Low Funds...High Flavors

This is one of the worst economic downturns in our country's history, but that doesn't mean you have to give up good flavorful food to make it more affordable. Over the next few months, I'm going to try to include more affordable meals for families, couples, and singles. I'm particularly going to try to find ways to "brown bag it" at lunchtime without being disappointed. I'm not the only one concerned with food prices, so let's start off with delicious foods from Bon Appetit magazine. They have created a quick recipe list of a week's worth of recipes that yield at least four servings for $100 in total. 

Here is one of my favorite go-to affordable recipes that can be turned into lunch the next day and dinner the next night. I posted a bit altered recipe from Food Network's Robin Miller.  

Barbeque-Roasted Salmon from Robin Miller on Food Network, but I tweaked. I changed some of the ingredients and methods, partially to make it easier, but mostly because I don't really like following directions.

ingredients:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/4 cayenne pepper
  
• few dashes of hot sauce
  

Easy substitutes: 1/4 chili pepper instead of hot sauce; lime juice instead of lemon; lemon or lime zest instead of orange; and feel free to add in your favorite spice to give it your own special kick!

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
   
2. In a bag, together brown sugar, orange zest, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Using tongs, add salmon fillets to the prepared pan (9x 12 pan). Rub the mixture into the salmon with your hands gently.
   
3. Pour the orange juice mixture over the salmon and turn to coat both sides. 
   
4. Roast for 15 minutes with foil, then broil uncovered for 3 minutes. You should be able to put a fork easily into the salmon.
   

I'd suggest getting fresh salmon from Costco because it's affordable and enough to feed a family of four for two meals. 

Day One: Eat salmon fillets over rice with asparagus, as suggested previously.

Day Two Lunch: Salmon Salad. Take half a salmon fillet and use a fork to shred it a bit. Put over greens, like spinach or mixed fields, with grape tomatoes, cucumbers, 2 oz of feta cheese, and a light vinaigrette. 

Day Two Dinner: Salmon Panini. Use your favorite bread, like herbed focaccia bread. (You can purchase delicious bread for a great price at Costco courtesy of Granato's.) Take the last bit of your salmon and divide evenly between sandwiches. On one side of the bread put your favorite aioli or mayonnaise. Use your leftover leafy greens and slices of tomatoes. Feel free to use your favorite mild meltable cheese. Heat up two pans, preferably cast iron, for five minutes. Remove pans from the heat and spray with vegetable oil to make sure nothing sticks. Place the panini in one pan and place the bottom of the other pan on top of the panini.  Place a brick wrapped in foil or something else heavy to make sure the sandwich has enough pressure to melt together. You don't need an expensive appliance to have a delicious italian pressed sandwich! Enjoy!

It may seem like these ingredients are expensive and inaccessible, but they will keep you full and satisfied. Costco is a great place to find all these ingredients with a price that can't be beat!