What we ate last week. Food post #2

I want to begin my post this week by debunking a common myth about vegetarianism and/or eating healthy.  Many people think that eating healthy is wayy too expensive/unfordable on a recent-grad budget.  I used to think this, too!  But I've found that the healthier I cook, the less money I spend.  Even though I purchase fresh ingredients that are often deemed pricy (avocados ($$!), gourmet veggie chips ($$!), fresh fruit like pineapple and mango ($$!!)) we still are spending approximately $60/week on groceries*.  That's for two people, ~2 meals a day, and dessert.  That averages out to around $2-3 per meal.

You don't have to be a master chef to eat healthily, either!  I knew about 2 recipes when I got married, and now I've cooked easily over a hundred.

Bottom line: There is no excuse to not eat well!

*(This week the salmon was already in the freezer, so the total for the meals below for this week is probably closer to $70)

Day: Monday

Meal: Strawberry Spinach Salad
Skill Level: Super Easy
Rating: 8/10

Cut up some berries, cut up some spinach... add a little nuts and cheese.  My FAVORITE summer salad.  And since I don't like dressing, the recipe is twice as easy (but the recipe in the link above comes with a nice Balsamic & Honey Dressing).

Day: Tuesday

Meal: Rice Soup

Skill Level: Easy
Rating: 7/10

Wait, did you say Rice Soup?  Not...wild rice?  Not chicken and rice?  Nope, for a vegetarian meal on the dime, take your average Chicken and Wild Rice soup and subtract the Chicken and Wild.
Nice and creamy.  Best in winter, but good on a cool rainy night, too.


Day: Wednesday

Meal: Cilantro Salmon with side salad

Skill Level: Easy
Rating: 8/10

Ooh man is there nothing better than salmon.

I chose this recipe because I was looking for ways to incorporate our abundance of cilantro into my cooking this week.

The instructions for this recipe are a little convoluted--all you need to do is just mix all the ingredients together and rub it on the fish.  NBD.  I don't know why they don't just say that.




Day: Thursday

Meal: Creamy Tomato/Basil Pasta

Skill Level: Medium/Hard
Rating: 3/10

This recipe was way too much work for the payout. 

Don't get me wrong, it was super tasty!  Just not worth the effort.  First you have to peel a million tomatoes, and then simultaneously cook the noodles, red sauce, and white sauce.  This was waay too big of an operation for my tiny kitchen.

For lunch:

Avocado Egg Salad
It's like half of Pinterest is throwing avocados in random stuff and making it twice as delicious!   I halved this recipe, because who has time for a dozen eggs?

The Dessert? 
Lemon Cake
Sweet lemon cake made in a loaf pan with a simple glaze.