Veggie Might: Lazy Weekend Gluten-free Pancakes

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Pancakes are the food of lazy weekend mornings with loved ones, be they boyfriends, friend-friends, or family. Breakfast, or more specifically, brunch, is the best meal of the day because lazy weekend mornings are the best time to be awake.

Brunch in New York is like church. Everyone has their preferred house of worship, and weekly attendance is compulsory. Congregants line up out front, no matter the weather, to say their prayers to the gods of maple syrup and challah bread.

After years of serving eucharist at one of Manhattan's most popular temples, I relish every Saturday and Sunday morning I get to have a leisurely breakfast at home. I'm nondenominational brunch eater, and I like to worship in my pajamas. Plus, it's way cheaper that way.

My pal and fellow brunch altergirl, Miss T is newly gluten-free. She recently spent the night at my pad, and the next morning, she, my boyfriend, and I contemplated venturing out for brunch. I told her about the whole wheat pancakes I'd been making for CB, and she wondered if I could come up with a gluten-free version for her.

"Sure," I said. "Let's try it now." Miss T was all smiles and agreement. Church bells were ringing.

We donned our aprons and cleared a space on the table. Starting with a recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking, I had futzed around until I came up with a whole-wheat pancake that satisfied CB's morning sweet tooth and my fiber requirement. Making them gluten-free was as easy as substituting the wheat flours for a combination of chick pea, brown rice, and quinoa flours. We had a smashing success.

The alterna-flour gluten-free pancakes came out light, fluffy, and golden-brown—just like the wheat version. Miss T and I were so proud of our pancake improv. We looked to CB, our resident pancake connoisseur, for final judgment.

"Pancakes are just a vehicle for maple syrup and butter," he said. "These have the right texture, which is the important thing. They're good."

We took his praise with gratitude and laughter. These delicious, gluten-free vessels of maple and joy are worthy of lazy weekends and those you love.

~~~~

If this recipes warms your cockles, you may also enjoy:

• Baking and Cooking for the Sensitive and Cleansing
• Maple Morning Polenta
• Tofu Veggie Scramble

~~~

Lazy Weekend Gluten-free Pancakes
3 servings
Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking

1/2 cup chick pea flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoon safflower oil (half for mix and half for cooking)
1 cup nondairy milk (I used almond)

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl or 4-cup measuring cup. Stir in 1 tablespoon of oil and milk until combined but don't overmix. It's okay if there are some tiny lumps.

3. Heat a small amount of oil in a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Spoon or pour batter into 3" to 4" pools in the skillet. Cook until bubbles form in the batter.

4. With a plastic or silicone turner, flip pancakes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Place pancakes on an oven-safe plate and keep warm in oven until all pancakes are ready. Repeat step 3 until you've used up the batter. The number of pancakes will depend on how big you make them.

5. Serve with your favorite toppings, like vegan butter and maple syrup, and enjoy with those you love.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
249 calories, 12g fat, 5g fiber, 6.3g protein, $.56

Note: Substituting 1 tablespoon of cooking oil with high-heat cooking spray will reduce calories to 209 and fat to 7g per serving. You can also substitute the quinoa flour for something a touch cheaper, like sorghum flour, to reduce cost.

Calculations
1/2 cup chick pea flour: 220 calories, 4g fat, 10g fiber, 12g protein, $0.32
1/4 cup brown rice flour: 130 calories, 1g fat, 2g fiber, 3g protein, $0.15
1/4 cup quinoa flour: 110 calories, 1.5g fat, 2g fiber, 4g protein, $0.50
1 tablespoon baking powder: 6 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.06
2 tablespoon safflower oil: 240 calories, 28g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.16
1 cup almond milk: 40 calories, 3g fat, 1g fiber, 1g protein, $0.50
TOTALS: 746 calories, 35.5g fat, 15g fiber, 19 protein, $1.69
PER SERVING (TOTALS/3): 249 calories, 12g fat, 5g fiber, 6.3g protein, $.56

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Cheap Healthy Good and the Triangle of Compromise

A few weeks ago, I was having dinner with a friend who works with computers. After our fries were finished, we started talking about his job. “Here’s the thing,” he said, “and I think it happens with a lot of different occupations. When you work with clients, they want your work to be quick, cheap, and thorough. And you kind of have to tell them to pick two.”

“Why can’t they expect all three?” I wondered.

He phrased his response carefully. “Well, you have other clients who demand your time. And competition is always pretty fierce.” He sipped his Guinness. “And it’s kind of the natural order of things, you know?”

“Explain.”

“Um, well. Think of it like this: If they want it done fast and cheap, the standard of work isn’t going to be very high. If they want it done fast and right, they’re going to have to fork over money for the extra manpower. And if they want it done cheap and right, it’s gonna take awhile.”

"Like a triangle."

"Yep."

“So getting all three is impossible?”

He shook his head. “Nope. You can get a little of everything if you’re willing to compromise. It’s kind of that sweet spot in the middle.”

“But getting people to compromise is tough.”

“Always.”

I nodded. The triangle idea made sense in a work context. And, when I though about it, it started to make sense in other contexts, too. “You know, it’s kind of like finding a New York apartment, except the parameters change a little.”

“Okay." More Guinness. "Go on."

“If you want a place that’s cheap and in a great neighborhood, it’s going to be a rat-infested hellhole.”

“Like your old place.”

“Right,” I continued. “And let’s say you have kids, and you want a place that’s cheap and nice. It’s going to be a gabillion miles from any subway stop. That’s why all our friends end up in Jersey.”

He finished my thought: "And you have to be making Derek Jeter-caliber money to live in a nice place in a good neighborhood."

"Right. Jeez. That guy."

Later that night, I tried to apply the idea to Cheap Healthy Good. And it got harder. Because here's the thing:

• People say you can buy cheap and healthy food, but it won't taste any good.
• People say you can buy delicious, healthy food, but it will cost a bagillion dollars.
• People say you can buy cheap, delicious food, but it will give you ten successive heart attacks.

I disagree with all of those conclusions. Like my friend, I believe that compromise is key to maintaining balance between the cheap, the healthy, and the good. I believe this is possible:

Paying a little more will get you healthier, scrumptious-ier food. Adding a little butter won't cost you much, and will keep food from tasting like lawn scraps. And actually preparing it yourself – not a ten-course State dinner, but y'know, a casserole – will cost less and give you a good chance of making it into your 80s.

