Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza

$1.17 total / $0.59 per serving

Some things sound like a weird combination but are actually destined to be combined. For me those are typically a sweet and savory combination like cranberry sauce with turkey or applesauce on potato latkes. So when I went to a restaurant and they were serving this pizza, I was skeptical while also intrigued. Once I took a bite, though, all of my doubts vanished. This combination is delicious!

Nutritional Highlight: Pears. High in fiber and several vitamins and minerals, pears are an important fruit to eat during the fall and winter months when they are in season. Pears also contain folate, which is especially important for pregnant or nursing mothers. Another important characteristic of pears is that they contain the trace element boron, which helps the body absorb calcium and magnesium more efficiently. **Enjoy this pizza with a side salad made with spinach or arugula to maximize your calcium absorption** 

Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza (Serves 1-2)

1/4 recipe pizza dough
1/2 Bartlett Pear, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Mozzarella, finely shredded
2 Tbsp Gorgonzola, crumbled
Drizzle of Olive Oil

Prepare the pizza dough as directed, here. Let dough rest 15 minutes. If pizza dough is frozen, allow 24 hours thawing time.

Preheat oven to 475º.  Roll out the dough on a flour surface until thin. Lift the dough up and lightly pull to stretch the dough. Lay dough out on a pizza pan or sheet pan.

Drizzle dough with olive oil. Layer pears, gorgonzola and mozzarella.

Bake at 475º for 10 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Nutritional Analysis: 

Per serving (1/2 pizza): 315 calories, 15.8g fat (5.9g saturated, 1g polyunsaturated, 7.1g monounsaturated), 30.4g carbohydrates, 12.5g protein and over 15% daily value of Folate, Selenium and Thiamin

Weeknight Chicken Tacos

$4.47 total / $1.12 per serving

Some days I am just exhausted after work. Really. I feel like I need to just sit on the couch and stare ahead with all of the lights off just to recuperate. Maybe that's just me! (It sounds a bit extreme as I type it out, but it's the truth!)

Maybe you don't quite relate with me, but I'm sure most of you at least don't feel like making something labor intensive for dinner after a long day. Well, I feel you! I also have an answer for you: Chicken Tacos. These little babies are super quick and easy. You'll literally be ready to eat within 20 minutes!

Nutritional Highlight: Cooking with your spice rack. How do you make flavorful food without any fat? Spices! Spices are also an easy way to add additional vitamins and minerals to your meal. Many spices also contain essential oils, oil derived from individual plants, which are beneficial for a variety of health concerns. For example, cumin helps to aid digestion and ease insomnia due to its levels of Vitamin B, thymol and its own essential oil.

Weeknight Chicken Tacos (serves 3-4)

1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into thin strips
1 cup Onion, chopped and divided
1/2 cup Water
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
Fresh Cilantro, for serving
Corn Tortillas, for serving
Creamy Salsa Verde, for serving

In a large skillet over high heat, cook the chicken and most of the onions - you'll want to reserve just a small amount for topping the tacos. Immediately, add the spices to coat chicken and onion, stir and cook until the spices are fragrant. Reduce heat to medium and add the water. Simmer for 12 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked.

Meanwhile, heat corn tortillas over medium heat in a small pan. You can heat up about 3 at a time and then transfer to a warm plate with a damp paper towel to cover.

When you are ready, layer chicken and onion mixture onto a corn tortilla and top with raw onion, cilantro leaves and creamy salsa verde.

Nutritional Analysis:

Per serving (2 tacos dressed as shown): 162 calories, 5g fat, 23.9g carbohydrates, 7.3g protein

January Budget Breakdown

January Total: $117.76

 (This cart totals $41.73)

Life is crazy at the moment! Phew......I needed to take a breath. Thanks for bearing with me!

Last month was really unique because I started buying locally for the first time! It was also crazy busy as I started another semester at school and began working part time again. As a result of all of these changes, I ended up leading a pretty disorganized month in regards to grocery shopping. I went to the store 6 times in January, which is a ton for me! Two of those trips were to pick up our share at the Co-op and also to their market.

(This bag totals $5.84)

We ended up being very successful last month because I had quite a bit of food that needed to be used in the freezer. We were able to use up the rest of our pork loin, some vegetables and our entire cookie dough stash! I think the other contributor to our success was our new addition of buying food at the local Co-op. The food is so cheap there! I have been pleasantly surprised in both the prices and the quality of the food I've received.

