One Frugal Foodie

Truthfully, I am by no means a chocoholic.  I can say with confidence that I have never actually purchased a purely chocolatey dessert myself.  However, I do love my very own homemade brownies.  Dense, fudgy, and topped with a generous sprinkling of chocolate chips they have been a comfort treat ever since I returned to a dairy-free lifestyle.  But lately, I have started experimenting with vegan cooking, and began to wonder, “Why not try some vegan baking? After all, who really needs eggs anyway?”

So, I eagerly set out to quickly modify my tried and true brownie recipe which housed two eggs in its original form.  I researched the replacements carefully, as I had no desire to create any sort of cake-y chocolate creation.  It had to remain moist, soft, dense, and chewy.  Based on what I read, and what I had on hand, I settled on some applesauce, and I think a sprinkling of baking powder if I remember correctly (it has been a few weeks, as I wasn’t quite ready to share my utter disaster right away).

I put the brownies in at the obligatory 350ºF, and set the timer for 20 min, just to check in.  When the timer went off, I turned on the oven light for a quick peak, and immediately thought, “Are those boiling?  Brownies aren’t supposed to boil are they?”  Thinking they just needed some more time to set up, I let them bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.  At that point, I knew they had to be done, but as I removed them from the oven they were still, completely, boiling!  A gooey chocolate mess to be certain, I had no idea how to salvage this strange bubbling chocolate brew.  I sulked off to the next room and thought that perhaps they would solidify…

… and solidify they did.  As a good friend I have would say, they were quite a toothsome treat, though the treat part would be a vast overstatement.  Sugar and chocolate attempted to salvage the overall flavor, but I could easily crack a molar on the insanely flat and chewy thing that emerged.  I can’t even call them bars or brownies as I had to use all the muscle I could muster just to rip these things apart into the shapes you see below…

So, apparently, I still need eggs.  But, if anyone has a good idea for moist and dense vegan brownies (not those fluffy cake-like ones), I am all ears!  To avoid leaving you hanging (and craving) on a brownie post without an actual good idea, I just found a recipe for “The Best Vegan Brownies Ever” at the Vivacious Vegan blog.  I may be giving these a try soon.

I don’t know why I do it, but every few months I forget my prior experiences and decide to pick up a new tea flavor at Trader Joe’s.  Their prices are always so great, and the flavors of the Trader Joe’s brand of tea always sound a bit exotic.  Let it be known that I am a huge fan of Chai tea, even without the milk and honey added, and I recently discovered a love for Rooibos tea.  So when I spotted their Rooibos Chai, I thought, “That sounds too perfect, maybe this one is different.” 

Drats, they captured me once again!  You see, the Trader Joe’s brand of tea is horrible.  Perhaps it is just my personal taste buds, but they seem to produce almost lifeless tea.  No spark, no zest, no nothing really.  It was most certainly the most bland Chai or Rooibos (let alone a combination of the two) that I had ever tasted. 

I pondered iced tea, but this often requires a stronger tea if anything.  Then, I thought maybe, just maybe, I could chill the tea and use it in smoothies?  After all, the package referred to their Rooibos as antioxidant rich, it would be such a shame to waste it.  Curious if anyone had trialed tea smoothies, I set out on an internet search.  I certainly found a few green tea concoctions, but those used mostly green tea powder.  Slowly, I began to unearth various creamy teas, and I was surprised by the method.  Rather than brewing and then chilling the tea, they just ripped those bags right open and tossed the contents in.  This sounded easy enough.

My cool and creamy beverage turned out to have more of a milkshake-like consistency, though the texture is inevitably up to the individual.  Honestly, it wasn’t bad.  It was still a weak bunch of spices, but at least their full essence was captured in this recipe.  The spicy twist to my otherwise ordinary shake was also a welcome enhancement.

Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Chai “Milkshake”

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 chai tea bag (I used the Chai Rooibos from Trader Joe’s, but I am sure there are better!)
• 1 frozen ripe banana, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon almond butter
• ice (optional)

Blend it all up!  If your mixture is too thick, add more almond milk.  If it is too thin, add more frozen banana or ice.

