What I Spent, What We Ate | In which I unhappily eat salmon
What I Spent
In total, I spent $146.95. This includes my Hungry Harvest, regular shopping, and my Amazon Fresh order.
July Spending
Week 1: $154
Week 2: $152
Week 3: $147
What We Ate
Monday
I marinated the salmon from the freezer challenge and made garlic bread with the hot dog buns from the freezer. We had some raw fruits and veggies alongside that.
I HATED THE SALMON. Even marinated in soy sauce and maple syrup, it tasted terrible to me.
I supposed fresh caught salmon might be appetizing, but I've decided that I just do not ever want to eat the frozen stuff. Bleah.
Tuesday
I made shrimp quesadillas and sauteed green beans.
Wednesday
Weird night! The kids were all gone at various places, Mr. FG had had a super late lunch and wasn't hungry, and I just snacked on some stuff.
Thursday
I pulled a frozen pan of stuffed shells out and we ate those with some raw fruits and veggies (that's my summer side dish game plan: raw fruits and veggies!)
Friday
I had Pork Milanese on the menu plan for Wednesday, but I skipped that. So, maybe I'll just bump that to tonight.
I loathe store salmon (not much of a fish-eater in general, though), BUT we once got a bunch of salmon from a friend who went on a fishing trip to Alaska, and it was good. Just another example of the grocery store version of a food always being inferior.
Monday: Chicken in the Crockpot, (I don't really like Crockpot food, but it was 95 degrees and humid, so . . .) foil-wrapped sweet potatoes cooked on top of the chicken, leftover steak, pesto bread, green beans
Tuesday: Italian sausage, pork, tomato and cucumber salad, bread and butter, and Fritos on the beach. My kids are having the best summer ever. Not that they know that. 🙂
Wednesday: Meatloaf, rice cooked in the chicken juices from the Crockpot, sauteed mushrooms and onions, steamed broccoli
Thursday: Broiled ham steaks, leftover meatloaf, leftover rice, roasted sweet potatoes and onions, roasted beets, roasted garlic (I had to bake bread in the afternoon, hence all the roasted stuff), beet greens, corn on the cob
Tonight: It's supposed to be pretty stormy every day after today, so I think we'd better cook the rack of ribs my husband bought on the beach. I can also pre-cook some new potatoes and put them in foil with butter to be heated in the coals. Vegetables . . . I have some green beans left, which I could also pre-cook for re-heating or make into a cold salad. Or maybe I'll just punk out with carrot sticks.
I can completely believe that fresh caught local salmon would be an entirely different experience. Our neighbor brings us fresh rockfish sometimes and my goodness, it's so good! Mild and sweet and not fishy at all.
Of store frozen salmon, we only like it from Aldi! (And of course it’s a fantastic price.)
This was from Aldi, even! Ugh. I think I've come to the conclusion that perhaps I just really, really hate salmon. I was choking it down, trying not to gag. Even marinated!
I hope you get the chance once in your life to eat fresh caught Alaskan salmon. We bake it and eat it plain--no marinade, no fancy sauce, just salmon. Store bought salmon is often farmed salmon and the texture is mealy and it tastes fishy.
I'm with you 100%, Kristen. I joke about salmon and tuna being "ruined by heat." I love them as sushi, hate them cooked.
I can't imagine anything tasting good marinated in soy sauce and maple syrup. Have you used that combination before?
I have a recipe for frozen salmon that uses maple syrup, red chili flakes, chili powder, olive oil, and salt on it. When baked it turns into a delightful peppery, sweet, salty glaze. My family likes it as well as grilled steak. I buy the frozen fillets at Sam's club and, to me, they are consistently good for not-fresh salmon. I have also substituted brown sugar for the syrup which is equally delish but the glaze is a little thicker.
Store bought salmon can be really terrible. We tend to only buy it at costco when the copper river run is in season. Then we freeze them in smaller portions. If you get to pick between fillets, choose one that is not super skinny (i.e. from the tail end of the fish - it's much likelier to taste fishy. For salmon we like a marinade that's equal parts olive oil and soy sauce, minced garlic, and dried thyme. Freshly caught of course is totally different experience. You don't need to marinate it at all and it's wonderful.
Normally I am a fan of all thkngs Aldi but their salmon is dreadful. Not the smoked, it is fine, just the regular salmon. I adore salmon and only like the expensive stuff because I live in Indiana and it is expensive here or it is terrible Wild caught, thick pieces, beautiful color, from Whole Foods or a stand-alone fish market. Everything else is ick.
