I admit that we spend a lot on groceries. While eating healthfully doesn’t necessarily equal a high food bill, when you toss in the stipulation that grains and most legumes must be avoided too, well, you can only go so low. Fortunately, I still find ways to cut costs. I buy quality meats through a co-op, make the most of my Costco membership, comparison-shop like mad, cook from scratch almost exclusively (i.e., no convenience items), buy my eggs from a farmer who doesn’t know his real worth (I wrestle weekly with wanting to tell him that he really should be charging more and yet wanting to keep getting a steal of deal), and try to focus on low-cost cuts of meat and cheap vegetables and fruits.
Lately, I’ve also been trying to build an arsenal of frugal, grain-free, legume-free recipes. Most of them aren’t fancy, but as long as they taste good and don’t kill our budget, we’re happy. The best meals for us are those that work great with the addition of rice or quinoa for my hubby, who needs the carbs. Poor Man’s Rosemary Beef and Vegetables is just such a dish. A few weeks ago, I found myself in a real pinch without a menu plan and a dwindling supply of ingredients in my fridge and pantry. Panicky, I threw a few items together and came up with what turned out to be a new favorite. It’s not elegant, and it’s not pretty, but, boy, is it tasty! We liked it so much that we’ve made it a couple of times since, and I have it on the menu for tonight too.
Made with ground beef (can it get any cheaper?) and the most frugal of vegetables, this recipe is my contribution to The Nourishing Gourmet’s Nourishing Frugal Recipes Carnival. It stretches a pound of meat a long, long way, especially if you eat it with the rice. To spread the meat even thinner, try adding diced potatoes to the mix.
Poor Man’s Rosemary Beef and Vegetables
1 pound ground beef
6 to 8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 medium stalks celery, diced
1/2 small-medium head of cabbage (red or green), thinly sliced
28 ounces petite diced canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
sea salt
black pepper
Brown the beef with the garlic and onions. Drain.
Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings.
Serve alone or over cooked brown rice.
It sounds a lot like a recipe my Polish friend uses. Of course she also uses some delish Polish seasoning mix that I don’t think you can get Stateside for love or money, but the rest of it is the same.
[...] at Wholesome Goodness shares a delicious recipe for “Poor Man’s Rosemary Beef and Vegetables”. First, I love the name, and secondly, I know I love this recipe because we make something almost [...]
This recipe sounds SO delicious. I’m always looking for frugal feeding of the family. Yes, the meat at Costco is SO good, isn’t it? I’m interning at familyfoodies.com, learning to blog and network. I hope it’s ok if I put this in my ‘link love’ post this week.
Hey, I think my whole family would eat this one. Still trying to convince my hubby about the Costco membership over Sam’s. He is more into convenience of the locations of Sam’s the the only one Costco close and it means going south of 249…..oh, the horror…. LOL!! Our membership to Sam’s is up this month so I need to do some quick convincing!!!
Can you get a visitor’s pass to Costco?
Also, rumor has it that Aldi is coming to Texas this year….Dallas is one of the first. Why would this be important?? Aldi owns Trader Joe’s!!!
I’m going to try that like right now. I have everything but the cabbage. Thanks! Was just gonna make the same ol ground beef and pepper stir fry I always make. Question: You said something about most grains and legumes must be avoided. I am aware of the over consumption of gluten and how the grains have soaked up a lot of pesticides, etc. but what about legumes?
Lizzykristine — Polish, eh? Very cool!
Cee — Thanks! I’m always up for some link love.
Marjorie — I really prefer Costco myself, not only because of their abundance of healthy products, but also because of how they treat their employees. Everyone starts out well over minimum wage, plus they provide benefit for everyone — even part time workers. That’s something I want to support. I don’t know about a visitor’s pass. What does that mean? You’re definitely allowed to cruise the store before deciding whether or not you want a membership.
Juanita — For me, avoiding grains and most legumes has to do with allergies, intolerances, and digestion issues. I am allergic to gluten (bona fide blood test and all that), which means I can’t have wheat, barley, rye, kamut, or spelt. But I also have non-allergy-related problems digesting gluten-free grains like quinoa, millet, amaranth, and especially brown rice (weird, huh?). I feel just fine as long as I stick to meats, raw dairy, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and red lentils, but as soon as I throw in some grains or other beans — ouch! Over time, I’ve become MUCH more able to tolerate them, but I still have to eat them in limited quantities. I have hope that things will continue to improve. I’ve seen huge leaps forward. For now, though, grains are off the menu for me. When I eat them, it’s because I’m sneaking a bite or indulging a bit (usually to my ensuing discomfort). They’re never a staple of my diet.
Alison,
Have you tried pre-soaking your gluten free grains?
They are much more digestible this way because the soaking process (water with a little bit of lemon juice of vinegar) helps get rid of the phytates (which are also in legumes – reson why they need soaking too) which are hard to digest and prevent your body from absorbing nutrients properly.
Alchemille,
I have, indeed, tried soaking. I have Nourishing Traditions and The Body Ecology Diet, both of which encourage the practice, but it doesn’t seem to help my digestion of grains. Maybe someday it will, but for now, I’m better off if I avoid them altogether (with occasional splurges).