(Of course, adding "time" or "effort" into the equation would be a logical extrapolation of this theory, but it turns the 2D drawing into a much-harder-to-understand 3D pyramid, which would simultaneously blow my mind and tax my pitifully scanty knowledge of graphic design to its breaking point, so we'll ignore it for now and get back to ruminating.)

So there you have it. The CHG Triangle of Compromise. It's exists to remind us of three things:

• We need not engage in extreme, black-and-white thinking when it comes to eating inexpensively, healthfully, and well.
• Compromise is the key to eating inexpensively, healthfully, and well.
• I am bad at Photoshop.

Readers, what think you? If you have any geometrically-based theories, I'd love to hear 'em.

~~~

Like this? You'll love:

• Fear Itself
• Musings of a Healthy Cooking Teacher
• Trading Butter for All the Broccoli in China: Getting Healthy Takes Practice

Read More →

Green Kitchen: Roasted Sunchokes and Broccoli

Green Kitchen is a bi-weekly column about nutritious, inexpensive, and ethical food and cooking. It's penned by the lovely Jaime Green.

Ever since The Glorious Return of Gas to My Oven, I have been making good use of my fully functional kitchen. I've been boiling water on the stovetop for tea, marvelling at how quickly the kettle whistles. I've roasted a chicken (you know, what with eating meat again). I've baked two versions of Chickpea Cake and even broiled salmon when my fish-allergic boyfriend was out of the house. But my favorite thing to do, the thing I missed most in my oven's time off, is to roast broccoli.

I am a full believer in the power of oil, salt, and high heat to transform almost any vegetable into a delicacy. Sauteed Brussels sprouts, roasted root vegetables or cauliflower, even oven-roasted kale – these methods all move their produce from tasty enough healthy choices to mouth-watering heaven, as if heaven is a thing you eat. And broccoli perhaps benefits from this treatment best.

This is a variation on Ina Garten's recipe, which I learned by way of The Amateur Gourmet (where it is called, accurately, The Best Broccoli of Your Life). It is rich and hearty, a little sweet from caramelized edges, good and salty from... salt. It's also super easy – you toss broccoli with salt and oil and throw it in the oven. Set it and forget it, basically. And then, after all that zero hard work, you get something amazingly, addictively delicious that is also, lest we forget, broccoli.

This weekend I took my dear broccoli to a new level, by way of a little greenmarket desperation curiosity. While strolling through with my friend J. for eggs, onions, and heavy cream (my new obsession) – the only good things to find in a February farmers market – I saw something intriguing between the onions and ten kinds of potatoes: Jerusalem Artichokes. They are neither Israeli nor artichokes, but rather knobby little roots that I conveniently – thank you for writing seasonal recipes, fellow foodbloggers – had read about just a few days before. (You can swing by that very Mark's Daily Apple post for more history of the sunchoke, and a couple more recipe ideas.)

Let's see. Roasted sunchokes, roasted broccoli. Creamy and nutty, toothsome and savory. Roasted, roasted. In my fridge, in my fridge. It obviously took a great feat of culinary inspiration and general genius for this combination to be conceived. (Thanks for sending me to college, mom!)

Note: Make sure to dry your broccoli and sunchokes THOROUGHLY. I'd even recommend not washing the broccoli. It's going to be in a hot oven for a long time – anything bad on there's gonna get killed, and anything that doesn't get killed in the oven is some sort of superpowerful freak germ that was going to get you anyway.

~~~

If this looks nice, you'll surely appreciate:

• Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
• Broccoli Quiche
• Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers

~~~

Roasted Sunchokes and Broccoli
Serves 4
Adapted from Ina Garten/The Amateur Gourmet and Mark's Daily Apple.

1 ½ lb broccoli (about 5 cups of florets)
1 lb sunchokes (about 4 cups sliced)
2 T olive oil, divided
salt to taste

1) Preheat oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.

2) Chop broccoli into florets. (Put the stems aside for another use.) Toss in a large bowl with 1 T oil and a sprinkle of salt. Spread in a single layer on one baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little more salt if you like.

3) Slice or quarter sunchoked into relatively uniformly sized chunks, a little less than an inch thick. Toss in your large bowl with the remaining 1 T of oil and a sprinkle of salt. Spread on a single layer on the other baking sheet, ideally with each piece lying flat on a cut side (for optimal browning).

4) Cook broccoli and sunchokes for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown (or a little darker). Half-way through, swap them between the top and bottom racks, and stir/move around the veggies, adding salt if desired.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Cost Per Serving:
211 calories, 7.5g fat, 5.4g fiber, 6.2g protein, $1.41

Calculations:
5 cups broccoli: 155 calories, 1.7g fat, 11.8g fiber, 12.8g protein, $3.00
4 cups sunchokes: 438 calories, 0.1g fat, 9.6g fiber, 12g protein, $2.50
2 T olive oil: 252 calories, 28g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.12
1 t salt: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.02
TOTALS: 845 calories, 29.7g fat, 21.4g fiber, 24.8g protein, $5.64
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 211 calories, 7.5g fat, 5.4g fiber, 6.2g protein, $1.41

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Ask the Internet: Organizing Lids?

Today's question comes from the heartland (Brooklyn):

Q: I just moved, and while I love the new place, there isn't enough room in my cabinets for the thousands of glass, plastic, and metal lids I've somehow amassed over the years. All of them belong to useful pans and casserole dishes, but I need help organizing them. We're not allowed to anchor shelves in the walls, but we do have plenty of floor space. Any ideas?

A: Readers, this one is all you. Help!

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

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Monkey Bars: A Recipe of Love and Bananas

Happy Day After the Super Bowl, everyone! Congratulations to the team in yellow pants hailing from that cold, mid-northern U.S. city! You know – the one with no cheerleaders and the beloved player with long hair. Those guys are great.

With football stuff over, we can now concentrate on the important stuff – namely, stuffing our beloveds with rich foodstuffs until they puke affection. (Also: stuff.) Yep, Valentine's Day is once again zeroing in on the fortresses of our fondness, like a pink-tinted love bomb filled with Hallmark cards, Red Envelope lockets, and smooching. Oh, the smooching.

This year, instead of magnums of Veuve Clicquot and coconut-filled truffles with little nibbles in the bottom (otherwise, how do you find out if they're coconut?), I'd like to suggest some Monkey Bars. They don’t sound as romantic, no. But get this: They're 18 cents each and taste like banana bread. Plus, if you cut them in little heart shapes, your ingenuity will totally obscure that you just spent less than a quarter on a Valentine's Day gift.

A hugely popular recipe from Cooking Light, the Monkey Bar's greatest asset is that it can be adapted way easily. I added some cinnamon and nutmeg, substituted pecans for walnuts, swapped out half of the butter for 2% yogurt, and left off the powdered sugar. I still liked it. Following the initial recipe will undoubtedly net you similarly tasty results.

Happy V-Day, my sweets. May your day be filled with happiness, your nights packed with joy, and your desserts … sexy? Yeah. Sexy.

