If I ever buy salmon on a routine shopping trip, I had better be ready with a good justification. After all, the stuff costs a good 75 shekel per kilo or more. It's more expensive than the chicken and beef we buy, and even that is only reserved for Shabbat or Yom Tov. My explanation? Restaurant Night.
Beans, eggs, tofu stir fries and noodle soups are the kinds of frugal, yet delicious foods that we eat on a regular basis. But what about that occasional luxury that everyone deserves? Eating out seems like the obvious way to get it, but in our experience it isn't. Between the sticker shock upon receiving the bill and the schlepping needed to get to and from any decent restaurant in Haifa (when one is sans car), there has got to be a better way. And that's how Restaurant Night was born.
With Restaurant Night, we can have our salmon dinner for two for a total of about 50 shekel instead of 200+. Although this is expensive for a frugal meal, it's an incredible bargain for a luxurious one. Plus, one of the best things about the priciest types of meat, chicken and fish is that they are often the easiest to cook. Salmon requires only a hot pan with a little oil, and some basting with teriyaki sauce. It's less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
The potatoes are our now-classic hash browns. Some poetic liberty has been taken with the name, as the potatoes are cut into chunks rather than grated into a hash. The chunks are pan fried in shallow oil until about 75% done, at which point any/all of the following are added into the oil: onions, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and herbs (fresh or dried). The dish is then cooked until everything is golden and delicious. The zucchini slices were sauteed in the salmon juices.
And after a dinner like that, both your belly and wallet can afford to split a 20 shekel pint of Ben & Jerry's with your plus-one.
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