Food

Dinner on a school night doesn’t have to be a grind. This year, however, the emphasis isn’t just on speed and ease; it’s also focusing on cost.

With double-digit price increases for some staples and vastly higher prices at the gas pump, most of us are feeling a financial pinch as well as a time squeeze. And that limits our options. Frequent trips to the drive-through that might have been routine a year ago may not seem justifiable any longer. Neither may high-end frozen entrees.

Playing the grocery game

I was intrigued by an online resource, TheGroceryGame.com, mentioned in a story we ran about saving money at the supermarket. The writer was enthused, so I signed up. Two months later, I’ve more than gotten my money’s worth ($1 for a four-week trial, then $10 every eight weeks).

Here’s how it works: The site tracks sale items — advertised and not — at your supermarket.

It tracks coupons in the Sunday paper and generates a weekly shopping list of the best buys — a two-for-one deal on paper towels, for example, on which you can save another $1 by using the coupon that ran three weeks ago. (You quickly learn to save and date those sheafs of coupons.)

There are seldom more than a dozen things I want on the 50- to 75-item list, but the savings have been substantial: More than $80 on my best week and never less than $30.

Here’s the caveat: That’s the amount I saved over the regular price of the items purchased. For the first several weeks, my total bill stayed around the usual $200.

That’s because the list pushes you to stock up on staples when the price is right. Now that I’m using those pantry purchases, my weekly bill is averaging $170 to $180 — a 10 to 15 percent savings at a time when grocery prices are going up.

And though it takes an extra 30 minutes to plan my shopping, I get a kick out seeing how much I can save each week.

When they're on sale

It’s worth pouncing when you see a great deal on a premium, quick-cooking cut. Here are delicious ideas for three favorites:

Chicken culets

These thin slices of breast meat are usually close to $6 a pound. I got them on sale for $3.79:

Line a sheet pan with foil and spray it with cooking oil.

Heat the broiler (make sure first that an oven rack is about 6 inches from it).

Blot the cutlets dry with paper towels.

Mix about 3 tablespoons soft cheese (I used 2 Laughing Cow wedges) with a minced garlic clove, pepper and, if you have any, fresh parsley and/or chives. (Or use herb-flavored Boursin or cream cheese.)

Spread the cheese mixture on one side of each cutlet, almost to the edge.

Roll each cutlet up tightly, jelly-roll fashion, starting from a short end; secure any large ones with a wooden toothpick.

Place the cutlets seam-side down on the baking sheet and spray them with cooking oil.

Broil about 10 minutes, until lightly brown on top and firm to the touch.

Pork tenderloin

I got a four-pack of tenderloins for under $4 a pound, froze three and fixed one for dinner using my favorite, fool-proof method:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. (A lighter pan won’t work.)

Prep the pork, removing the membrane (silver skin) and any fat with a sharp knife. Fold the tapered end back over the tenderloin and tie it with kitchen string for uniform thickness. Dry it with paper towels.

Grease the hot skillet lightly.

Brown the pork on one side for about 3 minutes (don’t move it around in the pan).

Turn the tenderloin over and put the skillet in the hot oven.

Remove the meat after 20 minutes and check for doneness: 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer or a firm feeling when you poke the meat with a finger.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and make a simple, "au jus"-style sauce: Put the skillet on high heat and deglaze it with wine, fruit juice and/or broth, scraping up the browned bits with a spatula or wooden spoon. If the meat was marinated, add the leftover marinade, too, and boil it for a few minutes to kill any germs.

No-Bake Tamale Pie
4 servings

Cutting back on meat usually means cutting calories, and diet cookbooks proved a great recipe source. This one-dish dinner is adapted from Good Housekeeping’s excellent "Supermarket Diet Cookbook," which is full of healthful, creative and fairly easy dishes. Here, a quick saute gives bland, precooked polenta (what we in the South call cornmeal mush) a lovely toasted corn flavor. You can have this on the table in 30 minutes — 15 if you cook and refrigerate the meat mixture in the morning.

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces lean ground pork or beef
1 (15-ounce) can red or black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (16-ounce) jar medium-hot salsa (preferably low-sodium)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (16-ounce) log cooked polenta (cornmeal mush), cut crosswise into 8 slices
1/4 chopped cilantro (optional)

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Saute the onion a few minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook half a minute. Stir in the ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, chili powder and cumin, and turn down the heat a bit.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in another skillet over medium-high. When hot, add the polenta. Saute until golden and heated through, turning once, about 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, stir the salsa and corn into the meat mixture, and simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Serve in the pan or a deep-dish pie plate with the polenta slices arranged on top. Makes

Source: Adapted from "The Supermarket Diet Cookbook" by Janis Jibrin and Susan Westmoreland (Hearst, 2006).

Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes
Makes 4 servings

The microwave isn’t my favorite way to bake potatoes, but these are delicious. They can be stuffed up to two days ahead and refrigerated. (Increase final microwave time by a couple of minutes.) If your kids balk at broccoli, chop it finely in the food processor before cooking and they probably won’t notice it. You don’t want super-big potatoes here — 6 to 8 ounces each is about right.

