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!

Fake Crab Louis Salad

All rise please, the King of Salads is here: Fake Crab Louis!

A typical Crab Louis uses real lump crab meat. Well, you'll have to settle for fake crab in my recipe. Notice in the animated GIF above, my Royal Cheap$kate's Crown is made of cardboard -- so you won't have to hock the Queen's jewels to pay for the simple salad recipe ingredients.

This salad is old school steak house cuisine that originated on the West Coast around the 1900's. There is debate where it first came together, either San Francisco or Portland, Oregon. You can read all about it by clicking here.

Almost anyone can afford a head of iceberg lettuce, a couple of tomatoes, a hard boiled egg or two, and a few stalks of asparagus. Asparagus can be expensive out of season, but I find it quite often at my local 99c only Store. Of course you can substitute with any cheap veggies you find on sale, like broccoli.

I don't eat sliced boiled eggs on my salads, but since making this recipe I'm going to keep a a few in the refrigerator from now on.

You can get fake crab (or, krab) for around 3 bucks per pound in a typical grocery seafood chilled case. And for this recipe I only use half a pound to make enough for 3 salad servings. As usual, I get frozen 8 ounce packages of imitation crab meat at my local 99c only Store.

 Click on any photo to see larger.

One thing about frozen imitation crab is it can dry out a bit. If that is the case I have an easy fix. After it's defrosted just sprinkle a little water on the krab and microwave in 10 second increments until the krab is warm, but not hot. It will soften and tenderize nicely. The texture will go from stringy and mealy to sweet and supple.

Go ahead and bring Fake Crab Louis into the 21st Century with cage-free eggs, heirloom tomatoes, specialty lettuces, even kale - wait a second, let's go back a few centuries, before big industrial food production began! 

I also have an easy Homemade Louis Salad Dressing comprised of sour cream, ketchup and hot sauce. You can use store bought Thousand Island dressing if you like.

 

This Socialist Chef is against all aristocracy, whether it's tax dodging corporate oligarchs, the hoarding moneyed elites or European royalty - it's all balderdash. However, I will not abdicate my standing as the Earl of Tightwad, dispensing bargain recipes any plebeian can afford. And, until we all come to our senses and become a real sharing economy, I guess there will always be a seat at the culinary table for The 99 Cent Chef.

So read on and allow me to introduce to you my recipe for Fake Crab Louis with Homemade Louis Salad Dressing.

Ingredients (2-3 salad servings, depending on size of a head of lettuce)

• Fake crab (krab) - 8 ounces or half a pound. Okay to use more or less to suit your budget. You can even use real cooked lump crab meat, if your ship comes in, you get a raise, or marry into royalty.
• 2 to 3 eggs - boiled and peeled.
• Lettuce - one head. Okay to use any favorite salad greens like: kale, Romain and spinach.
• Asparagus - about half a pound. Okay to use as much as you like. You can even leave it out if it breaks the budget. Substitute with cheaper veggies like broccoli and carrots.
• Tomatoes - 2 to 3, depending on the size. Okay to use cherry tomatoes.

Louis Dressing (or use store bought Thousand Island dressing)

• 3 tablespoons of sour cream or mayo - I used sour cream for this recipe. Okay to use low fat.
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce - I used Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce. Okay to use any favorite hot sauce. Mix in a little at a time to reach desired spiciness. Okay to use horseradish instead of hot sauce. Hot sauce is optional, if your tolerance for spiciness is low.
• 1/4 onion minced or grated - optional. I used yellow onion. Some recipes call for sweet pickle relish, so it's okay to add a tablespoon or two.

Directions for Homemade Louis Dressing (okay to use store-bought Thousand Island Dressing)
Add 3 tablespoons of mayo or sour cream to a bowl. Squeeze in a tablespoon of ketchup.

For heat, mix in half a teaspoon of favorite hot sauce. Add a little at a time to reach desired hotness. It's okay to leave it out as well.

