chimichurri tofu

For this dinner, I made three recipes from Terry Hope Romero's

Viva Vegan!: (Link through Vegan.com)

Chimichurri Tofu, Lime and Cilantro Rice and Braised Brazilian Kale. All three recipes were simple to make and tasted great. Our favorite was the kale, to which I added the rest of the chimichurri sauce after the tofu was done marinading in. Also, I used brown rice for the Rice dish instead of the white. It just extended the cooking time, but the flavors were spot on.

We were very pleased with the meal! Another three great recipes from this book.

Cost Breakdown:

kale: $4

onions, garlic, shallots: $3

parsley, cilantro, lime: $3

rice: $1.50

tofu: $2

Total to feed a family of 5:

$13.50

dulce de leche crepes

Okay, so this isn't exactly brunch fare, but I've seen plenty of people serve crepes for breakfast, so why not?

This recipe from Terry Hope Romero from Viva Vegan! was sensational. (Link is through Vegan.com) Not only does she have an excellent crepe recipe, but also a fabulous caramel sauce. I think my kids could have eaten that sauce all by itself!

As I have already blogged about not having a nonstick pan, I don't mind saying I was a little apprehensive. I used my cast iron griddle and it worked great! I don't believe Indians have nonstick for their dosas, so I figured cast iron would work for me, too. It did. I couldn't tilt the griddle like I have tilted a skillet while making crepes before, but even that didn't prove to be an obstacle - spreading the batter with the back of the ladle was efficient.

We served ours with Rice Dream ice cream and everyone was bouncing off the walls in no time (sugar rush :)

Sometimes you can and should have dessert for breakfast.

Cost Breakdown:
Silk creamer: $1.50
brown rice syrup: $1
sugar: $.50
flours: $1.50
  plantains: $3
lime and Earth Balance: $2
Total to make 5 servings:
$9.50