Let’s start first with the Greens. My oldest daughter loves and I mean LOVES collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, just about any green leafy veggie you can think of. I love them too, but preparing them isn’t all that easy. At least not from scratch. Cleaning is the part that just about makes me crazy!

So, what do I do instead? I cheat. Here’s my cheater pants way to make greens. Perfect with white fish of any kind. For this meal, I happened to get whiting on sale. 8 filets for only $4.99. Probably wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t bad either. In the future, Talapia or Catfish might make a better pairing. Still, for a $10 buck dinner, you can’t go wrong!

Cheater Greens:

2 cans green (collard, mustard, whatever you like) – $1.18
4 slices bacon, diced/sliced – $1.00
1/2 onion, diced – $.15
1 Tbsp powdered chicken broth – pantry
1 tsp Soul Seasoning – pantry
1/2 tsp pepper – pantry
water

COST: $2.33

Render bacon in a large pot. When cooked, toss in onion and saute till translucent in color. Add 2 cans greens, with liquid. Fill empty cans with water and pour into pot, about 4-5 cans. Add seasonings and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and let cook for 30-40 mins.

Pan Fried Whiting (White Fish):

8 frozen Whiting filets, thawed – $4.99
1 lemon – $.25
2 Tbsp Canola or Olive Oil – pantry
1 tsp salt – pantry
1 tsp pepper – pantry
1 tsp paprika – pantry

COST: $5.24

Now for the fish. Season with salt, pepper and paprika, skin and flesh side. Heat oil and saute skin side down first. Cook for 5 mins or so, depending on thickness and flip, cooking on flesh side for a few more minutes. While flesh side is cooking, you can peel away skin if you choose.

Serve hot, skin side down. Squeeze some fresh lemon over fish or plate with a wedge. A little butter and fresh herbs quickly sauted makes a great addition. You can just pour right over plated fish. Delicious!

I had a simple box of stove top stuffing sitting in the cabinet, so I quickly prepared. You don’t need it, but I had it, so I used it. Funny thing is, hardly any got eaten as everyone was going back for seconds on the greens! Therefore, I’d leave it off next time and just have a loaf of french bread or beer bread to go with the meal instead.

GRAND TOTAL: $7.57 (with Stove Top or Bread, add $1.50=$9.07)