Meal Plan for the Week

I prefer fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning.

Finally, Thursday's Meal Plan For Ya'!

I've made the meal plan, done most of the shopping, and I'm wiped. Now I'll share with you all what I'll be cooking up this week.

One of the meals this week will be made for the Tried and Tasted Blog Event happening over at Fat Free Vegan. I'm going to make one of her meals, with my own modifications. Tried and Tasted was created by Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen. I'm excited to finally participate in a blog event, especially since I love the recipes over at Fat Free Vegan. The meal I'm making from her is the Double Mushroom Miso Soup and Sesame Broccoli. Instead of using white mushrooms and buying dried shiitake mushrooms, I'm going to go pick up a bunch of locally grown mushrooms at Costco. The mushrooms come in a variety pack, and are somewhat expensive. However, they will be worth it. I don't buy mushrooms often, so I might as well go for the good local stuff.

Have I told you all yet how important it is to me to buy as much locally grown and produced food as possible? Well, it is an important part of my cooking philosophy. In fact, I just gave a presentation on eating locally and organically to help mitigate the climate crisis. If anyone would like to see the powerpoint and/or read my notes on this please feel free to e-mail me. I can also point you in the direction of some really great resources on the topic.

One great way to buy locally is to go to a farmers market. I've got an interview in front of me, from Parade Magazine, with Tom Wilsack the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and former governor of Iowa. He said that he is working to make sure "that food stamps an be used at farmers' markets." (Parade, May 3 2009).

If there aren't any farmers markets near you, look for farm stands, roadside produce stands with honor boxes, and of course check your nearby grocery stores for locally grown produce and locally raised meat products. Even buying locally processed products is a good idea because they don't have to have as much packaging or refrigeration to get to the store as do products that come from half way across the country or globe.

I also promote eating fewer meat based meals each week. Last week was a bit meat heavy for us, with a lot of chicken in our meals. So, this week we're cutting back.

I'm sure you've been wondering when I'd get off my soap box and finally show you the meal plan, and since I've set it up so nicely now:

Thursday Dinner: Local Style Chili (contains local green bell peppers, local onions, and local ground beef, local Portuguese sausage, and all organic canned beans)

This is a chili based on the chili sold at Zippy's restaurants and in the grocery stores here in Hawaii. This makes a ton, and will be good for the meat eaters who are dining here tonight. Plus, the leftovers will help restock the freezer.

Sunday Brunch: Mother's Day

• Scrambled Local Eggs
• Buttermilk Biscuits (gluten-free of course)
• Roasted Local Zucchini with Local Onions
• Local Strawberry, Local Blueberry, Local Banana and Organic Yogurt Parfaits (no granola)

Friday-Wednesday (minus Saturday as we'll be out and about)

• Double Mushroom Miso Soup, Sesame Broccoli, Brown Rice
• Channa Masala (didn't get eaten this week)
• Crockpot Honey Lentil Soup (I'm bulking this out to refill the freezer)
• Gim-Bahp Korean Sushi
• Crispy Sweet and Sour Tofu

Shopping:

6--Onions*

1lb--Spinach*

4--Zucchini (yellow and green)*

16oz--Strawberries*

1 pint--Blueberries*

2 small bunches-Bananas*

1 bag--Organic Carrots

2--Green Bell Pepper*

1lb--Ground Beef

2 bags--Lentils

12oz--Tofu*

2--Portuguese Sausage*

1 carton--Pasture Raised Eggs*

2 cans--Organic Kidney Beans

2 cans--Organic Chili Beans

1 can-- Organic Garbanzo Beans

1/2 gal--Organic Milk

1 qt--Organic Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt

1 1/2 qt--Organic Ice Cream

2 bars--Chocolate

1 Toblerone (impulse buy)

Total=$89

* indicates locally grown, produced, or raised

I still need to buy the mushroom, and I'm not sure how much they'll cost. I'm also doing my Costco trip early this month and getting some tomato paste, laundry soap, and salsa. Although, I am considering making my own salsa. It will be more expensive, but it will cut back on snacking on tortilla chips.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Meal Plan for the Week

I'm terribly sorry I am late on posting this. It will usually be up by Thursday afternoon, which is my shopping day. Having a house guest for those couple of days threw me off of it, but I am back. I did have a lot of fun though, so maybe you can forgive me for having some fun in the middle of the busiest school week I've had in a long time.

I'll even post the meals we were having last week and weekend so you know what is left in my arsenal:

• Wednesday Dinner (usually included in the meal plan for the previous/next week): Matzoh Ball Soup
• Thursday Dinner: Vegan Indian Curry with Quinoa
• Friday: Crockpot Honey Lentil Soup and a salad with basic vinaigrette
• Saturday: I had leftovers from the night before, and the Nerd had some salmon Onigiri and salad leftovers because he went out to record a band
• Sunday: Teriyaki Chicken Donburi
• Monday: Stirfry Beef and Broccoli(need to use the beef tonight)

What's left:

• Crockpot Spanish Rice Casserole and Green & Yellow Beans
• Vegetarian Channa Masala & Brown Rice
• Red Curry Beef & Brown Rice

Because we had Freezer Food Saturday I now have an extra meal to throw into next week's plan. That will help cut down on cost in the next meal plan. So, with that I can either save up the space for a Costco trip, or I can buy something extra at the store, or I can stock up on something that is on sale. Only time will tell.

