Kenny's Amazing Anchovy Garlic Pasta

Recipe: Anchovy Garlic Pasta
This is the kind of dish that feels very decadent but is super simple to make. Add steamed or roasted broccoli if you like and/or crushed red pepper flakes.
You can also make the anchovy garlic part and refrigerate it up to two weeks: it's great on grilled bread, cauliflower and whatever else you can think of.

4 tablespoons olive oil
Whole tin of anchovies, not drained
10- 12 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti

Place a large skillet over very low heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the anchovies and garlic and cook, pressing down to mash the anchovies and cook, stirring frequently. until they are sort of melted and golden, 10- 12 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Add the pasta, a little bit at a time, to the anchovy mixture, mixing all the while and adding 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Add the parsley and serve right away (or cover and refrigerate)  When reheating, reheat in skillet and add more liquid (or water) if necessary.

Sardines

Sardines, sliced jalapeños,
chopped parsley and fresh lemon. 

Sardines are the kind of food that people scoff at but they are actually very tasty and a great and cheap source of protein.  
Here they are with sliced jalapeños, chopped parsley and lemon. 
They are also great with mustard and lemon and lots of black pepper. 
Also roasted red peppers. 
Also mashed on toast. With avocado and tomato. 

Some people use them instead of tuna in tuna recipes. 

Chicken Soup with Escarole

Recipe: Chicken Soup with Escarole
I really wanted to call this Chick Chick Chick Soup and use chickory instead of escarole and then add chickpeas just to give it a great name.
You can of course, substitute the escarole with chickory and add chickpeas. You could also add white beans, diced tomatoes and/or rice.

Makes about 12 cups

1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1- 1 1/2 pound chicken breast (you could use whatever you like)
1 escarole, chopped
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon chopped red pepper flakes


Place a large soup pot over medium heat and when it is hot, add the oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until golden, 12- 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock and chicken  and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cook until the chicken is cooked throughout, about 10 minutes. Carefully set the chicken aside.
Add the escarole and cook 20 minutes. While the soup is cooking, the chicken will cool. Shred the chicken and add it, along with the red pepper flakes, back to the soup pot.

Baharat Chicken

I am a little bit obsessed with the cookbook, Jerusalem by Ottolenghi and Tamimi. There isn't a ton I can make but I can adapt, sometimes heavily, and get really good results. 

Recipe: Baharat
Baharat is an Arab spice mix that is as fabulous on chicken (below) as it is on fish, lamb and beef. This makes about 3 times what you need. 

2 teaspoons cumin seed (I used 1 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
1 small cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves (I left them out, I don't like clove)
1/2 teaspoon whole nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Put everything in a bowl and if you have a spice grinder, dump them in and grind away. If you have a mortar and pestle, use that. If you have neither just do whatever you have to do to break everything up as much as possible.



Baharat Chicken:
This makes enough for about 3 servings, depending on what else you serve it with.  Try it rolled up in pita bread with humus or served on top of rice. 
 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 chicken breasts, cut in cubes
1 tablespoon spice mix (above)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Place a large skillet over medium high heat and when it is hot, add half the oil. Add the chicken, in a single layer, and cook until browned on all sides, about 8- 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Reheat the pan and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring from time to time, until browned and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and cook 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt and drizzle with lemon.

Trader Joe's and Shopping so far this month

A few of my friends have asked why I haven't been shopping at Trader Joe's, claiming that not only are the products high quality, the prices are low. My first reaction was that Trader Joe's isn't available in enough locations to be particularly relevant for people who are really on food stamps but even beyond that, when Trader Joe's first moved to Boston it seemed to me they only sold snacks and condiments, two things pretty off limits to me. Although I have shopped there on occasion and knew this not to be true I never really changed my perception.

That is, until I did my hellish day of comparison shopping. 

Most of the items I bought were neither snacks nor condiments (other than the mustard).

Here is what I purchased at Trader Joe's: 
2 1/2 # boneless, skinless chicken breast 6.99  (frozen)
Trader Joe's Organic Plain Non-fat Yogurt 2.99 (woah, so cheap!)
Trader Joe's Ground Beef 85/15 3.69
Trader Joe's Almond Butter 5.99 (I'm pretty sure this is the same as the Marantha brand at the supermarket which costs $13.99)
Trader Joe's Smooth and Creamy Spicy Humus 2.99* 
Trader Joe's Dijon Mustard 1.69 (about 1/8 the price of Grey Poupon!)
Organic Omega 3 brown eggs 3.79

Total= 28.13

I also purchased:

Over the Moon milk 2.99 (on sale)
Cabot Seriously Sharp cheese 3.59
Tofu 2.99
Celery 2.69
Escarole 2.49
3 # carrots 2.99
1# Applegate Farms smoked turkey 0 (I was given a coupon)

Total: 16.74

Swiss cheese 3.99 (on sale)
Brown Eggs 2.59
2 # yellow onions 2.49
2 heads garlic 1.08
1 bunch parsley (tho they charged me for cilantro, so I was probably overcharged) 2.49
Can of anchovies 1.69 on sale

Total: 14.33

Greek Yogurt (from a local shop) 7.14
2 Cabot Cottage Cheese $5.70
Total= 12.84

Total so far= 72.04 
I know that I bought mushrooms earlier in the month but can't find the receipt. so I'll make the total $75. I have three days left and $25 to spend!!  wooohoo!
* a note about humus: Humus is one of the only things I consistently buy that is pre- made. There are so many companies that do a good job of it, I have rarely made my own in years. Trader Joe's Smooth and Creamy was excellent and waaaay cheaper than even my usual brands even when on sale. 

