Low Cost Recipe Idea

I believe each of us can have healthy food. Some are faced with more challenges to get there, for sure, but at the end of the day we each have the power to make steps towards gaining freedom and sovereignty over our own health. My own experience has taught me this deeply. While living in Northern Minnesota I spent a year eating only locally grown foods, this was in 2005 as part of the Local Food Challenge. As you guessed it, I supplemented a lot with free wild foods, and also relied on the generosity of community – getting beavers that had been trapped (still my favorite meat), fresh roadkill bear, deer, and fish gifted or traded with others. I kept track of ALL my expenses during the year and was astounded, I spent less than what the yearly amount for food stamps was! Food stamps, you may now know the term SNAP benefits, are only designed to cover 30% of a participants monthly foods costs – they are only supplemental. Building community around food, making smart choices that see through advertising of the industrial/pharmaceutical food chaos we find ourselves in, and believing it’s possible are all part of a healthy future.

This recipe cost me $5.99 in ingredients.
It will be enough to feed 3 people, depending on serving size, for a total of $1.99 per serving – these are Maui, Hawaii prices. Pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, dried peas) are completely underrated, providing incredible nutrition and economic value. Some people, myself included, can have a harder time digesting beans, but I find that lentils are very gentle on my digestive system. I typically either toast my red lentils in a hot dry pan, or soak them in water overnight and then drain off that water before cooking.

Commercially grown pulses are heavily sprayed with chemicals, so I would only recommend eating organic red lentils in this recipe. The onions and carrots, however, are on the Clean 15 list from the Environmental Working Group, which means that if you are on a budget you can purchase non-organic/conventionally grown ones knowing they are safer option. This group takes samples of vegetables and fruits every year and tests how much pesticide residue they have, and also come up with a Dirty Dozen list. In my Instagram reel this week, showing clips of purchasing red lentils in the bulk section, harvesting Chinese violet greens for the recipe, and a quick breakdown of cost, I mention that you could replace the wild greens with spinach or moringa. Just know that conventionally grown non-organic spinach sits at the #1 spot on the Dirty Dozen, meaning it has more pesticide residues than any other produce so this is where you want to splurge on organic.

Chinese violet greens

I foraged Chinese violet greens (Asystasia gangetica) for this recipe. You can read more about them in this blog post, and if you search my website there are several posted recipes. They are mild, most wouldn’t even know the difference on a plate compared to cooked spinach, with similar texture and flavor. But, many wild greens would do well in this dish, including the wildly abundant mallow (Malva parviflora) found growing UpCountry Maui these days. As a cultivated small tree, moringa is so easy to grow, requiring almost no water at all, so is wonderful as we continue to experience less rainfall. The best way I use to describe the minimum daily amount of greens needed is to think of a sardine can/tin…you should be eating enough cooked greens (drained, no water) to fill a sardine can every day.

The bulk food section at Down to Earth in Kahului had the least expensive pricing, coming in at $4.59/#. Mana Foods bulk section in Paia has them for $4.89/#, Whole Foods has prepacked for $4.99/#. Of course Costco memberships offer significant savings and an increasing amount of local food options, daily specials at Kumu Farms Country Market are an outstanding value, Safeway has meat specials every Friday (with locally grown grass fed beef), Amazon Prime deals at Whole Foods, the Eat Local Maui/Project Locavore facebook group can act as a place to trade or locate the best local food deals. Drop a comment below where you’ve found great deals on Maui for nutritious food – please and thank you…we all benefit.

BASE
1 1/2 cup organic red lentils = $2.30
5 cups water = $0
1/2 cup carrots, roughly diced = $0.75
1 tablespoon ginger, minced = $0.15
1/2 tsp salt = $.02
2 cups wild greens = $0
1 cup water = $0

GOODIES ON TOP
4 tablespoons oil = $0.50
1 whole medium large onion, sliced = $1
1 teaspoon salt = $0.02
2 tablespoons curry powder = estimated $1.25

Soak lentils in water for a few hours, then drain out the water. Put them into a pot with ginger, carrots, salt, and water. Simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Next, add the greens and an additional cup of water and cook for another 5 minutes. In a separate fry pan you’ll sautee the onions on medium for around 20 minutes (you can start cooking them about half way through of the lentils cooking in the pot), stirring every minute so they don’t burn. You’ll need to keep a closer eye on them towards the end, as you just want them brown not burnt. Add the curry powder at the end, stirring it in fully, and then removing the heat.

Of course you can add other items, which will add cost, but things like a splash of lemon juice and/or chili water on top if you have it. I love toasting curry leaves from my garden and adding them at the beginning when cooking the pot of lentils. Turmeric is of course in the curry powder, but if you have fresh or powdered you could add at the beginning when cooking the lentils for extra goodness. Cauliflower can have a bit of a higher price point than carrots, but works great in this recipe and is also on the Clean 15 list so no need buy organic if on a budget. If the curry powder is spicy for you, you could also add a spoonful of yogurt on top. Leftovers are easy to refrigerate or freeze for later.