Video: Money-Saving Meals from Sandra Lee

From Denny: Chef Sandra Lee from the Food Network has launched her new show about Money Saving Meals. She is a creative person AND a joy to watch while she figures out how to save us money and make it taste good!

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Here are the recipes from NBC:

Slow-cooked orange margarita tacos

Throw a cheap but fabulous party by making margarita tacos

From: Chef Sandra Lee
Makes 10 servings$14.03, $1.40 per person

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 8 hours

Inactive prep time: 5 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup margarita mix with orange liquor added

1 10-pound bone-in pork shoulder picnic

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup orange marmalade

20 corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Place the onions and margarita mix and liquor in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker. Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Stir together garlic and soy sauce and rub all over pork roast. Place the roast in the slow cooker and spoon marmalade over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

When meat is done, remove from slow cooker, let rest for 5 minutes then shred or break up with a fork and arrange on platter. Strain sauce and stir 1 cup into shredded pork.

Warm tortillas slightly in a 250° F oven or in microwave. Set out pork and tortillas with red cabbage slaw and have guests assemble their own tacos.

*****

Simple red slaw

From: Chef Sandra Lee

Makes 10 servings$2.89, $.29 per person

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

INGREDIENTS

1 small head red cabbage

4 medium carrots, coarsely grated

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Finely shred cabbage with a sharp knife. Mix cider vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss, add cabbage and carrots and toss to combine.

Use as topping for pulled pork tacos.

*****

Grilled corn and bean salsa with baked corn chips


From: Chef Sandra Lee

Makes 10 servings$4.29, $.43 per person

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

INGREDIENTS

4 ears corn, shucked or 4.5 cups frozen corn kernels

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoons chili powder

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (well drained)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans (drained and rinsed)

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1 minced jalapeno

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

For salsa:
Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

Brush corn with oil and season with chili powder, salt and pepper. Place on hot grill and cook 8 to 12 minutes, turning frequently. Remover and let cool. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels from the cob. Place corn in a bowl with tomatoes, beans, onion, and jalapeño. Whisk together lime, garlic, cilantro. Pour over vegetables and beans and toss to combine. Season with salt & pepper.

Optional indoor roasted corn: Preheat oven to 400°. Cut corn kernels from cob and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, chili powder, salt and pepper. Roast in over for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

For chips:

Preheat oven to 400°

Cut each tortilla into 8 triangular portions. Arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Spray with canola oil cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and bake until crisp and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Allow to cool and serve with salsa.

Video: Paul Deen Picnic Picks

From Denny: Paula Deen is always entertaining as well as informative with real recipes we can easily use! Take a look at her ideas for picnics and easy weekend dining.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video: Paul Deen Previews Latest Kitchen Trends

From Denny: From the Comfort Food Queen of Southern Food herself, Paul Deen, reviews the latest season's kitchen gadgets, colors and other offerings from the trade show. Items for your grandchildren as well as the family pets! Interesting to hear the latest trends.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video: Paul Deen Previews Latest Kitchen Trends

From Denny: From the Comfort Food Queen of Southern Food herself, Paul Deen, reviews the latest season's kitchen gadgets, colors and other offerings from the trade show. Items for your grandchildren as well as the family pets! Interesting to hear the latest trends.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video: NY Times Food Writer Mark Bittman and Freezer Food Tips

From Denny: These guys on the Today Show segment are funny in this video while they give you a run-down on what, how and why to use your freezer to help your busy life AND eat healthy. Great pointers here for the novice cook and a good reminder list for the experienced cook too. New York Times Food Writer Mark Bittman gives gread advice.

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Video: How Healthy is Your Cooking?

From Denny: Home cooked meals are the increasing trend with today's economy. A recent university study looked at 800
home cooks who are considered the nutritional gatekeepers of the family. If the cook has problems with proper portion control and types of foods served then 75% of the family tends to follow their lead.

Types of Cooks identified:

Giving cook - very generous person other people love to be around, often so concerned about recreating that perfect dish they don't always think about health.

Healthy cook - think too much about health they often make dishes no one can stand to eat.

Innovative cook - creative thinker who loves food and loves the taste, experiments a lot with spicy foods and new cuisines, fresh foods and tries new things, the person you want to hang out with regularly.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video: New Trend on Grocery Savings - Grocery Auctions!

From Denny: Now I've heard it all! But it does make sense. Grocery Auctions are gaining in popularity as food prices are the highest they have been in twenty years. It does make sense to bid for items you use every day and in great quantity. Just keep in mind these bulk items are offered because they are grocery store left-overs, often close to the expiration date. But hey! If you have a house full of hungry teen-aged boys the expiraton date won't matter at all! :)

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Video: Helping the Amazon Forest by Growing Chocolate!

From Denny: In case you missed this wonderful story on NBC News the other night, here it is. Businessman Steve McDonnell is helping a group of people in the Amazon grow cacao and make chocolate. This is one way to help preserve the rain forest and improve the lives of people in Ecuador. The farmers have formed a co-op to get better prices for their cacao beans. Their goal is to become popular chocolate competitors with the Americans and Europeans.

It is amazing that everyone wins here from the farmer to the consumer - even the planet - for slowing down de-forestation of the Amazon rain forest!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video: Bake a Cake in the Can!

Bake a Cake in the Can! (and you can ship it!) This was a novel idea, easy and fast. A lot like a chocolate souffle and little flour. Sort of a cross between a flourless chocolate cake and a chocolate souffle. Demo by a chef.

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Video: Cooking Light Magazine’s Chicken Casserole demo

Tasty with fewer calories! This chef likes to use vinegar to finish off a dish as it marries the flavors. Lemon juice is often a favorite for the same blending and waking up of the tastebuds. He uses yogurt for his sauce. Take a look! You can practically smell the divine through your monitor... :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video: Bake a Cake in the Can!

Bake a Cake in the Can! (and you can ship it!) This was a novel idea, easy and fast. A lot like a chocolate souffle and little flour. Sort of a cross between a flourless chocolate cake and a chocolate souffle. Demo by a chef.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Video: Freshen Up with Spring Wines

This is a short fast wine tasting of some interesting offerings for Spring to refresh your tastebuds! Also, they are affordable wines. Choices of what to pair them with also discussed.

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Video: The truth about chocolate

From NBC News
(and what the plant looks like when it’s growing)

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Video: Chocolate chip cookie history

From NBC News

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Video: Simple Pleasures Help in Tough Economic Times

Chocolate and other small expense simple pleasures still a comfort in tough economic times, from NBC News Making a Difference segment.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy