Shrimp Creole is a flavorful Louisiana recipe that relies on the flavors of the trinity (celery, onion and green pepper) along with Tabasco to give it a kick.  It’s served over rice, which makes it one of our favorite frugal dishes.

However, don’t confuse it with Gumbo!  Gumbo is Cajun rather than Creole.  Gumbo is created by slow-cooking roux until golden brown.  Creole dishes are usually a bit spicier, and don’t contain a roux.  Both include the trinity and are ”improvisational” dishes, as the basic recipe may be altered to include whatever ingredients the cook has available (Wikipedia).

Frugal Tips:  I use bagged frozen shrimp for this recipe.  About every 2-3 months, I find it on sale at Cub Foods during their BOGO sales.  Since I’m able to store it in my deep freeze, I buy several bags when the price is low.

View more creole recipes on Mommysavers.com.

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Steamed mussels are one of our favorite “at-home date night” meals. They cost around $4 per pound, and are easy to make. I first posted our Mussels in Garlic Wine Sauce recipe on Frugal Bites a couple months ago. I recently found this recipe in the newspaper and gave it a try.  It’s based on a recipe in Cook’s Illustrated.  It was very similar to our other recipe, with just slight variations in the amounts of each ingredient.

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The best thing about salmon, other than its great flavor, is the fact that it’s good for you.   It’s packed with Omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to lower your cholesterol and improve your memory (among other great things).

When it comes to preparing salmon, I often get stuck in a rut.  I went about searching for recipes the other day and came up with this one.  I love that this dish can be made in under 30 minutes from start to finish.  The red pepper flakes add a kick, but you can dial back the heat by adding more or less according to your taste.  Hoisin sauce is almost like an Asian molasses.  I found it in the ethnic section of our regular grocery store, but if you have trouble finding it you can always get it on Amazon.com.   If you want to go the frugal route, don’t get it at all and substitute molasses.  It won’t be as authentic-tasting, but it will still be good.

Frugal Tips:  Many people avoid eating salmon because it tends to be expensive.  A bag of four salmon fillets is just $4.99 in the freezer section at ALDI Food Stores.   When you offset a dish like this by serving it with rice, the cost is actually very reasonable.

This was originally posted on Mommysavers:  Ruby Tuesday copycat salmon

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Last weekend, I was watching an old episode of Barefoot Contessa and Ina Garten presented her fabulous shrimp scampi recipe.  It looked so simple and easy, I decided to put it to the test.  I’ve made shrimp scampi many times before, but Ina’s recipe called for lemon and cracked red pepper in addition to my typical recipe.  As expected, it was delicious!

Frugal Tips:  I rarely pay full price for shrimp.  Often, it goes on sale at the grocery store during BOGO sales.  When it does, I stock up!

Adapted from Shrimp Scampi by Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa on Foodnetwork.com

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On our Panama City Beach road trip, I was reminded how wonderful she crab soup can taste.  Living in Minnesota, it’s not something we see on the menu very often.  My first taste of she crab soup was at The Bubble Room on Captiva Island in Florida when my daughter was a baby.  Since then, I’ve been ordering it whenever I’m near the gulf.  Like most regional foods I crave when I’m back at home, I set out to try to make it myself.

The version below is pretty close to what I know and love.  It was inspired by Paula Deen’s She Crab Soup Recipe on Foodnetwork.com and The Classic She Crab Soup recipe on Allrecipes.com.  I switched it up by blending it with a stick blender (shown below).  If you use fresh crab meat (vs. the canned kind I used) you may want to omit that step for a chunkier soup.  Note:  NEVER use imitation crab meat in this recipe.  I didn’t want the flaky texture of the canned crab in my soup and opted to blend it to make it creamy.  If you can’t find Louisiana Hot Sauce, you can add heat with a few shakes of Tabasco.

Frugal Tips:   Traditional she-crab soup calls for the roe of the crab, but hard-cooked eggs are a frugal (and more accessible) substitute.

The post She Crab Soup Recipe: Flavors of the Gulf at Home appeared first on Frugal Bites.

Living in Southern Minnesota, finding good sushi isn’t easy.  Luckily, finding the ingredients to make good sushi isn’t that hard.  Lately, I’ve recently been teaching myself to roll my own.  My first attempt was not bad, but not great.  Thanks to my friends at Mommysavers and their advice on how to make sushi rolls at home I quickly determined that my main mistake was layering on too much rice.  My second go-round (pictured here) was much more successful.  This time, I only added ONE cup of the sushi rice (instead of one and a half) to the Nori paper, which made all the difference.  You can make sushi at home too, with minimal practice.  All you need is a sushi kit (which are pretty  cheap on Amazon), good sushi rice, and a little patience.

How to Make Sushi Rolls

After the sushi rice has cooled and is ready to go, tear off a piece of plastic wrap and place it on your sushi mat as shown below.  Next, place the sheet of Nori on the plastic wrap.  Spread one cup sushi rice on top of the Nori, using your sushi paddle or your wet fingers to press it down evenly.  You’ll want an even, thin layer of rice.  If it’s too thick, it will be hard to roll tightly without the ingredients squirting out all over the place.

At this point, you can either flip the nori over so that the rice side is down (and on the outside of the roll) or leave it the way it is.  I flipped it over so the rice would be on the outside of my California rolls.  If desired, shake a little sesame seed or poppy seed on the rice.

For Califormia rolls, place your avocado, cucumber, and imitation crab inside.  For a Philadelphia roll, substitute the crab for smoked salmon and include a strip of cream cheese.  Experimenting with ingredients is the fun part!   Let your own taste be your guide; there are no right or wrong ingredients.  Starting on one end, use your mat to roll your sushi, pressing down as you go to create a compact roll.  With a sharp knife (it helps to wet it slightly) cut in six pieces.  Enjoy!

Frugal Tips:  Supplies to make sushi rolls can often be found at ethnic grocery stores for much less than at specialty stores.  Also, check Amazon for the best prices on your sushi mat and paddle and other tools.

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This has been our go-to recipe for shrimp tacos after tasting them in San Diego for the first time in 2007.  For me, it’s the dressing that makes it delicious (I’m a huge cumin fan).  You could easily substitute the shrimp for fish if that’s more to your liking.   For even more flavor, brush the shrimp with butter and garlic cloves, skewer them, and throw on the grill (if you have the time).  The “rainy day” method for me is just a quick toss in butter in a skillet.  Plus, it takes much less time.

Frugal Tips:   Frozen shrimp is often found on buy one, get one free sales at the supermarket.  When you see those sales, stock up!  It keeps for months in the freezer and is great for recipes like this.    To save even more money on this recipe, load your tortilla up with more slaw and fewer shrimp.  A little bit goes a long way!

Note:  If you’re going for an even healthier recipe, swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt.  You’ll hardly be able to tell the difference!

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