WIS, WWA | chicken > steak
Happy Friday, everyone! My slightly controversial take for today is that chicken is better than steak. Please see my comments on Sunday's meal. 😉
What I Spent
I spent:
- $58 at Aldi
- $22 at Weis
So, $80 this week. 🙂
What We Ate
Saturday
Zoe wasn't here, so I cobbled together a dish using shrimp, some leftover corn/cilantro/lime mixture, a jalapeno, and some other veggies.
Sunday
Steak plus broccoli, and some sweet potatoes. Eating the steak reminded me that I am not a particular fan of steak; I honestly just find chicken and seafood easier to prepare and eat.
But hopefully the beef helped boost my iron a little. 😉
(Also, if you think steak is better than chicken/seafood, no hate. I just disagree. And unfortunately, my iron levels do reflect this preference. Ha.)
Monday
Sweet potato, shrimp, and sauteed broccoli, for a pretty basic meal!
Tuesday
I had a very late lunch, and was not hungry at dinnertime, so I just ate some fruit and called it good.
Wednesday
I worked, and I actually used my cafeteria certificate to buy lunch (my floor manager gave these out when we came in to work during that snow/ice storm, so I'd been holding onto mine for a while!)
I got a walking taco, which is basically a bag of chips with whatever taco fillings you ask for. I chose meat, queso, guacamole, lettuce, and pico de gallo. Super good.
When I came home, I made a raisin bran-ish bowl of cereal by combining bran flakes and raisins.
I figured it would be sort of like raisin bran, except with less added sugar, but honestly, I missed the cereal raisins because they have a particular texture that I'm used to.
The self-added raisins were too plump and they didn't feel quite right.
Thursday
I was off, and I made some butter chicken so that it could serve as dinner and also as packed lunches for the next two days.
Friday
I'm working today and tomorrow, which means tonight is a tight turnaround. I predict some cereal.
Or a fruit and yogurt bowl.
But of course I will be having butter chicken for lunch, so my midday meal will be at least somewhat substantial!
I wonder if we've been subconsciously programmed to think that we should think that steak is better than chicken, especially as frugal people because we notice that the steak is a premium price compared to chicken prices. I enjoy steak for sure, but chicken that's well-prepared is so fabulous! It's the heart of my favorite Chipotle meal.
I feel the same way about lobster. I know it's the fancier, more expensive option, but I enjoy eating shrimp more!
I was surprised when I had lobster for the first time because I thought it would taste just like crab, but it didn't. It was not as good to me, and I was disappointed because it was "fancier" in my mind. But my taste likes crab (and steak) best 🙂
Lobster is overrated. Crab is MUCH better.
I absolutely love chicken! I cook several breasts every week to prep for lunches and eat for Sunday dinner. Lately I've learned to bake it with lemon and olive oil instead of just herbs or garlic, the lemon makes it so good. I love shrimp too, but its not as easy for me to prep. Since moving to a coastal town, I only buy local shrimp, not farmed or imported, and it takes more prep to peel, etc. I could try to get in the habit of peeling a bunch then freezing, but I'm not sure how to prevent freezer burn if I peel them first. I learned the hard way not to freeze them peel on in plastic bags because the tails are so sharp it leaks the fluid all over the freezer!
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $138 ($27 at Trader Joe's and $111 at Target). This is gonna be an easy recap - I had a salad every night except for Tuesday night's fruit parfait (slightly heated up frozen fruit, vanilla yogurt and homemade granola).
I feel the same way about beef. I am happy to eat chicken and fish but I'm just not a big fan of beef. On the plus side I believe chicken has a much lower environmental footprint.
I think it really depends on how it's raised. Having lived in a place where cows graze the hillsides and chickens are packed into large, stinky houses and never see the light of day AND must have their feed trucked in, my mind can't wrap itself around the environmental argument.
Can you share your method for prepping the chicken that you used in the butter chicken recipe? It looks so good! I like having pre-cooked proteins as easy options for building meals, and often we grill a mass amount then freeze portions. When these are not available, I cut up raw chicken into bite size pieces and saute it. This usually works well, but your method looks great, too! (Bonus is it looks like the cutting up step happens after cooking- and I don't enjoy cutting raw chicken into small pieces!). Thanks, and have a wonderful weekend!
My daughter and I were recently talking about her preference for chicken and that she actually feels gross when she eats pretty much any red meat. She was chatting with a coworker and blood type was brought up and she has read that it is not uncommon for Type A blood carriers to struggle and thus it has sent us both down the blood type diet reading path!
