Eating Healthfully on a Budget

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear people complain that eating healthfully is cost-prohibitive.  Yes, organic chicken is way more expensive to purchase than the factory farmed "chickens."  Organic milk is more expensive than milk from tortured cows.  (Okay, this post might be just a bit preachy.  Sorry.)  Eating cherries out of season (shipped in from Chile) is pricey.  But it is perfectly affordable to eat good food.  In other words, being on a budget is no excuse for eating crap.  By sticking to unprocessed whole grains, legumes, and seasonal produce, you can craft a nutritionally-complete meal for what you would pay to feed your family off the value menu at a fast-food joint.  Dinner tonight is an example.

**In this post, I am using the terms "cost" and "price" to refer exclusively to what you will spend out of pocket.  There are abundant hidden costs to processed, factory farmed food - poor health, animal cruelty, and a ruined environment, to name a few.  But that's for another post, or to read about in a Michael Pollan book**

Tonight we ate red lentil soup and broccoli with balsamic butter.  While I usually regale you with amusing (or so I hope) anecdotes of my family at dinner, this post will break down the price and nutrition of dinner.  Okay, maybe I'll give you a cute Annika story at the end to make up for being so boring.  I hate numbers too, but this is an important point to make!

The red lentil soup consisted of:
one chopped onion ($1.27 for prechopped organic onion, you could save money by chopping yourself but they make me cry)
4 ribs organic celery - chopped (1/3 of a $2.69 stalk = $.90)
2 T organic, extra-virgin olive oil ($6.99 for a 16.9 oz bottle = $.41)
1 lb organic red lentils ($2.69 from the bulk section of Whole Foods)
1 t each cumin and turmeric, 3/4 t coriander (I can't remember what I paid for the spices, so I'll give them collectively $.50)
6 c organic low-sodium veggie broth ($1.99 for a 4 cup carton at Trader Joe's = $2.99)
Juice of one organic lemon (I have a lemon tree, so it was free, but I'll give you $.50 to buy one)

To make it, you saute the onion and celery in the oil and then dump everything into the slow cooker with a little water for 6-7 hours (from my go-to slow cooker cookbook - Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes).  The actual prep work takes approximately 7 minutes.

The broccoli is also simple (thank you Peter Berley):
1 lb organic broccoli ($2.99 because I buy just the broccoli crowns, full stalks are less)
1.5 T organic butter ($5.99 for a package of 4 sticks = $.28)
1.5 T organic aged balsamic vinegar ($5.99 for a 16.9 oz bottle = $.27)

You blanche the broccoli in salted water (okay, $.02 for the sea salt).  While you are doing that, brown the butter by letting it cook over medium heat in a small skillet.  It will foam, then begin to brown.  Once it browns, turn off the heat, mix in the vinegar (careful, it will sizzle and splatter).  Then toss the drained broccoli with the balsamic butter.  Easy peasy. 

The lentil soup was very flavorful.  I might add garlic next time, but it was certainly not bland, nor was it too spicy.  The balsamic butter thickens considerably so that it is almost a glaze.  It makes the blanched, tender broccoli deliciously sweet and buttery. 

Using www.sparkpeople.com and www.sparkrecipes.com, I was able to calculate the nutritional value of the meal by entering each recipes' ingredients:

So (drumroll please) for $12.82, you get a nutritionally-balanced dinner for 4 and 1-2 servings of leftovers for lunch.  That works out to just over $2/serving.  And it is all organic. You might think that 10 grams of protein for dinner is unreasonably low.  I say Americans tend to get way too much protein.  But if it makes you feel better, throw in a serving of quinoa or brown rice and add about $.50/serving.  Also, there is less than 20 minutes of actual work involved in this meal - less time than it takes to hit the drive thru and get home. 

Does this mean my grocery bill is super-low each week?  Heck no!  I buy the organic dairy and a couple servings of sustainable seafood and organic poultry.  I also buy rice milk for Annika and prepacked apple sauce for her lunch.  Oh, and of course there is wine.  But (other than wine) these are not necessities; these are luxuries.  I could survive without them and save a ton of money.  My point is that the basics - while not particularly exciting - can sustain you for a very reasonable price.  Something to keep in mind next time somebody tells you how much cheaper it is to eat McDonald's or how Kraft Mac and Cheese is the only budget-friendly option. 