Fine chop, mince, or grate 1/4 onion. This is an optional addition; dressing will be delish even without onion. Some recipes call for sweet pickle relish - add a tablespoon and see if you like it that way.

Mix Louis Dressing ingredients well. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Directions for Fake Crab Louis Salad
Low boil 2 to 3 eggs about 10 minutes until cooked through. Of course you can boil the eggs any way you like, semi-soft to a hard boiled yolk. Cool down eggs with ice water when done, or they will continue cooking. For semi-soft eggs yolks it's okay to add them to salad while warm.

Slice off about an inch of each asparagus stalk. In a large pot, or pan, add enough water to almost cover asparagus. Simmer asparagus about 3-5 minutes until stalks are soft and tender. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of stalks. Just try one out when you think they are tender.

You may need to remove even more stalk after cooking. It's hard to tell how much of the stalk is tough and stringy until asparagus is cooked. It's okay to slice off even more of the stalk after cooking. You don't want to overcook the tender heads or they will be mushy.

Add done asparagus to an ice bath or cold water to stop cooking.

Rinse then roughly shred, or chop, your favorite lettuce. Slice tomatoes.

Prepare the fake crab (or krab.) Just roughly shred it. If krab is frozen it my be tough when defrosted. If so, drizzle it with a teaspoon of water, then zap in microwave in 10 second increments until krab is warm and tender. You don't want to cook the krab until hot, just warm it up to absorb some moisture.

Now time to bring it all together.

Layer or mix the lettuce, tomato, asparagus, sliced egg, and krab, and finally top with Homemade Louis Dressing (or Thousand Island Dressing.)

Hindsight
Okay to make the salad your own. Use any specialty lettuce and heirloom tomatoes. And if you are flush with cash, or want to impress a date, then use real lump crab meat. I used an 8 ounce package of imitation crab.

You can also use any fresh or steamed veggies you like, including: carrots, broccoli, spinach or cauliflower.

Asparagus can be expensive, so it's okay to substitute with another veggie, or just leave it out.

You can add a little sweet pickle relish to Homemade Louis Dressing. Okay to use horseradish instead of hot sauce. And you can leave out hot sauce or horseradish if your tolerance for spiciness is low.

Okay to assemble salad a few hours ahead of meal time.

Frybread Taco Recipe - Indian Summer Vacation Series

Leave it to American Indians to come up with a delicious dish that looks like a Mexican pizza: a Frybread Taco.

I had a Frybread Taco during a lunch stop on the way to Arches National Park. It's similar to a humongous Americanized taco, but on a fluffy, airy round of pizza-like crust - really quite tasty.

All the typical ingredients seemed simple enough to assemble, just ground beef, beans, iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, grated cheese and sliced black olives, on a slab of Indian Frybread. For my version I left out the beef, olives and onions, but you can mix and match almost any favorite taco ingredients you like. Do you want meat on your taco? I have an easy and quick recipe for that right here.

Flour, baking powder, water and oil, that make up Frybread, are cheap enough. I made this entree vegetarian and all the toppings fall within my 99 cent mandate. As I mentioned above, you can make it with ground meat, while that is an inexpensive protein, it's still over my budget.

If you have been following my Indian Summer Vacation Series then you've seen my Frybread Video Recipe from a few weeks ago. Just click here to see it - but I do explain the recipe below as well. Frybread is light and tasty, kind of a cross between a flour torilla and pizza crust. They are on the large size, about 8 inches across, so one Frybread Taco is almost enough for a meal. My recipe makes enough for 2 Frybread.

The main topping ingredient for this taco are Chili Beans. I take a shortcut and use canned. Also, you can also use any favorite canned beans, like pinto, chili with beans, red or black beans. If all you have are red beans or pinto beans, try adding half a teaspoon of chili powder. And you can use nutritious spinach instead of iceberg lettuce.

