Techniques for making cheap and tasty meals

[Bilby]

Originally Posted by Maverick2272

Ewww.... LOL I would never have guessed. They say it is an aquired taste, I will not argue with them.

"ohhh I come from the land down under, where women glow and men plunder... can you hear, can you hear the thunder..."

There, if I have to have it stuck in my head, so does everyone else!

Oh! I thought you were referring to the Vegemite song not that shocker!! LOL (not sure about the Anime graphics - guess not for the Oz market.)

It may be an acquired taste but as most Australians are raised on it from the time they can eat a piece of bread and topping, it is easily got and never lost!

Very good energy food packed full of Vitamin Bs. Hot buttered toast with Vegemite is very hard to beat.

[AllenOK]

Well, here's some of the things I do:

Make my own chicken, beef, and seafood stock, which I concentrate (reduce), then freeze in ice cube trays.
I usually will NOT purchase any chicken but those 10 lb bags of leg-and-thigh quarters, since it works out to about 49 cents a lb. I can do LOTS of things with that.

Don't be afraid to splurge on roast beef, roast pork, etc. Especially if you're living alone or just with your spouse/SO. Learn how to use the leftovers, and for more than just roast beef/pork sandwiches. Simmer the meat in BROTH, with a sliced jalapeno, until it starts to fall apart. Use for Enchiladas or Tamales. Or, just simmer the beef in broth, then mix in some BBQ sauce.

Lately, I've been buying Wrights Bacon Ends 'n Pieces. It's a 3 lb box, for about $5US. Granted, there are very few "strips" in the package, but, it makes great bacon bits. Since that's what I really use bacon for, to use with baked spuds, or added into clam chowder, or a good pot of Frijoles Barrachos.

[Jeekinz]

Broken record: Buy larger pieces of meat and cut them up yourself. A whole chicken can be broken down in a couple minutes.

Braises turn out some serious flavor with very little cost or effort.

[PanchoHambre]

Cooking affordably and heallthfully is important for families as well as for single people. One big savings I have found is in bagging lunch for work rather than buying from a deli or fast food joint. This also helps to stay away from unhealthy McStroke lunches. I generally try to use leftovers for this purpose when I can.

As stated having your kitchen stocked with basic grains spices and oils goes a long way. Having the basic ingridents on hand makes cooking up a meal much easier.

There is one basic dish in a number of variations that I make for myself quite often. I think of it as a sort of bachelor sauce It is not something I serve to guests or make when I am feeling adventurous but rather my cheap easy defualt setting meal that helps to stretch a dime and avoid eating take out.

Basically its a tomato based vegetable sauce to be served over either pasta (whole wheat) or brown rice.

The basic components are as follows:

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce

1 15 oz can tomato (dieced or whole or crushed)

A green vegetable (this can be canned or fresh I ususally use fresh broccoli - even the stalks I just peel them and cut them into bite size pieces which absorb tons of flavor) or canned flat cut green beans)

1 can of white beans drained

Garlic to taste (I usually use about 4 or 5 cloves) diced

a long pour of EVOO

a splash or two pour of red wine or balsamic vinegar

basil-oregano-pepper (usually red) salt to taste... I usually go heavy on the red pepper

The above are always in the sauce.

Depending on ingredients on hand I generally will throw in whatever fresh veggies may be peaking in the fridge Usually a carrot and an onion come in to play. Mushrooms work well as do chopped peppers but really anything can be incorporated

I also sometimes throw in a package of pre cooked chicken sausage that I will brown in the bottom of the pan first. This adds a nice savory flavor to the sauce

I usually throw it all in a large DO and leave it in the oven on about 300 for a couple hours until all the flavors are mixed and the sauce thickens and darkens. Of course stovetop is fine too. The longer and slower it cooks the better.

This makes enough to cover a pound of pasta with some sauce left over to freeze (proabbly 2 cups rice)

Season differently increase the peppers and use red beans and you have a simple chilli

The reason I make this is beasue :

its easy and has minimal clean up (1 pot)

It keeps and freezes well (never freeze pasta in the sauce it will mush)

Covers nutritional bases vitamins and minerals from the veggies protien etc from the beans and whole grains from the pasta or rice.

