Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 12

For the scoop on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Eggs Poached in Curried Tomato Sauce Over English Muffins

Lunch

• Succotash Chowder

Dinner

• Mushrooms, Kale and Manchego over Polenta

Snack

• Southern Hot Pepper Jelly with Goat Cheese on Crackers

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• 16 oz. Shitake or other exotic mushrooms
• 16 oz. Cremini mushrooms
• 1 bunch kale
• celery
• 2 red peppers
• 4 large onions
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 jalapenos
• fresh ginger
• 1 lemon
• garlic
• fresh thyme
• fresh oregano
• fresh cilantro
• fresh chives
• 8 oz. Manchego cheese
• 10 rolls (to go with the chowder)
• goat cheese
• hot pepper jelly
• dozen eggs
• 1 gallon 2% milk
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• instant polenta
• 2 28oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 6 cups frozen corn
• 4 to 6 cups frozen lima beans
• crackers
• 12 whole wheat english muffins
• curry powder
• dried thyme

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• sugar

PREP ON SUNDAY

Curried Tomato Sauce

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (take out the seeds if you don’t like SPICY food!)
• 1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 28oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno.  Saute for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Add curry powder, salt, pepper, and sugar.  Cook a few minutes longer, stirring frequently.   Add tomatoes.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add coconut milk and cilantro; bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Store in the fridge for the week.

Succotash Chowder

• 2 medium potatoes, diced (leave the peel for nutrition!)
• 4-6 cups frozen lima beans
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 2 red peppers, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 cups frozen corn
• 6 cups 2% milk
• black pepper
• finely minced chives

Cook the potato in boiling water just until tender.  Drain and set aside.   In a saucepan, pour 1 cup of water and a sprinkle of salt over the frozen limas, bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender and cooked through.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, red pepper, salt and herbs.  Saute’ for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are tender.  Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute longer.  Add the corn and saute for about 10 minutes more or until hot.   Add the cooked potato, cooked limas and milk.   Heat through, remove half of the soup and blend until smooth, OR blend in the pot with an immersion blender only half way, leaving some whole veggies.   Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste and cook another 5 minutes or so.   Store in the fridge for the week.

Mushrooms and Kale for the Polenta

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 16 oz. exotic mushooms, sliced
• 16 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch of kale, rinsed, center ribs removed, leafy parts roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add mushrooms; saute’ for about 5 minutes.  Add kale and stir to wilt it down; do this in batches if it doesn’t all fit at once.  Add herbs, salt, and garlic; saute for 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Stir in broth, lemon juice and pepper.  Taste for salt, add more only if necessary and cook a few minutes longer or until everything is tender and yummy.  Store in the fridge for the week.

BREAKFAST- 10 minutes

Eggs Poached in Curried Tomato Sauce Over English Muffins

This recipe was found in “Cooking Light” and adjusted to last all week for two people.  I highly recommend Cooking Light for inspiration because all of their recipes are packed with flavor and include nutrition facts so you can track what you are REALLY putting into your body!

• 2 whole wheat English muffins
• 1 1/4 cup curried tomato sauce
• 2 eggs
• pepper

Toast the muffins.  Meanwhile, in a small saute’ pan, heat the sauce until gently bubbling over medium heat.   Carefully crack the eggs directly into the sauce.  Cover and cook 5 minutes or until the whites are just set.   Top each muffin with one egg and half the sauce.  Enjoy!

LUNCH- 5 minutes

Succotash Chowder

• 2 cups of the chowder
• 2 rolls

Reheat chowder in the microwave or on the stove.  While that heats, toast the rolls.  Divide the soup evenly between bowls.  Enjoy!

SNACK-  5 minutes

Southern Hot Pepper Jelly with Goat Cheese on Crackers

Hot Pepper Jelly is amazing with cream cheese or cheddar, so play around if you don’t love chevre!

Spread cheese on a few crackers and top with a thin layer of hot pepper jelly.  Eat.

DINNER-  15 to 20 minutes

Mushrooms, Kale and Manchego over Polenta

This recipe was also altered from a “Cooking Light” one to last all week and bulked up with kale to satisfy Jeff’s hefty appetite at dinner!

• 1 1/2 cups mushroom and kale mixture, reheated in a small pot on the stove
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 3/8 cup polenta
• 1/2 cup shredded manchego cheese (about 2 oz.)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat your broiler.  Brink milk and broth to a boil in a small saucepan.  Stir in polenta; cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in half of the cheese and salt.  Divide polenta between two gratin dishes; top with remaining cheese.  Broil 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.  Top with reheated mushrooms and kale.  Eat er up.