Thursday, October 20, 2011

$4 a Day Giveaway!

Remember my post from last night? I posted a picture of a Chorizo-Flavored Scramble from Ellen Jaffe Jones' new cookbook, Eat Vegan on $4 a Day. And while I admitted that yesterday's scramble wasn't exactly inexpensive to make, most of her recipes are. I just naturally gravitated to the one recipe in the book made with fake meat ... because I like the fake meat.

But tonight, I made a much more affordable recipe from Jones' book, as its name implies — Checkbook-Saving Bean Salad (seriously, that's it's name):

It's basically like my summer tomato salad, but with added chickpeas for protein. Just tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, oil, vinegar, and chickpeas. I used a pear balsamic vinegar and a blood orange-infused olive oil because I had those in the pantry, but the recipe could be made with plain ole vinegar or lemon juice and regular olive oil. Jones even suggests skipping the olive oil for a lower fat salad, but why would I do that?!

You can have your very own copy of Eat Vegan on $4 a Day since the publisher is allowing me to give one away to a lucky reader. The contest is limited to readers in the U.S. and Canada (sorry, their rules!). But leave me a comment here on your favorite inexpensive vegan meal for a chance to win.

For an extra entry, link to the contest on Facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know you did. Ditto for Twitter. That's a total of three comment entries per reader. Be sure and leave your email in your comment if yours isn't listed on Blogger. I'll randomly choose one comment next Tuesday night.

89 comments:

Emily said...

Puerto Rican style black beans and rice is my favorite budget meal.

Cara Sheppard said...

I don't have fb or twitter, but I do have plenty o' cheapo vegan meals. Chili is a favourite in our house, and can be made with just about anything we have laying around: tomatoes (fresh or canned), whatever dried beans that are in the cupboard, frozen corn, mushrooms, potatoes, whatever... Lots of chili powder and cayenne pepper. Sometimes I make it into a casserole with a cornbread crust - heavenly!

Megan said...

Woot! Sweet potato chili, mama! http://www.downhomevegan.com/2008/10/my-heart-is-as-big-as-sweet-pa-tay-ta.html

xoxo

Summer said...

I love any beans and rice recipe to keep it cheap, especially when I can buy both of them in bulk. Add in whatever vegetables are in season, and you're eating on the cheap!

Summer said...

I posted a link to the contest on my Facebook page. I think this would be a good way for non-vegans to kind of get into it.

Megan said...

Linked on Facebook!

PaganAngel said...

I've been eyeing this book on Amazon since yesterday. I seriously need a budget-minded cookbook!

For a long time, my favorite cheap recipe is from Clotilde's blog, rice and bean salad: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2010/03/rice_and_bean_salad.php

Megan said...

Tweeted!

Em said...

My cheapest meal is lentil soup with peanut butter and curry powder!

Emily said...

http://twitter.com/#!/EmilyNiev/status/127244349766508544

I tweeted!

vijita said...

My favourite inexpensive "meal" is hummus made from dried chickpeas and that inexpensive tahini from the Persian grocery store (and garlic, salt, oil, and lemon, obvs!). Pair that with raw veggies or homemade pita and I'm a happy girl!

Emily said...

Linked to on Facebook!

Kelly said...

I'm lucky enough to have the space to grow a lot of my own veggies, so, for me, veggies are cheap.

I like to eat chickpeas and greens (usually sauteed with some fresh lemon juice and crushed red pepper - quick, easy, cheap)

Anonymous said...

That salad looks yum! My favorite money-saving meal is PB&J... its the best cuz I can always change it up with different bread, nutbutter, or jelly. :-)

Christina said...

Tacos! (Mushroom or tofu) You can spend under $5 and feed 4 people.

Southern Purple Veggie said...

My favorite inexpesive meal is penne pasta with saute spinach with garlic.

Anonymous said...

My favorie chap vegan meal is beans & rice with sides of carrots and cabbage. Filling and really cheap.

Dempseyk
dempseyk@justice.com

Sheri said...

Lentil Tacos!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Hummus, cucumber, kale, onion and carrot wrap on Ezekiel tortilla. Less than five minutes to prep and you're good to go for hours.

Anonymous said...

That salad looks yum! My favorite money-saving meal is PB&J... its the best cuz I can always change it up with different bread, nutbutter, or jelly. :-)

SweetKaroline said...

my favorite cheap vegan meal is any kind of bean+veg stew.

I've been eating various kinds for lunch and dinner the past two weeks, they are awesome!

Jen Treehugger said...

