Guest blogger and Eastern Region Program Director Ariel Gold talks about how eating less meat can mean saving more dollars. And with CKP’s new Alternative Proteins Cookbook, it’ll taste great,too!

The talking heads on all of the news network shows have been throwing out ominous economic buzzwords. You don’t need to turn on a TV or read the newspaper (if they’re still operating) to know we’re in a recession. Just ask people all around the country who see their own financial crisis take place at the grocery store checkout line.

Food prices have risen across the board by more than 5 percent over the last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a May 2008 report-milk hikes (13%) are rivaling those of gasoline, and cheese and eggs are up 12 and 30% respectively. Even cereals and baked goods have risen 8.9% since last year. The “good ole days” when bread, butter, and milk were all under $1 are long gone and wages to pay for these items have not increased with them.

In our penny-pinching economy, everyone is cutting back. At Campus Kitchens, dining services are watching the bottom line, which means less traditional proteins such as chicken and beef. However, this doesn’t stop Campus Kitchens from fulfilling its mission of sending balanced nutritious meals to our community members. Fresh meats may be some of the most expensive things in the grocery store.

Why not begin to explore alternative protein sources like eggs, lentils, nuts and tofu? These items pack a powerful protein punch for a fraction of the cost of meats. Not sure how to combine some of these ingredients? No worries, CKP compiled an Alternative Protein Cookbook, which contains 40 alternative protein recipes. You can find a copy of the recipes on CKP’s Intranet or email agold@campuskitches.org for some recipes.

(Note: If you’re cooking beans in a slow cooker, allow for PLENTY of extra time for the beans to get tender and don’t use the immersion blender until the beans are tender – that story for another post.)

Still not sure how your clients will react to tofu instead of chicken? Epicurious wrote a list of ten food ingredients to make the most of any tight budget. The list includes hearty pantry staples, inexpensive proteins, and ideas to add spice and flavor.

Here’s a recipe from the Alternative Proteins cookbook to get you started:

Black Bean Croquettes with Fresh Salsa

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
¼ cup plus ⅓ cup plain dry breadcrumbs, divided
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
2 scallions, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder, hot if desired, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Mash black beans and cumin with a fork in a large bowl until no whole beans remain. Stir in corn and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.
Combine tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup of the tomato mixture into the black bean mixture.
Mix the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a small bowl until the breadcrumbs are coated with oil.
Divide the bean mixture into 8 scant 1/2-cup balls. Lightly press each bean ball into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the croquettes until heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve the salsa with the croquettes.

Nutrition Information per serving: 405 calories; 12 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 61 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 16 g fiber; 438 mg sodium; 621 mg potassium.

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