December 13, 2009

Breakfast
Swamp Smoothie
one serving ~ $1.20 per serving

ingredients

large handful spinach ($.50)
2 bananas ($.30)
3 tbsp powdered cacao or cocoa powder ($.30)
dash salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract ($.10)
8 ice cubes
water for blending

Yes, chocolate goes with just about anything, including spinach. Straight out of the blender, it looks like bubbling swamp mud, hence the name. But it’s actually quite good and I find it a good way to start the day.

Add spinach to blender and puree until as smooth as possible. Add remaining ingredients and blend.

calories: 267
fat: 0 gr
carbs: 65 gr
protein: 5 gr

Lunch
Sweet Potato Pancakes
3 servings ~ $1.25 per serving

ingredients

2 sweet potatoes ($.60)
1/2 cup raisins ($.50)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped ($.75)
1 apple, chopped ($.70)
1 orange ($.50)
1 tbsp olive oil ($.10)
3 tbsp agave ($.30)
salt and pepper

3 tbsp agave for topping ($.30)

This is a bit sweet for me, but I think it would hit the spot if sweet was what was needed. I start thinking about what to put in this blog on Saturday. So far, I’ve been able to get three meals and a dessert together and blogged within 24 hours or so, every week. Lots of times, I make things I’ve made before, but this was new. I thought it was going to be a failure, but everyone I tried it out on enjoyed it. I still think it’s missing something, but it’s definitely sweet and quite orange flavored.

Peel sweet potatoes, slice and grate. I used a food processor with a grating plate. Zest the orange, then puree it well in blender. Toss the sweet potato with chopped apples, walnuts, and raisins. Mix together the olive oil, pureed orange, orange zest, and three tablespoons agave and stir in until evenly coated.

Make into 9 patties and dehydrate for about 2 hours on each side. These won’t be incredibly firm, but just a bit hardened on the outside and quite soft in the center. Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with agave as desired.

calories: 409
fat: 15 gr
carbs: 64 gr
protein: 6 gr

Dinner
Marinated Broccoli and Mushrooms
2 servings ~ $2.90 per serving

ingredients

2 heads broccoli ($1.89)
8 oz mushrooms ($2.50)
1 medium onion ($.25)
sesame seeds ($.10)

3 tbsp olive oil ($.30)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar ($.30)
3 tbsp agave ($.30)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced ($.10)
1 tsp paprika ($.05)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

red pepper flakes to taste

This is my new favorite raw food dish. It’s savory and sweet and just yummy. Marinating followed by dehydrating softens the broccoli and onions nicely, and the mushrooms are just luscious.

Whisk together the olive oil, agave, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika. Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces, and diced the onion. In a container (I used a Glad Lock box), put the broccoli, mushrooms and onion. Pour the marinade over, shake to coat, and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

An hour before serving, dehydrate on plastic or teflex sheets. About an hour should make these warm and slightly softened. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and, if you want a little bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

calories: 415
fat: 22 gr
carbs: 53 gr
protein: 11 gr

And don’t throw away those broccoli stalks! Peeled and salted, they become real delicacies.

Dessert
Tropicalia
2 servings ~ $1.60 per serving

ingredients

1 grapefruit ($.50)
2 oranges ($1.00)
2 bananas ($.30)
4 oz mango ($.60)
1/4 cup dried coconut flakes, fine ($.30)
juice of 1 lime ($.50)
drizzle of agave, optional

I know it’s almost Christmas. And it’s been so cold here, down into the teens the last few days. But I was craving something tropical today and this was perfect. And simple.

Peel and section the grapefruit and orange. Slice bananas. Chop mango (I used frozen chunks, thawed). Put in bowls, juice lime over the fruit. Sprinkle with coconut, and, if desired, drizzle with a small amount of agave.

calories: 355
fat: 3 gr
carbs: 80 gr
protein: 5 gr

Total cost for the day: $6.95

total carb: 262 gr
total protein: 27 gr

I love showing the things I like to eat, but I’d also like to try out what other folks are enjoying. Do you have a favorite recipe you’d like me to recreate? Just send me the recipe with ingredients and instructions and I’ll do the rest. I’ll give full credit for any recipes I use. I will substitute or omit any hard to find or overly expensive ingredients.