Photo Credit: Perry’s Plate

Our family would l.o.v.e. this chili. We love all the ingredients…and combined it would be perfect! And easy, vegetarian one dish dinner

• Sweet Potato Chili

This is my easy, frugal alternative to Eggplant Parmesan. I wasn’t quite so eloquent when my daughter asked what I was making for dinner. I told her I was making Eggplant Parmesan without the eggplant and without the Parmesan. she said, “it sounds like you’ve got nothing”. After she finished eating she leaned over and said, “You might want to consider naming this recipe based on what is in it, instead of what is missing”.

I included a layer of rice under the zucchini to make this vegetarian dish just a little more filling. Plus it helps sop up the extra spaghetti sauce.

Instead of breading and frying the zucchini, I add a layer of croutons. The croutons add the flavor and crunch you expect in a Parmesan dish, but it is a lot faster and easier. Since it is baked instead of fried, it is also lower in fat.

You can stretch cheese further by using a super fine grated cheese. That is only one cup of cheese in the picture above, but it looks like more because it is finely grated. Quite often when you eat Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan at a restaurant it doesn’t actually contain Parmesan cheese. My husband and kids do not like Parmesan cheese, so I rarely use it. If your family likes Parmesan cheese, then replace 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese with it.

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As the first few months of the school year have passed, I have gotten into a school lunch rut. I was starting to pack my 1st grader a peanut butter & honey sandwich everyday! Then a little leftover pasta inspired me to create a new, quick dish for school & work lunches.

This is is versatile and can be changed to use up a variety of leftovers. You could substitute leftover rice or add leftover chicken/tuna or beans. You could even challenge an older child to create his own creation using up already in the fridge. Here’s to breaking the school lunch rut!



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Kelly sent this recipe for 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta from Oh She Glows. She’d made it, loved it, and thought it might be helpful for those dealing with food allergies…and can’t do white sauces with pasta.

I was mainly intrigued because it was “something else to do with spaghetti noodles.” We eat spaghetti on average 3-4 times a month…usually with a meat or marinara sauce and on occasion with garlicky-olive oil sauce. So I was ready for something new…and this was just it.

I (big, giant, thumping heart) love avocados. (imagine the emoticon here.)

I often tell friends over a bowl of guacamole that if I had to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life…it would be avocado. And that I’d want chips and guacamole for my last meal.

So yes, I jumped at the chance to make this. The original recipe called for just 6 oz. of pasta…and we generally need 12 oz. for our family. So I doubled the sauce (didn’t end up needing it all), but I’ll include it for a good hearty 4 portions.

I used a box of whole wheat thin spaghetti noodles…wanted to make sure the water could boil and pasta cook in less than 15…trying to keep in step with the original recipe. And also…this box of noodles was FREE. Bought when on sale for $1, with a $1 off coupon.  Yippee!

A fabulously inexpensive dinner. And if you wish to go non-vegetarian and add some grilled chicken on top or on the side, you could still make this for less than $5!!!

Oh, and we had a super fun time “twirling” the noodles against a spoon…we hadn’t taught the kids to do that yet…probably because the meat sauce we usually have with spaghetti noodles gets in the way and doesn’t make for “smooth twirling.”

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Raise your hand if you love hummus. Yes, yes, lots of folks out there. Me too! Ok. How many of you pay big bucks for one of those tiny tubs of hummus at the store? A few, yes. How many have this little problem of keeping food and snacks stocked in your house? Me too!

Well, I’m here to share my way of saving big bucks in the hummus economy. Thinking of how I batch cooked black-eyed peas in the slow cooker, I figured I could surely batch cook chickpeas. Yes. An entire bag in the slow cooker.

Following the directions on the bag, I soaked the 12 oz. of chickpeas in the slow cooker for 8 hrs. Then I drained the water. Put new water back in the slow cooker with the peas. Next, I cooked them on high for 7 hours. I did this during the day so I could check on things. This being the first time I’d ever batch cooked chickpeas.

Next, I used Nana’s recipe to make the hummus but feel free to use any of the following:

• Nana’s Homemade Hummus
• Erin’s Homemade Hummus
• Another variation using the pressure cooker at Summer Tomato via The Thrifty Mama
• Homemade Hummus at All Recipes

You can freeze half of the cooked chickpeas if it is too much for your family. Already cooked chickpeas in your freezer for future hummus!

Hummus is not only a snack food, it’s an allergy-friendly alternative in our house. Used often in the place of mayonnaise because of egg allergy. Tucked easily into a tortilla. Slathered on a sandwich. But guess what else? It’s also a treat. See what I recently found on Pinterest?

Guacamole Hummus. The above made with Nana’s hummus, avocado and this recipe from Shutter Bean. Two fine foods in harmonious flavor.

See the savings.

• 1 store-bought pre-made tub of hummus dip = $3.99 for 10 oz, $5.29 for 14 oz!!!
• 1 can of chickpeas (will make 1 recipe of hummus) = $1.19 for 15.5oz can
• 1 bag of dried chickpeas (makes double the amount of one can chickpeas) $1.29 for 16oz (bigger than my bag)

Basically, the cooked, dried chickpeas make twice the amount for a little over a dollar. Or close to 16 oz of hummus for around half a dollar. Yes, this southern gal has indeed seen the many benefits of homemade hummus in large amounts. Cheap and healthy hummus spreads far and makes folks happy at Hodgepodge.

And sure scoops well on homemade wheat thins!

Several years ago, while I was being treated for cancer, I had to come up with recipes that were vegetarian. I created this recipe because I knew it would be fun for my children to eat, and also nutritious. The shredded carrots replace shredded cheese so we didn’t feel like we were going without!