I'm really interested in getting involved with the gluten-free menu swap, and I so need to keep on top of this and what the theme food is.

Now back to mine, and your, regularly schedule Monday.

**EDIT** It appears that the menu swap is dead. That's so sad. The last post was in September of last year.

Changing the Way I Do Things

I've been thinking about how I can become more frugal in my cooking. How can I still get great tasting stuff without spending too much money? Now, I know there are a million and one blogs out there on the subject, but I too can jump on this bandwagon. Everyone is doing it now.

I've been doing pretty well with keeping our grocery budget at a decent level for living on an island where nearly everything has to be shipped in. Shipping costs money, and as far as I know, it's taxable at both ends of the shipping process. There have even been national news stories on how much a gallon of milk costs in Hawaii. For the Nerd I buy a half gallon of organic milk every 2 weeks, and it is 6 dollars for that half gallon. There is a Big Island dairy that is selling milk at my nearby grocery store for 8 dollars a gallon, but I need to see how long it lasts. The bf likes stuff that will last a while because he might not get around to drinking it fast enough, and then the money is wasted. The organic milk lasts for about a month because it is ultra-pasteurized, something I just learned. This means it is pasteurized twice instead of once like other milks. This may destroy some of the valuable nutrients in the milk, but it's how they can guarantee its freshness by the time it arrives in Hawaii (since it comes by boat, not plane). I have seen news articles about milk here, that is not ultra-pasteurized, going bad nearly the day after people get it home from the grocery store. That's ridiculous.

So, how can I live more frugally here? Well, that's something I'm just going to have to learn to do.

I thought I was going to do that this week when I decided to buy two 5 pound bags of potatoes for $4.50, and when I decided to buy a 5 pound whole chicken for $8 (yes, that's on sale for $1.59 per pound, non-organic, non-free range, Foster Farms). Granted I am shopping for the chicken at what is the most expensive grocery store in the state (according to multiple sources), I thought I could do even better than $100 for this week.

Nope. My total cost guess for this week's meal plan is $94.10. There is tonight's meal, which as you all know includes multiple people (only 5 this week), which adds a little more than normal, but not too bad. I'll be feeding everyone tonight for $2.60 per person. I've also got a big meal of curry for the Nerd and I this week that is $2.60 per serving. I was going to serve that tonight, but the coconut milk is too fattening and doesn't meat Weight Watcher's requirements for one of our friends, but that's totally fine.

The Nerd and I are also planning on visiting the new farm stand just up the road later today. I'd like to see what they have available. I want to start including more fresh fruits and veggies into our diets, especially as snacks. Chips and salsa is not a healthy snack to me.

Last night the Nerd and I discussed what we could do to eat healthier, and he expressed that he feels we're doing really well. We only eat beef one two times every two weeks, we don't eat pork, we don't eat a lot of processed sugars (no sodas, no store bought cookies, cakes, etc.), and we eat quite a few vegetarian meals. I just want to make sure we're doing all we can, without being deprived, to eat well.

I read so many things that tell me that I could be doing better at this than I am. I could eat more fish, more vegetables, more fruits. I see how well other people eat, and I feel like I'm not keeping up. Although, I do see how poorly some people eat and I feel like a health nut, or at least just sane.

So, I guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing, maybe cut back on the eggs in the morning and go for smoothies instead. Eat yogurt and little bits of fruit for snacks. I need to get the Nerd into eating cut up veggies for snacks. He's just not into them.

He has issues with some health food because of how he grew up. His dad didn't use spices in his cooking. Okay, he used what he thought were spices. He would use beets to spice up steamed potatoes or turnips. Blech. The Nerd could never go back to eating carob because he ate it as a child and when he finally had chocolate he thought "Why am I eating this crap?" So, now he likes to eat lots of spices and lots of sweets. Spices are good, so I need to figure out how to do them more healthily and I need to wean him off too many sweet treats.

A friend of his told me "If you want him to eat something, just put it in front of him. Don't ask."

Oh, I bet you all are wondering where in the heck the meal plan is, alright, I'll stop rambling:

Thursday Night: Veggie Stuffed Red Bell Peppers from The Gluten-Free Vegan and a salad which a guest will bring.

The rest of the week:

• Vegan Indian Curry (a recipe I made up , which I will post below)
• Sweet and Sour Tofu (from glutenfreeda.com)
• Roast Chicken with carrots & onions and mashed potatoes (from Julia's Kitchen Wisdom)
• White Chicken Chili (from Seriouseats.com found through cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com)
• Chicken Breast Salad (from Julia's Kitchen Wisdom)
• Simple Chicken Soup with rice (from Julia's Kitchen Wisdom)

It appears to be a Julia Child week. It's good to learn the basics, and I am trying. I'll actually be making my own vinaigrette to go along with the salad.

