Tag: paleo

Burnt Radicchio Salad with Pear and Maple

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This recipe was born out of the need to burn fall with fire. Call it bleeding frustrations, getting rid of demons, or just simply not getting enough fire with my wintery weather while on vacation, but I came back with an urge to burn things – specifically, food things.

Why so destructive? Slightly burnt around the edges radicchio is fantastic. So are toasted nuts. And butter. And pears – I thought long and hard about caramelizing these, too, but since no one has seen fit to festoon me with a blowtorch it didn’t happen. It might in the future, though. Maybe Santa will bring the gift of fire.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian friendly, vegan friendly

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Burnt Radicchio Salad with Pear and Maple

1/2 head of radicchio
Drizzle olive oil
1/4 c. crushed pecans
1 Tbsp. ghee
1/2 pear
Drizzle maple syrup
Kosher salt & black pepper
Leftover flank steak (optional but delicious)

Set your broiler on high and tinfoil a cookie sheet. De-stem your radicchio and cut into two chunks. Place onto the prepared sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 5-6 minutes, or until blistered and burning at the edges. Not incinerated, just lightly burnt around the top and edges.

While your radicchio is burning, toast your pecans in the ghee over medium-high heat until they smell nutty. Remove from the heat.

Slice your flank steak and pear into thin slivers.

When the radicchio is done, chop into bite-sized pieces and add to a serving vessel. Top with the sliced pear, flank steak if you’re using and pecans. Drizzle with a teaspoon  or so of maple syrup and hit with another pinch of salt and few twists of pepper. Viola.

Serves 1 for lunch

Blistered Cabbage & Apples

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Yay, fall. This dish makes a satisfying lunch “salad” or dinner side dish, and just screams fall to me. And it’s quick – plus easy. A big win in every category.

Vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo

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Blistered Cabbage & Apples

1 small head cabbage (about 2c. when shredded)
1 Fuji apple
2 Tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 pinches kosher salt
Few grinds steakhouse seasoning
1 tsp caraway seeds

Wash, core and shred the cabbage. De-seed and chop the apple.

Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, hit with salt and a few grinds of your favorite steakhouse seasoning and sauté, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes or until softened and blistered in places. You could also broil the cabbage here to the same effect.

In the last few minutes, add the apple, vinegar and another shot of salt. Stir and continue to sauté until the apples are almost tender.

Serves 1-2 for lunch or 2-3 for dinner.

Spicy Chard & Cabbage Slaw

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It must be the Southerner in me, but every time I think ‘pulled meat’ (hee hee) I think ‘slaw’. This week, I made pulled beef as my big multi-meal protein, and was graced with some really nice cabbage and chard in this week’s CSA box.

Slaw it is, and what better kind than spicy?

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Paleo (swap aioli for strict)

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Spicy Chard & Cabbage Slaw

1/2 small head cabbage
1/2 bunch rainbow chard
4 scallions
1 small bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
Fresh black pepper

For the dressing

2 Tbsp. mayo (I used Just Mayo, which is pretty great and not filled with a bunch of crap – it’s not strictly paleo (contains canola oil & tiny amounts of sugar & pea protein), but it is good and waaaaayyyy more convenient than my futile attempts at making aioli)
3 tsp. sriracha
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. water
2 pinches kosher salt

Core and shred the cabbage and add to a large bowl. Ribbon the chard and add. Thinly slice the scallions and add. Julienne the pepper and add. Mince the garlic and add. Toss with a few cracks black pepper.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the mayo, sriracha, lemon juice, water and salt.

Drizzle the dressing over the slaw and toss with your hands to combine.

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a bigass salad

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of October 13 – 17

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Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

—

My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are going strong, so I will be doing things a little differently with the vegetable portion of my meal planning for the next few months (until October). My share averages out to $25 a week, which will come off the top of my budget allotment and will comprise the bulk of my non-smoothie-related vegetable purchases. If you’re curious to see how I use my CSA veggies up, check out my What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables posts.

Current Box of CSA Veggies

Menu for Last Week (Week of October 6 – 10)

The Plan vs. Reality

Ok guys, so I was incredibly slack this week in posting. I blame it on not going grocery shopping until Monday and having my week cut short by vacation!

