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Melissa d’Arabian, host of Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners and season 5 winner of The Next Food Network Star, makes good on the $10 promise of dinner for four in her eagerly awaited debut cookbook. For home cooks who care about what they feed their families and want to stretch their dollars, Melissa is the best guide for putting delicious meals on the table.
With four young girls ages six and under, and a hit show on Food Network, Melissa d’Arabian focuses on savvy budgeting, efficient shopping, and full-flavored cooking. Ten Dollar Dinners has 140 recipes and more than 100 creative, practical tips on great money-savers (“Clear-Your-Pantry Week”); inventive takes on old standby dinners (try her Moroccan Meatloaf); and how to get ingredients to last longer (keep your green onions in a glass of water and they will regrow several times over!). And with a coding system to help you create your own $10 menu, Ten Dollar Dinners celebrates spending with purpose, cooking with love, minimizing time spent in front of the stove, and savoring your homemade meal.
Melissa is a pro at creating satisfying meals that adults and kids alike will enjoy, using everyday ingredients and transforming them into delicious dinners. Her Potato-Bacon Torte (which, at 50 cents a serving, was one of her winning recipes on The Next Food Network Star) shows how basic and inexpensive supermarket ingredients can be turned into an amazingly satisfying dish. Her Roasted Vegetable Tian is a great way to take advantage of deals in the produce aisle. The Four-Step Chicken Piccata offers a plan for getting food on the table in just minutes, using almost anything in the pantry.
Anyone can use this book—especially those who want to save money—and feel great about cooking sensibly for elevated, simple meals that are healthy family-pleasers.
Salmon Cakes
Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes
1 large russet potato
2 bacon strips
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar Zest of 1/2 lemon
14-ounce can wild salmon
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the potato and cook until a paring knife easily slips into the center of the potato, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and, once the potato is cool enough to handle, peel it and place it in a bowl. Use a fork to break up and fluff the potato. Set aside.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon on both sides until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate (save the fat in a small bowl), cool, and then crumble. Place the bacon in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat in a small skillet over low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the onion cool, then add to the bacon along with the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest, stirring to combine. Add the salmon and then the potato, mixing gently after each addition. Then form into 12 small patties.
4. In a small, shallow baking dish, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and pepper. Press both sides of the salmon patties firmly into the bread-crumb mixture to evenly coat both sides.
5. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the salmon cakes in 2 batches until they’re golden on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes total, adding more oil when necessary. Serve warm.
introduction 8
making ten dollar dinners work for you 15
how to use ten dollar dinners 16
strategies for saving 18
the ten dollar dinner pantry 25
1 appetizers & snacks small bites to start things off 29
2 soups a meal in a bowl 63
3 salads fresh, healthy, and budget-friendly 87
4 fish & seafood strategies for pricey proteins 113
5 chicken the irreplaceable chicken dinner 137
6 pork & beef here's to meat on a budget! 169
7 vegetables as a main or a side 201
8 starchy sides opportunities to save your budget 237
9 pasta a budget staple 263
10 dessert a sweet last impression 281
11 breakfast bonus chapter! 317
acknowledgments 352
recipe cost index 355
index 359
Pat_L_K
Posted August 15, 2012
I just finished eating the Mustard Chicken. Easy to make, my husband and kids think that it tastes wonderful. I served it over pastina. (Local grocery had buy one get one) It was tasty, filling and cheap and only cost 6$ to make. At 1.50 per serving for the entree' I will recoup the cost of the book in no time!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I have tried a few of the recipes in this cook book and had wonderful reviews from my family. Ingredients are "simple" - meaning you often have most items in your pantry or they are items you can easily find/use. The author provides a rating system for each recipe's "cost" which is interesting and helpful if cooking on a tight budget. Read the introduction to the book and you will enjoy the recipes more. Definately try the Soupe au Pistou... wonderful flavor and don't skimp on the fresh basil.
My friends and family consider me an accomplished cook and they rate the few recipes made from this cook book as excellent. The first time I make a recipe, I rarely make changes so I can assess the original format. I'm not making personal changes to the few recipes tried; they are delicious, easy, and true to the book's, title inexpensive. Additionally, I prefer recipes that exclude rarely used items - and these recipes are made using very basic ingredients to make low cost AND tastey meals. Don't think this means bland or boring, because I've used this cookbook to make some impressive meals complete with appetizers and dessert. There are many pictures which I also appreciate to guide me in presentation or style of how the author intended an entree to look. I'm ordering several copies of this cook book and sending it to relatives because I am enjoying it so much. I highly recommend it no matter what your level of cooking and what your budget may be!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This gem of a book is worth buying because it's full of useful information, practical information and wonderful photos. Her whole family is in the book (so sweet) and so much detail is given to help you succeed. You will save money and your family will be thrilled with the variety of delicious meals.
Thanks Melissa for being such a class act!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.toadessa
Posted November 30, 2012
I like her Food Network show and it is lovely to have her recipes, which are very delicious, under one cover. I am enjoying making her dinners.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.lulu56DS
Posted February 9, 2013
Love this book. All the recipes are user friendly and full of flavor. She uses spices and herbs to perfection. Her money saving tips are very useful. The book has a lot of pictures and easy to understand recipes. I could eat her Pot Roast Carbonnade once a week. I highly recommend this book to any cook, beginner or advanced.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 11, 2013
Great weeknight meal options. Great for someone trying to organize their weekly meal planning & shopping.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Diana-reads
Posted December 31, 2012
This is one of the best cookbooks and the first Nook cookbook I have bought. I have already made a few recipes, I've only had the book for week, and can't wait to make more. The only downside to having it on my nook is the hints at some of the end of the recipes don't show up on my nook, but I can see them on my nook app on my computer. Maybe someone at BN can see what's wrong.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 27, 2013
Hey dont bworry bout it...it had to be omportant
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2013
Im sorry gtg
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Posted November 10, 2012
Hey
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Posted November 11, 2012
So wuts 4 dinner? Skai :) xx
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Posted January 6, 2013
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Overview
Melissa d’Arabian, host of Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners and season 5 winner of The Next Food Network Star, makes good on the $10 promise of dinner for four in her eagerly awaited debut cookbook. For home cooks who care about what they feed their families and want to stretch their dollars, Melissa is the best guide for putting delicious meals on the table.
With four young girls ages six and under, and a hit show on Food Network, Melissa d’Arabian focuses on savvy budgeting, ...