Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 7

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THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Poached Egg, Asparagus and Buttered Toast

Lunch

• Ploughman’s Lunch

Dinner

• Veggie Indian Stew with Rice

Snack

• Coconut Chocolate Pudding

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• 2 large bunches of asparagus
• Veggies for Indian Stew (Use whatever you like.  We used 2 bags of tiny potatoes, 1 large onion, 1 head of cauliflower, 1 bag of carrots, 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, 1 bag frozen peas, 1 28oz. can whole tomatoes)
• 2 jars Indian simmer sauce (any flavor you like)
• 10 apples
• 2 large bunches of grapes, one green, one red
• dried apricots
• nuts
• 2 good cheeses for lunch
• parmesan cheese
• 1 baguette
• favorite crackers
• dozen eggs
• 2 instant chocolate pudding mixes
• 2% milk
• 1 can coconut milk

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• garlic
• rice
• cooking oil
• butter
• vinegar

PREP ON SUNDAY

The Indian Stew

• All of your veggies, cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt
• pepper
• 2 jars Indian simmer sauce

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.   Add onion to the pot (if using) and cook about 5 minutes or until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.   Throw in anything that takes a long time to cook like carrots or potatoes.  Cook about 4 minutes and add the next veggies.  End with anything that is small, frozen, or already cooked, like the chickpeas.   Salt and pepper everything to taste.  Add simmer sauces and just enough water to cover everything in the sauce.   Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for an hour or until everything is tender.  Uncover and cook 20 minutes longer to thicken the stew.   Refrigerate.

The Pudding

Make pudding according to directions, substituting half of the milk with the coconut milk.  Pour into 10 small dishes and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate.

RECIPES

BREAKFAST- 15 minutes

Poached Egg, Asparagus and Buttered Toast

• 2 eggs, cracked into two small bowls
• salt
• pepper
• 4 slices of the baguette
• about 8-10 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• parmesan
• water
• white vinegar
• butter

Heat 2 inches of water in a wide saucepan with a splash of white vinegar over high heat until bubbling and steaming, but not an aggressive boil.  While the water heats, toast your bread and lightly butter it.  Put asparagus on a plate, drizzle with 2 tsp. of water and a pinch of salt.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes or until tender.  Lower the heat on the water a bit and gently add the eggs, one at a time.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Put asparagus, egg and toast on a plate.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parmesan.

LUNCH- 5 minutes

Ploughman’s Lunch

Pile your plate with hunks of cheese, crackers, fruit, and nuts.  Enjoy while sitting on a blanket on the floor.

SNACK-  no minutes

Coconut Chocolate Pudding

Eat it.

DINNER-  15 minutes

Veggie Indian Stew with Rice

• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of rice
• salt
• 2 heaping cups of the stew

Boil water in a small saucepan with a lid.  Add rice and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, without touching it for 13 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and salt to taste.  While rice is cooking, reheat stew in microwave or on the stove.  Serve with rice.