Steak Kabobs

I know that everyone is doing all that they can to save money these days. Gas is out of control, there is flooding in the midwest, and all of this affects everything, especially food! I have been sitting down each week to plan my weekly meals out, trying to spend no more than $4 per person per meal.


My sister-in-law recently introduced me to a new shopping tactic that I found works brilliantly. We try to keep our driving to a minimum, so we only go grocery shopping on Saturdays. I know that when I go shopping, I will have to go to Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and Smith's. BUT! The new tactic is that when I make my shopping list every Thursday/Friday, I pull out the ads we get in the mail each week (for us, it's Smith's, Albertson's, Von's, and Food 4 Less), and look for the sale items that I have on my list. I write down the cheapest sale price for each item and where that price is at. For example, I wanted to try this new recipe this week, Steak Kabobs, so I looked in the ad for steak that was on sale. At Smith's, top sirloin was $2.49. At Von's, it was $1.49! So I wrote that price down. Then, you take your list to Wal-Mart, and they will price match ANYTHING! Seriously, ANYTHING! I got everything on my list, including the water I normally get at Sam's Club, at Wal-Mart. Not only did I save money on gas, but I also saved around $25 on my grocery bill! (By the way, the meat at Wal-Mart is extremely overpriced. They steak I got was $5.38 per pound. So if you shop at Wal-Mart, make sure you do a price match especially on meat!) I owe a big thanks to Dawnie for enlightening me on some money saving tricks!


Now for the recipe. I think I found a keeper that is very cost effective but doesn't taste like it. We tried this recipe last night, and it was very difficult not to hurt yourself by eating too much! These are very good, the meat is so tender, and the vegetables get a nice flavor to them. You can use any type of steak you like, but I used a top sirloin that was thick cut. This was actually something I got Jocey to eat too! Because she doesn't like meat, we made her an all vegetable skewer and an all asparagus skewer. Watch for sales on steak and this meal will only cost you around $12, and it'll feed 4-5 people ($3 per person ain't too shabby!). I also found that metal skewers are easier to use so that the mushrooms don't break.

Steak Kabobs

Ingredients:
2 lbs. steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 package whole mushrooms, cut in half
2 red peppers, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup Kraft Greek Vinagrette Dressing, divided in half


Directions:
1. Put steak cubes into large ziploc bag with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Toss to evenly coat steak. Allow to marinade for 6 hours.
2. Blanch asparagus - bring enough water to cover asparagus to a boil. Put asparagus in water and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Immediately drain and run asparagus under cold water to "shock." This will help to soften the asparagus and keep it a bright green color.
3. Thread meat and vegetables, alternating, on skewers. Grill over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, or until meat is cooked and vegetables are at tender-crisp stage. Brush with remaining dressing while the skewers cook.