Lately my time has been filled with renovations. Painting, gluing, wallpapering and all in my kitchen. A fridge in my dining room; a week end without a stove; the perfect recipe for lots of eating out. Or preparing quick meals like this...
Romantic pic hey? Even a filter cannot make this turkey wrap look appealing. We were installing a new ceiling, we needed some quick energy. The Laughing Cow Cheese was a supremely good alternative to Mayo, my kids loved it. Unfortunately, I had limited space to cook and eat and lots to do. Going out for a burger was exactly what we needed to do!
We opted for a local restaurant, Boardwalk Burgers. We had a coupon, their new location was close to our house and we had never tried it before. Why not try something new? The burgers were pretty good, I've had better but they were decent, the fries were yummy and the malts looked good...though I didn't try them. Seemed like a few too many calories for one meal. Our coupon was for a free burger. We ordered two large fries, two regular drinks, and four burgers. The total was around $40, with a free burger. The large fries were obscene, one would have been sufficient for the whole family. Regardless, the kids liked it, but I had to listen while they whined about no malts. I left, frustrated with my kids, ready to get back to work in the kitchen and with a stomach ache. That kind of food doesn't sit well. Its not great fuel and though the thought of a diner style restaurant is fun, it is never what your body needs.
This evening I was looking for some actual food. I'm still working hard with the reno...ceiling paint is on the list for things to do tonight. I didn't want to spend a ton of time on food prep or messing up my kitchen but I wanted real food. I stopped by one of my favourite local stores...Soffritto. I checked in with Gord, the owner, to see what he would recommend. Lasagna was his suggestion. Bison Lasanga. I decided to spend the same amount on dinner as our burger excursion on the week end. $40. That bought me two lasagnas. I had a Caesar Salad Kit in the fridge, on which I had spent a whopping $3.99; so this meal was essentially the same cost. Not the same nutrients.
Soffritto boasts that their meals are made from high quality and local ingredients. They have every right to boast. Farmers Market bison, locally sourced tomatoes, fresh chewy and stringy cheese, homemade noodles and a housemade, herbaceous, rich sauce that features one of my favourite flavours...red wine.
It cooked up easily and quickly and according to the package instructions. I preheated the oven to 375 F; I opted to cover loosely with tinfoil at 30 minutes and baked for a total of 50 minutes.
They baked up beautifully. Smelled divine and tasted delicious! Real food. No kitchen mess. What a delightful and quick meal. I served lasagna with my favourite side salad, Caesar with some chopped kale, for added goodness. The kids were thrilled with dinner and so was I. After a week of garbage eating, I was happy to present a home cooked meal that didn't leave me feeling exhausted, in a messy kitchen. The ceiling wasn't going to wait.
Best part of this experiment...it came in waaaay under budget...
It was so filling, we only ate one. $20 to feed my whole family? That's great value! Cheaper than take out. Luckily the lasagnas come in these nifty containers, we packaged up the second one to be consumed for lunches or another meal later this week. Tonight, to celebrate our delicious, under budget meal, we opened a lovely Tempranillo. It perfectly complimented dinner and to motivated this girl to get some construction done!
I understand that we don't all have a Soffritto around the corner, but look around, you might be surprised by what you find at your local Farmers Markets, Grocery Stores and Restaurants. It's ok to demand more from the food you're eating. Your body needs fuel. Delicious fuel. Thanks for reading!!! If you have any questions or concerns or you just liked this Big Idea, please feel free to comment below!
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