4 medium russet potatoes
8 ounces lean ground beef
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
1 cup reduced-fat grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 scallions, sliced

Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork and microwave at 50 percent power for 20 minutes, turning once, or until tender.

Meanwhile, cook the meat in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling it, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the frozen broccoli and cook, stirring a few times, until it’s tender and its liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper and set aside.

Carefully cut the top third off of the potatoes (save for another use). Scoop the insides into a large bowl, and place the potato shells in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 Cheddar and the sour cream to the bowl with the potato insides and mash well. Stir in the scallions and the meat mixture.

Divide the mixture among the potato shells, and top with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar. Microwave on high until the filling is hot and the cheese melted, 2 to 4 minutes.

Source: Adapted from "Eating Well Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook" by Jim Romanoff (Countryman Press, 2006).

Asian Turkey Wraps
Makes 4 servings (2 wraps each)

Thrifty cooking is a mainstay of service magazines like Better Homes & Gardens. We adapted this yummy recipe from BGH’s "Healthy Family Cookbook" (Meredith, 1995). If mushrooms are an issue at your house, mince them in the food processor before cooking.

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas (preferably whole grain)
Cooking oil spray
8 ounces lean ground turkey, chicken or pork
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (jarred is fine)
1-1/2 cups shredded carrot (3 medium carrots)
2 cups shredded cabbage (or packaged coleslaw mix)
1/2 pound sliced baby bella or white mushrooms
4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 or 3 tablespoons bottled plum sauce

Wrap tortillas tightly in foil and place in a 350-degree oven (or toaster oven) to warm and soften.

Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick skillet with oil and cook the turkey and ginger over medium-high heat, stirring to crumble the meat, until it’s no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the carrot, cabbage and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have soften and the mushroom liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and soy and hoisin sauces, mixing well. Remove from heat.

Place the warm burritos on a work surface; brush with plum sauce. Divide the turkey mixture among them. Fold in 2 sides on each and roll up burrito-style.

Shortcut Cottage Pie
Makes 4 to 6 servings

When I see Simply Potatoes on sale, I stock up. Their nutrition profile is pretty good, and they taste almost like homemade. The mashed potatoes cut prep time significantly in this comfort favorite, adapted from a fine old cookbook, "The Best of Family Circle" (Family Circle, 1985). It can be assembled in about 20 minutes and refrigerated, covered, up to 24 hours before baking.

Cooking oil spray
2 cups finely chopped onion (frozen is fine)
1 to 1-1/2 cups finely chopped carrots (2 large)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or -1/2 teaspoon each dried sage and thyme)
1/2 pound lean ground beef or turkey
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
1 (24-ounce) package refrigerated mashed potatoes
2 eggs, beaten

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a nonstick skillet with oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion and carrot 5 minutes, until onion is soft. Stir in the garlic and seasoning; cook another minute, until fragrant. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring often, until crumbled and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle on the flour, and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Stir in the tomato paste and broth; cook, stirring, a few minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the peas and transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.

Put the potatoes in a bowl (or, to minimize dirty dishes, the skillet). Use a fork to beat in the eggs, mixing well. Spoon onto the meat mixture and spread evenly, making sure the potatoes touch all sides of the pan. Bake 45 minutes, until the top is puffed and lightly browned.

Per serving: 288 calories (28 percent from fat), 9 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 4 g monounsaturated), 99 mg cholesterol, 16 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 648 mg sodium.

Hopped Up Hoppin' John
Makes 4 servings

You could use another ground meat, but sausage (and cayenne) add zing to this variation on a Southern standard, another winner adapted from Better Homes and Gardens’ "Healthy Family Cookbook" (Meredith, 1995). Long-grain or parboiled white rice works, too; adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Cooking oil spray
8 ounces lean, ground, Italian-style turkey sausage (preferably hot)
2 (10-ounce) bags frozen seasoning blend (chopped onion, bell pepper and celery)
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 (14- to 16-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

Spray a 4-quart pan with oil and heat over medium. Add the sausage, seasoning blend and carrots. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 10 minutes, until sausage is crumbled and no longer pink, vegetables have softened and liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle on the garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook, stirring, about a minute, until fragrant.

Stir in the black-eyed peas, cayenne, rice and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, about 10 minutes, until rice is done.

Greek Meat and Spinach Casserole
Makes 4 to 6 servings

The rich, creamy-tasting topping and flavorful filling are true to the Greek original, but with a lot less meat (and cheese) and the attendant fat and calories. The best tool I’ve found for squeezing out frozen spinach is a potato ricer. (The liquid makes a nutritious addition to soup.) Make and refrigerate the filling ahead of time, and you’ll need just a few minutes to fix the topping and get this into the oven.

Cooking oil spray
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup whole-grain elbow macaroni or ziti, cooked and drained
1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with oil.

Spray a nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium. Cook the meat and onions, stirring to crumble the beef, until it’s no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach, tomatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper; heat through. Transfer to the baking dish.

In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high until steaming but not boiling. Whisk together the eggs and egg whites, then slowly whisk them into the hot milk until blended and frothy. Pour over the beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese and bake about 45 minutes, until golden.

Source: Adapted from "Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook" (Wiley, 2006).