Cook With What You've Got

Lately we have been a little tight with our budget as Josh was studying for the bar and we are transitioning with the move and everything. So I have been trying to create meals with things I had in the kitchen and not buy too many groceries. I was assuming this would mean we would be going vegetarian for awhile since meat can get expensive and isn't necessary. I was fine with a diet sans meat, but one day I looked in my freezer and found salmon. I was so excited (silly, I know), so I made baked curry salmon with peas and Mediterranean Curry Couscous. The couscous was from a box, it is the Near East brand. I had bought it awhile back when it was on sale at Whole Foods, I think it was about $1, so not bad. The peas were frozen peas in a steam in bag package, so easy. For the salmon, I wanted it to have a similar flavor to the couscous, so I melted butter in a dish, sprinkled a dash of curry powder in it and mixed in a clove of minced garlic and a little salt and pepper. I placed the salmon in a baking dish, poured the butter mixture over it, and baked it at 450 degree for about 12 minutes. The flavor with the curry butter sauce was delicious, but I think the salmon wasn't all that great. I think it was because I used a cheaper salmon. My new resolution is to buy all seafood and meat fresh from Whole Foods instead of getting frozen seafood and other meats from cheaper places. I think it will be worth the splurge. And I will just get most of my other ingredients from the less expensive stores.



Another dish I tried was this ravioli. I had bought sun dried tomato and goat cheese ravioli at Trader Joe's, so I spruced up the dish by cooking the ravioli, then putting it in a pan over medium heat with baby spinach, olive oil, and salt and pepper. I mixed it until the spinach was wilted. After putting it in our dishes I sprinkled a little parmesan cheese on top. It was pretty good, but I don't know that the ravioli was worth the cost. I am pretty sure a less expensive pasta would have been just as good, just add a little goat cheese and sun dried tomato too if you want those flavors.