Quick update to my tomato soup post:
I was able to make my own organic vegetable broth from the pulp left over after juicing veggies. Just added some water to the pulp, a diced onion, 6 cloves of garlic, some spices and simmered for an hour or so. Strained out the pulp, and ta-da.....Homemade, zero cost, organic vegetable broth! I will say that the underlying aroma leaves a bit to be desired....I think its from the kale pulp......but, it tastes just fine with the addition of roasted & sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Extravagant taste for cheapskate price....can't beat it!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sun Dried Tomatoes-without the sun
I previously posted about my amazing Hot & Spicy Tomato Soup.....its as expensive as it is delicious!
Here's the approximate costs:
4 organic tomatoes = $4
1 organic jalapeno = $1
1 organic bell pepper = $2.50
1 jar organic sun-dried tomatoes = $8
1 carton organic vegetable broth = $4
TOTAL Cost = $19.50
Whooooo....that's some gooood soup! It makes about 4 good size servings....but still pretty expensive.
I've decided the only way I can make this at a reasonable cost is to grow my own veggies (which didn't happen this year) or get a good amount form my CSA (which I did this week).
My CSA box this week contained several bell peppers, a couple of jalapenos, a bag of roma tomatoes....and the best part: she saved a big box of "not-so-perfect" tomatoes for me, because she knows I'll take anything. With these I made my own "sun-dried tomatoes", without the sun!
Here's how:
4 lbs of tomatoes
1 dehyrdrator
Wash tomatoes
remove tough stem end and any bruises
slice tomatoes in approximately 4 equal portions
place on trays in dehydrator
dehydrate until leathery (raisin like) not brittle
How easy is that???
It took about 18 hours in my "old" dehydrator....but, it may only take only 4-6 hours if you have one that can actually regulate temperature, and you set it at 140.
This made a little over a pound of sun-dried tomatoes.....enough for 4 little packets which I sealed and placed in freezer. I will use 1 packet in each soup recipe.....so just saved myself $32. Now, the only thing I will need to buy is the vegetable broth.
My next goal is to make my own veggie broth.......I wonder if I can make it from my leftover pulp???
Here's the approximate costs:
4 organic tomatoes = $4
1 organic jalapeno = $1
1 organic bell pepper = $2.50
1 jar organic sun-dried tomatoes = $8
1 carton organic vegetable broth = $4
TOTAL Cost = $19.50
Whooooo....that's some gooood soup! It makes about 4 good size servings....but still pretty expensive.
I've decided the only way I can make this at a reasonable cost is to grow my own veggies (which didn't happen this year) or get a good amount form my CSA (which I did this week).
My CSA box this week contained several bell peppers, a couple of jalapenos, a bag of roma tomatoes....and the best part: she saved a big box of "not-so-perfect" tomatoes for me, because she knows I'll take anything. With these I made my own "sun-dried tomatoes", without the sun!
Here's how:
4 lbs of tomatoes
1 dehyrdrator
Wash tomatoes
remove tough stem end and any bruises
slice tomatoes in approximately 4 equal portions
place on trays in dehydrator
dehydrate until leathery (raisin like) not brittle
How easy is that???
It took about 18 hours in my "old" dehydrator....but, it may only take only 4-6 hours if you have one that can actually regulate temperature, and you set it at 140.
This made a little over a pound of sun-dried tomatoes.....enough for 4 little packets which I sealed and placed in freezer. I will use 1 packet in each soup recipe.....so just saved myself $32. Now, the only thing I will need to buy is the vegetable broth.
My next goal is to make my own veggie broth.......I wonder if I can make it from my leftover pulp???
Reboot - Day 48
Update on the reboot, before I move on to other things.....
I have not felt any extreme fatigue since I removed lemon rinds form my juicing.....is it coincidental? I don't know....but am happy with the results. I've been alternating: juicing & eating produce for 5-10 days, followed by 2-4 days of incorporating a few other foods.....not eating all day long, but eating a meal or two of meats, bread etc. along with the juicing. I always gain a few pounds when I eat non-produce foods.....but, it seems like after a couple of days of gaining a pound or two, it stabilizes as long as I keep juicing as well, and don't overdo the other items. I even begin to lose again..... and as soon as I switch back to only juicing and eating fresh produce, I begin to lose weight immediately. I feel like I've finally found the secret! And the secret is: don't diet! This is a lifestyle change....not a diet. I guess I needed to be in the right mindset to actually change my lifestyle.....but, here I am and embracing it fully! So far I've lost 26lbs. I've had days where I've actually gained weight, even while juicing and eating produce.......I try to figure out what could've caused this. Usually, I think it is too much fruit. Some days, when I haven't had time to juice the previous night, I end up buying a Bolthouse or Naked Juice from the store. If I drink that all day, with no homemade juices, I tend to gain, as they seem to have too many fruits in them. So, although I still like to supplement with the store bought juices.....I will try to limit it to just 1 -2/day (no more than 1-2 days/wk). For instance, last week I worked 2 days in a row til 6pm and didn't feel at all like juicing when I finally got home....so used the Bolthouse juice, The Bolthouse Green Goodness juice seems to be the best bet, with the most veggies in it. If I choose one of the fruit laden juices, I gain. So, obviously I'm constantly learning & tweaking.....but, what a great knowledge base I'm gaining!
I have not felt any extreme fatigue since I removed lemon rinds form my juicing.....is it coincidental? I don't know....but am happy with the results. I've been alternating: juicing & eating produce for 5-10 days, followed by 2-4 days of incorporating a few other foods.....not eating all day long, but eating a meal or two of meats, bread etc. along with the juicing. I always gain a few pounds when I eat non-produce foods.....but, it seems like after a couple of days of gaining a pound or two, it stabilizes as long as I keep juicing as well, and don't overdo the other items. I even begin to lose again..... and as soon as I switch back to only juicing and eating fresh produce, I begin to lose weight immediately. I feel like I've finally found the secret! And the secret is: don't diet! This is a lifestyle change....not a diet. I guess I needed to be in the right mindset to actually change my lifestyle.....but, here I am and embracing it fully! So far I've lost 26lbs. I've had days where I've actually gained weight, even while juicing and eating produce.......I try to figure out what could've caused this. Usually, I think it is too much fruit. Some days, when I haven't had time to juice the previous night, I end up buying a Bolthouse or Naked Juice from the store. If I drink that all day, with no homemade juices, I tend to gain, as they seem to have too many fruits in them. So, although I still like to supplement with the store bought juices.....I will try to limit it to just 1 -2/day (no more than 1-2 days/wk). For instance, last week I worked 2 days in a row til 6pm and didn't feel at all like juicing when I finally got home....so used the Bolthouse juice, The Bolthouse Green Goodness juice seems to be the best bet, with the most veggies in it. If I choose one of the fruit laden juices, I gain. So, obviously I'm constantly learning & tweaking.....but, what a great knowledge base I'm gaining!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)