Monday, January 9, 2012
Store-Bought Pasta Sauces
If like me, you're in a bit of a cooking slump after the holidays, you might be interested in reading Pasta Sauces Worth Buying on Epicurious. The comments are pretty interesting, too. Of course, I never feel guilty about reaching for a jar of quality pasta sauce instead of making my own from scratch, my jar of choice being Muir Glen Organic.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Weekday Dinner Ideas
Sunday means time to start thinking about what dinner will be for the rest of the week. I have polenta on the brain, and since Sunflower has the lowest price I've ever seen on their fresh chicken sausage at $1.97 a pound, that spells another longtime favorite, sausage and peppers with polenta. I just wing it, sauteing the sausage with some onion and bell peppers, then mixing in a touch of good quality pasta sauce. For a formal recipe, mushroom and sausage ragu with polenta from Cooking Light is a good one, and Saveur magazine recently covered the Italian-American background of sausages and peppers, with a recipe too.
Tuesday is our usual reheat of something big made over the weekend, and this week we actually have two choices. Since we'll be having polenta tomorrow evening, the dinner reheat will probably be the escarole soup from Saveur, but there's also the possibility of the beef goulash with polenta from the Whole Foods recipe.
We'll want some pasta by Wednesday, and Sprouts' $4.99 a pound sale on fresh farmed salmon through that day is making me think of a recipe I haven't made in ages from a beloved Chez Panisse cookbook. Coming from an old cookbook, it isn't originally online, but it has been picked up by an adapter as salmon and roasted red pepper fettuccine. The roasted red peppers will for sure come from the Whole Foods olive bar, or even from a jar. No need to go to all that roasting trouble, especially on a weeknight.
To round things out for Thursday, with the ground turkey, chicken, and grass fed ground beef all at good prices through Wednesday at Sunflower, we'll return to what has become a spectacularly successful recipe in this house, Thai beef cabbage cups from Cooking Light. I like to wrap the meat mixture in organic lettuce leaves instead, but some day should give the cabbage a try, too.
And that will get us all the way through to next Friday's planning.
Tuesday is our usual reheat of something big made over the weekend, and this week we actually have two choices. Since we'll be having polenta tomorrow evening, the dinner reheat will probably be the escarole soup from Saveur, but there's also the possibility of the beef goulash with polenta from the Whole Foods recipe.
We'll want some pasta by Wednesday, and Sprouts' $4.99 a pound sale on fresh farmed salmon through that day is making me think of a recipe I haven't made in ages from a beloved Chez Panisse cookbook. Coming from an old cookbook, it isn't originally online, but it has been picked up by an adapter as salmon and roasted red pepper fettuccine. The roasted red peppers will for sure come from the Whole Foods olive bar, or even from a jar. No need to go to all that roasting trouble, especially on a weeknight.
To round things out for Thursday, with the ground turkey, chicken, and grass fed ground beef all at good prices through Wednesday at Sunflower, we'll return to what has become a spectacularly successful recipe in this house, Thai beef cabbage cups from Cooking Light. I like to wrap the meat mixture in organic lettuce leaves instead, but some day should give the cabbage a try, too.
And that will get us all the way through to next Friday's planning.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Food Video Worth Watching
Many thanks to my friend Ms. J for passing along an excellent short video called Roger Doiron: My Subversive (Garden) Plot. It captures so many important points about food, while entertaining you the whole way. The 15 second histories of gastronomy are not to be missed.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Weekend Dinner Ideas
Friday comes around so quickly, and it's time to get going with dinner ideas. Tonight will be very simple, since I was so impressed with the fresh Atlantic salmon I had last time from Sprouts, and they have it once again for just $4.99 a pound, we'll do it again on the grill pan. There are lots of ways to spiff it up, like dusting it with curry powder and grated ginger, but I prefer naked salmon with a squeeze of lemon. Both Sprouts and Sunflower have organic yams for 99 cents a pound, so yam spears will have to be baked on the side.
For tomorrow, with Whole Foods doing their special weekend sale on beef roasts at $3.49 a pound, some sort of wintery stew will need to be on deck. They have links to several good sounding recipes for the roasts at this post, but the one that seems to be calling me is beef goulash with polenta, polenta fiend that I have become.
