Here's a challenge for you: a pot-luck main dish (feeds 8) for

Lemongrass Pork Over Rice

This is totally doable if you've got the condiments. I'd serve it over rice or the noodles as suggested. (Grill it, then slice it on the bias.) You won't believe how delicious this is! I marinated it at least 24 hours. Maybe 36 due to timing. It was great.

Vietnamese Restaurant-Style Grilled Lemongrass Pork
Thit Heo Nuong Xa

You can use this marinade with small pieces of pork and thread them on skewers and dip them in some nuoc cham dipping sauce. If there’s no lemongrass, use about 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder instead. Slicing the pork at the end is a traditional Vietnamese approach to eating meat as the pieces are easier to pick up with chopsticks. Enjoy with rice, a stir-fried or grilled vegetable and a quick soup (canh). Feel free to stuff leftovers intobanh mi sandwiches and use them for bun rice noodle salad bowls.

Serves 4

1 pound boneless pork shoulder steak, about 1/2 inch thick
Marinade:
11/2 to 2 tablespoons granulated or light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped shallot or yellow onion
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped (3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dark (black) soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oil

1. Cut the pork shoulder steak into pieces about 3 to 4 inches big. Set aside.

2. Put the sugar, garlic, shallot and lemongrass into an electric mini chopper and process to a fine texture. (Or, mince the garlic, shallot, and lemongrass individually, put them into a bowl, and add the sugar.) Add the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil and process to combine well. Aim for a relatively smooth texture. The marinade will be chocolate brown. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the pork, and turn to coat well. Cover and set aside at room temperature to marinate for 1 hour. Or, refrigerate up to 24 hours, letting the meat sit out at room temperature for 45 minutes to remove some of the chill before grilling.

4. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through. Nick with a knife to test. Transfer to a plate, loosely cover with foil or an inverted bowl for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

 
Aromatic Slow-cooked Chicken

I often shred a rotisserie chicken and start with the "rinse the pot" step. This is another dish that I cannot get over how delicious it is! It reheats particularly well.

> Aromatic Slow-Cooked Chicken
> from Mangoes and Curry Leaves
>
> Serves 5 to 6
>
> There's nothing like simmered chicken for comfort, or to
> feed hungry guests. We think of this as a North Indian
> version of a European-style depth of flavor. The chicken
> pieces simmer in plenty of aromatic sauce that is tempered
> at the last minute with a little vinegar and sugar. Any
> leftovers are delicious.
>
> About 2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts and legs or one
> 3-pound chicken
> About 3 cups water
> 1/4 cup vegetable oil or ghee
> 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
> 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
> About 1
> cup grated onion
> 1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic mashed to a paste
> 1 tablespoon minced ginger or ginger mashed to a paste
> 1 tablespoon ground coriander
> 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
> 2 green cayenne chiles, minced
> 2 tablespoons plain (full- or reduced-fat) yogurt
> 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
> 1 teaspoon sugar
> About 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves and stems
>
> If using chicken pieces, wash them well, remove the skin and
> discard. With a cleaver, chop breasts into three or four
> pieces. Separate the thighs and drumsticks (if still
> attached), and if the drumsticks are large, chop each one in
> half. Remove the skin, check the cut surfaces, and remove
> any bone fragments. Rinse all the chicken pieces
> well.
>
> Place the chicken in a wide heavy pot and add the water.
> Bring to a vigorous boil, then lower the heat and simmer
> partially covered until the chicken is just cooked through,
> 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and set
> aside. Pour out the broth and measure it; add a little
> water if necessary to bring it to 2 cups. Set aside.
> (Traca's note: I let the chicken cool, then took it off
> the bone & shred into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces)
>
> Rinse and dry the pot, then heat the oil or ghee in it over
> medium heat. Toss in the cumin seeds and pepper, and when
> the oil sputters a little, after about 30 seconds,
> immediately add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir.
> Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the
> onion is well softened and translucent, then toss in the
> ground coriander, salt, and minced chiles. Stir well and
> cook for several minutes to blend the flavors.
>
> Stir the yogurt, a spoonful at time, until well blended in.
> Pour in the reserved broth and add the chicken pieces. Bring
> to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer several
> minutes.
>
> Add the vinegar and sugar and stir in. Raise the heat and
> bring to a boil, then reduce the
> heat slightly and cook at a strong simmer for several
> minutes. Toss in most of the chopped coriander and simmer
> for another minute or two.
>
> Serve hot, with the remaining coriander stirred on top for
> garnish.
>
> Serve with plain rice to soak up the sauce.

