Tortas

This week's Kroger bargain meal is tortas. I've been reading Rick Bayless cookbooks the last couple of weeks, and so Mexican food was on the brain. I love tortas (love them!), although my dear Mike is always, "well, they are good for a sandwich." Whatever.

I should add a disclaimer here. We will eat anywhere, and we will eat anything. We've had some really great meals ordered in a language we didn't understand. And a few flops. One of the flops was at a local torta shop. Where I live, chicken hot dogs are a very popular meat amongst Mexican folks. And, you guessed it, the torta my husband ordered had hot dogs on it. So, now, he's afraid of hot dogs every time I bring up tortas.

But, here's how I made them the other night, no hot dogs in sight!

These buns are bolillos, from the Buford Highway Farmers' Market. We went there last weekend and were able to sample warm tortillas, Mexican deli meat, Salvadorean cream, Eastern European cold veggie salads, Russian salami, and several varieties of kim-chi, all in a space smaller than Walmart. That's my kind of place!

These sandwiches start with a smear of refried beans on the bottom bun. Topped with ham. Just regular old cheap lunch meat. Nothing fancy.

After the ham comes the main meat of the sandwich. Whatever you like. This is roasted chicken thighs, in a chipotle vinaigrette.

Top with cheese. I thought we had white cheese at home, but alas. Sometimes you gotta make do.

Of course, we added pickled jalapenos.

And avocado slices, plus (for me only), a smear of mayonnaise.

I toasted these sandwiches in a dry skillet, pressing on the top, so that they got all crusty and gooey and delicious. You need to try them! We eat these with hot sauce (what don't we eat with hot sauce?), but other than that, they are good as is. If you are lucky enough to eat at Los Tortas Locos, you get a whole salsa bar to choose from. The peculiar homemaker was not feeling up to making a salsa bar this night, so hot sauce it was. And they liked it!

Tortas
4 bolillas or hoagie buns--??--I'll just put my cost--$1.33
1/2 cup refried beans--$0.25
ham--I use the cheapest stuff here--$0.50
2 chicken thighs, roasted and shredded--on sale--$0.99/lb--$0.50
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup oil
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
shredded cheese, about 1/2 cup--on sale $2.50/16 oz--$0.31
pickled jalapeno slices, optional--$0.20
1 avocado, sliced--$1
mayonnaise (optional)

Mix vinegar, oil, salt, and chipotle until well combined. Toss chicken in this vinaigrette and allow to sit while you prepare the sandwiches. Slice buns. Spread top with mayo if desired. Layer bottom with refried beans, ham, chicken, cheese, and avocado. Top with jalapenos if desired. Toast sandwich in dry skillet until outside is crisp and slightly browned, cheese is melted, and the filling is warm.

Total cost for tortas --$4.09

Add half a bag of Kroger brand tortilla chips--$0.50--and you've got a great meal. Enjoy!

For more $5 meals, check out $5dinners.com. Lots of ideas, every week.

Publix Bargain Meal October 7

I think it's fascinating to look at the history of a family by the food that they eat. I find all food fascinating (that's why I'm fat), but especially in a time-line sort of way.

I grew up with regular old Southern food. If Paula Deen has cooked it on her show, then I've eaten it at my grandmother or mother's table. Our food was good, no doubt, but not very spicy. My great-grandparents grew one jalapeno every year, planted strategically far from the regular garden, and we were warned. "Those are hot!!" My great-uncle ate an entire jalapeno once at Thanksgiving. We were sure he was in some sort of drunken stupor and didn't know what he was doing.

And, as always, in a family, things slowly changed. My mother got remarried to someone who had recently lived in south Mississippi, home of all things hot sauce. Someone introduced me to eating fried chicken with Texas Pete (a combination straight from heaven). And, I married someone that thinks Mexican food is the holy grail.

So, I learned to spice it up. And, to like it. And, that's how we came about andouille.

My mother first introduced me to this dish last summer. I love eggplant, and this may be my favorite way to eat it. My husband does not love eggplant, but he really loves this dish. So, if you are an eggplant lover or not, you need to try this dish. It's really good. And it's very simple, perfect for a weeknight meal.

Eggplant and Andouille
1 T olive oil
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced--on sale--$1
1 onion, diced--approx $0.30
2 celery stalks, diced--approx $0.25
1/2 bell pepper, diced--on sale $0.99/lb--$0.50
1 cup diced tomato--on sale $1.99/lb--$1
1/2 pound andouille, diced--$1.75
cajun seasoning
Hot rice, for serving--$0.30

Saute onion, andouille, celery, and bell pepper in olive oil until vegetables are soft and andouille has rendered some of its fat. Season liberally with cajun seasoning (usually around 1-2 teaspoons). Add eggplant and tomato, with enough water to have a stewy consistency (around 1 cup). Cover, turn heat to low, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until eggplant is cooked through. Serve over cooked rice.

Total cost--$5.10


As always, check out $5dinners.com for more meal time inspiration!

Dessert date night

This season, my step-dad has been very, very gracious to share his season tickets with my husband. We love some college football around here, and well, we're not the biggest donors that the university has ever seen, you know? So, the tickets are a fun treat, and my husband really enjoys going. I'm even going to go and enjoy a game in a couple of weeks. And I can't wait!

This week's game was a mid-afternoon game, which cuts into date night a little bit.

But, never fear! I had a solution. We enjoyed apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and coffee when he got home. And I got to hear all the highlights from a heartbreaking loss.

Lots of dreams and plans and schemes get shared on that back porch. This week was no exception.

Loving my husband. That's what Saturday night is all about.

Lunchtime learning