Monday- Someone from church bright us a huge spread! A ham and potato casserole, green beans, cole slaw, jello, a pear and blueberry dessert.... And I think there was another side dish, too. They gave us a lot of food.
Tuesday- Rice bowls with leftover favors meat/peppers/onions. I had frozen a bunch of rice before my baby was born and I'm so glad I did.
Wednesday- Someone made us meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn.
Thursday- Chicken nuggets, raw carrots and green peppers.
Friday- Not sure yet. My mom gave me a bunch of pork and I might throw some of that in the crock pot. We have fresh green beans, so we'll probably make those to go with it.
FYI-often the "fresh" Salmon fillets sold at grocery stores are actually previously frozen. Read the ads carefully, and ask at the fish counter if unsure. Do you use canned Salmon? Wild caught, Alaskan Salmon is readily available, Starkist even has a low sodium version. I use it for Salmon cakes, in chowder, quiche, creamed with onions over boiled potatoes (A French Canadian traditional meal)
A very odd week here.. but SO easy!
Friday- out to eat with visiting family
Saturday- grilled what family brought over to our house
Sunday- my mom planned an impromptu family reunion at my house since my sister and fam were in town.. she brought KFC and Pizza! I provided house, random frozen cake( from my mom no less) and a fresh veggie platter...
Monday- We ate a late lunch out with family but husband ate leftover chicken and potatos for lunch and supper.. kids ate a modge podge of leftover pizza and fruit later that evening as desired...
Tuesday- we all ate leftovers for lunch.. Daughter and I ate mall Chinese on the way to a concert, the boys and their dad ate Taco Bell- ( the nacho fries are back! lol)
Weds-I guess I should cook again.. too tired to leave the house but made Meatloaf and cheesy potato casserole from stuff in freezer- steamed leftover veggie tray broccoli. ( Since the oven was hot I whipped up a box of brownies ( another thing left here from my mom-lol) and grated down a zucchini to made a double batch of bread loaves)
Thursday-tossed frozen chicken into crockpot with salsa- served with rice and seasoned black beans and fruit...
Friday-I am thinking of making Naan Bread Pizza... and fruit... and salad.... I have everything but the Naan but a trip to aldi is super easy! Plus I need to use the provolone before it gets bad!
I'm not a huge salmon lover, but Hubby could eat it a couple of times a week. He likes it barely cooked (YUCK). I like the pale pink variety - I think its not wild caught which tastes very fishy to me. Anyhoo...
Monday - Pork Ribs in Crockpot, freezer veggie (this was soooo good!)
Tuesday - Fajita Chicken Salads, Rock Island Tea
Wednesday - I ordered Chinese
Thursday - Crazy Beef Pasta*, salad or veggie
Friday - Lemon Garlic Tilapia, Broccoli Rice Casserole
Saturday - TBD (but I will fix the party rolls in advance so Sunday dinner will be EASY)
Sunday - Ham and Cheese Party Rolls, chopped salad, chips
I am leaning more towards very simple veggies with our meals because the heat here is over 100...however, I am determined to make broccoli cheese rice as I've had a hankering!
I would love to know how to make the "Crazy Beef Pasta". Thanks
Hmm. This was wild caught, so maybe I'd like farmed better?
Farmed is very fatty. Looking at it, you'll see pink and white stripes - just like people, those fish get fed carbs, get no exercise, and get fat! The wild-caught northern Atlantic fish is red in color and healthy looking. I'm from the Pacific Northwest - was appalled at even the looks of farmed fish.
I am fascinated by these different impressions of salmon. To me salmon is only fishy in specific situations, all abnormal: a) it is farmed, b) it is a very thin tail piece, c) it has been lingering in the case and I have been eating it too long now to buy that salmon. It is an oily fish that tastes almost buttery to me, very rich. I eat it raw, too, as sashimi.
Ooh, my pieces WERE very thin. Possibly the tail pieces you mention.
Those quesadillas and stuffed shells look delicious! I cleaned out the fridge this week and managed to put together a lovely leftover dinner last night (along with a few things from the freezer) because I didn't want to junk the fridge all up again with nine million containers of food that no one would eat (I LOVE leftovers, but my family tends to react to them like vampires to garlic when they state they're hungry and I suggest they dig into the leftovers). It's always so nice when that works out!
This is a good food budget month for you, Kristen! I was under budget last week, but still need to spend carefully this week. I've reduced my monthly planned budget and sometimes, it's a challenge to meet it or go under.