Here's what the shopping list looks like, and my rounded up estimates of prices:

• Tofu (2 packages) on sale 2 for $3
• Apple Juice $4
• Whole Chicken (5lbs) $8
• Chopped Green Chiles (1 can) $2
• Northern Beans (1 can) $3 (normally I'd buy beans dry, but I have no future plans for this type of bean)
• Dijon Mustard $4
• White Wine Vinegar $3
• Shallot (1) $1
• Bananas (2 bunches) $4
• Chocolate bars (5 for the Nerd) $3
• Yogurt (non-fat, plain) $5
• Kitchen String (for the bird) $3
• Zucchini (3) $4
• Mushrooms (1 tub) $2
• Red Bell Pepper (5) $10
• Cauliflower (1/2) $4
• Okinawan Sweet Potatoes (4) $8
• Ginger $1
• Potatoes (two 5lb bags) $4.50
• Lettuce (1 head romaine) $3
• Lemons (2) $2
• Onions (5) $5
• Celery (1 bunch) $1
• Carrots (1 bag) $1
• Eggs (local, free range) $4.69
• Parsley $2

I do have onions and a little bit of celery and some carrots in my fridge, but I'd like to keep these staples around, so I'll buy more. Kitchen string is a long term investment, and I won't have to buy it often. The Nerd must have his chocolates to be very happy, and that's how I like him to be. I didn't have white wine vinegar, only red wine vinegar, and I had no Dijon Mustard, just standard yellow mustard. Bell peppers are expensive here no matter white time of year it is, because the reds always seem to be from Mexico, and the Nerd won't eat green peppers. Apple juice is just that expensive here, that's all there is to it. And, the eggs are my splurge to help save the planet, be kind to the chickens, etc.

I am working on eating more locally, and if the Nerd would eat green bell peppers I could get local ones and they'd be less expensive. Hrm, that gives me an idea. Maybe I'll serve everyone else green bell peppers and get one red one for him. That's an idea for sure.

Talking with you all is very inspiring. Perhaps I should have done this last night when I was having a meal plan mental block.

Oh, and one of the cashiers at the smaller grocery store calls me "The Notebook Girl" and always checks to see if I have it. I carry a spiral notebook with me which contains my meal plan and shopping list. She saw a girl with a notebook last week and thought she was me, but I showed up later with notebook in hand.

**EDIT** I ended up grabbing a couple of other useful things, like peanut butter, so I came in at $103.

Week One

Alright, so here I am trying to come up with a meal plan for the coming week. My week begins on Thursday and ends on Wednesday. Some weeks I don't have 7 dinners to plan for because I know I am going to be going out somewhere and eating away from home. This is about once a month, but it could happen more than that.

My weekly budget is $100 for two adults. For some of you that may seem like a lot, but here in Hawaii it really is not that much. I have a friend who told me that even before she had her child (nearly 10 years ago) she and her husband had a grocery budget of more than $150. So, if that is the case, and food prices have gone way up since then, I'm doing working with a pretty good budget(in the frugal sense) for two people.

This week, because of a big trip to the local health food store on Monday, I am working with 27 dollars. Because of this, I will be doing a lot of cabinet shopping and serious planning to get things to work out.

My bf and I have begun a tradition of hosting a community(friends) dinner on Thursdays. The number of people who attend varies. This week it seems that we could have at most 10 guests. (I'm wishing now I hadn't spent that extra 20 dollars on things that weren't on my list on Monday.) However, I can do this. It's a good challenge for me(it makes me think I'd do alright on Top Chef if I can make it out alive this week).

With those Thursday dinners I also have to work with a variety of diets. Two people are on Weight Watchers (one of them hates chicken), one person is a vegetarian, one person is a serious meat and starch type, and I don't eat much dairy (just starting to eat a little well aged cheese and yogurt) and I don't eat any gluten.

So, this means that I have to prepare 2 dinners. One needs to encompass the W.W. sans chicken, m&p, and GF Lactose-Free. The other is the vegetarian dish.

For the vegetarian dish this week I have asked this friend to bring a big salad, and I will provide some yummy marinated and grilled tofu for her to place on it.

For the other meal, well, I'm still working on that. So far I have one option: Mexican Potato Casserole which is about 6 points on Weight Watchers. However, it meets all of the requirements for the omnivores.

I'll let you know the outcome of that search as soon as I know it.

In addition to planning this large feast, I also have to plan out for next week. Now, as I said $100 isn't a lot in Hawaii, and $27 certainly isn't a lot either (and most of that will be going toward the community dinner).

Well, shopping out of my cabinets has begun, and I just found a great recipe on 5 Dollar Dinners for this week. I'll keep scouring their site, and Crockpot365 as well as Google and my brain for some great dinner ideas straight from my own pantry.

So, stick with me. Perhaps we'll both learn something.

***EDIT***

So, I have decided to do a Beef Teriyaki recipe that I have. I got it from a local woman. This is seriously good stuff. My bf says it's at the top of the crack list, and that it's actually the best teriyaki he's had in his life (and that's growing up on Maui). It's kind of a secret recipe, and I'm a little hesitant to put it out there on the web for everyone, so if you really want it, please comment and I will e-mail it to you under the strictest confidence. *haha*

I was afraid that the points value on this meal would be far too high, but as long as the ladies portion themselves to 4 ounces of beef and 1/2 cup of rice then they should be coming in at 5 points maximum. They can also add some salad on the side.

For my vegetarian friend I will do the same teriyaki marinade, but I'll put the tofu in it and then grill it on my little George Foreman. She is bringing the salad, so of course she can have some of that.

And the rest of us will eat the beef teriyaki without worry, and we too can have salad.

Hrm, I should probably make sure my friend is bringing enough salad for 9 people (the m&p person won't touch the stuff).