Thank you for the reminder- I have a container of butter chicken sauce in the freezer I saved for a quick supper! Might need to pull that out!
It's the reverse here — it seems to be too easy to overcook chicken, which I don't find appealing at all. Steak is not so difficult, it seems. Also, the different cuts do have different textures/conformations, and that can make a big difference. Sirloin and filet are my favorites. Some of my family members have the patience for a ribeye or T-bone, but I get annoyed.
Your walking taco is similar to the Frito pie I love that I had never had until moving to New Mexico. Except Frito pie is served in a bowl, and thus you get a lot more of it. 🙂 Plus, I would think it would be really hard to eat out of a small bag like that. How do you fish everything out onto one bite when it's so vertical? Anyway . . .
Saturday: We were in Phoenix for my niece's graduation party, for which my brother got Hawaiian barbecue from her favorite restaurant. I had never had it before. It was kind of like chicken/beef teriyaki, so of course I liked it. I also very much enjoyed the pasta salad, which was more or less just pasta with mayonnaise, thereby calling into question the "salad" designation. I do love mayonnaise, though.
Sunday: We drove to my parents' house in Tucson for a few days. My mom made Reuben sandwiches with leftover corned beef, or just grilled cheese for those who didn't want Reubens. She can't have sandwiches without chips, apparently, so there were also potato chips, and then she had asked the two kids who were with me what their favorite ice cream is and bought that for them. Unfortunately, their favorites are strawberry and mint chip, which are some of my least favorite, so I didn't have any ice cream.
Monday: My dad grilled hamburgers and my mom made broccoli salad and oven fries. I just ate the salad and fries, which is pretty much my idea of a perfect meal. Protein? What? (There was actually some cheese and hardboiled egg in the broccoli salad, and potatoes have a little bit, but still.)
Tuesday: My mom made an entire brisket, and then there was leftover rice, roasted vegetables, and she let my children eat multiple helpings of ice cream, because we were leaving the next day and my parents don't eat ice cream much. My children were happy to help.
Wednesday: We drove home this day, arriving around 4:15 p.m. My husband had been making nothing but hamburgers for himself while he was home alone (the older boys were at the state FFA convention, which is why they didn't come to Arizona with us), and there was some ground beef in the refrigerator. I combined that with a can of pinto beans, salsa, and spices, and put that into corn tortillas with cheese.
Thursday: There was also a package of Italian sausage links in the refrigerator, which I roasted with potatoes. We had canned peas too, because I got a few cans from commodities. I grew up with canned peas and still like them. They were a new thing for the rest of my family. I think we'll stick with frozen peas. 🙂
Tonight: I'm baking bread, so I'll use some of the dough for pizza. I'm still only cooking for four people, which means I can get away with just one (half-sheet-pan-size) pizza. I always have to make ranch dip for the pizza, too, so I guess I'll make a salad and use some of the thinned-out dip for that.
Kristin asking the questions I was wondering too! How did you eat this walking taco?? Have never had one before.
My mother served canned peas for a family dinner. I was raised on canned or fresh. My kids could not be convinced that canned peas were peas. They loved frozen.
Speaking as one who still orders a 1/4 steer each year even as a single woman, I obviously adore beef. And the friends who raise the steer still sell it to me at an amazingly low price. (They're devout folks, and I think they regard this as a form of ministry.) But I have been eating much less of it and sharing much more of it with friends at my low cost for several years now, given the health ramifications and so on. And I do love me a family pack of chicken drumsticks; frankly, I wish chickens had four legs apiece! I'll roast these on a sheet pan with some sweet potatoes about every other week and eat them for several days.
Now, WIS: $18 at Aldi and $26.50 at Price Chopper.
WIA: It's stir-fry season for me. I made a very respectable one yesterday with boneless pork rib meat (RFQS at Wegmans a while ago and stored in the freezer), some aging veg (carrot, cauliflower, onions, and garlic), and fresh spinach and cilantro from the garden.
I rarely ate steak (and only on rare occasions now) but this prep method was a game changer: heat ~ 2 T butter/ bacon grease, etc... in a cast iron skillet; cook 2 mins on first side, flip; 2 mins on second side -> place skillet in preheated 400° oven for 2 mins, then, flip. Cook on second side 2 minutes. Remove from oven and cover pan with foil. Allow to rest 5-10 mins. Done.
Depending on the thickness of your steak and your doneness preference, you may need to add 30 seconds or more at various points.
Voila !!😎
I only recently resumed eating red meat after a 25 year hiatus! Since I cook 90% of the meals, our red meat consumption is typically low. This week is an anomaly.
