Minestrone Soup

Seasonal produce is your ticket to snazzy summer menus that don’t break the bank. Fresh fruits and vegetables perk up your salads, diversify your dessert options, and simplify your side dishes. These five foods represent some of my favorite ways to mix it up at dinner during the warmer months. (See also: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, By the Month)

Rhubarb

Urban dwellers should start seeing it on the shelves soon, but if you have the space, this is something you can grow on your own for free. Two of my favorite rhubarb recipes are pie and a stewed sauce to use in dessert squares and on top of ice cream. But there are many other things you can do with it, including wine and a number of savory dishes.

Pineapple

While it’s technically available all year long, the drop in price during the summer months makes pineapple recipes a more sought-after commodity for warm-weather menu planners on a budget. Grilled “steak” rounds, spicy fruit salsa, and chilled rum drinks all make my short list, but there are other ideas you can try out too — Hawaiian pizza on the grill, for example.

Mango

I love when the price drops on mango due to the seasonal rise in temperature. I use it to create dishes based on a number of international cuisines, as well as refreshing summer treats like sorbet and smoothies. One of my favorite ways to use a firm mango is in a salsa with black beans, minced jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro with a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice. It pairs well with fish, sticky rice, or both.

Zucchini

Those who grow their own food are already aware how crazy this plant goes in the garden. If you don’t live in the country with people putting wheelbarrows of the stuff by the side of the road for free, you can at least expect a price break at the supermarket during the summer. There are more ways to use zucchini than there’s room enough for in this article. From savory pancakes to cakes and stir-fry dishes, the possibilities are extensive indeed. I’m partial to putting some in a vegan minestrone soup or deep frying some to serve with marinara for an appetizer. The point is, if you have a good sized batch of this stuff in the fridge, you’ll never be short of dinner ideas.

Collards

Another cheapie you can grow in your yard, collards are also extremely affordable at the grocery store. One of several cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetables, they can be used in place of cabbage for baked-stuffed rolls in tomato sauce, sautA(c)ed with black-eyed peas for an easy side dish to enjoy with sweet potatoes, or cooked on their own.

The list of summer foods you can use to perk up your dinner plans is certainly more extensive, but these five are among the most affordable and flexible, in my opinion.

Do you have any creative ways to use these produce items? Are there other foods that top your grocery or garden list in the summer?

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When I was challenged to see what meals I could make with Betty Crocker coupons and just $25, I was excited to fall in love with coupon clipping again. My goal was to remind myself why coupons are worth the time, planning and maintenance.

First, I had to find the coupons. Since I usually don’t buy a Sunday paper, I decided to take the online route. I checked out Betty Crocker’s and the Tablespoon’s coupons.

I also checked online at my local Jewel-Osco for more coupons and weekly sales and was grateful I also had a preferred member card. I planned the week’s menu before I set out on my shopping adventure.

The Shopping Experience:
As I was picking up the main items, I realized I had to change my fifth meal idea. I was going to try the Wanchi Ferry dinner for two on Friday but I guesstimated the price wrong (even with the $1.50 coupon). No worries, I will try it another week. Thankfully Hamburger Helper was on sale for a dollar and I had 35 cents off of three boxes. In the end, it was close. I spent $24.79. Though the coupons gave me much needed budget relief, the free preferred card saved me more. I’m glad I had both!

Monday: Lentil Vegetable Soup

Notes: I bought the tomatoes with $1 off any Muir Glen® product coupon. The chiles were 60 cents off any two Old El Paso products coupon. I chose this recipe because last winter I fell into the minestrone soup rut, and I wanted something different but still budget friendly.

Results: What a well-balanced soup! The lentils made it hearty and the zucchini gave it the perfect amount of crunch. I enjoyed the slightly sweet taste from the corn, which balanced out the spicy tomato juice. It was a fun change from a vegetable soup (and even better the day after as leftovers.)

Tuesday: Easy Tuna Primavera

Notes: Confession: I had never eaten Tuna Helper or Hamburger Helper before (to my knowledge). Although the Tuna Helper box cost less than 90 cents and I had 50 cents off the Green Giant Fresh Steamers, this recipe cost over $7 because of the veggies. That’s not a bad thing. It just cut deeper into my budget than I expected. Yes, I didn’t have to do this recipe (I could have just done one veggie or followed the box instructions). But it was so different than my usual tuna casserole that I simply had to try it anyway. I bought fresh mushrooms instead of canned. Also, at the last minute I added a little Monterey Jack cheese for a quick topping.

Results: Reviewers called this “Tunalicious” and I have to agree. This easy meal was perfect after a busy day. The veggies were worth the extra cost because they only enhanced the taste and texture of this dish. Usually when I make tuna casserole I add frozen peas. Any veggies would work though.

Wednesday: Loaded au Gratin Potatoes and Season Oven-Roasted Chicken

Notes: I had 40 cents off the au Gratin Potatoes and $1 off any two Progresso products. The potatoes recipe was the most expensive thing on the plate, but once I read the recipe, I was determined to fit in the budget. One important thing to note: This recipe serves eight. Be prepared to have leftovers, which is never a bad thing in our house.

Bacon would have put me over budget… so I took a handful of the carrots from Tuesday’s meal and added them instead. I also had leftover broccoli, so I used that as a simple side. The nice part about the chicken dish was that I already had everything in the house for it.

Results: “Mmm… This IS good.” – Hubby. As if he was surprised that potatoes in a box would be so satisfying. But honestly, I was too. The crunchy topping and the parsley made these potatoes memorable. The one downside – this meal took more than 45 minutes to make. Next time I will pre-prep the chicken and the potatoes that morning to knock off some time after a busy workday.

Thursday: Hamburger Helper Crunchy Taco

Notes: I picked this recipe because it reminded me of a meaty Spanish rice with cheese. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef. Also, I still had some green onion and corn left over, so I added those to the mix.  This was the cheapest meal I made.

Results: Hubby said this was his favorite meal from the week. (It was a close tie between this and Wednesday’s meal). He liked it because it tasted like the insides of an enchilada. He loved the crunch and wished we had done something like that for the Tuna Helper meal.  

Friday: Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Notes: I haven’t met an enchilada I didn’t like. So when I saw this recipe and the coupon to save 60 cents on any two Old El Paso products, I knew this would be the perfect recipe to end the work week. I used green onions as simple topping. 
I was surprised by my husband’s positive response because he lives by the theory that everything tastes better with chicken.  As I was cooking I realized I put the cheese topping on too early so I was worried I had messed up the meal. I checked it half way through the cooking time and it looked fine. Side note, my husband had warmed up a little of Thursday’s leftovers as a side to this dish.

Results:  Success! This was my favorite meal from the week. Simple, easy and delicious. The best part is that hubby happily ate it without saying, “This needs chicken.” 

Lesson’s Learned:
1.    Coupons are worth it. The best deals should inspire your weekly meals. Check for coupons at your favorite product sites and your local grocery store. (And sign up for the free rewards card if your store has one!)
2.    Have a plan “B” meal in mind when shopping.
3.    Look for ingredients that you can use in multiple meals throughout the week.

Next week’s challenge: Feed a party of six and make it the best party ever. And of course, using only a $25 budget!