Three In One!

Nutritious eating is high priorities for me, and I believe a healthy diet and lifestyle can be achieved on a budget with a little research and planning.  After looking through my kitchen stock and spending some time with Google, I got some ideas for making some of my own staples for much cheaper than the grocery or value store price.  Confession:  I like the idea of relying less on packaged items, whether or organic or not, and love the opportunity to say, "Oh I did/made that myself!"  Plus, doing-it-yourself can be significantly cheaper than prepared versions, and the preparer has the advantage of knowing exactly what the product is comprised of.  This week I had healthy food success!  I created a three-in-one meal base for quick meals.  

Phase One:  Vegetable Broth - Recipe Base
I followed a guide published on Squiddo and threw in potatoes, celery (including the stems), whole carrots, an onion, whole garlic cloves, and a bunch of spices.  I didn't bother peeling the vegetables, the skins are full of nutrients and vitamins.  The kitchen smelled wondrous!  When finished I strained the vegetables, put them in a freezer-safe container, and poured the broth into another container.  The recipe made enough broth for about four batches of homemade soup, and I froze half of it to use in the future.  Advantages:  low-sodium, organic, easy, used up past-due produce, cheap!!!

Phase Two:  Egg Drop Soup - Monday Dinner
After trying a recipe I wasn't thrilled with, I attempted this one and was more impressed.  This meal is super frugal, and dinner is on the table in less than 15 minutes.  Instead of the red onion called for in the recipe, I chopped up some white onion leftover from the vegetable broth and substituted sesame oil for olive oil (already in the pantry...).  Before I began the soup, I threw in some quick brown rice for an easy, filling, and nutritious side dish.  The batch made four meals, so I had leftovers for the rest of the week! (Warning:  the oil rises to the top of the batch, so this is probably not the greatest leftover meal.  I drain the fat out, heat the soup, and eat as is.)

Phase Three:  Veggie Burgers - Tuesday Dinner, etc.
I grabbed the leftover vegetables from the broth, removed stems and skins, and mushed/chopped the rest into a vegetable mixture.  I added spices, a can of refried beans, an egg, and bread crumbs (you can sub crackers, quick oats, rice, etc.) to the bowl and stirred again.  Then I formed the mixture into patties!  Veggie burgers voila!  With the veggies and single can of beans, I made about ten, good-sized burgers for less than $2!  The packaged burgers in the freezer section are tasty and easy but way expensive (about $.90 a patty) for my budget.  I buy a box or two when on sale to have a on-hand for quick meals.  But after this attempt at my own burgers, I'll be making my own more frequently!  I can't wait for summer grilling.  Check out this website with lots of DIY veggie burger recipe variations:

Bon appetite y'all!