Monday

  • The Plan – Delicata squash & fennel salad with miso & kale and duck
  • Reality – I did my salad, just with harissa and it was fantastic

Tuesday

  • The Plan – Cilantro cauli rice with peppers and spicy chicken
  • Reality – I actually did good here – made the rice, only with crackling chicken from Nom Nom Paleo instead of a spicy chicken because, as it turned out, I bought bone-in skin-on chicken thighs instead of my usual variety. A happy accident.

Wednesday

  • The Plan – A tomato sauce with eggplant & ground beef over squash mash
  • Reality – Forgot we had planned on meeting friends for dinner – which we did.

Thursday

  • The Plan – I’m on vacation!
  • Reality – My dinner was a quick salad from the airport + crapton of pre-packed plane snacks.

Friday

  • The Plan – Still on vacation!
  • Reality – And dinner was fantastic (pork chops + asparagus & mushrooms, if you must know)

Lunches

  • The Plan – Leftovers. Try to eat some veggies.
  • Reality – That happened. I had the last of the Napa cabbage with pulled pork and an egg, plus slipped things like half a bell pepper into other leftovers. Yum.

Extras

  • The Plan – Nothing planned.
  • Reality – And nothing happened.

 

This Week: October 13 – 17

I have leftover CSA veggies this week and $75 to spend on groceries. I was out of town when I generally plan menus and I knew I didn’t want to bug the hubby to go shopping in my stead, so I didn’t really plan anything and went shopping on Monday.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday vague plan: Eat out
  • Tuesday vague plan: I’d love pulled pork, but that probably isn’t happening
  • Wednesday vague plan: Vegan cheese intrigues me
  • Thursday vague plan: I’d like to waffle something
  • Friday: No plans.
  • Lunch: Leftovers.
  • Extras: Back on the almond milk train.

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: WF = Whole Foods, TJ = Trader Joe’s

Shopping List

3 Meats
Other stuff we need that I think of last minute and can’t usually fit into the budget
Avoid the snack aisle
Olive oil ($5.99 @ TJs)
Chicken tenders ($4.34 @ TJs)
Pork chops ($7.55 @ TJs)
Flank steak ($18.79 @ TJs)
Ghee ($4.79 @ TJs)
 
Smoothie supplies
2 bags kale ($4.58 @ TJs)
1 bag spinach ($1.99 @ TJs)
5 apples (these were mistakenly rung up as bananas – $1.45 @ TJs)
Limes (1 lb bag – $1.99 @ TJs)
2 avocados ($2.78 @ TJs)
Coconut water ($3.69 @ TJs)

Extras: Skipjack tuna ($1.49) and Albacore tuna ($1.69) to build my emergency protein rations, 2 pears ($0.79 & $0.69) for snacks.

Total TJs: $62.70

Total For The Week: $62.70; $12.30 under budget. *happy dance* Whoo! Whoo! I love it when the grocery gods smile upon me.

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, CSA veggies.

Pulled Pork Tacos with Pepper and Apple Slaw

Categories Recipes1 Comment on Pulled Pork Tacos with Pepper and Apple Slaw

Seriously? I haven’t shared a pulled pork recipe this year? Really? I have trouble believing that, since I make so much pulled pork, but it looks like I have neglected you guys.

Well, that’s going to change today.

Pulled pork is one of my absolute favorite go-to meals to make on a Monday and nibble throughout the week. It’s cheap, makes a ton, takes zero effort, and can be dressed a million different ways – practically the perfect food. Plus: pork.

This recipe is how I’ve been eating my pork lately. I’ve been obsessed with the sweet/spicy combo Korean BBQ sauce brings to the party, and was overjoyed to find Napa cabbage in last week’s CSA box. Out of all the non-carby options for taco wrappage, Napa cabbage is my favorite. It’s pliable, holds a bunch, and has a great neutral crunch. I’ve eaten this meal four times this week, which is restrained for me (I used the last batch as an excuse to take down an entire huge jar of kimchee + a jar of quick pickles – in one week). Needless to say, I love this dish. Other fantastic additions include: the aforementioned kimchee & quick pickles, peaches, mangoes, pineapples, Sriracha, sauerkraut, zucchini strips, chipotle, and lime.

