Pear, Avocado & Spinach Salad

Pear, Avocado & Spinach Salad

$2.42 per serving (I used this as the main dish, so I only got three large servings out of it. This can definitely be used as a side for about 6 people, which comes out to $1.21 per side serving.)

I came across this recipe in fresh365.blogspot.com. It’s a fantastic site with some fantastic recipes. This is the first I’ve tried from this site and I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

I ate this salad with a huge hunk of whole wheat bread from a local bakery and a hunk of medium gouda from a local creamery. In total, my meal was probably about $5 with the bread and cheese added on, but was a perfectly light, but satisfying meal. I ate this for dinner and then two lunches and each time I finished it, I left completely satisfied.

Note: I made this for my aunt and uncle last night, and got rave reviews ... it really is an amazing salad! Although, I might take back my comment about it making a great side dish for 6 people since the three of us wiped the bowl clean! I'm making it for them next week as well, but we're going to double it and have it for a full meal.

My pear and avocado were not the most flavorful (didn’t have time to let the produce ripen for a few days), but they were still great additions to this simple salad. Adding gorgonzola brings depth and dimension and goes perfectly with the pear.

Recipe:

Pear, Avocado & Spinach Salad

adapted from Bon Appétit . serves 4

1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c seasoned rice vinegar
juice of one lime
1 T minced fresh cilantro
2 large garlic cloves, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
6-oz baby spinach, tough stems removed
1 Anjou pear, peeled & sliced
1/2 small red onion, minced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted & cubed
1/2 c crumbled gorgonzola cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix spinach, pear, and onion in large serving bowl. Add dressing and toss. Add avocado and gorgonzola, and lightly toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Receipt:

Organic Avocado: $2.00
Cilantro: $0.15
Organic Baby Spinach: $2.98
D’Anjou Pear: $0.61
Gorgonzola Cheese: $1.00
Lime: $0.22
Red Onion: $0.31 

Total: $7.27 / 3 = $2.42

About Recipes & Receipts

We all try to watch our waistlines and our wallets as we try to feed ourselves and our families. So, I’m embarking on a new adventure: taking tally of what I’m eating and what I’m spending. We all know that cooking at home is cheaper than eating out, but there’s a myth that you need to sacrifice flavor for funds. I’m learning as I cook more and more at home, that not only can I eat really well, but my wallet doesn’t have to suffer.

My meals are always approachable and made with ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. I try to use fresh produce as often as possible and try to get quality ingredients that are healthy for me.

I don’t have a goal of keeping each serving price under $5 or anything, but just keeping tally of what everything costs. Some meals will be really cheap, while others will be more of a splurge.

RECIPES: the majority of my recipes these days come from too many several food blogs I stalk each day and the few cookbooks I have in my kitchen. Some recipes will be ones that I’m just trying out, others will be the good-ole stand-bys while others will be meals I grew up with (note to self: ask my mom for her lasagna recipe). I’ll provide the recipe, any images I took during the meal and preparation process, and the link to where I found the recipe. Then I will breakdown the cost of the recipe … a few of the ingredients will be approximations since I won’t be using all that I have to buy (for instance, when I buy a tub of gorgonzola, but only need ½ cup, I’ll just estimate how much it cost for that ½ cup). 

RECEIPTS: I am very grateful to have a pretty cheap grocery store by my work that I frequent about once a week, so that’s partly why my bills are pretty low. They have a great produce section, as well as bulk section, but also keep in mind that Seattle is one of the most expensive cities in the country to buy food (10% higher than the rest of the country), so it probably evens out to what you’d be able to buy. I’m a big sale shopper (although I’m not a coupon cutter), so I’ll let you know what I got on sale as well. When I can, I’ll give brands for the products I bought and I’ll let you know when I bought organic.

I’ll break down the costs of each ingredient, add it all together and divide by the number of servings I get out of the meal to get an overall servings cost. I will not include the cost of Oils, Salt and Pepper and several Spices. If they are a staple in the kitchen, it probably won’t be included in the costing (it’s kind of hard to cost what a “pinch of garlic salt” will come out to).