My Pantry Shelf

Our country is awash with cheap fast food options.  As companies increasingly market these inexpensive, yet low quality foods to us in the drive-through and the supermarket the questions arise: Are fast food and prepared foods the only option for families on a budget?  Can nutritious and delicious foods also be economical?  For our family, we make almost all of our food from scratch, yet still adhere to a strict food budget.  Absolutely, YES, nutritious and delicious foods can be economical!  September 17, 2011, Slow Food USA is hosting a $5 Challenge.  They seek to counter-act the myth that slow food has to cost more than fast food.  The challenge calls upon us to serve a meal to our friends and/or family for less than $5 per person.

Truly, $5 per person is quite generous.  At this cost, a meal can be more than just a way to feed our hunger, it can be special.  Back in May, my Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart won Best Dirt Cheap Dinner on a food52 contest. This tart, though inexpensive to prepare, is suitable to serve for a dinner party.  For $5 per person, you can afford the tart, a salad, and a bottle of wine!  Most of the meals I serve my family come in at about half that price- closer to $10 for our family of 4.  In fact, the more of the preparation I take on myself, the lower the cost.  The base ingredients for bread, sausage, and soups are very low.  We also have a productive garden which helps to cut the costs of our produce.  Preserving the bounty of the seasons is a great way to ensure low cost, high quality food throughout the year.

Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes and Greens is a perfect late summer stew.  It is for those days when tomatoes are still abundant, but the air slightly hints of fall.  The flavors are rich without being too bold and the light color of the beans makes the dish seem light enough for even a hot night.  It is a perfect example of a delicious meal that does not cost much nor take exorbitant amounts of time to prepare.  In fact, the total cost of this meal is less than $10 total, or even less if you have garden tomatoes and cook with dried beans instead of canned ones.  This meal came together on a Thursday night, when the cupboard was nearly bare and the young natives of the household were restless and hungry.   Taking stock of the pantry, I found two cans of cannellini beans.  Heading out to the garden, I collected a pile of tomatoes and a handful of basil.  These humble ingredients cooked up with a small amount of sausage for flavor and protein made for a tasty dish.  The little man gave his seal of approval stating that it was “very, very good.” For an extra treat, bake up a loaf of Weeknight No-Knead Bread to serve on the side.   Nutritious, delicious, homemade food does not have to be expensive.

What will you make for the September 17th, $5 Slow Food Challenge?

Other My Pantry Shelf meals for under $5 per person:

Soups and Chili

Big Beef Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Mexican Pozole Rojo, Split Pea Soup with Ham and Beer Bread, Vietnamese Hue Noodle Soup

Pasta, Pizza, and Tarts

Perciatelli and Meatballs, Green and Brown Spaghetti with Basil Pesto, Roasted Asparagus Pizza, Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart

Poultry and Meat Dishes

Chicken Satay, Biscuit-topped Chicken Pot Pie, Corned Beef, Divine Indian Butter Chicken, Fresh Ground Bacon Burgers with Homemade Bun, Huevos Diablos con Chorizo, Lamb Kebabs with Greek Salad, Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken, Sesame Ginger Meatballs, Southwestern Chicken Burger, Swedish Meatballs (Kottbullar), Thai Lettuce Wraps, World’s Easiest Carnitas with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes and Greens

serves 4

serve with a big salad and fresh Weeknight No-Knead Bread for a complete meal

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound chicken Italian sausage, casing removed

3/4 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups diced tomato

4 cups cooked cannellini beans (2 cans), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 cups packed baby spinach

3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat.  Add sausage and break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces. When browned, use a slotted spoon to remove sausage from pan.  Reserve.

Add the onion and saute while stirring occasionally until it becomes translucent.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more, or until fragrant.  Do not brown the garlic or it will become bitter.

Add wine to pan and stir to deglaze.  Add beans, 1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes, and reserved sausage. Season with salt.   Heat until beans and sausage are hot and tomatoes just begin to break down.  Add the spinach and the basil.  Cook while stirring until spinach begins to wilt.  Add remaining 1/2 cup of tomatoes and red wine vinegar.  Stir and cook until just heated through.  Serve warm.

Note:  For a vegetarian option, simply omit the sausage.  It will still be delicious.

Here is a printer-friendly version of the recipe:  Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes and Greens

You may also like:

Lentil Bulgur Salad with Feta and Mint

Big Beef Chili

Eggs in a Basket of Greens