Gluten-free, paleo (check your labels!!)

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Pulled Pork Tacos with Pepper and Apple Slaw

Pulled pork – about 6 ounces per person makes a good tacos-for-dinner portion
2-4 Tbsp. Korean BBQ sauce (I used 365 brand from Whole Foods, which has both soy and wheat – there are some fantastic gf & paleo versions out there; check your labels!)
2-3 Napa cabbage leaves per person
1/2 bell pepper (I went for yellow)
1/2 tart apple (Fuji and good old Granny Smith are both good here)
1/2 lime
Salt & pepper

Heat your pork and toss with the bbq sauce. Thinly julienne the pepper and apple and toss with the juice of half a lime, plus a sprinkle of kosher salt and a few cracks black pepper.

To assemble, layer your cabbage leaf with a little saucy pork + top with slaw – lengthwise down the leaf seems to work best.

Chow down.

To Make The Pork

2-5 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (you can do bone-in, but it takes longer)
3 or so Tablespoons of your favorite seasoning (my favorite is an Eastern Carolina-style rub with enough black pepper to make me sneeze & lots of red chili flakes)
1/4 cup or so apple cider vinegar
Maybe a thinly sliced onion

Sprinkle your pork on all sides with the spice mixture, rubbing in as you sprinkle and flip. Add to a crock pot. Splash the vinegar over. If you want, a thinly sliced onion is also fantastic here. Lid and cook on high about 6 hours, or until the pork is falling apart and can easily be shredded with a fork.

Enjoy for days.

Paleo Almond Coffee Creamer

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It seems like homemade almond milk has been everywhere on the blogosphere this summer, and I spent almost the whole season holding out – running from its charms – denying that it’s not only crazy simple to make, but cheaper than buying the good stuff – and puts my mind more at ease than buying a carton of milk with added chemicals. Turns out, it’s cheaper even than my beloved coconut milk.

Here’s the cost breakout for home almond milk vs. store almond milk vs. coconut milk in my area (NYC):

“Regular” Storebought Almond Milk
Blue Diamond – the best of the readily commercially available options, IMHO

Cost: $3.29 for 64 ounces
Servings: 32 (2-ounce servings)
Cost Per Serving: $0.10

Fancy Storebought Almond Milk
Califa Farms – a brand with no added crap

Cost: $3.79 for 48 ounces
Servings: 24 (2-ounce servings)
Cost Per Serving: $0.16

Homemade Almond Milk
Made by me with whatever flavorings I want to add and no added crap

Cost: $5.99 for a 16-ounce bag of almonds from Trader Joe’s, which yields just at 5 cups of nuts – with 2.5 cups of water per batch, we’re looking at about 100 ounces of milk.
Servings: 50 (2-ounce servings)
Cost Per Serving: $0.12

Canned Coconut Milk
My favorite is from Trader Joe’s and it has no added crap.

Cost: $0.99 for 14 ounces
Servings: 7
Cost Per Serving: $0.14

The cheapest alternative for my morning coffee looks to be “regular” almond milk – but for pennies more, I can make my own and avoid unnecessary added chemicals. I think that’s a good trade-off. Plus, it’s fun to make.

All you need to make almond milk is a high-speed blender (I have a Vitamix), a mesh bag of some sort (I use one I got for free at the botanical garden a few years ago), some water and time.

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Almond Milk

1 cup almonds
2.5 cups water
Pinch salt

Soak 1 cup almonds in water 12 – 24 hours. Drain and rinse.

Add the drained almonds to a blender with 2.5 cups water (I prefer lukewarm to warm). Blend. Add a pinch of salt and blend some more.

Fit a mesh bag over a bowl. Pour the almond milk into the bag. Lift and squeeze until you can’t get any more liquid out.

Funnel the liquid into containers – I’ve found that splitting the batch between 3 small re-sealable pop bottles works the best for clean retrieval + optimal flavor selection.

