Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes and Greens
September 16, 2011
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
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Chipotle Salsa
March 2, 2011
Abandoned on a desert island with just one food to eat for the rest of my life, salsa would be my number one pick, hands down. I am a salsa fanatic. In the spring, I choose which tomato plants to grow in my garden with salsa in mind. Through the summer months, our refrigerator is filled with various forms of salsa: pico de gallo, roasted tomato salsa, green tomatillo salsa, peach salsa, you name it. In the winter, I make salsa with canned tomatoes freshened up with fresh cilantro and lime. There is almost no dish that cannot be improved by some sort of salsa.
Frustration over the mediocre quality of most commercial jarred salsas and the exorbitant cost of most commercial fresh salsa inspired the creation of Chipotle Salsa. It is really easy and inexpensive to create great tasting salsa with basic pantry items. This recipe uses canned tomatoes, chipotle chiles, garlic, onion, cilantro, and lime. Blend the ingredients until they are somewhat uniform, but still slightly chunky. Serve the salsa over eggs, with tacos or quesadillas, pour it over chicken and bake, or eat it with chips. There are unlimited uses for this salsa.
My Pantry Shelf 