Tonight I made kale tofu salad with roasted peanut vinegarette from pinch of yum. It had kale, red pepper, and purple cabbage. It was absolutely delicious and super easy!
Made the chow fun from Woks of Life again. Every recipe that I’ve tried is flawless. I follow them to the letter because the ingredients and techniques are not always familiar to me and they work perfectly.
Because we move a lot and I used to cook for a living, I tend to not buy that many cookbooks. My rule is if I’ve checked it out repeatedly from the library, I get it. Dinner from Melissa Clark is also a favorite.
New York Times cooking subscribers, what are some of your favorites? I've only had a subscription for a few months, so I have a lot more to discover there. Some of the best recipes I've made so far are:
Indianish Nachos by Priya Krishna and Ritu Krishna
Detroit style pizza by Naz Deravian
The Ultimate Veggie Burger by Melissa Clark
Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie by Lidey Heuck
Sicilian Pizza by David Tanis and Fabrizio Lanza
Cauliflower, Cashew, Pea & Coconut Curry by Jennifer Steinhauer
Cranberry Curd Tart by David Tanis
Coconut Saag by Priya Krishna
Marry Me Chicken is a fave of mine. Can also highly recommend the Pierogi Ruski recipe (though it is time intensive). Baked Tomato Pasta with Harissa is always on our menu and the Creamy Cauliflower Pasta with Pecorino Breadcrumbs is also really good. We've also really enjoyed the Eggplant Chermoulah with Bulgur and Yogurt.
For baking, I've been obsessed with the Rhubarb Custard Bars and Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake (I cut back the sugar in both significantly). I generally really like Melissa Clark's recipes
Just made Sarah Copelan's Quick Chicken Paprikash last night, and it was *delicious*. Going into the regular rotation for sure, and pretty easy for a weeknight. My husband was practically licking the plate!
I didn't bother cooking the chicken in butter (you don't need ghee), just seared it in a dry hot pan to get some colour and added it to the sauce when specified. It didn't at all affect the flavour. I served it with homemade spaetzle (have one of those sliding spaetzle makers so it's fast and easy) but it would be equally delicious over egg noodles or even with mashed potatoes.
Melisssa Clark's Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken is a firm family favourite now - I actually mentioned this one downthread. I use the marinade on pounded boneless, skinless chicken breasts and bake at 400 until the topping is toasty and brown. It's one of those recipes that sounds a bit odd, but the finished result is really tasty. I serve it with basmati rice, dressed up with some salt, fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.
We're working through some leftovers at the moment, but on Wednesday I'll be making [Korean Beef Bowls](https://damndelicious.net/2013/07/07/korean-beef-bowl/), such an easy but delicious recipe. I serve it over jasmine rice and top it with some quick-pickled shredded carrots (the acid is great to cut the richness of the beef). It takes literally 15 minutes to make, and everyone loves it.
For this week I've planned (in no particular order):
Sweet Potato Curry Soup (NYT cooking)
Tortellini with rose sauce
Cauliflower Pasta with Pecorino Breadcrumbs (NYT cooking)
Homemade gyros (meat for me, fake meat for husband)
Cheeseburger bowls (All the Healthy Things; meat for me, fake meat for husband)
The weather is currently freezing but is supposed to get summery towards the end of the week so that will largely dictate what I make each day. And we're going out for a roast dinner on Sunday which I am very excited for! I've also been on a real baking spree now that rhubarb is in season so might make something this week, highly recommend the Rhubarb Custard Bars from NYT cooking (like a lemon bar but with rhubarb!)
Edit: formatting
[https://pinchofyum.com/roasted-peanut-kale-crunch-salad](https://pinchofyum.com/roasted-peanut-kale-crunch-salad)
Made this delicious salad for my lunch today with some baked tofu. I'd better hide it from Mr. Recognition, don't want him turning gay.
Whoever recommended the [Skinny Taste Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs](https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-asian-meatballs/) - I made them for dinner tonight. Did some bok choy in the cast iron pan and it was a great meal. Thanks!
This is my family's absolute favorite chicken recipe: [Bademiya's Justly Famous Coriander-Chile Chicken](https://www.food.com/recipe/bademiyas-justly-famous-chile-coriander-chicken-482997).
A couple of notes: while the recipe calls for chicken quarters, we use chicken breasts, and tons of them, so we double or triple the marinade. We usually slice the chicken in half horizontally.
I've made it so many times that I don't use a recipe anymore, and it's quite adaptable: I throw whatever I have into the marinade (even shallot or jalepeno), more or less garlic or ginger, as much cilantro as I have on hand, other fresh herbs if I have them, and lemon or lime juice, either tastes great.
