A lot has happened since I last posted, and I must apologize for disappearing after promising to make monthly posts on a vegetable of the month. I was truly excited about the idea, but alas, time has not been on my side. I hope to pick up the idea again soon.
Tonight I have a delicious new recipe for you all. More than just wanting to share a new recipe with all of you, I also wanted to focus on the fact that it’s a budget friendly recipe because I often hear complaints about the financial challenges of eating healthy. I wanted to show you that having substantial healthy meals on a budget is absolutely doable and this is a sample of one.
Breakdown of the cost of this recipe:
- Bundle of 3 medium sized beets with greens attached: $2.59
- 16 oz. box of spaghetti: $1.50
- Yellow Onion: $0.40
- Can of vegetable broth: $0.89
- Goat cheese (optional): $5.99
- Raw cashews (about 100 grams): $2.49
- Total cost: $13.86 – Not bad considering you’re feeding 5-6 people and you’ll have a lot of leftover goat cheese to use for a different meal OR you can just omit the goat cheese, go VEGAN, and save yourself 6 dollars!
In actuality, this meal for your family is cheaper than one at McDonalds. Yes, it requires prep time and it doesn’t seem like you’re getting as much food as you could get at a fast food restaurant; however, meals should be about quality, not quantity. This meal is nutrient dense, feeds everyone, and is easy on your wallet.
We got lucky for getting such a beautiful bunch of beet greens attached to the beetroot.
Even though my kitchen looks like a bloody murder scene and my hands are stained red every time I finish working with beets, I still love their versatility and how easy they are to cook with.
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium sized beets (beet greens attached are optional)
- 1¾ cup of vegetable broth (preferably the kind with no celery)
- 100 grams raw cashews
- 6 oz. box of spaghetti
- 1 medium yellow onion
- Wash, chop off the greens, and halve the beets. Place the beets in a pot of boiling water and boil until they're soft (about 20 minutes).
- In a pan, heat olive oil. Over medium heat, caramelize the onions. Use ¾ of the broth to deglaze the onions every time they stick to the pan.
- In another pan, you can sautee the beet greens with a clove of minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the beets are soft, drain water from the pot and peel the beets. Dice the beets and place them in the pot with the caramelized onions, raw cashews, and the rest of the vegetable broth. Use an immersion blender to basically puree the ingredients. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend them together.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
- Serve on plate or bowl with a dollop of goat cheese over the spaghetti and sauce if you're not vegan. Add some beet greens to eat with the spaghetti as well.
- Enjoy!
This recipe is a new family favorite. We love this recipe for its cost efficiency, nutritional benefits, simplicity, and most importantly, TASTE!
I apologize again for having to take a step away from social media and this blog for a little while. I think I got swept up into the whole scene of trying too hard to gain followers, getting discouraged, and losing sight of what this blog is supposed to be about: leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle and sharing fun recipes.
Making posts felt like an added stressor to my already hectic life and so I simply had to take a break to refocus on things that mattered. I needed to spend time with my family and friends, focus on work and school, adjust to life without my sweet grandma, and get settled into my condo with Mark.
I’m back now, fully adapted to my new routine, and am feeling much more refreshed and excited for the posts to come! I can’t promise any regular/weekly posts, but there will definitely be some when inspiration strikes. We’re off on a backpacking trip this coming 3 day weekend. Hopefully I’ll get some nice photos to share with all of you!
Maybe you’ll get to make this beet pasta over the weekend! Anyways, have a great night and stay happy and healthy, y’all!
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