I know I say it every month but this time it’s where did summer go? Some stores have Halloween items on display and yesterday a Christmas catalog arrived in my mailbox. It’s still a great time to grab some bargains from summer leftovers. I’m seeing huge discounts on summer clothing, yard and garden items and yes, still lots of bargains to be hand with back to school stuff. Best time of the year to stock your home office too.
Summer Recipes
I’ve been meaning to pass along these recipes to you so thought they’d be perfect for Labor Day. They all look tempting and I’m going to give the salmon recipe a try this weekend. If you want to check out more recipes like this visit www.Mizkan.com. Thank you to them for passing these along-
Chicken Lettuce Bundles with Sesame Herb Dressing
Makes 6 lettuce bundles
Not a salad, not a sandwich–just a terrific flavor combination
to eat out of hand. Use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie
chicken for added convenience.
INGREDIENTS
Sesame Herb Dressing:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar Original or Roasted Garlic, divided
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger (optional)
Lettuce Bundles:
2 small avocados, not too soft
8 to 10 oz. cooked chicken, shredded
1 small cucumber, cut in 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup matchstick carrots
6 large Romaine lettuce leaves
DIRECTIONS
Combine mayonnaise and 1/4-cup rice vinegar with remaining dressing ingredients in a small bowl or pitcher; whisk to blend. Cut avocados in half, remove pits and peel. Cut into small cubes, place in a bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar.
To assemble lettuce bundles, place a lettuce leaf on each serving plate. Drizzle center of lettuce with Sesame Herb Dressing. Top with 1/3 cup chicken, 2 tablespoons diced cucumbers, 1 tablespoon carrots, and about 1/4 cup diced avocado. Drizzle with more dressing. Fold sides of lettuce up and eat taco style.
Coconut-Lime Marinated Shrimp
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Serve shrimp with coconut-lime sauce over hot cooked rice.
INGREDIENTS
1-1/4 lbs. raw, peeled shrimp (26/30 size or about 40 shrimp)
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1/3 cup NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar—Red pepper
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Grated peel of 2 limes
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
8 to 10 skewers (8 to 10-inches)
DIRECTIONS
Place shrimp in a sealable gallon plastic bag. Shake can of coconut milk, open and pour into medium bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Stir in Nakano seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lime peel. Pour over shrimp and shake bag gently to coat. Seal bag and refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag over once.
If using wood skewers, soak skewers in water 30 minutes. Preheat broiler, or preheat grill to medium heat. Drain shrimp reserving marinade in a small saucepan. Thread 4 to 5 shrimp onto each skewer. Broil or grill 3 minutes; turn over and cook 3 minutes more. Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil; boil for 1 full minute. Serve sauce with shrimp, over rice if desired.
Pan-Roasted Salmon with Black-Bean Garlic Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
1/4-cup NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar Red Pepper
2-teaspoons soy sauce
2 -teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil
4-skinless salmon fillets (1-3/4 to 2 lbs)
Freshly ground black pepper
1-tablespoon vegetable oil
4-teaspoons black bean garlic sauce*
3-medium green onions, minced
1-tablespoon minced fresh ginger
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil; set aside. Pat salmon dry with paper towels; remove bones. Lightly season salmon with pepper.
In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook salmon on one side until well browned, about 4 minutes; remove skillet from heat. Carefully turn salmon over; spread 1 teaspoon bean sauce over each fillet. Drizzle vinegar mixture over salmon; sprinkle with onions and ginger. Cover; cook over medium heat until salmon is done as desired, about 2 to 4 minutes.
To serve, spoon sauce in pan over salmon.
*Note: Black bean garlic sauce is available in Asian markets and the Asian section in supermarkets.
Budget Smart Girl Note-I think you could even use just black beans and a hint of garlic.
September is…
Besides being the month with Labor Day and the first day of fall it’s also National Yoga Month. If you’re like me and keep saying you’ll give classes a try check out www.yogamonth.org . You can get sign up for one free week of classes. Great way to check it out before you commit
And it’s also Better Breakfast Month. Look for all things related to the first meal of the day going on sale and check out www.betterbreakfast.org for ideas and recipes too.
Fall Fashion
Budget Smart Girl is still looking for a fashion expert to blog each month so if you know anyone who yes, excuse the pun, fits the bill, I’d love to have them e-mail me. In the meantime I decided to check on what’s hot this fall. Seems maxi skirts are smoking hot, so is camel, anything with polka dots and both the Western look and anything inspired by the TV show Mad Men. I bet you can find something in your closet that fits into one of those categories. I know I can.
The Battle of The Yogurts
Seems the yogurt market is growing every day and remember the free coupon I told you about last week? There’s another one this week and this time it’s from Activia. Here’s the link http://activia.us.com/products/enjoy_activia_selects.aspx
Articles On the Web I liked-
Here are some of my favorite money related topics I found on the Internet-
Freebies
Who doesn’t love something free-
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/665/fabulous-freebies/
Some of these are inexpensive foods too-
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/9-bad-foods-you-should-be-eating-2533750#photoViewer=9
When You Want to Get the Most Out of Your Food Dollar-
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/how-to-cook-everything-a-little-better-2535216/
What to Buy in September
Lots of fall produce starting to hit the stores-
- New to the Stores: artichokes, kale, winter squash, pomegranates, and pistachios
- At their Peak: basil, cucumber, eggplant, tomatoes, apples, and grapes
- Grab them While You Can: melons, Bartlett pears, plums, potatoes, and summer squash
And Finally-
For anyone living in Texas or traveling there this weekend I was sent information about this deal you might like to check out-
Labor Day Summer Finale package at the Horseshoe Bay Resort: End the summer with a splash at this charming resort in Texas Hill Country. The package is tailored to a family of four and includes standard guest room accommodations, choice of ski boat, pontoon boat or WaverRunner rentals, Labor Day commemorative tee shirts, unlimited on-property activities that includes banana boat rides and fish camp, four tickets to Lantana Grill’s Tex-Mex buffet, 20% off Bayside Spa Services, 50% off golf green fees at all Horseshoe Bay Resort golf courses, and 30% on tennis court rentals. Offer valid September 3 – 5, 2011.
Website: http://www.hsbresort.com/
Have a wonderful month.
