September 23, 2012

by Lisa Viger · Published September 24, 2012 · Updated October 3, 2019

Breakfast
Broccoli Leaf and Beet Juice
serves 2 ~ $1.50 per serving

12 large broccoli leaves
2 beets, with greens ($1.50)
1 cucumber ($.50)
1 apple ($.50)
juice of 1 lemon ($.50)

Broccoli leaves look absolutely succulent and I’ve always wanted to do something with them. They make a terrible salad, but are excellent for juicing.

For this liquid breakfast, juice the lemon by hand and run the rest of the ingredients through a juicer. The broccoli leaves can be kind of rough on most juicers. Another way to juice them is to chop them and then blend them in the blender with a small bit of water and then strain through a mesh strainer or nut milk bag.

calories: 163
fat: 1 gr
carbs: 38 gr
protein: 6 gr

Lunch
Stuffed Tomatoes
serves 2 ~ $4.09 per serving

5 oz spinach ($1.29)
2 tablespoon olive oil ($.20)
1/2 cup cashews ($2.00)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
8 oz mushrooms ($2.29)
1 medium onion, diced ($.20)
salt
pepper
3 lbs tomatoes ($2.00)

Start by massaging the spinach with some olive oil. Just drizzle the olive oil over the leaves and rub and squeeze them with your (clean) hands. This will cause them to soften and wilt some.

Chop the mushrooms and dice the onion. In a small bullet type blender, puree the cashews, lemon juice, and garlic until very smooth. Stir this into the spinach. Salt and pepper to taste at this point. Then, let the spinach sit for a few minutes to continue softening.

Cut the very top off several tomatoes. Scoop out the walls and the seed chambers to make a little pocket. Spoon the spinach mixture into the pocket.

These can be eaten like this, which I think I prefer, or dehydrated for a half hour or so until warm.

calories: 383
fat: 27 gr
carbs: 28 gr
protein: 15 gr

Dinner
Watermelon Mango Soup
serves 4 ~ $1.95 per serving

8 cups watermelon, chopped ($2.50)
2 mangoes, chopped ($3.00)
1 large cucumber, chopped ($.50)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced ($.10)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped ($1.00)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil ($.10)
juice of 1 lime ($.60)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
crushed pepper flakes (see below for how-to)

It’s just not summer without some kind of fruit soup, and watermelon soup is one of my favorites. I make it several time or more in a summer. I wanted to change it up just a bit but still keep the watermelon in there and this is what happened.

Chop five cups of the watermelon into small, bite sized pieces. Chop and mince the mango, cucumber, jalapeno, red bell pepper, and onion and add to a large bowl.

Put the remaining three cups of watermelon in a blender with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend well for a few minutes. The oil will combined with the watermelon and make a nice, creamy base for the soup. Once blended, pour over the chopped ingredients and stir.

Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and some crushed pepper flakes (use purchased crushed red pepper flakes or see below to make your own). A small drizzle of olive oil goes well, too.

This soup can also be served in the shell of the watermelon, as shown below. Just take care when getting the flesh out. Use a spoon to scrape the inside of the shell to get most of the watermelon out .. although it doesn’t have to be perfect by any means. Cut a small flat part on the bottom so it will stand up right, and wrap with a dish towel at the base if you need more stability.

calories: 357
fat: 11 gr
carbs: 68 gr
protein: 5 gr

Crushed Pepper Flakes

It’s simple to make crushed pepper flakes of your own like I’ve done here with some extra Jalapenos from the garden.

Just select your favorite pepper or mix of peppers. Cut off the stem end. Dry in the dehydrator for about 24 hours. Once entirely dry and brittle, put the peppers in a bag and crush with a rolling pin or something similar. These can be used in the same way as crushed red pepper flakes, although they will look just a bit different and usually be hotter. I like using just a pinch sprinkled on … well, on just about anything.

The flakes can be stored in a bag or jar and will remain fresh for several months or more if kept cool and very dry.

Make sure to protect your hands if they’re sensitive. And never touch or rub your face or eyes after working with peppers.

Dessert
Mango Parfait
serves 2 ~ $1.60 per serving

1/2 cup cashews ($2.00)
2 tablespoons agave ($.40)
pinch salt
8 oz mango chunks ($.80)
cacao nibs

Simple, simple, simple. This comes together in about 5 minutes.

Make the cashew cream first. Put the cashews, agave, and salt in a bullet blender and puree until very smooth. Layer with the mango chunks. Top with cacao nibs, if desired.