Comparison Shopping is HELL

I am admittedly not a comparison shopper, not someone who likes to grocery shop, not someone who enjoys the hunt. However, I have become more and more aware of how much prices fluctuate between (and even within) stores and wanted to look at it a bit more scientifically. Frankly, I found it overwhelming and confusing and after having done this teeny bit of research, found it not only more overwhelming and more confusing but additionally surprising and sort of depressing. 

I shopped at Target, Whole Foods, Traders Joe's and Shaw's. There are no Walmart's near me but I will eventually add them to the list, as well as BJ's and Costco.

So here's my conclusion: 
1. Buy a lot of basics at Target. 
2. Buy store brands, unless you are very loyal to a particular brand. For instance, I love Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese and the store brand is cheaper though not as tasty. In some cases it makes a difference and in some it doesn't. This is just a matter of what you like and what you are used to. Even Whole Foods 365 line, which I had assumed would be outrageously expensive, was on the whole (ha ha), much less expensive than the same ingredients at the more conventional grocery store. 
On the other hand, I am a huge fan of Grey Poupon mustard and get panicky unless I have a whole jar of backup. The Trader Joe's version is a fraction of the price and sharper to boot but since I love mustard, I don't mind the sharpness and am now a convert. On the other hand, the Whole Foods brand is also less expensive, but much sweeter, which I don't like.  
3. Buy what what you like when it's on sale. I have a friend who has plenty of money but grew up in a very large family and still builds her meals solely around what's on sale. Of course, you have to be able to think on your feet and you have to have a really great sense of what goes with what.
4. On the other hand, conventional grocery stores have the best in-store coupons. 

Why Eating Real Food Matters

Among the many, many reasons it matters is: 

For the first two weeks of February I was traveling, mostly in LA and then 2 days in NYC and not on my SNAP budget. I ate almost every single meal in a restaurant, none of which were super high end nor did I eat any prepared or fast food (ok, I did go to In-n-Out Burger once because that's my tradition). Other than eating out, I cooked one dinner (jerk chicken, a big salad, roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes and chocolate chip cookies) for twenty of my college age daughter's nearest and dearest; had a few cups of yogurt, many cups of tea, coffee every morning and a few apples and oranges. I didn't eat food I tend not to eat anyway but I felt a bit like someone who goes off a diet, that since I wasn't sticking to my diet, I might as well really not stick to my diet. I can't really describe what I mean but when I got home, it was hard to go back to SNAP. It wasn't the money, it was having to think about every little thing: was I within budget? but more importantly, was I spending my money smartly?, was I getting the proper nutrition? Strangely enough, I was way more conscientious about my intake on SNAP. 
Additionally, all that eating out made me sluggish, head-achy, bloated and dehydrated. The amount of salt, sugar and fat hidden in prepared food is telling in how I felt. 

Even though I was often hungry, 

I felt better on the SNAP regime. How crazy is that? 

Smoothies

When I was in college I drank smoothies everyday. My typical smoothie was made with a banana, Granny Smith apple, orange juice and yogurt. I've since branched out but find that the orange juice makes it too sweet and so have replaced it with water. If you are looking to reduce the sugar content of your smoothies, you might want to reduce the juice one tablespoon at a time. 

If you like your smoothies cold and thick, when your bananas are the perfect ripeness, slice and freeze them in ziploc bags or plastic containers. 

Recipe: Apple Banana Smoothie
Serves 1-2 

1 over-ripe banana, frozen in slices, if possible
1/2 tart apple, skin on, if you like
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup cold water or about 4 ice cubes

Put everything in a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Serve right away.

Recipe: Apricot Almond Smoothie
Serves 1-2 

1 over-ripe banana, frozen in slices, if possible
4 dried apricots
2 tablespoons almond butter
1/2 cup cold water or about 4 ice cubes
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Put the banana, apricots and almond butter in the blender and pulse to chop. When it is chopped a bit, increase the speed and blend as much as it will blend. If your blender isn't up to the task, add a little bit of the water. Add the rest of the water and the yogurt and blend until thick and smooth. Serve right away.

Cauliflower Fluctuations

When I started this, I was pretty unconscious about food prices. I'm embarrassed to admit that if you told me cauliflower was $1.99 or $4.99 I probably wouldn't have been sure which was correct. It turns out that - just in the first three weeks - I found cauliflower for $1.99, $2.98, $3.99 and $4.99. I'm completely amazed at how vigilant you need to be.

Roasted Broccoli is Not the Same as Roasted Cauliflower

This is what  a well loved pan looks like.  

