September 30, 2012

1/4 cup nuts ($.50)
1/4 cup raisins ($.50)
pinch salt
1 banana ($.15)
pinch cinnamon

This little personal sized pie is, for me, a perfect way to start the day. It’s a bit heavy for those who like something substantial to get going … or can be shared.

In a food processor with an “S” blade, process the nuts, raisins, and pinch of salt until the mixture starts sticking together. Because this is such a small batch, it may not work in a bigger food processor. I have a 5 cup processor and it worked fine. Press the pie crust into a small tart pan or just press it into a plate. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set up a bit. In the food processor, again with the “S” blade, process half the banana and a pinch of cinnamon until it’s creamy and fluffy. Slice the rest of the banana. Layer the banana cream and sliced banana in the crust and top with another pinch of cinnamon.

calories: 406
fat: 18 gr
carbs: 63 gr
protein: 6 gr

2 bunches parsley, finely chopped ($1.69)
1 english cucumber, seeded and diced ($1.29)
2 large tomatoes, diced ($2.99)
1 medium onion, minced ($.25)
1/2 cup cauliflower florets, processed into rice sized pieces ($.50)
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped ($1.89)
1/4 cup olive oil ($.80)
juice of 2 lemons ($1.00)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

Tabbouleh is a traditional Lebanese parsley salad. If you like parsley, you’ll like tabbouleh. Meh, I don’t think I like parsley. It reminds me too much of cilantro (the two are closely related).

Bulgur wheat is usually used in Tabbouleh. I’ve substituted it here with cauliflower that I chopped in the food processor into rice sized pieces. Sprouted wheat could be used instead, as could sprouted quinoa. The cauliflower gives the same look, but sprouted grains would likely be more flavorful.

This is an easy dish to put together. Mix together the lemon juice, oil, and cumin and toss with the chopped, diced, and minced ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

12 ounces mushrooms ($2.69)
1 medium onion ($.25)
1 tablespoon olive oil ($.20)
1 tablespoon agave ($.20)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ($.20)

1 ripe avocado ($1.49)
1 tomato ($1.00)
1 clove garlic, pressed
3 tablespoons olive oil ($.60)
1 1/2 cup water to process
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil ($.20)

This began as a tomato soup. The tomatoes right now are so expensive and so without flavor and color that it was about impossible. So, instead, it became a marinated mushroom soup that turned out to be creamy and savory and really hit the spot on a dreary day.

I started by marinating and then dehydrating the mushrooms and chopped onions. Mix together the olive oil, agave, and balsamic vinegar. Toss with the sliced mushrooms and chopped onions and spread out on a lined dehydrator sheet and dehydrate for about 2-3 hours.

Reserve a few mushrooms and onions for topping. In a blender, puree the remaining mushrooms and onions, avocado, tomato, garlic, and olive oil, adding about 1 1/2 cup water. Add as much water as necessary to make the right consistency. I made mine pretty thick and creamy.

Top with the reserved mushrooms and onions, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil.

calories: 374
fat: 35 gr
carbs: 23 gr
protein: 5 gr

For a few cents more … Crackers are a great way to add in some tasty satisfaction for just a few cents more … so

I also made some flax and buckwheat crackers to go with the soup. These were really light and crispy, quite a lot like conventional crackers. I think it was the buckwheat that made them so light. It also makes them more difficult to turn on the dehydrator sheet, but they are quite good.

Flax Buckwheat Crackers
serves 6 ~ $.48 per serving

1/2 cup flax meal ($.25)
1/2 cup buckwheat ($.25)
1/2 cup whole flax seeds ($.20)
2 carrots ($.20)
1 red bell pepper ($.69)
2 medium onions, finely chopped ($.50)
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup oil ($.80)
1 cup water

Soak the buckwheat for at least 4 hours. Rinse several times. Do not dehydrate.

In the blender, puree the red bell pepper, carrots, and onion with 1 cup water. Add the buckwheat and blend until the buckwheat is chopped up but not totally pureed. Pour in a bowl and fold in the flax meal and whole flax seeds. Stir in the oil and spices.

Spread this out thinly on lined dehydrator sheets, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Oiling the sheet can make it a bit easier to turn these over. Also, using the back of an oiled spoon will help spread the cracker batter.

Dehydrate for about an hour, or until the top is just getting dry. Flip over and peel the sheet off. I found I had to turn these fairly early or they would get too dry and stick around the edges. But that may just be the kind of dehydrator I’m using.

Score the crackers into the desired shapes. I made triangular wedges.

Continue dehydrating until crisp, about 8-10 hours. Break apart.

1 pound strawberries ($2.08)
3 tablespoons agave ($.60)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup walnuts, soaked and dehydrated ($1.00)
1 cup banana slices, dehydrated (about 4 raw) ($.60)
pinch salt

1/4 cup walnuts ($.25)
2 dates ($1.00)
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

In a food processor with an “S” blade, process the walnuts and dehydrated bananas with a pinch of salt until the mixture starts clumping together. Spread and press onto a plate for a more rustic effect, which is what I did, or use a regular pie or tart plate.

In the food processor, add about a quarter of the strawberries and process with the lemon juice and agave until well pureed. Just like chocolate needs a dash of salt, I’ve found that strawberries really benefit from a tiny bit of lemon.

To make the walnut cream, in a blender puree 1/4 cup walnuts, 3 dates, and enough water to process, about 2/3 cup. Puree until very smooth and creamy.

Slice the remaining strawberries and add arrange on top. Spoon on some of the walnut cream. Cut into wedges and serve.

Total cost for the day: $7.87
total calories: 1,534
total fat: 114 gr
total carb: 176 gr
total protein: 30 gr