Why we blog.. Two Peas and a Wad

Thank you so much to Eliane at http://foodbod.wordpress.com/ for mentioning Two Peas & A Wad in her “Why We Blog” series- she has a fantastic blog herself, which you should all check out! She is really, really great. Thank you again for the honor!!

foodbod

Introducing Two Peas and a Wad a blog to inspire you about eating organic food without breaking the bank..

How long have you had your blog?

I just started blogging on January 2nd! I’d been thinking about it for a while and knew it was time to start when multiple people asked me to go to the store with them to show them how to shop better.

What was your reason for starting it?

I wanted to help people realize that living an organic lifestyle doesn’t have to be as expensive as people think. Many people avoid the organic section of the store because of it’s perceived cost. I know there are people out there that wish they could live 100% organically at home but don’t even try- I’m here to show them it IS affordable and very doable. You just need a little creativity and resources to get your…

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The #1 Key to Saving Money: Having a well-stocked pantry and fridge!

  

Having a well-stocked pantry and fridge is one of the biggest tips I give to people who are looking to save money. When you have what you need on hand, you buy fewer items at the store each time. Knowing what to keep in the pantry means you can plan ahead and buy in bulk/search for the best price!

  

It’s also a good idea to clean out the pantry and fridge every so often- give a good look in there, see what you want to use up (or what NEEDS to be used up) and base your meals off of that. I can make complete meals from what I already have- a great thing to be able to do when you just don’t want to go to the store. Instead of calling for take-out, you can make your own meals that are healthier AND less expensive by far! If you’re ever stumped, you can leave a reply on Leftover Makeovers and I can help you figure out what to make with what you already have.

  

Here’s what I keep in my pantry, fridge, and freezer at any given time- I supplement with fresh produce, milk, eggs, orange juice, and poultry/fish.

  

Every single thing I have is organic. Instead of writing organic 2348238 times, I’m just going to state that right here!

  

  

Pantry:

  

• stock- I have chicken and vegetable- whatever you use most!
• bouillon – I use Better than Boullion Organic Chicken Base- for when you need just a little stock and don’t want to open a whole box

• pasta- I use 100% whole wheat organic. I sometimes get sprouted pasta from the bulk section at Whole Foods because it’s cheaper than buying boxes of sprouted whole wheat pasta. You can get Gluten Free if you prefer!
• rice- arborio (for risotto), brown, long grain- whatever you like to eat!
• cous cous- a great fast cooking grain, available in many variations
• quinoa- a staple in my kitchen. High in protein, low in fat, and fairly priced when bought in bulk
• tomatoes- check your company to see if they make BPA free cans for tomatoes. If not, go with jarred versions. I have crushed, diced, and tomato sauce. Some brands that make jarred tomatoes are:

• oils- coconut, olive, and a high burning, such as avocado or canola. PLEASE purchase organic oils if you can- vegetable, canola, etc. are usually genetically modified if they’re not certified organic
• vinegars- I have balsamic, red wine, and apple cider vinegar at all times
• canned beans- canellini, kidney, black, garbonzo (aka chick peas)
• dried lentils- I have green and black
• dried beans- cheaper than canned beans, but you need to plan ahead with them. If you make recipes in advance, these are for you!
• oats
• sugar (if you bake a lot of recipes that use it)- you can also use date, coconut, or other less refined sugars
• powdered/confectioners sugar (if you make a lot of frostings/icings)
• cacao powder- make sure it’s not COCOA powder! Big difference, but barely noticeable in terms of spelling if you’re not paying attention.

• agave- I use this as a sweetener in healthy versions of recipes. I also use it in my coffee in the mornings!
• honey- local and raw is best
• baking soda- I opt for Bob’s Red Mill over A&H because fewer chemicals are used to make it

• baking powder
• flours- I have organic white, sprouted whole grain, coconut, and quinoa. Sometimes I rotate other Gluten Free flours into the mix if they’re on sale
• vanilla extract- be sure to get pure, NOT imitation- it makes all the difference in the world. I use Simply Organic

• other extracts if you bake a lot (chocolate, almond, etc)
• almond butter/cashew butter (or peanut if you prefer)- I prefer almond over peanut butter in recipes (it’s a little better for you!), and I prefer desserts made with cashew butter over the others
• tahini- sesame paste/butter. I use this in my hummus burgers and many other recipes!

