Two Roasted Vegetable Soups

One really great way to enjoy summer vegetables is to roast them and then puree everything into a heavy soup.

I've done this now two days in a row, to delicious results.

Day one I took five tomatoes, cut them in half. One onion, cut in eighths. Sprinkled with sea salt and fresh pepper, drizzled with about 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp black balsamic vinegar. I roasted them in the oven in a casserole (but a cookie sheet lined with parchment would do, too). When they were soft and mushy, I threw them in the blender with some hot water. It was gorgeous - almost like a bisque. It made two large bowls of soup, the equivalent of 2 1/2 vegetables in each.

Yesterday I thought I'd do the same thing, but with yellow peppers. So I cubed them, added another chopped onion, added the wilting celery (about a cup and a half) and drizzed with olive oil, and white balsamic, salt and pepper.

Same drill - roast till mushy, puree, and add water.

It was beautiful - fresh and bright - and looked fabulous in the bowl. I served the tomato soup beside a (vegan) grilled "cheese" whole wheat baguette, and served the pepper soup alongside some pre-made Indian appetizers with a spicy tamarind sauce.

Did you know that peppers have more vitamin C than an orange? We got our veggies both nights, and prep was barely 3 minutes before and a minute to puree the soup and pour.

Just realized that it's Friday morning, and I survived the grocery week with about $25 to spare.

What'd you eat instead?

I'm grabbing a quick bite at my desk since I'm on my own for lunch today. I wasn't in the mood for our usual lunch favourites : fattoush salad and lentil soup at our local middle-eastern restaurant or spicy black bean soup and a hefty salad at our usual bar-like lunch restaurant....so I went for a drive and found myself at the grocery store... starving!

At the prepared food counter, there are a myriad of glistening, fried, brown items, and a nice array of fresh salads, most of which are sprinkled with bits of cheese or globs of mayonnaise.... nothing I want to ruin today's 6:30 am 42 minute 6K for.

Over in the section containing macaroni and potato salads, I spot four "fresh" salads - and exhale in relief. There is a wild rice salad, a three lentil cranberry salad, a three bean salad and a couscous salad with olives. I decide on the cranberry lentil, and a vegetable samosa.

The kid ahead of me is ringing in two fried chicken breasts and a mound of cheesy potatoes...and almost $15. My order came in at $5.65.

It always gets me thinking when I'm eating out with nothing but time to think about food, or compare what I see around me. Today's question got me pondering "What do I eat instead?". It's not like the chicken or cheese tastes bad, but if you take it off the list of options, what you'll eat INSTEAD is invariably going to be better. Better for your body AND better for your budget.

I think that what I'm eating INSTEAD is what is fuelling my desire to keep eating this way. The vibrant colours, rich and exciting flavours, deep textures and inexpensive and easy variations are such a great alternative.

The fibre and protein and fat and complex carbohydrate mix was really delicious. Instead of packing back a quick fried (dead) chicken breast and some gloppy potatoes, I've eaten about 1 1/2 cups of colourful protein, fiber, nuts, cranberries, parsley, peas, potatoes and some hefty spices. In the time it took me to blog this, my stomach is now full, and I am no longer ravenous.

Being alone, I also had the chance to observe lots of little kids, shopping with their moms. It's interesting for me to see the little kids, their moms and their carts all in one place. Our daily habits sure do add up over the years...

I'll let Harrison have the last word on this blog...

On Sunday, he says to me in his usual, matter-of-fact tone... "Mom, I don't mean to sound "out there" or anything, but I think what parents give their kids when they are little trains taste buds for when you're grown up. Like if you just get fed junk food, your taste buds think that junk food is the way food is supposed to taste when you're grown up. And if your parents give you real food, you probably actually like real food when you're grown up...Right?"

Black Bean Sliders and Corn Chowder

Black bean sliders are my week's fave new discovery. Turns out, the same process for making meatballs can apply easily to black bean burgers.

1 can of drained black beans, salted and peppered
1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs (toasted, if you can)
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (I got some at zehrs... holds the burgers together)
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 minced red onion (in really small pieces...)
1/4 cup of water

Ingredient cost?? $1.50

Mush everything together (I used a potato masher) and then my (clean) hands.

Golf ball sized patties on the George Foreman grill cooked up beautiful and brown in about 10 minutes.

Ina Garten, despite her very North American food emphasis is an amazing cook because she simplifies everything hard and fancies up everything that is easy, resulting in INCREDIBLE food. Like she'll make simple pancakes (which I did yesterday) and then fancy them up by adding a pattern of fresh raspberries and lemon zest. Delicious!

