Project Food Budget: Week 6

Goal: $70
Actual: $70.85


Menu:

• Napa Cabbage with Orange Miso Dressing ★★★★★
• Chipotle Barbecued Tofu with leftover Napa Cabbage Salad ★★★★★
• White Bean Olive Basil Spread, Avocado, Onion, Tomato Sandwiches on Homemade Whole Wheat Bread ★★★★★
• Pink Beans, Quinoa & Spinach Soup ★★★★☆
• Slow Baked Beans with Brussels Sprouts
• Bean Burritos ★★★★★
• Smoky Pinto Beans, Simple Beets and Carrots with Corn Bread ★★★☆☆

Breakfast: 

• Coconut Chai Breakfast Muffin ★★★★☆
• Applesauce Oatmeal with Chunks of Apple ★★★☆☆

Groceries:

• CSA Share: 
• Turnips
• Beets
• Carrots (a ton)
• Brussels Sprouts with greens
• Brussels Sprout greens
• Spinach
• Kale
• Salad Greens
• Scallions
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Store 
• limes
• lemons
• apples
• tomatoes
• onions
• avocado
• ginger
• tofu
• tortillas
• great northern beans
• pinto beans
• basil
• almonds
• walnuts
• eggs
• cheese
• cliff bars

         

Recipes:

• Homemade Apple Sauce: cut desired amount of skinned apple into small chunks. Place in a saucepan with just enough water to cover apples. Add 1 tsp of cinnamon and bring to a boil. Boil down the liquid slightly. Drain excess water and save for use in Applesauce oatmeal. Place cooked apple in food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. 
• Apple Sauce Oatmeal with Apple: Skin and cut a large apple into chunks. Place in sauce pan with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of old fashioned oats and 1 tsp of cinnamon. reduce heat and cook to desired thickness, being sure to stir constantly. Once cooked stir in Homemade applesauce liquid and 1/3-1/2 cup of homemade apple sauce. 
• Smoky Pinto Beans: Soak dry pinto beans overnight. Cook according to package directions, or in pressure cooker. Once beans are cooked reduce heat, add smoked sea salt to taste, and 1/2 chopped onion.Cook on reduced heat for 10-15 mins. Save extra beans in liquid to make bean burritos. 
• Bean Burritos:  When making a meal with pinto beans, or black beans cook the entire lb of beans. Save half to make bean burritos a couple days later. For instance, this week we have Costa Rican Style Black Beans and Rice. I used half the black beans in that recipe and then saved the remaining beans and the juice the beans were cooked with. In the next day or two I use the beans to make refried beans for burritos.  
  • Refried Beans: 
  • Beans in juice
  • 1/2-1 onion diced
  • green or red pepper if on hand
  • 1 bunch of greens stemmed and cut thinly or left over cooked greens, if on hand
  • 2 Tbls oil
  • Ground Chipotle pepper to taste
  • Smoked Salt to taste

              Blend beans in juice and set aside. Heat oil in skillet or wok and add onion and green pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Add ground chipotle pepper to onions and cook for about 1 min. then add blended beans. Cook for several minutes and add smoked salt and greens, if desired. Cook beans and stir constantly, until beans reduce and thicken. 

Notes: My husband eats egg and cheese tacos every morning for breakfast. I think this probably adds about $8 to our grocery bill each week. That is just an observation for anyone looking to save a bit more. Oatmeal is so cheap, easy and delicious. My husband only eats a cliff bar for lunch, so unfortunately, oatmeal will not fill him up enough or give him anywhere near the protein of a couple egg. 

            I tried three recipes from fatfreevegan.com. They were all wonderful and simple. I think I might try her kid friendly mac and "cheese" as I have never found a vegan mac and cheese that is at all tasty.