Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries: Vol. 26

2 people, 5 days, 70 bucks or less

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

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Tomato, Basil, Egg McMuffin

Lunch

• Buffalo “Wing” Tofu Wrap

Dinner

• Chicken Sausage, Arugula and Mushroom Pizza

Dessert

• Root Beer Float Pop

THE GROCERY LIST  (for 2 people)

• 12 English muffins
• 10 large tortillas, wheat or plain
• romaine lettuce
• celery
• shredded carrot
• basil
• 5 tomatoes
• bag or bunch of arugula
• tub of pre-sliced mushrooms
• 5 chicken sausages
• 5 balls of pre-made pizza dough, wheat or plain
• small tub vanilla frozen yogurt
• 1 bottle of root beer
• 2 tubs firm tofu
• blue cheese dressing
• shredded mozzarella
• 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
• jar of wing sauce
• maraschino cherries
• eggs

WHAT WE ALREADY HAD AT HOME

• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• vegetable oil
• garlic
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• cooking spray
• 1 shallot
• flour

PREP ON SUNDAY

Buffalo Tofu

• 2 tubs firm tofu, drained, dried with a paper towel and cut into cubes
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• salt
• vegetable oil
• jar of wing sauce

Heat a good amount of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.   Mix a little salt into the flour and divide between two plates.   Dry the tofu cubes gently with paper towels.  Toss carefully in flour and then toss in the beaten egg.  Toss again with flour on the second plate and drop into the hot oil.   Fry until lightly golden on one side and carefully shake the pan to turn them or flip them with a spatula.   While they cook, pour the wing sauce into a large bowl.  When the tofu is golden all around, immediately transfer into the wing sauce and toss to coat.  Store in the fridge for the week.

Pizza Sauce

• olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 28oz. can whole tomatoes

Heat a splash of oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes and break them apart with a wooden spoon or squish down on them with a potato masher.  Add the herbs and a sprinkle of salt.  Stir and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook 15 more minutes.   Store in the fridge for the week.

Sausage for the Pizzas

• olive oil
• 5 chicken sausages, cut into small chunks

Heat a splash of oil in a cast iron skillet or non stick skillet.   Add the chicken sausage and cook until lightly browned on each side.  Store in the fridge for the week.

Root Beer Float Pops

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 of days. 

• 1/2 cup and 4 tsp. vanilla frozen yogurt
• 1/2 cup flat root beer (pour in a glass and leave on the counter for a couple of hours or in the fridge overnight)
• 4 maraschino cherries

Squish a cherry into the bottom of each pop mold.  Squish about a teaspoon of frozen yogurt on top of and around the cherries.  Mix the root beer and 1/2 cup frozen yogurt together until well blended.  Pour into the molds over the frozen yogurt and cherry.  Freeze until firm.

BREAKFAST- 10 minutes

Tomato, Basil, Egg McMuffin

• 2 English muffins, toasted
• 2 eggs
• cooking spray
• 8 basil leaves
• 1 tomato, sliced
• salt and pepper

Sprinkle tomato slices with salt and pepper.  Stack tomatoes and basil on the bottoms of the English muffins.  Drizzle with a little olive oil if you’d like.  Heat cooking spray in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Crack both eggs into the pan and cook about 1 minute on each side or until cooked how you like them.  Salt and pepper each.  Use a spatula to slide each egg on top of the tomato and basil.  Top off with the other muffin halves and eat!

LUNCH- 5 minutes

Buffalo “Wing” Tofu Wraps

• 2 large tortillas
• 4 leaves romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup carrot shreds
• 2 celery stalks, julienned
• blue cheese dressing
• 1/5th of the buffalo tofu, reheated in the microwave if you want

Divide everything between the wraps and drizzle with the dressing.  Wrap it up and eat!

DINNER-  30 minutes

Chicken Sausage, Arugula, Mushroom Pizza

• 1/5th of the chicken sausage
• pizza sauce
• arugula
• mushrooms
• mozzarella
• 1 ball pre-made dough

Preheat oven to 450.  Sprinkle some flour or cornmeal onto a cookie sheet.  Work the dough into a large thin round and place onto the cookie sheet.  Top with a little sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella.  Top with sausage, arugula and sliced mushrooms.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.

DESSERT-  0 minutes

Root Beer Float Pops

EAT!