Today, she made a pot roast, and inspired me to do something in my casserole dish. I browned some onions, salt, pepper and olive oil and then waited for inspiration. I forgot to buy carrots, but I chopped up some celery and garlic.

In the back of my pantry was a box of Knorr soup called "Yellow" which I used for a risotto a while back, but only used one of the two containers I bought. The second has been patiently waiting in the pantry, and got poured over the carmelized onions, etc.

Bill walks by and asks what I'm making. My reply "I have no idea.>>"

I had bought 6 ears of fresh corn which (instead of Ina's hunk of chuck) went into the casserole. Suddenly, I think I'll just drop the ears of corn into the pot, let them braise while we're all at the pool, and then make a corn chowder.

11:58. Corn is beautifully tender, but not mushy. I shave the nibs off the ears into a bowl. The rest of the thick stewy soup was pureed in the blender. I add the liquid to the bowl of corn niblets and mix, adding some water to make it a bit more like chowder and less like a stew.

It is fresh, summery, and creamy - satisfying and simple.

Summer Corn Chowder

1 onion chopped thin in rings
4 stalks of celery
2 cloves of garlic
1 box of stock or 1 canned soup
6 ears of corn, salted and peppered

Ingredient Cost?? $5, not including the soup which was waiting in the pantry...

$62.62 + $5.25

Grocery shopping was a breeze today, as I had my list and checked off things as I went through the store. Splurged a little on raw cashews (since I'm in the mood for raspberry ice cream) and pine nuts (to add to our pasta salad), but otherwise pretty much stayed on track from the list.

Bill and I have Abby today so I wanted to make burgers. I have the day off work, and like to try new recipies on days when I have time to do it. Veganomicon has a black bean burger I have been dying to try, so I took a stab at it. 1 can of black beans, 1/2 cup of whatever "vital wheat gluten" is, a clove of minced garlic, 1/2 a red onion, and some s+p to taste, plus some of my new smoked sea salt from McEwan. I also added a half cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of vegetable stock. I had a bit of leftover quinoa, so that went in too - about 1/8 cup. I mashed it all together and then grabbed the mixture and mush-mixed it by hand...

Made the patties and put them on the george foreman grill. About 10 minutes later, the most delicious smell was emanating from the kitchen. Turns out, the vital wheat gluten helped form a gorgeous brown crust on the outside of the burger, they looked very much like beef burgers and were delicious on the fresh buns we bought. In addition, Abby ate an entire burger!!! Totally cool.

One tip I learned when Harrison was small is that kids will eat lots of newer things if they are HUNGRY than if they are full. I was thrilled that she ate it!

Last, but certainly not least, the entire meal for all three of us (Bill had 2, I had 2 and Abby had 1, and I have 3 burgers left, was $3.38. There are 3 buns left and 3 burgers. So each burger was about 46 cents!!!!!

Summer Eats!!

Yesterday, I weeded my garden and pulled out a zucchini the size of my lower leg! A few feet over is a beautiful forest green gourd, destined to be a fall pumpkin. A few feet in the opposite direction is a bouquet of broccoli flowers (yes, you read that right - broccoli flowers!). I had no idea broccoli did this if left on the stem. The flowers are pretty and yellow - and smell like floral broccoli. Who knew?

Today is a payday, and as promised, I've pulled together a meal plan designed to keep a family grocery budget under $100 bucks, or 5 twenties. With the new HST, and if everything we bought was taxable, we would be dealing with $88.50.

I hope by now you have cleaned out your four corners! Your pantry should be organized, and hopefully stocked with some basics that we can work from. Your spice cupboard should have RECENT spices that you like using, and you have hopefully come across some ideas of what you like in the process.

If you have frozen "stuff", we are going to use it. If you have fresh "stuff" in the fridge, we are going to maximize use of those sauces, condiments, juices, exotic jars of stuff, and revive some old favourites too.

I haven't been shopping yet, since it's early morning, but I'll go on my way home from work. This week we are going to focus on things that are positively ABUNDANT during summer. Zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, lettuce, corn, beets, carrots, celery.

There are a number of staples that can and should form the foundation of any meal plan, plant-based or not. They are:

Grains
Breads
Pastas
Salads and
Soups

Great Grilling

1 package of jumbo hot dogs
1 package of whole grain hot dog buns
1 package of whole grain hamburger buns

I rarely make a stop at the grocery store that does not include hot dog buns, or hamburger buns - particularly in the summer. Grilling is easy, fun, and adds a smoky delicious flavour to everything! One of the nice perks of going vegan is that foods like burgers and hot dogs (the real versions of which I avoid due to nutritional, caloric and yuck factors) are quite fabulous when the veggie version is available. Having said this, they are such a convenience food - fast, tasty, and crowd-pleasing) that they are great for kids, in a pinch, or when you are tired, hungry and uninspired.

