Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Dinner on a Dime #1

OK, not quite a dime, but I do aim to cook for under $10 most nights of the week.  I tell myself that this makes up for the $25 Friday night pizza and the occasional dinner out.
Years ago a friend and I used to challenge ourselves to make dinner for under $5 but that was years ago and in the pre-teenager era.

I also love my crockpot.  There's nothing like taking 5 minutes or so to prepare dinner in the morning and not having to think about it again.  Love it!

This recipe works well for children (peanut butter!) or adults.
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Crockpot Thai-Style Pork Stew
(Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

For the stew:
2lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 4 pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1"x1/4"-ish strips
1/4 c teriyaki sauce
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 c creamy peanut butter

Remaining ingredients:
6 c hot cooked Basmati or Jasmine rice (2 c uncooked)
1/2 c chopped green onions
2 tbs chopped dry-roasted peanuts
8 lime wedges

To prepare stew, trim fat from pork.  Place pork and next 5 ingredients (thru garlic) in crockpot.
Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove pork from pot and coarsely chop.
Add peanut butter to liquid in crockpot.  Stir well.
Gently stir in pork.
Spoon into bowls on top of rice and sprinkle with onions and peanuts.  Serve with lime wedges.

NOTES:
I use whatever pork roast is on sale, even bone-in (just add 4oz or so for the bone) and try not to pay more than $1.99/lb.
The bell pepper cooks away completely.  Kids won't notice it.
I like Trader Joe's Soyaki, but any teriyaki sauce will work just fine.
Jasmine rice is my favorite.  It adds extra flavor.
Be gentle when mixing the meat back in with the sauce or you'll have mush, which still tastes good but looks a little unappetizing.
The green onions, peanuts and lime are just for when I want to be "fancy".  I normally don't bother.
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3 comments:

  1. This sounds great. I need to start working out my crockpot again.

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  2. I will try this! I love my crockpot...it makes me feel like someone else cooked the meal!

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  3. I've tried this and it's lovely. Now I make a "variation" using a family recipe from my mom and this one combined - using chicken. It's become a big favorite for my husband.

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