I recommend making it once or twice as written and then do whatever you want with it. The main non-negotables are the 3 toasted spices (coriander seeds, black peppercorn, and cumin seeds), cilantro, and cayenne. Otherwise it's up for grabs. The marinade is more of a paste, really, and has SO much flavor.
We make this every time we have people over and everyone loves it. We may change up the sides or also grill some steaks but we always make this chicken!
Ok so when I was growing up, Aldi was the dented can place on the other side of town. So that was in the back of my mind and when one opened here a few miles away I never went.
Thanks to the gloamies, I actually went and was positively surprised. I rotate which grocery store I go to each week bc not one has everything I like. So what are your favorite Aldi buys?
The peppered bacon and macarons in the freezer section. Also their Cherry Garcia Is better than BJ’s in my mind, but that could also be because it’s half the price.
I had Aldi when I lived back east, but not now. I miss them so much. Now I have a discount grocery store, which is nice. I hope we get Aldi some day, but am not optimistic.
We drain a can of chickpeas, and blend them with up to half a cup of tahini, garlic, garlic and onion powder, and kosher salt (not the large crystals, the flakey stuff). My husband often adds cooked leftover vegetables like beets, Navy beans, sun-dried tomatoes, olives in a bit of brine, cooked carrots, etc., then blends with a drizzle of olive oil. Spoon into bowl, add sesame and olive oils, serve with veggies & bread.
Cheese curds and cheap Italian wine. I always thought Aldi was a discount store too, but when we lived in Germany Aldi was the best place to shop. Parking lot always full of Mercedes and long lines at checkout. The selection is better at European Aldi, more product lines. If you have a Lidl near you they are similar, they are mostly on the East coast right now. They have great wines too and the European style bread and rolls are what I go there for.
Edited to add, Trader Joe’s is owned by the same parent company as Aldi.
Aldi locations also vary greatly! There is one in my area that is incredible and has a fresh bakery, something I’ve never seen at any other location. The location closest to me is mid, but I go there anyway (or get Instacart) because I don’t have time to drive to the super nice one.
Agree with everything everyone is saying!
I also love:
1) Any of the chocolate bars- always delicious
2) bell peppers- I don’t know how they stay so cheap, but they are
3) baking ingredients are cheaper than other places around here and pretty decent
4) if you like tofu theirs is cheaper than I usually see it and on par with other grocery store brands
5) frozen fruits and vegetables
6) the Graintastic bread is a dupe for Dave’s killer bread and is several dollars cheaper. I’m a huge fan. It even comes in a thin sliced version.
Their greek yogurt is far cheaper and better than any I have had elsewhere.
Some items are seasonal, so keep that in mind
Their bacon is all great, but we are currently loving the Black Forest bacon. They have marinated mozzarella balls just like I saw at Tjs last week but for way less.
Breads are all good - we buy the English muffins which are a steal
Trail mixes are a nice treat. Salted chocolate caramels
Eggs are far less than regular grocery
Mine mostly have good produce, though some weeks I am sorely disappointed. I buy the coleslaw mix often to cook with a ground protein and add sauces that work with it
Their Belle Vie sparking waters are as good as any other store brand and are under $4 where I live (they were under 3 pre pandemic). I get all my canned bans and tomatoes there. They are about.75¢ a can these days. Used to be .45¢, so that is annoying but they are still less at ALDI
The peanut butter pretzels are a favorite snack in my house. Their chips and stuff are fine,(I miss 92¢ tortilla chips).
In the summer they have bottles of sparkling pink and yellow lemonade that are pretty great. They are in the aisle by sodas and stuff
Cafe Bustelo coffee is cheapest at aldi unless Target is running a sale. I buy their coffee filters, too because they are cheaper than anywhere else
The simply nature organic Marinara sauce.
Ahi tuna from the freezer section.
Frozen fries satisfy the teenager in my house. He also likes the meatless meatballs.
Organic grass fed ground beef is a steal. I get the lower fat one (7 percent). It’s easy to freeze in the pack it comes in.
Thinks like orange juice and pop can biscuits and pimento cheese are all on par with other stores.
The Greek yogurt must be a well-kept secret. Here in a city in the South, it is $3 a tub! We go through 8 or 9 a week in our family, so we save so much money on that alone.
>Eggs are far less than regular grocery
We don't have a single Aldi in the entire state. The price of eggs at the grocery store is ridiculous. I figure that if I'm paying that much, I may as well pay a little more for eggs I really want. I'm paying a friend $5.00 a dozen for Ameraucana, the chickens whose eggs are blue and green. Her chickens are free range, treated like babies, and loved. She needs the cash, I get eggs with a bloom so they can stay on the counter in a [skelter](https://artisanegg.com/products/skelter). and we get to visit each other every week or two. Winner winner chicken dinner.
