small budget, big taste

No one ever said that you have to spend lots of money to enjoy one of life's most amazing gifts. Food!

We have been experimenting with a much smaller budget lately and I am amazed at how great we continue to eat. Food is one of my favorite things, so it's hard for me to skimp on taste, but you don't have to if you add the right spices and use the right flavor combinations.

The past week or so I was craving soups a lot, probably because it was so cold outside. As a result I tried two recipes that are super easy and I have never made at home before. Why? Because it's so easy to buy canned soups or cartons of soup at Trader Joe's.

So this post may not be very helpful to those of you who have that option. But to those who don't or who want something a little less artificial/processed. Here you are :)

Tomato Soup:
Serves 4 small bowls of soup

5-8 medium tomatoes (mine were overripe)
1 cup tomato paste
1 cup water + 1 vegetable bullion cube (or 1 cup vegetable broth) 
1 cup milk
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper

Cook onion until soft with 1-2tbs olive oil, add garlic, add tomatoes, add tomato paste, add broth or water & spices, add milk. Cook until it's boiling, simmer about 10 minutes or more. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. 

Delicious tomato soup! The perfect companion of a grilled cheese sandwich :) 

Veggie Noodle Soup:  I was craving chicken noodle, but didn't have any chicken
Serves 4 small bowls of soup

1 large onion
2 medium potatoes
2 large carrots
1 cup of broccoli
2 cups water + 1 chicken bullion cube (or 2 cups chicken broth) 
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper
1 big handful of rice noodles

Cook onion until soft with 1-2tbs olive oil, add garlic, add potatoes & Carrots, add broth or water & spices, add broccoli. Cook until veggies are soft, then add rice noodles and cook about 10 mins until rice noodles are soft. 



We may not have had chicken we did however have toast! Our friends who are moving away ;( sold us their old toaster and we have already put it to good use. 

Our dinner was complete with a delicious salad made with these amazing cherry tomatoes that I stumbled upon. I can't remember the last time I ate cherry tomatoes. These were amazing and crunchy and perfect! So much so that I went back and got some more the next day! 

They only cost about $1 a pound or $2.50 a kilo. 

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

serving size: enough for 2 salads

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic

Tip: This dressing tastes really great over crushed hazelnuts or almonds :) 

Dinner is served!

These recipes may be simple, but they are delicious and easy. I guess I'm still learning how to eat well here.

The food is different. But I like that it forces us to try making things on our own rather than always buying the packaged version of everything.

I don't know if I will ever go back to buying pre-made items such as soups or salad dressings and I can definitely taste the difference now between a box mix and homemade pancakes. Although I still don't mind a good Betty Crocker box of brownies every once in a while.

I can't wait to share what I learn from my newest cookbook, also something I purchased from my friend. 

But that's for another day :) For now I gotta enjoy the sunshine that finally decided to show it's face again! I'll be saving these soup recipes for the next rainy day.