Frugal Foodie

17Apr08

So, after our first two weeks of a mostly bean diet, there was a little grumbling. And I don’t mean the digestive kind. So, things have broadened out a bit, and here’s a list of things we are eating over an 8-day period:

California Rolls, seaweed salad, miso soup (pkg) – Big hit, pretty inexpensive if you have Asian pantry items.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie w/ Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Okay. Caused more stomach distress than the beans though!

Homemade Veggie Pizza – We make the best pizza in town.

French Lentil Soup w Tarragon & Thyme – from Chowhound. Awesome, cheap, elegant, and easy. 

Black Bean Soup 

Nachos (w/left over black beans)

Italian-Style Haddock (wild caught, on sale) – Okay. Like Italians, I can’t get over cheese on fish.

Filipino Adobo-Style Chicken – love the vinegar!

One great tip for a foodie on a budget is Mark Bittman’s No-Knead Bread. It is so easy and so darn fast, and it seriously rivals the European breads you can buy at places like Whole Foods. Last week I needed something in a pinch for an appetizer plate for a get-together, and with some Kalamata olives mixed in, it was fab. This week I am doing a rosemary/kosher salt variation, as well as a roasted garlic loaf. I highly recommend giving it a go. If you follow this link you do have to register with the New York Times to see it, but there was so much internet talk about this when it came out that you can find another version easily enough if you search for “No-Knead Bread” — including videos!

  Mark Bittman’s No Knead Bread

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Tags: bread, foodie, frugal, no knead, weekly menu