ON A BUDGET
It’s important to get the most out of every dollar this time of year
It’s important to get the most out of every dollar this time of year, says food columnist
With Christmas little more than a month away, many of us will find a myriad of ways to spend money. To compensate for at least some of the increased expense, you can stretch the food budget a little further.
Here are some changes that can help to reduce food spending. As everyone does things differently, only some of these will apply to any particular household.
Prepare your own food and beverages. Take tea or coffee from home in a travel mug. pack a lunch instead of buying it. Save restaurant meals for special occasions. Plan meals so that you can do what’s required to prepare them, whether that’s taking meat from the freezer to defrost, loading up the slow cooker in the morning or spending 10 minutes measuring ingredients for homemade pizza dough into the bread machine.
Use what you have. For me, that means doing some homework before shopping: checking the fridge for vegetables and leftovers and noticing what’s in the freezer that can be used. Freezers can be treasure troves of raw foods, such as meats and poultry, as well as bits and pieces of cooked foods that were wrapped up and saved for a rainy day. Last week we had turkey dinner that required no fussing except for reheating Thanksgiving leftovers saved in the freezer and preparing mashed potatoes to accompany them. Preventing food waste is good for the bank account as well as the environment.
Watch for sales. The sheer volume of advertising flyers can be overwhelming, but taking a look at the grocery specials can help in planning more economical meals. If it’s something you can use or store properly, take advantage of the specials. On the other hand, it’s false economy to buy
more of a sale item (e.g. romaine) than you can use while it is fresh.
Use primarily seasonal – AKA winter –vegetables at this time of year. Less expensive than vegetables trucked across the continent from warmer climates, turnips, carrots, onions, potatoes and cabbage are versatile, nutritious and tasty. They’re more apt to be boring if they are always cooked the same way. Consider making soups or salads, combining several mashed vegetables, roasting, stir-frying or steaming, as well as flavouring with citrus, spices and herbs or onion, garlic, ginger or hot sauce.
Choose tougher, less expensive cuts of meat and tenderize by marinating, moist heat cooking (braising, stewing or using a slow cooker or pressure cooker) or breaking it down with a meat mallet.
If you prefer the more tender cuts, go for more moderate portion sizes. Fill your plate with lots of vegetables and a little potatoes, rice, bread or other starch and savour a small, delectable serving of meat.
Use other, less-expensive protein foods liberally in meals, rather than serving meat or poultry daily. Eggs are quick and easy and can be served at any meal in dishes as simple as scrambled eggs and as fancy as soufflés. Legumes can be used in entrées, salads, soups and side dishes, and for people in a hurry, lentils and quinoa, both seeds, are faster to prepare as they don’t require presoaking.
This nutritious recipe combines inexpensive winter vegetables and convenient canned chickpeas.
Carrot, Raisin and Chickpea Salad With Fragrant Spices
Adapted from Wiseman, Mary Sue: “Flavour First: Delicious Food to Bring the Family Back to the Table”. Centax Books, Regina, 2007.
8 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 0.5 cm (¼ inch) coins
25 mL (2 tbsp) olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 mL (1 tsp) dried red chili flakes
5 mL (1 tsp) EACH caraway seeds, chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, and
salt
125 mL (½ cup) raisins
540 mL (19 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10 mL (2 tsp) fresh thyme leaves
In a medium saucepan, cook carrots in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Set aside.
In a small, non-stick skillet, heat olive oil and cook onions until they begin to get limp, about 3-5 minutes. Add spices and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine carrots, cooked onions and spices, raisins, chickpeas, and thyme. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Flavours improve as the salad sits.
Makes 8-10 servings