I know, I know. Beef is not good for the environment, but even I need a break from vegetarian cuisine. Plus, this was a deal at $2.40 almost a pound for pre-cut strips of beef and I had leftover BBQ sauce from the BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry. It starts with balance and small steps.
BBQ Beef Stir-Fry: 3/4 to 1 lb beef strips
8 oz sugar snap peas
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup BBQ sauce (see below)
Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onions for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat until soft. Set onions aside in a small bowl. Add mushrooms to skillet and saute 5-7 until almost soft and tender. Set aside in bowl with onions.
Add beef strips to skillet. Saute, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Add BBQ Sauce to pan, flip beef strips, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits. Bring BBQ Sauce to a simmer. Add onions and mushrooms back to pan and toss.
Add sugar snap peas to top of BBQ mixture. Cover pan and allow sugar snap peas to steam for 3-5 minutes, then toss with sauce to combine. Serve any leftover sauce on the side for dipping.
BBQ Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper
In a small saucepan, combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Whisk together and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes, until it has reduce by half.
Economically Friendly:Leftover BBQ Sauce put to good use! Onions and mushrooms are inexpensive, but sugar snap peas can be pricey. Look for sales or substitute with seasonal produce. Beef can also be expensive, so look for items close to the sell-by date for a reduced price.
Environmentally Responsible: Yes, beef is bad. Very, very bad. But just like diets, if you make foods “bad” or “forbidden,” you will only want them more. Use less and use less often, and at least you will make a small difference. Compromise by using seasonal, locally grown produce and other planet-friendly ingredients.
Excellently Healthy: Look for lean cuts of beef, increase the amount of veggies, and serve with brown rice or another whole grain for a complete meal.
Sweet potatoes are another staple of vegetarian cuisine, and not just because sweet potatoes are tasty. Try swapping sweet potatoes for regular white potatoes, like this take on traditional mashed potatoes.
2 large sweet potatoes
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp butter, divided
1/2 cup milk
Wash and scrub potatoes, cut into cubes. In a large stockpot, cover potatoes with 1 inch water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp butter and saute onions over medium-high heat until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Saute an additional 2-3 minutes until paprika is fragrant. Remove from heat and add remaining 2 tbsp butter, stirring to melt.
Drain potatoes and return to pan along with onion-paprika mixture and milk. Smash with a large spoon, masher, or electric beaters. Top with additional paprika if desired.
Above: Sweet potatoes do not photograph well, but I promise they are tasty.
Economically Friendly: Kitchen staples like onion, garlic, and butter are inexpensive and add flavor. Sweet potatoes are usually pretty cheap, too.
Environmentally Responsible: Sweet potatoes, like regular potatoes, are considered a “year-round” produce item.
Excellently Healthy: Sweet potatoes are low in calories and high in nutrients, and delicious!
Another great book by Camilla V. Salsbury using a box of cake mix to make delicious cookies. These simple yet creative recipes are easy to follow and great to eat. Try a tasty Big Fat Oatmeal Raisin Cookie or Apple Blondie with Caramel Frosting. The last section of the book includes recipes for homemade frostings and icings that are better than any store-bought container ever could be.
After a successful Week One, I headed into Week Two with gusto. Stoplight Pasta was a combination of pantry-scraping and seasonal produce, as well as utilizing leftovers to make a new dish. After some hit-or-miss attempts from Week One, I finally won James over with BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry and Spinach & Quinoa Salad. We are not trying to go meat-free, but meat-reduced and semi-vegetarian.
One lesson, however, from this week is reducing The Carbon Footprint of Food, which demonstrates that eating less beef makes more of an impact then buying local produce. Another lesson focused on Concentration: Think Green! inspired from a daily tip at Ideal Bite:
Above: Click for more info, sign up for daily email tips.
Here are the food purchases for June 8-14:
Splurges:
Bing Cherries ($8.07): I could not help myself! Last time, I found myself rationing cherries to get through the week, so I bought almost 3 pounds this week. Regardless, at $2.99 a pound, it is not a bad deal. These will probably never make it into a recipe, as I usually eat them before I get around to it.
Golden Raisins ($2.69): After how successful these were in the eggplant dishes from the week before, it was worth the investment to buy another box. These are great in salads, granola, yogurt, or spicy dishes. The expiration date is into 2009, so I’m sure I will find a use for them before then.
Milk ($2.50):A gallon of milk was still on sale, and I went through the last gallon much faster than I thought I would. Part of it is that I have been on anti-botics for almost 3 weeks now, and like to take them with milk to avoid an upset stomach. Also, I’m not buying daily lattes and mochas anymore, so I need to fill that calcium void.
Stir-fry Beef ($2.40):This actually didn’t seem like a bad deal, for almost a pound of pre-cut strips perfect for stir-fry. While I am trying to purchase less meat, finding a deal like this seems acceptable. The “sell by” date was the same day I purchased it, so it immediately went into the freezer so I could use it on my timetable.