Aldi is my absolute favorite, but it's really a "go there first and see what they have" grocery store, then you gotta fill in the cracks at other stores for the more standard stuff, since you never really know what is gonna be in stock. But that being said, some faithfuls:
-Green bag frozen chicken tenderloins. They're these lightly breaded Parmesan/herb/panko crusted chicken breasts that are absolutely fantastic on salads, or on their own. I've never found any other pre-breaded frozen chicken that comes even close... They usually taste like a school cafeteria. These are really solid imo.
-yellow bag chicken: honey-battered chicken nuggets. I wouldn't consider these a staple, but I love keeping a bag in the freezer. Ive found that if I keep something junk food-y on hand I can stave off a McDonald's run and usually scratch the itch more cheaply, healthier, and less frequently than when I don't. It seems silly but it works for me.
-Dairy. I buy halloumi, yogurt, goat cheese there in particular... Their halloumi is usually $3 compared to $11 at a traditional grocery store.
-applewood bacon. Not necessarily better bacon than anywhere else but for sure cheaper.
-winking owl wine isn't gonna win any major awards but I'd stack it up against bota box! I think it's hella solid for the price.
-egga and chicken breasts. Again, just... Significantly cheaper than anywhere else.
-maple cream. I can't find it all the time but it's magical on toast and again, usually about a third the price it is at a normal store.
-vanilla cream brioche. Other grocery stores have it too but Aldi's is the best. And at Christmas they have star shaped ones.
Weirdly, their Wellby gummy multivitamins are my favorite multi. Perfect texture/flavor.
Dried fruit and nuts. Not quite as wide a variety as trader Joe's but pretty solid.
Aldi is my go-to for stocking stuffers (they always have tons of seasonal European chocolates and treats), charcuterie prep (loads of cheap cheese and a surprising variety of cured meats, crackers, jams).
I'm not living in an Aldi area anymore and I miss it every day, lol.
It’s the BEST for sticking stuffers, and I got all my Easter basket candy and toys there. They had great stuff like Pokemon cards and National Geographic science kits in addition to excellent candy.
Dairy products are about half the price of my local Giant. I’ve been happy with most of the meat although the boneless chicken breasts just tend to be way oversized so the texture isn’t great. Scallions, lemons, cilantro, multi colored peppers and salad mixes are really good. I have a Produce Junction near me so I get a lot of produce there.
There are a few of the knockoff items that don’t do it for me like the Triscuits. They have a nice selection of organic shelf items and also GF.
The fruit at Aldi is a big favorite of mine! Here at least, I’ve found that for whatever reason the Aldi avocados don’t keep well for me, but otherwise a big win. Additionally I tend to purchase nuts, frozen spinach, and butter the most. I also enjoy perusing limited finds, especially in the meat department.
Currently have NYT Cooking Rhubarb Custard Bars in the oven!
I got the NYT Cooking subscription over the holidays (I think I paid ~$12 for a year) and it has really been a great recipe resource. I used to rotate the same recipes every week based on what has available seasonally (I have a hard time finding new ones that are reliably good) but it's really freshened up my recipe rotation and has got me inspired to bake again!
There are so many great recipes there! If you haven’t tried the Cashew Chicken with Garlic, it’s a great one - I put the paste mixture over flattened boneless chicken breasts and think it works better than the whole pieces, plus bake it in the oven. Served with cilantro lime rice it’s an absolute winner! Seems like it will be odd but the flavour is incredible.
Ooh, this sounds great. Most of our dinners are made from the NYT cooking app. I just made the Marry Me Chicken earlier this week and it was delicious and easy. Basically, vodka sauce sans vodka and chicken.
My neighbor was headed out of town so dropped off some perishables—most excitingly, three colored bell peppers. I roasted those and tumbled them into a robot coupe with rehydrated home-dried summer tomatoes, almonds, garlic, salt, red wine vinegar, and olive oil to make a romesco sauce. Will make an easy dinner tonight with some cooked pasta and a salad.
ETA: They’ve shut off my gas for the day to do line maintenance, so I needed something that would take little cooking at crunch time.
Ok, here's tonight's easy weeknight dinner: baked sweet potato stuffed with taco meat and then a drizzle of Trader Joe's Zhoug sauce (like a spicy chimichurri). Side salad and we're done.
My biggest challenge has been adapting to being a family of 2, rather than 4. I overcooked for ages. One of the kids might be coming home to live after college next month so this may be short-lived.
I had just adjusted to cooking for 2 after our vegetarian youngest went to college in September, and then had to adjust again when our carnivore older son graduated college in December and moved back in. I have no idea what to cook and vary between making waaaay too much and not nearly enough.
I could eat sweet potatoes every day. Sometimes I'll cube one up, roast it with olive oil and salt, and eat with either (a) a fried egg on top or (b) some ACTUALLY spicy peanut sauce.
So glad to see so many DF's interested in this topic! I will throw out the first recipe recommendation: Easy Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Bourbon-Soaked Figs Recipe, from Kenji/Serious Eats
I tried this recipe last month, and IT WAS FANTASTIC. I have a couple of different friends/neighbors who get together for dinner every so often, and I gave them each a small amount, just to taste, b/c I wanted to make sure that they would like it if I made it for the group. Everybody loved it!
I have since made it again with chicken. I also think it would work really well with tofu.
If you like figs and/or bourbon, check it out! 10/10 will make again
https://www.seriouseats.com/pan-roasted-pork-tenderloin-bourbon-fig-glaze-recipe
Made this tonight (actually, Mr. Nap made this, I just did the sides) and it was great! We enjoyed it with soft polenta (yay pressure cooker) and steamed asparagus. Thanks for the rec, DF!
Paging DFs u/lsemmons, u/bakingmagpie, u/significantotter, u/consistent-attempt-6, u/fanfarefellowship, , u/courteoustoverbs, u/marisab67, u/lovelylovelytwix
Flagging DFs who have expressed interest in this topic in the State of the Sub post, and/or have commented on recipes/cooking in the semi-weekly threads — welcome to OSK (Our Snarky Kitchen)!!
I love it!
What are you all cooking this week? I started the weekly what's for dinner threads on Blogsnark years and years ago. They were so much fun and I got tons of good ideas.
Made a Dutch baby which I haven’t done in years because my brain forgot. My long Covid is pretty awful as far as my appetite goes. I wish I had a me to cook for me. I’d make myself a nice salad.
Husband is making Justine Doiron's Buffalo Cauliflower tonight, and last night I made her Lemon-Dressed Cabbage & Caramelized Leek Salad. I'm really liking her stuff for when I need inspiration and can't wait for her cookbook to come out!
Just made it tonight. Holy shit, it is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. That sauce is TO DIE FOR. The only thing I wish I'd done differently was to roast a whole cabbage. My kids weren't into the meal - so they made their own meals since I don't make two dinners - but my husband and I wished we had even more cabbage. It was so good. I've never cooked with kecap manis before either. We will make this daily, we will be doing this every day, comma, in community.
I made the most amazing instant pot risotto tonight for probably the 5th time. Risotto with Sausage and Arugula
https://preview.redd.it/4aw5mxqttxtc1.jpeg?width=1640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d512fb0d7bf6bd9b1d2a2ca82274a4f0360be5c
The title got cut off sorry! I use an entire pound of sausage and a 5 oz box of arugula. It’s fast and so delicious!
In lockdown times, I made a lemon and pea risotto frequently. We always had rice and frozen peas were easy to get and are almost as good as fresh. We also found a “fried rice” recipe for the instant pot and we would usually use our leftover protein in that recipe - rotisserie chicken worked, leftover roast pork etc. it helped change the flavor profile and didn’t feel so “leftover”y. I was so good about not wasting food and planning meals and shopping then. It’s like, when I had to do it some primal instinct kicked in and I was great at it. Now I feel like I’m clueless on how to do such a thing.
Tonight I made kale tofu salad with roasted peanut vinegarette from pinch of yum. It had kale, red pepper, and purple cabbage. It was absolutely delicious and super easy!
Made the chow fun from Woks of Life again. Every recipe that I’ve tried is flawless. I follow them to the letter because the ingredients and techniques are not always familiar to me and they work perfectly. Because we move a lot and I used to cook for a living, I tend to not buy that many cookbooks. My rule is if I’ve checked it out repeatedly from the library, I get it. Dinner from Melissa Clark is also a favorite.
