Recipe: Omelet and Breakfast Sandwiches

In this week's Pathmark supermarket circular, I noticed that a carton of 18 large eggs is selling for $1.69, Banquet Brown 'N Serve Sausage Links or Patties is $1, and Pillsbury Grands Biscuits are $2 (use the $1 off 2 coupon here and get the cans for $1.50 each).

Putting them all together, I can make my own breakfast sandwiches just like the famous "Golden Arches" and save!
Total cost for all the ingredients: $4.19 and makes 8 breakfast sandwiches.

Before we start, we must first learn the technique of how to make a basic omelet.
Here is a video of Julia Child showing us just how it is done:



Ingredients

• 1 box of Banquet Brown 'N Serve Sausage Patties
• 1 can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (I prefer Southern Style)
  
• 8 eggs
• butter or oil to cook the eggs
  

Directions

1. Prepare and bake biscuits as per manufacturer's instructions on can.
2. While biscuits are baking, prepare and cook sausage patties as per manufacturer's instructions on box.
3. Using an 8 inch non-stick pan, cook the eggs omelet style 2 at a time.
4. Flip the omelet in half and then cut in half with a spatula.
   
5. To assemble the sandwich, cut a biscuit in half sideways and lay half the omelet and then a sausage patty and then top with other biscuit.
6. Continue cooking the rest of the eggs the same way.
   

This is a recipe to make all the breakfast sandwiches at once (great for a family) but you can just bake the biscuits and then prepare the eggs and patty on the day that you are going to eat one (or two).

I don't season my omelet with salt & pepper as the biscuit and sausage have salt and seasonings already.

Coupons, Circulars Are Key Ingredients To A Cheaper Grocery Bill

I've been doing this for years. Good to see that it's finally made the local news and more people are starting to do it.

From NY1 News:

Clipping coupons can certainly cut down on a grocery bill, but consumers don't need to spend excessive amounts of time with scissors to see substantial savings. NY1's Money Matters reporter Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report.

There are those who clip coupons and those who take it to the extreme. Melissa Zambito, a mother from Piffard, N.Y. whose high couponing caliber landed her on the show "Extreme Couponing" calls coupons "legal shoplifting."

But just like time is money, saving money takes time. Zambito spends roughly 20 hours a week clipping and categorizing her coupons, and mapping out her strategy before she hits the stores.

However, Jeanette Pavini of Coupons.com says using coupons does not need to consume a shopper's life or basement.

"The reality is you can save a tremendous amount of money," says Pavini. "You can save thousands of dollars a year using coupons and using different strategies with an investment of a modest amount of time."

Rather than 20 hours a week, Pavini says shoppers should just spend 20 minutes going through newspaper inserts and surfing for coupons online and can still shave hundreds off a monthly grocery bill.

"If you can save $200 a month on groceries, and so maybe $50 a week, and you're investing 20 minutes, well, 20 minutes for $50, that's worth it to me," says Pavini.

She says the first place to look is not at the coupons themselves, but rather the store circulars. They may not have clippable coupons, but shoppers can still find tons of savings, no scissors required.

"The circular is your best friend. You look at the circular and you build your weekly menu off of what is on sale," says Pavini. "Once you have that menu established, you look for coupons that match what's on sale, so that you get double the savings, and then clip coupons and print coupons for things that you would need anyway, even if it's not on sale."

Whether shoppers have one coupon in their wallet or a binder-full, like Zambito, there is no need to be embarrassed when approaching a cash register. Couponing is in, as is saving money.

Pavini says, "3.3 billion coupons were redeemed last year -- 3.3 billion coupons, that's a lot of coupons. It's like the new black."

"Extreme Couponing" airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. on TLC.

Grocery Shopping

A friend of mine was amazed when she learned that I only budget myself $20-$30 for the week on groceries and I stick to it. She spends almost $70 for one person!

My trick is to peruse the supermarket circulars and buy only what's on sale. I have a small pantry but I try to stock it up with the basics like canned stock/broth, dried pasta, jarred sauces, and canned beans. Most often times these go on sale for 99¢ or less.
Frozen vegetables periodically go on sale as well and I stock up on corn, peas, chopped broccoli, chopped spinach, whole leaf spinach, and okra when they sell at 99¢. These vegetables come in handy to bulk up a meal and I have recipes that utilize these in this blog.
Bread freezes very well so if you find that loaf on sale for $1.50, buy a couple and freeze one for later.

