Garlic: a poor man’s wonderfood

Hi everyone! Sorry about the few and far between number of blog posts. We moved this weekend and are just getting settled in. Although life is far from routine yet, I am back in the saddle and ready to start my daily blogging.

I have a cold coming on so I thought today I would blog about a cheap way to prevent and battle the common cold: raw garlic.

Garlic is a great natural remedy and be consumed in the most delicious ways.

A few weeks ago, I was sadly reading a blog where the women chatted about chewing on a raw garlic clove in order to ward off their cold viruses.  Eating plain, raw garlic cloves? I can think of few things more repulsive than that.  Especially when the opportunities are endless when it comes to eating this little wonderfood raw.

Try adding it to guacamole – it’s a very cheap little dish to make, especially when avocados are in season – or add it to homemade hummus.  Hummus is a great snack to make; it’s dirt cheap, it lasts for a long time in the fridge, it’s very healthy, and it’s delicious. 

You can also add raw garlic to pasta.  During the stretch where tried to eat up the food in my fridge, freezer and pantry, I found it convenient to make a little homemade pasta sauce out of just olive oil, garlic and salt.  Of course, using up the leftover goat cheese made it an extra tasty dish.  You don’t even need a can of tomatoes.

A tasty, simple salad

So I caved and went to the grocery store. However, I only spent $10.23. This got me a bunch of green onions (which looked beautiful) celery, two broccoli crowns, 1 litre of half/half cream, and a “Texas BBQ chicken” pizza. The green onions were on sale (I used up a bunch of them in the chicken salad and need more for the salmon cakes) for only 59¢ and the broccoli crowns were on sale too. I love it when the crowns are on sale (in this case, cheaper than whole broccoli) because that way, you don’t have to pay for the stalk if you’re not going to use it. The cream, which was the main purpose of going to the store (Josh didn’t like the idea of putting milk in his coffee for the next several weeks, and I don’t really blame him) was on sale for $1.99 for a whole litre – great deal! The pizza was regularly about $7.99 but on sale for $4.99 and I used a coupon for $1 off, so it came to $3.99. For some reason the checkout girl questioned the validity of the coupon; surprising, since it was from Save.ca. The expiry date wasn’t until December 21, but she looked at it and said, “what’s the date today?” When I told her, she didn’t believe me and then went and asked her supervisor. She told me that they would accept coupons up until the expiry date – even though it was still days away! I just nodded and she deducted the coupon.

Anyway, I am putting those items to good use. Today I made a simple salad using the broccoli and a recipe from my Mom. The great thing about this recipe is that it helped me to use up a lot of ingredients I had on hand. I finished up a container of yogurt, feta cheese (it’s expensive so I’m glad it didn’t go to waste) and it helped me deplete my existing supply of mayo, sunflower seeds, onions and raisins!

Dressing
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup light mayo
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt, pepper

Combine first ingredients, pour over salad. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days.

My day in the kitchen

Yesterday I made a delicious chicken stock, salmon chowder and cheddar biscuits using only what we had in the house.  Even though our kitchen is pretty sparse these days (we haven’t gone for a full cart of groceries for about a month now) I managed to pull together a really satisfying meal and use up what could otherwise be left behind when we move in January.

My homemade chicken stock

First I made homemade chicken stock.  I used a carcass from a small chicken that we roasted about 6 weeks ago.  It was a small carcass, but it made enough for my chowder.

I sliced some carrots and onions and then added the frozen carcass, with a couple of bay leaves, and then poured enough water over it to barely cover it.  Normally I guess you’re supposed to let it reduce with a low-boil for about 4-5 hours, but mine was done after just over an hour.  Typically you would also add a celery stock but I didn’t have any and it didn’t seem to make a difference.

When it was done, I strained it through a fine mesh strainer – but you could also use a cheesecloth. The stock was flavourful, but only yeilded about 1.5 cups of stock.  It was enough for my chowder.

