2016 Cheap$kate Food Finds

The Cheap$kate Forager has a grab bag  full of the best 2016 deals from Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores.

Los Angeles is the epicenter for cheap food finds. And, while not all 99 cent or dollar stores are created equal, this Chintzy Cuisineste knows were to get the goods for the most economical deals.

 Some of my cheap$kate finds are healthy and some are not - that's what happens when you cruise the aisles. What you find today may not be there tomorrow, so I have learned to get it while you can.

This year I've found everything from grass-fed cow yogurt to Star Wars themed SpaghettiOs.

I tried the delish yogurt but only took a photo of the SpaghettiOs - I'm no fool.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Freeze-dried fruit, like grapes and pear, are "in" this year. There is not much to them really - they are all air and lightness, with none of the heft and concentrated sweetness that regular dried fruit carries. I can't say I'm a big fan....yet.

This year my local Dollar Tree store has really kicked it up a few notches. While the selection is no where near what my fave budget 99c only Stores stock, they are getting better.

 Single servings of frozen, seafood, pork, beef and poultry are well represented.

 

I've even found enough dollar ingredients to create tasty individual pizzas (click here to see my recipe for Sausage and Black Olive Pizza.)

I always discover fantastic eatable finds at my local 99c only Stores. Again, if you see it today, it may not be there tomorrow, so I advise impulsive purchasing.

Click on any photos to see larger.

Not every 99c only Store sells beer and wine, but I have found the ones that do, and boy do they ever! Twelve to sixteen ounce bottles or cans of Pumpkin Ale, Thai lager or The Hobbit Smaug Stout, anyone?

Deli meats make frequent appearances, everything from sliced Roast Beef to Blackened Chicken Breast. Those are the kind of finds that vanish from the store shelves very quickly.

I picked up a couple of containers of Oyster Mushrooms last week, to simply saute in butter.

Living in Louisiana during my high school daze, the Southern product brand of Zatarain's was everywhere to be found -- and here in Los Angeles it's a great treat to get it at such cheap prices. 

So major props to the 99c only Store and Dollar Tree for keeping my stockings stuffed all through the new year! And be sure to check back next week for my Top 9 Recipes of 2016.

2015 Best Food Finds at 99c only Stores

You never know what edibles you'll find at the local 99c only Store - everything from a package of Chia Seeds to a large container of frozen Chicken Livers. And here are some of the best, or at least, the most unusual Food Finds of 2015 that I've run across.

Even seaweed snacks have made an appearance. You know what they are right? They are super thin sheets of dried seaweed - they dissolve in your mouth like  the host given to Catholics during the Eucharist - or those sheets of breath mints.

As a joke I gave out some to Halloween trick or treaters. Well, I had a fight on my hands when a group of teenage tricksters actually shoved at each other to get a package! I guess dried seaweed snacks have been discovered by the next generation, and good for them.

The 99c only Stores cater to local ethnic enclaves here in Los Angeles, especially Latin and Middle Eastern.

While this Mole may not taste like homemade to transplanted Oaxacans, you can't beat the price. Mole is a complex blend of spices and chilies, really too complex for the average cook to make. I found small boxes of it, and it tastes fine, especially paired with a nice fillet of chicken.

They also sell plantains ready to ripen for sweet fried bananas. I've made them to accompany my Cuban recipes, like tender Roast Pork and Black Beans. I also see peeled and frozen packages of Yucca, a potato-like starch that Central Americans go for.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Whole pomegranates appeal to Middle Eastern tastes buds. I like the sour/sweet pulp. Inside the cardboard hard shells there are tiny fruit lozenges with seeds, and you eat the bright red flesh with seeds - quite tasty. I made an cute video with my neighbor Bob's 4 year old daughter, Lola, where we try to get her to eat some. You can see it here.

My go-to drink of choice is Diet Cran-Pomegranate by Ocean Spray made with real fruit juice. They have carried it here for the last few years. After work I sometimes add it to a shot of gin over ice.

My beer of choice are 16 ounce cans of Henninger Beer from Germany. They don't carry it all the time and I always stock up when they do. It's a light crisp pale lager that goes down easy. I found another refreshing beer on sale once called Chang, from Thailand.

I've lucked out a few times with the frozen fare that comes in. I liked the Veggie Lasagna from Stouffer's and a Whole Grain Pilaf from Luvo. While the servings are small, the quality and taste are superior.

And there are always cans and jars of premade pasta sauce.

The hot sauce du jour is Sriracha, originally bottled in nearby Irwindale. Huy Fong Foods did not copyright the name so the Sriracha lable and flavor is turning up everywhere, like in ketchup and mayo.

99c only Stores offer a wide variety of fresh fruit and veggies, sometimes it's even organic. You can pick up packages of tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, lettuce and onions.

As for fruit, how about whole pineapples for 99.99 cents! They even carry coconuts - good luck cracking them, though. I usually settle for Coconut Chips.

Now don't rush out to your local 99c only Stores hoping to find all of the above. The preferred stock that comes through, often goes right out the door quickly, so that's it. When I find a great deal I stock up -- shopping there keeps you on your toes!

I hope you have had a year of bargains, too. Just stick with me and I'll keep pointing out all the money saving food items, that make up my cheap$kate recipes, I find this coming New Year!

Shrimp & Cheese Grits Recipe - Cajun Cuisine Diaries VIDEO

Sharing its Southern border with the Gulf Coast, Louisiana is all about seafood. And New Orleans style Shrimp & Cheese Grits is a quick way to get some in a delicious regional specialty! See how it's made in my recipe video, the second one I've posted in a full month of spicy Southern Cajun cooking.

