Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 4

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THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Scrambled Eggs with Ricotta on Toast
• Grapes
• English Tea

Lunch

• Vegetarian Chili

Dinner

• Almost Thai Lettuce Cups

Snack

• Homemade Chunky Applesauce

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• about 8 cups of grapes
• 10 apples
• 2 yellow summer squash
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 green, red or yellow pepper
• 1 tub of sliced mushrooms
• bag or bunch of carrots
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• basil
• 5 limes
• 1 cucumber
• 2 containers firm tofu
• dozen eggs
• ricotta
• 2 15oz. cans kidney beans
• 1 28oz. can whole tomatoes
• 2 cans coconut milk
• creamy salted peanut butter
• soy sauce
• chili sauce
• rice vinegar
• sesame oil
• 1/2 gallon 2% milk
• baguette or ciabatta or any crusty bread

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• sugar
• cinnamon
• brown sugar
• oregano
• cocoa powder
• hot sauce
• cumin
• chili powder
• crushed red pepper
• olive oil
• vegetable oil
• garlic
• white rice
• PG Tips tea

PREP ON SUNDAY

Vegetarian Chili

• 2 yellow summer squash, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 green, red or yellow pepper, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tub of sliced mushrooms
• 5 small carrots or 2 large, peeled and diced into 1/2 pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans kidney beans, undrained
• 1 can whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Saute onions, squash, peppers, mushrooms and carrots in oil in a large pot over medium high heat until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 3 minutes more.  Add all spices, hot sauce and tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with your spoon.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and continue to break up the tomatoes.   Add beans, bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes more uncovered, stirring occasionally.   Cool slightly and store in the refrigerator for the week.

Homemade Chunky Applesauce

• 10 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices each
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons water
• 3 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.  Put everything in a large casserole dish or dutch oven and toss to coat.  Cover with tin foil or lid and bake for 45 minutes.  Pull out of oven and stir well.  Bake 30 minutes more.  Cool slightly and store in the refrigerator for the week.

RECIPES

BREAKFAST- 15 minutes

Scrambled Eggs with Ricotta on Toast

• 2 eggs, beaten with a splash of 2% milk and salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese in a bowl
• 2 large leaves of basil, chopped
• 4 slices of crusty bread
• 1 cup of grapes, divided in half
• olive oil

Toast your bread.  Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add cooking spray or a little olive oil.  Pour in your eggs when it is hot, but not smoking.  Stir eggs constantly (I like using a rubber spatula) until cooked, but not dry.  Immediately add to the ricotta cheese in the bowl and fold gently, trying not to over blend the mixture.  Drizzle olive oil on toast, top each slice with an equal amount of egg mixture and sprinkle with basil.  Serve with grapes and tea.

English Tea

Put a tea bag into a cup with a splash of milk and 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. of sugar.  Add boiling water and steep.

LUNCH- 5 minutes

Vegetarian Chili

Heat two portions of chili in bowls in the microwave.  Serve with a small hunk of bread or enjoy on its own!

SNACK-  NO minutes

Homemade Chunky Applesauce

Enjoy cold or warm for 45 seconds in the microwave.

DINNER-  30 minutes

Almost Thai Lettuce Cups

For the Rice:

• 1/2 cup white rice
• 3 large leaves of basil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

For the Peanut Sauce: