Brisket with Barbeque Beer Sauce

This is the wettest October in Chicagoland since the 1920's with a total of 22 days of rain this month!  Perfect weather for slow cooker comfort food so I decided to try to convert an oven baked brisket recipe into a slow cooker version.  I was successful and thought you might appreciate a new way to cook boring brisket.

I found this recipe in the Junior League of Milwaukee's Cookbook, An Occasion to Gather, Milwaukee Entertains.  It is a beautiful cookbook filled with delicious recipes and stunning pictures, including a chapter of recipes from local restaurants.  This brisket recipe spoke to me immediately because it was different from any other I had seen.  The flavors are very true to most barbecue sauces, yet stand up to the strong beef taste of the brisket.  Because you are slow cooking the meat, it becomes perfectly tender and falls apart in the sauce.  

I served this with Ina Garten's Blue Cheese Cole Slaw, www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/blue-cheese-cole-slaw-recipe/index.html, and roasted potatoes and butternut squash.  For dessert, in honor of the season, homemade pumpkin ice cream with Gingersnap Thins.  

Brisket with Barbeque Beer Sauce

1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket

2 large onions, sliced

1 bunch carrots

1 bottle chili sauce

1 (12 ounce) bottle beer

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

6 garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the chili sauce, beer, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a slow cooker and mix well.  Add onions, carrots and brisket.  Cook on high for 6 hours or until brisket shreds easily.  Pull brisket from slow cooker and shred with a fork.  Spoon carrots and onions over shredded brisket with desired amount of sauce.  

**If you are looking for ways to cut calories in the slaw, try substituting some all of the sour cream and some of the mayo with nonfat Greek yogurt.  Also, try prepackaged broccoli slaw instead of regular cole slaw mix or shredding tons of cabbage.  It is heartier, healthier and holds the dressing very well.**

Sunset Foods Weekly Specials 10/28-11/4

Here are some highlights from the Sunset Foods sale flyer for the week 10/28-11/4.

www.sunsetfoods.com/sale.php

Farmland Baby Back Ribs $4.99/lb (Save $2.00/lb)

Miller Amish Country Poultry Whole Fryers $1.29 lb (Save $.80/lb)

Niman Ranch Bacon  $4.99 each (Save $1.50)

Orange Juice 2/$6.00 (Save $2.98)
Sargento Shredded Cheese Buy One Get One Free (Save$4.09)

Dutch Farms Cheese Slices 3/$5.00 (Save $2.77)

Annie's Delux and Family Mac N Cheese (Save $.90)

Organic Golden or Gala Apples $1.49/lb
Seedless Cucumbers $.99 each

Fresh Express Baby Blends 2/$5.00

Easy Take Home Dinner:  All $4.98/lb (Save $2.00/lb)

Italian Turkey Meatloaf  

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes 

Garlic Green Beans

Stock up for Halloween gatherings with great deals on Coke products, crackers, cookies, frozen pizzas, popcorn, etc.  

This Week's Dinner Menu:  

Oriental Baby Back Ribs 

(recipe below)

Barbeque Brisket

Coconut Chicken with African Spices and Couscous

Frozen Pizza

Roasted Whole Fryer with Curried Sweet Potato Mash

FEATURED RECIPE 

Oriental Babyback Ribs

It's a Shore Thing...Culinary Favorites From Chicago's North Shore

www.jle-ns.org

BARBEQUE SAUCE

1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup grated ginger

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoons liquid smoke

Saute onions in butter 5 minutes until tender.  Cool slightly.  Pulse onions in a food processor until coarsely pureed.  Add garlic and pulse.  Add brown sugar, ginger, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke, one at a time, to processor and pulse briefly after each addition.

MARINADE

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine or 12 ounces flat beer

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dry mustard or 2 teaspoons prepared mustard

2 slabs babyback ribs

Whisk together oil, red wine, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme and mustard.  Pour over ribs.  Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.  Place ribs in a dark enameled roasting pan with an elevated rack.  Cover and bake at 450 degrees 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake 30 minutes more.  Prepare a charcoal fire and allow to burn down to glowing coals with white ash.  Cook ribs over coals 20 to 30 minutes, turning every few minutes.  Baste with barbeque sauce the last few minutes.  Serve with remaining sauce.  

This is a great rib recipe, and the sauce is delicious!  If you don't have a charcoal grill, finish off the ribs on a gas grill or continue to cook, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Other recipes listed on the menu will be posted later in the week.  Stay tuned! 

Italian Wedding Soup

Last week I posted a menu with this link to Ina Garten's Italian Wedding Soup recipe on the Food Network website.  

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/italian-wedding-soup-recipe/index.html

I listed it because one of the main components, ground turkey, is currently on sale at Sunset Foods and Dominick's, and because this is one of my favorite soup recipes!  It is simple, yet full of flavor.  The meatballs are roasted in the oven which not only provides even browning, it saves you from having to cook them in batches in a greasy pot.  While the meatballs cook, the rest of the soup comes together in minutes.  Before you know it, dinner is ready and your house smells amazing!  

This recipe is also kid tested and approved.  Tonight, I plated it with the pasta separate from the meatballs and carrots, just the way my picky eaters like it.  Not only did my son clean his plate without any parental guidance, he was telling his sisters that the meatballs were "really, really good!"  This was a first for my meat hating, carb lover and I was thrilled!

**Ina's recipe uses ground chicken, but I usually substitute ground turkey because I buy it in bulk at Costco and always have some in my freezer.  She also uses homemade chicken stock.  I don't have the time for that extra step so I always use packaged, preferably Organic Low Sodium**

Sunset, again!

Okay, I am starting to wonder if I should change the name of this blog to "Simple Dinners from Sunset Foods"!  I have read through all of the grocery store sale flyers and once again Sunset had the best variety of great deals.  Here are the highlights!

Tallgrass Boneless Chuck Roast  $4.99/lb

Miller Amish Country Poultry Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $3.99/lb ($2.00/lb savings)

Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey $3.99 each ($1.50 savings)

Tallgrass Ground Chuck $4.99

Louis Rich Turkey Franks 2/$4.00 ($2.58 savings)

Boar's Head Sliced Bacon $4.99 each ($3.00 savings)

Honey Crisp Apples $1.59/lb 

(Jewel customer card sale price $2.49/lb)

Cauliflower $1.29/lb

Earthbound Organic Baby Leaf Salad Blends 4.9-5 oz clamshell $2.99 each

Organic Jumbo Spanish Onions $.89/lb

Canteloupe Melons 2/$5.00

Ken's Dressing 2/$4.50 ($3.28 savings)

Prince Pasta 4/$5.00 ($1.36 savings)

Rosens Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns 2/$5.00 ($1.58 savings)

Rosen's Widepan Bread 2/$4.00 ($3.78 savings)

Bush's Beans 5/$4.00 ($1.45 savings)

General Mills Cereals selected varieties 4/$10 ($9.96 savings)

Check on the sunset foods website www.sunsetfoods.com/sale.php for all sale items for the week 10/21-10/28.  

THIS WEEK'S DINNER MENU IDEAS

White Bean Chicken Chili

(recipe below)

Hamburgers with Roasted Potatoes and Baby Green Salad

(choose your favorite recipes)

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard-Wine Sauce & Roasted Cauliflower with Pasta and Lemon Zest

(Recipes found in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living)

Italian Wedding Soup

(www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/italian-wedding-soup-recipe/index.html)

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast with Ginger Pumpkin and Apple Soup

(On sale in the Deli/Prepared Foods department at Sunset)

FEATURED RECIPE

White Bean Chicken Chili

It's a Shore Thing..Culinary Favorites From Chicago's North Shore

Junior League of Evanston-North Shore

www.jle-ns.org

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

2-4 (15 ounce) cans great Northern Beans, undrained

1 (24 ounce) jar medium salsa

2 to 5 teaspoons ground cumin

1 (8 ounce) block jalapeno Monterey Jack, cubed

sour cream, corn bread or tortilla chips for garnish

Cover chicken with water.  Boil until cooked through.  Remove chicken to cool.  Reserve cooking water.  Shred chicken with a fork.  In a large stockpot, combine chicken, beans, salsa, cumin and enough cooking water to reach desired thickness.  Simmer until thoroughly heated.  Just prior to serving, add cheese cubes.  Stir until melted.  Serve with sour cream, corn bread or tortilla chips.  

This recipe is about as simple as it gets and tastes like you've been cooking for hours.  Chicken, cheese, beans and tortilla chips are currently on sale at Sunset which makes this a perfect, easy, inexpensive weeknight meal!