 
Just moments ago picked up a Costco rotisserie chicken and was thinking the same

thing, that it's gotta be possible to use a cooked chicken and make a casserole-type dish for at least 8 ppl, for under $10.

 
pork shoulder roast is 2.49/lb here this week, Kroger stores. ground beef 4.99, so wouldn't make

the $10 limit with the meatballs.

 
Ooooh, hadn't thought of pork shoulder roast. Now my mind is going toward whether a pork posole is

doable for under $10. In the end, I wonder if Mar will just donate the $10 and be done with it. Knowing her as I do, I doubt that. smileys/wink.gif

 
p.s. and right now, pork shoulders are going for 99 cents/lb here. Great price! 'twould make a nice

chile verde, or carnitas, for a lot more than 8 folks, for close to $10 or a tad more. At least at the going prices in my neighborhood right now. Served on a bed of rice -- delish!

 
deconstructed cabbage roll casserole

notes: If you prefer white rice adjust the cooking times accordingly; it is very important to drain the ground beef thoroughly otherwise the dish tastes greasy, if fact I sometimes brown the meat first and drain it in a sieve while I saute the aromatics.

CABBAGE ROLL CASSEROLE
Cindy Alexander, adapted from several sources on CT 3-4 servings

2 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 cup water
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
½ tsp caraway seeds
¼ tsp cayenne or ½ tsp Aleppo pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
1/2 C uncooked brown rice
4 C cabbage, shredded (about ½ small head)

In a dutch oven, over medium heat, sweat the onion and carrot in the oil. When soft, add the garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Remove the aromatics from pan and set aside. In the same pan, cook the meat over medium-high, breaking it up, until it is no longer pink. Remove all accumulated fat. Return the aromatics to the pan, add the tomatoes, water, all the spices and seasonings, and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the cabbage. Cover and bake in 350 oven for 1 hour.

 
chicken tetrazini cost?

1# chicken breasts $1.99 make it 1.5# $3
package of spaghetti $1
8 oz. mushrooms $1.50
package frozen peas $1.25
3 oz. parm $2
Make a white sauce or use cream of mushroom soup $1.50
Turkey chili
2# ground turkey $4
onions, garlic, spices
Can tomato paste, sauce, 2 cans diced tomatoes= $3
Black beans - $1.50
Rice $1

I don't get it either--must it be $10

 
The challenge is to reign in *my* costs! It's starting to get silly to me to spend $40

for a potluck when folks around me are handing over a ten-dollar bill. Or buying 5 bottles of soda pop.

I'd prefer to contribute a food dish, but really, really need help in keeping the price down.

Let's see if this posts: it's my Sodom & Gomorrah Chicken Casserole pricing after I went shopping:

Price Qty Total Ingredient

$7.50 2 $15.00 2 rotisserie chickens
$3.00 1 $3.00 1 14-oz can chicken broth
$3.00 1 $3.00 1 12-oz package of egg noodles
$0.50 1 $0.50 1 diced onion, with butter or olive oil to saute
$2.50 3 $7.50 3 cans cream of mushroom or chicken soup
$2.00 1 $2.00 1 4-oz can green chile (in any form; you'll end up dicing them anyway)
$4.00 1 $4.00 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite Mexican cheese)
$4.00 0.5 $2.00 4 oz shredded pepperjack cheese
$1.00 0.25 $0.25 1 to 3 Tbl diced canned jalapenos
$1.00 0.25 $0.25 2 Tbl pimentos (for color)
$1.50 1 $1.50 1 4-oz can of mushrooms, chopped
$2.50 0.5 $1.25 1 cup sour cream
$- 0 $- 2 Tbl broth
$2.00 0.25 $0.50 Black olives, sliced.
$3.00 1 $3.00 aluminum pan
$43.75

 
Buy a different mozzarella. Marinara. Ricotta here is not that

much. So it may depend on where/how you shop.

 
I've worked my way throught all the bottled sauces. Almost ALL are too sweet.

Mezzetta's is the first one I've been truly happy with. I keep it stocked all the time because our store only carries 6 bottles at a time. The rest of the grocery shelf is stocked with brands I have tested and rejected as too sweet.

 
I like Mezzetta, too. Have you tried Del Grosso? The trick is to find sauces that the first

ingredient is actually tomatoes, and has no sugar added. I think that eliminates most of the less expensive products. Publix used to have Del Grosso on Bogo during Italian week and another time or two during the year. I always stocked up. Here, they're $6+ a jar and no Bogo, so I've experimented with other brands.

 
Hmm, 7 x 10.00=70.00--they should just give that to you (I left "your" 10.00 out)

I know, cheap labor. smileys/smile.gif
Even if they kept 20.00 for misc., you'd be happy making what you'd really like to make and they won't have to revolt. smileys/smile.gif

If everyone brought their own drink and plate/utensils,
it sounds like a good deal. smileys/smile.gif

 
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