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the onions begin to take on a light golden color.

Drop your seeded tomatoes and olives into your food processor and pulse a few times to chop. When the onions are ready, add the tomatoes and olives and heat for a minute or two or until the tomaotes begin to release their juices. Add your lemon juice and the feta cheese, and heat through until the cheese begins to melt. It won't take but another minute.

Serve on pita bread, hot-dog style.

Like I said, it took about 15 minutes to whip up the tzatziki, and then it took another 30-35 minutes for everything else. And as with last time, I started the timer when I first started pulling out ingredients, so that includes chopping and mixing and what-not. So, under an hour for a good hot meal made with fresh ingredients.

The results? Delicious. The cooked onions, tomatoes, and olives worked quite nicely with the chicken, and the salty sweet feta cheese complimented the whole thing perfectly inside the pita bread. Moreover, the fresh tzatziki really brings the whole thing together to make for a great flavor. Is it a real gyro? No, not really. But it still make for a damn good sandwich in my humble opinion.

So. Let's do our acronym check.

Fast: the whole process from start to finish took less than an hour, so I'd say that qualifies. If you want to get any faster, you'd have to turn to your microwave.

Easy: nothing fancy here. All you need are some basic cooking skills and the ability to properly squeeze a cucumber into oblivion.

Affordable: ok, I'm willing to concede a little bit here, since I have so many "stock" items on the list, and some people may not keep those things on hand as a matter of course. But! Once those things have been acquired, it's a simple and wallet-friendly matter to purchase the last few items.

Super Tasty: Yes. Enough said.

But don't take my word for it. Make up a batch to try for yourself!

As always, thanks for reading!

Q.E.C.T.: Chicken and Veggies with Egg Noodles

Ok, so the acronym may need some work, I admit.

It stands for Quick and Easy, Cheap and Tasty. That's the point of this recipe. I wanted to show that good food can be made on the cheap in a relatively short amount of time for a relatively small amount of money. So let's just jump right to it, shall we?

THE INGREDIENTS!! (and prices)
3 boneless chicken breasts, cubed (from a $6.99 3lb frozen bag)
1 16oz bag of egg noodles ($1.29)
1 package crimini mushrooms, chopped ($1.49)
1 cup frozen peas (from a $0.99 bag)
2 cups (handfuls) baby spinach, chopped (from a $2.99 bag)
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom and/or chicken soup ($0.79 x2)

I bought everything at Aldi and Wal-mart, because I know I can get it all for fairly cheap. Final price? $15.33, assuming you have to buy all of it, and half of that is the meat. Keep in mind: this leaves you with plenty of frozen chicken, some frozen peas, and a good amount of spinach left over to use in other dishes.

THE METHOD!!
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Saute over medium-high heat in a little vegetable oil (I normally use olive oil, but I was out) until done all the way through.

Once the chicken is done, wipe out the skillet and repeat with the mushrooms. Saute until the 'shrooms are browned all over. Work in two batches; it actually helps the mushrooms to cook faster if you don't crowd the pan.

Warm up the peas as per package instructions, probably in the microwave. For me, it was a cup of peas with two tablespoons water, covered, for six minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the egg noodles to al dente, again as per package instructions. If you don't care for egg noodles, any sort of pasta will do: bowties, penne, you name it.

After you drain the pasta, toss it all back in the pot and add one of the soups. Use a splash of hot water (I just save some boil water) to help thin the soup slightly.

Put the chicken and mushrooms back in your skillet, add the peas and spinach, then add the other soup. Again, a little hot water helps to see everything evenly coated. Mix it all together, and season with more salt and pepper to taste. I also added some crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning, because I happen to be a fan of both.

When this is done, add the meat/veggie mixture to the noodles. Stir thoroughly to combine, serve and enjoy. Add a bit more pepper or another sprinkle of Italian seasoning if you like. I put a little Frank's RedHot Sauce on mine, because apparently you really can put that sh!t on almost everything.

Ok, so let's go over our acronym checklist then.

Quick: from start to finish, the whole thing took me 40 unhurried minutes. And I mean start to finish. From the time I started to pull my thawed chicken breast out of the fridge to the time I sat down to eat was a mere 40 minutes. Not as fast as a sandwich, I admit, but still pretty quick for a hot filling meal.

Easy: well, I'd say it's pretty straightforward. Nothing complicated or fancy. Boiling pasta and chopping some veggies is all fairly easy I'd say. Cooking the chicken shouldn't provide any major difficulties either, unless I miss my guess. Again, not as easy as a sandwich, but we're still talking about a hot meal here.

Cheap: if you don't count the chicken, the whole meal costs around $7 to make. For me, frozen chicken is a staple, so I'm not inclined to include it in the price of the meal, since I almost always have it on hand anyway.

Tasty: yes, quite. Just try making it, see what you think. I bet you'll decide you like it too. The tastes are pretty simple, but that means it's open to all kinds of customization: different veggies, different meat, and different soup flavors are all very real possibilities here. Next time, if I want to up the budget a smidgen, I may throw in some shredded cheese for a little extra indulgence!

In the end, I think this is a very successful first attempt at a Q.E.C.T. (yeah, I really need to work on that acronym...) meal. It's not anything fancy, but then, fancy wasn't the point in the first place. The point was to be able to cook a good, hot meal when you come home from a long day at work without having to worry that it'll take forever or else break your bank. And in that, I believe I have done well.

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from everyone!