Beans on Toast!!
:-)

(don't worry, if I win I have a US address)
:-)

Anonymous said...

Pasta is one of our favorite budget meals around here. There's so many different ways to make pasta sauces with whatever ingredients we have around the house.

thislittlemail@gmail.com

VeggieLow said...

Beans and rice. all teh way. i buy both in bulk, so each serving usually costs me less than $2!

VeggieLow said...

wrote about it on twitter :)

cdb said...

rice and tamarind lentils! (with sauteed garden kale)

missdo.overdawn @ gmail.com

Patience said...

I made a Lebanese Red Lentil Stew the other night that was truly delectable (even company worthy), particularly considering how cheap the ingredients were....! I also bake my own bread for added cheapness....

Arlene said...

Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Fennel in the crockpot!

Leah said...

This is cool--I'm in grad school right now, so time- and money-saving meals are a necessity. I like black beans seasoned with chipotle tabasco w/ rice & some greens and peppers--super cheap & quick (with canned beans, that is...) and one cup of rice and a can of beans can make 2 or 3 dinners.

Dana Vickerson said...

My boyfriend and I have been making what we call "Josh's Poor Man's Chili" Mix one can Vegetarian Baked Beans with one can chili rotelle and some vegan bbq sauce. Pour over a steaming baked potato. YUM! We can eat this meal three times out of one batch of beans.

Allysia said...

I'd be into this book fo sho. Chili is my favorite budget meal because it doesn't really make me feel like I'm broke when I eat it. Same goes for pancakes topped with fruit!

Jenny said...

A pot of beans!

Sarah E. Hoffman said...

I find that homemade pizza is super cheap, easy and yummy!

Babette said...

My favorite inexpensive meal is probably pasta that I accompany with sautéed veggies and crumbled tofu... and nooch!

Melody said...

I'm a big fan of making inexpensive soups - especially chili!

Melissa said...

Lentil 'sloppy joes'!

WendyMemphis said...

Roasted tomatoes (tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper).
Eat on pasta, toast, by themselves, or on anything else your little heart desires.

wendympark @ gmail.com

WendyMemphis said...

I also twatted it...
@wendycurlytop

Anonymous said...

Homemade, bulk bought beans and rice with whatever vegies are on sale that week.

Mindy S.

Lee Ann said...

Soup - split pea or lentil soup in the winter or tomato with white beans and pasta any time of year.
Quick, cheap and tastes great

Kendy P said...

Seitan with mashed potatoes & gravy...Pretty cheap - buying a lot of the stuff from bulk bins!

HA said...

Oh man, kim chi and rice is my favorite cheap meal.

HA said...

Shared on Twitter!

Lesley said...

Oh, I love bean salads. They're particularly good for people who don't have a lot of fridge space at work. I loved being able to keep a salad at my desk instead of risking its disappearance in the communal breakroom. Ha!

bitt said...

My favorite inexpensive vegan meal is probably just beans and some cheapo veggies. But I also can make popcorn a meal and that's ultracheap too.

stephaniesays said...

my favorite cheapie vegan meal, especially in weather like this, is a tie between baked/stuffed squash (lentils, squash from the farmer's market, and whatever other veggies are cheap and available = YUM) and vegan chili (beans, tvp, diced tomatoes, and SPICE). i can typically make meals for DAYS out of these and they are hearty and healthy to boot!

Laura said...

Baked potato or sweet potato topped with lentils

Unknown said...

I like fresh, homemade tomato and basil bruschetta!

Unknown said...

I'm tweeting!

Kari said...

Asian ramen salad w/ baked tofu. for sure.

catta said...

My cheap & easy goto meal is baked potato with a saute of whatever greens/veggies I have on hand. In a pinch, a little EB and nooch is pretty tasty too.

Get Skinny, Go Vegan. said...

A True Testament that Vegan can be CHEAP!!!

williams8594@bellsouth.net said...

My favorite vegan meal is a chili that my friend makes.Its loaded with beans and spinach and it's spicy. I love it.

Anonymous said...

Salad! Throw whatever veggies you have together and enjoy. Simple, cheap, and delicious!

Courtney

the admiral said...

when i want something cheap and simple, i make a good old-fashioned burrito! beans, rice, tomatoes, the works.

the admiral said...

aaand tweeted :)

Amanda @ Hungry Vegan Traveler said...

Cheap and simple meals for me are tofu scrambles, stir-fries, and veggie curries, because you can throw anything into any of them!

The FI Witch said...

My favorite budget meal would have to be breakfast!
Take a potato, shred it and make hash browns and then scramble up some tofu(and ground flax seeds) in the extra oil. When all is said and done, I add hot sauce to the tofu(unless I'm lucky enough to have had fresh peppers to cook with it).