Pork Shoulder

For the sale week ending 10/21, Dominicks is selling pork shoulder for $1.79/lb.  On Sunday, I purchased pork shoulder from Costco at $1.39/lb.  In general, I think that Costco carries better meat than most local grocery stores so if you have room in your freezer to store the 13 lb's of pork shoulder that come in one package, Costco is definitely going to give you more bang for your buck!   Tonight I cooked a pork shoulder recipe from this month's  Food Network magazine that was beyond delicious!

  I am trying very hard to embrace and increase the amount of cooking I do in my slow cooker, or crock pot as most of us know it.  For me, most slow cooker recipes are decent, but in the end the meat tastes boiled and every dish tends to have the same mushy texture.  This recipe was a total surprise!  Not only did the pork have tons of flavor, it was not mushy and was the perfect compliment to the noodles and extra fresh toppings that are added at serving.  I still felt that sense of comfort because dinner was cooking without my physical being and from the wonderful smells throughout my kitchen, but the end result implied that I had been slaving all afternoon!  

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/asian-pork-with-noodles-recipe/index.html

Sunset Foods Wins again!

Once again, Sunset Foods is offering the best discounts for the sale week ending Wednesday, October 21st.  A full listing of sale items may be found at www.sunsetfoods.com/sale.php.  Here are some highlights.  

Farmland Boneless Pork Chops $2.29/lb ($2.70/lb  savings)

*Dominicks sale price for pork chops, $2.99*

Creekstone Farms Black Angus Beef Short Ribs  $2.99/lb ($2.00/lb savings)

Organic Sweet Potatoes $1.39/lb 

Driscolls Strawberries 1 lb container $2.99 each

Dannon Yogurts 6 oz. cups 10 for $4.00 ($5.90 savings)

Borden Shredded Cheese 3 for $5.00 ($5.46 savings)  

Breakstone Cottage Cheese 16 oz. tub 2 for $5.00 ($1.58 savings)

In the Deli/Prepared Food department find this easy take home weeknight dinner

Garlic & Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin $8.98/lb ($4.00/lb savings)

Butternut Squash Risotto $3.98/lb ($2.00/lb savings)

Roasted Root Vegetable Medley $3.98/lb ($2.00/lb savings)

Stock your pantry and freezer with other great deals on Jif Peanut Butter, Healthy Request soups, Soy and Teriyaki Sauces, canned tomatoes, frozen waffles-both Eggo and Van's, Kashi frozen meals, Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, Haagen-Dazs ice creams and yogurts and more.  

I never cook pork chops, I think because I don't have a good recipe for them.  I found these two recipes on the Food Network website.  Both received 5 stars and the first recipe, created by one of my favorites, Giada De Laurentiis, boasts 205 comments and reviews.  Please share your favorite pork chop recipe!

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pork-chops-with-fennel-and-caper-sauce-recipe/index.html

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/easy-pork-chop-saute-with-cranberries-recipe/index.html

Costco Shopping List

After years of trying to create weekly menus and maintain an organized shopping list, I have come to the conclusion that it's not necessary.  I only make lists when I am making something new and really never go to the grocery store.  I do most of my shopping at Costco.  In the next couple of weeks I will try to do a cost comparison with Costco and other local grocery stores, but for now I have posted my Costco shopping list.  I love that I can buy things in bulk so that my freezer is always stocked with meat and vegetables and my pantry with other essentials.  I also appreciate their organic selections, consistently good produce, and very large boxes of diapers!  I tried to organize the list in order of where the items are located in the Willow Road store.  I think you will see that my list is not very long, but is well rounded.  I can prepare a week's worth of dinners using only items purchased from Costco.

Please share your favorite Costco finds and tricks for storing all of that stuff!  Cost comparisons and more details about the items will be posted soon!