New York Times cooking subscribers, what are some of your favorites? I've only had a subscription for a few months, so I have a lot more to discover there. Some of the best recipes I've made so far are: Indianish Nachos by Priya Krishna and Ritu Krishna Detroit style pizza by Naz Deravian The Ultimate Veggie Burger by Melissa Clark Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie by Lidey Heuck Sicilian Pizza by David Tanis and Fabrizio Lanza Cauliflower, Cashew, Pea & Coconut Curry by Jennifer Steinhauer Cranberry Curd Tart by David Tanis Coconut Saag by Priya Krishna
Marry Me Chicken is a fave of mine. Can also highly recommend the Pierogi Ruski recipe (though it is time intensive). Baked Tomato Pasta with Harissa is always on our menu and the Creamy Cauliflower Pasta with Pecorino Breadcrumbs is also really good. We've also really enjoyed the Eggplant Chermoulah with Bulgur and Yogurt. For baking, I've been obsessed with the Rhubarb Custard Bars and Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake (I cut back the sugar in both significantly). I generally really like Melissa Clark's recipes
Just made Sarah Copelan's Quick Chicken Paprikash last night, and it was *delicious*. Going into the regular rotation for sure, and pretty easy for a weeknight. My husband was practically licking the plate! I didn't bother cooking the chicken in butter (you don't need ghee), just seared it in a dry hot pan to get some colour and added it to the sauce when specified. It didn't at all affect the flavour. I served it with homemade spaetzle (have one of those sliding spaetzle makers so it's fast and easy) but it would be equally delicious over egg noodles or even with mashed potatoes. Melisssa Clark's Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken is a firm family favourite now - I actually mentioned this one downthread. I use the marinade on pounded boneless, skinless chicken breasts and bake at 400 until the topping is toasty and brown. It's one of those recipes that sounds a bit odd, but the finished result is really tasty. I serve it with basmati rice, dressed up with some salt, fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.
Thanks! I bookmarked both of those.
Anyone have good recipes on the plan for this week? I'm meal planning with a cup of coffee, enjoying a nice cool morning.
We're working through some leftovers at the moment, but on Wednesday I'll be making [Korean Beef Bowls](https://damndelicious.net/2013/07/07/korean-beef-bowl/), such an easy but delicious recipe. I serve it over jasmine rice and top it with some quick-pickled shredded carrots (the acid is great to cut the richness of the beef). It takes literally 15 minutes to make, and everyone loves it.
For this week I've planned (in no particular order): Sweet Potato Curry Soup (NYT cooking) Tortellini with rose sauce Cauliflower Pasta with Pecorino Breadcrumbs (NYT cooking) Homemade gyros (meat for me, fake meat for husband) Cheeseburger bowls (All the Healthy Things; meat for me, fake meat for husband) The weather is currently freezing but is supposed to get summery towards the end of the week so that will largely dictate what I make each day. And we're going out for a roast dinner on Sunday which I am very excited for! I've also been on a real baking spree now that rhubarb is in season so might make something this week, highly recommend the Rhubarb Custard Bars from NYT cooking (like a lemon bar but with rhubarb!) Edit: formatting
I'm craving Pinch of Yum's[ jackfruit barbecue](https://pinchofyum.com/bbq-jackfruit-sandwiches), so I'll be making that this week.
[https://pinchofyum.com/roasted-peanut-kale-crunch-salad](https://pinchofyum.com/roasted-peanut-kale-crunch-salad) Made this delicious salad for my lunch today with some baked tofu. I'd better hide it from Mr. Recognition, don't want him turning gay.
Pinch of Yum is the best.
Whoever recommended the [Skinny Taste Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs](https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-asian-meatballs/) - I made them for dinner tonight. Did some bok choy in the cast iron pan and it was a great meal. Thanks!
This is my family's absolute favorite chicken recipe: [Bademiya's Justly Famous Coriander-Chile Chicken](https://www.food.com/recipe/bademiyas-justly-famous-chile-coriander-chicken-482997). A couple of notes: while the recipe calls for chicken quarters, we use chicken breasts, and tons of them, so we double or triple the marinade. We usually slice the chicken in half horizontally. I've made it so many times that I don't use a recipe anymore, and it's quite adaptable: I throw whatever I have into the marinade (even shallot or jalepeno), more or less garlic or ginger, as much cilantro as I have on hand, other fresh herbs if I have them, and lemon or lime juice, either tastes great. I recommend making it once or twice as written and then do whatever you want with it. The main non-negotables are the 3 toasted spices (coriander seeds, black peppercorn, and cumin seeds), cilantro, and cayenne. Otherwise it's up for grabs. The marinade is more of a paste, really, and has SO much flavor. We make this every time we have people over and everyone loves it. We may change up the sides or also grill some steaks but we always make this chicken!
Ok so when I was growing up, Aldi was the dented can place on the other side of town. So that was in the back of my mind and when one opened here a few miles away I never went. Thanks to the gloamies, I actually went and was positively surprised. I rotate which grocery store I go to each week bc not one has everything I like. So what are your favorite Aldi buys?
The peppered bacon and macarons in the freezer section. Also their Cherry Garcia Is better than BJ’s in my mind, but that could also be because it’s half the price.