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli

In my earlier recipe for Roasted Cauliflower I said that the same directions applied to almost any hard vegetable, including broccoli. 

This is most definitely not true and I apologize to anyone who tried it. 

When you roast broccoli, you need higher heat and less time. 

1/2- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and stems

1- 2 teaspoons olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper 

Lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. 

Place the broccoli on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake until the florets are slightly crunchy and there are little specks of brown on the edges, about 15 minutes. Serve right away, with lemon squeezed on top. 

I Change the Rules in My Second Month

As you can see, when it comes to spices,  I am  equal opportunity. 

I am going to change the rules as I go forward and use everything in my pantry. Admittedly I have more condiments, more spices, more everything than the average person but if I am really going to keep going on this budget, it doesn't make sense to ignore what I have on hand. Among others I have four different flours (white, whole wheat white, whole wheat and for some reason, bread flour); most spices, both esoteric and predictable; three kinds of oats (steel cut, gluten free and old fashioned); three kinds of sugar (white, brown and confectioners); other sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and agave; panko bread crumbs; yellow cornmeal; about 4 cups walnuts; 2 cups mixed dried fruit; soy sauce; Worcestershire sauce;  4 boxes of pasta; two kinds of Tabasco; two kinds of vinegar (balsamic and red), two kinds of oil (olive and canola), a few cans of tuna, some diced tomatoes, baking soda, baking powder, two kinds of vanilla extract: two kinds of Tuong Ot Sriracha (coarsely ground and smooth) and three boxes of chicken broth. Eventually much of this will be gone and I will have to replenish from my SNAP budget. 

Someone brought me a ripe avocado and a ripe mango. I am going to use them too. At last count my son has six kinds of pretzels but I'm not going to touch them.

Also, I have to travel a bit this month and so will deduct $6.45 for each day I am away.  

Last week I met with three people from the Department of Transitional Assistance. Their mission is to "assist low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, increase their incomes, and improve their quality of life." In other words, they oversee SNAP. I asked them who the "typical" SNAP recipient is. They told me that they get asked that all the time and that there is no clear answer. Some are individuals living in hotels, without kitchens, some are large middle class families who have fallen on hard times, some are elderly couples. 

Basically whoever you imagine is on SNAP, is on SNAP. 

My pals at DTA also told me about a pilot program called HIP (Healthy Incentives Pilot). Their motto: "It's HIP to be healthy!"Every time you spend $10. on fruits and vegetables ( fresh, canned, dried or frozen, most but not all are included), you get $3. credit to future SNAP purchases. Having been doing this now for almost 6 weeks, this kind of additional money could really make a difference. In fact, I might go so far as to say that if you were on SNAP and took advantage of them, you'd eat really well.

Kale Salad with Avocado and Mango

Kale Salad again but with the gifted avocado (1/2) and mango (1/4) and a few chopped pecans.

Massaged Kale Salad

Recipe: Massaged Kale Salad
You know how you make kale salad at home and it's just okay but you order it in a restaurant and it's amazing? Well, it's because they massage it: I'm not really sure if it's the salt or the oil but it really makes a difference. Like many things in cooking, you have to wonder how anyone discovered this. 

Serves 2 (but I ate the whole thing) 

1/4 lb chopped kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Put the kale, olive oil and salt in a bowl and gently massage for as long as you can stand it, about 5 minutes. If you don't like getting your hands oily, you can certainly do this without the oil. The kale will go from kind of hearty in texture and dull in color to silky and bright and it will halve in volume. 
Now add the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Add additional salt (only if you need it) and black pepper.

You can fancy up this salad by adding dried fruit, like currants or cranberries; nuts like lightly toasted pine nuts, almonds, walnuts or pecans or even toasted pumpkin or sesame seeds. You can add fresh mango, apple or grapefruit slices or chunks. You can add julienned carrots, diced avocado, even grilled chicken. This salad is somehow delicate and hearty all at once. Enjoy.

Some Things I Want You to Know

This is what the grapefruit skin looks like after it's dried out. 

I've finished my first month and am going to keep going. Amazingly, I have just under $20. leftover. I was so nervous about running out of money, I got tighter and tighter with it as time went on. I guess I could have bought the almond butter I so wanted and missed!

Some things I want you to know:

I'm not trying to see how cheaply I can eat.
I understand that not everyone has a full kitchen or kitchen equipment.
I know that I have the skills to create recipes and not everyone else does.
I know that not everyone has access to real food.
I know that most people think cooking takes more time than ordering.
I know that I can take sugar packets and soy sauce packets and mustard packets from fast food joints. That's not part of my plan.

What I would do differently:
I would buy herb plants and in the spring would grow as much food as possible.
I would be more organized.
I would think about shopping and cooking in terms of a whole month, rather than what I have been doing (my whole life) which is thinking one meal at a time or at best, four dinners at a time.
I would make more soup and I would make it sooner. I would freeze more so I would have more variety.
I would use Bounty Bucks right away.
I would shop (almost) solely based on what was on sale, would have purchased more quantity in the beginning.

Cooking on a SNAP budget is really hard but - if you have the will and the access- it can be done.