~~~

If this looks rather tasty, you’ll probably enjoy consuming the following:

• Banana Oatmeal Muffins
• Low-Fat Apple Coffee Cake
• Popovers

~~~

Monkey Bars
Serves 16
Adapted from Cooking Light.

1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon, dark rum, or apple juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened (OR 2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons 2% plain Greek Yogurt)
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
3 tablespoons 1% milk or low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking pan or 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

2. In a small microwaveable bowl, combine raisins and bourbon (or rum or apple juice – whatever you’re using). Stir. Nuke 60 seconds. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to combine.

4. To a separate bowl or stand mixer, mix brown sugar and butter on medium speed until well combined. Add banana, milk, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until combined. Slowly add dry ingredients until all are just incorporated into a wet batter. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour into baking pan.

5. Bake 30 minutes. Remove and cool fully on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
135 calories, 4.7 g fat, 0.9 g fiber, 2 g protein, $0.18

NOTE: All nutritional calculations are from Cooking Light. Price numbers are listed below.

Calculations
1/2 cup raisins: $0.44
1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon, dark rum, or apple juice: $0.24
1/2 cup all-purpose flour: $0.05
1/2 cup whole wheat flour: $0.11
1 teaspoon cinnamon: $0.02
1/2 teaspoon baking powder: $0.01
1/2 teaspoon baking soda: $0.01
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg: $0.01
1/4 teaspoon salt: $0.01
3/4 cup packed brown sugar: $0.45
1/4 cup butter, softened (OR 2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons 2% plain Greek Yogurt): $0.12
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana: $0.33
3 tablespoons 1% milk or low-fat buttermilk: $0.06
1 teaspoon vanilla extract: $0.10
2 large egg whites: $0.25
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts: $0.66
Cooking spray: $0.03
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional): $0.03
TOTAL: $2.93
PER SERVING (TOTAL/16): $0.18

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Saturday Throwback: Classy Parties on the Cheap

Every Saturday (well, most Saturdays), we post a piece from the CHG archives. Today's comes from May 2008.

The Boyfriend and I are expecting a few friends for a Mothers Day barbecue this weekend. Normally, when our buds gather in any significant number, it’s not a problem. Cheap beer, two dozen Nathan’s Famous, and a token pack of veggie burgers are enough to keep the circle pretty sated. This time, however, our MOMS are among the invited. They’ve never met, and my Ma only rarely visits the outer boroughs (“Why would I want to go back to a place our family spent three generations trying to leave?”), so it’s morphed from Modest Backyard Hootenanny to Actual Adult Gathering.

As such, we’ve had to strategize. And I’m not talking, “Let’s see, we need 18 forks. Maybe.” I’m talking, “This document lists the recipe for every dish we’re making, along with ingredients, scheduled oven-time, and appropriate serving plate.” It’s a tad obsessive, and I’m pretty sure the architects of most major World War II campaigns would be like, “Chick crazy,” but it saves me cash and provides a little variety beyond the rote one-two punch of potato and macaroni salad. (Which both contain mayo and should thusly be killed.)

To help others impress their own friends and family members, here are a few tricks I picked up while planning/researching my own small-to-mid-sized bashes. Really, it’s a whole strategy, and hopefully, it’ll keep costs down, provide some healthy alternatives, and save an aneurysm or two.

Alas, I am far (oh, so very far) from an expert on this stuff, so I’d love to hear recommendations from readers. Together, we can create the ultimate party: a 50-person Lobster Thermidore and champagne celebration for under $1.50, total.

Consider a potluck and/or BYOB. This simple, age-old idea provides tons of variety for all kinds of diets, prevents the hostess from having a nervous breakdown, and ensures that a larger gathering won’t put the mortgage payments in danger. While it may not be suitable for some occasions, I did potluck it for a smaller baby shower last year, and it seemed to work well. If you decide against it …

Send out invites/Evites early. Three to four weeks before the par-tay is a good timeframe to shoot for, since it allows you to plan a menu, schedule preparations, and start stockpiling sales items early. Plus, you can always follow it up with a “Hey! It would be awesome if everybody could RSVP!” email two weeks prior to the event. Which leads us to …

Get an approximate headcount. This will give you a rough idea of how many folks you have to feed and supply with utensils, as well as the dietary restrictions (vegetarians, pregnant people, lacto-ovo-graino-arians, etc.) you might need to account for. From this, you can start devising your plan of attack.

Figure out the food numbers. Based on the number of guests, how much food should you serve? This is my guideline:

• 2 meats per carnivore. (We know a lot of vegetarians.)
• 3-5 large side dishes. (No meat added, for said 'tarians.)
• a few bags of basic snacks
• a few bottles of seltzer and/or soda
• a few homemade dips and salsas
• a crudite platter
• hors d’oeuvres: cheese, crackers, fruit, etc.
• 2-3 alcoholic drinks per person (bottle of wine = 4-5 drinks)
• cookies and dessert-type offerings for later

Other folks have very, very different systems, and those can be found in places like this. Or this. Or even this.

Read Frugal Menu Ideas for a Fussy Crowd. This was one of the first Wednesday articles here on CHG, and I’m reviving it just for today. Inside, there are quite a few ideas for feeding a large, picky crew inexpensively. Suggestions are totally welcomed.

Create a menu as soon as possible. Based on in-season produce, affordable staples, and what you have lying around the house, make up a list of dishes you’d want to eat at a good gathering. Think about incorporating a few make-ahead sides (to save yourself some stress on Shindig Day) and try to base at least half around fruits, vegetables, or grains, which are usually cheaper and healthier. To wow folks with your cooking skillz, you might even play with classics like green, fruit, and pasta salads by adding creative flourishes or funky, inexpensive dressings. They can make simple foods (and thus, the barbecue) that much more memorable. (Oh, and store-bought dishes are fine, but this is a food blog, see. I gotta represent for the cooks.)

Based on your menu, make up a grocery list. This one’s pretty simple: what do you need that you don’t already have on-hand? Don't forget to account for decorations or staples like condiments, ice, and charcoal.

Start looking for sales. Depending on how far in advance you’ve planned, there’s a good possibility you can snag nearly everything on sale. Start checking local circulars as soon as you have your grocery list, and jump on good discounts. If your party is happening on a holiday, odds are lots of related products will be offered at a markdown, anyway. (Be careful of buying produce too far ahead, though. Some of that stuff rots, but quick.)

Buy decent alcohol en masse. While deeply beloved for all kinds of reasons, classy gatherings may not be the place for Schlitz and Alabama Slammers. On the other hand, $40 bottles of Veuve Cliquot are out of the question for most people (read: everyone) I know. There’s a nice compromise here, though, which is buying a nice stock of middle-of-the-road alcohol at a beer distributor, discount store (a la Trader Joe’s), or wholesale depot. Some supermarkets offer decent sales, as well, so be on the lookout. Oo! And don’t discount a BYOB policy, either. Contingent on the fanciness level of the party, I don’t think it’s uncouth to ask folks to bring a bottle of wine if they’ll be quaffing.

