Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 25

2 people, 5 days, 70 bucks or less

For more info on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Poached Egg with Asparagus and Toast

Lunch

• Turkey Meatball Sliders

Dinner

• Curried Veggie Potpie

Dessert

• Smoothie Popsicle

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• 20 smallish crusty rolls (for the sliders)
• 1 loaf bread (for toast)
• 3 bananas
• 1 green apple
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 bag carrots
• 2-3 bunches of asparagus
• 3 smallish yellow onions
• 1 bag of baby potatoes
• 2 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 tub firm tofu
• 1 tub grated Parmesan/Romano blend cheese
• ketchup
• 2 jars marinara sauce
• 1 jar curry simmer sauce
• 1 bag frozen peas
• 1 box Pillsbury pie crusts (the rolled up ones)
• 1 bag frozen mixed berries
• 1 tub vanilla yogurt
• dozen eggs
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• 1 cup red wine
• garlic
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• white vinegar
• curry powder
• ground turmeric
• all purpose flour

PREP ON SUNDAY

The Meatballs and Sauce

• 2 small onions, peeled and grated
• 6 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 eggs
• 2 slices of your breakfast bread, processed into crumbs
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan/Romano blend
• 2 lbs. ground turkey
• olive oil
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 jars marinara sauce

In a large bowl, mix everything except the olive oil, wine and marinara sauce with your hands just until everything is well combined.  Form into meatballs on a cookie sheet or dish.  Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet or saute pan over medium high heat.  Brown the meatballs in batches on all sides- about 6 minutes total.  Add more oil to the pan as needed and set the cooked meatballs aside.   Pour the red wine in the pan and scrape all the cheese and meat bits off the bottom of the pan.  Pour in the marinara sauce and stir to combine.  Put the meatballs back into the pan with the sauce and lower the heat to low.  Simmer for 20 more minutes.  Transfer everything to a casserole dish and store in the fridge for the week.

Curried Veggies for the Potpies

• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green apple, cored and chopped
• 1 head cauliflower, leaved removed, cored and cut into small florets
• 1 bag small potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 bag carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 bag frozen peas
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 tub firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 jar curry simmer sauce
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• salt
• pepper

Heat a splash of oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.   Add onions, carrots and potatoes.  Cook for about 4 minutes.  Add apple, cauliflower and peas.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  Add simmer sauce, raisins, water, curry powder, turmeric and about 1 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of pepper.   Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add tofu, stir gently and simmer for 20 minutes longer or until all of the veggies are soft and stew-like.  Salt and pepper more if needed.  Stir in flour and cook for a couple minutes longer.  Transfer to a large bowl or container and store in the fridge for the week.

Smoothie Popsicles

This is for one batch of popsicles because most molds only make 4 pops.   If you have more than 4, you can always just make them all at once or remake them every couple days. 

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup frozen berries

Blend everything together in a blender or food processor.  Pour into molds and freeze for the week.

BREAKFAST- 15 minutes

Poached Egg with Asparagus and Toast

• 2 slices of bread
• 2 eggs
• 1/5th of your asparagus, tough bottom ends snapped or cut off
• sprinkle of Parmesan/Romano cheese blend
• salt
• pepper
• white vinegar

Fill a small pan with water and bring to a boil over high heat.   Add the asparagus and boil for about 3 minutes or until tender.  Remove from water and rinse with cold water.   Divide between two plates and sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper.   Add a splash of vinegar to the water and lower the heat just so it’s lightly bubbling.   Crack both eggs gently into the water and simmer for about 2 minutes or until set.   In the meantime, toast your bread.  Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, transfer to the plates and sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Serve with the toast!

LUNCH- 5 minutes

Turkey Meatball Sliders

• 4 slider rolls, cut in half and toasted
• 1/5th of the meatballs and sauce, warmed up the microwave

Top the rolls with meatballs and sauce! Sprinkle with a little cheese if you’d like and serve 2 sliders per person.

DINNER-  40 minutes

Curried Veggie Potpies

• Prepared veggie filling- about 2 cups
• 1/5th of the Pillsbury crusts (use a cutter or knife to cut 2 rounds or squares)

Preheat oven to 400.  Fill two ramekins, small casserole dishes, or french onion soup bowls with some of the curried veggies.  Top with the crust and pinch around the edge of the dish.  Cut slits in the crust for venting.   Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbling and crust is golden.  Cover the crust with foil if it starts to get too brown before its bubbling.   Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

DESSERT-  0 minutes

Smoothie Popsicle

EAT!