Spicy Rice Bowl with Egg
BUDGET FRIENDLY HEALTHY-ISH VEGETARIAN MEALS
Committing to starting and owning a new business that operates successfully under New Age principles has to be the hardest thing we’ve ever tried to do. (The two philosophies often conflict!) While I haven’t had the emotional strength or mental capacity to blog about it in real-time during the chaos of making my way through it, I have learned so much about myself in this past year alone. Happy to say, the fog is finally clearing so I can truly begin to appreciate all the hardships and lessons and take a new perspective on the current challenges I’m facing too!
One thing’s for sure: This year we are getting even more serious when it comes to energy conservation and sustainability within our lives and business, and money is 100% energy! We understand that we can only set solid foundations for ourselves and any business we believe in if we are consciously focusing on sustainably nourishing ourselves (and our business) with habits that make sure we continue to keep on doing just that.
We’ve already cleared our cabinets before the new year, Marie Kondo style, by getting rid of excess things that don’t bring us joy. Now that we have a little more clarity, we are turning our attention to finding value in and appreciation for the things we do have in our cabinets by creating more intentionality around them! Inspired by this, I thought it would be fun to share a week of budget-friendly, resourceful meals that we’re eating this week. Don’t worry, they won’t dare lose the spirit of excitement and edginess we keep around mealtime.
First off, here’s some simple TIPS FOR VALUE SHOPPING we try to keep in mind:
Utilize the Bulk Bins: The bulk bins at supermarkets usually price their items much lower than pre-bagged, branded items. It also allows you to get the exact amount you need for your recipes, which eliminates waste, but also unnecessary plastic bags! Plus it’s my favorite way to save on buying expensive or specialty spices!
Buy Dried Beans and Legumes: Not only are them much cheaper per lb. than canned, they are more nutritious and even taste better too! Fight me!
Make A Couple Extra Servings: It’s always best to make enough so there are leftovers for your next day’s lunch. But making extra also saves time, which saves energy, and again, energy is money. :)
Don’t Overlook Those Weekly Ads: See what weekly specials are happening in your area. Use these ads as a guide, and get creative by building your weekly meal prep off of the specials! Bonus tip: sometimes they even update the ads online so you don’t have to make the trek out to the store first.
Grocery Shop on Off Days- Our work-around when buying expensive but indispensable produce like avocados is to hit up our local Latin Supermarket (El Rancho or Fiesta for us) on Wednesdays when they are having their weekly sales. While it may feel like a hassle to plan a mid-week shopping haul, we’ve decided that it’s not nearly as hard as wrangling through Saturday morning lines when we’d rather be in bed. Plus we have a history of hitting harvest gold-mines with deals like 20 limes/ $1 or $3 /5 avocados when we’ve planned it out well, which makes it doubly worth it.
Buy Frozen Vegetables: To avoid waste due to veggie spoilage, buy vegetables frozen that still hold up once they’re defrosted. My favorites: Spinach, peas, corn, riced cauliflower, green beans, and carrots!
Get Creative: Plan your weekly shopping keeping in mind how you can use a particular ingredient across multiple meals. For me, this time I went heavy on the scallions!
I like stocking up on scallions, not just regular onions. ($0.49/ bag at ALDI!!) Scallions are essentially two onions in one--so in my mind, I’m getting more for my money! Since they are split between green leaves and white bulbs, and both have a different flavor--the whites of the scallions are a little stronger, like regular onions or garlic--I like to separate them from the greens and cook them to round them out and bring out their sweetness. Because their green stems are still packed with flavor but are mild enough to eat raw, they make the absolute perfect garnish to bring a little color and flavor to the dish right at the end.
For a fun snapshot, here is what we bought with our grocery budget this week and what we will be pulling from.
OUR GROCERY HALL:
A loaf of Sourdough Bread ( you can make it yourself if you want to save even more money because all it ultimately requires is flour)~ 2.97
2 Bananas~ .70
1 carton vegetable broth (you can make this yourself too, if you have lots of scrap veggies or produce teetering on the edge)
1 dozen Eggs ~ .99
Scallions ~.49
Garlic ~ .99
3 White onions~ .89
Bag of Red or orange bell peppers~ 2.29
Sriracha~ 1.76
8 Limes~ 1.00
Lemons~ 1.59
Egg Noodles ~.99
Dried Seaweed ~ 1.19
½ lb Dried Lentils ~ .46
Corn Tortillas~ 2.19
Frozen Peas~ 1.58
1 Avocado~ .89
3 bushels of cilantro 3/ $0.99
16-ounce bag raw Almonds ~ $4.50 (to make a vegan cheese sauce, almond butter, and 1 pint of almond milk for the week)
Notes:
We already have a few staples like certain spices, oils, soy sauce, (of course, s+ p) and rice on hand and hopefully, you have these too.
Usually, we buy and eat cheese, but it was cheaper for us to cut it out this week, so all of the recipes will be vegan.
I use virgin coconut oil in some of the recipes because I have a huge vat of it in the cabinet and I like the additional flavor it adds, but it is definitely not necessary--you can use any mild to neutral oil you have on hand.
My major takeaway after a few weeks of extreme budgeting:
It is SO satisfying and nourishing (and even FUN!) challenging ourselves to be this resourceful and creative with what we already have!
🎶Ain’t No Stopping Us Now 🎶
MONDAY- Spicy Rice Bowl with Egg
Monday we are keeping it pretty chill with a big bowl of steamy rice and a quick fried egg. Monday nights I usually turn to any type of grain bowl because they’re super comforting and packed with textures and flavor. Feel free to add a pile of lightly dressed mixed greens, wilted garlicky spinach, or a medley of roasted veggies to this if you have them on hand too.
We usually re-up on and plow through new bags of brown basmati rice from Trader Joe’s every few weeks, but this leaves us with those same bulk bags of neglected short grain white rice growing stale in the back cabinet (from a time I was on an experimental rice pudding rampage.) I’m aware we have to finish off this rice stash sooner or later, and buying extra ingredients on top of supplies that are, albeit less ideal but still perfectly satisfying, is exactly the sort of thinking that got my energy all skewed in the first place! So white rice it is!
I made some extra servings of the rice because I’m planning to use some of it in tomorrow’s recipe for my Lentil Taquitos. Another way to budget through the week is to make extra servings and to eat the leftovers. I made extra Tumeric Egg Drop Soup and Seaweed Casserole this week, and both taste even better the next day, fyi.
The thing that brings this classic rice bowl and fried egg recipe to new heights is the delicious but incredibly simple sauce that gets drizzled over top--a mix of Sriracha, soy, and lime will become a staple sauce in a lot of your houses too, I’m sure.
Here’s how to make it:
Makes 4 servings ( for lunch tomorrow + extra rice for tomorrow’s lentil taquito filling)
Coconut or Olive oil for frying
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)
1 1/2 cups rice, rinsed until the water runs clear and then strained
4 eggs
Sriracha Lime Sauce
2 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp lime juice (~1 small lime)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic and whites of the scallions, if using. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant. Add the strained rice, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to toast lightly. Pour over 3 cups of water, stir, and bring to a bowl. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tilted lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and fluffy. Remove from the heat and allow to air dry while you make the eggs.
Heat a large (preferably non-stick) skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the pan before cracking in the eggs. Cook eggs to your desired doneness.
While the eggs are cooking, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add the rice to a bowl, top with two eggs, drizzle over the sauce to taste ( a little goes a long way), and top with the greens of the scallions if using. Enjoy!