Let's see if I can remember...
I cut up and fried a chicken using cassava flour, which we had two nights with differing veggies. I know the first night I also made rice and gravy with it. We had peas and candied carrots one night, and a green beans and cauliflower rice another night.
We had jambalaya, which used broth made from the chicken carcass where I de-boned the breast meat when cutting up the chicken. I put a tiny amount of hot pepper in it, as I have to be careful with eating peppers now.
We had bacon, acre peas, and a skillet full of squash and onions one night. The acre peas were a new re-introduction on my diet and didn't go all that well for me. I can probably eat small amounts on occasion, still.
I hit the easy button last night and gave my husband one of his favorite meals, tomato soup (organic, boxed) and a grilled cheese sandwich, while I had a spinach and cheese omelet.
I served fresh strawberries as dessert several nights. I got organic strawberries, buy one pound, get one free, and they are the sweetest berries we've had in a very long time. Frankly, I've been pigging out on them. They don't need any sugar for sure.
I used to cut up strawberries, put some sugar on them to make them more liquid for strawberry shortcake. Now I just cut up the berries, throw them on top of a piece of poundcake or one of those little thingies made for strawberry shortcake. I put a little lite Kool Whip on them and it's delicious. Saves my eating so much sugar.
I feel bad you hated your salmon. I thought about giving you a suggestion on your freezer post but didn't get to it. I had the same situation recently. I had older frozen salmon and since I've had the fresh salmon from Sprout's and now Aldi, I never want to go back. So I baked it up, then shredded it to make salmon patties with oatmeal/crackers & eggs. They were not the best ones I've ever made, but it beat either eating them straight or throwing them out. Also, a note to fish lovers who shop at Aldi, their fresh Salmon is great! My favorite, though, is when they have the steelhead trout. Season with kosher salt and Old Bay seasoning, then cook over med-med high flesh side down in oil 6-10 min, flip and another 6-10 min.
Ok, so, you hate the frozen stuff but like the fresh? Hmm. Maybe there's hope for me.
I once had food poisoning from old fish in the freezer. My MIL insisted it was ok, and I ate it.
Lo and behold, I started throwing up 3 hours later and throughout the night. I had a high fever 2 days after and had to take time off work. I didn't eat ANYTHING for the whole day after that fateful night. Talking about being frugal the wrong way! >_<
Oh yes! Eating bad food in order to save money is never a good idea. I've done it before! Ha. I ate some leftover shrimp and didn't realize until much, much later that I had neglected to actually think about how old it was. I was super sick and my goodness, the stomach cramps were horrible.
This week, I thawed some refried beans that had been in the freezer since 2016, but they tasted yucky - not bad food - just yucky. At least they're gone from the freezer. I also ate an old popsicle from 2016. It was just fine. I'm gaining ground ever so slightly in cleaning out the freezer. Pitiful isn't it that I found food from 2016!?
Haha, 2016 doesn't seem THAT shocking to me. Then again, freezer management has never been my specialty.
We got frozen wild caught Alaskan salmon from Zaycon Fresh and cooked it in a soy sauce/lemon juice/ginger/cinnamon marinade at 325* for 25 minutes. Delicious and tender.
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/easy-baked-salmon-194664
7.99 for cooks illustrated year subscription on amazon FYI today.
Life's too short to eat food you hate! You, salmon. Me, Kale.
Monday: Johnny Marzetti, spinach
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: lentil salad
Thursday: tuna sandwiches and watermelon
Friday: grilled chicken and big salad
Saturday: Chicken Tikka Masala and Cauliflower (my hubby will be away and he hates both of these so I always make this when he's out of town).
Sunday: Haven't gotten that far yet, but probably an egg-potato skillet thingie
I don't eat seafood (yuck!), but my husband always cooks salmon on a cedar plank and says it's delicious. After soaking the plank, he slathers the salmon with mayonnaise, then sprinkles on some Lawry's seasoning salt, and throws the salmon/plank on the BBQ (not entirely sure how long he cooks it). And yes, we buy the wild-caught fish-counter salmon that's been previously frozen. He'd much prefer flying up to Alaska to catch it personally, but that would make it about $3,000/lb instead of $9.99/lb.
I need to come visit you, I guess!
I just generally don't love fish that is frozen, with the exception of shrimp which I think freezes really well... but I do like fresh fish.
This week:
-Monday chicken salad in avocado halves over salad
-Tues: Leftover eggplant parm
-Weds: Quesadillas
-Thurs: BBQ at a friend's house
-Fri: Something quick on the way to a play
That is very true...frozen shrimp are just fine by me.
Fish marinated in soy sauce and maple syrup sounds kind of awful to me, I must confess. I'm more of a savory person when it comes to cooking fish. I assume you baked it, at maybe 425 F? It's only supposed to cook four minutes per half inch. Maybe you overcooked it? Or try a different recipe?
I've been poaching fish in my slow cooker lately to avoid turning on the oven. Today I'm making chicken soup--my son has a cold--but tomorrow, I'm poaching salmon fillets. Of course I can use the stove top but the slow cooker can be put on a timer. If I get busy and forget about it, it switches to keep warm and it won't overcook.
The thing is, I used my thermometer to make sure I cooked it to exactly the right temperature. I thought surely if I cooked it very carefully, it would be delicious. But nope.
I hope your son feels better soon!
Gosh... who knew there were so many salmon hating people out there? I love the stuff. The only reason I don't cook it more often is planning... it really works best if you defrost it completely before cooking and I seldom get around to that. Living in land locked Colorado, "fresh fish" is sort of an oxymoron, so I've never really had it. Have any of you salmon-hating folk tried smoked salmon? I think it's one of the most delicious things on the planet and would eat it every day if I could afford it!
I can handle smoked salmon because it just tastes more like ham to me. But fresh or frozen? Blech.
Oh my it’s hard to fathom not liking salmon. I adore it in ANY form and I have to force myself to limit how much I eat. The best salmon is the sushi grade raw!!!!!!!! I’m drooling just thinking of it.
On the other hand I hate carrots which some people find strange.
I wish I liked salmon! It's so good for you. Alas.
I do like carrots, but I feel like it would be preferable to enjoy salmon in terms of nutrition.
Salmon lover here! I just poach it usually. I am not too picky about fresh/frozen ( recently purchased frozen from IKEA)! I’ve noticed that most of the frozen fish from Aldi is from China. For some reason, that just seems odd to me so I never buy it.
I wonder if you maybe have pink or chum or keta salmon? I can’t stand the stuff (a lot of it goes for dog food) but I’ll eat king, coho, chinook, or sockeye all day in any form! I think those first 3 are especially fishy and most folks here in the PNW won’t eat it either.
My goodness, I had no idea there were so many varieties. So, one of my packages says pink salmon, but is that referring to a specific variety? If it was pink salmon then that totally explains why I hated it.
Aldi also sells fresh, never frozen Atlantic salmon. Do you know if Atlantic salmon is good?
I like Atlantic salmon too! The Atlantic salmon we have out here is the farmed version. I don’t know that I’ve had wild Atlantic salmon, but I think that distinction makes an impact on the flavor. If you do end up trying to make salmon again, I hope it turns out much better!
Dinner this week has been very catch-as-catch-can, including last night's dinner of Doritos and a bit of chocolate. Ahem. Followed by a work event titled "Ice Cream Sundae Friday." Ahem again.
BTW, raw fruit and raw/lightly cooked veg are the normal sides at my house.
Yes Megan L. the variety of salmon really makes a huge difference! I like salmon best smoked or broiled, or grilled. Had really nasty food bank salmon when we lived in the PNW. We were grateful for it, and truly hungry, but I was the only one who could choke it down...
...I've been living on canned soup, frozen meals, and the odd trip to the 'golden arches' aka Macca's...
As a long time fan and reader who happens to love salmon, I am so sad to hear yours was terrible. I buy frozen salmon frequently from trade me Joes and I would like to humbly suggest that if there is a next time, don’t marinate it. I suspect that’s where it might have gone askew. I follow an ATK family cook recipe for it when you cook the salmon plain on high heat for 5 minutes, then brush on a soy/maple sauce for the last 5 minutes. But I know some people really just don’t like it. Thanks for sharing as always!
I’m leaving for Juneau, Alaska in 2 wks to take my nephew salmon fishing again. We are on an island 20 min offshore and we fish everyday from the boats from 800a to 500p. There are 5 different species of Pacific salmon. King (or chinook), silver ( or coho), pink, sockeye and chum. We target what is running in the area or what is in season. We also fish for halibut, black cod, rockfish and we set pots for crab and shrimp. I prefer King or silver salmon best. Because the texture of pink and chum is so soft, I uh, basically pan fry and debone for my dog... An easy recipe for canned or frozen salmon is season and pan fry. Let cool, debone and add about 1 filet for 2 pkgs of softened cream cheese. Add 5 or 6 tsp of hickory flavored smoke and blk pepper to taste. Mash and blend salmon thoroughly into cr cheese. Chill and serve with crackers as a smoked salmon dip. A great frugal way to impress your family and friends, those who love smoked salmon at least!
