Post my first (non-virtual) 5k of the season. If you look closely, the pokey greenish thing between the ship and buildings is The Lady. A nice race view.
Guajillo Beet Puree
The inspiration for this recipe was a description used by a chef on a cooking show. I can’t remember which one, but if I were to guess I’d say either Chopped or Cutthroat Kitchen, since that’s what I’m currently watching.
I was intrigued by the thought of a guajillo’s smoke paired with the sweetness of a beet, and rooted by the beet’s inherent earthiness. I think they work and play well together, especially when paired with a nice fruity olive oil.
Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, vegetarian, vegan
Guajillo Beet Puree
2-3 roasted beets (about a cup, cup and a quarter total when mashed)
2 guajillo chilis, soaked in water for a few hours to reconstitute
2 cloves garlic
4 good glugs of a fruity olive oil
4 big pinches Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. dijon mustard (if doing a Whole30, substitute your favorite grainy mustard)
Roast and peel your beets.
Once that is done, peel and chop roughly and add to the bowl of a food processor along with the reconstituted chilis, garlic, 2 big pinches Kosher salt, the white pepper and dijon.
Drizzle in the olive oil (about a quarter cup total) while you puree to the consistency you want.
Taste. Hit with 2 more big pinches Kosher salt if needed.
Serves 2 as a light side
March 27, 2015
Stand clear of the closing doors, please.
March 26, 2015
Spring scarf 1 knitting project: complete.
March 25, 2015
D’aww.
March 24, 2015
Jazzy = fast, right?
March 23, 2015
Now there’s some sort of yellow casing.
Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of March 16 – 22
This Week’s Menu
Monday
Breakfast: Boo. The DH was up and out the door before groceries were delivered, so no smoothies. I made paleo pancakes (the kind with sunflower seed butter + banana + egg) instead
Lunch: I was still so full from breakfast I skipped lunch
Dinner:
Tuesday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftover kalua pork & cabbage
Dinner: More cabbage! This time broiled with an almond/sesame/pistachio sauce. Served with pork chops
Wednesday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: The last of the leftover kalua pork & cabbage
Dinner: Pork chops again – this time with a guajillo beet puree (coming soon)
Thursday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Different cabbage (leftovers from the sauced cabbage from Tuesday) + a leftover pork chop
Dinner: Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs with roasted brussels sprouts – note: not the DH’s favorite flavor profile.
Friday
Breakfast: Green smoothies
Lunch: Leftover sauced cabbage + leftover turkey meatballs
Dinner: In protest of the snow, we stayed in
Sunday
Breakfast: Out
Lunch: Out
Dinner: I had planned on making burgers, but we ordered delivery instead.
This Week’s Grocery List
Ground turkey, 1 lb. ($5.99 @Amazon Fresh)
Broccoli crowns, 1 lb. ($1.78 @Amazon Fresh)
Pat LaFrieda Grass Fed London Broil, 1 lb. ($11.99 @Amazon Fresh) – and it came this week!
Brussels sprouts, 1 lb. ($2.50 @Amazon Fresh) – Yes, brussels sprouts again. What can I say? They’re my favorite and sprouts season is waning.
Beets, 2 lb. ($2.98 @Amazon Fresh)
Embasa chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 7 oz. ($1.38 @Amazon Fresh)
Chock Full o’Nuts Coffee, 11.3 oz. ($3.98 @Amazon Fresh)
Guajillo chile pods, 2.25 oz. ($1.41 @Amazon Fresh)
Smoothie Supplies
Ginger, 8 oz. ($1.99 @Amazon Fresh)
Zico Natural coconut water, 1 liter ($3.50 @Amazon Fresh)
5 Apples ($3.95 @Amazon Fresh)
1 Avocado ($2.00 @Amazon Fresh)
Satur Farms kale, 5 oz. (x2) ($6.98 @Amazon Fresh)
Satur Farms spinach, 5 oz. ($3.49 @Amazon Fresh)
Limes ($3 @Brooklyn Fare)
Totals
Amazon Fresh: $37.92
Brooklyn Fare: $3
Budget Breakout
This week, I spent $40.92; $59.08 under budget. Whoa. This week was waaaaay under budget, thanks to having extra meat on hand – and a credit from last week’s London Broil mixup. I’m happy to report that we got the London Broil we ordered this week. But, I’m still bummed that the bagged kale we like was still not in stock. I wish they’d straighten out whatever is up with Taylor Farms – or suspend listing their items from the site and find another vendor. Satur Farms veggies are great, but they’re a: more expensive, and b: come in inconvenient clamshell packaging that takes my whole fridge up. While we’re on the complaint train, I’d also like it if the website – and especially the app – were easier to browse shop from. Fresh Direct has a fantastic app/website that allows you to browse by aisle — which comes in handy when you know you need a vegetable side dish, but you have no idea what you want. I’d like to be able to browse by what’s best in season and what is on sale. /end complaint. Ok, 1 more complaint: why on Earth do they only sell broccoli crowns? I miss my broccoli stalks!
Leftovers From This Week
At the end of the week, I have a few jalapeños, ground beef, and some wilty celery left over. I need to incorporate these items into my menu for next week.
—
Think eating healthfully is too expensive for you? Think again. According to the USDA, to ensure a nutritious diet as of December 2014, a family of two aged 19-59 years should spend between $388.90 and $776.10 on food per month, or $89.80 – $179.30 per week. Source
For my family of two adults, I spend roughly $400 a month on groceries or $100 a week – and we eat well. Not caviar and lobster well, but I do manage to serve a predominately paleo diet with little to no processed foods, and I get to throw in a few luxuries here and there (like expensive snacks for the hubbs and the occasional ridiculously expensive bag of coffee). We even manage to buy “good” meat (grass fed beef and free-range chicken) most of the time – and I make this budget work even on the weeks we pay for convenience by getting delivery groceries. I make: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 10 dinners a week – plus enough snacks to satisfy and fuel two active adults.
I’m hoping that this series will help shed a little light on the day-to-day things a “paleo” person really eats — and how that way of eating can work on a budget. I want to nudge anyone sitting on the fence right over the edge by showing that it *can* be done and that you don’t just eat meat, meat, meat and more meat.
March 22, 2015
Seen near Washington Square Park (/NYU).
March 21, 2015
Post book club burgers
Gastography 