My omniverous boyfriend prefers the equally vegan meal with hash browns but opts for sauteed onions(over tofu)!

Chris said...

Veggie hummus with pretzels and raw veggies. I eat that a lot these days as a broke grad student.

Mara said...

Favorite budget meal has to be oven-roasted veggies with olive oil and seasonings over messaged kale with some avocado and edamame - yumm!!!


zenlucia13 AT yahoo DOT com

R said...

Quinoa and beans! :)

moonsword said...

Curried quinoa and beans is really easy, inexpensive , superhealthy and so very satisfying. Thanks!

Cat said...

I think I just found one of my fave simple yet yummy cheap vegan meals this week. Its just a simple burrito but so good and a great base recipe that can be changed up however you like. One can of black beans and a cup of salsa warmed in a pan, crushing up at least half of the beans as you stir it up. Mix in 3/4 tbsp of cumin and 3/4 tbsp of chili powder. Divide it between 6 large tortillas, top with sharp cheddar or monteray jack and you've got dinner!

Cat said...

Liked on FB!

MonsterAteMy said...

Right now our standby meal is black beans cooked with onion, garlic & spices and mixed with chunks of sweet potato served over rice. Cheap and easy.

Sara said...

I love a good chickpea curry over brown rice! A can of coconut milk and curry powder make an inexpensive meal seem gourmet. :)

Zee said...

lentil soup! hommade of course

Suzie B said...

Homemade hummus is always a cheap standby - and versatile! Toss in roasted red peppers, beets, etc..
sbabij2 at shaw dot ca

Suzie B said...

Fb share
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=187026291376374&id=611836186
sbabij2 at shaw dot ca

Suzie B said...

http://twitter.com/#!/sbabij/status/127822034796429312
Tweet!
sbabij2 at shaw dot ca

Korinnefalo said...

I enjoy making a lentil soup! It's great cause you can alter the recipe based on what you have and it's always delicious.

Korinnefalo said...

I also linked this to Facebook.

James said...

I also love the snobby joes from Veganomicon as a dinner-on-a-dime, and recently have been taking a liking to the slow cooked chana dal in coconut milk, a recent entry on Two Blue Lemons. Living in Japan atm, but family and all are back in Canada, I'm sure they will forward it along to me if I'm lucky enough to win!

Kim said...

My favorite inexpensive vegan meal is probably anything with beans and rice or anything with potatoes. Thanks for the great giveaway!

Hindy Garfinkel said...

I love a good chickpea/spinach curry over rice. Yum!

Anonymous said...

vegan chili! with some brown rice and its complete protein too! tastes awesome with a bit of curry powder ;)

Meghan said...

black bean (made from dried beans, which are crazy cheap) and tvp burgers! yum

Anonymous said...

Vegan spring rolls! We pretty much just clean out the pantry with whatever veggies and protein we have add some homemade peanut sauce, and you're in business.

Thanks for the contest, knittygrrl at yahoo.com

MikeC said...

Cornbread and beans or toast with sliced tomatoes and gravy are tasty, filling and cheap.

Kelli said...

My Vegan Sloppy Jasons!! So yummy! Here: (http://sproutnewroots.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/hello-world/)

adamhite said...

a quick stir-fry is always good!

Nichole Rouse said...

I have been vegetarian for 3 years after learning the truth behind our awful meat industry. Mother of 4 boys (17, 13, 12 and 8) and wife. Trying to convert 5 men is a difficult task but I am NEVER going to give up hope on them.

Maria Wolfe said...

Oh how I loooove cookbooks!! My favorite inexpensive meal is cream of tomato soup made with pureed white beans and nutritional yeast in place of dairy! Perfect for fall weather!! Thanks for the opportunity!! Maria

Unknown said...

Am I boring for loving Easy Stir Fry Kale from Veganomicon? Also, black beans with tomato paste and avacado is delicious.

saveyrgeneration said...

potato soup! best cheap fall/winter meal.

Carolyn Fernandez said...

Mmm, I like to eat simple: baked potato topped with beans. Wintery comfort food :D

Deirdre said...

Spicy Tomato, Red Pepper soup! Juice 2 tomatoes, a red pepper, a green onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, add a little cayenne pepper and warm up. yummmy for the cool weather.

Bethany said...

My favorite inexpensive vegan meal is a plain ole peanut buter & banana sandwich! It's quick, cheap, portable, and tasty!!

the admiral said...

posted on facebook! :)