HGrocery lists and easy weeknight recipes from a culinary pro.ealthy Cooking on the Cheap: Spinach Turkey Burgers, Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers, and MoreI love the grocery store. OK, I am a bit obsessed with it, actually. I would pick grocery shopping over clothes shopping any day of the week! But, like most Americans, I’m on a tight budget these days, so I need to buy the healthiest groceries for the least amount of money. I may have temporarily banned myself from shopping in heaven—I mean Whole Foods—but eating well doesn’t have to cost you.
The best way to eat healthy on a budget? Meal planning. I dream up two or three dinners I want to make the upcoming week, write down the ingredients, and then buy only those. And I usually break my grocery shopping down into a couple of trips. I do mini-shops every week, then once a month I buy in bulk at Costco. I look for produce that won’t perish, like apples, and I score some great deals on frozen veggie burgers and peanut and almond butter. And I stock up on frozen broccoli and corn, too. Check out these time- and money-saving freezer tips. Buying seasonal produce is another great way to score a deal.
Every two weeks I’ll set you up with a grocery list and some quick and easy family dinner ideas that can double as leftovers for lunch the next day. This week I’m focusing on fresh fall produce—specifically sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Back-to-school season, college football, and apple picking—what’s not to love about fall? Even though the temperatures are still in the upper 90s here in Florida, now that it’s September I can start using some of my favorite autumn ingredients.
Here’s what’s on the list this week:
Large, raw frozen shrimp (I love Kirkland, Costco’s brand. They’re a great bargain!)
Whole-wheat angel hair pasta (Barilla makes a 51% whole-grain blend that kids will love.)
2 cans diced tomatoes
Feta cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Dry white whine (any Chardonnay will do)
Garlic cloves
2 lemons
2 containers extra-firm tofu (I love Nasoya brand.)
Sesame oil
Tamari (Find this next to the soy sauce in your local supermarket.)
Garlic powder
Whole-wheat pitas
Sea salt
Rice wine vinegar
4 sweet potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Light mayonnaise
Creole seasoning
Whole-wheat hoagie rolls
Relish
Hot sauce
Quinoa
4 large red bell peppers
Fresh basil
Eggs
1 lb. lean ground turkey
10 oz. frozen spinach
Organic lettuce Spinach Turkey BurgersCombine ground turkey with 1 egg, sea salt, and pepper, and mix well. Add defrosted frozen spinach and form mixture into four evenly sized patties. Cook each patty for about 6–7 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve on whole-wheat buns or hoagie rolls with lettuce, ketchup, and mustard.
Mediterranean Stuffed Bell PeppersGently cut the tops off of four large red bell peppers. Set aside. In a medium-size pot, bring 1 cup quinoa, a pinch of sea salt, and 3 cups water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for about 12–13 minutes or until the quinoa has soaked up all the water and is light and fluffy. Remove from heat. Add 1 can drained diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles, 1/4 cup chiffonaded (or roughly chopped) fresh basil to the quinoa and gently stir. Stuff each bell pepper with quinoa mixture and serve with a large salad and warmed whole-wheat pitas.
Baked TofuDrain tofu and set each block on separate plates. Cover with dish clothes and heavy books and let “press” for 30–40 minutes. Remove books and towels and slice each block of tofu into four pieces. In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of tamari, a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Rub each tofu slice with the mixture and bake for 30 minutes at 400º, turning each slice after 15 minutes. Serve alongside baked sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
Shrimp Scampi PastaThaw bag of frozen shrimp. Peel and devein. Set a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on medium high. Add 3 garlic cloves, minced, and sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine and the juice of 1 lemon and bring to a simmer for about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and toss well. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through. Watch out—they cook quickly! Meanwhile, cook the whole-wheat angel hair in the boiling water and drain. Add the hot, cooked pasta to the shrimp mixture and toss. Season with sea salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese.
The best way to eat healthy on a budget? Meal planning. I dream up two or three dinners I want to make the upcoming week, write down the ingredients, and then buy only those. And I usually break my grocery shopping down into a couple of trips. I do mini-shops every week, then once a month I buy in bulk at Costco. I look for produce that won’t perish, like apples, and I score some great deals on frozen veggie burgers and peanut and almond butter. And I stock up on frozen broccoli and corn, too. Check out these time- and money-saving freezer tips. Buying seasonal produce is another great way to score a deal.
Every two weeks I’ll set you up with a grocery list and some quick and easy family dinner ideas that can double as leftovers for lunch the next day. This week I’m focusing on fresh fall produce—specifically sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Back-to-school season, college football, and apple picking—what’s not to love about fall? Even though the temperatures are still in the upper 90s here in Florida, now that it’s September I can start using some of my favorite autumn ingredients.
Here’s what’s on the list this week:
Large, raw frozen shrimp (I love Kirkland, Costco’s brand. They’re a great bargain!)
Whole-wheat angel hair pasta (Barilla makes a 51% whole-grain blend that kids will love.)
2 cans diced tomatoes
Feta cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Dry white whine (any Chardonnay will do)
Garlic cloves
2 lemons
2 containers extra-firm tofu (I love Nasoya brand.)
Sesame oil
Tamari (Find this next to the soy sauce in your local supermarket.)
Garlic powder
Whole-wheat pitas
Sea salt
Rice wine vinegar
4 sweet potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Light mayonnaise
Creole seasoning
Whole-wheat hoagie rolls
Relish
Hot sauce
Quinoa
4 large red bell peppers
Fresh basil
Eggs
1 lb. lean ground turkey
10 oz. frozen spinach
Organic lettuce Spinach Turkey BurgersCombine ground turkey with 1 egg, sea salt, and pepper, and mix well. Add defrosted frozen spinach and form mixture into four evenly sized patties. Cook each patty for about 6–7 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve on whole-wheat buns or hoagie rolls with lettuce, ketchup, and mustard.
Mediterranean Stuffed Bell PeppersGently cut the tops off of four large red bell peppers. Set aside. In a medium-size pot, bring 1 cup quinoa, a pinch of sea salt, and 3 cups water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for about 12–13 minutes or until the quinoa has soaked up all the water and is light and fluffy. Remove from heat. Add 1 can drained diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles, 1/4 cup chiffonaded (or roughly chopped) fresh basil to the quinoa and gently stir. Stuff each bell pepper with quinoa mixture and serve with a large salad and warmed whole-wheat pitas.
Baked TofuDrain tofu and set each block on separate plates. Cover with dish clothes and heavy books and let “press” for 30–40 minutes. Remove books and towels and slice each block of tofu into four pieces. In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of tamari, a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Rub each tofu slice with the mixture and bake for 30 minutes at 400º, turning each slice after 15 minutes. Serve alongside baked sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
Shrimp Scampi PastaThaw bag of frozen shrimp. Peel and devein. Set a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on medium high. Add 3 garlic cloves, minced, and sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine and the juice of 1 lemon and bring to a simmer for about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and toss well. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through. Watch out—they cook quickly! Meanwhile, cook the whole-wheat angel hair in the boiling water and drain. Add the hot, cooked pasta to the shrimp mixture and toss. Season with sea salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese.
No comments:
Post a Comment