Publix Bargain Meal July 23-29

This week's Publix meal is an old favorite, tuna nicoise salad. Very simple, but delicious on a hot summer night.

The tuna in this recipe can be anything from regular ole' chunk light (what's on sale this week at Publix) to fancy imported tuna in olive oil. The more you spend, the better the dish will be. But, for a $5 meal, you have to do what you have to do. *wink* I usually buy solid white albacore, but it's a little bit more expensive than chunk light. Besides being cheaper, light tuna is also lower in mercury, so there is a definite benefit to those of us who are forever pregnant or nursing.

This recipe comes from my old friend, The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. The dressing is the best part of the whole dish. It's crazy good. Oh, and about the prices..I don't do all my shopping at Publix. I never buy produce there. So, most of these prices are approximate. If you come visit me, I'll take you to Super H, and you can buy produce at these prices for sure. And, if you do a bit of watering, we'll even gift you with a tomato or two!

Tuna Nicoise Salad
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked--on sale 4/$2--$1
2 T lemon juice--approx. $0.20
1 T capers--$0.15
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 pound green beans, trimmed (use 1/2 pound for $ sake)--on sale $1.29/lb--$0.65
1 pound new potatoes, unpeeled and quartered--approx $0.60 (this is the farmers' market going price right now)
2 small purple onions, sliced and separated into rings (use 1)--approx. $0.25
1 pound plum tomatoes, quartered (use 1/2 pound for $ sake)--on sale $1.49/lb--$0.75
1 can black olives--leave these off for a $5 meal
1 head lettuce--approx $0.75 (super H price)
Garlic Vinagrette
2 hard cooked eggs, sliced--$0.20

Place tuna in a bowl. Drizzle lemon juice, capers, salt, and pepper over, and chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to marry.

Cook grean beans for 5 minutes. Cook potatoes 15 minutes or until tender.

Arrange everything on a big ole' platter lined with lettuce leaves. Mound tuna in center. Drizzle the vinagrette over everything. Dig in!

Vinagrette (we'll call it $0.60 for the whole thing)
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T lemon juice
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 T minced fresh oregano
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Shake vigorously. Drink. (just kidding. Kind of)

Total price--$5.13


And, if you, like me, are looking at an ad and needing major inspiration, check out 5dollardinners, with a $5 meal every night and a weekly gathering of folks with inspiration from their ads.