**Items on list are purchased on an "as needed" basis**

Frozen Sweet Potato Fries

Ketchup and Mustard

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbeque Sauce

Shearer's Reduced Fat Kettle Chips

Riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps

Kirkland Organic Animal Crackers

Barilla Pasta Plus

Del Monte Organic Canned Diced Tomatoes

Kirkland Organic Strawberry Spread

Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter

Organic Coffee's-various brands depending on what is in stock

Butter, when needed

Organic Eggs

2 % Milk

Frozen Shrimp

Kirkland Normandy Style Frozen Vegetables

Lisa's Organics Frozen Green Beans

Kirkland Mickey Mouse Chicken Nuggets (made with Whole Grains)

Brussel Sprouts when in season

Asparagus when in season

Taylor Fresh Organic Spring Mix (Salad)

English Cucumbers

Fruit-mostly strawberries, raspberries and grapes and sometimes organic

Amy's Sausages

Arnold Select Sandwich Thins

Cheese-all types from Feta to Provolone

Dakota Organic Ground Beef

Flank Steak or Filet Mignon

Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges

Organic Chicken

Pork Tenderloins (4 per package)

Rosen's Whole Wheat Bread (2 loaves in pak)

Tilapia

Grown Up Beanie Weanies

It's officially Fall in Chicagoland and after two days of frost on the ground and very cold winds in the air, I decided to embrace the season with my husband's favorite soup.  I call it Chicken Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet but really it tastes like a grown up version of Beanie Weanies.  Chicken apple sausages are roasted in the oven, then sliced and added to a wonderful base of onions, carrots, thyme and bay leaves that have been sauteing in Applewood smoked bacon fat.  White wine, chicken stock, tomato paste and white beans finish off the soup creating layers of delicious flavor.  Served with a topping of crispy bacon and a fresh baguette, the first bite will make you want to curl up on the couch with a nice fire and a fuzzy blanket!

I'm not sure if any of the ingredients in this soup are on sale at local grocery stores, but all ingredients can be found at Trader Joe's.  Those who shop there frequently are familiar with their consistently low prices on wine, nuts, grains, frozen foods, some meats and produce. Other grocery stores will have the items in this recipe, but you will most likely pay more for the sausage, bacon, produce and wine.  Try to find Trader Joe's Sweet Chicken Apple Sausage.  Tonight I used Smoked Chicken Apple and it was too smokey.  I prefer the sweetness from the other, or Amy's Chicken Apple Sausage which may be purchased in bulk at Costco.  Splurge on Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon, also sold at Trader Joe's.  This is the best bacon on the planet!!  

CHICKEN SAUSAGE AND WHITE BEAN CASSOULET

3 packages chicken apple sausage(4 to 5 sausages per package)

1 onion chopped

8 to 10 ounces baby peeled carrots
4 thyme sprigs, or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 to 3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thick sliced center cut bacon, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

2 15 ounce cans white cannellini beans

• Crusty baguette, for serving
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the chicken sausage on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. The sausage will not be fully cooked through.  Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a large stock pot and place over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook stirring every now and then until crispy, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the crispy bacon pieces to a paper towel lined plate and reserve.  To the same pot, add the chopped onion and carrots and sweat the mixture in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat for 10 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent.  Add garlic and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant.  Slice the chicken sausage on the bias into 1/2-inch thick pieces and add them to pot. Add the remaining bay leaves and thyme, stirring for 5 minutes. Next add the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste and salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, bringing the mixture to a boil. Stir well to dissolve the tomato paste and lower the heat. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the beans and let the cassoulet simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Spoon into a bowl, sprinkle the top of each serving with some of the reserved crispy bacon and serve with a crusty baguette on the side.

My kids know this as "Hot Dog Soup".  Because they like their food separated on the plate, I take out the main components, sausage, beans and carrots, and plate it with a piece of bread.  It's not as popular as pizza, but I do hear "hot dogs yummy!" 

**This is my easy version of a much more labor intensive recipe found on the Food Network website.  It is a true Cassoulet recipe with duck sausage, kielbasa sausage, and dried beans that are soaked and slow cooked.  I'm sure it is wonderful, but I prefer chicken sausage and the convenience of canned beans.  

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dan-smith-and-steve-mcdonagh/sausage-and-white-bean-cassoulet-recipe/index.html 

Whole Foods Revisted

When Whole Foods first arrived in Northbrook, I was thrilled to have a huge, beautiful grocery store full of high quality fresh ingredients just a few miles from my house.  After three or four shopping trips I realized why everyone calls it "Whole Paycheck"!  It was impossible to leave the store without spending less than $100 and all of my groceries fit into one or two small bags.  I started limiting my trips to Whole Foods to special occasions or when I needed a rare ingredient that the other stores don't carry.  