Monday - crock pot BBQ chicken, corn bread, broccoli
Tuesday - Leftovers or burgers (not enough chicken leftovers for the four of us)
Wednesday - Steak tacos using Costco flank steak.
Thursday - Leftovers and Culvers for the kids (softball game and the boys birthday)
Friday - Driveshack party for the boys 15th birthday!
It's rare that I eat steak. I love a good hamburger but can be quite happy with chicken or meatness meals.
We spent $200 ish at Costco for food basics restock and about that much at Jewel (Albertsons). Groceries are extra $$ for us due to gluten free diet.
We ate:
Grad party Sunday so no cooking.
Monday: pork chops, baked sweet potato, peas
Tuesday: turkey burgers with tater tots
Wednesday: pasta with veggies, meatballs, Alfredo sauce
Thursday; Greek salad with chicken
Friday: probably take out Thai
It is a pity my huaband does not take ti chicken the way I do. Upside is that we often opt for meatless meals.
We had a lot of salad this week, plus himemade pasta bake one day.
I broke one of my molars and cannot reach the dentist this afternoon unless there is an emergency. So I foresee a lot of yoghurt and soft fruits, as well as soups, in the coming days. I'll think of more soft and slurpy foods in case I cannot get an appointment quickly.
I'm on Team Steak although I do like chicken too. I find steak to be much more forgiving to cook particularly as we all eat it rare anyway. Our favorite cuts are ribeye and skirt. I've occasionally made rubbery chicken which is not enjoyable to eat. I try to use your brinerade recipe, Kristen, when prepping chicken breast.
Walking tacos are my guilty pleasure. I had my first one at a Little Gridders football game about 15 years ago. We had them a lot when the kids were little and now just have them a few times a year. But mine are better than concession stand.
I always liked chicken more than steak. Which was fortunate for me as I was bitten by some insect (likely a tick) and then almost immediately started having a reaction to eating beef (and drinking milk). I can eat small amounts of beef here and there, but we mostly stick to poultry and vegetarian meals now.
I think I am team chicken, but only because beef feels “trickier.” If we go to a steakhouse, I order fish because my husband makes better steak at home. Sometimes when we eat beef at home (specifically a cut with a bone) I struggle because all I can taste is BARN. I’m a former taste tester and some flavors stand out to me more than others. Chicken is chicken is chicken – I just have to pick light or dark meat.
And I just realized we didn’t eat any chicken this week….
Friday: Carnitas Bowls – carnitas (freezer), rice, beans, cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa
Saturday: Ragu Bianco over protein pasta
Sunday: Santa Maria BBQ! Tri-tip, beans, roasted cauliflower, toast, salsa, chimichurri, and cherry pistachio streusel pie. (my husband is always trying to perfect this meal because it is a favorite of my family)
Monday: Leftover tri-tip, mashed potatoes, beans, garlic bread
Tuesday: Slow cooker beef gyros served with naan, red onions, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and tzatziki sauce
Wednesday: leftovers fridge clean out night
Thursday: Honey Sriracha Salmon Bowls – salmon, rice, cucumbers, avocado, edamame, sriracha mayo
Yes, sometimes when I eat beef, which I like, I will say “ugh! This tastes like cow!”
I had to make a return at Costco this week, and since it was after work and I had no idea what was for supper...I snagged one of their yummy rotisserie chickens! For $4.99, we got several meals this week!
We had some the first night, with broccoli and then I froze the rest.
For lunch at work this week, I made a salad and tossed a handful of frozen chicken on top, and by lunchtime it was perfect!
On top of all those meals...my chickens were thrilled to clean the carcass! Did you know they are somewhat cannibalistic?!
I don't remember how much I spent on groceries over the week. But I do know that I am due for a lunch out today since I've been cooking everything at home. (: Maybe just a burger and fries? Also considering Luby's. this week:
*ate some potstickers when I got home from work
*Creamy Mushroom Chicken with mini potatoes, broccoli
*Beef Link Sausage, Butternut pasta sauce over linguini, corn on the cob
*Tilapia, baked sweet potato, corn on cob
*Mandarin Chicken, fried rice, broccoli
My schedule is wonky for the weekend, which means I will eat a late breakfast and dinner at lunchtime. Then Tuesday, back to normal!
I love a good steak once every 2-3 months or so, but chicken is my go to and I marvel that I never really get tired of it the way I do with beef. I also prefer ground chicken over ground turkey for whatever thats worth. But much prefer chicken breast to ground meat.
This week I spent a lot. $133 at Costco, $20 something at Sam's club, $60 ish at trader Joe's and another $20 or so at Raleys to stock up on sale cheeses.