For Sunday, I'm considering another experiment. I recently encountered a recipe from Saveur that reminds me of childhood food, a warming escarole soup. It could be made as written, using the grass fed very lean ground beef that Sunflower has on sale, but I tend to substitute chicken or turkey for these things, and Sunflower also has good prices this week on both ground turkey and ground chicken breast. Or I could get more radical with the experiment and buy the turkey meatloaf that Sunflower also has on sale, using it to form the meatballs without having to mess with any mixing. Fun times ahead.
For tomorrow, with Whole Foods doing their special weekend sale on beef roasts at $3.49 a pound, some sort of wintery stew will need to be on deck. They have links to several good sounding recipes for the roasts at this post, but the one that seems to be calling me is beef goulash with polenta, polenta fiend that I have become.
For Sunday, I'm considering another experiment. I recently encountered a recipe from Saveur that reminds me of childhood food, a warming escarole soup. It could be made as written, using the grass fed very lean ground beef that Sunflower has on sale, but I tend to substitute chicken or turkey for these things, and Sunflower also has good prices this week on both ground turkey and ground chicken breast. Or I could get more radical with the experiment and buy the turkey meatloaf that Sunflower also has on sale, using it to form the meatballs without having to mess with any mixing. Fun times ahead.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Weekend Sale At Whole Foods
Suitable for a weekend in January, Whole Foods will have some beef roasts for $3.49 a pound from tomorrow, the 6th, through Sunday, the 8th. Here's a part of what they say about the sale. For the entire article, complete with beef roast recipe ideas, look here.
Whether you like to prepare roasts for company or for everyday meals, beef roasts are an impressive way to bring hearty winter meals to your table. Our sale on beef roasts for $3.49 per pound will last for three days this weekend so you can shop our US stores this Friday, January 6th, through Sunday, January 8th, to pick up this budget-friendly deal on fresh, ready-to-cook roasts! Make sure to look for the sale signs on selected roast cuts in our meat department to find which cuts are on sale in your store.
Types of roast cuts and limits may vary by region, so you can contact your store for details. While supplies last. Most of our stores do not provide rain checks for sales like this.
Whether you like to prepare roasts for company or for everyday meals, beef roasts are an impressive way to bring hearty winter meals to your table. Our sale on beef roasts for $3.49 per pound will last for three days this weekend so you can shop our US stores this Friday, January 6th, through Sunday, January 8th, to pick up this budget-friendly deal on fresh, ready-to-cook roasts! Make sure to look for the sale signs on selected roast cuts in our meat department to find which cuts are on sale in your store.
Types of roast cuts and limits may vary by region, so you can contact your store for details. While supplies last. Most of our stores do not provide rain checks for sales like this.
Healthy Eating Challenge Reminder
I previously mentioned Whole Foods' 28 Day Healthy Eating Challenge, and orientations will start shortly, with the Superior store doing them on the 8th and 9th. Here's how the Superior store describes the program:
Monday, January 16th
A Whole New You in 2012- Take the 28 Day Healthy Eating Challenge
Free
2012 Health Starts Here Challenge!
Are you ready to become a whole new you in 2012? Join Whole Foods Market on January 16th for a 28 Day Healthy Eating Challenge. We will be encouraging individuals, families and the community to follow our 4 Pillars of Healthy Eating: Whole Food. Plant-Strong. Nutrient Dense. Healthy Fats. Whether you are brand new to healthy eating or have been doing this for decades, we invite you on this exciting adventure.
For Registration and to hold your spot for Orientation, Click on the following link http://hsh28daysuperior.eventbrite.com/
Monday, January 16th
A Whole New You in 2012- Take the 28 Day Healthy Eating Challenge
Free
2012 Health Starts Here Challenge!
Are you ready to become a whole new you in 2012? Join Whole Foods Market on January 16th for a 28 Day Healthy Eating Challenge. We will be encouraging individuals, families and the community to follow our 4 Pillars of Healthy Eating: Whole Food. Plant-Strong. Nutrient Dense. Healthy Fats. Whether you are brand new to healthy eating or have been doing this for decades, we invite you on this exciting adventure.
