Are you tight on time and money? Do you have a packed schedule? Many people find it difficult to cook gourmet meals every day because of their time constraints, never mind the cost of some ingredients. The good news is there are many different meals you can make to save time as well as money! Here are four of the most popular.

Basic Pasta and Homemade Sauce

Did you know you can make countless pasta dishes on a budget? To begin with, pick your favourite shape of pasta at the grocery store. We recommend looking for a whole wheat variety to be healthy, and choose a brand on sale to help save on cost.

A basic tomato sauce makes it very easy to add in vegetables and hearty ground meat for a complete healthy meal. If meat is too expensive, you can easily substitute it for high-protein legumes and vegetables. Also note you can buy bagged frozen vegetables—they are just as nutritious as the fresh variety. The best part? You can save the remaining vegetables for another meal, reducing waste! If you use frozen vegetables, cook them in a skillet before you pour in your tomato sauce.

Fried Rice

Brown rice is incredibly cheap, which makes fried rice an ideal healthy and budget-friendly meal. You can throw just about any vegetables and meat you would like into your recipe, so customize to your heart’s content. If you are unsure, try starting with chopped carrots or onions, as well as minced garlic and some frozen peas. Fry these in a pan while your rice cooks. Once you add your rice, start seasoning with soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. We recommend two tablespoons of soy sauce per one cup of rice to start. If you like a little spice, use a couple tablespoons of your favourite hot sauce.

When everything is just about finished, create a hole in the center of your pan. Scramble some eggs (one or two eggs per cup of rice, depending on preference), and integrate it into your rice. The eggs add protein so you can leave out meat, though feel free to add it if you have some extra.

Three Bean Chili

Did you know beans contain a lot of protein? Did you know they are actually quite cheap at the grocery store, particularly if you purchase the dry variety? Those beans tend to need more prep than the canned variety, but are well worth it for saving on costs. Here’s an excellent recipe you can try. The good news? It’s for your slow cooker, which means you can leave it cooking for a few hours while you get everything else finished!

Baked Chicken Thighs

Did you know the ever-popular chicken breast is also the most expensive cut of chicken you can get? If you want to cook chicken but want to save money, look for a cheaper cut, such as chicken thighs. This cut is versatile and full of flavour—and it has all the benefits of chicken breasts. Baking your chicken thighs is a great, healthy option, and you can even make it a complete meal by roasting potatoes using the same pan!

 

Pan meals such as this save you time during cleanup and make prep much simpler. Here’s a basic recipe for baked garlic chicken and potatoes you can start with. You can even add other vegetables, like carrots, into dishes like this to be even more healthy.

Difficulty Medium
Servings 2
Preparation Time 60 mins
Cooking Time 15 mins

INGREDIENTS:

Pesto Mixture
100g Basil Leaves
80g Corn Oil
30g Pine Nuts
10g Garlic
20g Parmesan Cheese – Grated
5g Salt
5g White Pepper Powder
1kg Ice Cubes

Tomato Sauce
30g White Onion – Chopped
5g Garlic – Chopped
1 Bay Leaf
10g Butter – Unsalted
30ml Cooking Oil
200ml Whole, Peeled Tomatoes –
Blended
To Taste Sugar
To Taste Salt
To Taste Pepper

Baked Scallops
10 Scallops – Thawed
5 Tablespoons Tomato Sauce
2 Tablespoons Basil Pesto
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Panko
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese –
Grated
To Taste Salt
To Taste Pepper
To Garnish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Speed meal prep: those are like magic words. Especially if you live alone and don’t want to bother spending hours on recipes for one, or you’re serving a family that doesn’t care to wait more than 20 minutes for a meal. Did you know if you just reorganize your refrigerator and freezer according to spaces you access multiple times a day, you could streamline the entire meal prep process? Organizing not only decreases stress levels but can also help save you money by making ingredients you might have forgotten you have more visible. Here are some tips from The Container Store on how to learn the recipe for successful organization in your most often used kitchen appliance: the refrigerator!

TAKE INVENTORY

Discard out of date items or items you will not likely use.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ADJUSTABLE SHELVES, DRAWERS AND BASKETS

Many shoppers like to buy the same brands (with the same packaging) over and over again, taking time to set your shelves and drawers accordingly will save you time in the long run.

ORGANIZE FOOD ITEMS BY SIZE

This creates a function for each shelf and makes it easier to locate your small, hard to see items.

Store items in jars or bottles in the refrigerator door and bagged items in the freezer door.

KEEP THE MOST OFTEN USED ITEMS IN FRONT

Create easy access the whole family will appreciate. You may also find that ready-made snacks are helpful to curb your cravings — fresh fruit or veggies that are pre-washed and ready to eat will suddenly seem more enticing!

LABEL YOUR MEALS

When you get home from the grocery store, group items you’re going to use for a meal in a bin labeled with the day. For example, carrots, celery, cheese and chicken in a bin labeled “Monday” for that night’s casserole.

DON’T FORGET THE BAKING SODA

Keeping an open box of baking soda in the back corner helps combat odors. Vanilla extract will also keep your fridge fresh. Soak a cotton ball or paper towel, put it on a paper plate and wait for it to dry before removing.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Clean out both your fridge and your freezer once a month. Make it part of your household cleaning routine. Doing so will make it easier to know what you have and what you still need, in addition to keeping the areas clean.

Join us this Thursday August 10 between 10am – 4pm for a special RIB CHALLENGE at TA Appliances in Barrie!

See the new Traeger Timberline in action as Jason, Maxine, & Ken go head to head to see who will make the best ribs. Gary from Traeger will be the judge. Visit us for some fun & learn more about making the best ribs on the Traeger Timberline.

