Publix Bargain Meal April 30 - May 7

Do you have recipes that bring back good memories? The August 2002 issue of Cooking Light had a recipe for Crawfish and Corn over Gouda Mashed Potatoes. We had just moved into a new house, in a new city, for my husband to attend graduate school. I had three weeks off before I started my job, was busy painting and unpacking, and every night, I tried to cook supper with the least amount of heat in the house (we didn't have air conditioning, for the first time in our lives). This is one of the meals from that time period. It has become a family favorite, and I've made it so many times since that hot night in August. Like all good recipes, it has become very flexible over the years, and it can encompass much more than the original.

The original is very good, but also not $5. So, in the interest of keeping it a bargain meal favorite, I'll show you how I make it for normal weeknights. It also goes without saying that this recipe needs a fair amount of hot sauce at the table.

Crawfish and Corn over Smoked Gouda Potatoes (aka Shrimp and Corn over Rice)
2 cups hot cooked rice--Uncle Ben's on sale 5 lb/$3.50--$0.28

2 tablespoons butter--$0.15
1 cup chopped onion--$0.25
4 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)--on sale 4/$1--$1.50

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and chopped--on sale $4.99/lb--$2.50

1/2 cup chopped onions--$0.25

Fresh tyme sprig (optional)--are your herbs growing yet??

To prepare shrimp, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Stir in corn; saute 2 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, red pepper, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and shrimp; saute 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated and shrimp is pink. Remove from heat; stir in green onions. Serve shrimp mixture over rice. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Serve with broccoli (frozen)--on sale 32 oz/$1.69--$0.85

Total cost--$5.78