Oh, and here's this week's meal plan:

• Cowboy Beans and Rice
• Black bean, pumpkin* enchiladas (the sauce is from a link through on 5dollardinners.com)
• Crockpot Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings
• Gluten-Free White Cheddar and Onion Pizza (idea from kaitlininthekitchen)
• Crockpot Candy Chicken and Brown Rice with vegetable from the freezer
• Salmon Onigiri and Miso Soup (my idea) with edamame from the freezer

*Here's hoping the pumpkin goes okay with the tomato based enchiladas sauce

So, the things I have to shop for then are:

• 3 pounds of teriyaki cut Maui Cattle Company beef (approx. $10)
• 1 small bottle of Tropicana orange juice (approx. $3)
• Scallions (approx. $1)
• Kapalua Farm Eggs (approx. $4.50 for local free range eggs)
• Maui Onions (approx. $3 for local onions)
• Yo+ Yogurt (approx. $4)
• I think I'll have the bf's mom get the milk this time since we've bought it the last few times.

Approximate Total= $25.50

I wanted to buy some salad mix for during the week, but it won't fit, so we'll make do with something else.

I can't wait to grow my own lettuce again.

Okay, take care! I'm glad I'm done with this for the day, but Chemistry does not sound like fun.

Meal Plan June 4-10

Well, I planned out meals for Thursday through next Wednesday, but the Nerd and I went out on Friday and Saturday night.

On Friday we met up with a friend for coffee downtown, and since it was past dinner time by the time we all said goodbye I decided to treat the Nerd to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

The restaurant is Saigon Cafe. It's known around here as "The Restaurant Without a Sign." Saigon Cafe is located Wailuku, and there are stars on the roof. Nope, I'm not kidding, there are electric light stars on the roof. It's a little tricky to get to, but if you take the first right in Wailuku, past the overpass, and then take a right onto Nani St. You'll see the restaurant to the right. Look for the stars on the roof. The parking is somewhat limited, and there is an apartment complex with reserved parking. But, it's never been a real problem to find someplace to park. Besides, if it was really difficult it'd still be worth the trouble.

The waitstaff are friendly and quite funny. I'm careful about what I order. I avoid the "special" dipping sauce that comes with the summer rolls and instead I use hot sauce.

Our favorite items are the Hot and Sour Fish Soup with Mahi-Mahi, and the Shrimp Claypot. I've never had stomach problems after dining there, and I've never felt glutened. If you're very concerned about cross contamination, you might try elsewhere, but you can always talk with your server about the menu items. Presenting a dining card might help make things clear in case of a language barrier.

When I went to the mainland last year, the first place I went after leaving the airport was Saigon Cafe. Hot, flavorful, and comfortable were a great combination for returning home. Not having to cook was also great.

Last night the Nerd and I went to Sansei sushi, in Kihei, with some friends. This wa a planned outing. Sansei's waitstaff was amazing when it came to Celiac Disease. The waitress informed me that they often have people with food allergies dining there. She was able to list every item on the menu which would be safe for me to eat. The restaurant also has San-J Wheat Free Tamari, just ask for it. Most of what us non-gluten eaters can have are the very simple vegetarian rolls and the Nigiri sushi and Sashimi. Beware. Just because it is an expensive sushi place does not mean they use only crab in their California rolls. The waitress informed that it is actually a mix of crab and imitation crab in them, so please do not eat these if they are unsafe for you. I left totally full, and completely satisfied.

After sushi, we all went for a stroll on the beach before the concert. The concert was held at Mulligans on the Blue. This is an Irish restaurant, and no it's not on the water. It's actually on a golf course. From what I was told, it's the old clubhouse/restaurant for the Wailea Blue Course, from which Mulligans took part of its name.

Don't even dream of eating dinner here. Just about everything looks to be covered in gluten, and I wouldn't risk cross contamination for the world there. However, I did have some delicious vanilla ice cream and alcoholic beverages(Mojito and Sandtrap). There is no gluten free beer, and the hard cider is a gluten containing beverage.

Oh, and did I get sick? Nope. I'm doing really well. It's just hot as the dickens today.

Here's what the meal plan for the week looked like:

Thursday Dinner: Black Bean and Pumpkin Enchiladas & Salad

Friday-Wednesday:

General Tao's Tofu & Salad (from vegweb.com)
Venison Teriyaki & Salad
Caribean Chicken Stew (from Savingdinner.com)
Indian-Style Apricot Chicken (from Incredibly Easy Gluten Free Recipes)
Chili con Carne & Cornbread (from the Gluten Free Vegan)

I am also planning on baking a Lemon Chess Pie.

Oh, well, here's where you get to see my life happen LIVE. We're now going out to a friend's house to watch True Blood. This means I have no time to whip up any of the meals on the meal plan. Time to bust out pre-made freezer meals.


Seriously, make your own frozen dinners. They're healthier, cheaper, and taste a heck of a lot better than anything you could get at the grocery store.

What is somewhat okay about this, is that I can simply push the recipes further back. I will need to freeze the meats now, but they'll be fine. Don't thaw and refreeze meat. That can lead to food poisoning. The venison is already frozen, and the tofu is fine already. So, the chicken and beef will go into the freezer.

I have an inspiration for a meal to come. I got it from my dad. Sausage and Potato Soup. Not extremely original, but sounds good.