• carton of almond/oat/soy/rice milk (your preference)- you never know when you’re going to forget to pick up milk, run out for coffee/tea or a recipe- I always keep a carton around if one of the above happens. Often the case: someone finishes the milk without telling me and I have a back up!
• bottle of juice (I have organic orange mango)- same as with the milk, you never know when you’re going to run out or not have enough for a spontaneous recipe. I drink plain organic orange juice, but if I run out, my organic orange mango is a great substitute

• nuts- I have walnuts, cashews, almonds, and pine nuts
• herbs and spices- whatever you find yourself using a lot of. I use a lot of different spices and cook with them quite often so my cabinet is FULL
• cornmeal- PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CORNMEAL IS ORGANIC! Corn is one of the most genetically modified crops in the United States
• dried cranberries- always a good idea to make sure they’re organic too- sugar and corn syrup are used as sweeteners and are genetically modified most of the time
• sustainably caught tuna- if you are vegetarian or vegan, no need for this obviously!
• sustainably caught salmon- same as with the tuna
• coconut milk- I always use the lowest fat, some people use full fat for certain recipes- it’s up to you!
• cups of apple sauce- yes the individual cups cost more than a jar in terms of unit price, but organic apple sauce goes bad before I get the chance to finish a jar- the cups are the perfect amount for recipes.

• canned pineapple- make sure it’s canned in juice. Also a good idea to look for organic.

  

Fridge:

  

• ketchup- PLEASE get organic. The price is only a little bit more and the quality of what you’re putting in your body is drastically higher
• mustard- I have stone ground and Dijon
• Worcestershire sauce
• soy sauce- I must insist again that you get organic soy sauce for the same reason as the ketchup. Soy is one of the most genetically modified foods in the U.S.
• brown sugar- I keep it in the fridge so it doesn’t harden as much- my father-in-law showed me this and it really helps!
• real maple syrup- the kind in a glass jar, or big plastic jug from Vermont- not the fake kind that many use for pancakes
• hot sauce- if you like to spice things up sometimes!
• jelly/jam/preserves- I use organic superfruit spreads- each is from a different continent, North America (Blue), Europe (Green), South America (Orange), Asia (Yellow)

• garlic (either jarred or fresh)
• onions
• vegan buttery spread/butter

• chia seeds
• capers

 

Freezer:

  

• frozen veggies (peas, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, corn)
• frozen berries/fruits that you like to make smoothies or bake with
• loaf of bread

• bread crumbs (plain and seasoned)- keeping them in the freezer keeps them fresher longer!

  

Having all of the above at any given time has really helped me out in the past and can most certainly help you too. You should include any items you use frequently and avoid purchasing products for just one recipe that you’d have difficulty incorporating into other dishes.

  

Remember to always check online to see if you can get a better price (remember to include shipping in your calculations!). Also, check around from store to store- two natural markets I go to had the exact same honey last week that was $3.20 different from store to store!

  

Do you keep anything in your pantry that I didn’t list above? I’d love to hear!

 

Chocolate Gnocchi with Strawberries: A savory take on a Valentine’s Day favorite!

 

My husband and I have quite the Valentine’s Day joke.
 
6 years ago I told him the only thing I wanted for Valentine’s Day was chocolate covered strawberries. I told him this around Christmas when the fruit came up somehow, but the two months between the two holidays led to him forgetting unfortunately.
 
The next year, I reminded him in February- still no berries come the 14th! This went on for TWO MORE YEARS!!! For whatever reason, my very considerate/loving/attentive husband could not remember to bring me chocolate covered strawberries even when I reminded him in February!!! He’s truly the most amazing husband I could have ever imagined, it was honestly mind boggling that he couldn’t master Valentine’s Day = Chocolate Covered Strawberries.
 
I had to wonder if he were doing it on purpose- how could a person forget year after year?! He even put it in his Google calendar a few years ago and reminded himself in time to order them, but it magically didn’t happen again. Instead of being angry, it just made me laugh- I honestly could not believe it. He would give wonderful cards (one year it was hand made!) and thoughtful gifts. But alas, no berries. Last year HE REMEMBERED (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and we enjoyed them as we laughed.
 

About two weeks ago, he said “Would you like chocolate covered strawberries this year? I want to get them for you but I don’t know where I will find them with organic chocolate and organic strawberries.” Now this was sweet- he knew I wouldn’t care for them now that I eat only organic foods (conventional strawberries are one of the most pesticide-sprayed fruits in the United States).

 

I would make an exception on a holiday (or the rare occasion we go out to eat) but the cost of buying conventional chocolate covered strawberries is insane when you can make them organically for less. He made them (using conventional ingredients) for me our first Valentine’s Day in 2006 so buying both organic berries and chocolate and making them here did come to mind- but I told him not this year.
 
This year I was going to give HIM some chocolate and strawberries- I made DINNER (not dessert!) using organic chocolate and strawberries. I bet you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about. With a little creativity and imagination, ANYTHING, including Valentine’s Day dinner, can happen!

