Summertime Staple

My family always does a big 4th. We all gather at the lake. There is a boat parade, "the games" (a twisted sort of Olympic games, heavily competitive and usually fueled with cocktails), and then there is the food. Lots and lots of good food. Highlights being beef tenderloin, potato casserole, always some type of fresh seafood fare, and delicious tomato pie. Now, I could write about all of these recipes and probably will write about them eventually (actually we featured the tenderloin recipe in a past post), but in honor of summer I am going to focus on this tomato pie.

My Aunt Alva always makes this every 4th of July. I can see it now . . . me, my mom and my Aunt Alva sitting around our kitchen table at the lake, laughing, chatting, tired from the sun - albeit a bit tipsy - and peeling tomatoes, always with a boat drink in hand.

Ahhhh tomato pie . . .there is nothing quite like it. So southern, so summer, and so delicious. Now, I'll have you know I'm not trying to brag, but it's a fact that this is THE BEST tomato pie recipe, and to this day I have never had a better one. In fact, I dare anyone to challenge it. Below is the recipe, so please enjoy. Try it once and you will make it a summer staple as my family has. Happy belated 4th. Enjoy the pie . . . I know you will :)

*And for those that have had a bad experience with a mayonnaise soaked tomato pie . . . you will not find that here.
















Ingredients (makes one pie)

6 - 8 large, ripe, fresh tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions, roughly chopped
1 jar of Zatarans spicy creole mustard
1 deep dish Pillsberry pie crust
Dried basil
1 1/2 lbs of white extra sharp cheese, freshly grated
1 teaspoon of mayo (just enough to bind the cheese)
About 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese (enough to sprinkle over the top of the pie)
Kosher slat
Fresh cracked pepper
Paper towels

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Follow the directions on the pie crust package to prep the pie crust for baking. With a fork, poke pie crust dough along the bottom of the pie pan and up the sides. Cook pie crust for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool.

As pie crust cooks, add 1 teaspoon of mayo to grated cheddar cheese. Mix/bind with hands and set aside. Peel skin from tomatoes and cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch slices. Place tomato slices on paper towels to drain. Once all tomaotes are peeled and sliced, I find it easiest to run each slice under water to remove the seeds. After the seeds have been removed from each slice, place tomatoes back on paper towels to drain excess liquid and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and dried basil - this method guarantees that you won't have a soggy pie. Flip slices and repeat.

Once tomatoes are ready and crust is cooked and cooled slightly, begin construction of the pie. Spread an even, thin layer of Zatarans spicy creole mustard on the base of the pie crust. Layer tomatoes, then green onions,then cheese mixture in the pie crust. Repeat process until you reach the top of the pie pan, ending with the cheese mixture. Cover the top with the freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 7 minutes.
*Tip* Remove pie from oven after 25 mintues and soak up any excess grease on the top or sides of the pie with paper towels. Repeat process every so often until the pie is finished cooking. This will prevent your pie from becoming too greasy and soupy.

Pasta Pioneer Style

Here at AF, one of our favorite bloggers, who inspires us day in and day out, is none other than The Pioneer Woman. We admire her photographs, her take on life and especially her homestyle cooking . . . oh the cooking. . . I have tried quite a few of her recipes and love them all, but her shrimp linguine recipe really stands out. Unlike my blog partner, the self proclaimed "pasta-a-holic," I'm not a huge fan of noodles. My last meal on earth would definitely not be spaghetti and meatballs (no offense, Kara)

This shrimp pasta recipe, however, is perfect for those who do not like the heavy feeling you get in your belly after downing a portion of spaghetti cabanora. It's fresh, it's light, it's SO easy to make and it's delicious! It also involves minimal cleanup and is super affordable. Whole Foods was running a special for fresh GA coastal shrimp at 9.99 lb. last week, which was helpful to our budget. Side note: weekly specials as good as that one tend to run out by Wednesday, so be sure to shop early in the week.