 My nephew, 24-year-old Chef Matt Keene, is the first of my sister Brenda's two boys (Brenda is featured in last week's Gumbo video recipe, click here.) Both young men are accomplished cooks -- I guess it runs in the family! Matt's brother, Chef Zakk, cooks up a Blackened Fish & Sweet Potato Hash in a video I'll post in a couple of weeks, so check for that back here.

My nephew Matt has experienced seven years behind the grill since he started out flipping burgers while in high school. He currently chefs at the exclusive Country Club of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. Shrimp & Cheese Grits is based on one of that restaurant's recipes, and Chef Matt is skillful enough to simplify it here without sacrificing flavor.

The Country Club uses gouda in Cheese Grits, Matt substitutes cheddar cheese. As for grits, he had instant on hand. Of course, you can use regular, longer-cooking grits -- they're certainly cheap enough.

Grits are made from ground corn, and similar to Polenta or Cream of Wheat -- smooth with a neutral, mild cornmeal flavor. Typically it is there to soak up a breakfast egg yoke, but Southerners are known to eat it any time of day.

Since I'm on vacation, I'll let the Louisiana chefs use their preferred local produce and protein.  But I'll add some lower-cost ideas here and there, such as this: If I were to do this recipe cheaply back home, I would use a couple of 4-ounce packages of frozen bay shrimp, purchased for a buck each from a dollar store, or my local Albertsons Market.

My nephew Matt and his girlfriend Lacee were kind enough to invite Uncle 99 Cent Chef into their roomy trailer kitchen to cook up this yummy Cajun classic. I've always wanted to learn how to make Shrimp & Cheese Grits, and Matt has it down pat.

The only complicated part is the buttery beer sauce. It was tricky to find just the right beer, so I bought a 12 bottle Party Pack of locally brewed Abita Beer. We had many  bottles to try, from Turbo Dog to Jockamo IPA -- and a lot more flavors in between (this video recorded session will definitely make it on The 99 Cent Chef's year end highlight reel!)

After going through most of the 12'er, Matt thought Abita Amber would be best, as it wouldn't overpower his shrimp and butter sauce. I couldn't agree more. I think I could get away with substituting my local cheapie favorite, Miller High Life, for a 99 cent version -- or if you have a favorite brew, try it.

As for cheese, cheddar is cheap, but you could make it with gouda if you wanted to get extravagant. When the grits are hot, both types of cheese blend well - it's a deliciously creamy combination. I could have eaten a dish of Chef Matt's cheesy grits just by itself.

So, plan to give my Cajun nephew's Shrimp & Cheese Grits recipe a try sometime. In the meanwhile, sit back and watch this video demonstration to see how this young buck does it!

Chef Matt's Shrimp & Cheese Grits - Video
Play it here. The video runs 7 minutes, 8 seconds.

View or embed from youtube, click here. 99 thanks to Chef Matt, Lacee & Miles.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 12 shrimp (about 1/2 pound)- medium or large. Okay to use 1/2 pound of cheaper small bay shrimp.
• 1/2 cup of favorite beer - okay to substitute veggie or chicken stock.
• 1 teaspoon garlic - chopped
• 1/2 cup onion - chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives - or any favorite fresh colorful garnish, like parsley, optional.
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper - or pepper with tsp. of lemon juice.
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper - or to preferred heat level.
• 1 teaspoon dried chicken stock - or 1 crushed bouillon cube. Okay to use 1/4 cup of liquid chicken stock, too -- if adding liquid, you may need to add a couple of extra minutes of cooking time to reduce sauce.
• 1/2 stick butter* - and an optional extra pat for Cheese Grits.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. of Cajun seasonings
• 2/3 cup of Grits  - instant or regular.
• 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese - shredded. Okay to use small chunks, just make sure to blend well to melt when adding to hot grits.
• 1 cup of water - for grits.

Directions
Chop onion and garlic. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a medium hot pan. Saute veggies about 3 minutes until soft.

Add spices and flavorings, including: Liquid Smoke, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper and chicken stock (dried, liquid or bouillon cube). Stir and mix well with sauteing veggies.

Time to get the grits going. Add 2/3 cup of grits to 1 cup of boiling water. Depending on your choice of Instant or Regular Grits, double check box directions for cooking times, and per serving amounts. This recipe is for 2 servings. You should taste grits before plating to make sure they are soft, not gritty.

Turn heat to low on pot of grits, cover and cook until half done, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until all cheese is melted and grits turn light orange color. Cover and set aside over lowest heat.

Now we finish up the shrimp/beer sauce. Add 12 peeled medium to large shrimp (or two 4-ounce 99 cent packages of small bay shrimp) to sauteing veggies. Cook 2 minutes (if shrimp are precooked, then wait to add shrimp to sauce until just before serving, and heat through.)

De-glaze pan with 1/2 cup of your favorite beer. Stir and mix well. Add Cajun Seasoning with salt and pepper - to taste. If shrimp are precooked, then add them at this time.

Check on Cheese Grits and give a final stir. Adding a pat of butter (or butter flavoring) is optional.

Spoon or pour out grits into plate or bowl. Arrange cooked shrimp around plated Cheese Grits. And finally, pour beer sauce over shrimp, and top with tablespoon of chopped chives (optional.)

*Instead of 1/2 stick of butter, you can keep it light by substituting a tablespoon of olive oil. And add a little more beer and chicken (or veggie) stock if you like a lot of sauce.

Also, Chef Matt uses many spices and flavorings. If you don't have Liquid Smoke, Lemon Pepper or Cajun Seasonings, don't worry about it -- I'm sure it will be tasty nonetheless.