So I was doing my daily cruise of the news, reading about all the crazies out there in this world, when I stumbled upon this gem on Yahoo. Dinner for $5 or in some cases cheaper than that! What the…
Yes, I am sold before I even click the link. I’ll let you explore the site on your own but I’m going to post the recipes look the most yummy to me…even though they ALL look yummy.
Linguine with Sardine, Fennel, and Tomatoes
Serves 2-4
Kosher or sea salt
1 tin sardines packed in olive oil (about 4 ¼ oz.)
extra virgin olive oil
2-3 fat cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed, and roughly chopped
1 small or ½ large bulb fennel, fronds reserved
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 cup canned peeled tomatoes with their juice, gently crushed
2 ounces white dry vermouth
1 medium lemon, juice and zest
1/3 cup toasted bread crumbs
3/4 pounds dry linguine
- Bring a very large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Open the sardine tin and drain a tablespoon or so of the oil into a wide skillet.Warm the oil over medium-low heat and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant.
- Trim the fennel and slice the bulb very thinly. Add to the skillet with a sprinkle of salt, raise the heat to medium, and cook until the fennel is soft and beginning to caramelize. Add the chile flakes and let them sizzle for a minute, just until fragrant, then add the tomatoes with their juice. Cook until the liquid is reduced, then add the vermouth and let that reduce slightly.
- Add the sardines to the skillet with the tomato and fennel mixture, breaking up slightly but leaving some chunks. Zest the lemon and combine a tablespoon or so of zest with the toasted breadcrumbs, then set aside. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the pan. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
- Add the linguine to the boiling salted water, cooking it until it is just short of al dente. Using tongs, transfer the linguine to the sauce to finish cooking, adding a little bit of the starchy pasta water and tossing gently to combine. (You’ll want to leave this a little wet, as the breadcrumbs will soak up the sauce and dry the pasta out a bit once you’ve added them.)
- Transfer the pasta and sauce to a large warmed serving bowl (or individual pasta bowls), add a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle on the toasted breadcrumb-lemon zest mixture, and garnish with picked small fennel fronds and the remaining lemon zest.
Kale and Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 2-4
2 cups salted water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1″ lengths
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 scallions
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper
- Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.
- While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, olive oil, pine nuts, and goat cheese.
- Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed — the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.
And there you have it! Dinner on a budget! I have a feeling these could make some yummy leftovers to bring to work for lunch too!
Have any of you ever made dinner under $5? Kind of makes me want to get in the kitchen more and experiment…
On a random note…I’m picking up my Craigslist chair today! YAY!
xoxo,
Hannah
the Kale and Quinoa Pilaf looks amazing! definitely saving the recipe 🙂
yummm the linguine recipe looks amazing!!
love kelly
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how about i pay you to cook every night? yes? lol. this looks fabulous. you have a serious gift. so excited I found your blog. totally following. If you get second, I'd love if you'd check out mine. It's all about the adventures of a east coast girl turned LA stylist. thanks, love. xo
http://www.fashboulevard.blogspot.com
Cool! That's cheap and healthy!
I'm your new follower!!
xoxo
Mónica
What a great post idea. Thanks for sharing!!
Elise
http://www.thechampagnewishes.com/
I definitely have to try the kale and quinoa pilaf. I love kale so I usually just end up making kale chips with it, but this looks so much better.
Lovely recipes, I adore the first one, already tasted it !
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I love a good pasta dish! Especially if it's cheap like that! Thanks for visiting my blog 🙂
These look delish but I'm not sure about the sardines…
This is such an outstanding look, love the bright color, and the skirt looks so unique!
mina hasan