WGN-April 1^st, 2022

Tips and Tricks for meals and grocery shopping with rising food costs!

Shop the flyer and plan menu around sales

Shop in bulk. For meat, divide in portions and freeze.

Shop the ethnic aisles especially for spices (spices usually come in bags and are far less expensive)

Shop at discount grocery stores they carry private label that are less expensive

Shop the freezer section for out of season fruits/veggies – they are frozen at their peak of ripeness and will be much more economical to buy

Recipe saving ideas:

1) Per pound dark meat is less expensive than white meatand bone in skin on is less expensive than boneless skinless-tip bake on half sheet pan with baking rack

2) Ground Beef Tofu– With the inflation of so many meat products the “alternative meat” market is rising in popularity.  Tofu ground beef substitute is ¼ of the price of ground beef right now and is healthier!

3) Pea-mole there is a temporary ban on avocados from Mexico so prices will rise even more since supply is limited. Also, this recipe is lower in fat and calories!

4) Sweet treat dupe- one of my favorite sweet treats but has gone way up in price so as an alternative I stuffed a dark chocolate morsel in a fresh raspberry, only 25 calories for 7 stuffed raspberries.

Roasted Chicken Thighs-pat dry with paper towel, (excess moisture will prevent the chicken from getting crispy) rub chicken with olive oil all over, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with oregano, top with some sliced fresh lemon. 

Tip: Bake on baking rack placed on a foiled lined sheet pan, (air circulates and your chicken will stay nice and crispy) 375 degrees for about 35-45 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. This recipe is quick, easy and no prep.

Tofu Ground Beef:

1 package (16 oz.) extra-firm tofu

2 Tbls. soy sauce

2 Tbls. olive oil

11/2 tsps. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp smoked paprika

Squeeze of tomato paste (about 1 ½ tsp.)

2 Tbls. parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast

Couple dashes of Worcestershire

Cut block of tofu into 4 cubes and mash with potato masher to crumble. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl, add tofu and mix well, so evenly coated.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking so that it will evenly brown.

Use in any recipe as a substitute for ground beef, it’s delicious!

Pea-mole

1 cup frozen peas

1 avocado; mashed with fork but still chunky

1 Tbls. cilantro

½ of a lime; juiced

1 Tbls. diced white onion

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp cumin

Finely diced jalapeño (to taste)

salt to taste

Place peas in the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper and pulse until the peas are smooth.

Transfer peas into a medium bowl and add lime juice, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic powder and salt. Stir everything together with a fork.

Add avocado to the bowl and mix. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chocolate Stuffed Raspberries

1 package fresh raspberries

Dark chocolate morels

Stuff raspberries with chocolate morsel.  This is a reverse ingredient copycat recipe, far less expensive!