My Favorite Coffee Creamer Flavorings

Whiskey Cinnamon (1 tsp. Honey Jack + 1 tsp. ground cinnamon in 1/3 of a batch)

Maple Vanilla (1 tsp. maple syrup + 1 tsp. vanilla extract in 1/3 of a batch)

Pumpkin Spice (1.5 tsp. pumpkin pie spice in 1/3 of a batch)

Keeps about a week in the fridge

 

What do I do with all that leftover pulp? Make cookies! These are pretty great. I’m also dying to try these crackers. 

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of September 22 – 26

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Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

—

My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are going strong, so I will be doing things a little differently with the vegetable portion of my meal planning for the next few months (until October). My share averages out to $25 a week, which will come off the top of my budget allotment and will comprise the bulk of my non-smoothie-related vegetable purchases. If you’re curious to see how I use my CSA veggies up, check out my What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables posts.

Current Box of CSA Veggies

Menu for Last Week (Week of September 15 – 19)

The Plan vs. Reality

This week’s meal planning was decent – I got corn in my CSA box again and decided to use it instead of waste it, even though corn isn’t paleo.

Monday

  • The Plan – Steaks with corn on the cob
  • Reality – Uncured beef hotdogs with sauerkraut and corn on the cob

Tuesday

  • The Plan – Stuffed peppers with Italian sausage, fresh roasted tomatoes, roasted eggplant and kale
  • Reality – Yum. This was a great meal.

Wednesday

  • The Plan – Corn and goat cheese stuffed peppers with some sort of meat
  • Reality – I didn’t stuff the peppers, but this was still tasty. served with flank steak.

Thursday

  • The Plan – Eggplant fries with burgers.
  • Reality – The eggplant fries were less than successful (though still entirely edible), and the burgers were delicious as usual.

Friday

  • The Plan – Eat out.
  • Reality – This happened.

Lunches

  • The Plan – Leftovers.
  • Reality – Had a bunch of leftovers.

Extras

  • The Plan – Nothing planned but almond milk.
  • Reality – The almond milk turned out awesome. More on that soon!

 

This Week: September 22 – 26

I have leftover CSA veggies this week and $75 to spend on groceries.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday: Chicken stir-fry with bok choy, carrots, eggplant, pepper and kale
  • Tuesday: Green curry meatballs
  • Wednesday: Burgers & corn on the cob
  • Thursday: Something quick
  • Friday: Meat with CSA veggie or dine out
  • Lunch: Leftovers.
  • Extras: Almond milk & maybe chocolate cookies

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: FD = Fresh Direct

Shopping List

Ground Pork ($4.83 @ FD)
Cilantro – did not get
Basil – did not get
Lemongrass – did not get
Galangal – did not get
Shallot ($2.99 @ FD)
Shrimp Paste – did not get
Another Meat (Denver cut steaks $13.49 @ FD)
 
Smoothie supplies
2 bags kale ($7.00 @ FD)
1 bag spinach ($2.99 @ FD))
4 apples ($4.99 @ FD)
Limes (6 $4.99 @ FD)
4 avocados ($7.00 @ FD)
Ginger ($2.99 @ FD)
 

Extras: Dry aged beef burgers ($13.49 for 4), pistachios ($9.99 for 10 ounces).

 

Total FD: $74.62

Total For The Week: $74.62; $.38 under budget. I had planned a big recipe meal for this week (green curry pork meatballs), but ended up choosing convenience over budget with my grocery shopping; so I couldn’t make it happen. Plus, Fresh direct didn’t have half the specialty ingredients I needed. No big deal; I will just get creative. Plus, I now have even more extra meat. Score!

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, CSA veggies, chicken. 

Paleo Peach Crumble

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I don’t go for desserts often, but I find myself lately with a glut of fresh almond meal that needs using (more on why later) – dessert seems like the logical outcome. Plus: peaches. Can we talk about peaches that have been graced with heat?

d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s

This recipe isn’t instant, but scales beautifully to serve more – these peaches would be absolutely fabulous with some of that coconut whipped cream I made for a party, or some of my favorite 1-ingredient ice cream.

