basil-tomato soup

When we suddenly went vegan (really- one weekend I tossed everything that wasn't vegan and on Monday we went to Whole Foods; that was it) back about a decade ago, my daughter's, four at the time, new comfort food became Whole Food's Basil-Tomato Soup. She would get that soup every time we went to Whole Foods!

Then one day a few years ago, we returned for her obligatory soup-fix only to find that it was no longer vegan - it had cream in it. Yikes! Magic in the kitchen was needed. I managed to recreate her beloved soup for her and she has been enjoying it ever since. This is her contribution to the family cooking this week and she does a tasty job of it. Thank you, Cat!

Simple, more cost-efficient, and vegan.

Cost Breakdown:
tomatoes: $5
basil, dried: $.50
onion, garlic: $1
sugar or agave: $.50
bread: $3
Total to feed a family of 5 a few times:
$10.00

piri piri summer vegetables with jollof rice

Tuesday nights are Asian/African nights

...or anything that is nice with rice. Tonight I made an African meal complete with red palm oil, a distinctive African flavor. Piri Piri means 'hot chilis' in Swahili and so the name of the marinade echoes the content of it. Unfortunately, I could not find any thai bird's eye chili, so I made my piri piri marinade with Fresno and serrano peppers - less spicy. It seems to be a chili week, here at my house! After the vegetables - eggplant, green beans, zucchini and yellow squash - were marinated for 20 minutes, I grilled them on the griddle I still had out (but cleaned, of course :) from lunch. I served it in butter lettuce to cut the heat and provide a vessel to the mouth. Yum!

The rice is cooked with tomatoes, onions, cinnamon sticks, fenugreek seeds, coriander and cumin, and the ubiquitous African red palm oil. I love African food. The family is still getting used to the unique flavor - especially of the palm oil (which you can skip and just spice your neutral oil by simmer it with onions, garlic and the spices for 15 minutes, straining it and using it as the cooking base). The flavor of the vegetables - spicy and sweet with a little tang from the lemon in the marinade - were well received, though.

Cost Breakdown:

vegetables: $5

peppers: $1

rice: $.50

tomatoes: $2.50

red palm oil : $1

lettuce: $2

spices: $.50

Total to feed a family of 5:

$12.50