tHE pOVERTY gOURMET

I HATE pork chops.

HATE them.

But, my mother makes a really stellar recipe that I’ve adapted for my own use. It’s the perfect “man” recipe - my boyfriend requests this dish often.

4 good quality pork chops, about 1/2-3/4 inch thick

Marinade:

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup olive/canola/other oil

1 tsp dried dill (I actually prefer dried in this recipe, but you can substitute fresh. Just place a sprig of dill under the chop while it is cooking)

Generous amount of Montreal steak seasoning - depending on your taste

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough to accomodate all the chops. Prick pork chops with a fork 2-3 times and place in bowl. Let rest in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Longer if you’ve got the time (2 hours or so is ideal, but who’s got that kind of time?)

While the pork is marinating, start on the potatoes recipe!

After marinating, place on broiler pan and broil for 10 minutes or so. Brush with marinade 2 times during the cooking process.

Nom!

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

I LOVE MASHED POTATOES. There. I said it. It’s my favorite food and I’m not ashamed (well, a little) to admit it. This recipe is absolutely perfect and delicious - and easy!

The key is the broth - cooking the potatoes in something flavored gives them a really unique flavor. And makes them incredibly rich.

2-3 lbs any potato (I really like butter reds, and Yukon gold)

1/2 box (2 cups) prepared chicken or beef stock (At Big Lots, I got huge deals on this item! $0.30 for a white wine chicken broth - nomz!)

1/2 stick butter (or more. I’m Southern. Sue me.)

1/4 cup milk or cream (Cream’s better, obviously)

S&P

Quarter small potatoes, and chunk larger ones. Add 1/2 box broth and lots of water to a large pot. Salt a little. Boil until fork-tender, drain.

Cut butter in to 1 tablespoon pats. Grind in a little pepper, and add butter. Using a hand mixer or potato masher, combine with milk.

To make this more low-fat, reserve 1/4 cup stock or cooking water to use instead of milk. I think there’s a little bit of a taste trade-off, but it’s worth it.

Pics to come, probably Tuesday. I’m going out of town to visit my wonderful family this weekend.

Happy weekend!

So, I’m going to stop by the Farmer’s Market on my way home to pick up some veggies to make a yummy Tilapia Provencal. My veggie budget is $4 - I’m going to grab some zucchini, an onion, and maybe some fruit to mix with my grapes! ($1.50/lb - woo!)

It sounded a little weird to me at first, I’ll admit. Herbes de provence with fish? But, trust me, you’ll love it. Tilapia is such a blank canvas - it will take on any flavor that you give it.

So, try my floral, fabulous, and under 500 calorie Tilapia Provencal with Pasta & Veggie Sauce.

Fish:

1 tilapia filet

1/4 tsp. (or less, to taste) herbes de provence

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

S&P to taste

Mix oil, herbes, and S&P in a small dish. Brush fish with the mixture and pan fry in a non-stick skillet.

Veggie Sauce & Pasta

1 can Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with parsley, basil, and oregano

1 - 2 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 onion, diced

4 white mushrooms

1 zucchini, cut into chunks

1 clove garlic, crushed and diced

S&P, a pinch of the herbes if you so choose.

Saute diced onion in nonstick cooking spray, add salt and pepper. Add in mushrooms and zucchini and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and mix until warmed through. Boil pasta, and serve with sauce.

Pics to come after I cook!

above all, love.

My first post is about a really AWESOME freebie with some technical glitches.

Gillette is giving away 1,000 of their new ProGlide razors each day on their Facebook page. Problem is, their server apparently is only capable of handling 5 visitors.

Once you get to the page, their CAPTCHA doesn’t always work. In fact, on the try that I got my razor, I just typed in some random characters and it went through. I don’t ask questions when the gods smile on me.

The site is ALWAYS down within seconds of the link being posted. I tried to get one on Thursday, somewhat on Friday, and finally got one this morning. Kick ass freebie, though. Razors are expensive, and it’s always good to try out one that you don’t have to buy.

If you get one, let me know what you think.

NOTE: I know this is a guy’s razor. Men’s razors are infinitely superior to women’s. Who agrees with me?

Hi. I’m Amy.

I’m a 22 year old social media strategist living in beautiful Dallas, Texas. I like getting a deal, good movies, and Tom Petty. oh, and Earl Grey.

My new blog project! I keep a personal blog (sort of) but I am extremely interested in blogging about food, cooking, and saving money on food and household necessities.

I currently work in corporate social media, insurance industry. It’s enjoyable, but food and trying to get together a stable budget are where my life is right now. It’s what I’m doing.

So, on The Poverty Gourmet, you’ll see a lot of:

1. Recipes - I love to cook easy, yummy food. Preferably fresh. Definitely cheap.

2. Coupons - I really, really like coupons. I dig getting a huge bag of cat food for $5. I love getting free fancy shmancy herbs and oils to cook with. I’m not great at it yet, but I’m learning - and hopefully this blog will help connect me with more people that are interested and looking for the same stuff I am!

3. Free stuff - O.M.G. do I love free stuff. Since I started working with social media, I haven’t paid for a movie, and have free dinner a LOT. Free samples, free trials, all of the above, I am down.

4. Pictures of my kitten. Simply because he’s the cutest little kitten ever.

5. Product reviews -  I love trying new stuff - especially natural, healthy products. If I get a good deal on something cool, you’ll be the first to know.

So, plain and simple. Welcome to Poverty Gourmet. Have a cocktail. Leave a comment, and above all: love.

♥