CHALLENGE - BEST 99 CENT STORE DINNER

One of Lori's favorite blogs is Billy Vasquez's "The 99 Cent Chef". Lori and Pete were discussing his blog and decided that they wanted to see what they could come up with. It really was challenging for Lori because the Central Florida stores don't have the huge selection of foods like they do in the Los Angeles area. It may be hard to choose who won the challenge because both dinners look and tasted great.

If you get a chance, visit his blog and look at the great dishes he has created from the 99 cent stores. You will be amazed!!

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After going up and down the 2 little rows of food half a dozen times, I saw that I could make Shrimp with Lemon Pasta. I got a loaf of frozen garlic bread for $1.00 (amazing!). And I even had money left over for dessert! I chose a box of strawberry fruit bars. My dinner for four people totaled $8.00. It was very good. But what really surprised me the most was the garlic bread. It was a wonderful loaf that surprisingly had a lot of garlic butter on the inside.

The shrimp I found at the store was already cooked. Normally, I would prefer raw shrimp. I like to roast the shrimp in the oven by coating it with olive oil, salt and pepper.

I did not make 4 servings since it was just Mom and myself for dinner. So I took the measurements below and halved them without a problem. Since we were allowed to use whatever seasonings we had at home, I did not include them in the ingredient picture.


HER WAY: SHRIMP WITH LEMON PASTA


1 lb. spaghetti pasta
12 oz. shrimp, deveined and peeled
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
3 TBS of butter
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 TBS of garlic powder


Ingredients purchased at the 99 Cent Store.




Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Zest and juice 2 lemons.



Drain pasta when cooked to desired texture. Put pasta back into pan and add melted butter, olive oil, lemon juice and zest.



Add shrimp to pasta. Toss pasta to evenly distribute and coat the shrimp and sauce.



Dinner is served with garlic bread.



The strawberry fruit bars were so tasty after a great meal.




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HIS WAY: TAMALE PIE


As to how or why this dish was put into the pie category, I'll never know.
Regardless of its name, its a great dish and can be made in almost any price
range. Remove excess grease (if any) before cooking. My ingredients cost $8.00 at the 99 cent store.


10-15 beef tamales, individual, canned or frozen, any size
2 cans of chili con carne (with or without beans)
1-2 cups yellow cheese
1 onion (chopped to your liking)
1 jar salsa


Ingredients purchased at the 99 cent store.



Line up individual tamales into an ungreased baking dish or pan. Smother with
chili, then top with onions.



Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Remove and add cheese.



Bake til cheese is melted. Top with salsa. Serve hot with tortilla
chips. Makes 4 servings.

Who won the challenge for Best 99 Cent Store Dinner?
	Her Way
	His Way
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