Refrigerator Dollars and Sense

Happy Monday!  After a semi-long stint without a post, I am happy to be back and writing (I must admit as well that I was also semi-threatened with disownership as a friend if I did not get back into the "writing saddle" most immediately; admittedly, that was a much-needed push [thank you]).  For my abscence, I can only beg forgiveness, hope you did not spend too much time standing in front of your refrigerator staring in angst while contemplating what to make, and offer up an explanation... 

Explanation: as some of you know, I am working on applying to medical school this year. 

Translation: a lot of what was once "free time" for writing has become "study time" for reading.

Alas, all of this currently missing "free time" in my schedule struck a chord with me about the likelihood that many of you find yourselves lacking extra hours in your days as well.  Accordingly, I thought it was high time that I stop hinting about the utility of learning how to better manage both time and money in the pursuit of deliciousness, and actually talk "refrigerator dollars and sense" with you.

Being a recent grad school grad with loans up to here--hint, I'm almost 6-feet tall--every dollar I earn is important.  Living in an urban community with no large-scale grocery store within walking distance, every one of those dollars was being sucked away, not "earning" their true weigh in produce, cheese, bread, and the like.  After a few months of this, my roommate and I decided we needed to come up with a better plan, and we did.

First off, I must admit that I have the "urban advantage" of having a car, unlike many people I know in this area.  However, I also know that for those who do not, renting a Zip Car by the hour is an inexpensive way to access groceries that are, in comparison, so much cheaper than the in-city options that the cost of renting a car does not eat up what you are attempting to save by shopping outside downtown.  With that being said, let me tell you about how our household runs, refrigerator wise, at least...

It is Saturday or Sunday.  My roommate--let's call her Akriti for the sake of protecting her identity--and I sit down in our kitchen to yes, believe it or not, plan out what we are going to eat for the entire week. 

Okay, do not panic!  I *promise* you this gets easier and easier the more you do it (and the more you cook and try out new recipes), to the point that Akriti and I do not even need a real list anymore.

Step #1

Assess what is currently in the refrigerator.  Maybe we still have a half-container of pesto from this past week's gnocchi.  Ooh la la!; maybe there is a beautiful white, moist, creamy ball of fresh mozzarella left over from the pizza we made last night.  Or maybe we still are working through a 5-pound bag of carrots we got on sale a few weeks ago.  Whatever it may be, the bottom line is that it can be used for the upcoming week whether it be to re-create a meal from the week before, or used in a whole new and exciting fashion.

After living with many different people, in my opinion, this is a step many, many, many people skip before going grocery shopping (whether they are actively doing the "Savvy Chef Shopping Plan" or not).  Missing this super quick and easy step is a black hole for money. 

Think about it (because we have all done this): you go to the grocery store without a list, on your way home from work, or simply with the intention of getting one or two things you *think* you need. 

When you get home and start putting things away, you discover that you already had an extra bottle of mustard in the cabinet (great; now you have two, one of which will likely expire before ever being used); there were actually still several apples in the bottom drawer, all of which are fine to eat; oh whoops!, the bag of bagels you have not touched in a week actually just got shoved in the back where you simply could not see them; or worse: your milk has actually expired and smells nasty, but that is the one thing you did not buy. 

It is easy to see just how simple it is to double-buy or miss buy.

If you miss Step #1, you might as well just blend up your singles and fives along with your butternut squash soup.

Step #2

Figure out how many meals need to be made.  Akriti and I usually account for 5 breakfasts (and leave the weekend open for whatever we feel like, that is to say, if we even make it out of bed before lunchtime), 5 lunches, and 4 dinners (there is a weekly meeting we attend Monday nights where dinner is provided).

There are actually several peer-reviewed articles and books written about how eating at home can save a household a lot of money (not to mention the health benefits that I have mentioned briefly before, and other have studied extensively, of being in control of *exactly* what goes in to your meals [because you put them there]).  Even if you decide to eat a salad out, which is often one of the cheapest things on the menu, and control the dressing quantity, which is often the point at which the healthfulness of a salad diminishes exponentially, you may have defeated my healthy eating argument for eating in, but you certainly will have lost on the cost aspect.

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY SALAD

-1 head Romaine lettuce

-3 strawberries per person

-10 parmesan shavings per person

-palm full of chopped walnuts

-3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

-1 Tbsp honey 

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-salt and pepper to taste

1) Rip up the Romaine lettuce in bite-sides pieces.  Wash well and dry (salad spinner time!).  Place the lettuce in the refrigerator to keep cold until serving.

