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the next time you (& your significant other perhaps) are thinking of stopping at a fast-food crap-shack for dinner, i suggest you instead drop by a Kroger store(if there's one near you) for a quickie budget gourmet meal that requires little (or even no) cooking time:
-one mixed raw vegetable deli tray from Kroger
with baby carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes & one small head of fresh lettuce (all for around six bucks)...that's the quickie option & it makes many salads & is great to have around later for veggie snacking. if you're planning on having enough time to prepare salads during the week of course one can forego the deli tray & just buy a pkg of carrots, pkg of celery a couple of tomatoes of your choice. <I think in a more primitive society, I might've worshipped fresh tomatoes; when i moved to the house i'm in there's a patch for a garden out back & i lazily have not grown any tomatoes.> Also good with this if you feel like indulging is a pkg of Kroger brand shredded sharp cheddar.
-top with dressing of your choice although i recommend (for taste & economy) Kroger creamy italian which usually only runs a dollar per bottle as opposed to other brands costing upwards to 3 bucks or more (or if that's too fattening for ya go for some creamy balsamic). The deli tray comes with vegetable dip but it is a bit too heavy for even me.
Not a quickie option, but if you feel up to grilling some seafood or steak, then grilling raw vegetables & topping with creamy balsamic vinaigrette is a taste sensation.
-one pkg of Kroger imported Thai tiger shrimp (6.99/lb) ... a pack of it good for anywhere from 1-3 servings & costs only 3.50 or so... the shrimp is already steamed & ready to eat or you can debane it & saute it in a pan (i use fleischmann's olive oil margarine) or even microwave it very briefly (it only takes 20 seconds or less because the already steamed shrimp is filled with water) & it's delicious.
Serve with rice &/or vegetable of choice or just skip the side dishes if you are in a hurry.
So, in summary, you spent as much as you would have for a couple of combo "meals" & now you have enough salad left over to enjoy that for lunch or before dinner for the following week. I like steak too, so salad is a must to have on hand. I used to shop at a Harris Teeter more when I lived near one. I am not a vegetarian, but for health food I go to Whole Foods Market rather than the section at Kroger. As one can tell, now I live closer to a Kroger. Oh you don't like shrimp? I'm sorry for you. Substitute the shrimp for some orange roughy filets, mahi mahi, swordfish or fish of choice (all available at most grocery stores for cheap for a 1-2 serving size) <my favorite fish recipe = cajun blackened amberjack> or get some cheap steak. Even cheap steaks taste great if they're freshly cooked after you buy them & know how to cook a steak properly. Anyway, one can find comparable deals at just about any good grocery store.
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