My salmon chowder

When making a chowder, you can use vegetable stock or even water, but chicken works fine too.  Actually, I think it gave my chowder a rich flavour.  It didn’t overpower the salmon taste at all.

The main point of making the chowder was to use up the frozen salmon fillets I had bought on sale.  You can find Highliner packs of 4 or 5 fillets for $3.99 – even cheaper if you have a coupon!  I had purchased mine for $2.99, working out to 60-75¢ a fillet – and a great way to get a healthy protein!

I used three fillets and baked them for 20 minutes at 450, along with some butter and garlic. After, I let them cool and then put in them in the fridge.

Next, I browned three diced onions and added one large diced carrot and two diced potatoes with some of the chicken stock. I covered the pot and let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  After letting the vegetables soften, I added the rest of the stock and some garlic.  Next I added about a 1/2 cup of cream and another cup of milk.

Then I flaked up the salmon in a bowl and added it to the soup along with some parsley.

Finally, I added some frozen corn, after defrosting it in a bowl of water in the microwave for about 2 minutes (following the package directions.)

I let it simmer for a little longer and that was it!  An easy, delicious and healthful way of using up what was in the house.  I’ve seen many other recipes that call for evaporated milk, but I thought my chowder was thick enough using a milk and cream combo.

My cheese biscuits

The biscuits were adapted from the Canadian Living recipe here.  But I should preface this by telling you that I failed once before making them right.  Not because the recipe was tough but because I easily mix up letters, numbers and all instructions in general.

I started with this recipe. The dough seemed really sticky and upon closer inspection I realized I had forgotten the baking soda.  I tried mixing it with a little extra milk and lemon juice and then adding it to the mix, knowing full well that improvisation and baking rarely works.

But the dough just got stickier and stickier and even with extra flour it wouldn’t ease up.  Upon closer inspection of the recipe yet again, I realized I had put in 3 tbs of baking powder instead of 3 tsp.

So, I started over, with the Canadian Living recipe.  I followed it to a T except I replaced the butter with shortening, since I used up all my butter in my previous failed attempt.  I also cheated by using a muffin tray.

For all my mini-foibles, the cheddar biscuits turned out amazing!

In fact, the stock, chowder and biscuits turned out great.  When Josh got home from work tonight he was thrilled to find a warm, hearty meal waiting for him (it rarely happens around here!) He gave a little head roll when he bit into the cheese biscuit – something that I only see him do when he’s eating something he really, really loves!

Best of all, I created this meal using only what we had at home – didn’t buy a single thing!

Chicken salad from heaven

As promised, I thought I’d follow up with recipes from my previous post – Making the most of what you’ve got.

We made the best chicken salad from a roast chicken that was on sale for $6.  We followed the recipe from this gorgeous food blog, Bread & Honey.

• 1 roast chicken (the B&H blog calls for 1 breast, but we used the entire chicken)
• 2 large carrots (use just one if you are only using a single breast)
• 1 large celery stalk (I omitted this because it was missing from my fridge)
• 2 green onions (original recipe calls for 1/2 a yellow or white onion but I really like the green onion in it)
• several large dollops of mayonnaise, enough to coat the mixture
• a few squirts of brown mustard
• a good splash of apple cider vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

Dice everything, shred the chicken, mix in a large bowl with condiments until everything is evenly coated.

Enjoy!

Making the most of what you’ve got

Use up your baking supplies!

We are moving on January 2nd – and we will be spending about 4 days out of the house for Christmas holidays with my parents out of town.  With that in mind, Josh and I are determined to eat up what we have around the house and buy as few groceries as possible. 

Yesterday we dropped by Loblaws to pick up a few staples and I couldn’t believe how much food prices have risen.  We have not gone grocery shopping for nearly a month now (just relying on a few mini-trips here or there for one or two items) and I was frankly shocked that prices have gone up within weeks.  A head of romaine lettuce for $2?  Basic brown Wonderbread for $2.79?