Peanuts ($2.29):A large bag of unshelled, roasted, salted peanuts was a pretty good deal for the price. This was actually for James, so he would have something to snack on when he comes over, and because he bought us watermelon and pitas over the weekend.
Above: Stoplight Pasta also makes some tasty leftover soup.
Saves:
Green Beans ($0.95): This time I actually did buy green beans, because the bulk sugar snap peas looked horrible (especially for $3.69 a pound!). I did buy a half-pound package of snap peas for $2.69 instead, which isn’t a better deal but at least these looked edible. I refrained from buying my usual pound because of the price.
Canned Tomatoes ($1.24): The small can is $0.95 and the larger can is $1.24, so it made sense to buy the larger can. Even if I do not use it all at once, these will keep in the refrigerator for a couple days if stored in an airtight container. It’s not quite time to start trolling the Farmer’s Markets for tomatoes yet, maybe in a couple weeks.
Animal Crackers ($1.25):For the price, you really cannot go wrong with animal crackers. My mom used to keep tons of these in the house and take them to work (and I’m willing to bet she still does!), so they must be a bargin because she knows about those kind of things. Nostalgia aside, I like to dunk animal crackers in fat-free yogurt for a complete mid-day snack.
Chicken Breasts ($1.97): Less than $2 for a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts? I dare you to find a better deal. These were even the “trimmed and ready” variety, from chickens raised without antibiotics. Again, the “sell by” date was the day I bought them, so into the freezer they went.
Red Grapes ($2.20): I pitched a fit last week for paying over $3 for grapes, so of course this week they were on sale. $2.20 isn’t exactly a steal, but at $0.97 a pound, it’s still a deal.
Again, many of my purchases were from the produce department. My list was much shorter this week, the only other items were:
Pine nuts ($1.42, on sale from $1.99)
Broccoli ($1.67 for a large head)
Bananas ($1.94)
Cucumbers ($2.00 for 3)
Orange juice ($2.00, on sale from $2.79)
Red lentils ($2.19 for 1 pound)
Orange juice is about the only juice I buy, but I will wait for a sale.
Total grocery bill: $39.47
This week’s bill is lower for a couple reasons. First, I had a better idea of the items I already had and what I needed to complete meals. Second, I filled up my gas tank before going shopping, and the $63.50 total was a little shocking. Fortunately, I can make it almost 2 weeks on a tank of gas, but it was still a little ridiculous. Now that I am paying closer attention to prices and sales, I noticed that I tend to shy away from anything above $3 unless I really need/want it. It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid expensive impulse buys.
Though I still divide the bill between “Splurges” and “Saves,” most of my purchases were good deals. The only real splurges were the cherries, golden raisins, and sugar snap peas; everything else was reasonably priced. In fact, the top of my receipt tells me the total savings were $11.69 by purchasing items on sale. I’ve started an “on sale” grocery list, which is a list of things I do not need immediately, but will in the near future. This way, I can scout sales and get a deal before I run out of an item.
Above: Cucumbers are inexpensive and a great addition to salads, sandwiches, and dips.
On-the-Go Food Purchases: $6.12
West Coast Coffee ($2.75): Local coffee house, I purchased an iced tea during a walk on a hot day. Then I treated myself to a gourmet salted caramel (more specific, a Sea Salt Caramel). It was delicious and I savored every bite!
Panera Bread ($3.37): An after dinner treat for James and myself, black coffee for him and lemonade for me. But, in my defense, we did walk there and back as well as reused the plastic cup from my lemonade.
Food Waste: Moderate A few things went bad before I could use them up, including fresh basil, mint, and bean sprouts. I love fresh herbs but can never seem to use them up in time, the unfortunately thing is they are only available in one size (too much). Also on the chopping block are 2 bananas that ripened much faster than I thought they would and some strawberries that look dangerously close to sprouting white fuzz. Hopefully, I can salvage these items before it becomes a lost cause.
Monitoring how much food I buy, eat, and throw away has given me a better idea of how much to buy in a given week. I have also adjusted my boxed lunches to avoid running out of snacks and preventing impulse buys.
For next week: Continue to reduce grocery bill and on-the-go purchases, as well as look for concentrated household items. When purchasing fresh produce, remember the shelf life and adjust the quantity if possible. Look for meat substitutions and other ways to reduce carbon footprints.
Vegamonics Lesson Four: One simple way to save money and the planet? Concentrate!
By purchasing concentrated products such as detergent, cleansers, and even juice, you reduce the amount of packaging and energy needed for production. Smaller bottles and less liquid also translates to smaller loads for transport, reducing fuel usage.
By reducing fuel and packaging usage, concentrated items are often a better bargin then regular sized items. For example, according to Ideal Bite, a regular 50-ounce bottle of Tide costs about $6, but for just $3 more, the 2X concentrated bottle will wash twice as many loads.
Ideal Bite: A Sassier Shade of Green is an excellent earth-friendly website that “offers bite-sized ideas for light green living.” Sign up for the daily email tips, like this one, to learn quick and easy strategies for saving the planet.