Vegetarian, Vegan, gluten-free, paleo

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Paleo Peach Crumble

2 peaches, halved and pitted
1/4 c. almond meal (either plain from the package, or leftover from making almond milk)
1-2 Tbsp. melted ghee
1 tsp. vanilla (optional – if you use plain flour, it would be a nice touch)
Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
Kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 375 fahrenheit. While your oven is coming up to temperature, either grab some oven-proof ramekins or line a cookie sheet with foil. I love the ramekin for baking this item because it looks pretty, feels fancy, and puts my ramekins to better use than being a handy cherry tomato-to-mouth conveyance method.

Place your halved peaches cut side up in/on your cooking vessel and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt.

In a small bowl, combine the almond meal and ghee and work with your fingers until you have crumbly flour. Sprinkle over the peaches (you don’t want a whole heap here – go for a moderate amount and the crumble will toast more evenly).

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the peaches offer no resistance to a fork and the topping is nice and browned.

If desired, drizzle with some honey or maple syrup and top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream or scoop of 1-ingredient paleo ice cream.

Serves 2-4, depending upon how heavy a dessert is warranted. 

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of September 15 – 19

Categories Paleo On A BudgetLeave a Comment on Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of September 15 – 19

Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

—

My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are going strong, so I will be doing things a little differently with the vegetable portion of my meal planning for the next few months (until October). My share averages out to $25 a week, which will come off the top of my budget allotment and will comprise the bulk of my non-smoothie-related vegetable purchases. If you’re curious to see how I use my CSA veggies up, check out my What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables posts.

Current Box of CSA Veggies

Menu for Last Week (Week of September 8 – 12)

The Plan vs. Reality

This week’s meal planning was decent – I got corn in my CSA box again and decided to use it instead of waste it, even though corn isn’t paleo.

Monday

  • The Plan – Collard wraps with shredded balsamic beef, bell peppers and carrots
  • Reality – This worked really well. I can’t wait to get more collards in the CSA box – this needs to be repeated!

Tuesday

  • The Plan – Shredded balsamic beef with corn/green pepper/feta salad
  • Reality – Yum. This was a great meal. I added jalapeno for some extra spice and roasted all the peppers on my gas range. Delicious.

Wednesday

  • The Plan – Bunless burgers with corn on the cob and herbed butter
  • Reality – I ditched the fancy butter and this meal was delicious.

Thursday

  • The Plan – Stuffed peppers with kale and roasted tomatoes if I get enough peppers in the CSA box
  • Reality – I ended up going another direction. Had leftover shredded balsamic beef with a warm corn/pepper/leek/balsamic vinegar salad instead.

Friday

  • The Plan – Eat out.
  • Reality – This happened.

Lunches

  • The Plan – Leftovers.
  • Reality – Had a bunch of leftovers + days of chicken with tomatoes and peaches.

Extras

  • The Plan – Nothing planned but almond milk.
  • Reality – The almond milk turned out awesome. More on that soon!

 

This Week: September 15 – 19

I have leftover CSA veggies this week and $75 to spend on groceries.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday: Steaks with corn on the cob
  • Tuesday: Stuffed peppers with sausage, roasted tomatoes, eggplant & kale
  • Wednesday: Corn and goat cheese stuffed peppers with ???
  • Thursday: Eggplant fries with ???
  • Friday: Meat with CSA veggie or dine out
  • Lunch: Leftovers.
  • Extras: None planned.

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, O = Optional if budget allows

Shopping List

Steaks (flank steak – $12.95 @ TJs)
2 other meats (chicken thighs – $7.29 @ TJs + uncured hot dogs – $4.99 @ TJs)
goat cheese ($2.49 @ TJs)
coffee ($4.99 @ TJs)
 
Smoothie supplies
2 bags kale ($2.29 x 2 @ TJs)
1 bag spinach ($1.99 @ TJs)
4 apples ($3.16 @ TJs)
Limes (1 lb $1.69 @ TJs)
3 avocados ($4.17 @ TJs)
Coconut water ($3.69 @ TJs)
Ginger ($1.39 @ TJs)
 

Extras: peanut butter dog biscuits ($3.49 @ TJs), sauerkraut ($3.99 @ TJs), thai chile almonds ($5.99 @ TJs)

I also ran into a sale at Whole Foods on grass fed beef for $5 a pound – I picked up 4 lbs. and plan to break that out over the next few weeks. Win! 