Make a schedule. You see this in magazines all the time. Starting a few days ahead of the get-together, create a step-by-step calendar of STD. (Uh, meaning “Stuff to Do.”) (On second thought, not such a good acronym.) It might look something like:

• WEDNESDAY: final grocery shopping
• THURSDAY: clean, make dips, make iPod mix
• FRIDAY: make cookies and pasta salad, start defrosting meat
• SATURDAY: cut crudite veggies, make salad and dressings, decorate, set tables
• SUNDAY A.M.: make fruit salad, chill beverages, marinate chicken
• SUNDAY P.M.: relax, have double-shot of expensive tequila

Assembling this should accomplish two things: 1) keep you from buying expensive, last-minute fillers and 2) ease your mind about when/where/how things will get done. For reference, there are some other neato schedule examples here and here.

Consider eschewing paper plates and plastic forks. This may be absolutely ludicrous for larger bashes, but for a home-hosted barbecue for ten, it could work. Simply, using your china will save cash, not to mention the environment.

Clean. While it has zero to do with food, if there’s one thing Ma has instilled in me since birth (besides a deep and terrible love of puns), it’s this: people will not give a flying doo-doo about the quality of your turkey burgers if they’re forced to eat in a hovel. Does that sound terribly old-fashioned? You bet. But I’ve done my time at frat parties, and there comes an age where pee stains and dust no longer count as decoration.

Don’t go crazy. It’s easy to drive yourself insane preparing for a nice-n-mature party, but just remember: these things are supposed to be fun. If you’re already clenching your jaw pondering the preparation, try reducing the previous tips to these three: plan ahead, look for bargains, and clean a little. See? Easy peasy.

And that’s it. Readers? You got anything to say? Bring!

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Top Ten Links of the Week: 1/28/11 - 2/3/11

Big news this week, as the USDA released their new food guidelines and Mark Bittman started his new occasional editorial series for The New York Times. Also, there’s this … thing? This Sunday? I don’t know. I think some people are eating at it. And there’s some kind of ball.

1) Get Rich Slowly: Fight Rising Prices By Building Your Own Food Bank
This guest post from Donna Freedman advocates – in a new and intelligent way – the stockpiling of food in your home. It’s not so much that you’ll never eat it, but enough to get you through the winter, especially when Mama Nature feels the urge to drop another three feet o’ precipitation on your car.

2) Lifehacker: The Geek’s Guide to Rebooting Your Kitchen
Dig this one-minute video about maximizing kitchen efficiency. Then read the more detailed descriptions, which will undoubtedly help you in your quest to reorganize. Then think about the video again, asking yourself, “How did the cat manage to be in the way at all times?” Then ponder cat ownership.

3) New York Times: A Food Manifesto for the Future
Remember that Bittman piece we spoke of up top? This is it. His proposals for a better food future read wonderfully, but have a long way to go before they’re actualized – if it ever happens. Still, it’s nice that they’re even out there. (Think positive!)

4) Cracked: 6 Subtle Ways You’re Getting Screwed at the Grocery Store
Perhaps not as classic as Cracked’s “6 Animals That Just Don’t Give a F#@k” from November, but very helpful nonetheless. Caution: Beware the saucy language. (Also, the Ides of March.)

5) Food Politics: The 2010 Dietary Guidelines: Enjoy your food, but eat less!
Marion Nestle breaks down the new USDA guidelines in easy-to-understand bulletpoints. (Seriously, they’re really easy to understand. They average about five words each.) Bonus: she’s attached the link to the PDF itself. Browse through if you’re feeling motivated.

6) Zen Habits: The Simplest Diet for Lean Fitness
In which Leo Babauta counsels against extreme changes to your eating and exercise plans. He adjusted his gradually, until it his body was working optimally. Best part? Never felt a thing.

7) xkcd: Learning to Cook
This one-panel comic has been all over the food ‘net this week, but it’s so good, I’m linking to it again. (No picture, so you have to click! MUAHAHAHAHA!)

8) The Kitchn: Halving Casseroles: Tips for Reducing the Size of a Recipe
Oooo … I need to do this ALL THE TIME, since it’s only HOTUS and me at home. (Also, the cat. But he has a pretty strict casserole policy. If I make one, it’s all his, or we get clawed.)

9) New York Times: Mushrooms Fill in the Blanks for the Meat-Free
Ahh … the power of fungus. I’ve known of mushrooms’ curious ability to sate ever since my friend H. grilled me my first big ol’ Portobello in college. Now, the Times is sharing five recipes of its own. (Or, of other people’s. You know how it goes.)

10) Café Johnsonia: S.M.A.R.T. Goals
The SMART system to creating goals means they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and should have a timeline. (There are also a few other acronyms in there, but the internet only has so much space.) They guidelines are pretty much applicable to anything, but especially achieving bodily health. Mama likes. (P.S. Beware you spell “SMART” right. Otherwise, this.)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Business Week: TV – A Sneaky Part of the Food Pyramid
USA TODAY: Kids Fed Unhealthy Foods Learn to Prefer Them
USA TODAY: Catch of the Week – 8 Ounces of Fish in Your Diet
Washington Post: Military personnel take extreme measures to meet body-fat and weight rules

AND ALSO

Parks and Recreation: Ron Swanson’s Pyramid of Greatness
INTENSITY: Give 100%. 110% is impossible. Only idiots recommend that.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

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Veggie Might: Hot and Spicy Cider for a Cold and Dreary Winter

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

I don’t know if y’all heard, but it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere; it’s cold in winter; and, here in the Northeast, it’s really cold. And in New York, we’ve been having winter-type weather all winter long! It’s been on the news and everything!

Okay, it has been colder and snowier than normal (snowiest January on record!), but it’s not Ft. McMurray, Alberta, and it’s only been below 20 degrees once or twice. We can handle it.

That said, the relentless grey, damp chill demands a few things: a couch, a blanket, a board game, a sentient being to cuddle, and hot mulled cider.

Hot mulled (or spiced) apple cider is a winter tradition at my house. It’s so easy to make, especially if you use whole spices. You can whip up enough for a party in less than 30 minutes. If you use ground spices, the only added step is tying up the aromatics in cheesecloth before putting them in the pot.

But whole spices are really the way to go if you can. They impart more warm, zesty flavor into the cider. Mulling spice can be customized to your individual taste, too. Maybe you’re not a fan of star anise, or perhaps cardamom is not available where you are. Play with the recipe until you find a blend you like. Once the spices have simmered in the cider for about 20 minutes, transfer the elixir to a slow cooker for warm-keeping (or reduce heat to low, low, low).

Orange zest is the not-so-secret ingredient that gives spiced cider that je ne sai quois. The tangy citrus combined with warm spices like cinnamon and clove keeps people guessing and sends them back to the slow cooker for more.

This recipe has been a never-fail hit at my fall and winter gatherings for years. Hot and Spicy Cider melts the icicles from the noses of the weariest of travelers and buoys the festive mood of any gathering, transforming that grey, damp chill of winter into a orange, cinnamon glow.

Gentle Readers, what other warm-you-from-the-inside beverages do you turn to in the winter? Do you have a mulled cider recipe for the ages? Comments are open for your suggestions.

Bonus Snow News Coverage: My Snow Angel, Pat Kiernan