I buy the store brand most times since it's cheaper and I find it's just as good as major name brands. When I DO find name brands on sale, I also search the internet for manufacturer's coupons for that product for the additional savings.

Specialty spices and sauces I buy in Chinatown or Little India as they are often sold at better prices than major markets.

I shop at Costco for bulk savings like cereals and bevereages and they also have coupons on specific items. Fresh produce is cheaper there than at supermarkets as you can buy a package of 6 romaine hearts for about $3 (great for making Caesar salads and wrapping Galbi Gui). Don't forget the drugstores and 99¢ stores!

When buying fresh produce or items from the refrigerated sections, always look at the expiration date and chose the one that will expire later. Supermarkets usually put the newer stock behind the ones that will expire sooner. When you get home, do the same with your refrigerator and pantry.

Once your pantry and freezer are well stocked, you'll be spending less to make a meal. Many recipes will make a dish to serve a small family. If it's just you, freeze the rest for meals you can eat later and you will have saved yourself money AND time.

Recipe: Korean Grilled Short Ribs - Galbi Gui

Galbi (or kalbi) is a Korean dish of grilled marinated beef short ribs. The dish is pretty popular and is usually served with fluffy white rice and lettuce leaves for wrapping.
One would take some grilled meat, pulling it off the bones, placing it in a lettuce leaf with some rice, wrapping it up into a roll, and then traditionally dipping it in a spicy fermented bean sauce.

Making it yourself is more economical than going out to a Korean restaurant and this feeds the craving when you don't happen to have a Korean restaurant in your neighborhood. Short ribs are selling $2.59/lb at Assi Plaza in Queens.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of beef short ribs (the thin sliced L.A. rib style is most often sold)
  

For the marinade:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Asian pear chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger

Directions

1. In a food processor, puree the chopped pear and onion. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to mix.
2. Place ribs into a large zip lock plastic bag and pour the marinade in to cover meat.
3. Seal bag shut and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator but over night is best for optimum flavor.
4. Heat a large non stick pan and coat with a bit of cooking spray.
5. Remove short ribs from marinade and cook 2-3 minutes each side.
   

Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken

Here is a recipe that makes wonderful use of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake (or cooking wine) that you should have on the Asian side of your pantry.

Dark meat chicken is usually used to make this as the meat is more tender than white meat. Besides, chicken thighs and legs usually cost less than breast meat so this is a dish that everyone can afford to make.

Mirin is a sweet sake seasoning used quite often in Japanese cuisine.

Teriyaki is usually broiled or grilled and the sauce is constantly brushed on the meat as it cooks but with this recipe you do it on the stove, thickening the sauce as the chicken cooks. Definitely a one pan dish!

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken thighs (you can debone them now or later)
• 2 tablespoons sake (you can substitute Chinese Shao Hsing wine or Dry Sherry)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons mirin (this gives that shiny luster of teriyaki)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (grate using the small, not fine teeth of a box grater)

Directions

1. Place the chicken thighs in a plastic zip lock bag.
2. Mix the teriyaki ingredients well in a bowl and then add to the chicken.
3. Seal the plastic bag and allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.. The longer it marinates, the more flavor it absorbs.
4. In a large skillet heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
5. Take the chicken pieces out of the bag and reserve the marinade.
6. Cook the chicken pieces skin side down over medium heat until browned then turn the chicken pieces over and brown the other side over low heat.
7. Add the teriyaki marinade to the chicken in the pan and cover.
8. Steam cook the chicken until done.
9. Remove the lid and continue to simmer the sauce until thick.
10. Turn off heat and remove chicken.
11. Remove the bone and slice the chicken into strips.
12. Pour thickened teriyaki sauce over the chicken.

$1 Off 2 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits and Sweet Rolls

The local supermarkets here at times offer Pillsbury Grands for 99¢ each. Using these manufacturer coupons I found on the internet, it's like getting them as a buy one get one free!
Print up a couple copies of each coupon and stock your refrigerator for the holidays.


Pillsbury Grands Biscuits $1 off 2

Pillsbury Grands Sweet Rolls $1 off 2

Coupons expire 30 days from the date you print.

Video: How To Brown Ground Beef

There are quite a few people out there who don't know what it means to brown ground meats especially when you are making something like Hamburger Helper (what I first ate when I moved out of my parent's house and started living on my own) or making meat sauce for lasagna.

This technique can be used for any type of ground meat.