A few weeks ago I went to Whole Foods in search of Jicama and whole wheat orzo and was pleasantly surprised.  Of course they had the Jicama and orzo, but they had lowered their prices!!!  There were many, many items on sale and the 365 brand was comparable in price to other major brand labels.  I filled up my cart with great everyday food items, still spent around $100, but came home with 4 grocery bags!

Here a few highlights from their weekly sale beginning 10/7 and ending 10/13.  

Air Chilled Whole Roasting Chicken  $1.99/lb  (reg. $2.69/lb)

Organic Winter Squash  $.99/lb  (reg. $1.99/lb)

Boursin Cheese  $2.99  (reg. $4.49/lb)

Pumpkin Pecan Bread  $3.99  (reg. $4.99)

Pepperonata Pasta Salad $4.99/lb  (reg. $7.99/lb)

In addition to these sale items, I also noticed the 365 brand Organic Chicken Broth with the everyday price of $1.99/box.  This is a very good price for organic broth and everyone should have a few containers of this in their pantry. 

For the last minute I Don't Want To Cook Tonight dinner, try the Whole Foods Tuesday Special of the Day, Whole Roasted Chicken for $5.99 and pair it with the Pepperonata Pasta Salad, both found in the prepared foods section.  Don't forget to pick up a loaf of the Pumpkin Pecan Bread from the bakery to save in your freezer for the upcoming holidays, or just to enjoy on a brisk fall day. 

In honor of one of my favorite food publications, Gourmet Magazine, soon to release it's final issue, I recommend the following recipes.  All recipes earned 4 forks on www.epicurious.com., and may be used with the great deals found on Air Chilled whole chicken and winter squash.  

Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Thyme

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Capon-with-Lemon-and-Thyme-107968

Malaysian Roast Chicken and Curried Squash

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Malaysian-Roast-Chicken-14085

Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-with-Pumpkin-Seed-Pesto-240582

Butternut Squash Soup with Star Anise and Ginger Shrimp

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-Soup-with-Star-Anise-and-Ginger-Shrimp-107399

I can't remember a time when my mother didn't subscribe to Gourmet and I think she may still have all of the issues stashed away in different corners of her house!  One of my first gourmet cooking experiences was when we cooked almost all of our entire Thanksgiving dinner with recipes found in the November 1992 issue.  My mother keeps those recipes in a book, along with some other special recipes from meals past, and every Thanksgiving we lay them out and plan our menu.  Brandied Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Whipped Cream is still the best pumpkin pie I've ever eaten and Sweet Potato Soup with Buttered Pecans almost replaced my grandmothers Sweet Potato Casserole!  I will miss Gourmet magazine, but thanks to epicurious.com, and my mother's extensive library, I look forward to cooking many other great Gourmet recipes.  

All recipes mentioned from the November 1992 issue may be found at www.epicurious.com/recipes/menu/views/georgia_thanksgiving.

Fun with a Rice Cooker?

Recently I was introduced to the Rice Cooker.  I was under the impression that all Rice Cookers were large and expensive kitchen gadgets that only performed one function-cooking rice.  This is not true!  The Aroma 3-Cup Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, www.aromaco.com,  retails for around $16, is surprisingly small and is great for steaming vegetables.    

This evening I found myself, once again, running late from afternoon errands and wondering how I was going to get dinner on the table for my impatient toddlers and hungry husband.  At 5 p.m. I started the rice cooker, put some brussels sprouts in the oven and a pork tenderloin on the grill.  At 5:30, I had perfectly cooked brown rice, and by 5:45 my toddlers were happily eating dinner and asking for more.  More rice, not brussels sprouts!  

I cooked half of a $.89 bag of brown rice, which yielded 6 cups of rice.  A 1 cup serving size bag of Uncle Ben's Instant Brown Rice retails for around $1.50.  That is a major price difference and I have leftovers for tomorrow.  I love that I didn't have to watch the rice to make sure it wasn't burning and I didn't have to worry about a hot pot on the stove while I was outside tending to the grill.  

The Aroma Rice Cooker includes a steamer tray for steaming, which cooks vegetables and fruit without stripping them of their nutrients.  The Cooker also cooks lentils and many other grains, such as steel cut oatmeal, quinoa, millet, wheat berries, etc.  Whole grains packaged in bulk are much cheaper and healthier than treated grains packaged with additional ingredients like sugar and sodium.  