Saturday - I was excited for summer sides. I had baked beans, corn on the cob and roasted fingerling potatoes with strawberries for dessert.
Sunday - rotisserie chicken and an artichoke.
Monday- chicken sandwich made with the rotisserie chicken and and apple on the side.
Tuesday - went out to dinner before a show. Split a Caesar salad and a pizza with salami, artichoke hearts and mushrooms with a friend.
Wednesday- made the mistake running errands after work. I bought a giant bag of boom chicka pop kettle corn at Sam's club and snacked on that in the car between errands. Needless to say I was not hungry for a real dinner.
Thursday - Brought home leftovers from a BBQ at work. I had a hot dog and macaroni salad.
Friday - probably more leftovers.
A truly excellently prepared steak wins in my book, but that's also reasonably rare (see what I did there)? One of my favorite meals is a particular steakhouse in Las Vegas & their steaks come out perfect every time. Far trumps chicken. But, if I'm prepping at home? Chicken for sure.
The weekly test of what we had for dinner continues:
-We bought a Costco celery/grain prepped salad & a rotisserie chicken, which was a super easy dinner, x2
-DH grilled chicken & we had that with rice, x2
-DH & I went out one night, and I had chicken parmesan
-No clue what we consumed on Friday night
-I defrosted taco meat for dinner last night, as it's one of DS19's favorites & I needed an easy meal
As for tonight, I'll probably check out the fridge for the last scraps of leftovers & see what I can pull together.
Happy Friday!
This week's eats:
Saturday: Aubergine and mushrooms in a garlic and basil tomato sauce over spaghetti
Sunday: Veggie stir-fry with black beans
Monday: Burritos with mixed veg, black beans, brown rice and sauce
Tuesday: Chilli mac and cheese
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Baked sweet potato and a mushroom omelette
Friday: No idea! I'm going out, so something quick.
How is one supposed to eat a walking taco, especially while walking? It looks messy to me.
This probably makes me weird... but I'm SUPER picky about chicken, whereas I'm less picky about steak. Some of the extremely cheap chicken out there breaks down weird between my teeth and it squeaks. Can't handle it... Steak never did me wrong (unless I overcooked it. and that is decidedly a 'me' problem ;p).
For years I only ate steak if we went out because I didn't enjoy cooking it or cleaning up after it (even grilling was a pain for that). The past few years though we cook them over a burner outside in a cast iron pan....while they're resting I pour a glass of water in the hot cast iron and it rinses right out. Dishes done before we even eat. Now we eat it more often at home than out.
I spent about $65 this week. I didn't keep a list of what we ate, but I know we had build your own burritos with chipotle spiced chicken breasts and black beans, spaghetti, meatloaf, and some smoked pork bbq. We also ate out at a small french restaurant for lunch one day because we were in Charleston for some appts. I had a croque madame.
Although we have steak almost every week, I agree, I'd choose chicken almost every time over steak. You can cook chicken 100+ ways and it's way cheaper than steak.
When we got married 31 years ago, my husband, then a truly starving bachelor who did not cook and used to microwave steaks, (I once ed asked him, "what's that gray thing on a plate in the microwave?") asked me if we could have steak every week. So pretty much every week -- we call it Steak-in Sunday, I grill us some sort of steak. I remember our son as a kid, saying , "could we PLEASE have something besides steak?"
We now laugh about that as now that he's an adult, he would live steak more often but it's too expensive. I also told him that I grew up in a family of six and never saw a steak until I was 18, joined in the Army and had it.
I spent $69 at Kroger for things we needed and that were also on sale. I downloaded a coupon and got a 4x fuel points credit which will help when gas prices are so crazy high. I also spent $67 at Walmart, so $136 total.
Sat – pork roast in the crockpot, onion potatoes, green salad
S – grilled strip steaks, baked seasoned sweet potato chunks, roasted garlic broccoli.
M – we had a few relatives over for the holiday because we had extra food. I re-made leftover pork roast as BBQ pork sandwiches, along with cole slaw, chips, hot dogs and baked beans I had in the freezer. They brought an apple pie and ice cream. It was a nice, casual meal.
T – oven fried chicken, homemade coleslaw, green beans, onion potatoes, cucumber kimchi.
W – we went out with a friend for a big lunch so we had a light dinner of leftovers from the past 2 days.
Th –homemade chicken enchiladas, crockpot charro beans, green salad with tomatoes and lettuce from our garden.
F – we might go out to eat or have beef kabobs with rice at home. I'm still deciding.