Effective Grocery Shopping...and why you DON'T need those meal planning kits!

Keeping up with a food blog is definitely a challenge.  Taking pictures, listing out ingredients and steps, and putting it all together is time consuming!  But the process actually starts much earlier--meal planning and heading out to the store.

If there is one thing that i have spent a lot of time trying to master, it is art of grocery shopping.  You know that feeling--that you wandered aimlessly down every. single. aisle. (and possibly twice!) Yet, while loading up the fridge at home, you still managed to forget that key ingredient.  And you spent over an hour at that store, yet you will have to go back for that one little item.  Worse yet, you probably bought things you did not need or will never use and spent more money than you intended in the first place.

Despite my admittedly spoiled taste in food, I have found a balance between making cost effective meals and meals composed of extravagant ingredients.  Since I don't have a lot of free time either, I always look for ways to innovate and make my shopping trips as short as possible.  

I have also managed to get all of my grocery shopping for the week done in one trip at one store.  This can be difficult when having a mix of specialty and no specialty items.  Many mainstream grocery stores don't carry more obscure items or a full selection of fresh herbs and veggies.  Some natural or organic food stores will not carry items that are more generic, or ones it is not worth spending extra money on.  Personally, I do not buy all organic items (I pick and choose depending on the product and its role in the meal), so having a store that has all of these options available allows for a true one-stop shop.  For me, that's Fairway.  They have a pretty good selection of all things 'grocery.'  The fish and meats are consistently good quality as well.  This saves me of having to go to the local fish market (though I still do this sometimes for variety).

It's all about strategy--planning out a list with each of the week's meals broken down to its ingredients.  I make a big master list of everything as i think of it and when I'm done, I organize it by department in the store:

                   PRODUCE

                   PREPARED FOODS

                   FISH AND MEAT

                   REFRIGERATED ITEMS

                   PANTRY ITEMS

                   MISC.

I purposely make the list of departments in the order I would reach them walking through the store.  This has cut down impulse buys dramatically!  It also helps me ensure that I don't forget to buy anything.  More importantly--by organizing my list by department, I am not subject to my stream of consciousness that would direct me back and forth across the store if I went without a list or without one categorized.  

Not so bad, right?  But many people do not want the hassle of picking out all the ingredients on their own (or coming up with the meals!).  Hence, services like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh were born.  The concept is great--they give you the perfect amount you will need of spices and herbs, perfectly portioned cuts of meat and fish, and step by step recipes to follow.  The catch?  Beyond citing any dietary restrictions, you have no control over the selections that will be available for your shipment for the week.  

I don't know about you, but I think I would rather pick out my own meals.  And if you can shop more effectively, why miss out on the fun of creating your own dishes?!

Lamb Meatball Gyros

I love gyros and Greek food in general, but I was constantly wishing the lamb would be rare on my sandwich.  Thanks to a little inspiration from the lamb meatballs I typically make, we decided to make our own gyros.

For two people:
.75-1lb of ground lamb
1/4 white onion
1/2 tomato
mini pitas or sandwich thins (about 3 per person)
3 sprigs of rosemary
1 container of tzatziki (unless you're feeling ambitious)
lettuce or spring mix 
salt and pepper


Start by first chopping the white onion (pretty finely) and the tomato (rough chopped is OK)

 

Next, place the pitas on a baking sheet and put in the oven (turned off for now)

Next, take the ground lamb and spread it out on a cutting board.  Season with salt and pepper and mix and re-flatten.  Next, add in half of he chopped white onion, again mixing it in. Lastly, take 2 sprigs of rosemary and strip them, mixing into the lamb as well.

 

Take a small amount of the lamb mixture and round out into a bite sized meatball shape.  I like to think of the best size of about 1in in diameter, so I can fit 3 on my pita.  If you are using closer to 1lb of ground lamb, you will definitely have extra!

Now youre ready to cook!  but first, turn on the oven and preheat to 300.  As soon as it is preheated, you will take out the pitas so they are warm but not crispy.  Heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat.  If you have a sprig of rosemary left, add it to the pan and keep it in there while you cook.  Add in the lamb and allow each "side" of the meatball to brown.

While the lamb is cooking, you can prep your pitas for loading...

How.  Delicious.  Do these look?!?

 Start by adding a layer of tzatziki to the pitas.  Rick's tip: also add a few drops of Sriracha!

 

Add onion, tomato and lettuce as desired, and then put the cooked meatballs on top, adding some more tzatziki.

 

Fold up and enjoy!

Espresso Marinated Skirt Steak

Working in a steakhouse that serves prime dry-aged cuts, we tend to get a little picky with the meat we buy.  I've had a lot of luck at Fairway markets because they sell prime cuts of anything from filet mignon to porterhouses to skirt steak. 