For Registration and to hold your spot for Orientation, Click on the following link http://hsh28daysuperior.eventbrite.com/
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
This Week's Hot New Deals (IMHO)
We have new sales starting today at our Boulder Sprouts and Sunflower, while the current sale continues through the 17th at Whole Foods (click for prior report). There may be new deals at Alfalfa's or Vitamin Cottage, but both still have expired sale flyers out on the web, and Vitamin Cottage was mercifully closed when I stopped by on New Year's Day. So here's what looks best to me in the new Sprouts and Sunflower sales, which both appear to be enticing us with strong deals on the basics, after weeks of promoting holiday foods.
At Sprouts through January 11th, I'm super-pleased to see they've brought back their vitamin & body care extravaganza, with 25% off the entire department. Time to stock up on those body care products you know pretty much never otherwise go on sale. I'm also enthused about fresh (albeit farm raised) Atlantic salmon for just $4.99 a pound. I usually just stick with wild salmon, but the last time Sprouts had such a good price on farm raised, I tried it, and it was delicious. They're also doing a roast sale, with seven types of beef and pork roasts all 30% off. Center-cut pork loin chops are $3.99 a pound, and whole or cut-up chicken is $1.49 a pound. In organic produce, I'm liking grape tomatoes at $2.50 a pint, blueberries also $2.50 for six ounces, Cameo apples just 99 cents a pound, red or green leaf lettuce $1.49 each, russet potatoes $2.99 for a five pound bag, baby carrots $1.50 for a one pound bag, and garnet yams, navel oranges, and red Delicious apples all just 99 cents a pound (yams and oranges effectively the same at Sunflower). Also, Voskos Greek yogurts are 89 cents each, and Clif, Luna or Mojo bars are low also at 89 cents each. Lots of good stuff there.
At Sunflower through the 11th, fresh chicken sausage is the lowest I've ever seen at $1.97 a pound for all varieties. I also like their grass fed 93% (very) lean ground beef for $3.97 a pound, ground turkey or chicken, ground chicken breast, pork stew meat, and turkey meatloaf all $2.99 a pound. In organic produce, five types (usual suspects plus Kabocha) of winter squash are $1 a pound, as are red or yellow onions, navel oranges, and garnet and jewel yams (effectively the same at Sprouts for the oranges and garnet yams). Organic red creamer potatoes are $1.50 a pound, as are three types of organic apples (but Sprouts has some organic apples at 99 cents). I love Chobani Greek yogurts at $1 each. Select Stonyfield fat free yogurts are good at 79 cents each, but Whole Foods does even better at 5 for $3 (when they can keep them in stock).
At Sprouts through January 11th, I'm super-pleased to see they've brought back their vitamin & body care extravaganza, with 25% off the entire department. Time to stock up on those body care products you know pretty much never otherwise go on sale. I'm also enthused about fresh (albeit farm raised) Atlantic salmon for just $4.99 a pound. I usually just stick with wild salmon, but the last time Sprouts had such a good price on farm raised, I tried it, and it was delicious. They're also doing a roast sale, with seven types of beef and pork roasts all 30% off. Center-cut pork loin chops are $3.99 a pound, and whole or cut-up chicken is $1.49 a pound. In organic produce, I'm liking grape tomatoes at $2.50 a pint, blueberries also $2.50 for six ounces, Cameo apples just 99 cents a pound, red or green leaf lettuce $1.49 each, russet potatoes $2.99 for a five pound bag, baby carrots $1.50 for a one pound bag, and garnet yams, navel oranges, and red Delicious apples all just 99 cents a pound (yams and oranges effectively the same at Sunflower). Also, Voskos Greek yogurts are 89 cents each, and Clif, Luna or Mojo bars are low also at 89 cents each. Lots of good stuff there.