Don't overlook your condiments. Burgers and Dogs can be topped with a variety of tasty stuff that is delicious and great for you.

Throw some heirloom tomatoes on top (properly salted and peppered).
Mash an avocado and zest some lemon with a pinch of sea salt.
Grill a portobello mushroom cap whole and baste with BBQ sauce or steak spice
Grill a peach and sprinkle with some chopped rosemary
Grill a pineapple and add some smoked sea salt (tastes like a hawaiian pizza:)

*TIP* Serve this on a family night when you want to get the entire family involved in dinner.

I'm going to attempt to make homemade burgers this weekend, so stay tuned...

Perfect Pasta

Whole grain Fusili Pasta
1 Red Pepper
1/2 Red Onion
Fresh Basil
Tomatoes
Pine Nuts
1 bunch of asparagus

An oldie, but a goodie, pasta is a fabulous canvas for summer bounty. Slivered peppers, basil, nuts and red onion with a delicious garlicky dressing can make an ordinary pasta salad POP!

*Tip* - serve this on an evening when friends are coming over for a glass of wine on the patio.

Fresh Herbs, an oil & vinegar vinaigrete, and some bite-size veggies can make a great main course one night, with a delicious side dish or take-to-work lunch the next day.

Bean and Grain Casserole

1 Can of cannelini beans
1 can of black beans
1 Can of tomatoes
1 sweet potato
Quinoa or Brown Rice

This is a meal I can throw together in a number of different vessels. It's great stewed and baked in a casserole dish. It's easy to cook in a slow cooker, and it's equally easy to pour into a pot and simmer it on the stove. I'll often top it with chopped green onions or chives to freshen the flavours before serving.

*Tip* Serve this on an evening you know will be BUSY!

Citrus Black Bean Wraps

1 can of black beans
zest and juice of a lime or two
hot sauce
avocado
salsa
fresh tomato
fresh red, yellow or orange peppers
whole grain 8 inch tortilla shells

My new favourite technique is pulling together a delicious healthy filling for wraps, rolling it up in a tortilla and then grilling it, panini style, on the George Foreman grill to make the outside crisp and to heat up the inner filling. Fresh, fabulous and simple.

Vegetable Stock

1 bunch of carrots
1 head of celery, especially the tops
1 white or yellow onion
1-2 cloves of garlic

Peel and wash the carrots, wash the celery and discard the hairy parts of the onion. A trick I learned from my mom was to leave the yellow skins from the onion in the broth - they give a nice golden colour to the stock. Simmer on the stove and add black pepper and salt to taste.

You can either discard all the veggies once your broth is made or puree them and add them to some of your other dishes throughout the week (ie: I'dd add the mushy carrots to the bean dish, but would discard the celery and onion.

Store in jars, freeze half. Storebought stock is expensive, and can usually contain lots of other additions than what you read here. While I use it in a pinch, it is so easy to make your own that this is one weekly (even monthly) step you don't need to skip.

A Sweet Word about Desserts

Nothing is more delicious in the summer than fresh fruit
At home at least, use the opportunity to put some fresh berries, melon, peaches or apples.

I am in love with coconut recently, so am sprinking it on everything for that delicious tropical flavour, as well as some texture.

So? My grocery list this week will look like this:

Fresh Fruits and Veggies Section

2 Onions, 1 red, 1 yellow
Fresh Basil
6 Tomatoes
1 bunch of asparagus
1 sweet potato
Lime
2 Avocados
3 fresh red, yellow or orange peppers
1 bunch of carrots
1 head of celery, especially the tops
Bunch of green onions(scallions)
Clove of garlic

Breads and Tortillas Section

whole grain 8 inch tortilla shells
1 package of whole grain hot dog buns
1 package of whole grain hamburger buns

Deli Section

1 package of jumbo hot dogs

Pasta and Rice Aisle

Whole grain Fusili Pasta
Quinoa or Brown Rice

Canned Aisle

1 can of cannelini beans
1 cans of black beans
1 can of cubed tomatoes
Salsa

Baking Aisle

Pine Nuts
Coconut

Please keep in mind that this is only the start. We are going to be experimenting with stuff in your fridge, pantry, etc... using what is already there, and adding as we go. This is just our foundation!

Grab 5 20s and let's go! Don't forget to keep the receipt.

Countdown to Cash Flow:)

Inspired by my favourite personal finance show, Till Debt Do Us Part, and its fabulous host Gail Vaz Oxlade, I've wanted to do a month long blog about getting the grocery budget under $100 per week.

