Meals Under $10: Meatless Meatball Sandwhich

These past few weeks, I’ve felt like eating things that I don’t normally crave.

What do you do when that happens to you?

I keep seeing all this delicious-looking crusty bread everywhere! So I had to buy me some!

However, I limit myself to ONE roll at a time! In my mind, it’s better to eat what I want in a small portion that eat TONS of other things in an attempt to satisfy my craving. ;)

These are the crown rolls that I used in an earlier post of minestrone soup:

http://cookingfromtheground.blogspot.com/2011/10/easy-and-economical-minestrone-soup_16.html

THREE INGREDINTS (all from Trader Joe’s):

The tomato basil marinara is only $1.79! :)

Meatless Meatball Sandwhich

Meatless Meatballs

Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

Crown Artisian Rolls

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the the meatless meatballs in a large pot with the tomato basil marinara sauce for 10 minutes.

Place the crown artisian rolls in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until warm and soft.

Using a bread knife, slice the rolls in half and scoop 4 meatballs with sauce on one half.

Place the other half of the roll on top, or use it as a dipper for the sacue.

If you have extra meatballs and sauce, save them and toss them with whole wheat pasta for another quick meal. J

Get messy! J

Raw Brownies: Dates, Cashews, and Cocoa Powder

Yes, I understand this is NOT the most appetizing-looking picture…

I PROMISE you though, these things are THE BOMB!

I mean, come on now…

DATES

CASHEWS

COCOA POWDER

ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS in a food bar!! You can’t beat that!

This recipe was inspired by my FAVORITE food bar: The LARA BAR. LARA BARS have only a few ingredients, consisting of nothing more than nuts, fruit, spices, and sometimes chocolate!

These bars take only minutes to prepare. Of course, they need some time to firm up in the freezer, but that requires no work on your part. J

You can use almonds, walnuts, a mixture of nuts, various dried fruits, coconut, or omit the cocoa powder.

The possibilities are ENDLESS! J

These are great as pre-workout or in-between-meal snacks!

Raw Brownies

1 cup cashews, raw or roasted (divided into ½ cup measurements)

1 cup pitted medjool dates

¼ cup cocoa powder

In a food processor, pulse ½ cup of the cashews a few times, or until the cashews are in small pieces (NOT POWDER). Set aside in a separate bowl.

Blend the dates and cocoa powder in the food processor until completely combined, using a plastic spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl between pulses.

Add the chopped cashews and pulse a few times to combine, without breaking the cashews up into powder.

Empty the mixture into a small brownie pan lined with plastic wrap and, with damp hands, press to cover the bottom of the pan evenly.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, cut into 12 bars, and ENJOY!

Easy and Economical Minestrone Soup

Did you know that you can make a week’s worth of soup for yourself for under $10?!

How, exactly, is this possible?

Thank you to: TRADER JOE’S!

Although the cost of the ingredients is a bit more than $10, you don’t use ALL of the garlic, celery, pasta, or olive oil (of course) for one pot of soup. So, after it’s said and done, it’s just about $10!

Ever since I’ve worked for Trader Joe’s, I’ve been DYING to try the crown artisan sourdough rolls. I FINALLY DID when I made this soup!

Simply pop them in an oven heated to 350 degrees F and bake for about 5 minutes or so, until they are warmed through and crisp on the outside! YUM!

AND NOW…on to the soup!

Seriously (no joke), I’ve made this soup THREE TIMES THIS WEEK!!

It’s really THAT easy! It doesn’t take more than 1 hour (30 minute of which you don’t have to do anything but sit back and relax!)

Feel free to play around with different veggies and pasta shapes.

I find it very helpful to keep a bowl on hand to throw food waste in while prepping the veggies.

Let’s hope for more rain soon! WE ALL KNOW the simple equation: RAIN + SOUP + ROASING FIRE = HAPPINESS J

VEGETABLE MINESTRONE

3 tbs Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic (depending on your desire), minced

1 Head of Celery, chopped

Sea Salt (to taste)

Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

One 16 or 18 oz can of Canned Tomatoes

2 tsp dried oregano

4 cups Vegetable Broth

4 cups Water

1/2 lb Pasta (any small shape-can use whole wheat or brown rice)

1 can Kidney Beans, rinsed

1 can Cannellini Beans, rinsed

After prepping the veggies, heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat for about 1 minute.

Throw the garlic, celery, and onion in the pot and sauté for about 8-10 minutes, or until tender.

Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste; then add the oregano, rubbing it between your fingers to release its flavor.

Pour in the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and water. (HINT: The vegetable broth comes in a container that holds 4 cups. After pouring in the broth, use the container as a measuring cup for the water.)

