Eating Kosher on $8 Per Day Per Person!!!
Or Darn Close To It!!!
Let’s face it the cost of food in general has skyrocketed recently, and oh how has the cost of kosher food done so as well. It doesn’t look to be getting better anytime soon either. So rather than getting bent out of shape I decided to share some tried and true recipes and shopping tips to help you keep to a budget. There are tons of websites and books out there for non kosher budget cooking & struggle meals but not so many for those of us that are strictly kosher. Keep in mind it takes some creativity and some knowledge to do this. Bzrt’H my knowledge of cooking and recipes will help with the creativity and I can share someof my knowledge of kashrut but I am not an authority nor do I clai to be one. The information however is super easy to find on many websites run by accepted Kosher Organizations sucha as: the CRC, Star K, OU and the HKA. You can also always ask your LOR as well.
Where did I come up with $8 per person per day? Wel I used the numbers provided by the US government for what they allot to people who receive SNAP. I am not saying that you need to be a recipient to use this meal plan, it was just a place for me to get a budget. I am basing my portion sizes in the recipes on the American Heart Association’s recommended daily diet of 2000 calories a day for a healthy adult (you can adjust as needed). Where possible I will include where I purchased items, although most of the ingredients listed will be available to you locally. Supporting Jewish owned businesses and manufacturers is something many people do but when the budget is tight and purses are falling short, finding the best possible deals to keep your family eating healthy meals is even more important.
One of the first and perhaps hardest habits to break is buying convenience foods. I know, I know with young children this seems like a must but it is killing your budget. You get less and you are wasting so many natural resources on excessive packaging (ok so I got on my soap box a bit). By buying foods in bulk and prepping your own ‘convenience’ foods you will in the end save money and you can still save time. It just takes planning ahead.
Next you need to set aside time to plan your week's menus and a shopping list based on what you need to restock your pantry with and what specifically you will need for the recipes you are making. Menu planning also seems like it is time consuming but after doing this for a while it becomes easier and if you store your previous menus you can reuse them based on what your family likes. Having a menu will also make your grocery shopping easier in the long run. Setting aside time for meal prep will also become a habit and will make sticking to the budget easier because you will have meals ready to go on hand. The old trick of cooking once but cook doubles will become your friend.
It takes time and dedication to change our habits but I hope that this section of my blog helps you to become more frugal cooks and to stick to the grocery budgets you set for yourself.
Honestly I don’t know where my current shopping habits fall even though I plan my menus regularly. This will be a challenge for me as well. To start off I am going to post one day on the budget and then slowly build up to posting a week at a time. Each post will also include shopping tips and lists such as: pantry staples & how to store them, freezer staples, what to buy locally and what to order in bulk if needed, etc.
Day One * indicates recipe included
Breakfast - Kid (adult too) 2 Friendly Egg & Cheese Cups* $1.60
Apple slices .40 cents
Milk (CY Skim) 4 oz. .52 cents
Coffee 8 oz. .75 cents
Total - $3.27 per person
Lunch - Kids: 3 oz. chunk light tuna salad .85 cents
5 Savoritz Golden Round crackers .58 cents
4 oz. carrot sticks .28 cents
2 oz homemade parve ranch dressing .48 cents
2 mandarin oranges .20 cents
Total - $2.39
Adult: 3 oz. Chunk light Tuna Salad .85 cents
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce .31 cents
¼ english cucumber diced .22 cents
1 roma tomato, diced .18 cents
¼ red onion diced .40 cents
2 oz homemade parve ranch dressing .48 cents
2 mandarin oranges .20 cents
Total - $2.64
Dinner - White Bean, Kale & Mushroom Ragout* $1.46 per serving
16 oz. Whole Wheat Pasta .40 cents per serving
French Bread .39 cents per serving
Total - $2.25
Total for the Day $8.16 per person
Egg & Cheese Vegetable Breakfast Muffins
Makes 24 = 6 servings $1.60 per serving
Ingredients
1 red bell pepper .89 cents
1 green bell pepper .40 cents
4 green onions .40 cents
12 eggs $1.68
1 handful greens ( I have collards growing in my yard, so this is free for me) $1
1 cup (8oz.) shredded cheddar cheese $5.20
½ - 1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Optional – hot sauce for serving
Step -By- Step Directions:
Preheat the oven to 390°F.
Wash and dice the bell pepper and onions.
Put them in a large mixing bowl.
Wash the spinach, lightly chop it, and add it to the bowl as well.
Add the eggs and salt. Mix well. Pro tip – crack the eggs separately before adding. That way if you get a dodgy one, it won’t ruin the whole meal.
Mix in the cheese to the batter.
Line the muffin pans with paper muffin cups & pour the batter evenly into each cup. **trick of the trade – use an ice cream scoop to get even amounts into the muffin cups
Pop the tray into the oven for 20 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch.
***These freeze very well and reheat in the toaster oven for fast to go breakfasts. The recipe also doubles easily and is a great one to make ahead to have on hand.
Greens, Mushroom & White Bean Ragout
Serves 6 = $1.46 per serving
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided homemade from scraps - free
1 large white onion, chopped .40 cents
3 tablespoons garlic, minced .30 cents
1/2 cup Marsala or red wine $1
4 teaspoons rosemary .30 cents
1 tablespoon thyme .45 cents
12 ounces fresh mushrooms, button or wild or a mixture of both, trimmed and thinly sliced $1
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari .39 cents
2 tablespoons whole spelt or whole wheat flour .12 cents
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast $1.71
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans $1.60
1 pound (1 to 2 bunches) dark leafy greens, such as collards, kale or mustard greens, tough stems removed and leaves thinly sliced $1.50
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Step -By- Step Directions
Bring 3/4 cup broth to a simmer in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion and garlic and cook until tender.
Stir in wine, rosemary and thyme and cook until wine evaporates.
Add mushrooms and reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until mushrooms release their liquid and begin to become tender, stirring once.
Stir in remaining 1 3/4 cups broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together tamari, flour, nutritional yeast and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the hot broth to make a thick paste.
Whisk paste into the simmering broth mixture, stirring constantly.
Bring back to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Stir in beans and greens, in batches if needed, cover and cook until greens are wilted and heated through, stirring once.
Stir in black pepper and serve over pasta prepared according to the manufacturer's directions.