I think the perfect dairy-free / vegan “milkshake” would be a simple blend of the tea with some vanilla non-dairy “ice cream,” maybe Whole Soy & Co or Soy Delicious, some milk alternative, and your tea bag of choice.  However, since I am trying to keep added sugars out of the picture as much as possible, this banana and almond mixture seems to work quite well.  I even used unsweetened almond milk, but you don’t need to go that far.. I believe regular vanilla almond milk is still quite low in sugars, and it has a nice mild sweetness that will surely be welcomed by any beverage.

While the word “frugal” evokes thoughts of cheapness in many minds, really this couldn’t be further from the truth.  Okay, my husband occasionally borders on cheap, but really, frugality is a way of life that involves a minimalist attitude, a reduction in waste, and of course, finding good deals.  Really, the folks of Wikipedia get the definition best, so I won’t try to elaborate further myself.

That being said, I am almost angry at myself when it comes time for that weekly fridge evacuation and I discover some beautiful food items that I have forgetfully allowed to rot.  Perhaps some perfectly good leftovers, or those beautiful berries I just had to purchase.  Whatever it is, I always vow, never again… but unfortunately, never seems to come again. 

I have however, started a new habit that seems to be helping.  After a good shopping trip, I plan an extra hour for food prep.  Really, it saves me time in the long run, and not a scrap went to waste this last week!  Essentially, nothing goes into the fridge without packing up any extras that may not get eaten within the next couple of days:

• Celery and carrots are cut and put into a cool bath of water (I remembered my dad doing this when I was younger, it works great for keeping that celery crisp!)
• Excess fruit is chopped and frozen for smoothies.  This works for everything from berries to bananas to peaches.  I have discovered that nectarines are often a bit difficult to pull off the pit, so we reserve those mostly for snacking.  It helps to flash freeze the fruit in bite-sized pieces on cookie sheets, and then place them in baggies for longer-term freezer storage to prevent the bits from solidly freezing together.
• Chicken is portioned into small baggies and frozen for meal-sized servings.  Keep an eye out for natural chicken that is specifically labelled as antibiotic and hormone free (all chicken is hormone free, so if it doesn’t note antibiotic free, then it is a marketing ploy), and vegetarian fed.  This will save you quite a bit of money over organic chicken, while still gaining the benefits.  We buy some at Trader Joe’s.
• Bread and tortillas are pre-emptively put into the fridge (rather than risking possession by the mold gods), since both will be heated or toasted anyways. 
• I have even started chopping up basil, stirring in some olive oil, and freezing it in individual baggies (flattened) for some quick sauce action.  Some people use the ice cube tray route for freezing herbs, but I haven’t trialed it yet.

With a cookbook heading to print, leaving town has been difficult. Aside from the usual busy-work, proofs back and forth in the mail require that we be here to turn them around quickly.  We found a window though, and headed off for a mid-week escape… taking our first venture to Zion National Park.  It is only three hours away, but we decided to make an event of it, and stayed one night in Mesquite, NV, midway between here and there. 

Not expecting much, we were pleasantly surprised for all we could get for our money in this entertainment filled little border town.  Flagged with three casinos, all run by the same company, a treasure of inexpensive food and activities awaited.  Unfortunately, we were just staying one night, and then off to the park.  We will be pack though.  They have a mid-week $99 special that includes two nights at the Casa Blanca (roughly a 3-star I would say) for 2 and either a round of golf for two or two swedish massages in their spa.  Okay, if that doesn’t sound like enough, every time you stay with them you get this insane coupon book that includes 2-4-1 buffets, free money to gamble (the only time we gamble), and a ton of other fun stuff like go carts and mini-golf (no we don’t have kids, that’s for us!). 