Our lovely hosts and dear friends, Anne and Martin, allowed us to surprise them with the dish on a Tuesday night where we could show our appreciation for all the many times they let us come over to their house and "be naughty" as Anne would say. Try this dish during the summer for a group of friends - you can't go wrong.

Below is The Pioneer Woman's recipe, albeit with a few AF tweaks . We paired the pasta with a Caesar salad and coupious amounts of wine per usual!


Shrimp Linguine (serves 8)

Ingredients

1 16 oz. box of linguine
3 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I used low sodium)
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley
Fresh basil (use the whole package)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Tin foil (or as my dad says, "Silver paper")
1 cup of white wine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Devein and wash the shrimp; remove the tails. Cook the linguine to al dente, until the pasta is just cooked and still firm when you bite into it. The only way to get it right is to taste the pasta along the way. Drain the pasta and set aside.

As the pasta is cooking, mince the garlic cloves. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to brown. Add the diced tomatoes, white wine, salt and black pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Your kitchen will begin to smell intoxicating at this point. As the sauce cooks, give the parsley and basil a rough chop.

Now, assemble your foil pouch, making sure it's very large and very secure. After the 10 minutes are up, take the sauce off the heat, add the shrimp, pasta, herbs. Give it a light toss and pour the mixture into the foil pouch. Secure the foil parcel and place it in oven. Cook for 15 minutes exactly. Remove when done and serve hot.

We served the dish right out of the foil! Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, and leftover fresh parsley and basil to taste. Please enjoy the step by step photos (a la Pioneer Woman) below.

Saute garlic in olive oil.


Add diced tomatoes, white wine, S&P. Cook for 10 minutes on medium high heat. Intoxicating aromas are about to ensue.


After the 10 minutes is up, take the pan off the heat and add the shrimp. Then add the pasta. Give it a quick toss.


Pour into foil packet. Sorry for the blur - this was an action shot.


Add the parsley and basil. I would actually do this when it is in the pan and off the heat after you add the shrimp and pasta. I meant to and just forgot. Now, tightly wrap up the foil packet. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven. Serve right out of the foil packet and enjoy!

Ole! Shrimp Taco Salad

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! In honor of this lively holiday, we wanted to post a recipe that you can prepare at home this evening if you decide to forego the crowded Mexican restaurants. Kinger and I invited our friend, Lisa, over last night for shrimp taco salads and Coronas. Lisa happens to be an amazing cook/fellow foodie and has her own blog with her fiance, Andy, so we were aiming to impress her. We also wanted to make a healthy dish - our calorie intake has increased significantly since we started AF, and we're trying to watch our figures in anticipation of bikini season.

We adapted the following recipe from one we saw in this month's issue of Cooking Light, substituting honey for maple syrup to sweeten the shrimp marinade/salad dressing and non-fat greek yogurt for light sour cream. We also grilled our shrimp on Fire & Flavor's Alder Grilling Planks rather than on metal skewers. You will be amazed by the intense, smoky flavor these planks add to the shrimp. It makes a huge difference! Fire & Flavor's founder, Gena Knox, recommends using alder rather than cedar for shrimp because it brings out the delicate flavor of the shellfish. The planks retail for $9.99 for a pack of two 15-inch planks, but Kingsley got a set for free simply by taking advantage of a deal that was advertised in the company's e-newsletter.



The ingredients for this dish came to about $30, and the recipe makes enough for six people. Since there were only three of us, we ended up with tons of leftovers. Pair the salad with ice cold Corona Lights with fresh lime slices. Here's the best part...each serving was a measly 228 calories (minus the beers). We guarantee you'll love this meal, and you won't feel like a total heifer after inhaling it!


Ole! Grilled Shrimp Taco Salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. chipotle hot sauce
3/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 ears shucked corn
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 oz. baked blue corn tortilla chips (about 1 1/2 cups)
non-fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup diced peeled avocado
1 jar prepared salsa
1 container non-fat greek yogurt
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions

Soak two small cedar planks in warm water for at least 15 minutes.

