Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 15

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

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Poblano Breakfast Burritos

Lunch

• Curried Cauliflower and Edamame with Almond Cranberry Rice

Dinner

• Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

Snack

• Banana “Creme Brulee”

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• 5 poblano peppers
• 10-12 bananas (10 will last 5 days and 12 will last 6)
• 6 medium acorn squashes
• 2 large heads of cauliflower
• 6 cups shelled ready to eat edamame
• flat leaf parsley
• 4 lemons
• 5 large onions
• 4 Granny Smith apples
• garlic
• 1 15 oz. can black beans
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• brown long grain rice
• mango chutney
• dried cranberries
• golden raisins
• toasted pine nuts
• toasted sliced almonds
• bulgur wheat
• whipping cream
• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1% milk
• dozen eggs
• whole wheat tortillas

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• vegetable oil
• olive oil
• cumin
• flour
• curry powder
• cinnamon
• ground coriander
• hot sauce
• cooking spray
• sugar

PREP ON SUNDAY

Peppers and Onions for the Burritos

• 5 poblano peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• salt
• vegetable oil

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium high.  Add onions and saute for 3 minutes.  Add peppers and saute for 7 more minutes or until tender.  Sprinkle with salt and cumin.  Add beans and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring frequently.  Transfer to a bowl or container and store in the fridge for the week.

Curried Cauliflower and Edamame with Almond Cranberry Rice

This recipe was found in “Cooking Light” and tweaked a little.  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!

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons mango chutney
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 heads of cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
• 6 cups ready to eat shelled edamame
• juice of 1 lemon

Heat oil in a very large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and cook for 7 minutes or until tender.  Add apple; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add flour, curry and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat back to medium and simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in chutney, cream, salt, and cauliflower.  Cook for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.  Add edamame and lemon juice.  Cook for 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a large bowl or container and store in the fridge for the week.

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups brown long grain rice

Boil water over high heat in a medium saucepan.  Add rice, bring back to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook covered for 30 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and store in the fridge for the week.

• 1 cup sliced and toasted almonds
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Mix together in a baggie or container and store in the pantry for the week.

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

This recipe was found in Martha Stewart and tweaked a little to last the whole week.

• 6 medium acorn squashes, halved and seeded
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 cups bulgur wheat
• 6 cups water
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 6 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 400.  Place squash halves cut side down in a few casserole dishes.  Bake until tender, about 35 minutes.  Set aside.  Heat oil in a very large pot over medium high heat.  Add ground beef, cinnamon, coriander and 2 teaspoons of salt.  Cook, stirring frequently until browned and cooked through.  Transfer to a bowl or plate, using a slotted spoon, keeping as much cooking liquid in the pot as possible.  Add onion to the pot, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.  Add remaining salt and bulgur and stir to combine.  Add water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, and let stand, covered for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, add the reserved beef, raisins, parsley and pine nuts.   Scrape out some the squash flesh, creating a 1/4 inch thick squash “bowl” and add the flesh to the bulgur mixture.  Fold to combine, salt and pepper to taste.   Evenly divide the filling into the 12 squash halves.  Arrange in a casserole dish and store in the fridge for the week.

BREAKFAST- 10 minutes

Poblano Breakfast Burritos

• 2 whole wheat flour tortillas
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 cup milk
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup cooked pepper mixture
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• your favorite hot sauce

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.  Leave in the microwave until you are ready to assemble your burritos.  Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add pepper mixture and warm for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot.  While that heats, beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper in a bowl until blended and frothy.  Add egg mixture to the pan.  Let sit for 15 seconds and stir to scramble.  Continue to stir until the eggs are cooked how you like them.   Divide scramble between tortillas, drizzle with hot sauce and wrap.

LUNCH- 6 minutes

Curried Cauliflower and Edamame with Almond Cranberry Rice

• 3 cups of the curry, reheated in the microwave or on the stove
• 1 1/2 cups of the rice, reheated in the microwave
• 1/4 cup of the almond/cranberry mixture

Fold the almonds and cranberries into the hot rice.  Divide rice between two bowls and top with the curry.  Eat!

SNACK-  20 minutes

Banana “Creme Brulee”

One of my favorite low-fat desserts is a banana, halved, sprinkled with sugar and baked until hot and golden brown.  I realized that the texture is similar to a custard, so I created this version as a fake creme brulee!

• 2 bananas, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon milk or cream
• 1 half of a lemon, juiced
  
• 4 teaspoons sugar
  

Preheat oven to 400.   Toss banana bits in lemon juice.  In a food processor or blender or with a potato masher, blend milk with bananas and 2 teaspoons of sugar until smooth and thick.  Divide between two ramekins.  Cover loosely with foil; bake 15 minutes.  Sprinkle each with remaining sugar.  Broil or torch until sugar is medium brown and crispy.

DINNER-  25 minutes

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

• 2 squashes prepped on Sunday
• 2 teaspoons toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 400.  Put your squashes in a small casserole dish or in two oven save dishes.  Bake until warmed through and tops are browned, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Sprinkle with pine nuts.