I realize that Rice Cookers have been around for a while and that most of you may already own one.  I just wanted to share my excitement for my new kitchen tool and hopefully inspire you to get yours out of storage!

Tonight's Dinner Menu:   

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Cream Sauce

 Roasted Brussels Sprouts

  Brown Rice

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Cream Sauce 

    An Occasion to Gather, Milwaukee Entertains

Recipes from the Junior League of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Tenderloin

2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins       1/4 cup bourbon

                   1/4 cup soy                                      2 tablespoons brown sugar

Mustard Cream Sauce

2/3 cup sour cream                1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

         2/3 cup mayonnaise               1 to 2 tablespoons dry mustard

2 tablespoons finely                                        salt to taste

                                     chopped scallions

For the tenderloin, arrange the tenderloins in a baking dish.  Combine the soy sauce, bourbon and brown sugar in a bowl and mix well.  Pour the soy sauce mixture over the tenderloins, turning to coat.  Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, basting occasionally, or grill over hot coals until cooked through.

For the sauce, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, vinegar, dry mustard and salt in a bowl and mix well.  To serve, carve the tenderloins diagonally into thin slices and top with sauce.  

**I substituted Nonfat Greek Yogurt for the Sour Cream and red onion for scallions.  My husband said this was the best sauce ever!

   

Best Deals for the Week-Sunset Foods!

After carefully reading this weeks grocery store sale flyers I have determined that our very own locally owned grocery chain, Sunset Foods, has the best deals.  Sunset Foods is known for it's quality meats, deli items and prepared dinners, but it is also a very affordable and well stocked grocery store.  Here are some of my favorite pics for the week 9/30-10/07.  

Ribeye Steak $7.99/lb (Save $4.00/lb)

Wild American Shrimp Medium 26-30 count $6.98/lb (save 3.00/lb)

Red Gold Canned Tomatoes-Diced or Stewed 10 for $10 (save $6.90)

Barilla Pasta Plus 3/$5 (save $1.86)

Special K Cereal 4/$10 (save $8.36)

Flav-R-Pac  16 oz bag Frozen Veggies 10 for $10 (save $5.90) selected varieties

Also Featured in the Flier are two of my favorite food items.  It's not clear if they are on sale, but the price seems to be low for such a wonderful product.

Niman Ranch Boneless Chuck Roast $4.99/lb

Honeycrisp Apples $1.99 (Btw, Jewel advertised Honeycrips Apples at $2.49/lb with preferred card)

So what's for dinner?

Company Pot Roast.  Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, has an amazing recipe for Pot Roast where you will able to use the Niman Ranch Chuck Roast and a couple of cans of Red Gold Tomatoes.  The recipe may be found on the Food Network website

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/company-pot-roast-recipe/index.html.

Niman Ranch, www.nimanranch.com, is one of the best meat companies out there not only because their USDA Graded choice meats are antibiotic and hormone free, grown on grass, humanely treated and born and raised in the US, but because they are delicious!!  It is my first choice for all meat products and my first choice for great recipes is Ina Garten.  Her recipes are simple and always fantastic.  This recipe for Company Pot Roast received 85 reviews on the Food Network website earning it 5 stars!

Mr. Jim's Barbecue Shrimp This famous New Orleans recipe was featured in August 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living.  Shrimp cook very fast so they are the perfect quick dinner ingredient.  This recipe also has few ingredients, most of which you may already have in your pantry.  It was so good I wanted to drink the sauce!!  Save this for a date night with your significant other.  After you put the kids to bed, open some wine, put on some music and a romantic dinner for two will be ready in minutes.   Serve with crusty bread and your favorite premixed salad.  http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mr-jims-louisiana-barbecued-shrimp

Take advantage of these sale items and other great deals at Sunset Foods.  Stock your pantry with extra pasta, tomatoes, cereal and fill your freezer with frozen veggies.  For a great healthy last minute dinner make a sauce with a couple of can's of Red Gold Tomatoes, your favorite Italian seasonings, salt and pepper, and toss with cooked pasta and steamed frozen spinach or peas. Barilla Pasta Plus is loaded with fiber and protein, which is hard to find in most kid approved carbohydrates.  Watch them devour their dinner instead of throw it on the floor!