It can be made with pretty much whatever is on hand and if necessary entirely from canned / frozen ingredients so I can have the basics on hand at all times.

while it does not measure up to my mom's sunday sauce it is healthier than jar sauce and tastes better IMHO. Nothing is fried and there is minimal added fats sugars or salts. The basic ingridents cost about the same as a jar of sauce and provide twice the volume of sauce.

Anyway its not really a recipe or anything fancy just a basic standby when time and $ are tight.


My summer verison is similar but skips the canned tomato sauce in favor of fresh dieced tomatos (or diced canned if necessary) and instead of the long cook I just give the beans and veggies and tomatoes a quick saute (I dont use wine because it needs to cook down) just oil and vinegar... substutue tuna for sausage and have a simple pasta tuna bean salad.

[ironchef]

Originally Posted by Jeekinz

Braises turn out some serious flavor with very little cost or effort.

+1

Learn how to braise properly and you can cut out a lot of costs on your proteins.

[GotGarlic]

I do my weekly shopping on Sunday; I've found that making a menu for the week before shopping, and making a shopping list from the menu, has helped me cut my shopping bill. Before, I thought I could put together menus in my head at the store, but I would often forget an ingredient, or think I was out of something only to get home with a new one and find two more already in the cabinet. This also helps me when I want to try a new recipe, because I make sure I don't forget an ingredient for that.

I've also been making my menus around the weekly grocery store sales that are distributed in Sunday's newspaper; that helps save money, too.

[babetoo]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

I do my weekly shopping on Sunday; I've found that making a menu for the week before shopping, and making a shopping list from the menu, has helped me cut my shopping bill. Before, I thought I could put together menus in my head at the store, but I would often forget an ingredient, or think I was out of something only to get home with a new one and find two more already in the cabinet. This also helps me when I want to try a new recipe, because I make sure I don't forget an ingredient for that.

I've also been making my menus around the weekly grocery store sales that are distributed in Sunday's newspaper; that helps save money, too.

good for u garlic.i shop on line once a month. the store is a vons not far from here.

yes, it is very time consuming to plan all those meals but it pays off in lower bills as well. i am less inclined to impluse shop.

i can change my order as many times as i like. i know ahead how much it will be. so much of what i buy are staples. if i want to do a new dish or bake, i just get my recipes and order indg. right off the recipe.same deal if planning on company.

i rarely have to go to store. if i do it is only for milk and maybe bread. once in awhile for fresh fruit and vegs. it works for me. and gives me a hugh range of things for inexpensive meals.

lots of chicken of course and some beef. sauces , flavorings etc are easy to keep up with . as i make order if i am not sure i have it. i just go to pantry and check.

they have specials on line all the time and club card discounts. i would tell anyone to give it a try. they charge 10.oo for the service and guys puts it in my kitchen.

now if i can just train him to put it away. lol


babe

[Maverick2272]

Originally Posted by Bilby

Oh! I thought you were referring to the Vegemite song not that shocker!! LOL (not sure about the Anime graphics - guess not for the Oz market.)

It may be an acquired taste but as most Australians are raised on it from the time they can eat a piece of bread and topping, it is easily got and never lost!

Very good energy food packed full of Vitamin Bs. Hot buttered toast with Vegemite is very hard to beat.

OMG what was that??!!??!!

Now I feel better about having the other song stuck in my head!

[Fisher's Mom]

Originally Posted by ironchef

+1

Learn how to braise properly and you can cut out a lot of costs on your proteins.

I've read this over and over. Do you and Jeekinz have any tips on how to braise properly?

[Maverick2272]

Originally Posted by suziquzie

I haven't noticed any price difference between whole and my 1% milk. maybe 30 cents a gallon........ but i guess i haven't really looked since I dont have to but whole milk for any babies anymore.

Its not the price difference, the idea is to buy one gallon of whole milk then add a gallon of water to it, thus giving you two gallons of milk that is thinner than whole milk and thicker than skim. Probably close to your 1% or 2% milk.
We pay $2.70 for whole milk right now at ALDI, so that works out to $1.35 per gallon when watered down.