Tuesday Linkage

The Simple Dollar: Ten Frugal Tips for a Great Grilling Experience
Perceptive barbecue tricks from The Simple Dollar, which I’m posting just in time for the 10th of July.

New York Times: Hint of Chocolate Holds a Reward
Oh, wizened and generous Grey Lady, you have bestowed upon us much treasured culinary information over the ages. Yet, until this treatise, none of your scribblings have been as precious.

Slate: Make it Large for a Quarter More?
Jill Hunter Pelletieri pens a really neat mini-history on how theater candy became synonymous with the movie experience, then explains why a large popcorn costs more than a small house.

McSweeney’s: Reviews of New Food
Hilarious sometime column focusing on, uh, just what the title says. My favorite entry ever is a review of “Hot Choice” Tombstone Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza by a writer named Robert Moor. An excerpt: “Never eat pizza from a machine. It's like making love to a Terminator: almost satisfying, but slightly creepy, and there's always the possibility that it will collapse your chest cavity with one fatal blow.”
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Rattle and Hummus

Last week’s falafel sauce recipe, though delicious, featured an ingredient that’s a bit more expensive than the average bear: tahini paste. And if you’re just becoming acquainted with this high-fat, peanut butter-esque sesame concoction (as am I), you’re probably wondering what the hell else to do with the leftovers (as am I).

Fortunately, hummus, one of the world’s great dips/fillings/playthings uses tahini paste as a main component. It lends a nutty flavor and creamy consistency that gives depth to the humble chickpea. On the flip side, lots of hummus recipes overload on tahini, which means scrumptious sesame flavor, but middlin'-to-serious fat content.

So, to find a delectable, healthier hummus, I started with the bible: Cook’s Illustrated. Captious Vegetarian has their recipe, but suggests halving both the water and salt while leaving out the olive oil. Captious’ mom comments that she substitutes reserved bean juice for water, and slugs in more garlic, as well. Finally, Southern Living proposes adding cumin (yay!) but leaving out the tahini (boo). I would have strongly considered this last version if it wasn’t for that fateful lack of sesame. Seed-omitting miscreants.

The final product of these compromises was a light, lemon-y hummus with more than enough taste to compensate for the reduced tahini. Eat it, love it, live it:

Lemony Light Hummus
6 servings – ¼ cup each

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbs. bean juice reserved from can
3 Tbs. juice from 1 large lemon
2 Tbs. tahini
½ - ¾ tsp. salt
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
dash cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1) Stick everything in a food processor. Process for one minute, until desired smoothness is met. Add more bean juice if you’d like a creamier consistency.

2) Eat immediately, or refrigerate to let the flavors come together.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
96 calories, 4 g fat, $0.28

Calculations
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas: 350 calories, 7 g fat, $0.79
3 Tbs. bean juice reserved from can: negligible calories and fat, $0.00
3 Tbs. lemon juice: 30 calories, 0 g fat, $0.50
2 Tbs. tahini: 190 calories, 18 g fat, $0.25
½ - ¾ tsp. salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press: 5 calories, 0 g fat, $0.05
dash cayenne pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin: negligible calories and fat, $0.05
TOTAL: 575 calories, 25 g fat, $1.66
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 96 calories, 4 g fat, $0.28

Falafel Me, Falafel You: A Recipe

I dig falafel. The boyfriend digs it even more. If falafel was single and a good kisser, I’d end up dumped and homeless on the street. Heartbroken and forlorn, I’d wander about blindly, cursing the day chickpeas sauntered into my life.

But, thank Jeebus, falafel is just a food – a tempting, fatty food that’s normally deep-fried to get its flavor and texture. The challenge then, dear friends, was cutting the ginormous amounts of oil without losing a whit of the taste.

After browsing a few falafel recipes (Sara Moulton, AllRecipes, etc.), I finally bogarted a good-looking one from Epicurious, which garnered it from a cookbook called Foods of Israel Today. Since I was using canned chickpeas instead of dried, I then made a few preparation changes based on the advice of an Epicurious reviewer only known as dickrebel. It turned out to be indispensable, so big round of applause for dickrebel, ladies and gentlemen.

When it came time to cook, once again, it was Weight Watchers to the rescue. They suggested frying the falafel in 2 teaspoons of oil, and then sticking it in a hot oven to finish. Since 2 teaspoons of oil sounded a bit meager, I jacked it up to 2 tablespoons, which was just right. It gave each piece a nice brown color and satisfying crunch without affecting the fat content too terribly. The oven warmed the falafel through, and the addition of garnishes and a lower-fat tahini-yogurt sauce from EatingWell.com finished the whole dish quite nicely. The boyfriend loved it, and ate it so fast that I didn’t worry about them running away together.

Falafel
5 servings – 4 pieces per serving
Adapted from Epicurious.

