Until I discovered that Food Network was part of our cable package, I had a hard time justifying 30 bucks a month to watch football and the science channel. But, no problem now! I am hooked. As is the whole family.
Bobby Flay and Alton Brown are household names around here, and Chopped, and of course, Good Eats are some of my very favorite shows. As is The Next Food Network Star.
If you read LifeasMOM, then you know me like a book, and it would be no surprise to you that I was so thrilled when francophile, mother of many, foodie Melissa D'Arabian won last weekend. Yeah! I am even more excited that the slant of her new series, Ten Dollar Dinners, is frugal food! Every week she'll be featuring a menu that will feed four people (sometimes with leftovers) for less than $10.
Today her first show aired and I am pleased to report that the "Perfectly-Priced Parisian" menu featured was wallet- as well as family-friendly. Her Potato-Bacon Torte and Cafe Green Salad are simple, yet filling dishes. They are made from ingredients that are usually low-priced, but you can often find flour, butter, potatoes, bacon, and salad greens for really low prices, particularly if you shop the sales or use coupons. I imagine that with savvy shopping, you could easily cut this $10 price tag in half.
The one item that I rarely see on sale would be the fresh thyme that she infused the cream with for the potato torte. Unless you grow fresh herbs in your garden, that ingredient could be the pricey "extra." I imagine it might be worth the splurge. But, if it's really not in your budget, you could use dried thyme. Simply put it in a tea ball and steep the thyme in the cream. It won't be exactly the same as fresh, but a more frugal approximation.
Yes, you could always stir in dried thyme, but leaving floating herbs is kind of a no-no in French cooking. Speaking of which, having lived in France for a time, I can also testify that the menu was very reminiscent of meals that I knew and loved while there.
Her Applesauce Granita (just freeze 2 cups unsweetened applesauce with a squeeze of lemon and fluff it once frozen) couldn't be simpler, and would make a great recipe to prepare with your children. Applesauce often goes on sale, or you could make your own and then freeze it. She topped it with a sauce of plain yogurt mixed with maple syrup and cinnamon. Yum! Unfortunately, they did not have that recipe on the website.
Ten Dollar Dinners promises to be fun, entertaining, and the source of a whole new world of good (& cheap) eats. While it's time frame isn't the best, you can still access the menu, recipes, and clips from the show's website. It's not quite the same, but still a great resource. I'm eager to try this week's menu soon!
What do YOU think of The Next Food Network Star?
*photo Food Network
7 comments:
My husband and I were so thrilled when she won! We liked her right from the start! I missed her first show, but hope to see it soon! Thanks for the review!
Stacy
As far as the thyme goes... you can even grow herbs like thyme in pots on your windowsill, or on your balcony, as I do. That IS super cheap. The plant itself costs a couple bucks and if you take care of it properly, you can have herbs all season long. Also you can dry and freeze the herbs as well.
Wish I had Food Network. We don't get any of those cool cooking shows. Just as well, I waste enough of my time online, I don't need to add another vice, lol! :)
I haven't had cable for a couple years now, so I haven't seen her show.
But for $10, you could feed your family some REALLY nice meals.
That would really up my grocery budget, though.
I work to feed my family of 7 for $5 or less per meal. MANY of our meals, including dinner, are only $2--for ALL of us.
As far as fresh tyme, or any other herbs--our nursery has those in the spring in 4" pots for less than you would pay for 3 tiny springs at the grocery store. I grow thyme, rosemary, chives, tarragon, sage, basil, lavender, and chamomile. Many of these grow most of the year outdoors for me. Depending on where you live, some of these may need to be brought indoors during the winter.
I agre that many of the ingredients that you listed above can be bought for less. Potatoes go on sale for 30 cents a pound (and sometimes as low as 10 cents a pound), bacon goes on sale for $2 a pound, etc.
And if you have a garden, lettuce is super cheap to grow. A packet of seeds for $1 can yield over 100 heads of lettuce.
When did Melissa's first show air?
We don't have cable right now, so this post is the first I heard of her since I haven't really followed the show this year. I just watched her clip of 4 step chicken and she is fantastic! Engaging, approachable, great tips and ideas. I love her already!
I was impressed with the show and even made the applesauce granita with the yogurt sauce -- it was a BIG hit with the entire family. The yogurt sauce recipe is included with the granita recipe on the website. Looking forward to future episodes!
Thanks, Anonymous. Last weekend the recipe wasn't up yet. Good to know it's there now.
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