2) Wash the strawberries and slice in to 1/8-inch-thick rounds, cutting larger rounds in half.

3) Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper together, and then drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the mixture until it forms an emulsion.  Mix the strawberries in the bowl gently with a spoon and place the bowl in the refrigerator.

4) Coarsely chop the walnuts.

5) Using the wide, open grating hole of your grater, a knife, or a cheese shaving tool, make thin,

bite-size shavings of parmesan cheese.

6) In a large serving bowl, toss the balsamic-strawberry mixture together with the Romaine lettuce.  Plate out individual servings of salad on chilled plates (put in the refrigerator for 5 minutes should chill them).  Top with the walnuts and parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

*I would recommend serving this with a full bodied, deep berry red wine

TGI Friday's used to sell a salad just like this for ~$13.  Check out my bill:

*Entire* head of Romaine lettuce: $1.99

1 pound strawberries: $3

Bottle of balsamic vinegar: $4

Bag of walnuts: $1.99

Olive Oil: $5

*Entire* box of kosher salt: $1.99

Peppercorns in a grinder bottle: $1.99

Honey: $3

1/2-pound wedge of Parmesan cheese: $5

TOTAL: $28

For $28, you can make 4 of my balsamic strawberry salads, and *still* have olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, nuts, parmesan, and strawberries left over for *many* other purposes.  For four people, this salad would cost $52, and all you would go home with is an empty wallet and an over-full and over-caloried stomach.

Step #3

After figuring out what you have left in your refrigerator, decide on what to make for the coming week.  I recommend picking dishes to make for dinner that are large enough that they can be eaten for lunch again the next day.  If you do this, then you only have to select 5 recipes for both lunch and dinner!

I recommend taking a little time to really think about what you are buying.  If you need spinach for one recipe and will have some left over, then pick another recipe where you will utilize the leftover spinach.  That way, no food goes to waste, and none of your hard-earned money is wasted either!

Breakfast is an interesting meal, and on the weekends when I have time to make something fantastic (like eggs Florentine with pan-seared tomatoes and my healthier hollandaise sauce), it is also one of my favorite times of day.  However, like most of you I imagine, I *definitely* do not have time for much of anything in the mornings during the work week.  Instead, we keep of refrigerator full of breakfast items that are quick and easy, like bagels, bread, fruit, milk, oatmeal, yogurt, and eggs.

Blueberry Oatmeal

-1/2 cup Quick Oats per person (oatmeal that cooks in the microwave or stovetop in less than 5 minutes, versus "old fashioned oats")

-1/2 cup frozen blueberries per person (make sure they do not have added sugar, coloring, preservatives, etc)

-1 cup milk (2% makes the dish rich and creamy, although non-fat works just fine for me and water works well for Akriti who is, like many adults, lactose intolerant)

-honey

-cinnamon

*If you are making multiple servings the same way, you can combine all of the servings and I would recommend making it on the stove top.  Otherwise, dishing out everything into individual bowls works well too, and can be microwaves separately while you are running around doing your morning routine.

1) Combine the oats, blueberries, and liquid (milk, water, or the like) in a bowl (or pot) and microwave for ~3-4 minutes (or cook for ~3-5 minutes on the stove).

2) Drizzle in honey for a little added sweetness (to your taste) and some sprinkles of cinnamon if you like (I do!)

Occasionally, we also take some time over the weekend to put together a dish that we can re-heat a few times throughout the week for breakfast.

Spinach, Potato, Onion Spanish Tortilla

-2 medium potatoes (on the small side)

-1 large onion

-1/2 pound fresh spinach

-1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

-1/2 cup olive oil

-7 large eggs

-1 Tbsp salt

-3/4 Tsp pepper

1) Wash the spinach several times to ensure you removed all of the silt and sand.  Tear off the thick stems and discard, saving only the leaves.  Tear up the leaves and set aside.

2) Thinly and uniformly slice the potatoes and onions.  I recommend using a mandolin slicer (although, be careful using it!).  You want to do this soon to when you're going to cook or the potatoes will brown.

3) In a bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper together until even, and then set aside.

4) Grate the Parmesan finely and combine with the eggs.

5) Heat the oil in a large pan over high heat.  When it begins to smell fragrant, lower the heat to medium and add the potatoes and onions.  Saute the vegetables until the potatoes are cooked through, ~15 minutes.  Within the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the torn spinach to wilt it.