Speaking of my dad, I'm so proud of how he's cooking these days. Since he has such a fruitful garden he has been eating a lot more vegetables and is losing weight and getting healthier. He's also getting to be inventive in the kitchen. He had some patty pan squash that he filled cored, scraped, and filled with a meat and tortilla chip stuffing. He saw a similar recipe online that used cooked rice, but he was inspired to use the tortilla chips. Serving that with some chili powder spices or salsa would be pretty darn healthy, and tasty. Way to go dad!

Aloha! Dinner calls!

Meal Plan for the Week

Fresh Carrots

I know, I know. I'm late again. It couldn't be helped though. Thursday was a very rainy day, and when I tried to go to the farm stand I found it to be closed because of the weather. So, that threw me off. I still went to the other grocery stores and got the shopping done, but then there were other things that came up.

So, here's the meal plan and shopping list for the week:

Thursday Night Dinner: Tacorritos

Red Beef Curry

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas and Black Bean with Corn Salad

Pan Roasted Venison and Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Salad

Antioxidant Chili(from the Gluten Free Vegan) and chips with guacamole

Summer Rolls and a can of Hot and Sour Soup

Freezer Meal or Pizza

Shopping:

Foodland:

1 can Rotel $3

1 lb Organic Butter $8

2 chocolate bars $5

2 cans organic kidney beans $8 (turned out to be $5)

2 cans organic black beans $8 (turned out to be $5)

Brown Cow Nonfat Plain Yogurt $6

Alden's Ice Cream $8 (read about this on Glutenfreegirlreccomends)

Farm Stand:

4 Onions $6

3 avocados $4

1 Lime $1

2 bunches carrots $4 (none available, they won't have any for another month, bummer)

Bib Lettuce $2

2 small heads romaine $3 (got 1 large for $1.25)

Local strawberry jam $5

Pukalani Superette:

5lbs Potatoes $2

1 stalk Celery $1

2 Local Green Bell Pepper $3

Jalapenos $2

28oz Local Tofu $4

Local Eggs $5

Ginger $1

Local Sprouts $1

Long's Drugs:

Local Green Onions $1

2 household items $9

Total: $100

Actual Spent: $90.1

It's good to overestimate how much you're going to spend. This leaves you room in case there turns out to be something on sale that you'd like to grab a couple extra of, and you can always roll it over into another week, or you could take the money left and put it into a savings account. What we do is put the extras toward a trip to Costco.

Next Thursday is an odd day because it falls on the 30th, the last day of the month. So, the day could be counted as April or May. The Nerd says we'll count it as April, and we'll figure it all out after my Costco shopping tomorrow.

Happy Shopping to all, and remember to use your reusable bags! Put them in your car, purse, etc. Somewhere that you will remember them. If you do this for a while you'll get so used to it, you'll feel awkward without your bags.

Tried and Tasted

Konichiwa!

This month's Tried & Tasted was honoring Fat Free Vegan. I love the food over at Fat Free Vegan. Even though I am not a vegan, I do like to include a couple of vegetarian or vegan meals into my meal plan each week. I do this for the health of myself and the Nerd, and for the health and well-being of the planet.

Animals, and by-products like dairy, contribute greatly to the greenhouse gas emissions (18% of all total G.H.G.E.) I know that it is important for us to cut down on our meat and animal product consumption. In my research on eating locally, and organically, to mitigate climate change I found an NPR podcast, Eating Right Can Save the Planet, in which Mark Bittman stated that if we "eat 10 meals a week containing meat...if you eat a couple of meals less of meat, each week, you’re doing yourself, and the planet,... you’re doing all of us a favor.” That's exactly what I believe. I already eat fewer than 10 meals each week that contain meat. I couldn't tell you how many, because that varies based on the leftovers we have.

I can't tell you how ecstatic I was to see that Fat Free Vegan was the Tried & Tasted blog of the month. I thought about trying out something new, but I thought it'd be better if I stuck with something I'd made in the past. I also had some ingredients that could use some tapping into that were suited for the recipe I chose.

My Tried & Tasted recipe for the month was Double Mushroom Miso Soup with Sesame Broccoli for Two. My version of this tasty, light, and healthy meal was actually a Triple Mushroom Miso Soup.

I used Hawaii island Hamakua Mushrooms in 3 varieties:

Alii Oyster (large)

(Alii means royal in Hawaiian)

Shimeji (small white)

Kea Hon Shimeji (small brown)

I used white miso paste, and homemade vegetable stock (I only had 3 cups, so I watered it down to 6 cups and added extra miso paste for more flavor). I didn't have any tofu, so I left it out and used all of the mushrooms. I also added extra wakame because I enjoy it.

Triple Mushroom Miso Soup

Over at Fat Free Vegan it was noted that the meal wasn't completely filling, so I cooked up some brown rice to go along with the broccoli. This was a really good idea as we were full, but not stuffed and completely satisfied. Brown rice is also a healthy whole grain, especially for gluten-free eaters. It was also a good idea as I only had one small head of broccoli left from the previous week's pizza.

Sesame Broccoli with Brown Rice

Together the miso soup, broccoli, and brown rice formed a delicious flavor balance and was texturally pleasing. I would definitely serve this meal again. The Nerd's verdict was, "Mmm miso." He also liked the broccoli. The only complaint he had was that we ran out of sake too soon.

Not Enough Sake Leftovers

I recommend that anyone who likes miso soup, mushrooms, and broccoli or all Japanese inspired food try this meal. I know I'll be making it again.

Triple Mushroom Miso Soup, Sesame Broccoli, Brown Rice

Sayonara!

