Deli Meal

During the busy holiday season there is a greater tendency to eat out or pick up take-out.  The premise is this saves the time of cooking.  At the same time is covers dinner on those nights where an unexpected delay occurs or you are simply just too tired to cook.  The problem with eating out is the expense and time it takes.  The problem most take-out is you spend a lot of time in long lines waiting for your food so you don't really save any time.  There is also the expense and the fact that most take-out food is laden with excessive fats, sodium and calories.  An alternative that puts a quick, home style cooked meal on the table at a fraction of the cost of most take out is deli take-out.  Save time by making the grocery store or superstore with a deli counter the last stop of the day and simply bring the meal home with your other purchases without having to make a separate stop.

Did you know that KFC is the top take-out food over the holiday season? 'Tis true!  While KFC is tasty, it is high in fat and calories as well as having lactose as an ingredient in the form of milk solids in the coating.  It is also expensive with a 20 piece bucket going for $31.99 (15 pc - $25.99, 10 pc - $19.99) and a 20 piece meal for $46.99 (15 pc - $39.99, 10 pc - $29.99) in our area.  Extra sides of course will cost you extra as well.

Consider though that a comparable meal from the deli counter for a family of 4 costs about $12.  A rotisserie chicken costs about $6 if not on sale and each side depending on the size cost about $3.  The food is closer to home style cooking and there is a larger variety of sides (including leaf salads) than available at KFC.  In the end you can have a healthier, less expensive and more convenient take-out meal by taking advantage of the deli counter.

Stuffed Flank Steak

As a foodie I love eating out that's a given but I can only go for a few days before I'm itching to do a bit of cooking.  Some vacations do not allow me to do this so one priority when we were deciding to buy a vacation home was to have a nicely supplied kitchen where I could cook if I wanted to.  At the same time both of us really like enjoying that morning coffee but there are times that I really don't feel like getting dressed to go out for a hot breakfast.  So we were really looking for a vacation home where we could make simple breakfasts and lunches with a few dinners because let's face it food is one of the most expensive components of any vacation.

We discovered a Publix and an Aldi's for grocery shopping.  The Publix is more like our Sobey's here offering the extras that Aldi's doesn't offer.  Aldi's is similar to our No Frills.  I quickly realized even with our RV that cooking when on vacation takes on a whole new meaning.  We are looking for something different.  It's where unlike at home where I will make something entirely from scratch I do buy from the deli, freezer section, I will use ingredients like baby carrots and I will buy smaller container sizes to use up before we leave but other than that I don't deviate much from cooking from scratch. 

I spotted stuffed flank steaks in the deli section.  I've seen these in the flyers here where they are called a roulade and had been intending to try making one.  The concept is not difficult and one I've worked with several time.  Essentially the steak is trimmed, flattened slightly the topped with filling of choice and rolled the cut into medallions for cooking.  The fact the roulades were already made was rather appealing given we were on vacation but I had nothing to bake them in.  No worries as they each came with their own little baking pans and detailed instructions from the friendly deli person.  He said to just add whatever vegetables we wanted then bake along with the steak.  I was sold.  The entire dinner eaten at home would come in at under $15 and we could just relax around the house enjoying our new purchase.

We bought one flank steak stuffed with mozzarella cheese (right) and one stuffed with provolone cheese (left).  I put in baked potatoes about 10 minutes before the steak.  I added in baby bello mushrooms, red onion and baby carrots  to each baking dish stuffing in as much as possible.  Then I put the pans in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) and baked until the vegetables were tender.

I have to tell you I was really leary on this just because I thought the vegetables would be overcooked and the meat undercooked.  Undercooked beef I can handle as we like most beef cuts rare  but overcooked vegetables are just plain nasty!  I was really concerned over how the carrots and mushrooms would come out.

First off the dishes we bought for the vacation house are white which plays with the camera lens.  We may add our favourite burgundy or blue yet but for now white keeps thinks light and bright.  The entire meal took about 50 minutes to cook.  We were both impressed with the results!  Pictured is the plated cooked meal.  The meal tasted every bit as good as it looks.  The stuffed flank steak had a lovely flavour that accented the vegetables cooked in the juices.  Of course I topped my baked potato with sour cream while my husband used butter and salt.  What a great, low cost dinner to enjoy while on vacation!

Smart Take-out

The holiday season is always busy and like many we too like to have a bit of a break from cooking. For the most part I rely on my freezer and pantry stock but there are those days when you get home much later than expected and really don't feel like cooking or even warming up something. If you have read this blog for any length of time you will know we are not huge fans of fast food. The food is of such poor quality and it is too costly in terms of food value. The last time we bought Kentucky Fried Chicken it was a 10 piece with side salads and gravy. The food itself was horrid even though it cost almost $30 CDN with taxes! We've discovered a whole new take-out that is affordable as well as being tasty.

Rotisserie Chicken

I cannot take credit for this idea for take-out. The kids in Wisconsin introduced me to the idea of buying rotisserie chicken hot from the deli. They can buy one for $3 then use it for a meal or pick it for soup. The grocery store where we spend most of our food dollars does not have a deli.

It was a long day on the 23^rd and with the weather conditions we wanted to be on the road early on the 24^th. At the same time we a full meal even though it was going on 8 pm before we ate. My husband picked up a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken at another grocery store. Apparently they go on sale for $5 CDN in the evening.

Now I do have to comment on the prices of whole chickens here. A raw chicken this size would cost me at least $8 if not more at our prices. Whole chickens never come down in price and they are seldom on sale! Yet a deli cooked rotisserie chicken can be purchased for less than a raw chicken? Each chicken is enough for a hearty meal for two as is or a large batch of soup with bones for stock. This is an ideal, economical solution for those days where picking up take-out is just too tempting. Serve with a couple of warmed (home) canned vegetables and a slice of bread for the taste of home cooking without the work and without the high prices of fast food.