While the soup heats, boil a large pot of water, add a generous pinch of sea salt, and cook the pasta al dente, or until it’s almost done. If you cook it till it’s completely done, it will get soft and mushy in the soup. (YUCK!)

Once the soup has come to a simmer, skim off the foam on the top with a spoon.

Strain the pasta and add it to the soup along with the beans.

Add salt and pepper (if needed), and serve warm with a nice crown roll from TRADER JOE’S!  

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Muffins

Here goes Saturday’s cook off---recipe number 2!

As I mentioned in my last post, my brother (who practically follows a Paleo diet), ate 5 of these little guys after I brought them out of the oven! Muffins have to be pretty good for him to go near them…so I think that says something about the taste.

Also, he knew they’d be as healthy as possible if I made them. ;)

These are great as a treat or as part of a fall-inspired breakfast!

1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flours (can use half white flour)

¾ cup raw sugar

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 cup pureed pumpkin

½ almond milk (or other nondairy milk, or apple juice)

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup applesauce

2 Tbsp molasses

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 banana, mashed (optional)

Raw Sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, almond milk, canola oil, applesauce, molasses, and mashed banana, if using.

Gently fold wet ingredients into the flour mixture until almost combined. Add chocolate chips to and finish mixing, folding just until combined.

Fill the muffin liners till almost full, using an ice cream scoop for measurement. Sprinkle a pinch of raw sugar on the top of each muffin, then bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.  

Fall Back Into the Season: Cook Off with Me, Myself, and I

Last November, I posted a recipe for Roasted Vegetable Soup, which happens to be one of my FAVORITE fall recipes!

All week I’ve been watching customers at Trader Joe’s buy pumpkin, butternut squash, and chocolate, which inspired me to spend my Saturday afternoon cooking as much fall-themed food as I could manage!

Here’s the afternoon's eats:

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Muffins

Chocolate Coconut Granola

And they were a hit! There are only 2 muffins left! (I made 12, and then my older brother proceeded to eat 5! And he RARELY eats anything but fruit, fish, eggs, vegetables, and nuts!)

Instead of simply re-posting the Roasted Vegetable Soup recipe, I’ve provided some pictures and helpful hints to make the prep work easy.

After you’ve read these tips, check out the recipe:

http://cookingfromtheground.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-about-soup-recipe-in-preparation.html

Al-righty! First things first:

When pealing the butternut squash and other vegetables, hold them over a bowl in the sink---this way all the peals will collect in one spot, saving much clean up!

Careful when pealing that squash! It can put up a tough fight and you can easily peal something other than the squash… :/

Cut it in half, carefully, and then into quarters, eighths, and so on, until you have this: (with all the other veggies, of course ;)

MORE PICTURES (and recipes) FROM my FALL COOK OFF to COME! 

Keeping Your Diet Clean with Nutrient Dense Foods

Do you love the thought of preparing fresh, healthy food in your kitchen each day?

I know I do! But I admit that this is not always my daily routine.

As much as I LOVE cooking, the thought of spending time in the kitchen often comes much easier than actually  getting in there and cooking!

I’ve found that the less I cook, the more packaged foods I eat (even if they are “healthy” packaged foods).

Lately, I have been making a concentrated effort to pack my meals with nutrient dense foods instead of healthy convenience foods.

Here are a few things that have helped me, and will help you eat more nutrient dense meals:

-Balance your plate: fill half or more with veggies and the rest with some protein and whole grains

-Eat both raw and cooked vegetables: If you don’t have time to cook vegetables, don’t skip out on them! Just grab some raw carrots, snap peas, or cucumber!

-Get creative with combinations: experiment with vegetables, beans, and nuts and seeds you don’t often eat

-Build meals around seasonal vegetables, instead of making them the afterthought

By eating nutrient dense meals, not only will your body get all of the nourishment it needs, but you will feel full longer and lose cravings for processed foods!

Give it a try! Here are a few sample meals and snacks that are built around nutrient dense foods:

·         A banana with almond, peanut, or sunflower seed butter (my favorite snack!!)

·         Sautéed kale with olive oil, garlic, and red chili flakes; served with grilled fish  

·         Fresh sliced cucumber, celery, carrots, and snap peas--dipped in hummus

·         Oatmeal mixed with frozen blueberries, cinnamon, almonds, and ground flax seed

·         Shrimp, tossed with basil pesto, broccoli, pine nuts, and lemon zest

·         Black beans, corn, and spinach—served atop a sweet potato

(Above picture: Salad made of sautéed kale and broccoli, raw tomatoes and mixed greens, chickpeas and brown rice, drizzled with red wine vinaigrette)

What is your favorite nutrient dense meal?