Anyway, my husband swore off buffets long ago, but when he saw that we could both eat for $12, we “had” to go.  I was nervous.  Not only do I loathe buffets, but a cheap buffet?  Well, it turned out to be pretty darn good, and there were just enough dairy-free/vegan options to keep me satiated.  If you are traveling between Las Vegas and Utah, Mesquite will keep you entertained and well-fed for a night.  All in all, we spent less than $50 in Mesquite, which included a hotel room for one night, a dinner buffet, breakfast (scarily large), and some free gambling. 

Of course, the next day we set off for a full day hike in the park.  Escaping the summer heat, we headed up the Virgin River, a true oasis.  You follow the river up the canyon for a half hiking, half wading through water venture.  It was a blast, and the best hike ever for a hot summer day.  Because most of the hike is well shaded by the canyon too, no sunburns were suffered!  The park was breathtaking, and I wish I had more photos, but I am new at this stuff.  We came face-to-face with a family of bighorn sheep (alas, I left my camera in the car) on a mini overlook hike.  That was very cool, if not a little close for comfort.  Below is a picture in some shallows of the river and one of many little lizards we saw….

I also loved how environmental the park was.  Heading up the canyon, no cars were allowed, only their quiet propane buses that ran with ease.  You park and let you feet, bike, or the buses do the work for the day.  It made for a very serene environment all around.  Of course, recycling abounded, and not a speck of garbage could be seen on the ground.  People seemed to show the park respect, which was nice.  While admission to the park is a bit steep ($25 for the two of us and our car), it did include parking, all day use of the buses, free museum/movie access, and a very affordably priced cafe.  We were amazed to see a menu that had hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and Garden burgers for $4 to $6, and they weren’t half bad. 

Obviously, I have taken a detour from the kitchen, but wanted to share our travels, which I suppose included some frugal foodie action!

So sorry for the few days off from blog posts!  Today was the day for the Go Dairy Free monthly newsletter, which takes an insanely long time to send out, plus I was busy over the weekend putting it all together.  The August newsletter had a definite back to school theme, that I seemed to get quite into.  I couldn’t resist adding one more snack idea article to the website today … speaking of, thanks to my product review crew for the great suggestions!  Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the info!

For the record, while many of the snacks in my dwelling are homemade munchies, such as trail mix, fruit, veggie sticks, and bread/rice cakes slathered with some nut butter… I always keep a stock of “bars” on hand for when we may be away from home for a while, and in need of some energy… such as hiking, running errands, or on a road trip.  Once or twice a week, at least one of us is caught reaching for these super-convenience foods.

Since the focus for Go Dairy Free was more so on kids, I didn’t mention our bars of choice, but will do so here, as we have definitely narrowed it down:

• As his taste buds have matured, my husband has graduated from Clif Bars to Odwalla Bars.  Still with the same sort of vibe, Odwalla Bars are less sweet, and my husband likes that they always seem to be on clearance.  He prefers the Chocolate Chip Peanut and Superfood varieties.  While I have never had a coupon for them, we pay anywhere from $.25 to $1.00 depending upon the sale.  They are often displayed in some part of the store no where near the other bars, interestingly enough. 

• He also likes Mojo Bars (made by Clif) which are like a trail mix in a bar.  Mambo Sprouts frequently has $.50 off coupons for Mojo Bars, and they often go on sale for $.99.  When I am in the mood, or see a good energy bar promotion, I stock up on Amazon.

• For myself, I am into those Clif Nectar Bars.  Remarkable similar to Larabars, but almost always lower in price, these bars contain a super-simplistic mix of dates, nuts, and spices that just work with my taste buds.  Likewise, I frequent the $.99 sale on these.  If you can find a good deal (I think Trader Joe’s has them for $1.29) I would recommend the Larabar as well, but only the ones with multiple ingredients.  Really, ones like their Pecan Pie or Cashew Cookie which are no more than a single nut and some dates seem to have no real zest, and make me feel really lazy for not just grinding up some nuts and dates myself.  So far, the Apple Pie and Ginger Snap are my favorites… but really, I haven’t had a Nectar Bar flavor that I didn’t like.

• If I were to really splurge, I would order Bobo’s Oat Bars.  But, I am still determined that I will one day remember to try making my own oat bars at home… hmmm, that sounds good!

Diet Notes: All of the above are vegan (dairy-free, egg-free) - wait, one of the Mojo’s contains honey; The Nectar and Larabars are also gluten-free and soy-free; The Odwalla and Bobo’s Oat Bars are made without wheat, but they do contain oats, and may contain traces of wheat. 

Every so often a little bug gets the best of us and a queasy stomach is the price we must pay.  Yesterday was my day for tummy troubles as a bad bout of nausea left me low on the productivity scale.  Sharing this grief with my husband, I can only assume it was something we ate when lazily going out for a quick bite the night before. 

Regardless, I have never been one of those people who doesn’t eat when nausea hits, quite the opposite really.  I find that mini-meals of comfort foods seem to soothe the savage beast just enough to keep me functional.  Some oats were my breakfast of choice, soon followed by a ginger chaser…. I picked up a bottle mineral water and mixed it 50/50 with some Ginger Soother.  That did the trick for a short while and by splitting it up this way, I was able to make my one bottle of ginger beverage last the day.

When the urge for more solid foods struck, I knew that it had to be something bread-y.  I had a package of Gluten-Free Essentials Multi-Grain Bread Mix on hand for review.  Admitedly, it is a bit pricier than I would spend myself.  I rarely purchase mixes, but rather I buy grains and flours in bulk (I actually have some xanthan gum on hand for GF baking too!) as I love preparing baked goodies from scratch.  Nonetheless, on a day like this, a mix that allowed me to whip up tasty bread in ten minutes (seriously), was nice to have around.  Ten minutes you might ask?  Well the folks at Gluten-Free Essentials told me that this mix makes great “wagels,” so I decided to give them a shot.  Ready in no time, I topped these babies with a little almond butter (I know, I’m addicted) and enjoyed some comfort food…

With much more batter to be used up, I fired the rest of the batter in some mini loaf tins, and boy did they rise… really, they put my yeast/wheat breads to shame…

Later in the day my need for greens kicked in, so I grabbed a couple of slices of this mini-bread (I ate one before taking a picture), slathered them with Earth Balance (the 37% - I think - light tub is dairy-free/vegan and frequently on sale in major grocers), and piled all of our left over green beans on a plate with just a teaspoon or two of salad dressing for flavor…

Of course, what  would my afternoon be without a soothing smoothie… 

Really, this was a standard throw together one, one banana, 1/2 cup frozen chopped organic strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen chopped organic nectarines (when organic fruit is on sale, I stock up, chop it and flash-freeze any we won’t eat within the week), 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you really don’t need added sugar when the fruits are nice and ripe), and a tablespoon or so of flaxseed.  It was a very banana dominated beverage, but that suited my tastes and my tummy, just fine. 

While my tummy troubles seem to be alleviating ever-so-slightly, it was nice to have these calming foods on hand for small, easy bites that get me through the day.  Particularly during a season when warm comfort soups just aren’t on the menu!

If you have read my review on Amy’s (vegan) Veggie Burgers, then you already know how the veggie burger bug caught on in our household.  To summarize, after we ran out of hamburger buns, I took AllergicGirl’s burger salad lead and whipped up some lunchtime veggie burger salads.  My husband liked them so much, that he has begun requesting these meat-free salads a couple of times a week.  He stated how much lighter and better he felt after eating them.  The words “we might want to try out a vegan diet for a little while,” even left his lips.  I was truly speechless.  While we have not yet made the full conversion, meat is definitely making less of an appearance each week, acting more like a “garnish” than the base of the meal. 