Minor correction to my previous post. Cook the frozen or fresh salmon to use in dip. Debone and remove skin and any dark meat and add to cr cheese. If using canned, remove from can, debone and remove skin, then mix into cr cheese.
Monday - chick peas and chard, rice, salad
Tuesday - pasta with tomato sauce, salad, cheese
Wednesday - grilled zucchine, tofu in bbq sauce, rice
Thursday - rice and beans with kale, salad
Friday - pasta with basil and garlic and goat cheese, salad
We are getting a lot of lettuce in our farm share right now, so we are eating a lot of salad. We’re also getting more squash and cucumbers than we can use. So I froze some squash to use in baking next winter and I made pickles. Yesterday we got a big napa cabbage. I’ll ferment that kimchi-style. Mmmmmmm.
Chop the salmon up finely, add some onion, bell pepper, panko crumbs, egg, Siracha, & soy sauce and make meatballs or patties! Serve over lettuce with some siracha mayo or make teriyaki meatballs. Super yummy & hides the yucky frozen salmon texture. I love salmon but frozen it is not great.
I've never been a big fish or seafood eater. We currently live in a part of Alaska that relies on Salmon as a major food source. I don't think we could ever buy or eat salmon or any fish that wasn't fresh having lived right near fresh sources. Fish here is dried, smoked, jarred, salted, or frozen for year round use. Salmon also has a uniquely different taste from any other fish. As far as marinade we've used all kinds including maple and soy which is a favorite of the husband. We mostly grill our fresh or frozen salmon. Easier clean up, love the taste, and no fish smell in the house.
If you're willing to give the salmon one more try, I do have a way to prepare it you might like. This is coming from a person who does not like to eat fish at all, but I buy the frozen salmon from Costco and their brand of pesto. I defrost the salmon in the fridge the night before and then put a ton of pesto on it and then bake it until the pesto is almost black. It tastes SO good! No lie. Costco had a sample of this combo (although they didn't bake the salmon as long as I do) which is how I got the idea. The flavor combo and how the fish gets crispy all over the outside is so yummy. My husband and I eat this about 2-3 times a month. We actually split one piece of salmon since for us it's a flavor that wears out its welcome quickly. We just have a big plate of sides with it (usually broccoli, rice, cottage cheese, and/or a salad). The fats in fish are good for you which is why I made a point to find a dish I could stomach.
I like any fish that isn't fishy. Love salmon but locally we get blue gill and bass.
The first part of the week was SO hot and humid it was hard to eat.
BBQ ribs and grilled potatoes. I made a huge batch enough for lunches and another dinner or two. Tried 2 new BBQ sauces on them Famous Daves (too spicy) and a South Carolina Peach one. Didn't like either.
Sloppy Joes.
Lasagna, meat balls and garlic bread.
Chicken noodle soup because the weather went from 95 to 68. That my friends means soup!
We also had cucumber salads each night, blueberries, peppers and cherries.
Oh, Kristen! You must try salmon again. It's my (AND my teenage kids') favorite thing to eat. No kidding.
Do NOT eat that bagged frozen stuff. It is just plain nasty. It tastes nothing like salmon. At all!
I buy fresh (sometimes previously frozen) from the seafood section of our local grocery -- where you can actually SEE what you're going to eat.
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE than what you had, I promise.
I cook it in a cast iron skillet in a little coconut oil. I add some dried parsley (which I add to just about everything), plenty of minced garlic (from a jar) and sometimes a dash of herbs de Provence. I might use a little bottled dressing (balsamic, goddess... whatever is in the fridge).
Don't use maple syrup. Eek.
Promise you can't help but love it. 🙂
I will also say that salmon is one of the things that Aldi does Not Do Well. I love salmon in almost any form but I won't buy Aldi salmon ever again.
I haven't ever had salmon I loved, but yes, I would totally agree that this salmon from Aldi was Very Not Good.
I despise salmon, but I love smoked salmon( lox). I grew up eating that on Sundays with bagels and cream cheese( I'm Jewish), but fresh/frozen salmon is gross to me.