Total TJ: $67.16
Total WF: $20.31

Total For The Week: $75.00; $0.00 under budget. I *was* $8.84 under budget this week, but I’m going to count some of that beef surplus toward this week’s budget. I think I’m safely recuperated from the week I went over with party supplies last month; plugging the partial cost of the beef in this week will leave me a little wiggle room for later in the month. Plus, now I have extra ground beef + the Italian sausage I still haven’t used in my freezer store. Whoo hoo!

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, CSA veggies, Italian sausage, ground beef. 

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of September 8 – 12

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Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

—

My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are going strong, so I will be doing things a little differently with the vegetable portion of my meal planning for the next few months (until October). My share averages out to $25 a week, which will come off the top of my budget allotment and will comprise the bulk of my non-smoothie-related vegetable purchases. If you’re curious to see how I use my CSA veggies up, check out my What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables posts.

Current Box of CSA Veggies

Menu for Last Week (Week of September 1 – 5)

The Plan vs. Reality

This week’s meal planning was decent – I got corn in my CSA box again and decided to use it instead of waste it, even though corn isn’t paleo.

Monday

  • The Plan – Labor day – day off + a 5k – eat out
  • Reality – I had 1 bell pepper with some leftover eggplant dip for a snack and ate dinner out as planned.

Tuesday

  • The Plan – Bunless burgers with sweet potato fries & zucchini fries
  • Reality – Yum. I made sweet potato fries for the DH and perfected my zucchini recipe recipe for me.

Wednesday

  • The Plan – ??? Ground beef ???
  • Reality – We went out to eat with friends tonight. Figured ditching the weekly menu plan for socializing was a good enough reason to do so.

Thursday

  • The Plan – Something with eggplant and meat – asiany ground poultry bowl with eggplant puree, carrots, peppers and kale
  • Reality – This was good, but I forgot the kale.

Friday

  • The Plan – Broiled pork belly with a corn/leek salad and carrot top pesto
  • Reality – Delicious. Made a charred corn and leek salad (recipe coming soon) and the pesto was delicious.

Lunches

  • The Plan – Salads and leftovers.
  • Reality – Salads didn’t really happen, but I ate a lot of leftovers.

Extras

  • The Plan – Broil eggplants and tomatoes so they don’t go bad.
  • Reality – I also froze a ton of green peppers so they wouldn’t turn as well.

 

This Week: September 8 – 12

I have leftover CSA veggies this week and $75 to spend on groceries.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday: Big meat with corn salady thing with green peppers.
  • Tuesday: Collard burrito wraps with peppers, big meat and carrots
  • Wednesday: Burgers with corn on the cob and some sort of herb or tomato butter
  • Thursday: Stuffed peppers if I get bell peppers in the CSA box
  • Friday: Meat with CSA veggie or dine out
  • Lunch: Leftovers.
  • Extras: None planned.

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, O = Optional if budget allows

Shopping List

garlic powder ($1.99 @ TJs)
big meat ($17.44 @ TJs)
Sausage ($4.45 @ TJs)
basil or an herb ($2.99 @ TJs)
Canned tomatoes ($1.69 @ TJs)
 
Smoothie supplies
1 bags kale ($2.29 @ TJs)
4 apples ($3.16 @ TJs)
Limes (1 lb $1.69 @ TJs)
2 avocados ($2.78 @ TJs)
Coconut water ($3.69 @ TJs)
Orange juice ($3.99 @ TJs)
Ginger ($1.39 @ TJs)
 

Extras: coconut milk ($0.99 @ TJs), almonds ($5.99 @ TJs), pistachios for the DH ($7.49 @ TJs), fruit bar impulse purchase ($0.99 at TJs), ???? something, I’m guessing for the DH, for $7.99 @ TJs – cheese?

Total TJ: $53.56

Total For The Week: $71.00; $4.00 under budget. Woop Woop! Under again.

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, CSA veggies, ground beef.