So… I couldn’t resist continuing the veggie burger trials.  With a $1.00 off coupon for Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burgers (from the Mambo Sprouts coupon book), I picked up the Tex Mex variety at my local Trader Joe’s yesterday.  End price was $2.29 for the four patties.  Of course, with all of the wonderful things I have heard about the Trader Joe’s brand Masala Veggie Burgers ($2.49), I couldn’t resist throwing those into the cart as well. 

We arrived at home with bags full of groceries, yet when I offered my husband a veggie burger salad, he responded “that sounds great!”  I opted for the Masala burgers first, lightly cooked in some coconut oil (you could use whatever oil you like) on the stovetop for about five minutes.  I chopped them up, and sprinkled the bites atop a bed of arugala along with chickpeas (garbanzos) and mushrooms on my husband’s salad, and chickpeas, carrots, and green onions atop mine.

The burgers were good, they were full of flavor and had a nice warm spice that added some interest.  They were quite different from the other burgers we have tried, as these had a definite mashed potato base.  They held their own, not too soft and squishy, but my husband said he still preferred the Amy’s brand.  I was also a bit disappointed to discover that canola oil was the second ingredient, since this is a common GMO oil, and there are so many better options.  While these might go well bun-style, I think they may be a bit too soft.  Nonetheless, if you do opt for these during a barbecue, I would dress the bun with nothing more than some mayonnaise or vegannaise, as they have a wonderful Indian spice flavor that should not be overpowered.

Today I busted open the Tex Mex Veggie Burgers from Dr. Praeger’s.  First comment, they really could use some packaging consulting.  Well, the packaging itself was great, individual servings, resealable box, etc…. but the name ”Dr. Praeger’s” coupled with a very frumpy looking, frowning doc pictured on the back, plus a less than stellar use of overall color kept me from even considering these veggie burgers in the past.  It was the coupon in the end that enticed me.

Really, these seemed to be the veggie burgers I was looking for.  They are non-GMO, wheat-free (contain oat bran and oat fiber, and made in a facility that handles wheat) and really they were mostly veggie based, no textured soy protein in site.  In fact, whole little bits of vegetables and black beans dotted these “burgers.”  I did like the tex mex flavor, which was rather sedated, calm, and influential, lacking the barbecue sauce flavor of Amy’s Texas version.  They were generally tasty, yet something was keeping me from shouting, “wow.”  I think my husband stated it best when he said that the Amy’s veggie burgers taste richer.  I really wished some avocados had been on hand, as I think some sliced avocado along with our black beans and green onions atop some greens would have enhanced these burgers quite a bit, adding a touch of indulgence … but really, at $1.50 per avocado, I was definitely holding out for the season!

Considering they are also made with organic ingredients, I think the Amy’s brand is still on top in our household.  More specifically, we voted for the Quarter Pounder for actual veggie burgers (bun and all) and for the Californian and Bistro (gluten-free) burgers for general veggie burger and salad chomping.

Of course, true to my frugal nature, next on the horizon is making homemade veggie burgers!  In fact, I almost turned the falafels into a burger style.  It seems I was preparing.  There are two veggie burger recipes in Vegan Vittles.  I plan to give one of these a shot, but am still on the lookout for a more veggie-based, or even a mushroom-based burger.  Let me know if you have seen a good one!

Though I seldom have many good notes to post about the big corp products, some tidbits do occasionally come my way.  Nabisco has launched a new line of “toasted” crackers that seem to measure up well compared to other standard varieties on the market.  They are free of hydrogenated oils, and boast a relatively easy-to-read label (there are some obvious preservatives, colors, and ”natural flavors” and such, but the ingredients seem to be well stated).  The main reason I am posting about them though is that they are shipping out free samples.  Head to the Garden Harvest website and enter your address, they will ship some product to you within 4 to 6 weeks.  These do contain wheat, but appear to be vegan (please double check), dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free (definitely call the company to verify if cross-contamination issues are a concern for you or someone you love).  While a haven’t purchased crackers in years myself, as they are rarely a virtuous bunch, I must admit, the flavors are quite intriguing (banana, apple cinnamon, tomato basil, vegetable medley). Warning: the website is obnoxiously loud, and the intro takes a few seconds to skip, so turn that volume down!  If they say “all gone” just hit the website up the next day.  I guess they have a daily quota for free samples.

