Month: August 2016

Couscous salad Mexican style

image

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups veggie broth
  • 1 cup whole wheat couscous
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup tomatoes chopped or grape tomatoes cut in half
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cucumber chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 avocado chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Bring the veggie broth to a boil.  Add the couscous and stir.  Then turn off the heat, remove from the heat and cover the pot.  Let it stand while chopping the produce.
  • Add all chopped produce to a large bowl.
  • Let the couscous cool and fluff with a fork.
  • add cooled couscous to the large bowl of chopped produce, then squeeze the lime juice over the top, stirring often.  Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tip

  • best when served chilled.

image

Advertisements

karenkkjLeave a comment

Produce is less expensive than I thought

We all know we should be eating more fruits and veggies, especially if we call ourselves Plant-Based, Vegan, or Vegetarian.  Is produce really as expensive as some people make it seem?  I just found out produce is pretty dang cheap.  Even though I buy some produce with my groceries every time I go to the store, I never really knew how much I was spending on produce alone.  Today I decided to go to the store for produce only to see what I could get for $15.

Less than $15 of produce
Less than $15 of produce

Here is what I got:

  • 1 head of Romaine lettuce
  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • 2 lbs of broccoli
  • 3 lbs of zucchini squash
  • 4 avocados
  • 1 watermelon
  • 1.4 lbs of tomatoes on the vine
  • 1.18 lbs of gala apples (3)
  • 1 cucumber
  • 4 cobs of corn

Total:  $14.54

I have included a copy of the receipt and a picture of the produce.

Produce receipt
Produce receipt

We can all find high quality produce for a decent price, especially if we buy what is in season.  Here are a few ways to get produce for a great price:

  • If you live in AZ check out:  POWWOW. You can get 60 lbs of produce for $10
  • find your local farmers market at http://www.localharvest.org
  • shop the produce section at the grocery store and avoid the center isles of the store (shop the perimeter).
  • Buy produce that is in season.  Avoid buying the produce that is more expensive because it is not its season.  If you are not sure what is in season you could google it and find out.
  • create a grocery budget for yourself and stick to it.  If you want to spend less on food, you can!  Eat from your pantry and just buy a few produce items to “spice it up”.
  • Buy in bulk.  I like to buy huge bags of the grains and beans that my family eats the most:  Black beans, jasmine brown rice, oatmeal, and kidney beans.  I then put them in a bucket to keep the pests out and add oxygen absorber packets.  Now I can have rice and beans as taco “meat” and the produce will make a nice mexican dish like a taco salad or tacos, or nachos.

 

I can eat all week on just $15 because I already have bulk beans and rice, and other pantry items to make meals with.  Here are a few meals I could make this week with the produce I just bought:

  • rice & broccoli stir fry
  • taco salad
  • pasta primavera  (with zucchini)
  • couscous salad (couscous, cucumber, tomato, onion, lime juice)
  • salad
  • Corn on the cob with a veggie burger

karenkkjLeave a comment