Here is a breakdown of my purchases for the month of January:

Grocery Store
Measurement	Item	Price
2 lb bag	Coffee	$9.98
1 bag	Cereal	$2.98
1 package	Wonton Wrappers	$2.59
4 gallons	Milk	$10.05
2 18 count	Eggs	$5.18
1 carton	Orange Juice	$2.99
2	Chobani Yogurt**	$0.70
1	Store Ready Pizza**	$6.99
2 loaves	Whole Wheat Bread**	$3.34
1 jar	Artichoke Hearts	$1.22
1 can	Pumpkin Puree	$2.09
2 cans	Garbanzo Beans	$1.36
1.36 lbs	Quinoa*	$5.21
.89 lbs	Bowtie Pasta*	$1.03
2.75 lbs	Bread Flour*	$1.36
.28 lbs	Grated Parmesan*	$1.05
2.53 lbs	Whole Wheat Flour*	$1.19
.27 lbs	Walnut Halves*	$1.53
1.09 lb	Cereal*	$2.15
1 bunch	Green Onions	$0.59
3	Roma Tomatoes	$0.83
1 lb	Spaghetti Squash	$2.66
2 lbs	Carrots	$0.78
1	Pineapple	$2.98
1 pint	Grape Tomatoes	$1.28
2	Roma Tomatoes	$0.44
2	Yellow Bell Peppers	$0.96
1	Cucumber	$0.48
1	Cream Cheese	$2.56
4 Sticks	Unsalted Butter	$2.78
1.5 lb	Sliced Turkey Breast	$5.59
	Total	$84.92
	*Bulk Item
	**Sale Item
Co-Op Purchases
Standard Share:		$27.00
1 Loaf	Stone Ground Honey Wheat Bread
2 lbs	Hardwood Smoked Bacon
2 lbs	Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
2 lbs	Lean Ground Beef
4	Granny Smith Apples
4	Bartlett Pears
2	Lemons
2	Tangerines
2	Oranges
5 lb bag	Idaho Potatoes
5 lbs	Onions
1 carton	Mushrooms
2 lb bag	Carrots
1 bunch	Celery
Market Buys:		$5.84
1 package	Nature Jim's Organic Sprouts
1 bunch	Bananas
1	Avocado
1	Red Grapefruit
3	Bartlett Pears
3	Lemons
2	Red Bell Peppers
1	Lime
	Grand Total	$117.76

Hummus

$3.52 total / $0.11 per serving

It's Super Bowl Sunday and many of you are making game day snacks to be enjoyed by many. I can imagine lots of chicken wings, pizza and beer. Don't get me wrong, those things are delicious but there are other things you can put out to help curb your appetite and not over indulge. Something like hummus. Hummus is one of my favorite appetizers. I absolutely love it! Pair it with pita bread, carrots, sliced bell peppers or celery and it is a winner nutritionally as well as being super tasty.

Nutritional Highlight: Tahini. I make tahini from scratch to save money and ease my mind just by knowing exactly what is added. Tahini is made with sesame seeds and olive oil. It's such a simple combination but it can cost you a pretty penny pre-made - around $7 a jar! Tahini is a good source of carbohydrates and protein per serving as well as having a good balance of healthy fats. Fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 cannot be made by your body, so it is important to get them into your diet for a healthy brain and heart. The fat offered from the tahini and other ingredients in this hummus are mostly from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. So while it is a high fat food, these are good fats that are vital to your health. 

Hummus  (makes about 4 cups)

1/2 cup Sesame Seeds
6 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided
2 cans Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or garbanzo if you can't find chickpeas)
5 Garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
2 Lemons, juiced
2 Tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp Cumin

In a food processor, pulse the sesame seeds until they are almost ground. Slowly add up to 2 Tbsp of the olive oil to form a paste, scraping down the sides as needed. When you have the sesame paste or tahini, add in the rest of the ingredients except olive oil and water. Add the oil and water as needed to make the desired consistency. I like my hummus thick and creamy. The water helps make it creamy without so much olive oil. Eventually I ended up using 4 more Tbsp of olive oil and 2 Tbsp of water to make mine the consistency I wanted.

Serve with a little extra olive oil drizzled over the top. Cut up your favorite vegetables or pita bread to serve along side this as a dip.

Nutritional Analysis:

Per 2 Tbsp serving: 68 calories, 3.9g fat (.5g saturated, .8g polyunsaturated, 2.3g monounsaturated), 7g carbohydrates, 1.7g protein