I will now step off my soapbox and give you the cute kid stories you've come to expect.  Annika was a bit like the month of March for dinner - in like a lion, out like a lamb.  She began by throwing herself to the floor and screaming that she wanted to sit in my seat.  I don't negotiate with terrorists or children behaving badly (is there a difference?) so I said no.  She burst into tears and after about two minutes sobbed, quite pitifully, "I just want to sit next to my baby sister!"  Sure enough, Astrid's high chair had ended up between me and Swede.  It was an easy enough fix to push the high chair in between me and Annika instead.  No, that was not giving in to a screaming child.  Remember, the screaming child wanted to sit in MY chair.  Rather, moving the baby was a mature, amicable solution that we could easily accomplish once Annika communicated instead of screamed.  Lesson learned.  I'm sure it will never happen again.  In any event, Annika dubbed the soup the "beautiful gold soup."  I believe the turmeric is responsible for the hue.  She also ate the broccoli and declared "this dinner wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."  With a four-year-old, that's all you can ask for.  On top of that, Astrid ate all her pureed peas with minimal criticism.   I'll take it.

Best. Chicken. Ever.

Today is St. Patrick's Day.  My friends are at Irish pubs consuming green beer and celebrating.  I am at home because Swede has an early hockey game.  As it turns out, this works in my favor.  Since I'm home tonight, I made a new Nigella recipe:  chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/chicken-with-40-cloves-of-garlic-recipe/index.html

That might sound like too much garlic (though to some of my friends it isn't even close).  The thing is, you don't peel the garlic, so it isn't overwhelming.  I got home from work at around 5 and started immediately on the chicken.  It is simple to prepare, just brown the chicken thighs (which I had to defrost on the fly because I lack the ability to plan), quickly sautee the green onions/thyme, add the garlic and vermouth (oh how I love vermouth), and throw it in the oven.  It then has to bake for 90 minutes.  I fully intended to prepare carrots to go with the meal.

I took the 90 minutes, however, to go outside and enjoy the weather before it gets deathly hot outside.  I brought the girls out on the patio with me.  Astrid happily played in her exersaucer while Annika raced her bike back and forth, pretending to be Lightning McQueen competing for the Piston Cup and sponsorship by Dinoco.  Since nobody else was competing with her, she won four Piston Cups and - of course - got the prestigious sponsorship.  In the meantime, I read my Kindle.  It was so idyllic, I completely forgot about the carrots.  One night without veggies, won't kill us, right?  Sure hope not.  I guess that's why we take multivitamins. 

Then the chicken was ready.  It smelled heavenly.  I transferred Astrid to her high chair and let Annika feed her some Os (the organic Whole Foods version of Cheerios).  Annika asked if she could have her water in a "big girl glass."  I determined this meant a wine glass.  Hopefully this won't create problems later, but I agreed.  To fancy up her water (and to alleviate some guilt at forgetting the carrots), I sliced up a couple strawberries and put them in her water/wine glass.  Annika also requested to sit in my seat at dinner.  She apparently felt quite grown up.

I cut her piece of chicken up for her because it had a bone in it (if you have been avoiding chicken thighs for health reasons, stop it.  Thighs taste so much better and are only marginally higher in fat if  you forgo the skin.)  The chicken melted off the bone and I was able to carve it up with a butter knife.  Annika (blech!) likes the skin, so I left a bit for her.  I served myself without skin.  I just can't get over the fact that it's, well, skin!  Ew!  The meat was tender and succulent.  It tasted faintly of garlic and thyme. The vermouth added a welcome bite.  In sum, it was amazing!  I am a loyal devotee to my butter chicken, but I think this is the best I've ever made.  It was juicy and flavorful.  I seriously started gnawing whatever meat I could scavenge off the bone.  Both Annika and I had a second thigh each.  We likely would have each had a third, but I had to save some for Swede (I only made 6). 

The meal was so amazing that Annika left her seat on three occasions to hug me and tell me how delicious the chicken was and how much she loves me.  Astrid happily ate her Os, not having any idea what she was missing.  Annika didn't complain about a single thing.  This might be the first time that's happened.  I will definitely make this chicken again - next time with a side of veggies, though. 

