Q. Dear Church lady, What about offering meatless recipes? Food is expensive and sometimes a new recipe can help change the routine. Plus nutritional advantages.I think if you are on a fixed income, cooking for one or two, you can sometimes run out of ideas. CS.
A. Dear CS, Thanks for the great suggestion! We love vegetarian options, and your average church lady can stretch a dollar until it cries for mercy!
Let's start with that church lunch favourite, egg salad. It's just boiled eggs, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and your choice of onions, parsley, cilantro, basil, relish, olives, mustard, or even dried cranberries and nuts. A few of us make a nice bean soup that is just soaked and boiled beans (of nearly any kind), cooked with whatever vegetables are in season. That's gluten-free as well, we understand. Lentil lasagna is good. Replace the meat in your usual recipe with lentils that have been cooked in water or broth for about 20 minutes until soft. You can do that with moussaka, too. Zucchini season is coming up. Gardeners will gladly load you up with some, and they make great "boats" or fillers for nearly anything. Lots of options for that in a google search. Macaroni and cheese? There are some delicious and inexpensive homemade options out there.
One of our forager parishioners swears by stinging nettle soup. Be careful picking the leaves - use gloves! - but then quickly blanch them in boiling water and they will lose their sting. Saute them with onions and add some milk or broth and they are delicious and full of vitamins.
Anyone else have a great inexpensive meatless recipe? We would love to print it here!
A. Dear CS, Thanks for the great suggestion! We love vegetarian options, and your average church lady can stretch a dollar until it cries for mercy!
Let's start with that church lunch favourite, egg salad. It's just boiled eggs, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and your choice of onions, parsley, cilantro, basil, relish, olives, mustard, or even dried cranberries and nuts. A few of us make a nice bean soup that is just soaked and boiled beans (of nearly any kind), cooked with whatever vegetables are in season. That's gluten-free as well, we understand. Lentil lasagna is good. Replace the meat in your usual recipe with lentils that have been cooked in water or broth for about 20 minutes until soft. You can do that with moussaka, too. Zucchini season is coming up. Gardeners will gladly load you up with some, and they make great "boats" or fillers for nearly anything. Lots of options for that in a google search. Macaroni and cheese? There are some delicious and inexpensive homemade options out there.
One of our forager parishioners swears by stinging nettle soup. Be careful picking the leaves - use gloves! - but then quickly blanch them in boiling water and they will lose their sting. Saute them with onions and add some milk or broth and they are delicious and full of vitamins.
Anyone else have a great inexpensive meatless recipe? We would love to print it here!
RSS Feed