Before we get going, we have to cover the basics. If there is one thing that my blogging has taught me, it is that I need to think about food in an organized way, AND I need to plan for my own sponteneity.

I do not believe in some regimented MENU PLAN.

Life happens.
It gets BUSY!
Plans can change, and finally
MOOD can influence dinner more than any other factor.

So: How to stay on budget, roll with the craziness, and still eat fabulously well, while incorporating your food moods can be a challenge!

So here we go:

I would like to shoot for the time frame of July 15th (next payday) to begin. We can go for 4 weeks and spend no more than $400 bucks.

I'll post receipts and photos, and try to take my own advice in the process. We are going to eat as low on the food chain as we can, which is the first budget booster tip I have.

But before we start anything, there need to be some basics in place. You are going to need to have basic supplies on hand at all times to just get things together.

Yesterday I raided my pantry to see what I had, what I currently have on stock and don't use, and what I might need to stock up on.

Take an hour sometime between now and Thursday and COMPLETELY EMPTY your cupboards. Go through everything!!! If you haven't used it, or you bought it on a whim, this is gonna be your week! If things are bad, or useless, throw em out. If they're staying, get them organized.

Here are the basics, which I'd encourage you to gather and then have on a permanent shopping list for yourself to work from... You may have most of these on hand.

Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Coconut Oil
Dijon Mustard
Canned tomatoes
Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Steel cut oatmeal
Dried Red Lentils
Brown Rice
Baking Supplies (Baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cornstarch)
Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
Agave Syrup, Brown Sugar, White Sugar
Whole wheat flour or spelt flour

Do the same thing for your fridge. EMPTY it... Check expiry dates, and either eat the leftovers or throw them out. We are going to get clear on all four corners of your fridge, pantry, spice cupboard and freezer.

If it's still there on Thursday, we're going to eat it.


The Basics of Meal Planning

Plan for fewer meals than you think. Nothing will fail faster than a 7 day meal plan. Your moods will change, your time available will change, and your schedule will change. Let's get used to having a meal in the house regardless of the schedule.

Get used to "making dinner"

Efficient household managers know that putting a meal on is a great budget buster. We have gotten so skewed with the "let's go out" phenomenon, and worse the "let's get take out" phenomenon that I believe many families have lost touch with how easy it is to do this, and how expensive it is to abandon the concept of a real dinner at home.

Budget for your food spending

This one is going to be taken care of for you this month. Grab 5 twenties out of the cash machine on payday, and let's go. Get an envelope where you keep the cash, and then the receipts. And if it goes in your mouth, you pay for it out of the hundred bucks AND you get a receipt. (You'll see how quickly you abandon the $4.42 per day Tim Horton's habit - which is $30.94 per week)

Summer is expensive. You're going to want to do things, enjoy all that this gorgeous weather has to offer. If you're one of those families who routinely spend $200 bucks a week on food, keep reading... you're in for a real surprise this month, and a raise.

Simple Dinners...and my "I had no idea" list...

I had NO IDEA my food would become better when I dramatically reduced my reliance on meat, eggs and dairy products and increased my reliance on plant-based foods.

I had no idea that a simple collection of photos from a few snapshots of meals over the last few weeks would look so very colourful and vibrant.

I had no idea that most of these dishes cost ridiculously little, and are very quick to prepare.

I had no idea how much easier it is to clean up dishes after vegetable based meals. No sticky, slicky, gooey, greasy pans.

I had no idea that my meals would actually fuel my happiness quotient, my budget, my spare time and my enjoyment of eating.

I had no idea I coud simply eat until I was full, with no restrictions whatsoever and stay thinner than I was in high school.

I had no idea that I wouldn't have to buy Kleenex or cold medication for an entire year, because I literally never catch a cold or get a "stomach flu".

I had no idea that there was an extra 10-12 pounds of weight that was put there by my daily food choices.

I had no idea that eating this many vegetables would not just feel like a chore, but be absolutely delicious.

I had no idea that the healthy eating we were doing was going to influence as many people as it has, and that my blog would be read all over the world by vegans and omnivores alike.

I had no idea I was adding about $7 grand back into my family's disposable income.

I had no idea that blogging about food would be THIS MUCH FUN!

Gail, Grandmothers and the Grocery Bill...

I've noticed a significant increase in readers ever since I listed my blog on gailvazoxlade.com/blog

I LOVE this blog, all about financial Q + A, life choices, forming good habits, etc. Many of Gail's shows follow the same budgets - between $100 - $150 per week for "food". Many of the couples on the show have gotten themselves into trouble because of restaurant overspending and none of us are immune to this.

