Right now, as I type, Cub Foods (a MN grocery store) has cilantro on sale – 2 bunches for 88 cents, or one bunch for 44 cents. Why is this vital news on a Monday afternoon? Because – you can add huge flavor to a whole slew of salads/dips/sauces/what-have-you for very little time, money or energy.
Now, cilantro divides the world into two groups – people who love it, and people who are dead to me. As one food writer described it, cilantro has a “soapy” taste. I think it tastes fresh and bright and Mexican (as it is oft featured in south of the border noshes). If you aren’t dead to me, and you like cilantro, here’s one way to work it.
Buy a bunch, pull off the leaves (don’t panic if some stems get in there), “run a knife through them” (chef-speak for roughly chop), and you’ll be left with a tasty pile o’ green like this:
Next, stir it up with this stuff:
Beans, corn, tomatoes (drain them first), spices, vinegar and salt. You can use this mix as a salad, as a salsa, or eat it like I do, on top of brown rice. Cheap, tasty, nutritious, and easy – aka, THE WAY ALL FOOD SHOULD BE.
What inexpensive ingredient are you loving this summer?
In Other, Non-Frugal News:
Last Saturday, I celebrated my 20th high school reunion with the rest of the Class of ’90 from Richfield, MN. You already know what my dress looked like, but here’s how it all came together:
Behold, the senior girls from our danceline, the Tapaires. Those are some of my dearest buds from school, minus only my BFF Lou (who skipped the event) and Emily (who lives far far far away in Wales.). Aren’t they all gorgeous? With great legs, of course.
How much were the tickets, you ask? So yeah, I spent WAY over my $25 limit on this one – each ticket was $55 (a very reasonable price, I think). However, as I agreed to attend this event 4 YEARS AGO, before I even started the blog, I felt no guilt in going over by $30.
On the plus side, I didn’t have travel expenses, or lodging expenses, or take-care-of-my-kids expenses. A bargain night out, I’d say! Probably because I’m all about being in denial… Anyway, here’s one last photo before I go:
Awwwwwww. Aren’t we cute?
3 Comments
I’m loving strawberries right now…either plain, or in smoothies or salads (with nuts, and a sweet dressing, and goat cheese)…
Oh, I love cilantro. I like to put it in sandwiches and salads too. It’s so tasty and fresh tasting. I don’t get the soap complaint some people have, I actually think it reminds me of carrots. Your mix looks delicious! Unfortunately, Coborns bought out Cub Foods in St. Cloud. Of course, the truly frugal could just grow their own cilantro.
Cute dress!
So glad you had a good time. See you there in 5 years. Really. I promise.