That's my motto. And if I'm really good, I get a hat trick out of one cooking session.

I'm not talking leftovers either. While leftovers are my bread and butter, so to speak, for lunch. I don't want to eat them for dinner too. I'm talking about 2 *original* meals from about 45 minutes of cooking.

To this end, the grill has been my friend. Now that we're in a house again instead of an apartment, I have been firing it up at every opportunity. While I really like the flavor of foods cooked over charcoal, you really cannot beat the fact that with propane, you just turn a knob and you're ready to roll. Armed with a pair of clamshell tongs and a probe thermometer, I am ready for some healthy grilling action!

Here are two example of what I grilled recently, both well within my dietary budget.

Example 1: Flank Steak

Oh how I miss the days when flank steak was a "cheap cut." As is, it really is a muscled, lean hunk of meat, and if not treated right, is tough as all get out.

Somewhere along the way, some gourmet muckity-muck got the word out that it's a great option for those watching their figure and their budget. Now flank steak will run you about seven bucks a pound -- at a discount warehouse type place! Sometimes you can still luck out and find it for a decent price behind the counter at Food City or Ranch Market, or on sale, if you keep your eye on the papers.

Meal One: Grilled flank steak with onions

I marinated the steak overnight in some watered down balsamic vinegar and garlic cloves.

The next day, while the grill was heating up, I took the steak out, patted it dry, let it come to room temperature, and seasoned it.

I also sliced up a vidalia onion and some Hawaiian onions, and brushed them with a glaze made of balsamic and brown sugar. I quartered some red potatoes and seasoned them with Old Bay. Those went into a pie plate that I had pierced a few times.

I put the pan on the grill and let it go for about 30 minutes. Then I put the steak on for 6 minutes on each side. After letting the meat rest, I sliced it againt the grain, and had tender juicy beef! The onions were sweet and delicious.

The potatoes actually ended up with a weird, funny taste. So I tossed those out and made a green salad instead.

Even after feeding two of us, that left nearly half a steak!

Meal Two: Beans

Before I went to bed, I put a half pound of dried pinto beans in water to soak. The next morning, I put them into a crockpot, along with the leftover cut up steak, some beef broth, onions, jalapenos, garlic, ancho chili powder, cayenne, cumin, salt, pepper, and a couple of bay leaves.

That night, we had beans and cornbread. Though brown rice probably would have been a more filling option, we splurged a little with the cornbread.

Come to think of it, I had the very last of those beans for lunch today. I also had them for lunch on Monday. That's like, four meals! Five, if you include the original steak dinner.

Example 2: Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloins are great for dieters too -- lean and flavorful. They, too, can be a bit spendy. But more often than not, at least one of the grocery stores will have them on sale. That's when I stock up. This time, I got a two pack from Costco.

Much to my surprise, when I opened one of the packages, there were actually TWO tenderloins inside. So I guess it's really a four pack!

Last night, while the grill heated up, I let the tenderloins come to room temperature. In the meantime, I brushed one with some bottled margarita I had in the fridge. Now usually, I'd use lime juice, but I didn't. I figured this was close enough.

Then I used my stand-by BBQ rub on it. It's an every changing combination of paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar, cayenne, ancho, herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, powdered mustard.

I slathered the other with soy sauce, then rubbed in a paste of minced ginger, brown sugar, chinese five spice, and garlic powder.

When they were both prepped I chucked them on the grill. When they were almost done, maybe 15-20 minutes later (?), I put a few slices of pineapple on foil on the grill too. Once the pork reached 165 degrees I took it, and the pineapple off, and let the meat rest.

I sliced the BBQ one thin, put it on a light bun, and topped it with a little BBQ sauce. Along with the grilled pineapple (Yes, again. What can I say? It's really good now!), and some cabbage I had steaming on the stove, it was awesome! Not only that, there was enough meat for four sandwiches.

Tonight I'm using the Asian-spiced one for stir fry or maybe lettuce wraps. I'm not sure yet, but I know it'll be good! Heck, maybe there'll even be enough left for lunch tomorrow.