Links related to Tried and Tasted:

Holy Cow! announcement of T and T

How to participate in T and T at Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen

Severe Lack in Breakfast Blogging

Bananas Foster Pancakes with Genmaicha Tea

Yesterday I noticed a severe lack in breakfast blogging, especially among gluten-free and vegan blogs. Everyone always focuses their attention on supper. Supper is a terrific meal, but breakfast is as equally as amazing(and can often times be better). So, where are all of the breakfast recipes and photographs? Is breakfast just too hard to blog about, or to get people interested in? Or is it that we're all skipping out on the meal entirely?

When I watch old TV shows breakfast seems to be the biggest meal with pancakes, meats, eggs, waffles, milk, orange juice, and potato dishes; in the movie Pleasantville they mock this.

These days in movies and on TV you see people grabbing a granola bar, or a yogurt and rushing out the door. What happened to the nice hot breakfast to start the day off right?

I can't say I'm not guilty of eating a cold breakfast most of the time, but I live for those weekend breakfasts with warm pancakes and leisurely eating. Just about every Saturday I make pancakes. We usually wake up around here at 10am on the weekends, so breakfast is almost like a small brunch, with a light lunch later in the day, and then dinner.

I'd love to get into creating some delicious breakfasts, and show that they can be done quickly while still getting out of the door on time. Being a student who doesn't have to be downtown for class until noon gives me a lot of time in the morning, but the Nerd has to be in his office(he telecommutes) by 8am. Giving that I don't get out of bed until about 7:10, this doesn't give me a lot of time. I still have to get dressed, cleaned up, and in the kitchen in time to make a good breakfast. Sometimes I can take his breakfast into the office for the Nerd. But, I would like to make a really great breakfast for him to enjoy before he is thrust into corporate land and meetings.

This will definitely be an involved experiment, and I probably won't be able to do it all of the time, but I'll give it a shot.

There is one problem though: fitting more food into the budget.

Being gluten-free means that pancake batter isn't as cheap as a bag of flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and some baking powder. The gluten-free flours all tend to be quite expensive, and there's the mixing of the different kinds to get them to create something tasty that isn't flat as a well, too thin pancake, and doesn't turn into a rock. I'm so reliant on mixes or other people's recipes that I am afraid to branch out to my own brain for the correct mixture of flours, but I'll try. It will probably just start with modifying some existing mixes and playing with that. But see, here's that problem of money again. How to do this without wasting expensive flours? I'll start with slight alterations that shouldn't affect the mix greatly.

What about other breakfast dishes? Well, potatoes are cheap and you can leave them alone to do their cooking while you're off dressing yourself for work, school, etc. or while you're dressing your husband, boyfriend, etc. or while you're wrestling your children into clothes. Heck, you could even start a load of laundry while they're cooking. Potatoes like to be left alone to cook at a lower to medium temperature. If you try to cook them too fast on a high heat they'll burn and breakfast will be ruined. If cooked too low then they won't be ready by the time you're ready to leave. There is a happy middle. I'll come up with a great recipe and we'll learn that temperature and time together.

Eggs are quick, and if you are patient and use that happy middle again, they won't burn or be undercooked. There will even be time to get a kid's shoes on, or time to brush your hair and put on a little makeup, or give a quick spit shine to your shoes. You could even move the laundry to the dryer. If you're a vegan, then great, go with a tofu scramble. It's a simple quick fix too. There are more spices to throw in, but a quick crumble of tofu with your hands and some seasonings, and once the tofu is heated through you're ready to go. What makes you lucky is no fear of salmonella from improperly handled and cooked eggs.

And, if you can afford gluten-free oats then throw them into the crockpot the night before, and you've got breakfast piping hot and waiting in the morning. Throw in your favorite toppings, and mmm so ono(delicious in Hawaiian).

If you're absolutely in a rush, mix up a smoothie. They should be faster than any of the above, given a good blender you don't have to fight with(like mine). Take the standard smoothie and hide some spinach in it for extra vitamins and a serving of vegetables. You'll notice a slight difference, but not much of one.

One of our favorite hot breakfasts during the week is fried rice. This is a great way to get vegetables into breakfast(which seems quite difficult to do). It's a wonderful way to use up leftovers. Scramble two eggs in a large skillet or wok, and then move them to a plate(we do this so they don't dry out while everything else cooks). Add a little oil to the wok and toss in some vegetables(frozen mixed vegetables work quite nicely, and are much faster and easier than chopping fresh). Cook them until they're almost tender. Toss in some leftover, refrigerated rice. It should be nice and dried out.(If your rice isn't very dry, take the lid off and put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes.) Stir fry this together over medium high heat with some seasonings(I like crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper). Finally, add in some pineapple chunks and a little bit of gluten-free soy sauce(I use Braggs). Put the cooked egg back into the wok, give everything a good stir, and serve it up in bowls with extra Braggs on the side. Delicious!

Well, that's my way too long breakfast post for today. A dinner posting and the meal plan for the week are up next!

Meal Plan for the Week

Thursday Dinner: Vegan Indian Curry
This went over very well. Our carnivorous friend brought a can of beef stew. It was Dinty Moore, and was gluten-free. I was happy to cook it in our cookware for him.