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried thoroughly
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp vegetable oil for frying

1 tomato, chopped for garnish
¼ large onion, diced for garnish
½ green bell pepper, diced for garnish
Eating Well’s Tahini sauce (listed below)
2 ½ Whole Wheat Pitas

1) Combine onion, garlic and pepper flakes in food processor. Pulse until they’re about 1/8-in. big.

2) Add chickpeas, parsley, and cilantro and chop until “pieces are about the size of a large pinhead.” You don’t want a puree here, because mushiness will make the falafel fall apart. (Thanks, dickrebel.)

3) Dump the items from the food processor into a bowl. Stir in salt, cumin, baking powder and flour until well-mixed., but not really a dough.

4) Stick it in the fridge, covered, for anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. The longer the better. (I did it for an hour, and turned out nicely.)

5) With your hands, make small falafel hockey pucks about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter and ¾ of an inch high. (The flat surface will help with the frying.)

6) Turn oven to 400ºF.

7) Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a huge ovenproof skillet on medium-high. Make sure the pan is good and hot before you put the falafel down. (Think of it like making pancakes.) Fry the pucks for about 3 minutes on the first side, and 2 minutes on the second, until they’re golden brown.

8) When finished, stick skillet in oven (or transfer pucks to a Pam-ed aluminum foil lined cookie sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes.

9) Stick four balls in half a pita with tomatoes, green pepper, and onions. Drizzle with tahini sauce (recipe below).

Eating Well Tahini sauce
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 Tbsp tahini (see Ingredient note)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp salt

1) Mix all ingredients thoroughly in bowl. That’s it.


Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
296 calories, 11.7 g fat, $1.11

Calculations
1 can chickpeas, drained: 350 calories, 7 g fat, $0.79
3/4 onion (main recipe plus garnish): 100 calories, 0 g fat, $0.24
8 Tbsp fresh parsley (main recipe plus sauce): negligible calories and fat, $0.99
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro: negligible calories and fat, $0.33
1 ¼ tsp salt (main recipe plus sauce): negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes: negligible calories and fat, $0.15
4 cloves garlic: 20 calories, 0 g fat, $0.20
1 tsp cumin: negligible calories and fat, $0.05
1 tsp baking powder: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
4 Tbsp flour: 100 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
2 Tbsp vegetable oil for frying: 240 calories, 28 g fat, $0.08
1 tomato, chopped for garnish: 30 calories, 0 g fat, $0.56
½ green bell pepper, diced for garnish: 20 calories, 0 g fat, $0.24
2 ½ Whole Wheat Pitas: 350 calories, 4.25 g fat, $0.47
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt: 80 calories, 1.25 g fat, $0.95
2 Tbsp tahini: 190 calories, 18 g fat, $0.25
1 Tbsp lemon juice: negligible calories and fat, $0.17
TOTAL: 1480 calories, 58.5 g fat, $5.53
PER SERVING (TOTAL/5): 296 calories, 11.7 g fat, $1.11

Links of the Post-Independent

MSN Health: 10 Things Your Grocery Store Doesn't Want You to Know
Solid article on the saucy games supermarkets play. Tips 4 through 8 are particularly relevant to CheapHealthyGood.

The Festival of Frugality
Each week, a different financial blogger compiles his favorite frugality-themed posts from other bloggers around the web. Recent highlights have been The Bulk Buying Debate from The Simple Dollar blog and How NOT to Go to a Bar or Club by The LocoMono Website. SO worth a gander.

CNN: Tainted Chinese seasoning used on recalled snack foods
In case you haven’t heard, Veggie Booty got the recall! Turns out, the extra added flavor was salmonella. Mmm … poison.
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Of Eggplants and Angels: Angel Hair Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce

According to legend, Weight Watchers recipes used to be mostly celery and horseradish, pounded into submission and forced screaming into a sternly unyielding jello mold. Lately, though (the last two years?), the folks at WW seem to have retooled their entire approach. Now there are wondrous additions, like spices and vinegar, that make quite a few of their recipes more than edible.

This dish was posted recently on the WW site, though I altered it pretty significantly to fit my tastes and budget. For a slightly higher price, you could substitute fresh basil for better flavor or whole wheat pasta for more of a nutritional punch. Either way, it’s good stuff, fancy enough for company, and tastes great cold the next day.

Angel Hair Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce
6 servings 1 ½ cups per serving
Adapted from Weight Watchers.


8 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta (half the box), cooked and drained
1 medium raw eggplant, sliced into 1-inch cubes
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 t Olive oil (preferably in a spray bottle)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp dried basil (or 2 T fresh, minced)
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth (or low-fat regular)
3-4 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

1) Preheat oven to 425ºF.

2) Chop the eggplant (skin on) and red pepper, and put ‘em in a large bowl. If you have an olive oil spray bottle, coat the top of the vegetables and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stir well (but gently). Do this three times, being careful not to oversalt. (If you don’t have a spray bottle, slowly drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil on top of the veggies. Then, follow the aforementioned directions.)

3) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. (If you like, coat it with cooking spray. This isn’t necessary, but will make vegetable removal a little easier.) Place eggplant and pepper on sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until they start to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

4) Grab a big saucepan. Coat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat on medium-low.

5) Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, until heated through. Add roasted veggies, red pepper flakes, basil, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat up to medium-high.

6) Cook a few minutes until broth is reduced, and the mixture becomes a little saucy. Turn off the burner. Add the pasta and stir lots.

7) Add the feta and mix thoroughly, until the pasta is coated with it. If this is done while the pasta is still warm, you’ll get a lot of feta in each bite. Serve NOW.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
243.7 calories, 6.2 g fat, $1.14

Calculations
8 oz. angel hair pasta: 840 calories, 4 g fat, $0.25
1 medium eggplant: 132 calories, 1 g fat, $1.38
1 medium red bell pepper: 40 calories, 0 g fat, $0.88
4 t olive oil: 160 calories, 18.2 g fat, $0.10
Salt and pepper: 0 calories, 0 g fat, $0.02
1 garlic clove: negligible calories and fat, $0.05
1 can diced tomatoes: 75 calories, 0 g fat, $1.19
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes: negligible calories and fat, $0.05
1 T dried basil: negligible calories and fat, $0.25
½ c chicken broth: 5 calories, .5 g fat, $0.40
3-4 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled: 210 calories, 13.5 g fat, $2.25
TOTAL: 1462 calories, 37.2 g fat, $6.82
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 243.7 calories, 6.2 g fat, $1.14

A Plan! A Wonderful Plan!

To accomplish what CheapHealthyGood is setting out to do, odds are I’ll need to post something. Links, suggestions, and muted whining are to be expected. I’d also like to scrawl some how-to entries, strategy guides, and generally informative doodles, but let’s see how it goes.

The most important part of the site, hopefully though, will be the actual food. My goal here is to try a recipe, make sure it hits every criteria (cheap, healthy, and um, good), calculate its stats, and post the results. Included in each of these entries will be:

• Pictures

• The recipe itself

• The approximate price per serving

• The approximate fat and calories per serving

I’ll need some guidelines, here. So let’s say:

• All nutritional facts are gleaned from manufacturers’ websites, supermarket listings, and various calorie-and-fat counters from around the web.

• All prices are what I actually paid for each item, divided according to the amount used from a package. In other words, if I bought a pound of angel hair pasta for $0.70, but only used 8 ounces, I list the price as $0.35.

• All the calculations are my own, and are approximate. Cut me some slack, man.

• If a recipe is gleaned from a cookbook, website, or chef (and most of them are), I cite the source ALWAYS, and change the wording as much as possible. Plagiarism is bad.

• The difficulty level of each recipe will assume the cook’s been in a kitchen before, but hasn’t studied under Daniel Boulud for any length of time.

Comments, suggestions, and readers are welcomed with open arms and a strawberry Freezy Pop. For now, here’s hoping.

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Mission Statement ... OF DELIGHT

Back in the olden days of yore (2005), I was pretty convinced that moderately-priced healthy food didn’t exist and couldn’t be made, at least by me. My weight had yo-yoed a few times at that point, and it always seemed like Skinny Kris coincided very strongly with Broke Kris.

See, Skinny Kris liked sushi and roasted eggplant spread. She preferred full-price pork tenderloin over on-sale pork chops, and a nice slab of jamillion-dollar fresh tuna over both. Skinny Kris thought nothing of blowing $5.09 on a 16-oz light smoothie from Jamba Juice when there was a perfectly good $0.35 cent banana over at the fruit cart. Financially, Skinny Kris sucked it.

When Skinny Kris started running out of money, she became Heavier Kris, who hoovered up bargain fries and plowed through cheapo lo mein like the world would run out tomorrow. To her ass’ great detriment, Heavier Kris’ most nefarious weakness was $0.69 Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, a craving that could not be sated until the whole box was gone. Heavier Kris was saving precious dough, but at the expense of her cholesterol levels and now-gigantic bosom.

Being broke and skinny was not fun. Being large and in economic charge wasn’t either. So, in the beginning of last year, I made two resolutions: A) I had to stop referring to myself in third person, and B) these dueling sides needed to reach détente.

A few cooking lessons and serious amounts of foodie blog research (some would call it “lazy perusing”) helped. Reading Suze Orman’s “Young, Fabulous and Broke” and “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey helped. Understanding that half-price Cheetos and bulk-packaged candy were The Man’s Tools of Oppression™ helped, too. But what helped most of all was being honest-to-god ready for change.

As it turns out, peaches go on sale at the supermarket for $0.69. Rice is insanely inexpensive, even moreso at the local ethnic grocers. And that roasted eggplant spread? I can make it myself for two bucks, rather than buy it at the deli for six. Realizing and taking advantage of all this was a huge step, but there are tons more to go.

In the end, that’s what this blog is about: change. Yes, it focuses largely on making delicious eats at a reasonable cost, but mostly it’s a journey - to break old habits, discover new ones, and *barf* be a better person.
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