Frybread right out of the frying pan is delectable and you should try it once, even if it is made with white flour and deep fried like a doughnut. (You can substitute whole wheat flour instead of white.) It's a delicious indulgence.

So give my Frybread Taco a try, it's a unique taco and looks good on the plate.

Ingredients for Frybread (for two, eight inch round tacos)

• 1 1/4 cup of flour - okay to use wheat flour.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder - it makes the Frybread blister and puff up.
• 1/2 cup of water
• Vegetable oil for frying - any favorite. Most recipes call for lard or Crisco, you can use it, if you want to.

Frybread Taco Toppings
Chili beans, chopped tomato, lettuce (or any greens) and shredded cheese. Other topping include: sliced black olives, onion, avocado, taco-style ground meat (recipe here,) pico de gallo (recipe here,) and of course, hot sauce.

Directions
Add flour and baking powder to a large bowl. Mix well.

Pour in water and begin to stir with a spoon or fork. As dough comes together you will need to get your hands in there to form a dough ball.

If the dough is sticky when all mixed together, then sprinkle on a teaspoon of flour and fold the dough some more. You shouldn't need more flour than a couple of teaspoons.You only need to mix and fold the dough for a couple of minutes, total.

When dough if well mixed together, pinch it in half and form 2 dough balls.

At this point you can chop any veggie toppings and set them aside. I used tomato, red leaf lettuce and cheddar cheese.

Start the Chili Beans heating in a pot (or zap them in a microwave oven.) I like to get all the topping ingredients ready to assemble when the Frybread comes hot out of the oil.

Add oil into a frying pan that's at least 8 inches across. Add enough oil until half an inch deep. You want enough for the Frybread dough to float when cooking. Start with a medium/high heat for frying.

While oil is heating make the Frybread rounds. Sprinkle a little flour on a board or counter. Spread it out about 8 inches around. Lay out one dough ball and flatten with your hand and fingers. Start from the center and work your way outward.

Keep pressing until you get a tortilla shape. It doesn't have to be perfectly round, the main thing is to make it thin without tearing (or taco fillings will fall through.) It should be similar to thin crust pizza.

Repeat the shaping steps on the other dough ball. Now time to fry it up.

Pinch off a small piece of dough and drop it into the now hot oil. The dough should immediately bubble and float. Be careful as you are working with hot oil. If you have a frying thermometer the temperature is about 375 °F (190 °C.) I just guess, with my heat controls in the medium/high range.

Spoon-out the dough piece. Use both hands to pick up the flatten dough and slowly add it to the hot oil. Again, be careful when working with hot oil. The dough will bubble and quickly float.

The dough cooks quickly, no more than 30 seconds to a minute. Use a metal spatula or fork, and lift one edge of the dough to check that the Frybread is stiff - that means it's read to be turned over.

Turn the Frybread over and cook another 30 seconds or so. That's it. The Frybread doesn't have to be browned like a doughnut - you may get a few light brown spots.

Now just lay the Frybread on a paper napkin, or a wire rack, to drain off the oil. Repeat the same frying method for the other dough ball.

It's best to assemble and eat the Frybread Taco while it's still warm. You can add the toppings in any order. I like the beans on the bottom then add the rest of the toppings. If you want melted cheese then add that on the hot beans, followed by the other ingredients.

The balance of ingredients is up to you. Add a lot of beans or just a little. Double up on the cheese or veggies. It's all to your taste.

Now just eat the Frybread Taco like you would a big slice of pizza. It's easier to handle than pizza, as Frybread is stiffer - somewhere between a saltine cracker and a soft tortilla.

As I mentioned earlier, you can use any favorite taco toppings like: black olives, avocado, onion (white, yellow, red or green onion,) sour cream, pico de gallo salsa (recipe here,) hot sauce, etc.

And my Frybread recipe is easy to just double the ingredients to make more. Also, I reuse my oil, so when it cools down and the flour sediment has settled to the bottom,  I pour it into a large pickle jar (cleaned and dried of course) for use on another day.