A Week's Food From Around the World

Someone sent me an email once with photos of families from a range of countries showing all the groceries they bought in a week.  It's both funny (how unenthused is the German kid? and what's with the giant stuffed elephant in the Polish photo?) and also kind of sad (the lack of fresh food in the photos from Chad and America). 

A Week's Food From Around the World

German Family Melander

Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States : The Revis family of North Carolina

Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

Japan : The Ukita family of Kodaira City

Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25

Italy : The Manzo family of Sicily

Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Mexico : The Casales family of Cuernavaca

Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland : The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna

Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt : The Ahmed family of Cairo

Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador : The Ayme family of Tingo

Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan : The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village

Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad : The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp

Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

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So I've totally cheated here by taking a photo of the most healthy lot of groceries I've ever bought!  Am on a strict eating plan given to me by my personal trainer - and given how much $$$ I'm giving her each week it's guilting me into following it.  Anyway, I do intend to take photos like this again out of interest - and also to see whether I eat all of this food over the next 7 days.  The pic is missing eggs, kangaroo and almonds which I will also be dining on.  This cost me about $80 I think.

Lemon and herb baked tofu

My sister introduced me to baked tofu the other week which sounded totally hippie but was pretty damn good, so since then I've been trying some variations, and I came across this recipe which is meant to mimic lemon chicken.  As I am currently paying $$$ for a personal trainer I'm trying to follow the meal plan she created for me and eat very healthily for the next wee while - which means I've been leaving the olive oil out.

Lemon and Herb Baked Tofu

Serves two - or a meal and a lunch for one.  Baked tofu can be used cold in salads.

1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, well pressed (you press tofu by putting some paper towels on a chopping board, then placing the tofu on the towels and weighting it down with a bowl holding a can of beans or something for 15 mins)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice ( I like mine lemony, mmm)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
Salt and pepper

1. Slice the tofu into 7cm thick strips.
2. Whisk together all ingredients except for tofu. Transfer to a shallow pan or zip-lock bag and add tofu, coating well.

3. Allow tofu to marinate for at least 1 hour (the longer the better), turning to coat well with marinade.

4. Heat oven to 190 degrees.

5. Transfer tofu and marinade to baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes, turning halfway through and pouring extra marinade over the tofu as needed.