I’m not sure about you but I’ve been crying in the aisles. Meat is up $2-4 a pound, milk is creeping up by almost a $1 a gallon, and portion sizes are definitely shrinking. I’ll spare you the image of my tiny tofu package (TTP) from Whole Foods. I did manage to make two meals from it (A crispy tofu dish and a red miso vegetable soup) but it really felt like a stretch.
There’s no denying it, we are on the edge of a recession. People will lose their jobs, goods (not just groceries) and services will become more expensive, and we will feel the need to pinch pennies. Now is a great time to reassess your financial priorities, For me that meant looking at my budget line by line and reducing my bills where I could. I did this last week after hearing more serious talk of a recession and I ended up saving $277 across the board. It was little things like having less internet speed (they constantly oversell you), fewer television apps, and by reducing my spending in categories like alcohol, clothing and pricey groceries.
The next thing I did was pull down a dozen cookbooks and start looking for new inspiration the didn’t just involve my lazy summer habit of grilling a protein and having a side salad. I looked at recipes for grains and how to make them more robust. I revisited bean dishes and then went down a very inspiring rabbit hole with bean dips. I thought a lot about portion size. I took an inventory of my freezer. I checked the circulars. By the end of it all, I had a recession plan.
Not to harken back to my first post ever but it does have relevance here. My biggest meal tip would be to find a way to integrate protein into dishes with salad or grains and legumes rather than making it the main event. Your family may have to adjust but in no time eating this way will seem normal.
Below is a summer recipe that is perfect with shredded chicken, slices of steak, or semi-firm tofu. Fear not, we’ll weather this storm together.
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Red Cabbage Salad with Strawberry Top Vinaigrette and Greens
Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
(Optional: 1/2 to 1lb of seasoned protein)
Small head of red cabbage
Pea shoots, edamame, or any greens you may have
Strawberry top vinaigrette
EVOO
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
Prepare protein and let cool.
Prepare vinaigrette with remaining ingredients.
Slice cabbage on mandolin or thinly with a sharp knife.
Toss cabbage and handful of greens in the vinaigrette five minutes before serving.
Top with the room-temperature protein and serve.