My husband and I used to pride ourselves on our insanely low grocery bills.  Filling our fridge and cupboards for just $25 a week, we put even our Costco-loving friends to shame.  By most people’s standards, our diet was even considered quite healthy.  Yet, in the past few years, we have taken food quality to the next level for our health and my food allergies.  Needless to say, while the food we eat has propelled upward, so has our grocery bill.  Though my coupon-clipping skills aren’t as useful as they used to be, both my husband and I do manage to find discounts in various places:

Don’t toss that paper.  We did stop purchasing the Sunday newspaper, as both the price and waste of each paper just kept going up.  However, my parents share the coupons from their newspaper with us each week.  True, there usually aren’t very many I can use, but products like Silk (soymilk, yogurt, etc.), Barbara’s Bakery (cereals, snacks, and cookies), Hain Celestial (soups, non-dairy beverages, etc.), and Florida Crystals (organic sugar) do make appearances.  Likewise, I often find great coupons for olive oil, and our standard household needs.  Even brands like Seventh Generation and Jason’s are known to make an offer or two in those circulars.  If you really like the coupon idea, go online and find a coupon train to trade with and multiply your benefits.

Just for natural foodies.  A little company called Mambo Sprouts has been creating a natural food coupon book.  Often discretely placed by the weekly add at natural food stores (including Whole Foods & Wild Oats) these free little booklets house a couple dozen different coupons each month.  On occasion, Wild Oats times their sales with the coupons, making for double-y good discounts.  When the $.75 off coupons for Almond Breeze emerged, and the store had it on sale for 3 for $5 – well, lets just say I stocked up!  Actually, if you like Rice Dream or Soy Dream frozen dessert, Mambo Sprouts has a $1 off coupon (book or online), and Wild Oats has both labels on for a very low price.  I think you could walk out with a pint of frozen dessert for under $1!

Printable coupons.  Mambo Sprouts actually has printable coupons as well that may be worth a look.  Many grocer’s websites link straight to other printable coupon sources as well.  Check out your grocer’s website, you may be surprised by what you find.  Even my local natural food grocer offers printable coupons each month. 

Go direct to the manufacturers.  Are there some products that seem to make your shopping list each week?  Is there a new cereal you are dying to try?  Go straight to the manufacturers website, cruise around for any discounts, and sign up for their newsletter if they have one.  Annie’s frequently sends printable coupons to newsletter subscribers.  I signed up on the Luna Bar website, and they mailed me a coupon for a free product and some additional coupons.  Turtle Mountain just loves giving away coupons.  In fact, I would never think of purchasing their delicious frozen dessert without a coupon in hand.  Sometimes the companies are even seeking people to test out new products for them, so this is a great way to find out.

Pick up a free magazine.  Every grocery store I go to, big, small, obsessively organic, whatever - has their own free magazine.  Don’t miss these, they are awesome!  Filled with recipes, an interesting article or two, and of course advertisements.  But food advertisements often feature a clippable coupon or two.  So enjoy the writing, recipes and some penny-wise bonuses all in one free little store gift!  I often find them located at the register, by the bagger, or on a stand near the store entrance/exit.

Obviously the above coupon ideas are for packaged goods or baseline foods (sugar, olive oil, etc.) when purchased in stores (more about where to shop on deck!).  While I do try to buy mostly whole food items (to be addressed in other posts as well), the pre-packaged are a convenience I find necessary from time to time.  However, I certainly won’t let these little luxuries eat up my grocery bill! 

I realize this blog is relatively new, but to all you who are already on board, comments and ideas are more than welcome! 

Tomorrow… back to cooking!

