What's Cooking 3.30-4.5

It's freezer week at our home! I mentioned in my Friday post that our freezer is packed with meals I've made over the last month and now it is time to enjoy them. I must say it was very nice to make very quick trips to two stores because I was running short on time this morning. I decided to forgo a trip to Amazing Savings for our pricey whole foods store because it would also help save time and I knew it wouldn't break the budget to buy all our produce (local and/or organic) and dairy (organic milk and sour cream) there.

I spent $32.96 in total this week - $30.86 at Earth Fare and $2.10 at Aldi for 2 jars of spaghetti sauce. I would not have gone to Aldi at all, but it's right by my bank, where I had to go anyway, and the sauce is quite good and a very good value.

My grand total for food this month was $239.73 - $80 under my goal of $320 a month - and that is after I decided to go back to all organic and local produce. I feel so confident about my ability to get in under budget that I plan to buy all organic and local - for everything - next month, taking up Crunchy Chicken's challenge to buy sustainable on a budget. More on that next week!

Here's what we're eating this week:

Monday:
Curried Split Peas
Brown Rice

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday:Leftovers

Wednesday:

Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna (from freezer)
Green Salad

Thursday:
Tunisian Vegetables (from freezer, but see recipe below)
Whole Wheat Couscous

Friday:
Pizza with homemade crust and sauce
Soy Sausage and Roasted Peppers and Onions
Spinach Salad

Saturday:
Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie (from freezer)
Spinach Salad

Sunday:
Roasted Pumpkin Soup (from freezer)
Homemade Whole Wheat Rolls

Once again, from the fantastic Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, a lovely stew that makes an ideal quick meal that is flavorful, healthful and economical!

Tunisian Vegetable Stew
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
dash of salt
1 large green pepper, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
3 cups undrained canned tomatoes, chopped (28-ounce can)
1 1/2 cups drained cooked chick peas (16-ounce can)
1/3 cup currants or raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
Grated Feta Cheese
Toasted slivered almonds (optional)

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and continue to saute for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and spices to the skillet and saute for another minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, chick peas, and currants or raisins, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

Top with feta, and toasted almonds if you like. Serve on couscous or another grain of your choice.