 

Chocolate Gnocchi with Strawberries, Peas, Candied Bacon, and Rosemary Balsamic

 

• 2 organic sweet potatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (or more)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more)
• 1 tablespoon organic chocolate syrup
• 1 egg white (or you can use a teaspoon or two of almond or cashew butter to make these vegan)
• 1 3/4 cups organic flour (I used sprouted whole wheat)
• 2 tablespoons organic cocoa powder
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (use closer to 3/4 cup if you like your pasta saucier)
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey
• 1 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary (if using fresh remember to use about half!)
• 6 organic frozen strawberries
• 3 pieces organic turkey bacon (optional)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup for candying the bacon, if using

 

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes and boil in salted water until they are soft enough that they almost fall apart when stabbed with a fork. Drain and return to the same pot. Mash them with a fork or masher until there are no lumps.
 

 

Add the spices, salt, and organic chocolate syrup. I used Alaska brand. I have this on hand for when I want mocha as opposed to plain coffee- it’s really quite good and is free of all of the chemicals and additives- it’s USDA Organic AND Non-GMO verified! Stir until incorporated.

 

 

Taste the mixture at this point (before adding the egg!) to assess the spice/saltiness. Sweet potatoes vary in size and water content so each batch can be different. If you want more spice, add a little of each until you think it tastes just right! I DO NOT recommend adding extra salt because you will be boiling them in salted water which will add saltiness. Do remember though, that you will be adding a lot of flower and cocoa powder which don’t have spice in them so make sure the potatoes have good flavor.
 

 

Once it tastes flavorful (you may not need to add any extra spice- I didn’t!) add 1 cup of flour and the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Stir and add 1/4 cup of the leftover flour at a time until the mixture can be picked up and isn’t gummy in your hands.

 

 

Use a little flour and cocoa powder to dust a cutting board. Make sure to spread the flour/cocoa powder mixture very thin- leave a pile off to the side that you can take from if you need more. Take a small handful of the dough and roll it into a log  on the floured cutting board.

 

 

Lightly roll the log into a snake, being careful not to squish the dough. Repeat making logs and snakes until all of the dough is used.

 

 

Cut the snakes into pieces that are about the same width as a finger.

 

 

I place the cut gnocchi on a cookie sheet and freeze them until I want to use them, even if it’s for only a few minutes (preferably about an hour, minimum). When the dough is room temperature, it can disintegrate and/or become too mushy. These cook in seconds so it is important that they are firm when they go into the boiling water.

 

 

Thaw the strawberries in a bowl or help them by placing frozen with a teaspoon of water in a small pot and heat over low heat. Set aside.
 

 

In a small sautee pan or pot, heat the balsamic vinegar and sweetener over high heat. I also poured in the liquid that came off of the strawberries when they thawed.Chop the dried rosemary (warning: this can be messy, the pieces like to fly everywhere so try to cover with your hand) and add it to the balsamic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer- let simmer until the mixture begins to thicken (10 minutes or so).

If you would like candied maple bacon lardons (slices) in your dish, this is the time to cook the turkey bacon in just a tiny bit of olive oil. Lightly brown the slices  on both sides. Add the maple syrup, making sure the slices are coated. Continue cooking the bacon, flip the slices after a few minutes. When nearly all of the maple syrup is gone from the pan, remove the bacon slices and let cool.

 

 
Heat a larger sautee pan with a little olive oil.

 
Salt a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in 3 batches once the water is boiling- they will cook in 30 seconds or less. Don’t wait for them to float to the top- they may be done already. After a few seconds, take one with a fork and taste it- if it’s heated through and doesn’t taste like raw flour, you’re good to go. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi and place them in the sautee pan.

 

Shake the pan to coat the gnocchi with the olive oil. Repeat the process until all of the gnocchi are cooked. In the pan they should all be barely coated in olive oil and slightly crisping up.
 

 

Heat the peas in a small sautee pan in a little water. Set aside.
 

Heat the strawberries briefly in the same pan until just heated through- you do not want them to disintegrate.
 
Stack the bacon slices if using and cut into small pieces.

 

 
Plate desired amount of gnocchi on a plate. Drizzle with the balsamic and top with bacon and peas. Top with the whole strawberries. Enjoy!!
 

 

This meal is a savory dish- it is not sweet even though you are using chocolate and strawberries. It was a very inexpensive way to cook something unique and special for Valentine’s Day. The only ingredient of expense is the balsamic vinegar (organic cocoa powder can be expensive but used in such a small amount only costs a few cents). The vinegar costs about $7.00 for a 16.9 ounce bottle- twice the price of conventional balsamic. If you use half a cup it only costs $1.64 (3/4 cup would be $2.46).

 

My husband looked at the plate and said “Wow!” I asked for more details for what “wow” meant, and he continued with “captivating, interesting, unique, colorful!” I told him what we were having and he laughed. After trying everything he said “unexpected, textural, complex, surprising, bursting flavor, scrumptious!” I’ll take it! Happy Valentine’s Day from our home to yours!