Ice Cream

Tonight I went with a Nigella classic - scallops with Thai-scented peas. 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/scallops-with-thai-scented-pea-puree-recipe/index.html

This is "classic" because I've now made it three times.  The first time, I decided to spring for jumbo scallops.  It turned out great - the scallops caramelized perfectly.  They were slightly crispy on the outside and deliciously tender and sweet in the middle, just like they are supposed to be!  The second time, I opted for frozen bay scallops, which are much smaller but roughly half the price.  They released way too much liquid into the pan and did not caramelize at all.  They still tasted pretty good, but were a bit rubbery, completely soggy, and a little fishy. 

Last Sunday when I saw bay scallops on super-sale at Whole Foods, I couldn't resist - despite my prior water-logged experience.  I vowed that this time would be different.  I'd thaw them in plenty of time so that I wouldn't be scrambling to thaw frozen scallops right as I throw them in the pan.  Oops.  As it turns out I totally forgot about them until this afternoon.  I had to thaw them under running water in my strainer.  Still determined to avoid sogginess, I put them in a single layer between two paper towels.  Before I put the top layer of towel on, I sprinkled them with a little salt to draw out extra water.  (You are evidently not supposed to do this with seafood as it can become rubbery.)  Then I only sauteed half at a time so that they were not pressed against each other while cooking.  It worked!  Each batch caramelized beautifully - although having to turn a bunch of tiny bay scallops is a pain in the butt.  They were tender and sweet on the inside, buttery and slightly crisp on the outside.  The pureed peas were a lovely compliment.  The Thai curry and sour cream make them more exotic than the pureed peas I feed Astrid.  But it's really the same thing. 

At dinner, Annika thanked me profusely for the food, insisting that I make the best food ever and that I am therefore the best mommy ever.  I can't lie - that will never (ever) get old.  Annika ordered everybody to eat their peas first because they were delicious.  I am not going to question the logic of what deliciousness has to do with order of consumption; the point is my four-year-old is eating peas like they're french fries. 

The real treat of the evening, however, was our homemade ice cream.  In what is becoming a Sunday tradition, I let Annika pick out a recipe to make with me.  (This week was lasagna.)  Feeling generous, I let her pick out an ice cream flavor for us to make in our very neglected ice cream maker.  She chose strawberry.  The problem was that I forgot that I had to put the ice cream maker bowl in the freezer for about 24 hours prior to making the ice cream, otherwise it isn't cold enough.  I remembered this on Sunday morning.  Oops.  (If you're keeping score at home, I forgot to take the scallops out of the freezer and forgot to put the bowl in the freezer.  Welcome to my life.)  So we had to push the ice cream to Monday instead. 

Annika chose strawberry ice cream.  "Because it is my favorite color - pink!  And because I like strawberries."  I sliced up two cups of strawberries and put one and a half cups into the food processor with a cup of two percent milk, a cup of heavy cream, and three-fourths a cup of turbinado sugar (all organic).  After blending until smooth, we stirred in the remaining half cup of strawberries.  To make ice cream, we poured the mixture into the (now sufficiently-frozen) bowl of the maker and attached the top, which has a mechanical spatula that slowly spins to keep the ice cream soft as the bowl freezes it.  It took about 20 minutes until we had just over a quart of strawberry ice cream.  It probably wasn't cheaper than buying a quart, but it was tastier and all organic. 

(This is Annika wondering why the heck we're photographing the ice cream instead of eating it.)

As any child would be, Annika was delighted with the ice cream.  The true test was Swede, who does not really care for sweets.  I consider it to be a genetic defect.  Swede was impressed - probably because it tasted more like strawberries and cream than sugar.  We each had a small bowl and put the rest in the freezer.  We'll see how long it lasts . . .

Spaghetti and Turkey Balls

On Saturday I told Annika to choose a recipe from her kids' cookbook.  I watched nervously, praying that she would not choose mac and cheese for the hundredth time (okay, like third, but it seems like 100).  She sailed right over mac and cheese and chose spaghetti with meatballs, with one slight modification. 

Annika:  "I choose spaghetti with meatballs.  But we don't eat MEATballs.  EEEEEEW!  We'll have to make spaghetti with turkey balls."