I’ve had some wild rice in my pantry for way too long…and it’s time to use it up!

I like wild rice…but not “all” wild rice. Meaning I don’t like to eat just wild rice as a side dish…even when it’s flavored well, cooked in stock, etc. It has a “harsh” taste, if you will. So when making this pilaf, I decided to do a combination of brown rice and wild rice…to “tame” the harshness, if that’s possible.

Also, I cooked the rice together, and with lime juice, to try to infuse a different flavor into the rice. Toss in a whole bunch of different veggies and beans and the wild rice flavor and harshness doesn’t “take over” the dish. (If that makes sense.)

You could certainly make this with all wild rice, or all brown rice. Whatever floats your pilaf boat!

Y’all have a fabulous weekend!

(Oh. And great allergen free dinner. And perfect for “Rice and Beans” budget!)

A guest post from Amanda at Eat Like a Rabbit…

Recently, I saw a Twitter post suggesting that being a vegetarian is expensive. I was surprised. My family of three is vegetarian and we’ve eaten a lot of meals for $5 or less.

(Thanks, Erin, for teaching me to do a cost analysis.)

Of course it’s easy to get carried away and spend a lot on exotic vegetables. However, if you’re interested in saving money, a vegetarian meal every now and then can definitely improve your grocery store bottom line.

We are an active family, and therefore are big eaters. My 18-month-old daughter can eat a cantaloupe or two mangoes a day. I now have to cook two boxes of pasta to feed us dinner and still have enough leftover for lunch the following day.

Here are some tips for how we eat well as vegetarians on a budget.

1. Grains and Beans Are Cheap

While a “Beans and Rice Budget” is often talked about in a joking manner, those ingredients are actually quite good for you, especially if you use brown rice. Make beans and grains core to your meals, and these delicious staples will help keep you lighter and your wallet heavier.

2. Heart- and Budget-Healthy Breakfasts

Erin has already proven that soy or almond milk, even regular milk, and eggs can be purchased at a discount. But when you can’t get a good deal, consider alternative bulk grain breakfasts. For example, my husband makes oatmeal on Sunday with cinnamon, raisins, and dried apricots in it.

He efficiently makes enough to last all week. Even with premium ingredients, his breakfast costs less than $1 a day. For us, that’s much cheaper than a soy milk and boxed cereal breakfast.

3. Meat Substitutes Aren’t Always Necessary

Plant proteins are usually much cheaper than animal proteins, but this doesn’t often include meat-replacements. Vegetarian meat substitute products are fun, and many taste great. But they are often expensive. Just like with other groceries, buy MorningStar Farms and Boca products when they are on sale and with coupons. Otherwise, choose meat-free meal recipes.

4. Buy Produce on Sale

Coupons for fresh produce are rare. In season produce is generally cheaper. So, I watch the grocery store ads for what vegetables are on sale each week.

Then, I plan our meals around the fruits and vegetables on sale. I have a back-up item–like spinach from Costco–should the sales for the week not be satisfactory.

We don’t have space for a large garden, but we enjoy a container herb garden and pepper plants. The herbs and peppers require little space and little attention, but pack great free flavor into recipes.

5. Take Advantage of Your Freezer

Stock up on produce when it’s cheap and use freezer space to store fruits and vegetables, beans, and homemade bread.

I cut produce, like apples or sweet potatoes, into the shapes I might want when I cook them (diced, sliced, or shredded) and freeze them. This prolongs the life of the produce and cuts down on preparation time later. I often freeze beans when I make a batch. They can be cheaper than canned beans.

It’s also wise to stock up on good frozen vegetables. We’re partial to Pictsweet and Bird’s Eye because of the variety of vegetables they offer. Frozen vegetables are another source for healthy food when fresh vegetables aren’t available. Bagged vegetables make meal preparation fast, discouraging the temptation to eat out.

One Last Thought

Find a cookbook that fits your cooking level (beginner to pro). If it’s easy to follow, you’ll be less likely to waste your food (either by poor cooking or poor final product), especially if you’re cooking with new ingredients.

When we were first married, my cooking level was pretty minimal. Luckily, my new aunt-in-law sent me Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet. A year or so later, my husband got me Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. It still took me another year to work up to the level I felt I needed to be to cook a recipe out of it. My favorite is still Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, a pescatarian cookbook.

Amanda Martin lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and daughter. She is a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and an adjunct instructor at Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences. She blogs about for the benefit of the “vegetarian curious” at EatLikeaRabbit.net.

Are you hot yet? In these dog days of summer, I have been experimenting with fresh recipes for hot summer nights. I have been loving vegetable salad recipes that feature summer produce in a new way.  This is one of my favorite summer side dishes. It is a change from the classic corn on the cob and is a great make ahead dish to bring on a picnic.

This is a great light summer recipe that is loaded with vegetables from the garden or farmer’s market. We make a version of this dish at the Cooking Class that I teach for our hospital. It is always delicious and is a great way to highlight summer produce.

I used Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta for this dish.  It is also great with whole wheat pasta for added fiber and nutrients. I often get either pasta for $..50 or less with coupons! (Erin here: I usually get this pasta for free with the right coupon matchup!) An inexpensive way to up the nutrition for my family.

You can use any combination of vegetables that you family likes or that is in season.  I used red & green peppers and zucchini this time around. Asparagus, summer squash and mushrooms have also been fabulous in this dish. The trick to this dish is to marinate the vegetables after you cook them. The marinade really soaks in once the veggies have softened.