 

Snowed In Meal #2: Moroccan-Spiced Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Another day, another snow storm. Currently in central New Jersey we have over a foot (more than 30 centimeters) with more on the way. Again no work for me- my husband, a degreed meteorologist, is out in the elements being filmed for a TV segment. So it’s just me making lunch, which he’ll be able to enjoy once he’s back! Here’s our back deck:

  

 

I knew the storm was coming, so I figured I’d head to the store on my way home yesterday (along with everyone else in the entire state!) Once I got there, it was clear- I would be relying on my own pantry and fridge again to make food- the shelves were EMPTY. And I mean EMPTY. There was barely any fresh produce. Here are some pictures of the onion bins and parsley baskets (notice the ONE bag of carrots left under the parsley)

 

And the bottled water section, always a favorite to show during a storm:

  

 

No problem- I knew I could make something tasty out of ingredients already in my home. Once home, I looked through everything and saw half a carton of organic tomato soup staring at me- what is more perfect for being snowed in than tomato soup and grilled cheese?! I’d used the tomato soup as part of another recipe and it had been in the freezer ever since. Plain ol’ tomato soup wasn’t going to get it done if I’m dipping my grilled cheese in it so I knew I’d be using other ingredients around the house to jazz it up.

  

Moroccan-Spiced Tomato Soup

 

• 15 ounces (an ounce more or less wont matter) of low-sodium organic tomato soup- one can or half a 32 ounce box will work just fine!
• half an organic onion
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes
• 1 can organic beans, any kind will do (I had dark red kidney beans, so that’s what I used!)
• 1 tablespoon salt-free organic seasoning blend
• 1/2 teaspoon organic turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon organic coriander
• pinch of organic cinnamon
• pinch of organic red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Cheese (I made mine with cheese and turkey bacon, you can simply make garlic bread- just as delicious!)

  

• 8 pieces Ezekiel bread, thawed (I use Ezekiel because it is sprouted and really healthy- you can use whatever bread you have on hand)
• organic cheddar cheese (however much you like- I prefer less cheese, many prefer it oozing out of their bread!)
• 3 pieces of organic turkey bacon (optional)
• 2 tablespoons organic vegan buttery spread (you can use butter if you have it instead). You may want to use more, I chose to use as little fat as possible
• 2 tablespoons organic olive oil (again, you may want more!)
• 1/2 teaspoon organic basil
• 1/2 teaspoon organic oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon organic parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon organic garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon organic onion powder

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Dice organic onion and add to the pot when the oil is hot. Cook until onions start to become translucent.

  

 

Add the can of diced tomatoes, cook with the onions. My diced tomatoes happened to be larger than I’d like, so I used a potato masher to break them up in the pot- this is totally your call.

  

Add the organic seasoning blend- mine is salt free so I can add a large a mount. If yours is NOT salt free, use much less and taste- you don’t want it to be too salty!

  

 

Rinse and drain the can of beans, add to the pot. Once they’ve cooked for a few minutes, use a potato masher to break up the beans- they should still be chunky, you just want to release some of their starchiness to thicken the soup.

  

 

Add the spices, stir, and cook for a few minutes.

 

Add the tomato soup- mine was frozen, so I added the frozen brick right to the pot and turned up the heat. If yours is not frozen, just go head and add it and stir.

   

This is the brand I used:

  

Note The Non-GMO Project and USDA Certified Organic seals!

  

Salt and pepper to taste (this will depend on how much salt your canned/boxed soup already has in it- I use low sodium so I needed to add a pinch of salt.) Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer as you prepare the grilled cheese.

  

I used Ezekiel bread, which comes frozen.

  

I thawed 8 pieces- as they were thawing, I melted the vegan buttery spread in a small bowl. I use Earth Balance Organic Natural Buttery Spread- great stuff!!! (it’s the only “butter” I bake with, too!)

  

 

Add the olive oil and spices, stir, and put in the fridge to harden/thicken a bit.

  

If using bacon or turkey bacon, cook the three slices until slightly crispy- it will crisp up even more once removed from the pan.

 

 

Once cool enough to handle, break into small pieces.

  

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees F. Warm the thawed bread for just a few minutes and remove from the oven. Take the chilled spread from the fridge and spread evenly on 4 slices of bread. Take the broken up bacon if using, and arrange the pieces on the slices.

  

Put the cheese on these four coated slices- use however much you want. I used relatively little- my store just started carrying organic shredded cheese, so I picked up the organic white cheddar (they didn’t have yellow). I compared the price of a block or organic cheddar and the bag of shredded- the unit price was only a few cents different so I bought the shredded. Often shredded is much more expensive than a block, but not with this brand! I bought the cheese for a different recipe, so this was a perfect way to use up more of it.

