December 30, 2012

by Lisa Viger · Published December 31, 2012 · Updated October 3, 2019

Breakfast

White Chia Smoothie

serves 2 ~ $.95 per serving

8 tablespoons white chia seeds ($1.00)

2 cups water

2 tablespoons coconut nectar or other liquid sweetener ($.40)

4 tablespoons blackberry puree ($.50)

In
a blender, soak the chia seeds in the cooled tea or water for about
twenty minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth
and chilled. I don’t like blackberry seeds, they drive me crazy, so I
strain the blackberry puree through a wire mesh strainer. Save a few
tablespoons of the blackberry puree for dessert later.

calories: 244

fat: 9 gr

carbs: 38 gr

protein: 6 gr

Lunch

Coconut Cashew Soup

Serves 2 ~ $4.04 per serving

4 tablespoons artisana coconut butter ($2.20)

4 tablespoons artisana cashew butter ($2.35)

1 1/2 cup water

3 dates ($.60)

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves ($.10)

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

juice of one lime ($.50)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cucumber, sliced into noodles ($.89)

1/2 avocado, chopped ($.88)

1 medium onion, minced

2 stalks celery, minced ($.20)

small bunch cilantro leaves ($.05)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved ($.30)

red pepper flakes

Oh. Yeah. Coconut butter is divine. Artisana
makes organic, raw and vegan nut butters and coconut products. They
provided some of their coconut butter and nuts butters for me to try,
which are great straight from the jar and worked out really well in this
easy and convenient soup.

In
a blender, process the coconut butter, cashew butter (almond butter
will work as well), water, dates, cilantro, garlic, red pepper flakes,
cayenne, lime juice, salt and pepper. Puree until as smooth as possible.

Cut
the cucumber into noodles and put in bowls with the avocado, celery,
cilantro, and cherry tomatoes. Using a wire mesh strainer, strain the
coconut and nut butter soup base. This will take out any larger pieces
of dates or spices. A higher powered blender may make this step
unnecessary. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

calories: 537

fat: 44 gr

carbs: 33 gr

protein: 11 gr

Dinner

Hasta La Pasta

serves 2 ~ $.95 per serving

2 small zucchini, noodled ($1.39)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved ($.30)

2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

This
is just a very basic zucchini noodle recipe. Use a vegetable peeler or
spiral slicer to cut the zucchini into noodles. Another option is to
simply grate the zucchini. Top with cherry tomatoes and olive oil, and
add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

calories: 244

fat: 18 gr

carbs: 16 gr

protein: 5 gr

Cooked

Spaghetti Squash

It’s not raw, I know, but I wanted to
show you these amazing spaghetti squash noodles. Spaghetti squash grows
very easily from seed, even where there are short growing seasons. I
was surprised at how easy and prolific they are. After being cured,
they can be stored for several months. They are commonly available at
most grocery stores as well. I’m really pleased with how well these
grew and now have a pantry full. It’s really not possible, as far as I
know, to eat these raw. So, I’ve made them cooked. Done in the oven at
350, the inside will not get any hotter than 212 degrees, so they are
basically steamed.

To prepare, simply place the squash on a
baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour and twenty minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then cut in half. Remove the
seeds with a spoon. Then, using a fork, scrape the squash flesh. It
will come apart in noodle shaped strands … and it makes a lot.
These strands can be used like any vegetable or grain pasta. Here,
I’ve added the same things as I have to the zucchini noodles above. The
nutritional information in cooked spaghetti squash pretty much the
same as zucchini.

Dessert

Plum Pie

serves 3 ~ $2.47 per serving

1/2 cup walnuts ($1.00)

1/2 cup raisins ($.85)

3 plums, sliced thinly ($3.00)

3 tablespoons coconut butter ($1.65)

2 tablespoons coconut nectar ($.40)

banana ice cream ($.50)

blackberry puree

In
a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process the walnuts and
raisins until the mixture begins sticking together. Press into a plate,
pie plate, or tart pans and chill for several minutes.

In
the food processor, again with the “S” blade, process one plum, the
coconut butter, and the coconut nectar. When pureed, spread over the pie
crust. Place the plum slices on top.

This goes really well with a bit of banana ice cream and a bit of blackberry puree.