Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce with baked Eggplant

Raw Pasta Sauce

2-3 large tomatoes

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T. olive oil

handful fresh basil leaves

few sprigs of fresh thyme

handful fresh oregano leaves

1 t. sea salt

3 dates, soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes

1/3-1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes soaked in hot water to soften

1. Put all of it in a food processor and blend to desired consistency.

2. Eat on pasta or spiralized zucchini

Baked Eggplant

1/2 large eggplant

1 egg

1 T. water

1 c. breadcrumbs

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

grated cheese of your choice

1 tomato, diced

1. Slice the eggplant into thick slices.

2. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl.

3. Place the breadcrubs in another small bowl.

4. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg and then the breadcrumbs.

5. Place on a greased baking sheet.

6. Top with the tomatoes and cheese.

7. Drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic on top.

8. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes

9. Then broil for 3 minutes

The pictures don't do this meal justice. I really enjoyed it. Both recipes are quick and easy.

Grocery shopping

Whenever I talk about eating more fresh fruits and vegetables with people, their biggest concern is how can they afford it. So I thought I'd share my grocery list and tab with everyone. I went grocery shopping today and this is what I got that was food related. Maybe you're able to spend more or less, but I think we make out pretty well. I always shop the ads first, and then we buy a lot of what's on sale.

Sam's club
bananas $1.29
1 lb. fresh spinach $3.98
3 lbs. raw almonds $8.74
3 hearts celery $2.17
6 heads romaine $3.39
25 lbs. white flour $6.09
3 lbs. sour cream $3.49
2.5 lbs. turkey luch meat $6.98
4 lbs unsalted butter $5.77
Total with tax: $45.11

Whole Foods (bulk section)
0.68 lbs unsweetened shredded coconut $1.38
1.11 lbs millet $1.10
0.75 lbs red quinoa $2.24
0.68 lbs sea salt $0.40
Total with tax: $5.90

HyVee
2.01 lbs pears $1.99
1 cauliflower $.99
2.4 lbs nectarines $2.38
Total with tax: $5.72

Price Chopper
sliced bacon $1.98
1 cantaloupe $.98
3 lbs gala apples $2.00
2 lbs. angel hair pasta $1.58
white popcorn $1.39
1 bunch of cilantro $.79

Total with tax: $9.38

Walmart
1 Quart Dannon plain yogurt $1.00 - I had a coupon for $1 off, it was $2 originally
1 large baby kosher pickles $1.58 - I had a coupon for 50 cents off
Mayo $2.50
5 lbs sushi rice $5.32 - this is cheaper at Asian stores bought in a 20 lb. bag
chili powder $.50
2 lbs. brown rice $1.52
1 large bunch of green onions $ 1.18
1 large bunch of kale $1.18
4 cobs of corn $1.00
2 cucumbers $1.00
Total with tax: $18.06


Aldi

1 crm chkn soup 0.59

1 28oz can diced tomatoes 0.89

2 14 oz. can diced tomatoes w/ chilies 0.98

1 can pineapple 0.89

1 frozen orange juice 0.82

1 can mushrooms 0.55

2 avocados $1.98

1 box Bran Flakes cereal $1.49

5 oz. grated Asiago cheese $1.99

1/2 gallon 2% milk $1.41

canola oil $2.49

olive oil $3.49 - this is much cheaper bought in bulk at Sam's

1 box shredded wheat $1.89

8 oz. mozzarella cheese $1.49

4pk chocolate pudding 0.88

2 lemons 0.58

2 limes 0.58

2 lb brown sugar $1.24

16 oz. whole wheat pasta $1.09

1 bag frozen peas 0.95

1 bottle of ketchup $1.19

1 large box of raisins $1.79

3-2lb bags of carrots $2.97

2 lb green grapes $1.58

2 lb red grapes $1.58

2 dozen large eggs $1.94

1 watermelon $2.49

Total with tax: $44.89

Grand Total:$129.06 for two weeks

I do one large shopping trip like this every two weeks. The following week I spend about $20 to replenish some of the fresh stuff. This total may seem like a lot, but we almost never eat out, so this is breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for our family.

My Lunch Today

Today I just wanted to have a simple sandwich with vegetables, didn't feel like any meat. I went to the Louisburg farmer's market this morning and so I had fresh zucchini and tomatoes on hand.

flatbread
gorgonzola cheese
tomatoes
5 or 6 slices of zucchini
basil (fresh from my garden)
balsamic vinegar

1. toast the flatbread or your choice of bread.
2. Sautee the sliced zucchini over medium heat in butter until browned
3. Sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar on one piece of bread
4. Build the sandwich with tomatoes, then zucchini, cheese, and basil.

I thought this was so good! I love fresh veggies from the market!

Buckwheat cereal

I saw this idea in "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen" and finally tried it today. All you need is Buckwheat Groats. I got them at Whole Foods in the bulk section.

1. First soak the groats in water for 6-8 hours. Rinsing and draining about once every hour.
2. After the soak, rinse and drain well.
3. Then lay out pieces of wax paper on your dehydrator trays and spread out the groats evenly among the trays.
4. Dehydrate for 3-5 hours until all the water is absorbed.

I ate these tonight topped with sunflower seeds, coconut, and a little bit of juice. They kind of reminded me of grape nuts. You definitely have to chew, but a great way to eat your whole grains. In the cookbook, she tops her groats with carob almond milk. I've never been much for milk on cereal. I imagine they would be good with some full fat yogurt, none of that fat free stuff. I've been reading a lot about how all the low fat foods are actually filled with tons of chemicals. For some reason this is just occuring to me. Besides, the full fat yogurt tastes so much better!

Fajitas

We love Mexican in this house, and fajitas are such an easy thing to make. The other night I threw together something really easy and it was so yummy.

Chicken:

chicken breast

few dashes of cumin

fresh oregano, chopped

coconut oil, for cooking

Vegetables:

chopped zucchini

chopped onion

chopped green peppers

So all I did was chop the chicken and then cook it in about 1 T. coconut oil over medium heat, adding the cumin, oregano, and salt if desired.

Then I sauteed the vegetables in a little coconut oil until soft but a little crunchy.

We topped them with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, fresh lime juice, guacamole, fresh cilantro, and sour cream.

I used some tortillas but also had it in a leaf of romaine lettuce. Here's my tortilla recipe, it's so easy and makes about 20 small tortillas. I put half in the fridge and throw the other half in the freezer in a plastic bag.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

1 ½ c. wheat flour
1 ½ c. white flour
1 t. salt
1 T. baking powder
Pinch of sugar (optional)
3-4 T. oil
1 c. water

Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and oil. Add water and mix with hands. Form into a large ball. Divide into about 20 smaller balls, depending on how large you want the tortilla. Roll each ball flat with a rolling pin and cook on a hot ungreased griddle. Use medium heat. Cook for about 20 seconds on each side until lightly brown on each side. Store in the fridge or freeze. To reheat and soften, rub tortilla with a sprinkle of water, wrap in a damp towel and place in a sealed container until you’re ready to serve them.