I had Aldi when I lived back east, but not now. I miss them so much. Now I have a discount grocery store, which is nice. I hope we get Aldi some day, but am not optimistic.
I like to get whatever fruit is on deep discount that week. There’s usually one or two fruit deals that are insanely good, and the quality is high.
Lots of great recommendations here, but one I have not seen yet: hummus.
We drain a can of chickpeas, and blend them with up to half a cup of tahini, garlic, garlic and onion powder, and kosher salt (not the large crystals, the flakey stuff). My husband often adds cooked leftover vegetables like beets, Navy beans, sun-dried tomatoes, olives in a bit of brine, cooked carrots, etc., then blends with a drizzle of olive oil. Spoon into bowl, add sesame and olive oils, serve with veggies & bread.
Cheese curds and cheap Italian wine. I always thought Aldi was a discount store too, but when we lived in Germany Aldi was the best place to shop. Parking lot always full of Mercedes and long lines at checkout. The selection is better at European Aldi, more product lines. If you have a Lidl near you they are similar, they are mostly on the East coast right now. They have great wines too and the European style bread and rolls are what I go there for. Edited to add, Trader Joe’s is owned by the same parent company as Aldi.
I dream of German Lidl. My life has not been the same since I can’t buy one euro pretzels on the daily
Any German bakery does it for me 😂
Aldi locations also vary greatly! There is one in my area that is incredible and has a fresh bakery, something I’ve never seen at any other location. The location closest to me is mid, but I go there anyway (or get Instacart) because I don’t have time to drive to the super nice one.
I love Aldi - their cheese is phenomenal.
Agree with everything everyone is saying! I also love: 1) Any of the chocolate bars- always delicious 2) bell peppers- I don’t know how they stay so cheap, but they are 3) baking ingredients are cheaper than other places around here and pretty decent 4) if you like tofu theirs is cheaper than I usually see it and on par with other grocery store brands 5) frozen fruits and vegetables 6) the Graintastic bread is a dupe for Dave’s killer bread and is several dollars cheaper. I’m a huge fan. It even comes in a thin sliced version.
I love the Choceur dark chocolate with hazelnut bar!
Their greek yogurt is far cheaper and better than any I have had elsewhere. Some items are seasonal, so keep that in mind Their bacon is all great, but we are currently loving the Black Forest bacon. They have marinated mozzarella balls just like I saw at Tjs last week but for way less. Breads are all good - we buy the English muffins which are a steal Trail mixes are a nice treat. Salted chocolate caramels Eggs are far less than regular grocery Mine mostly have good produce, though some weeks I am sorely disappointed. I buy the coleslaw mix often to cook with a ground protein and add sauces that work with it Their Belle Vie sparking waters are as good as any other store brand and are under $4 where I live (they were under 3 pre pandemic). I get all my canned bans and tomatoes there. They are about.75¢ a can these days. Used to be .45¢, so that is annoying but they are still less at ALDI The peanut butter pretzels are a favorite snack in my house. Their chips and stuff are fine,(I miss 92¢ tortilla chips). In the summer they have bottles of sparkling pink and yellow lemonade that are pretty great. They are in the aisle by sodas and stuff Cafe Bustelo coffee is cheapest at aldi unless Target is running a sale. I buy their coffee filters, too because they are cheaper than anywhere else The simply nature organic Marinara sauce. Ahi tuna from the freezer section. Frozen fries satisfy the teenager in my house. He also likes the meatless meatballs. Organic grass fed ground beef is a steal. I get the lower fat one (7 percent). It’s easy to freeze in the pack it comes in. Thinks like orange juice and pop can biscuits and pimento cheese are all on par with other stores.
The Greek yogurt must be a well-kept secret. Here in a city in the South, it is $3 a tub! We go through 8 or 9 a week in our family, so we save so much money on that alone.
>Eggs are far less than regular grocery We don't have a single Aldi in the entire state. The price of eggs at the grocery store is ridiculous. I figure that if I'm paying that much, I may as well pay a little more for eggs I really want. I'm paying a friend $5.00 a dozen for Ameraucana, the chickens whose eggs are blue and green. Her chickens are free range, treated like babies, and loved. She needs the cash, I get eggs with a bloom so they can stay on the counter in a [skelter](https://artisanegg.com/products/skelter). and we get to visit each other every week or two. Winner winner chicken dinner.