  

Heat a little olive oil or vegan buttery spread/butter in a pan, add the four cheesey pieces cheese/bacon side up, and top them with the other four slices of bread. Lightly cook the four sandwiches on each side until bread is slightly toasty or golden brown.

  

Because I used so little fat in the ban, the bread wasn’t golden brown, but just nicely toasted- that’s how I prefer it- you can make a traditional style grilled cheese with more spread or oil if you’d like!

  

 

Once the outsides looked how I wanted them to look, I wrapped the sandwiches in aluminum foil and put them in the toaster oven to finish melting the cheese.

  

Once the cheese is fully melted, remove the sandwiches and slice in half. Serve with the tomato soup and enjoy!

  

 

This meal cost around $5.00 to make- even if you have to purchase items to make it, you will not use all of each item- meaning, you will not use the full package of cheese, you will not use the whole loaf of bread, the whole tub of buttery spread, etc. It costs out to about $5.00 to make using the amounts stated above AND I even have enough soup leftover to have for lunch tomorrow! Eating organically doesn’t have to cost as much as you think!

Snowed In Meal #1: Asian Lettuce Wraps (without having to go to the store!)

 

Last week in New Jersey we had a snow storm from early-morning Sunday into Monday. Work was canceled, the driveway and our cars were both covered, and it was freezing out. I didn’t want to go ANYWHERE. So I didn’t! But I knew I had to rely on making dinner from what I had on hand. They key to this type of meal is making sure it doesn’t taste like it was just thrown together to use up ingredients in the pantry or fridge.

 

Before I started brainstorming on Monday night, I asked my other half if there were something in particular he wanted. His request: “lettuce wraps, if you can.” Challenge, extended! I browsed the contents of our shelves and found that this was totally doable- he had previously purchased a head of organic iceberg lettuce for his lunch sandwiches, I had a container of organic non-GMO tofu that I was planning on using in a different recipe later in the week, and  I had leftover raw cauliflower. Done!

I love having leftover ingredients- especially when they were inexpensive to start with. A few days before, I bought a head of organic cauliflower for $3.99 (conventional was $3.49- only 50 cents less!)

I used 1/5 of the head for my vegan cauliflower “meat” balls and now had 4/5 left in my fridge- how exciting! The cauliflower would definitely be going in these lettuce wraps, along with the lettuce and tofu mentioned above.

As for the sauce, I have a go-to Asian sauce that is so simple to make and can be made with basic staples in your kitchen. A well stocked pantry is the key to successful re-purposing of ingredients- I will be making a post about what I keep in my pantry in the very near future. All you need for my simple Asian sauce is organic soy sauce (PLEASE go for organic if you can- there is not a huge difference in price, but the quality of what you’re putting in your body is night and day- soy is one of the most genetically modified crops in the United States), some sort if citrus juice, and your favorite nut butter of choice.

I had some almond butter I wanted to use up, but you can use peanut, cashew, or even tahini (sesame seed butter). I didn’t have any limes, my preferred citrus for this sauce, but I did have orange juice- a perfect substitute.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

• 1/2 package extra firm organic non-GMO tofu (found in the refrigerated section)
• 1 chicken breast (if you are going vegetarian/vegan, simply omit the chicken and make the full package of tofu!)
• 1/2 head of organic cauliflower
• pinch of ground mustard
• pinch of ground ginger
• pinch of ground allspice
• Asian seasoning blend (you can use the same three spices above with a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder and add sesame seeds if you’d like)
• 2 tablespoons organic almond butter (or other nut butter of choice)
• 1 tablespoon organic orange juice (more if you like a thinner sauce)
• 1-2 teaspoons of organic soy sauce, depending on desired flavor/saltiness
• 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade or mango chutney (I used mango chutney because I had an open jar)
• coconut oil for cooking
• 6-8 leaves of lettuce for wrapping (iceberg is recommended for crunch, but any lettuce can be used)

Optional but HIGHLY recommended:

• 1 organic scallion, chopped
• organic peanuts or almonds
•  organic pickled radishes/cucumbers/ginger

Slice the tofu into thin slices and let drain on paper towels placed on a baking rack. I flipped the tofu and changed the towels three times- there is a lot of water in tofu!

 

 

Heat a skillet with a little coconut oil over medium-high heat. Chop the cauliflower into small bite-size pieces and add to the pan. Cook until mostly cooked (you can taste test if you’re unsure!) Add the pinches of mustard, ginger, and allspice and finish cooking. Remove from pan and set aside.