I truly love perusing recipes … in fact I used to be a recipe-clipping addict.  Luckily, my frugality kept me from purchasing every cookbook in sight, especially considering I have only trialed about a dozen recipes from the little cookbook collection I am already housing.  Clipping, marking, and emailing recipes is one thing, but actually making them… for some reason that was always my stumbling block.  But a cookbook I recently received sparked something in me.  At long last, I was venturing new foods in the kitchen! 

The magical book? The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook … true, the name may not sound enticing to some, but the recipes within were so simple, so intriguing, and so filled with ingredients that I typically buy anyway, it was really a natural fit.  As someone who hadn’t tried a new recipe in months, I made guess how many recipes in just over a week… okay, I can’t hold it in… six.  That’s right, I tried six new recipes just like that.  Okay, I am counting the chocolate covered raisins and the saffron rice, but I gradually became more adventurous.  Here is what else I made…

First (or third if you count the first two recipes) up was Raf’s Cuban Beans & Rice.  These slow-cooked black beans were easy to prepare, as I left them to simmer for about 2 hours, stopping by to stir occasionally.  I drained the beans, assuming this step was required, but perhaps not. The honey can easily be replaced with maple syrup for a vegan pot of beans.  Serve with rice (I steamed a mix of red rice and brown rice) and a salad for a full vegan meal.  For my meaty husband, I served the beans and rice alongside some freshly made Italian sausage (on sale for $2.99/lb) and a serving of steamed broccoli. (sorry, this first pic is horrible, they do get a bit better!)

Second up was the Penne with Cauliflower and Olives.  This was a very simple but tasty recipe.  I opted to stay vegan on this entrée, “beefing” up the penne with some extra sautéed veggies.  Our brown rice pasta had some issues, not cooking and sticking badly.  That was the only bummer of the whole meal.  Basically, you steam up the cauliflower and mash it with a fork for a chunky, clingy ingredient.  Add in the finely chopped olives (I recommend the canned pre-chopped olives, they are actually cheaper ounce for ounce, and easier), some fresh parsley, olive oil, garlic, and season with crushed red pepper flakes and salt to taste.

Third up was the Falafels.  This was a fun one; I had never made falafels.  These are actually baked, rather than fried.  Lacking pita bread or even a tortilla, I served the little patties overtop a bed of jasmine rice and lightly steamed caught-it-just-in-time organic spinach.  While the author (Cybele Pascal) recommended her tahini sauce, I was lacking in tahini.  So I made a hummus sauce (I had some pre-packaged Trader Joe’s hummus on hand - picture is pre-sauce).  Really, this was an easy, tasty, and vegan entrée, that even my meaty husband positively loved.  I will be making these again!  As a side note, the recipe calls for oat flour.  A cheap and easy shortcut is to grind regular old oats in a spice grinder ($9 at the grocery store, best investment I have ever made) for about 30 seconds, until a nice flour develops.  Gluten-free consumers can by “safe” oats and make oat flour using this method too.

Fourth up was the Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad.  I give this one a not bad.  Really, our fridge was running low.  No bread for a sandwich and no lettuce for a salad, so this chicken salad went atop quinoa.  The avocado dressing was a bit sweet for my tastes, but overall it was pretty good.  The chicken tenders were actually on for a cheaper price than the chicken breasts (always keep an eye on this) and they made for convenient preparation.

The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook is free of the big eight allergens: milk, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, eggs, fish, and shellfish.  While there is a good-sized “meaty” section, I wouldn’t write this one off completely for vegans.  The egg-free, dairy-free nature makes for many excellent vegan baked goods and desserts (note: occasional small amounts of honey that look easily replaceable with another liquid sweetener), salads, dressings, snacks, and as you can see from the recipes I trialed, entrees and sides.  Actually, the vegan options easily won out taste-wise in our household.

So what was the damage?  Well, aside from a whole pile of dishes, I calculated that each full meal cost less than $3.00 to serve (and satiate) two of us, just $1.50 per full individual meal, or less really.  While I love eating out, I must admit this is quite a good deal for some easy recipes.  Thanks Cybele!