On July 26^th, TA Appliances partnered with the Luxe showroom to host our Learn, Dine and Enjoy event. We started the night with first-class transportation from our store locations in Brantford and Kitchener for our extremely talented trade partners. In a stretch limo and Mercedes party bus, our interior designers were chauffeured downtown Toronto to the LUXE showroom

Upon arrival, our guests were given the opportunity to tour the stunning Luxe showroom and explore Bosch, Thermador, and Gaggenau product up close and personal.

 

 

Followed by beneficial information on Gaggenau built-in refrigeration; we discussed modular refrigeration columns, climate cabinets, combining wine storage, showcasing and installation. While getting to know the high quality of the Gaggenau product, we also learned about the history that has made 333 years of success. In a small village in the Murgtal Valley, the company Gaggenau was founded in 1683 as an ironworks by Margave Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden. He uses the iron ore deposits in the Murgtal Valley to open up new sources of income for the impoverished farmers, thus laying the foundation for the success story of the brand.

From there, we took off with some fun-interactive cooking hosted by Chef Nikko Jacino. His experience dates back to his childhood family home, where they had weekly gatherings for over-the-top gastronomical dinner parties and celebrations. As a teenager, Nikko’s part-time and summer jobs were always in a food related establishment or in a restaurant. This is where he developed a first-hand understanding and experience in the operations of commercial culinary operation. To this date, Nikko is now working as the executive chef for BSH where he executes all cooking demos, corporate events, private dinners, catering for corporate and residential clientele. He is also the CEO and Founder of an up and coming food movement called The Chef Cartel. The Chef Cartel is building a grassroots, community driven initiative to promote trending culinary talent through creative tailored events. At the age of 26 Nikko is on the way to carving his own unique path in the food industry and there are expectations from many to see success in his future.

Attendees were given the chance to experience this high quality product first hand, cooking on the Thermador 36” Freedom Induction cooktop, Gaggenau steam convection oven, Gaggenau zoneless induction cooktop, and the Thermador 60” dual fuel gas range. Our energetic attendees prepared a southwest chicken supreme, grilled corn salad with chipotle dressing, kale and apple salad, cauliflower puree and flourless chocolate cake with blueberry compote.

 

As Chef Nikko shared his culinary knowledge and gave some helpful tips, we learned some delicious new recipes and experienced the powerful cooking of Thermador and Gagganeau.

By the end of the night we sat to enjoy our tasteful hard work. The night was complimented with great food and greater company. The event had a wonderful turn out, and all of our guests have raged about the fun and beneficial evening.

RECIPES

Cauliflower Puree

Yield 1L of Puree | Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 Head Cauliflower – Cut into florets and steam for 15 minutes
1 White Onion – Cut into Julienne
6 Garlic Cloves – Minced
1.5 cup 35% Cream
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Salt

Method:

Start by preheating a steam oven to full steam.
Place the cauliflower florets into a perforated sheet tray. Place sheet tray into steam oven when ready and cook for 15 minutes.
While you are waiting add a medium size pot over the stop top and place to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil and continue to heat. When pot is hot add sliced onion, garlic and reduce temperature to medium low. Sauté onions for 5-6 minutes or just until they start to brown. Add steamed cauliflower, cream and butter. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat after 10 minutes and place contents into a blender.
Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add contents back into a clean pot and season with salt to taste. Keep warm over low heat until needed.

Seared Chicken Supreme

Yield: 4 people | Cook Time: 40 Minutes | Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken:
4 Chicken Supreme, skin on and bone in

Method:

Preheat steam convection oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chicken:
Place a medium size pan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. When pan is hot add the chicken skin side down. Cook till golden brown then flip and sear for 2 minutes. Remove and place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Place tray in oven with meat probe and cook until the chicken reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit. Remove when finished and let meat rest for 10 minutes before serving

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Yield: 10-12 People | Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 35-40 Minutes

Ingredients:

8oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/2lb Butter, unsalted
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
6 Large Eggs
1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 10-inch springform pan, line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper, and butter paper. Place a small pot over low heat and melt chocolate with butter, stirring until smooth.

Remove pot from stove once mixture has fully incorporated. Add the sugar and whisk in. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa powder over chocolate and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan. Bake until top has formed a thin crust and a wooden pick inserted in centre of cake comes out with moist crumbs adhering, 35-40 minutes.

Let the cake cool in pan over a rack for 10 minutes, then remove side of pan.

 

 

 

Meet the Timberline. Born from the insight and experiences of Traeger users across the nation, then perfected by a team of engineers and BBQ experts, it’s our most advanced grill in 30 years. Crafted for everyone from the backyard hero, to the competition pitmaster, the Timberline gives you the control to customize your wood-fired cooking like never before. This masterpiece started with you. Together, we’ve rewritten the rules for cooking with fire.

YOU DIRECTED
Our inspiration for the Timberline came from you. That meant spending time on your turf to talk with you, cook with you, and learn from your unique Traeger experience. You pushed our grills to the limit, so we created a grill that will push yours.
PROS REFINED
No one knows barbecue better than the folks in the competition circuit. So we collaborated with some of the top BBQ and culinary professionals to create a grill that keeps their competition cooks a cut above the rest on the road or at home.
WE DESIGNED
With the help of a team of top engineers, we designed a grill that gives you the control you crave. Superior structure and design, combined with new features like Super Smoke mode and WiFIRE control, allow you to craft your food better and turn up your skill set every time you turn on the grill.

SHOP TRAEGER NOW AT TA APPLIANCES