 

Heat a little more coconut oil and when hot, add the drained sliced tofu. As the first side cooks, sprinkle with Asian seasoning. Always read your labels to make sure seasoning doesn’t contain starches or oils to prevent sticking. If you cannot find a good Asian spice blend, make your own with a pinch of mustard, ginger, allspice, garlic powder, onion powder, and optional sesame seeds as mentioned above in the ingredients list (unless the spice is USDA Certified Organic, the added oils are most likely genetically modified, or GMO.)

 

Flip tofu when the bottom side is golden brown and season the top side as the bottom cooks.

 

Remove from heat when golden brown, place on paper towls on baking rack so that any excess oil is absorbed.

 

While the tofu is sitting, reduce the heat and melt the marmalade or chutney in the same pan. When the tofu is cool enough to handle, stack the slices and slice into thin strips.

 

Add the strips to the melted marmalade/chutney and stir to coat the tofu. Remove from pan and set aside.

 

 

If using chicken, raise the heat, dice the chicken breast, and cook in a little coconut oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

 

Use the same pan to make the sauce. Lower the heat and melt the almond butter and add the orange juice. Stir to incorporate. Add a teaspoon of soy sauce and stir thoroughly. Taste the sauce to assess the flavor and saltiness- add another teaspoon of soy sauce if desired. Add the cauliflower to the sauce, stir to coat. You can now either mix in the chopped scallion, put it on top of the cauliflower, or wait until plating.

 

Move the cauliflower to one side of the pan, add the tofu (and chicken if applicable) to the pan in separate sections so that all components can reheat separately without having to heat three pans.

 

As ingredients heat back up, place peanuts in a small bowl if using them for a crunchy addition to the wraps (you can use almonds here if you prefer!) If you have a pickled veggie on hand, such as radishes or cucumbers, or a jar of pickled ginger (sushi ginger), dice them up into bite-size pieces and put in a small bowl for serving. I really love the pickled flavor in this recipe, I highly recommend using them if you have them or can find them. Sushi ginger can be found in the Asian aisle of your food store- it comes sliced in a jar!

 

I just happened to have some pickled radishes on hand because a while ago I had a huge raw bunch of left over and didn’t want to throw them out so I pickled them and threw them in the fridge- they last FOREVER! I use them in recipes as needed or even on top of a salad- delicious!

 

Take your lettuce and carefully separate the leaves. Place on a plate for serving. Once everything is warmed through, place into separate bowls so you can pick and choose the ingredients and amounts you’d like. Assemble as you wish and enjoy!

 

This meal was created based on what I had in my pantry and fridge- you can throw whatever veggies or proteins you want in the wraps, whether they were leftover, or cooked just for the purpose of using them in this recipe-be creative!

 

Lettuce wraps are an economical way to eat all organic- this meal cost me $3.50 for the organic chicken breast, $2.00 worth of cauliflower, $1.00 of lettuce, $1.25 for the tofu, and a dollar or two for the scallion, spices, oil, peanuts, and radishes for a total of around $7.75 worth of ingredients for a 100% organic dinner for two (without having to venture out into the cold!)

 

Vegan Cauliflower “Meat” Balls: $5 Dinner for Two AND a Leftover Makeover in One!

As I’ve mentioned before, I never throw out food, even if there are only a few bites left. It can always be used for SOMETHING- a little nibble here, a snack there.

    

My husband starts salivating as soon as I’m cooking it seems. He goes from “I could eat” to “I’M STARVING!!!!” in a matter of seconds. He gets so hungry that he must (MUST!) have a bite of something before dinner is even ready (see: Hummus burger recipe where he stole two spoonfulls of uncooked hummus “burger” which was just veggies, chickpeas, tahini, and quinoa flour, no uncooked meat or eggs). Therefore, saving every little bit of leftovers is essential in our house (and should be in yours too!) Instead of him eating my uncooked meal or stealing from the pan as I cook (yes, even this happens!) I say “there’s a few bites of xyz in the fridge” and he’ll eat that.

  

This time I made a meal out of my leftover gnocchi before he could get to those. I was putting my lunch together the other day and saw my ramekin of leftover gnocchi. Not enough for a meal itself, so I knew it would either be one of his “I’m so hungry I have to eat NOW” snacks or that it would be used as part of a leftover makeover.

  

  

While at the store that night I saw organic cauliflower for a great price. It was priced per head, not per pound, so if you can find a big one you’re getting a great deal. I found the biggest, heaviest head they had for $3.49. So now I knew tonight’s dinner would consist of cauliflower and leftover gnocchi that had homemade tomato sauce on it. I knew I had more of the tomato sauce leftover as well, so the theme would most likely be Italian. How can I get cauliflower + gnocchi + tomato sauce to go together? Throw them all together to make “meat” balls! I added protein and texture by using finely ground nuts, and a nutritious, healthy meal, 100% organic meal was born!