So now I have another reason to eat-in – the high cost of food!

Right now the cupboard, fridge and freezer are looking a little sparse.  And by a little, I mean a lot! We don’t have much, but here’s how we are making it last. (I will follow up this post with recipes!)

1. Lentils. The other day I made a tremendous soup using dried lentils, carrots, and canned tomatoes. This made sooo much soup – I had about a million bowls of it and there’s still some in the freezer! 

2. Baking our own bread.  That’s right, we’re giving it another go.  We have all the ingredients so why not? 

3. Roast chicken. I had a chicken in the freezer that I bought on sale for $6.  We roasted it last night, and I can’t believe how much chicken that bird yielded!  

4. Pasta. Remember those Europe’s Best frozen veggies that were on sale for 99¢ after the coupon? We defrosted them in a frying pan and added them to whole wheat pasta, along with olive oil, garlic and some goat cheese.  Deliciously simple!  We still have more of all of the above ingredients so I’ll definitely make this one again.

5. Salmon cakes.  We actually have a ton of HighLiner frozen salmon in our freezer, purchased on sale.  We have some potatoes and green onions and josh is going to make salmon cakes.  I am also going to use what’s left of the salmon, frozen corn, potatoes, cream and milk, to make a salmon chowder.  All I really need is some fresh dill.

6. Everything but the kitchen sink soup. I don’t know what’s going in this soup, but I know that I have beans, lentils, garlic & onions, macaroni, rice, cabbage, carrots, corn, tomato paste, and some frozen chicken bones – and somehow I get the sense that out of those ingredients I could probably figure out a soup to make (any suggestions, btw?)

7. Baked goods.  I have tons of baking supplies and I have a feeling that some muffins or scones will be in order.

8. Hummus. “God bless the chickpea.” It’s just one of those things you can make when your fridge is nearly bare.

9. Broccoli salad.  This morning my Mom sent me a recipe for this and I had to laugh – I had everything I needed to make it except the broccoli – including sunflower seeds, raisins, yogurt and feta cheese.  

10. Tuna casserole - another frugal stand-in when you’re cupboards are getting bare. I do not have mushroom soup but I have a recipe that calls for sour cream and mayo instead, and I have both of these ingredients. 

My shopping list for these meals will include:

1. Fresh herbs – parsley and dill

2. Celery

3. Broccoli

That’s it! (Shall we take bets on if I’ll succeed in coming out of the store with just those three items?)

Toasted almonds & other healthy snacks

Last weekend I made toasted almonds as a delicious addition to weekday snacking. I bought the almonds, un-toasted, on sale at Price Chopper – but you could visit the Bulk Barn, too. I used the same recipe I used for the pumpkin seeds (from Martha Stewart) only I doubled it to completely cover the almonds (I had quite a few).  Also, instead of toasting the almonds in an oven, I used a frying pan (see instructions here). 

I cannot believe how tasty they are!  And they are reasonably healthy, too.  You can also toast them and then add them to dried cranberries and/or raisons, pretzels, peanuts, or other snacks to make a homemade trail mix.  It’s a great addition to your lunch, and easy to leave at your desk at work for mid-day snacking.  Also great for road-trips!  Or if you are looking to supplement Christmas presents or stocking stuffers, you can put the almonds in a tightly sealed jar, and include it as part of the gift.

Delicious Eggplant & Tomato Soup

Veggie soups & stews make frugal feasts

Soups and stews are a great way to feed your family when you are trying to work with a frugal grocery budget. Eggplants are not the cheapest vegetable out there, but they are certainly affordable when you compare them to the price of meat. I recently made a huge pot of roasted eggplant and tomato soup that was hearty, thick and delicious. I bought two super-huge eggplants and then roasted them under the broiler along with some olive oil and some tomatoes and onions. When they were golden brown and nice and soft, I put them in the food processor, and then dumped the mixture in a pot with 6 cups of chicken stock and crushed garlic, just simmering it to mix and warm it up. The result was delicious. You can peel or not peel the eggplants depending on your personal preference. This made a huge amount of soup, which we are still eating through. Add a little bread and you can serve it as a meal. Of course, Josh asked for a grilled cheese sandwich shortly after he was finished, so I guess it depends on how hungry you are!