This is not her first introduction to turkey meatballs.  Nigella Lawson has a phenomenal turkey meatball recipe.  (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/turkey-meatballs-in-tomato-sauce-recipe/index.html)  We've had it a number of times.  No matter how often we eat it, however, Annika cannot seem to say "turkey meatball."  It is always "turkey balls."  And God forbid you accidentally call them "meatballs."  You immediately get "EEEEEW!  We don't eat MEATballs!"  I've created a monster.  But at least she's a healthy monster.  A healthy monster who hopefully does not go to school and tell her teacher she ate turkey balls for dinner. 

Annika chose cauliflower as the vegetable accompaniment to her spaghetti and turkey balls.  "My favorite vegetable, of course!"  Yeah, favorite except the time that broccoli was your favorite, or beans were your favorite, or peas.  I went online and found a yummy-sounding cauliflower recipe.   (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/cauliflower-with-brown-butter-recipe/index.html)

Sunday afternoon rolled around and dinner time approached.  Feeling benevolent, I did all the prep work.  I chopped everything that needed chopping and premeasured everything else into little bowls to make it easy and (hopefully) mess-free.   Annika chose that precise moment to declare that she didn't feel like cooking.  I'm sure there are more constructive ways to deal with a fickle four-year-old than saying "That's too bad, you committed to this.  You either do it or you lose your DVD for the night."  Unfortunately, I don't know them.  So into the kitchen we went, one of us quite begrudgingly.  Once she climbed the stepstool and started pouring stuff into the pan, she completely forgot that she didn't want to cook.  After we sauteed a clove of minced garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil, we added two cans of diced tomatoes, some oregano, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, some salt, and a cup of water.  Then it was time to make the turkey balls.  

To make turkey balls, Annika put a pound of ground turkey (I use dark meat), an egg, about a quarter cup of bread crumbs (the recipe called for 6 crushed saltines, but I don't keep saltines in the house, so this was my estimated replacement), oregano, and salt.  Then you take your (meticulously cleaned) hands and mix away.  I don't know whether it was the egg or the raw turkey, but Annika became quite squeamish.  She hung in there like a champ until the ingredients were mixed and even rolled about 5 turkey balls.  Then she fled to the kitchen sink to scrub all the yuckiness off her hands.  I have to admit, this is not my favorite part of cooking.  I put on a brave face so that Annika would think plunging one's hands into dead flesh is no big deal and rolled the remaining turkey balls. 

Once the balls were rolled, we dropped them carefully into the simmering tomato sauce.  Annika did great on this step.  Usually she drops items into simmering liquid from the highest point she can possibly reach, which results in hot liquid splashing everywhere and me getting irritated.  This time she gently dropped them from a reasonable height, saving us both some trouble.  I put the lid on the pan to let them cook and released Annika from further cooking duties. 

I should add that all of this was accomplished with Astrid strapped to me in her Ergo carrier as my attempts to get her to sit in her jumperoo or high chair were met with howls of protest.  Since it is not safe to brown butter and saute cauliflower with an infant strapped to your chest in a flammable cotton carrier, I dropped the baby with Swede before I finished cooking. 

I cooked the spaghetti noodles (quinoa pasta - if you haven't tried it, you should - it tastes like the naughty white stuff but has more fiber and protein) and made the cauliflower without incident.  Although I confess that the thought of using four tablespoons of butter for only one head of cauliflower horrified me a bit.  As much as I love butter and think it is okay to use to make veggies palatable, I cut it and the breadcrumbs in half.  The cauliflower still tasted great and plenty buttery.  One of the great things about browning butter is it really makes the flavor much more intense and pervasive.  Consequently, you need less.  Two tablespoons was perfectly fine. 

We all sat down for dinner and Annika - having chosen and prepared the dinner - declared it delicious.  Nigella's meatballs are better, no question. But for a simple recipe from a children's cookbook, the meatballs were quite good.  I would use more bread crumbs next time because they turned out pretty dense.  But they were a good blend of salty and savory.  The tomato sauce turned out surprisingly flavorful.  Annika, Swede, and I enjoyed our dinner.  Astrid enjoyed scooping up small handfuls of Rice Krispies (the organic brown rice version from Whole Foods) and releasing them onto the floor.   That's why we have dogs, right?