  

The best part is, this recipe uses both the stems and the florets of the cauliflower- a big money saving trick. Many like to just chop off broccoli or cauliflower florets and discard the stems. Even if you don’t like the flavor or texture of stems, they will be ground up in this recipe and you’ll never notice!  And I have 4/5 of a cauliflower still to use up- very exciting!(You could do this recipe with broccoli as well, the color will just be off and the water content can be different so you may need to adjust.)

  

• 1/4-1/5 of an organic cauliflower, depending on size (if it’s small, use more, if the head is big, use less of it). Include both the florets AND the stems.
• 5 organic baby portobello (crimini) or white button mushrooms, caps and stems
• 1/2 cup (50 grams) sliced organic almonds (any nut will work here, I just had almonds on hand)
• 1 cup (about 10 regular sized gnocchi) leftover previously cooked gnocchi, with as much sauce removed as possible (you can cook 10 frozen gnocchi just for this recipe or use 3/4 cup (about 200-250 grams, depending on ingredients) of mashed potatoes mixed with your flour of choice until the mixture is thick).
• 1/2 cup (40-50 grams) breadcrumbs (I used 100% whole wheat panko)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt-free all purpose seasoning (any organic blend of spices you like!
• Olive oil for cooking

Heat one one or two tablespoons of olive oil. Chop the cauliflower into small pieces/chunks and add to the hot pan. Let the cauliflower cook for a few minutes and chop the mushrooms into small pieces/chunks. Add to the cauliflower and cook until the vegetables are almost fully cooked, but not quite. Put the almost fully cooked cauliflower and mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but NOT mushy or paste like.

  

Place leftover (or newly cooked) gnocchi in a large bowl, mash them until they are smooth. If using mashed potatoes, add your flour of choice until they are thick (3:1 ratio should work, 3 parts potatoes, 1 part flour, example: 3/4 cup potatoes, 1/4 cup flour). Add the contents of the food processor to the gnocchi (or potatoes).

  

Lightly toast the almonds or other nut you are using by placing them in a cold pan, turning up the heat, and waiting until they JUST start to turn golden brown. Stir them as they are heating up to ensure even cooking. Be very careful to watch these closely, they can go from not toasted to burned and unusable in a matter of seconds!

  

  

Remove from heat immediately as they start to turn color and add to the same food processor (no cleaning between necessary!) Finely process until they are a course meal. Add to the gnocchi, cauliflower, and mushrooms. Add all spices and stir together. Add the breadcrumbs, starting with just half of them. Stir and evaluate. Each batch is different, depending on the brand of gnocchi or if they’re homemade and if you’re using mashed potatoes. Add the rest of the breadcrumbs if the mixture looks too wet.

  

  

Try to make a meatball- if everything sticks together without being gummy, you’re all set. If the mixture sticks to your hand and you have a hard time rolling the meatball, add more breadcrumbs until you are able to do so.

  

Heat a skillet with olive oil. Make mini meatballs as opposed to large. Cook the meatballs on each side until golden brown.

  

  

Heat or make your favorite organic tomato sauce and serve! We had ours with steamed kale, but you can use your favorite vegetable or a salad on the side, whatever you prefer!

  

The leftover gnocchi I used were organic frozen that I made the a few nights back.  I used about 75 cents worth of gnocchi for this recipe, along with 70 cents of cauliflower, $1.00 of nuts, $1.00 of mushrooms, and the remaining balance of the $5.00 for breadcrumbs, spices, oil, and kale.  

Of course, you can make this meal for a little bit less if you choose conventional ingredients instead of organic. I made this meal for two for about $5.00 using 100% organic ingredients. Why not give it a try if you can- eating organic doesn’t have to be expensive if you know how to stretch your dollars (as this recipe does!) Enjoy!

Produce: The 14 items you MUST by organic and why

Photo courtesy of sell-buy-machines.com

 

If you can’t purchase all organic produce, you should absolutely try to avoid certain conventional fruits and vegetables.

 

It’s true, organic produce is more expensive than conventional. However, you really get what you pay for when you buy it. Organic produce is grown without pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals that are toxic to both our bodies and our environment.

“Yeah, but I wash and/or peel my conventional produce, so it’s fine.”

This could not be more false. The chemicals penetrate the skins of fruits and veggies and get into the flesh itself. If it’s in the food, it ends up in YOU.

Some produce carries little risk of carrying pesticides/herbicides, as few are needed when crowing these crops. These include thicker skinned fruits like mangoes, avocados, cantaloupe, pineapple, and papaya, as well as heartier vegetables like cabbage, asparagus, and onions. Other conventional produce that use fewer pesticides include peas, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, kiwi, grapefruit, and eggplant (please note that even though they contain fewer pesticides, this does not mean they are not genetically modified.)