Guest post – A new mom’s perspective: Puréed Baby Food

Cheap, cheaper and cheapest: Your options for affordable pizza

Love pizza?  Here are three affordable options.

Cheap…

Take Away

My favourite take away or delivery pizza place is Pizzaville.  They offer delicious pizzas and have great deals, such as a Large, 3-topping pizza for $10.99 – every night of the week.  You can’t get a deal like that anywhere else in this city.  The best way to cut down on costs when ordering pizza is to avoid delivery costs. Just pick it up yourself and you will avoid delivery fees and tips.

…Cheaper…

In the freezer

A homemade pizza with leftover Italian sausage, tomatoes and onions

I’ll be the first to admit that I actually buy the occasional frozen pizza.  Why?  Because as we all know, there are inevitably nights where you just don’t feel like cooking, and you order a pizza to save time and energy.  If you have a frozen pizza in your freezer, you can just slide one in to the oven for less than $5.

My favourites are Ristorante pizzas, because they have lots of veggies on them, and they are thin crust, so you don’t fill up on dough.  They cost anywhere between $4 and $6 depending on where you shop.  I look for them on sale and stock up.  I also subscribed to Ristorante’s e-newsletter list where they send coupons – you can find them here. Right now there is a coupon for $1.50 off when you buy 2, and 75¢ off Casa di Mama.

…Cheapest…

Homemade

If you are like me, you love quick and easy suppers.  One tip that I recently thought of is to make your own pizzas and then freeze them, so you have ‘em handy.  You can make your own pizza dough, buy pizza dough or pick up pizza kits with the dough ready made.

Healthy meals for 60¢ or less

One of the best tips to reduce you grocery bill is to simply make good use of what is affordable and plentiful.  Josh and I bought a chicken on sale several months ago for $4 and we stored it in the freezer.  We roasted it a couple of weeks ago and had a cheap and lovely meal together.  The leftovers made great sandwiches and chicken salad, and the bones are sitting in our freezer, waiting to be used as stock.

Upon returning to the store on the weekend, we hoped to cash in on another great deal, only to find that similar sized chickens were now being sold for $12!  

So this week, I am focusing on making mostly vegetarian meals.  I nearly laughed when I picked up a package of tofu for 99¢, thinking about how cheap tofu is in comparison to meat, not to mention its versatility and healthful benefits.  A single block of tofu will go far – in a single package there is probably about 4 meals worth (I count one meal as a single portion).

One great thing I always make when I am trying to be frugal with my grocery budget is a vegetarian chili.  You can pack it with beans, which are obviously full of protein.  I love adding a little cheddar cheese or sour cream to mine and lots of spices.  A big batch of vegetarian chili will feed you for days, keep well in the freezer, and you won’t spend more than $.60 per meal (per person).

 Another favourite in our household is homemade Indian food.  Josh makes a lentil dish by simmering red lentils with stewed tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices.  He serves it over rice, and it’s great comfort food. This dish works out to cost about $1.75 for the entire dish, but it serves up at least 4 meals, making each dinner cost about 44¢.  For a cheap and tasty side dish, Josh whips up a chickpea salad with chickpeas, cucumbers and a dressing consisting of yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. This salad, which also makes at least 4 portions, will add approximately 60¢ to each person’s portion.

Tip: If you enjoy Indian food, learn how to make your own samosas, or buy them at an Indian grocery store.  Non-Indian stores mark up the prices. Shop there for other Indian food products as well.

Use beans, lentils and tofu (really just another bean product) reduce your intake of meat – you will simultaneously reduce your grocery budget substantially!  

Bean dishes, like vegetarian chili, are tasty, healthy and cheap