At Sunflower through the 11th, fresh chicken sausage is the lowest I've ever seen at $1.97 a pound for all varieties. I also like their grass fed 93% (very) lean ground beef for $3.97 a pound, ground turkey or chicken, ground chicken breast, pork stew meat, and turkey meatloaf all $2.99 a pound. In organic produce, five types (usual suspects plus Kabocha) of winter squash are $1 a pound, as are red or yellow onions, navel oranges, and garnet and jewel yams (effectively the same at Sprouts for the oranges and garnet yams). Organic red creamer potatoes are $1.50 a pound, as are three types of organic apples (but Sprouts has some organic apples at 99 cents). I love Chobani Greek yogurts at $1 each. Select Stonyfield fat free yogurts are good at 79 cents each, but Whole Foods does even better at 5 for $3 (when they can keep them in stock).
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
One-Day Sale at Whole Foods Tomorrow
Our local Whole Foods stores will offer us a trio of special deals for tomorrow only, the 4th, and it looks like they're trying to help us get the new year off to a healthy start. Here's what they say:
One-Day Sale
On Sale Wednesday January 4 only:
Organic
Grapefruit
10 lbs for $10
(save $0.99/lb)
Country Life
Supplements
50% off entire
line of products
Udi's Gluten-Free
Sandwich Bread
White & Whole Grain
2 for $6
(save $2.49/ea)
One-Day Sale
On Sale Wednesday January 4 only:
Organic
Grapefruit
10 lbs for $10
(save $0.99/lb)
Country Life
Supplements
50% off entire
line of products
Udi's Gluten-Free
Sandwich Bread
White & Whole Grain
2 for $6
(save $2.49/ea)
Monday, January 2, 2012
Waiting On New Sale
I'm pretty sure Vitamin Cottage has a new sale starting today, but when I just checked, they haven't posted a new flyer online. I stopped by the store yesterday, and those fine folks had the decency to actually be closed for New Year's Day.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Weekday Dinner Ideas
Happy New Year to all! It may be New Year's Day, but the first weekday dinners of 2012 still need to be planned. Since we stayed relatively healthy across the weekend, with a light crab pasta last night and a nearly vegetarian version of Hoppin' John for tonight, for tomorrow I'm going to cave to all those steak specials being advertised by Sprouts and Sunflower, and put steaks on the grill pan or under the broiler. Those of course call for baked potatoes with nonfat plain yogurt on the side. Whole Foods' recipe for Swiss chard gratin has been such a hit around here, it might just have to be done again.
Tuesday is our usual reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week is Bittman's black-eyed pea soup with ham and greens, along with the green onion corn bread from Bon Appetit, so all I need to do is make a salad!
Wednesday will be the last day for Sprouts' sale of those huge 16/20 count shrimp for $6.99 a pound, and since we haven't seen a rice-based dish yet this week, it will be shrimp and corn pilaf from Bon Appetit. The corn obviously will come from the freezer at this time of year, and Whole Foods is giving us a good opportunity to stock up, with their 365 Everyday Value brand of frozen veggies (always a good value, as its name says) on sale for $1.50 a one-pound bag.
I'll be running out of ideas and steam by Thursday, so it will probably be our fallback of pork chops at the $3.99 a pound price through Wednesday at Sprouts, with a microwaved "baked" potato. Broccoli keeps pretty well in the fridge, so I will also have picked up some of the organic on sale for $1.50 a pound at Sunflower by Wednesday.
Which gets us through to Friday's planning. Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2012!
Tuesday is our usual reheat of something big made over the weekend, which this week is Bittman's black-eyed pea soup with ham and greens, along with the green onion corn bread from Bon Appetit, so all I need to do is make a salad!
Wednesday will be the last day for Sprouts' sale of those huge 16/20 count shrimp for $6.99 a pound, and since we haven't seen a rice-based dish yet this week, it will be shrimp and corn pilaf from Bon Appetit. The corn obviously will come from the freezer at this time of year, and Whole Foods is giving us a good opportunity to stock up, with their 365 Everyday Value brand of frozen veggies (always a good value, as its name says) on sale for $1.50 a one-pound bag.
I'll be running out of ideas and steam by Thursday, so it will probably be our fallback of pork chops at the $3.99 a pound price through Wednesday at Sprouts, with a microwaved "baked" potato. Broccoli keeps pretty well in the fridge, so I will also have picked up some of the organic on sale for $1.50 a pound at Sunflower by Wednesday.
Which gets us through to Friday's planning. Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2012!
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