Combine lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, syrup, and hot sauce in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place the shrimp in a shallow bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the lime juice mixture over shrimp, tossing gently to coat. Reserve the remaining lime juice mixture; set aside. Place chopped lettuce, green onions, cilantro, black beans and tomatoes in a large bowl; set aside.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Place shrimp on cedar planks. Once grill comes to temperature, place corn on grill. Grill about 10 minutes. Turn corn and add shrimp planks. Grill for 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. You do not need to turn the shrimp as they cook.

Remove shrimp and corn. Cut kernels from ears of corn. Add shrimp and corn kernels to bowl with lettuce and other ingredients. Drizzle reserved lime juice mixture over the salad, and toss gently to combine.

Divide tortilla chips evenly among shallow bowls; top each serving with salad. Serve with lime wedges on the side. Guests can top their salad with greek yogurt and salsa to taste.

Throw One on the Grill

The weather is warm, which means it's finally time to grill out! Last week, we decided to try out a super simple flank steak recipe. Here at AF, we like our meals to be quick to prepare but also impressive and flavorful. Our entire Spring/Summer grilling menu meets all of those critera and also happens to be incredibly affordable, feeding four people for only $20.

The flank steak is best served medium rare and sliced thinly across the grain. Our two-ingredient marinade tenderizes the meat and gives it a sweet and tangy, Asian-inspired flavor. Our sides: grilled aspargus, which is in season right now, and veggie kabobs made with zucchini, yellow squash, red and yellow sweet peppers and red onions. We seasoned the kabobs with olive oil, kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. These dishes are a synch to make, so fire up your grill and give it a shot!


Ingredients

2 - 3 lb. flank steak
About a 1/2 cup of low-sodium Kikkoman teriyaki sauce
About a 1/2 cup of any brand of red wine vinaigrette salad dressing/marinade
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
One bunch of asparagus
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red onion
1 large zucchini
2 yellow squash
4 skewers (metal or wooden will work; if you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 15 minutes before use)

Directions

Cover flank steak in the teriyaki sauce and red wine vinaigrette. Add minced garlic on both sides of steak. Let steak rest in marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. In the meantime, fire up the grill to medium high heat. Add asparagus and veggie skewers and grill to your liking (we prefer ours crispy).

While grill is still hot, add steak and grill over medium high for 6 minutes on each side. Serve hot and enjoy.

*Also great to try for fajitas

Recipe Magic from Real Simple

As much as we love to cook at the Affordable Foodie, it can be really hard to decide what to make for dinner night after night. It's especially challenging during the week when time is limited. We often need an easy recipe that we can throw together quickly when we get home from work, happy hour or the gym. Ideally, whatever we cook will satisfy our current cravings and incorporate basic ingredients we already have on hand.

Thanks to our friend, Shana, we just discovered Dinner in 15 Minutes Flat from Real Simple, and we're already obsessed! With three clicks of the mouse, the Web site pulls up a customized list of recipes from Real Simple's collection based on your favorite ingredients and cooking style. The best part is all of the recipes are budget-friendly and take 15 minutes or less to make.

We could spend hours playing around with the different categories like Cheese and Breakfast for Dinner, Vegetables and Surprise Me or Pasta and 5 Ingredients or Less. Have fun and let us know what 15-minute Real Simple recipe you're dying to try!

Wok Out

There's nothing more affordable and more rewarding than putting leftover food to use. It just so happens that fried rice is the ultimate leftover/Affordable Foodie dish because it involves combining leftover rice with whatever else you happen to have in your fridge or freezer to make a quick one-dish meal.

Although making fried rice is super easy, it is possible to ruin it. Here are a few basic things you'll need if you want your fried rice to turn out perfectly every time:

Dry Rice: You need to start with steamed rice, but you can't make fried rice with freshly cooked rice. If you don't believe me, you can try it, but you'll end up with a mushy, sticky dish due to the high moisture content of the freshly cooked rice. The best rice to use is leftover rice that's been in your fridge for at least one day. Now you know what to do with all that leftover steamed rice from Chinese or Thai takeout.