I've never been a fan of skirt steak.  I like a thick cut that I can get a good char on and still have it bloody and raw inside, so logistically it doesn't make sense for me to ever order it.  However, after using this marinade and fine-tuning the broiler time, I have found a new love for it.  You'll need to marinate the steak from anywhere between 2-12 hours, so plan ahead on this one!  I typically serve with leftover marinade and also some chimmichurri. 

Skirt steak (I usually figure about 8 oz per person)

1 1/2 C espresso

1/4 C chopped shallot

3 Tbsp chopped garlic

1/4 C Balsamic reduction

1/4 C Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp olive oil

Pepper to taste

Chimmichurri (combination of all ingredients below--no cooking!)

1/3 C finely chopped flat parsley

1/3 C finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp dried chopped Basil
2 Tbsp dried chopped Oregano

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 C red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp chopped shallots

Red pepper flake to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Juice from 1/2 lemon

Now for the skirt steak and marinade!

I like using espresso because it has such a strong flavor, but you can use coffee if you want a more mild taste.  The espresso is not overpowering by any means though!  Also, feel free to use decaf. Either way, make sure its freshly brewed.

Start by combining the espresso/coffee, shallot, garlic, Balsamic, Dijon, sugar, olive oil and pepper in a bowl.  Whisk together until blended well.  

 

Next trim most of the fat off of the skirt steak and then cut into portioned pieces.  Leaving some fat on will absorb some of the marinade's flavor, but too much will make it chewy.

 

Next place the pieces of skirt steak in a large bag with the marinade.  Squish the contents around to coat.  Keep refrigerated for at least 2 hours (less than 12 though is best), flipping halfway through to re-coat.

 

Preheat your broiler to high.  place the pieces of steak and half of the marinade on a baking sheet.  Heat the remaining marinade over the stove  so it is ready to serve when the steak is cooked.  

You'll definitely want to keep an eye on the steak as its cooking to get to your desired temperature.  Because it is a thin cut, cook it slightly less than you would like to enjoy it at.  For rare, cook for 8 minutes.   For medium rare about 3 minutes more; for medium about 3 minutes more; and so on.

Let the steak sit for a minute once you take it out of the broiler.  Then slice into pieces 1/2 inch thick.  Drizzle some marinade on top or keep it on the side for dipping purposes.

Don't forget the chimmichurri!  This can be used for dipping or you can top the steak with it.

For something with such a complex flavor, wasn't that easy?? 

Lobster Mac & Cheese

As my first post for the new year (and in a while, sorry!), I decided to make something I have only done once before.  Last time it admittedly came out less-than-stellar, so I made some revisions and am really happy with how this came out!

1 box of mini shell pasta

1lb block of cheddar cheese

3/4 stick of Velveeta (i'll explain....)

1/2 stick of butter

2 Tbsp chopped garlic

2 Tbsp Paprika

2 C white wine

1 lb of cut up lobster (claw meat is best)

1/2 C panko breadcrumbs

Before I get into each step, let me explain a few different parts of the recipe.  The last time I made this, I only used freshly shredded cheese and no Velveeta.  I shredded about 3 blocks of cheese and the end result was a mac and cheese that was not creamy at all.  Supplementing with Velveeta really helps the texture and by still using some freshly shredded, you get the sharp cheddar flavor. 

Another thing to note is the selection of lobster meat.  While you can cut up the tail meat, it tends to dry out faster than claw meat.  This is a concern if you are buying pre-cooked lobster meat (which is perfectly acceptable and what I do).  Since youll be cooking it again, it is wise to get meat that is jucier.

OK, here we go.  The pasta can be cooked at any point during preparation, so start boiling water now and follow cooking instructions.  Be sure to keep it at aldente.  Preheat the oven to 350.

Shred the block of cheese and keep in bowls away from heat.

You'll need a big bowl!!  I didn't realize this and wound up having to use multiple ones because i underestimated how much one block would give.

Next you can start preparing the Velveeta cheese mixture.  Combine the butter and garlic in a pan and cook about 5 minutes until softened, but not burnt. 

 

Next add in the white wine and paprika, let simmer for about 15 minutes

#currentworkstation

Next, prepare the crust while liquid is simmering.  Combine 1 Tbsp of paprika with the breadcrumbs.  Set aside

Cut Velveeta into 1/2 inch chunks and add to liquid.  Cook until creamy sauce forms.

Slowly fold in the cooked pasta and then fold in the lobster chunks, being sure to leave a few nice looking pieces for garnish

  

After you are done drooling over how amazing this looks, prep a casserole dish by spraying with Pam.  Add a 1/2 inch layer of the lobster mac.  Then add a layer of your shredded cheddar.  Repeat until you reach the top of the dish, but be sure to end with a cheese layer.

 

Add on your garnish lobster piece(s)

Then cover with breadcrumb mixture.  

 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, garnish each portion with a claw and then serve and enjoy!

and then enjoy the leftovers!