~~~~

If this recipes warms your cockles, you may also enjoy:

• Masala Chai
• DIY Holidays–Part One
• Vegetarian Bloody Marys

~~~

Hot and Spicy Apple Cider
8–10 Servings

2 quarts apple cider
8 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg, crushed
6 cloves
12 allspice berries
12 cardamom pods
6 star anise
1 orange, zest

1) In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, combine apple cider and spices. Wash orange well, and grate orange zest into mixture.

2) Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Transfer mixture to slow cooker, cover, and set to low to keep cider warm throughout your winter cuddlefest. Ladle into mugs through a wire mesh strainer and serve with an orange wedge or stick of cinnamon.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
8 servings: 120 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.33
10 servings: 97 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.26

Calculations
2 quarts apple cider: 960 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.50
8 cinnamon sticks: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 whole nutmeg: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
6 cloves: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
12 allspice berries: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
12 cardamom pods: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
6 star anise: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 orange, zest: 6 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.02
TOTALS: 966 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.64
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 120 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.33
PER SERVING (TOTALS/10): 97 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.26

Read More →

Super Bowl Recipes XLV: 77 Cheap and Healthy Foods for the Big Game

Three years ago (!), we posted a piece called Cheap, Healthy Party Food, filled to the brim with inexpensive, Super Bowl-appropriate recipes. Most of them came from thoroughly vetted outside sources like All Recipes and Cooking Light. All appeared delicious.

Since then, between CHG and my weekly Healthy & Delicious column at Serious Eats, we’ve compiled hundreds of our own recipes, many of which are floofin’ perfect for the Packers/Steelers game. We made and ate every single one of these, and can recommend them without reservation. Even to your Dad (whom I’m sure totes loves healthy food, especially on Super Bowl Sunday).

If you have suggestions or excellent, apropos recipes from your own blog, leave ‘em in the comment section! Together, we can make this the most delicious Super Bowl since the last time Pittsburgh was in it.

(Special note: Frugal shoppers! Even if you hate football with the white-hot intensity of a thousand angry suns, this is a great week to stock up. Look for sales on cheese, sour cream, beans, frozen foods, crackers, dip, and more at your supermarket.)

APPETIZERS
Baked Loaded Potato Skins
Greek Antipasto Pitas
Greek Salad Skewers
Provencal Deviled Eggs
Roasted Pepper Halves with Bread Crumb Topping
White Bean Bruschetta
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Wraps with Spinach
Zucchini Crostini

DIPS, SALSAS, and GUACAMOLE
Avocado Corn Salsa
Baba Ghanouj
Black Bean Dip
Easy White Bean Dip
Fresh Salsa
Guacamole-Bean Dip Mashup
Lemony Hummus
Mango Salsa
Raw Tomatillo Salsa
Roasted Eggplant Spread
Seven-Layer Taco Dip
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip
Tomatillo Guacamole
Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)

CHILI
All-American Chili
Cactus Chili
Camp Stove Veggie Chili
Chili Corn Pone Pie
Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili with Beans
Vegetarian Chili on the Fly
White Chicken Chili
Winter Vegetable Chili

SALADS and SIDES
Avocado Chicken Salad
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa
Chickpea Salad
Chili-Spiced Potatoes
Ellie Krieger’s Refried Beans
Gazpacho Pasta Salad
Golden Delight Egg Salad
Greek Orzo Salad
Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
Lime Chicken Salad with Avocado and Tomato
Malt Vinegar Oven Fries
Potato Salad with Green and White Beans
Potato Salad for Rainy Day People
Quick Red Posole with Beans
Semi-Southern-Style Cornbread
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

MAINS
Baked Ziti
Black Bean Burrito Bake
Blue Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Chicken Fried Rice
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Chipotle Pork Tenders
DIY Hot Pockets
Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Grilled Flank Steak with Tomato Relish
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Homemade Pizza
Italian Turkey Sliders
Macaroni and Cheese
Pork Tacos
Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches
Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Sloppy Jacks
Spiced Chicken Skewers
Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Corn
Tofu Banh Mi
Vegetable Lo Mein

DESSERTS and SNACKS
Black Bean Brownies
Crunchy Pecan Cookies
DIY Microwave Popcorn
Roasted Chickpeas
Tamari Almonds

Readers? Your recipes?

~~~

If you like this article, you might also like:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Beans, Plus 42 Bean Recipes
• Cheap Healthy Beef, Part I: Recipes and Methodology
• Cheap Healthy Pork: Recipes, Methodology, and Tips

Read More →

Ask the Internet: Meat Ideas for an Ex-Vegetarian?

This week's question comes from our very own Jaime, writer of the mighty Green Kitchen column.

From Flickr's Shawnzam

Q: Dear internet,

I recently started eating meat again after 13 years of vegetarianism. I love to cook [obvs] and am excited about these new options, but although I know veggies and soy products well, I've never cooked meat, as I went veg back when my mom was still packing my lunches.