Unfortunately, the above are the rare exception. Also unfortunate is the price you have to pay to avoid chemicals being sprayed (and then absorbed) on your food. Organic produce is on average 40-50% more than their equivalent conventional alternatives.

The biggest problem is the fact that it is nearly impossible to avoid non-organic produce unless you only only eat the organic versions you buy for yourself every single time you eat fruits or vegetables- conventional crops are literally everywhere we go. In an ideal world, this would never be an issue, but the reality in the United States is that eating organically for every meal every single day is not an option, unless you NEVER go out to eat, never go to a party, a friend’s house, or on vacation. Like I said- conventional produce is EVERYWHERE!

There are many reasons that people are not eating organic produce 100% of the time, the two main being: 1. Limited access to organic produce due to a number of factors (mainly, what your local grocery stores carry) and 2. It costs too much!!

 

(I will be writing a post about what to do if you have no access to organic produce because it is not in any stores around you- keep a look out!)

 

So what can we do to help protect ourselves if we can’t do organic all the time?

 

Pick and choose your battles wisely. If it is not possible to buy everything organic, these are the fruits and veggies you absolutely SHOULD buy organic versions of:

 

Photo courtesy of joyushealth.ca

 

The above are the fruits and vegetables  are known as the “Dirty Dozen Plus,” named the Environmental Working Group, the organization that did the data analysis. These were most likely to be heavily contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals (in the United States).

 

Taken directly from the Environmental Working Group’s Website:

 

“For the past nine years, EWG has scrutinized pesticide-testing data generated by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and federal Food and Drug Administration. These sources are the basis for EWG’s signature Dirty Dozen™ list of foods most commonly contaminated with pesticides…This year [2013], as in 2012, we have expanded the Dirty Dozen™ with a Plus category to highlight two crops – summer squashes and leafy greens – that did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen™ criteria but were commonly contaminated with highly toxic pesticides.”

 

A summary of what they found, taken directly from maximizedliving.com:

 

• Apples. The dirtiest of the bunch. Ninety-nine percent of apples contained at least one pesticide.
• Sweet Bell Peppers. One of these was as contaminated as a single grape.
• Celery. At worst, a single sample revealed 13 pesticides.
• Cherry Tomatoes. Similar to celery, one sample also contained the residue of 13 different pesticides.
• Cucumbers. The third most contaminated vegetable, these should always be peeled and rinsed before eating.
• Grapes. “A single grape tested positive for 15 pesticides.”
• Hot Peppers. Previously not on the list, recent tests showed these contain the seventh greatest amount of pesticide residues.
• Nectarines (Imported). Every imported nectarine tested was shown to contain pesticide residue.
• Peaches. Contained the fourth highest amount of pesticides among all fruits tested.
• Potatoes. “The average potato had much higher total weight of pesticides than any other food crop.”
• Spinach. After celery, the second most contaminated conventional vegetable.
• Strawberries. Ranked as the second dirtiest conventionally grown fruit on the market.

Therefore, you should definitely try to buy the entire list from the “Dirty Dozen Plus” in their organic forms as opposed to conventional.

 

If you don’t know where to look, here is a great resource for finding stores that sell organic produce in the United States: Organic.org Store Finder. Of course, check your local farmers markets or Co-ops too!

Now, how much will it cost to eat these if you purchase organic versions?

 

Here is a chart I made of the “Dirty Dozen Plus” with both their average conventional and organic prices (in the U.S.):

 

 

The prices were taken from a variety of sources through the internet, and were from a variety of years- there is no database that compiles all such yearly data (that I could find after hours of research!) Also, many of the prices reflect when the produce is IN SEASON. To get the best price, purchase organic produce when it’s in season.

 

GMO Note: The most genetically modified (GMO) crops used for produce in the U.S. are corn, soy, zucchini, yellow summer squash, and papaya (specifically Hawaiian grown). To avoid GMOs, purchase these items strictly in their organic forms.

Tip to being able to afford more organic produce: Give up something small in your everyday life that you don’t NEED. If you go get a daily cup of coffee on the go, maybe cut it down to every other day and use the dollars you save to put towards purchasing organic produce. Or if you like to go out to eat twice a week, make it once, and put what you saved towards your grocery bill. There are many little swaps we can all do to help us afford these (if not all) organic fruits and veggies.

To sum it up, I’ve taken the following paragraph from the same maximizedliving.com article as was used before:

“A recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health demonstrated that eating organic produce can significantly reduce bodily toxicity. The study provided five consecutive days’ worth of organic food to children who typically ate a non-organic, conventional diet. After just five days, almost all pesticides had disappeared from the subjects’ urine samples. ‘This shows there definitely is a beneficial effect of eating organic produce,’ said study leader Dr. Alex Lu, associate professor of environmental exposure biology.”

 

Now you have all the facts- it’s time to decide for yourself!