A Screaming Hot Pan: Don't be shy about turning up the heat when you're making this dish. If your frying pan or wok isn't hot enough, the rice will stick to it - and good luck scraping it off! Let the oil heat up in the pan for a couple of minutes before you add your ingredients, making sure to avoid burning the delicate garlic and ginger. I recommend starting at medium-high heat to cook the aromatics and turning it up for about a minute before you add the rice. Once you spread out all of the ingredients in bottom of the pan, let them sit a minute or two. Then flip them, spread them out again and let them sit a few minutes more. This is a foolproof way to avoid mushy rice.

An Adventurous Spirit: Remember when I said this dish was literally made for leftovers? Well, I meant it. Fried rice tastes great no matter what you put in it (with a few exceptions of course). So when you make it, get creative and give yourself permission to clean out the fridge.

Below is a basic recipe for fried rice. I made it recently when I was staying at my friend Mandy's house. She was recovering from oral surgery, and I came to her house straight from work and completely famished. Luckily, she had a ton of leftover white rice waiting for me.

Basic Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, greens included, rinsed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
4 cups leftover cooked white or brown rice
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables with edamame, corn, peas, carrots, etc.
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok (a non-stick skillet works well) until very hot. Add garlic, scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, red peppers and mixed vegetables and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Make a well in the center of the rice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then add soy sauce and incorporate thoroughly. Taste the rice and add more soy sauce to taste. Serve hot.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with a Twist

After having a little too much fun over the weekend, I figured we all needed some cheesy goodness in our lives - both from The Bachelor and the dressed-up grilled cheese sandwiches I selected as the main course on Monday night. To add some flair to the sammies, I used Taleggio, a semi-soft Italian cheese that melts easily and has a nice, tangy flavor. Taleggio can be hard to find, so you can substitute with Gouda or Fontina cheese if needed. Before grilling the sandwiches, I added a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce between the layers of cheese and bread. I truly believe that tomatoes have the potential to improve any dish, and in this case, I was right! Since we were at Kingsley's house, she let me try out her new grill pan. It has a heavy top that fits inside a griddled skillet and creates picture-perfect grill marks.

In order to keep both labor and ingredients to a minimum, I paired the sandwiches with Alexia sweet potato fries, an Affordable Foodie favorite that's available in the freezer section at most grocery stores, and a homemade Mexican-inspired cole slaw. You should seriously consider keeping a supply of Alexia fries and oven-roasted potatoes on hand in your freezer. Made with all natural ingredients and best straight out of the oven, both options are delicious and healthy. The cole slaw, which has a slight kick from a minced serrano chile and plenty of fresh lime juice, serves as the perfect foil to the sweet fries.

These recipes feed four, and we spent just $25 on the ingredients. We had some leftover cole slaw, which Kingsley ate for lunch the next day. Enjoy!

Taleggio Panini

Ingredients

1 jar of your favorite brand of pasta sauce
6 - 8 ounces Taleggio cheese (feel free to remove the rind but it's not necessary)
1 loaf crusty bread, sliced thin
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Place thin slices of Taleggio cheese on one slice of bread. Cover cheese with a several heaping tablespoons of pasta sauce and top with another slice of bread. Repeat the process to prepare additional sandwiches.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When oil begins to glisten, reduce heat to medium and place sandwiches in bottom of pan. Cover with lid and cook until sandwiches are golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip sandwiches, adding one more tablespoon of olive oil when you do. Continue cooking until golden brown on the second side, about two minutes more. Serve paninis immediately with extra pasta sauce on the side for dipping.

AF Go-To Cole Slaw

Ingredients

1 bag sliced cabbage/prepared cole slaw mix
4 green onions, chopped
1 serrano chile, minced
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. mayo
2 limes, juiced
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Directions

Toss cabbage with green onions, serrano chile, cilantro and mayo. Add lime juice and season with salt to taste. Toss ingredients again and add more mayo if the mixture seems dry.