What are some inexpensive cuts of meat that can be prepared easily? (I don't - yet - have a slow cooker.) I want to stay away from factory-farmed meat, but humanely-raised chicken is easily gettable for me. (I also can't cook fish at home, because my boyfriend is majorly allergic.) So where should I start?

[Meat is so tasty!]

A: Jaime! Man, it's so tempting to write "bacon" and scuttle away, cackling all the while.

Instead, I'll point you to chicken thighs. They're inexpensive, nutritionally pretty good, and very, very forgiving when overcooked. Buying humanely-raised thighs might be a little tough, but after you try Chicken Provencal, you won't be sorry.

Readers, whaddaya think? Let's indoctrinate Jaime right.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

Read More →

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Strata PLUS Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs

Today on Serious Eats: Cider-Poached Pears with Yogurt and Toasted Almonds. Elegant, light, fruity!

(Note to self: When trying to psyche self up to blog, do not listen to Radiohead's OK Computer right before beginning to write. It's a bit like watching the first ten minutes of Up before playing in the Super Bowl.)

(And yes, blogging is just like playing in the Super Bowl. Think of the carbs!)

Hey you guys! So, we're trying something new here at CHG, in which we de-emphasize calorie counts a little (as they're not the decisive measure of a food's healthiness) so as to better focus on the overall nutritional value of any given recipe.

(Did I just make that up just now, so this post would fit into our stated thematic parameters? Yes.)

(Does it have some merit to it? Yes.)

(Did I have a large glass of red wine before beginning this post? I think you know the answer to that.)

Anyway, you'll see that today's dish, Apple-Cinnamon Whole Grain Breakfast Strata from The Kitchn via Opera Girl Cooks, is a little higher in calories than our usual recipes. This is okay, though. Because A) it's warm and appley and delicious – like non-cloying French toast, B) the fiber and protein counts are super-high, and C) all the ingredients are dang wholesome. Combined, all that makes for a healthy breakfast.

(What also makes for a healthy breakfast: grapefruit, oatmeal, not Lucky Charms, not skipping breakfast, escaping a pack of roaming ninjas to successfully get to work on time.)

I changed very little from OCG/The Kitchn’s original recipe, and the alterations made were mostly for economic reasons. A regular supermarket loaf of bread substituted for a fancier loaf. Dark brown sugar was chosen over organic cane sugar. Honey went in for agave syrup.

(That last one's not just financially motivated. It's just - agave syrup tastes like really thick tequila to me. And if the words "really thick tequila" don't automatically make you a little nauseous, then you may never have had a tequila-induced hangover. In which case, I salute and envy you.)

There's a bonus to the strata, as well. Step #2 requires you to saw off all the crusts of a loaf of bread. At first, this seems wasteful. BUT WAIT! By toasting said crusts for a few minutes, then crushing them in your mighty grasp, you come up with 1 1/2 cups handy, dandy whole-wheat breadcrumbs! Imagine what you can do with those!

(Coat chicken!)

(Top casseroles!)

(Sprinkle on macaroni and cheese!)

(Use as confetti at a mouse's birthday party!)

And that's it.

(Really!)

~~~

If this looks good, you might also quite enjoy:

• Breakfast Couscous with Custard
• English Muffin Strata with Ham and Cheese
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal

~~~

Apple & Cinnamon Whole Grain Breakfast Strata
Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from The Kitchn.

For the strata:
1 (24-ounce) loaf good supermarket whole wheat or whole grain bread
3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
8 large eggs
2 cups 1% milk
1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the glaze:
3 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1) Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish ever-so-lightly with butter

2) Unpack bread. Place ends aside. Cut crusts off each piece. Set crusts aside.

2.5) IF MAKING BREADCRUMBS : Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread crusts out on baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, until bread is completely toasty. Remove from oven and let cool. When totally cool, run through a food processor or beat senseless with rolling pin. Store crumbs in an airtight container. Should make 1 1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs.

3) Line bottom of baking dish with half the crustless bread. Layer apple slices on top of bread. Layer apples with remaining bread.

4) In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk thoroughly. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate a few hours, or overnight.

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6) Cover strata with tin foil. Bake for 35 minutes (45 minutes if coming straight from the fridge). Uncover. Bake for additional 15 minutes.

7) Mix cream cheese, honey, milk, and vanilla in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until cheese is melted and glaze is formed, stirring constantly. Pour over warmed strata. Spread glaze with back of a wooden spoon until pretty evenly distributed.

8) Let sit 10 minutes. Serve, with syrup if preferred.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
Seven servings: 392 calories, 13.8 g fat, 10 g fiber, 16.9 g protein, $0.99

NOTE: Calculations are for Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Triple Health (I don’t know what that means, either) bread, which is what I used. Since there’s no real way to calculate nutrition for crustless bread, I subtracted 30% of the totals. It’s not scientific per se, but that’s why we write “approximate.”

Calculations
1 (24-ounce) supermarket loaf whole wheat or whole grain bread: 1050 calories, 21 g fat, 63 g fiber, 42 g protein, $2.50
3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges: 184 calories, 0.4 g fat, 5 g fiber, 1 g protein, $1.36
8 large eggs: 588 calories, 39.6 g fat, 0 g fiber, 50.3 g protein, $1.00
2 cups + 2 tablespoons 1% milk: 224 calories, 5.2 g fat, 0 g fiber, 18.1 g protein, $0.66
1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar: 229 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.22
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.20
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon: 9 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.9 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.06
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg: 6 calories, 0.4 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.03
3 ounces cream cheese: 297 calories, 29.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, 6.4 g protein, $0.56
2 tablespoons honey: 128 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.32
TOTAL: 2745 calories, 96.4 g fat, 70.2 g fiber, 118.1 g protein, $6.91
PER SERVING (TOTAL/7): 392 calories, 13.8 g fat, 10 g fiber, 16.9 g protein, $0.99

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Veggie Might: French-Style Lentil Soup with Spinach

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

A common misconception about vegetarians and vegans is that we only eat bland, boring lentil dishes that taste like paste/cardboard. Oh contraire! Lentils are freakin’ awesome, and you need not employ fancy tricks to make them delicious.

How apropos that, this week, I turn to Mark Bittman to illustrate this fact. (Mr. B, I’m going to miss The Minimalist ever so.)

Generally, my favorite way to eat lentils is all dal-ed up, Indian-style. But I’ll take them any way really: in a loaf, a patty, or in a soup with just a few simple flavors, like onions, salt, and pepper.

