$7 Dinner Challenge

13 October 2008 @ 21:42 | Posted in » Culinary

I failed.

I thought I could do it. I thought what I made fit, but in the end I failed.

Cate offered a challenge the other day to make a dinner for four for $7.00 or less. The idea is that in these times of financial ruin (okay, perhaps an overstatement), families need to be more frugal. Dinner includes an entree, vegetable, and either an appetizer or a dessert. Frozen meals are prohibited.

Gert suggested hot dogs and fries, but I wanted to actually cook something. It seemed like combining the vegetable into the entree was a way to get more bang for the buck. Stir fry was the first thought, but I have been hankering for risotto of late and thought that would work well. Of course, all risottos I make seem to be full of meat (shrimp, scallops, sausage, etc.) so I had to create something a little less stressful on the wallet.

Bouncing around the ‘Net I stumbled across this You Tube video.

Hmmm . . . ’tis fall. I had an entree. As I tossed this around I got to thinking butternut squash would probably taste pretty good smoked. I asked on one of smoking boards and indeed it is.

It seems silly to run the smoker and not fill it so I thought some Atomic Buffalo Turds (ABTs) would be a good way to start the meal. I made a batch the other day for a party and only had the one cook’s taste. My mouth has been drooling ever since.

So with that as a plan, I headed out this morning to pick up what I needed.

This is how the ingredient list breaks down.

ABTs

8 jalapenos = $1.03
Shop Rite cream cheese = $1.29/8oz. I figured I used 2 ounces. That prorates to = $.3225
one shake of onion salt and garlic salt = I consider that a freebie
mozzarella cheese = $3.99/16 oz. I always use cheddar but apparently we have none. For these calculations I used 2 ounces. I don’t think I used that much. It was probably only an ounce. Nevertheless, 2 ounces = $0.49875
bacon = $2.50/lb. There were 15 slices in the package. I used 8. That = $1.33
8 mini hot dogs = $9.99/126 I don’t think I paid that much. I purchased a package last week at BJ’s. It definitely was not more than $10, but I do not recall what it was. I suspect $7-something. Anyhow, based on $9.99, 8 hot dogs = $0.634

Total cost of the appetizers = $3.82

Risotto

Arborio rice = $6.29. There are 5.5 cups in this container. One cup prorates to $1.14.
cilantro = $.99 a bunch. I used about eight leaves. I figure this about a nickle’s worth.
shallot = $.37
butternut squash = $1.50. This is a guess. We picked up the squash at a farm market on Saturday. I do not recall what we paid for it, but how much could a fresh squash actually cost?
olive oil = $.50 This is another guess. I drizzled a little on the squash and used a little to sweat the shallot and garlic. I estimated $.50. Thinking this through some more, that is probably too much.
salt and freshly ground pepper = free
nutmeg = free I purchased an industrial size of this many years ago for pomanders. I only need a little each year. The $5.00 or whatever I spent then more than paid for the few shakes I applied to the squash.
a sprinkle of turmeric = free. I cannot even recall when I purchased this. It probably isn’t even good. I should get credit for using it.
bouillion = $.50 This one is troubling for me. I often have homemade stock to use. I had none although I have lots of vegetable scraps in the freezer to make some. I consider stock free. I save the leftovers from vegetables and roast them. I then put them in the pot with a chicken carcass and water. This is all free. Alas, I opted for some bouillion. Lord knows when that was purchased too. That I lived through this meal to write about it should count for something. Anyhow, $.50 seemed reasonable.
garlic clove = $.10 That’s probably high, but how much is one clove?

Risotto cost = $4.16

Total cost of the meal = $7.98

It may have been a little less than that, but I probably can’t shave $.98 from this.

Of course, there was the cost of the charcoal and smoke wood (I used mesquite) and whatever the fuel cost to heat the stock and rice.

The ABTs were good but not as good as other batches. Cheddar is needed. Furthermore, the jalapenos I got at the market aren’t as good as the ones I buy at the farm stand. They were less expensive, however. I figured two peppers per person as an appetizer. Of course, the children do not eat these, although Fritz made an attempt. Too spicy for him.

The risotto was very tasty. I am not certain I have ever cooked butternut squash before. I really enjoy making and eating risotto. This was no exception. This is the first time I used Arborio rice. I always use Carnaroli. Since I was out, I opted for the more price-favorable Arborio for this. It tasted just fine and I am not sure there is a noticeable difference. I’ll have to run a taste test some time.

Gert also enjoyed this. We both agreed, however, that unlike the other risottos I make, this did not hold up as well as an entree. We felt this would have made a nice side for a more traditional entree. Also, one cup of rice, even with two small children left our bowls a bit empty.

I had an inexpensive dessert I toyed with making tonight, but I’ll save that for another day. I would have been able to do that for about a quarter less than the ABTs.

This was fun. I failed though. I don’t usually cook on a stringent budget. We definitely can eat for $7, but it isn’t anything fancy. Grill a couple dogs, open a can of peas, and some fries and we’re there. I tried to do something a little more adventurous. I’ll have to keep tweaking this.