6) Place a wire mesh (or other fine mesh) strainer over a heat-proof bowl.  Remove the potato-onion mixture from the heat and place in the strainer over the bowl.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes until most of the oil has come out of the mixture.

7) Add 4 Tbsp of the strained oil from the bowl into a 9-inch skillet/saute pan (saving the rest of the oil for later) and heat over medium-low (this may or may not be the pan you use to cook the potatoes and onions.  I find that it is easier to cook them in a larger pan first, and then use the 9-inch pan for making the tortilla).  Add the potatoes, onions, and spinach to the pan, as well as the egg mixture.  Smooth out the mixture to create a flat surface.  Cover with a lid (e.g., from another pot), and cook for 5-7 minutes until the top is almost completely set (not too runny, the edges and bottom are not burning (which you can check by gently lifting an edge of the tortilla with a spatula).

8) When you think the tortilla is cooked almost all the way through, use a spatula to loosen the edges.  Turn off the heat.  Place a plate over the pan, grip the pan and plate with oven mittens, and quickly flip over so that the tortilla falls onto the plate.  Do this quickly or the residual egg liquid will run out of the pan and all over you!

9) Wipe away any stuck on bits from the pan.  Then add 2 Tbsp of the reserved oil from the bowl and heat over medium.  Gently, slide the tortilla back into the pan from the plate.  Using the spatula, tuck the edges under.  Cook the tortilla for another 2 minutes, until the bottom is set and no longer runny.  Then flip the tortilla out of the pan as in step 8).  Serve immediately.

*I recommend serving tortilla with fresh fruit and some nice bread(s). 

Step #4

After picking out your recipes for the week, go shopping!  If you are not familiar with your shopping options, a good way to figure out who has what, the best deals, and consistent quality is to check out the flyers you get in your mailbox for weekly specials, ask around, and, most obviously, check out the stores. 

Admittedly, shopping has become a fun ritual for Akriti and I, so we are willing to take a little more time than the average person, I would guess, for buying our weekly food.  For example, this past weekend, we actually went to three stores to get all that we wanted and needed.  Maybe it took a little more time than going to only one store, or the closest one, but we definitely got bags full of high-quality, low-cost food.

If you have an Aldi around you, I highly recommend that you check them out.  At all of the stores I have been to, they consistently have a lot to pick from, good quality if you choose wisely, only 1 or 2 types of each item for making easy choices, and *amazing* prices (which they keep low by not providing grocery bags, limiting stock and selection, and only accepting cash/debit).

For specialty items (like Asian foods, Italian cheeses, or Indian chutneys), look around and see if you have a local ethnic grocery store.  We live in a very diverse area, so we have multiple of each of these.  I can get lemongrass as the Thai market for pennies, whereas at our large, commercial grocery store, it will cost me $3.  The same thing applies for olives, cheese, and herbs, which are all *much* cheaper at the Italian market than at the large grocery store.  Be careful though; specialty stores are typically *not* the same as the ethnic grocery stores I am talking about.  If you walk in and see aisles upon aisles of gold labels and fancy scripts on bottles, think "buyer beware of potential harm to wallet contents".  Nevertheless, I definitely do not discourage splurging here and there to try out some cool items you would not typically buy.

To give you an idea of how all of this plays out in my household, Akriti and I typically spend about $100/week total on food.  Many weeks, when we are not buying large items like tins of olive oil, napkins, spices we have run out of, etc, it is more like $70.

I would recommend you take a few weeks and see how you are doing in terms of "refrigerator dollars and sense".  Try and save all of your receipts from eating in and out, and grocery shopping, and calculate what you are actually spending on your weekly food.  I think it might be a bit surprising.

Step #5

Last but certainly not least, stick to your menu.  If you planned on making pasta on Monday night and bought the ingredients for it, then make pasta on Monday night and eat it for lunch the next day.  I guarantee that if you have a refrigerator full of beautiful, delicious food, then you will be *much* less tempted to just grab a bite out.

If, after trying this out for a while (think about trying it for a month and see how you do) you feel as though you really just do not have the time for it, then consider checking out the USDA's site on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  They have a lot of resources for CSA and finding your local CSA farm.  We have a few here in Connecticut where, for a very reasonable price per "term" (e.g. 8 weeks), you can get fresh, in season produce delivered *right* to your door.

With all of this "refrigerator sense", I saw, get going!, check out your fridge!, pick out some recipes!, go shopping!, save some money in the process!!, and by all means, enjoy each and every single one of your meals today, tomorrow, and always!!!