The thing is, as comfortable as I am around beans and lentils, wildly tossing together legumes with vegetables, grains, and spices, I’m fairly stymied by soup. I just can’t get a handle on the proportions and almost always turn to recipes. Sure enough, darling Mark Bittman and his stalwart How to Cook Everything Vegetarian saw into my heart and knew what it wanted before I did: the French variation of his Classic Lentil Soup.

It provided a use for the deep greenish-grey-colored French lentils (also known as lentils du Puy if they actually come from France) I’ve been hoarding, as well as a template for soup in general.

Even with the dicing, during which I relished using my newly sharpened knife, the soup came together in under an hour. Once the carrot and celery are diced, almost everything goes in the pot to start cooking; then the onion and garlic get their turn at the blade—a huge time saver. Plus, if you use frozen spinach, like I did, you save yourself additional washing and washing and chopping steps.

Because the recipe uses everyday ingredients—green or brown lentils can be easily subbed for Frenchies—it’s beyond cheap. At less than $3.50 for the whole pot, you get several meals for the cost of a cafe au lait—and it’s just as warm and comforting on a cold winter afternoon. The lentils, carrots, and celery stick to your ribs, while a hint of lemon juice gives a refreshing zing.

MB suggests spinach and lemon juice if sorrel is unavailable, which is the case here in the depths of Northeastern winter. Sorrel, if you’ve never tried it, is a delicate leafy green with a pungent, lemony flavor. Come spring, I’ll be giving that version a try for sure.

Now, let us lift high our spoons in praise of the lovely lentil and Mark Bittman’s deliciously simple soup. À votre santé!

~~~~

If you dig this recipe, point your [snow] shovel toward:

• Toor Dal with Ginger and Green Chilies
• Lentil, Spinach, and Bulgar Stew
• Low Down Curried Root Soup

~~~

French-Style Lentil Soup with Spinach
Serves 4 to 6
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

1 cup French lentils
1 medium carrot, 1/2” dice
1 rib celery, 1/2” dice
1 bay leaf
6 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons nonhydrogenated vegan butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic , minced
1 1/2 cups spinach, frozen (or 1/4 pound spinach, fresh)
1 lemon, juiced

1) Combine lentils, bay leaf, carrot, celery, stock, and salt and pepper in a large sauce pan or medium stock pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

2) Chop onions and garlic. In a medium skillet, cook onions in vegan butter for 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. If using fresh spinach, stir into onion and garlic mixture until wilted. Add to soup. If using frozen spinach, skip wilting step and add spinach to soup separately from onion and garlic mixture.

3) Remove soup from heat when lentils are tender and squeeze in lemon juice.

4) Serve with crusty bread and a green salad or a baked sweet potato for a light lunch. So simple, so delicious, so je ne sai pas...perfectly lentil.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
Four servings: 249.6 calories, 3g fat, 18.5g fiber, 10g protein, $.86
Six servings: 166.4 calories, 2g fat, 12.3g fiber, 15g protein, $.57

Calculations
1 cup French lentils: 678 calories, 2g fat, 59g fiber, 50g protein, $0.70
1 medium carrot: 25 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 1g protein, $0.16
1 rib celery: 6 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
1 bay leaf: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
6 cups vegetable stock: 120 calories, 0.6g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $1.14
salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
2 teaspoons nonhydrogenated vegan butter: 66 calories, 7.3g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
1 onion: 20 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.25
1 clove garlic: 4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
1 1/2 cups spinach, frozen: 67.5 calories, 1.5g fat, 7.5g fiber, 9g protein, $0.75
1 lemon, juiced: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.20
TOTALS: 998.5 calories, 11.4g fat, 74g fiber, 60g protein, $3.43
PER SERVING (TOTALS/4): 249.6 calories, 3g fat, 18.5g fiber, 10g protein, $.86
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 166.4 calories, 2g fat, 12.3g fiber, 15g protein, $.57

Read More →

Guest Post: Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Today's guest post comes from Ali, who lives in Vancou... you'll see.

Hi everyone.

My name is Ali, and I live in Vancouver, Canada with my boyfriend J. We are both graduate students, so we eat on the cheap, and we're both pretty active - I'm training up for a half marathon - so we're a couple of hungry buggers. The recipe below is a great way to use up pumpkin, if you've got it, and cranberries.

This muffin is one of our faves: It's cheap and healthy and good (what a coincidence!), and also portable, freezable, and toastable. CHGPFT! Also, let's compare this nutritional info with the info for a "Lowfat raspberry muffin" from a large international coffee chain that shall remain nameless. Their muffin (according to their online nutrition info): 340 calories, 6g fat, 2g fibre, 7g protein. This is their healthy muffin, people. And let's not even talk about the price...I'm not sure what they are charging for their muffins, but it sure as heck isn't $0.53. Yikes. So, save your money! Save your calories! Give the muffins below a try....you won't regret it. Promise.

A couple of notes:

1) The inspiration for this recipe comes from a fantastic cook book called Re:Bar, but we've made loads of adaptations to it so I'm not sure you could call it the same recipe. Nevertheless, the idea of putting millet and pumpkin together in muffin form comes from those guys and their yummy restaurant.

2) Did you know that there is as much protein is 1/2 cup millet as there is in 2 eggs (11g)? I didn't. And the millet is a third the price. So there's that.

3) For the pumpkin: we bought a huge (10 pound) pumpkin from a farmers' market, cooked the sucker, mashed up its insides, and froze the resulting mush in 2-cup ziplock bags. I admit I do not remember the exact price of the pumpkin, but it was cheap. So what you have here is my best guess for price. I'm guessing that the pumpkin cost about $10, and we got about 7 frozen cups of mush from it, plus a cup or two of pumpkin seeds.

~~~

If this looks good, you'll surely love:

• Banana Oatmeal Muffins
• Blueberry Muffins
• Egg McMuffins

~~~

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 cup millet (uncooked)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1.25 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1 cup flour (all white, or 1/2 white 1/2 whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1) Preheat oven to 375 degress. Grease a muffin tray, or line with muffin papers.

2) Toast millet in a hot dry skillet until it's lightly browned and starts to smell toasty. Set aside.

3) Beat together eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Then add in yogurt pumpkin, and vegetable oil. Mix.

4) In a different bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and millet.

5) Combine wet and dry, and stir in cranberries. Don't overmix, or muffins will be tough - use minimal stirrage.