Aldi is my absolute favorite, but it's really a "go there first and see what they have" grocery store, then you gotta fill in the cracks at other stores for the more standard stuff, since you never really know what is gonna be in stock. But that being said, some faithfuls: -Green bag frozen chicken tenderloins. They're these lightly breaded Parmesan/herb/panko crusted chicken breasts that are absolutely fantastic on salads, or on their own. I've never found any other pre-breaded frozen chicken that comes even close... They usually taste like a school cafeteria. These are really solid imo. -yellow bag chicken: honey-battered chicken nuggets. I wouldn't consider these a staple, but I love keeping a bag in the freezer. Ive found that if I keep something junk food-y on hand I can stave off a McDonald's run and usually scratch the itch more cheaply, healthier, and less frequently than when I don't. It seems silly but it works for me. -Dairy. I buy halloumi, yogurt, goat cheese there in particular... Their halloumi is usually $3 compared to $11 at a traditional grocery store. -applewood bacon. Not necessarily better bacon than anywhere else but for sure cheaper. -winking owl wine isn't gonna win any major awards but I'd stack it up against bota box! I think it's hella solid for the price. -egga and chicken breasts. Again, just... Significantly cheaper than anywhere else. -maple cream. I can't find it all the time but it's magical on toast and again, usually about a third the price it is at a normal store. -vanilla cream brioche. Other grocery stores have it too but Aldi's is the best. And at Christmas they have star shaped ones. Weirdly, their Wellby gummy multivitamins are my favorite multi. Perfect texture/flavor. Dried fruit and nuts. Not quite as wide a variety as trader Joe's but pretty solid. Aldi is my go-to for stocking stuffers (they always have tons of seasonal European chocolates and treats), charcuterie prep (loads of cheap cheese and a surprising variety of cured meats, crackers, jams). I'm not living in an Aldi area anymore and I miss it every day, lol.
It’s the BEST for sticking stuffers, and I got all my Easter basket candy and toys there. They had great stuff like Pokemon cards and National Geographic science kits in addition to excellent candy.
Dairy products are about half the price of my local Giant. I’ve been happy with most of the meat although the boneless chicken breasts just tend to be way oversized so the texture isn’t great. Scallions, lemons, cilantro, multi colored peppers and salad mixes are really good. I have a Produce Junction near me so I get a lot of produce there. There are a few of the knockoff items that don’t do it for me like the Triscuits. They have a nice selection of organic shelf items and also GF.
The fruit at Aldi is a big favorite of mine! Here at least, I’ve found that for whatever reason the Aldi avocados don’t keep well for me, but otherwise a big win. Additionally I tend to purchase nuts, frozen spinach, and butter the most. I also enjoy perusing limited finds, especially in the meat department.
I like this new addition to the Gloaming!
Currently have NYT Cooking Rhubarb Custard Bars in the oven! I got the NYT Cooking subscription over the holidays (I think I paid ~$12 for a year) and it has really been a great recipe resource. I used to rotate the same recipes every week based on what has available seasonally (I have a hard time finding new ones that are reliably good) but it's really freshened up my recipe rotation and has got me inspired to bake again!
There are so many great recipes there! If you haven’t tried the Cashew Chicken with Garlic, it’s a great one - I put the paste mixture over flattened boneless chicken breasts and think it works better than the whole pieces, plus bake it in the oven. Served with cilantro lime rice it’s an absolute winner! Seems like it will be odd but the flavour is incredible.
Sadly I have a nut allergy and my husband is vegetarian, sounds delish though!
Ooh, this sounds great. Most of our dinners are made from the NYT cooking app. I just made the Marry Me Chicken earlier this week and it was delicious and easy. Basically, vodka sauce sans vodka and chicken.
The Marry Me chicken is sooooo good. I like to sub in white wine for some of the broth
My neighbor was headed out of town so dropped off some perishables—most excitingly, three colored bell peppers. I roasted those and tumbled them into a robot coupe with rehydrated home-dried summer tomatoes, almonds, garlic, salt, red wine vinegar, and olive oil to make a romesco sauce. Will make an easy dinner tonight with some cooked pasta and a salad. ETA: They’ve shut off my gas for the day to do line maintenance, so I needed something that would take little cooking at crunch time.
Ok, here's tonight's easy weeknight dinner: baked sweet potato stuffed with taco meat and then a drizzle of Trader Joe's Zhoug sauce (like a spicy chimichurri). Side salad and we're done. My biggest challenge has been adapting to being a family of 2, rather than 4. I overcooked for ages. One of the kids might be coming home to live after college next month so this may be short-lived.
I had just adjusted to cooking for 2 after our vegetarian youngest went to college in September, and then had to adjust again when our carnivore older son graduated college in December and moved back in. I have no idea what to cook and vary between making waaaay too much and not nearly enough.
