Quinoa Salad

Prep time:   15 minutes
Cook time:   20 minutes
Cost:            ~$10
Makes:         4 servings

It's hard to cook in the summer, but this is an easy meal that won't cost you more than $10, and like a stir-fry, you can add whatever vegetables you want. Quinoa is a good source of protein, but you can add seeds and/or nuts if you want to for flavour.

Can be served with the quinoa warm or cold. Add more lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and any spices you want for extra flavour.

Ingredients:                                  Cost:                                     

-      1 cup of quinoa                         $1

-      1/4 cup olive oil

-      1 cup balsamic vinegar

-      1 lemon                                  $0.50

-      Vegetables (optional)

            o   1 avocado                    $1    

       o   1 tomato                      $1

               o   1 red/yellow pepper       $1

               o   Kale                             $3

-      Pumpkin OR sunflower seeds    $1

-      Dried cranberries (optional)

-      Fresh basil/parsley

-      Salt and pepper

What to do:

1.   Cook quinoa in water in pot on medium heat

2.   When water boils turn to low/off and cover for 15 minutes

3. Wash and cut vegetables into small pieces

4.   Add quinoa and all other ingredients into bowl

5.   Serve warm or cold

 

 

 

Simple Mushroom Soup

Prep time:    5 minutes

Cook time:   20-30 minutes

Cost:            ~$5

Makes:        ~2 servings

As the name says, this is an easy recipe with just a few ingredients. Adding flour thickens the soup, and you can add parsley and spices for flavour. Thrifty Foods had organic mushrooms on sale, so I based the prices for this recipe on their store.

Ingredients:                                                 Cost:                                     

-          Butter

-          Parsley (optional)                                         $1

-          ¼ cup flour

-          Vegetable stock or powder (optional)

-          Vegetables

o   1 pack of mushrooms               $2.50

o   1 medium onion                        $0.50

o   3 cloves of garlic                       $0.50

-          Spices (optional)

o   Basil

o   Coriander

o   Cumin

o   Salt and pepper

What to do:

1.      Add a few spoons of butter to pot on medium heat

2.      Cook cut onion, garlic and mushrooms  until soft

3.      Add a few cups of water with flour, cut parsley and spices

4.      Continue to stir until flour is mixed in and soup is thick and hot

Healthy Mashed Potatoes

Prep time:    10 minutes
Cook time:   20 minutes
Cost:            $3-6
Makes:         2 servings

Cauliflower is on sale at Market on Yates, so why not mix it up and make healthy mashed potatoes. I have chives growing, so used them in the recipe, but you could use other herbs for flavour. If you have the purple tops, you can also add them for colour and flavour. I served this dish with soy, maple and lemon grilled tofu (the tofu I got on sale at Thrifty Foods).

Ingredients:                      Cost:                                     

-      Cauliflower                  $2

-      Chives (optional)

-      Oil

-      Garlic                          $0.50

-      Onion                          $0.50

-      Salt and pepper

What to do:

1.   Wash and cut cauliflower

2.   Cook cauliflower in covered pot on medium heat until soft

3.   Cook cut up onion and garlic until browned

4.   Mash cauliflower and mix with onion, garlic, cut chives and spices

 

 

Serve with…

Grilled Maple Tofu

 

 

Ingredients:                      Cost:                                     

-      Tofu                            $2

-      Oil

-      Lemon                         $0.50

-      Maple syrup

-      Soy sauce

What to do:

1.   Cut tofu into small pieces

2.   Mix maple syrup, soy sauce and lemon juice together

3.   Add tofu and cover all sides

4.   Let tofu sit in sauce for at least 10 minutes

5.   In a pan on medium heat, add oil and cook tofu until browned

Hummus

Prep time:    10-15 minutes
Cook time:   None
Cost:             ~$5
Makes:         Snack/side dish

Hummus is an easy snack to make, and often much cheaper than buying it in store. You can blend the chickpeas for smooth hummus, or mash them. You can also add mashed avocado, spices, or parsley to add flavour.

Chickpeas, and crackers or naan bread that you can serve with this dish, are on sale at Market on Yates.

Ingredients:                          Cost:                                     

-      1 can of chickpeas            $1

-      Oil

-      Garlic                              $0.75

-      1 lemon                           $0.50

-      Naan/crackers (optional)   $3

What to do:

1.   Drain can of chickpeas and mash

2.   Add some oil, lemon juice, and crushed garlic

3.   Serve as a side dish or with naan or crackers for a snack

 

 

 

 

Spinach (Tofu) Paneer

Prep time:    10-15 minutes

Cook time:   30 minutes

Cost:             ~$5

Makes:         2-4 servings

This East Indian dish is usually made with paneer (cheese), but I used tofu instead. I added a yellow bell pepper, and you can also add a chili pepper and/or garlic for extra flavour.

I based the prices on Thrifty Food’s sales, though I got the spinach at Market on Yates, because it was on sale there.

Ingredients:                                                  Cost:                                     

-          Tofu                                                                $2

-          Oil

-          Vegetables (optional)

o   1 bunch of spinach                   $0.90

o   1 red/yellow/green pepper     $1

o   1 medium onion                         $0.50

o   3 cloves of garlic                        $0.50

-          Spices (optional)

o   Curry

o   Cayenne

o   Coriander

o   Cumin

o   Salt and pepper

 

Mix oil with spices

Add sliced tofu to oil and spices

Cook onion, garlic and peppers

Add tofu and cook until browned

What to do:

1.      Mix about half a cup of olive oil with spices

2.      Cut tofu into small squares and put in oil, covering both sides

3.      Wash and cut up other vegetables

4.      In a pan on medium heat cook onion, garlic and pepper until browned

5.      Add tofu and cook until browned

6.      Add spinach and cover with lid for about 5 minutes, until spinach is cooked

7.      Take lid off and cook any extra moisture away