6) Bake at 375 for 20-25 mins or until a knife comes out clean.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fibre, Protein, and Price Per Serving
155 calories, 3.8g fat, 3.1g fibre, 4g protein, $0.53

NOTE: Calculations are in Canadian dollars. Just add about 10% to convert to USD.

Calculations
1/2 cup millet: 378 calories, 4.2g fat, 8.5 g fibre, 11g protein, $0.50
2 eggs (we used happy-organic-free-range-type, hence the price): 126 calories, 8.7g fat, 0g fibre, 11.1 g protein, $1.75
1/2 cup sugar: 387 calories, 0g fat, 0g fibre, 0g protein, $0.25
1 teaspoon vanilla: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fibre, 0g protein, $0.10
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt: 77 calories, 1.9g fat, 0g fibre, 6.4 g protein, $0.64
1/8 cup vegetable oil (we used grapeseed): 241 calories, 27 g fat, 0g fibre, 0g, protein, $0.20
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree: 104 calories, 1g fat, 9g fibre, 3.4g protein, $0.75*
1/2 cup whole wheat flour: 203 calories, 1.1g fat, 7.3g fibre, 8.2g protein, $.0.18
1/2 cup white flour: 228 calories, .5 g fat, 1.7g fibre, 6.5g protein, $0.15
1 teaspoon baking soda: 0g everything, $0.05
1 teaspoon cinnamon: 6 calories, 0g fat, 1.2g fibre, 0g protein, $0.10
2 teaspoons fresh ginger: 12 calories, 0g fat, .5g fibre, .3g protein, $0.35
2 cups cranberries: 87 calories, 0g fat, 8.7g fibre, 0.7g protein, $1.35
TOTALS: 1862 calories, 45.5g fat, 36.6g fibre, 47.5g protein, $6.37
PER SERVING (Totals/12): 155 calories, 3.8g fat, 3.1g fibre, 4g protein, $0.53

Read More →

Green Kitchen: Roasted Leek and Mushroom Salad

Green Kitchen is a bi-weekly column about nutritious, inexpensive, and ethical food and cooking. It's penned by the lovely Jaime Green.

In the three-and-a-half months my kitchen has been without gas, I’ve gotten creative. I’ve learned the moods of an electric cooktop. I’ve almost set my toaster oven on fire with parchment paper. I’ve microwaved a lot of tea. It’s been an adventure but I can’t say it’s been good, or easy, or fun.

So when my boyfriend, working from home on Friday to let the utility guys into the apartment (and make sure the cat ever came out from under the bed), texted me that we had gas, I was EXCITED! All-caps EXCITED, here. Cookies! Cake! Roasted broccoli! I did not pass many waking hours this weekend without the oven running. (As the temperature’s been hovering around six degrees farenheit today, I don’t feel very bad about that.)

I’ve resigned myself to a nonlocal winter, weighing good Whole Foods produce against its price, against the kinda dodgy broccoli I can get from the supermarket near me. (After nearly four months without roasted broccoli, I’m a little obsessed right now.) But even though it’s, did I mention, six degrees farenheit out, my farmers market is year-round, and not entirely produce-free!

In a month or two it will really be just jam, bison jerky, and onions, but a last few vegetables are still hanging around. The leeks I brought home were maybe a little soft, but once they’re roasted and carmelized and golden, are you drooling yet?

This meal came together by a bit of kismet, and a bit of what-I-had-around. When I was in Whole Foods with my friend J, I think it was as I was bagging these mushrooms that I complained about winter meal planning – in the summer I buy whatever’s cheap and pretty and in-season and build my meals around that. The rest of the year, when seasonal eating shuts down and I hit the supermarket produce aisles, it’s almost like there’s too much choice – everything’s there, everything’s an option. I bought the greenmarket leeks because they’ll probably be gone soon; I bought supermarket mushrooms because, I dunno, because it’s cold? Whatever, it worked out.

I decided to roast the leeks and mushrooms together, and the oniony and rich carmelized flavors do go well together, but it was all a bit savory and heavy. I looked around my fridge and kitchen, brightened things up with some tangy goat cheese and a crisp apple, and voila! It all felt fancy and chic, despite the fact that I ate it from a chipped bowl, in pajamas, on the couch, in front of the TV.

~~~

If this looks tasty, you'll love:

• Mashed Potatoes with Leeks and Sour Cream
• Potato Leek Soup with Kale
• Swiss Chard with Mushrooms

~~~

Roasted Leek and Mushroom Salad
Serves 3-4

1 bunch leeks (5-6 large, 8-10 small)
1 package crimini/baby bella mushrooms
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz goat cheese (herbed or plain)
1 medium apple (I like Gala or Empire, nothing mushy or too tart)

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Trim ends and dark green bits from leeks. Cut into about 6” pieces, and then in half lengthwise. Soak in a bowl of cool water to remove any grit or sand. Pat dry.

3) Rinse mushrooms and trim ends. Cut any big ones in half.

4) Spread leeks and mushrooms on baking sheet (covered with aluminum foil, perhaps) in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt (about ¼ tsp) and pepper (a few grinds or shakes). Toss to evenly coat, then make sure leeks are all cut side down.

5) Bake leeks and mushrooms for 20-30 minutes, until mushrooms are done and leeks are tender and caramelized. Toss once halfway through.

6) Core and quarter the apple, then cut into very thin slices. Use a mandoline if you like.

7) Plate leeks and mushrooms. Add crumbled goat cheese, then arrange apple slices on top. Pretend this is Iron Chef: Battle Leeks.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
3 Servings: 278 calories, 11g fat, 5.1g fiber, 10.6g protein, $2.48
4 Servings: 208.3 calories, 8.3g fat, 3.9g fiber, 8g protein, $1.86

Calculations
1 bunch leeks: 271 calories, 1.3g fat, 8g fiber, 6.7g protein, $3.00
1 package crimini mushrooms: 135 calories, 0.5g fat, 3g fiber, 12.5g protein, $2.50
1 Tbs olive oil: 126 calories, 14g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.12
¼ tsp salt: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
¼ tsp pepper: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
2 oz goat cheese: 206 calories, 16.9g fat, 0g fiber, 12.2g protein, $1.50
1 apple: 95 calories, 0.3g fat, 4.4g fiber, 0.5g protein, $0.30
TOTALS: 833 calories, 33.1g fat, 15.4g fiber, 31.9g protein, $7.44
PER SERVING (TOTALS/3): 278 calories, 11g fat, 5.1g fiber, 10.6g protein, $2.48
PER (smaller) SERVING (TOTALS/4): 208.3 calories, 8.3g fat, 3.9g fiber, 8g protein, $1.86

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