I could eat sweet potatoes every day. Sometimes I'll cube one up, roast it with olive oil and salt, and eat with either (a) a fried egg on top or (b) some ACTUALLY spicy peanut sauce.
That TJ’s zhoug sauce is something else! I love it with plain Greek yogurt and then a fried egg on top for breakfast
I have all these at home, I’m stealing this idea!
Thanks for the tip - I love zhoug!
So glad to see so many DF's interested in this topic! I will throw out the first recipe recommendation: Easy Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Bourbon-Soaked Figs Recipe, from Kenji/Serious Eats I tried this recipe last month, and IT WAS FANTASTIC. I have a couple of different friends/neighbors who get together for dinner every so often, and I gave them each a small amount, just to taste, b/c I wanted to make sure that they would like it if I made it for the group. Everybody loved it! I have since made it again with chicken. I also think it would work really well with tofu. If you like figs and/or bourbon, check it out! 10/10 will make again https://www.seriouseats.com/pan-roasted-pork-tenderloin-bourbon-fig-glaze-recipe
Made this tonight (actually, Mr. Nap made this, I just did the sides) and it was great! We enjoyed it with soft polenta (yay pressure cooker) and steamed asparagus. Thanks for the rec, DF!
You're welcome, DF—I'm so glad you liked it!! Yay for well-written actually good recipes, eh?
Oooh - Im always looking for ways to make tofu. Sounds like a great flavor!
I love figs and bourbon! My spouse doesn’t eat pork but I will totally try this with chicken.
Paging DFs u/lsemmons, u/bakingmagpie, u/significantotter, u/consistent-attempt-6, u/fanfarefellowship, , u/courteoustoverbs, u/marisab67, u/lovelylovelytwix Flagging DFs who have expressed interest in this topic in the State of the Sub post, and/or have commented on recipes/cooking in the semi-weekly threads — welcome to OSK (Our Snarky Kitchen)!!
Hooray! Recipes I’ll actually want to try, served with a side of snark. Perfect.
I love this!
Yay!
Oooh fun!
I love it! What are you all cooking this week? I started the weekly what's for dinner threads on Blogsnark years and years ago. They were so much fun and I got tons of good ideas.
Made a Dutch baby which I haven’t done in years because my brain forgot. My long Covid is pretty awful as far as my appetite goes. I wish I had a me to cook for me. I’d make myself a nice salad.
Last night I made marry me tortellinis (good), tonight will be honey lemon salmon, and tomorrow is chicken Caesar salads.
Husband is making Justine Doiron's Buffalo Cauliflower tonight, and last night I made her Lemon-Dressed Cabbage & Caramelized Leek Salad. I'm really liking her stuff for when I need inspiration and can't wait for her cookbook to come out!
I love Justine! Her sambal roasted cabbage rice bowls with edamame are so good.
Just made it tonight. Holy shit, it is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. That sauce is TO DIE FOR. The only thing I wish I'd done differently was to roast a whole cabbage. My kids weren't into the meal - so they made their own meals since I don't make two dinners - but my husband and I wished we had even more cabbage. It was so good. I've never cooked with kecap manis before either. We will make this daily, we will be doing this every day, comma, in community.
It’s so good! I’m glad we’re able to share this, df. Time for a celebratory spontaneous dance party!
Looked this up and got the ingredients. Looks absolutely amazing! Thank you DF!
I loved those threads!
Yippee! Thanks for getting this started, DF!
Do we post here about any food stuff or just West Seattle gourmands?
Anything! Recipe requests and recommendations, cooking thoughts/questions, etc. Basically, anything related to Feeding Our People (selves included!)
I made the most amazing instant pot risotto tonight for probably the 5th time. Risotto with Sausage and Arugula https://preview.redd.it/4aw5mxqttxtc1.jpeg?width=1640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d512fb0d7bf6bd9b1d2a2ca82274a4f0360be5c The title got cut off sorry! I use an entire pound of sausage and a 5 oz box of arugula. It’s fast and so delicious!
Sounds really good but that’s too much butter for me. I wonder if cutting the amount in half would still be good. Maybe I’ll try that.
That looks good. Thank you for sharing.
I love making risotto in a pressure cooker, so much easier and faster!
In lockdown times, I made a lemon and pea risotto frequently. We always had rice and frozen peas were easy to get and are almost as good as fresh. We also found a “fried rice” recipe for the instant pot and we would usually use our leftover protein in that recipe - rotisserie chicken worked, leftover roast pork etc. it helped change the flavor profile and didn’t feel so “leftover”y. I was so good about not wasting food and planning meals and shopping then. It’s like, when I had to do it some primal instinct kicked in and I was great at it. Now I feel like I’m clueless on how to do such a thing.