In August 2009, Melissa d’Arabian won season five of The Next Food Network Star, and is now the host of 10 Dollar Dinners on The Food Network. Melissa is a mom of 4 preschool-aged girls and is an amazing cook. On her show Ten Dollar Dinners, (airs Sundays at 12:30 EST) she shows us how to make tasty recipes for four people and under ten bucks.
I had the honor in being able to take part in an interview of Melissa but before I asked her questions, she shared some of her favorite recipes, money-saving tips, and unique ideas for a memorable and exciting Easter including Baked Ham with Spiced Cherry Glaze, Easter Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting and some brunch recipes I share below.
I am assuming that you are a meal planner and now that you have a very busy schedule with the show, do you have any added tips for managing your time?
She said ‘Go back to the basics’. Make the foods that you and your family enjoy and switch things up. She plans her menus when she is on planes if need be, often cooks them in advance with clear instructions for when she is away. She reinterated that it is harder now that she is working and can get caught more easily in the ‘Wait, What is for Dinner?’ scenario so many of us find ourselves in. Sometimes meal planning can be as simple as looking in refridgerator or freezer or seeing what needs to be used up and making the meal from there.
What is the one food that your girls eat that surprises you? Pate, especially mousse. One daughter loves the finest, expensive stuff but since her husband is French, they enjoy that the girls enjoy pate.
Do you read ingredients labels on packaged foods and are there certain things you avoid? Yes, as she tries avoid MSG in the families diet since her body can not tolerate it at all. She also tries to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup but believes in moderation. She loves cooking for her family so does not use packaged items frequently.
Random Fact: She loves her Magic Bullet.
In case you have boiled eggs left from Easter, Melissa has shared two great recipes to utilize those leftovers (talk about stretching a buck!):
Egg and Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese Baguette & Asparagus with Tangy-Smoky Dressing
Musings of a Housewife says
FUN! I watched Season 5 and was rooting for her all along. I caught a few of her shows on the DVR before we cut back on our cable package and lost the Food Network. This was fun to read! 🙂
TheFitnessFreak says
How cool to get an opportunity to interview Melissa! Of course we should all do more than try to avoid HFCS. Every time I see that HFCS commercial where she says, "Everything in moderation" It drives me crazy! That's why Trader Joe's is one of my all time favorite places to shop, no HFCS there, yeah!
Carole says
I enjoyed the article. Thanks for sharing it with us. I'm hoping that Melissa will have a cookbook of her tips and recipes. I still remember (and use) her EZPOT tip from Next Food Network Star.
hondo3777 says
Chef Hymie Grande (www.chefhymiegrande.com ) is the first and only bottled BBQ sauce to carry the seal of the American Diabetes Association on the label. It has no high fructose corn syrup, no processed sugar, it is all natural and vegan friendly. It is produced by Jamie Failtelson, a.k.a. Chef Hymie Grande of Carlstadt, NJ. 5% of proceeds go to the American Diabetes Association
hondo3777 says
Chef Hymie Grande (www.chefhymiegrande.com ) is the first and only bottled BBQ sauce to carry the seal of the American Diabetes Association on the label. It has no high fructose corn syrup, no processed sugar, it is all natural and vegan friendly. It is produced by Jamie Failtelson, a.k.a. Chef Hymie Grande of Carlstadt, NJ. 5% of proceeds go to the American Diabetes Association
Tangled Noodle says
What a great opportunity to chat with Melissa! Her daughters certainly have developed refined palates at an early age so it's understandable that she makes such elegant-sounding yet economic dishes. Thanks for sharing!