Friday-Wednesday (No Saturday, No Sunday):

• Crockpot Shepherd's Pie
• Crockpot Indian Curry
• Black Bean and Pumpkin Enchiladas
• Lentils with Burnt Onions (adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe)

Well, it looks like one of the above will be shifted to the following week. We're heading out to a friend's house for dinner and to talk story and watch a TV series she enjoys.

I'll have to cook a big pot of black beans for the enchiladas, but that can possibly happen next week. The lentils could also be held over. It's nice when meals can be flexible like that.

I'm currently baking chocolate chip cookies to take over to our friend's home. I still need to get cleaned up to go.

Aloha!

Meal Plan for the Week

It looks like we're only having 2 other people over for dinner tonight. But, I'm going to make a big pot of chili anyway and freeze the leftovers.

Thursday Dinner:

• Antioxidant Chili from The Gluten Free Vegan with some ground beef on the side for the more carnivorous guest

The rest of the week:

• Summer Rolls with Hot & Sour Soup
• Chicken Tostadas
• Crockpot Salsa, Chicken, and Black Bean Soup
• Barbeque Chicken, Corn, and Homemade Potato Chips
• Pizza with Broccoli, Zucchini, and Onions with White Cheddar
• Channa Masala

The Nerd had to run down to the dentist with an orthodontic issue, so when he gets back I'll go shopping. I only had 40 dollars to work with this week, so I needed to keep the costs down by shopping heavily in our own cabinets. I also wanted to shop mainly at the farm stand and/or get local vegetables.

Shopping:

Farm stand:

• 2 Tomatoes $2
• 2 Lettuce $4
• Cilantro $2
• Avocado $1
• 4 Ears of Corn $3
• 2 Zucchini $1 or $2
• Broccoli $1

Foodland:

• 1 can of organic black beans $3
• 1 can of organic chickpeas $3
• 1/2 gallon organic milk $6

Pukalani Superette:

• Local Eggs $5
• Local Ground Beef $5
• Local Green Bell Pepper $1
• Organic Carrots $2

Venison

Venison, Potatoes, and Salad

The Nerd's brother, the Hunter, brought us some fresh venison a few days ago. He hunts it and butchers it himself. Deer hunting season is year round on Maui as there are too many deer destroying the mountain side.

I ended up freezing the piece because I wasn't quite sure when I would use it. But, I was able to include it in this week's meal plan . In fact, I made it tonight, and invited their Mother to join the Nerd and I.

I've learned to pan roast, and tonight I did that with the venison.

I cut the piece into 3 parts, and I seasoned it with alae salt, fresh cracked pepper, rosemary, and butter.

For sides I served up some delicious garlic mashed potatoes and a salad of romaine, bibb lettuce, cherry tomatoes, onions, and cucumber. Everything in the salad, other than the dressing, was local.

This turned out to be very delicious, and I would serve it again.

Crockpot Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings

Crockpot Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings

Yesterday I attempted to make the chicken and cornbread dumplings from $5dinners. However, I was short on some ingredients, and the white sauce recipe she links to on the page doesn't make enough for the chicken and dumplings, and so I got a little frantic. I had to throw in every frozen veggie I had, but I still came up 5oz short. Yikes. Then, when the sauce only made half of what the recipe called for (I could have foreseen this if I'd had time, but I had to get out the door and so had to do this fast) I threw in some more soy-milk into the pan with a little arrowroot starch and some scrapings of the already made sauce. I didn't have the time for it to fully reduce, but I put it in the crock-pot anyway. I slapped the lid on the pot, turned it on low, and got on with the rest of my day.

When I got home it was still cooking away, smelling pretty darn good. At about 4pm, the bf tells me that there's an event we might need to go to, so I turned the crock-pot on high. When 5pm rolled around I turned the crock-pot back to low for the rest of the hour and a half of cook time because it turned out that the bf(whom I will refer to as my nerd in future posts, just to get rid of this awful bf thing) decided there was no need for us to go, and that he'd rather stay home anyway. That's fine, I can go with that.

But the chicken soup didn't like that. The sauce separated a bit from being turned on high. *sigh* When 5:30 arrived I threw the pieces of cornbread on top of the soup as the recipe directed me to, and I wandered off for more studying.

When dinner time finally showed up I was ready for it. Serving up this concoction was rather a trial. Since the pieces of chicken were not cut into bite size pieces (I wasn't directed to do so), I had to use my spoon to break them in half. The cornbread didn't like getting shoved around and mixed about (especially since it is gluten-free) and crumbled quite a bit into the soup. Things were a bit more liquidy than I had anticipated (oh, I forgot to mention that I followed an old family trick of putting some instant mashed potatoes into the soup for thickening).

But, before I knew it, I had gobbled up every bite out of my bowl. I looked down, and it was gone. My salad had vanished too.

So, just because it wasn't pretty, was under-seasoned, was liquid-y, and had slightly separated, doesn't mean it wasn't delicious comfort food(a necessity after too much chemistry studying).

If I were going to do this again, I'd double the sauce recipe and add a lot more pepper. I'd also make sure I had enough vegetables, and I'd thaw them before adding to cut down on the melting water in the pot. I'd also cut the chicken into smaller pieces. I may thaw it too, but if I didn't I think things would be okay if I left the pot on low.

I'd say it was a good experiment in panic cooking and in learning to throw stuff together.

Thus ends the week of 20 some dollars to spend on groceries.

My budget has actually increased to 120 a week, but it's better if I don't go over 100 so that I can have money for Costco. More on that in the Thursday Meal Plan!

Meal Plan for the Week

My breakfast this morning

Thursday Dinner:

• Thai Red Curry Tofu with Mochi for dessert, for our meat eater I will be serving Pan Roasted Sirloin, corn on the cob, and a baked potato.

Friday-Wednesday (No Saturday, possibly no Friday):

• Lentil Burritos from $5 Dinners
• Summer rolls and Tom Kha Ga (okay, the soup is canned Thai Kitchen)
• Crockpot Beef Pho from Crockpot365
• Grilled Chicken Quesadillas with Black Bean and Corn Salad from Vegweb
• Steak leftovers with baked potatoes and corn on the cob
• Pan roasted chicken breast, a delicious vegetable from the farm stand, and brown rice

Shopping list:

• Chocolate bars (2 for $5)
• Organic milk $6
• Sweet Thai Chili Sauce $5
• Beef Stock $4 (could make this, but not this week)
• Rotel $3
• Local Tofu (2) $6
• Garlic(2) $1
• Red Bell Pepper $2
• Cucumber(2) $3
• Local Sprouts $2
• Rice wrappers $2
• Basil $2
• Local stir fry beef $5
• Pasture Raised Eggs $5
• Local Onions(2) $3
• Local Watercress $2
• Local Snap Peas $1
• Local Corn Cobs(4) $4
• Local Carrots(2 bunches) $4
• Bibb Lettuce $2
• Local Romaine $2
• Local Avocado $2
• Local Lime $1
• Local Spinach(2) $4
• Local Delicious vegetable $2
• Local Cherry Tomatoes $3
• Local Green Onions $1
• Local top sirloin steak $7

From the Onions down to the Cherry Tomatoes are all bought at the farm stand. Prices can fluctuate there, and so can supply. Carrots weren't available last week, but they looked so good when I saw them that I am excited to get my hands on them. I'll see what else I can get there, so I am going to have to get a good deal of cash from the Nerd for the food there.

My estimated total is: $90 out of available $120

With that much room available, I don't feel so scared to go shopping. That room too makes a Costco trip possible soon. I don't promote Costco for all things, but we are running out of toilet paper, and that's the best way to get that here in the islands. There is no locally produced toilet paper.

I'm going to take a peek at the local milk now that it is on sale and they are selling a half gallon now. If the expiration date is far out enough, I'll get that and save 2 dollars more.

Friday night we may be going out to eat with a friend, or she may be coming over here, or we may be going over to her house. If she comes over here I'll serve the Pho or the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast.

Okay, time for me to finish getting ready to head out to the stores. I need to shop earlier today so I can straighten up the house and prepare for dinner tonight.

Have a splendid day!

*EDIT* Exciting news! I bought a box of strawberries at the farm stand and still came in at $80.67! That's nearly $10 under my estimated total. Now I certainly have enough money for Costco!

Sunday Cooking Projects

Kula Country Farms Strawberries

I feel like I do a lot more cooking on the weekends than during the week. Basically I just cook one more meal, but I do tend to plan the more complicated cooking for the weekend.

This morning I made Strawberry Buckwheat Pancakes. I used the Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes from The Gluten-Free Vegan as a guide, but I made my own changes to the recipe.The strawberry flavor isn't extremely strong, so if you'd like more strawberry flavor, try pureeing some strawberries and replace the apple sauce with the puree. The strawberries were locally grown. Here's the recipe, they're definitely worth making.

Strawberry Pancake Breakfast

Strawberry Buckwheat Pancakes

adapted from The Gluten-Free Vegan

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 tbsp strawberry guava syrup
• 1 egg or substitute for 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup milk or non-dairy milk alternative
• 7 medium strawberries, hulled and chopped into 1/8 inch pieces

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, including the strawberries, in large bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it is thoroughly combined and smooth.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil or butter to prevent sticking, if necessary. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and heat until bubbles form and pop. Flip the pancake over, and cook until the pancake is cooked through. The pancakes should be a nice brown color.

Serve with more strawberry guava syrup, and if you love peanut butter and jellies use peanut butter instead of butter on the pancakes.

For dinner we had Grilled Chicken Tostadas. These were pretty healthy, and very delicious. We like our Mexican food spicy, so if you don't like too much spice you should use half of the jalapeno and less of the cayenne pepper if you use either at all. The tomatoes and lettuce were locally grown. We didn't have sour cream or yogurt, so we left that out. You could replace that with avocado if you have them readily available.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

AmandaonMaui

• 1 1/2 tsp goya adobo seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can refried beans
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced
• 2 cups tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
• 4 cups crisp lettuce, chopped
• 9 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 grilled chicken breasts
• Cilantro, minced
• Green onions, sliced
• Salsa
• Sour cream, dairy or non, or plain yogurt (optional)

Grill 2 chicken breasts either on an indoor or outdoor grill. Chop into small pieces.

Empty the refried beans into a pan and add the adobo seasoning, red pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and jalapeno pepper. Stir well, and keep over low heat until the rest of the food is prepared.

Heat the oil over medium low heat and add one or two tortillas at a time (depending on the size of the pan) and heat until they are crispy and partially browned.

Remove the tortillas and place onto a platter with paper towels to help absorb some of the oil from the tostadas.

When everything is ready, top the tostadas with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, cilantro, green onions, salsa and sour cream/yogurt.

Coming Soon: The beauty of pasture raised, not uniform, local eggs.