About two years ago, I went through what I called my "grandmother phase". I started gardening, particularly with fresh herbs, I got heavily into using fresh local produce that was in season and I absolutely thrived on the satisfaction of feeding the extended family on nights when we would have everyone over, often sending them home with leftovers.

Stretching a grocery dollar sounds so retro... and when I was practicing law, it didn't seem like such an issue. I made great money doing what I loved, and paying extra for convenience was just something one did.

But my generation in particular has gone too far. Now, we don't pay for convenience once a month - we do it every week, sometimes every day.

Restaurants are convenient.
Pre-made dinners are convenient.
Take-out and delivery are convenient.

And they will KILL your food budget.

Yesterday, on a whim, Alicia and I were able to get the boys together for a swim. We were going to grab something at the pool, but they were closed on Mondays.

Power of advertising proves that the kid on the corner shaking the "Hot and Ready" Little Caesars sign works? I thought - OK, it's kids, it's pizza - lighten up Karen and grab an easy option. Her kids eat quite early, and at 6:15, and I wanted to keep everyone happy.

So two medium pizzas, THREE MINUTES and one free order of crazy bread later, I was BACK IN MY CAR! I was blown away with how fast they handed it to me, and it only cost $11.57. Convenient doesn't even begin to describe how fast this transaction happened.

No nutrition in the white bread pizza. Don't even get me started on the greasy cheese and slicky pepperoni. Having said that, there was a salad ready in the fridge, and I decided to enjoy the evening and the conversation rather than focusing on the food.

I was stunned still, as I put the boxes in the recycle bin. Eleven bucks, 3 minutes.

No wonder it is an easier option for many families.

Having said all this, my grandmother phase is still kicking in. Homemade pizza dough made in batches might cost only a dime or two, but it does take some time.

Meal planning to avoid that last-minute drive by feeding also takes time.

Erosion of our nutrition has long been justified by the convenience of these feeds. Moms and Dads work, drive, and run themselves crazy trying to do it all.

I feel that if anyone can put a roadmap together for a family to speed up the slowing down, it's me. If anyone can put a monthly shopping list together for meals that are healthy, fabulous and fit within the budget, it's me.

Give me a day or so to plan this, and I'm going to set aside Gail's budget of $125 per week for 4 weeks. Let's see if we can get to the end of the month without getting to the end of the money.

Kidding yourself about the grocery bill!

One of my absolute favourite blogs is by Gail Vaz Oxlade, of "Til Debt Do Us Part" fame. If you've never seen the show, she is a financial "tell it like it is", no BS gal and absolutely fabulous at helping families navigate their financial chaos.

Regular readers of my posts have to notice the financial undertones laden in the recipies I put on here, and my friends certainly have been open to a heartfelt and hearty suggestion or two whenever we talk about food.

Yesterday was a payday, and that used to mean that I would spend a huge percentage of my disposable income on food. I think back to posts from Gail's blog (gailvazoxlade.com/blog) where she talks about what our grandparents would have done. They did not buy rice cookers or glassware from the grocery store. They certainly did not by clothes! Yet our mega-store marketing allows the regular (stressed out, busy, many-irons-in-the-fire) person to do a heck of a lot of non-grocery shopping there.

Yesterday, with Canada day off, I was able to get the week's leftovers into a great meal, but found myself talking with Carissa about legumes and beans, supplementing any meat based dishes with some of this very cheap, very easy substitution for meat protein.

I must confess to often buying canned beans because of their convenience, and they are so cheap (most under $1) that soaking my own just never makes the list of things to do,

But yesterday, I soaked three kinds of beans - lentils, red kidney beans, and white cannelini beans. They have now swelled overnight in the fridge, and the whole thing cost less than a loonie.

Everyone in Ontario has been complaining about the the new HST. Keep in mind that the government can only tax you if you choose to spend. So pounds of convenience foods (like chicken breasts) for $9.99 will hit you much harder than if you add in pound for pound protein from lentils, or other legumes. $11.28 versus $1.11.

They're great for your body, they're cheap, and they're an efficient source of protein.

**by the way, you may have noticed a distinct lack of pictures on the blog lately** I had some camera issues, which I'm going to take care of today. Right after I make a great summer bean salad for lunch!

New readers should check out some old posts, namely:

"52.8% on Meat, Dairy and Eggs?" from November 2009"
"Getting Good at this $43 thing" from Feburary 2010
"Beans Three Ways and Home Equity Renovations" from January 2010
"Redefining Easy Cheap and Healthy" from January 2010
"Holiday Time and Budget Accellerator" from December 2009