Quite a few people have asked me what I've been cooking, so I thought I'd post a few of the recipes I've used over the past couple of weeks and into the week to come. If you're interested, expand the post.
Pasta Salad with Chicken and Edamame
I meant to make this with peas, but substituted edamame (frozen, shelled) when Trader Joe's was out of peas. I liked it better this way (plus, extra protein), but making it again, I would add some extra greenery (maybe broccoli florets?).
Add the chicken and chicken juices to a cooked (not overcooked--keep it al dente, or it gets yucky in the fridge) pound of bowtie pasta; toss.
Figuring you already have the oil, vinegar, and garlic, the basic version of this salad costs about $11 for the batch (I paid about $4.30 for the chicken and $.69 for the pasta, and had the edamame and feta at home--so I'm guesstimating their prices). We got 8 servings out of it, I think, so that's a per-serving cost under $1.40. Not bad.
Black Bean Salad
This one's super cheap and easy--but I think of it as a side dish, not a full meal. I'm eating it this week, paired with some turkey meatloaf. This is a particularly great batch dish, because it gets better as it continues to marinate.
Rinse and combine two cans of black beans and one can of whole-kernel corn (I actually used one very large can of black beans, and one normal-sized and one tiny can of corn, but it's about a 2:1 ratio that you're going for). Dice a large red onion and add it to the bowl. Add a package of grape tomatoes, halved (cherry tomatoes would work just as well). Add fresh parsley or cilantro (your pick). Add a little splash of olive oil, a big splash of vinegar (whatever you've got on hand, though probably not balsamic), and the juice of one lime. Add salt and pepper to taste.
This cost me about $7 for all the ingredients (again, assuming you have oil and vinegar at home already), and I expect we'll get at least 8 side-size servings out of it. Cost per serving: about $.88 or less.
Dinner-on-the-go Wraps
These definitely have the highest cost-per-serving of any of the recipes I've been using lately, but they're also totally unbeatable for eating in a hurry, and certainly cheaper than buying a sandwich.
Cover a tortilla (you could also use a pita, or lavash) with a thin layer of honey mustard (or regular mustard, or whatever you prefer). Cover that with a layer of baby spinach leaves (if you've got them or can buy them by weight--don't buy a prepackaged bag for this purpose alone; you won't use enough). Cover that with 3-4 slices of sliced meat (I use ham and turkey, alternately) and 1-2 slices of cheese (I like Muenster). If you like, you can add half a sliced avocado in the middle, or some slices of onion, or whatever. Roll it up (this is the hardest part; I can't really describe how it goes, quite--I sort of roll the whole thing, then pull the middle tortilla edge out from the rolled fillings and pull it around the whole thing--the mustard helps it stick) and pack it in aluminum foil.
Without the avocado, these probably cost about $3 per--it's the presliced meat and cheese that make them a little pricier. Nevertheless, I'd spend three times as much on a sandwich and a drink if I stopped at a deli (plus, these are really good, and really nutritionally balanced), so this is okay by me.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Frugal Food Wrap Up II: Frugal Recipes
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A Week of Frugal Food
I felt really strained in my food budget this past couple of weeks. Yesterday, my boyfriend and I went grocery shopping, and I had to put the balance on my credit card not just for the rewards but because all the money in my checking account is earmarked for other things--payday is tomorrow (don't worry, my credit card bill gets paid off like clockwork; this will just come directly from tomorrow's paycheck's budget). In fact, I often feel strained in my food budget.
I think I'd like to see if I could lower the pressure on the food budget for the next couple of weeks by having a very frugal week. I'm going to try to bring breakfast and lunch to work every day between now and next Thursday. In doing this, I'm going to try really hard to pack interesting, varied meals (especially for lunch--I have a stock breakfast that I like; it's hearty, healthy, and delicious, and I don't mind eating it every day). This will probably mean I need to do a little more shopping, and will definitely mean I will need to devote some extra time and energy to planning and cooking. I'm hoping it'll be worth it for delicious, frugal lunches.
So here begins the experiment--I'll keep you updated.
For starters, here's the recipe for my favorite breakfast:
Raspberry-granola parfait
Start with a (reusable) plastic container with around a 1.5-cup capacity.
Cover the bottom with a layer of frozen raspberries (they can certainly be fresh, but frozen are cheaper and have the added benefit of keeping the yogurt cold for transport--I really hate warmed-over yogurt).
Add about 3/4-1 cup of plain yogurt. I like lowfat (not nonfat--it's too runny), and I particularly like Trader Joe's 2% Greek yogurt, but it is more expensive than their regular organic.
If you want, you can slice half a banana over the yogurt. I only do this when I have time, but it is extra-tasty.
Top the container off with granola (I use TJ's lowfat vanilla almond--it's tasty and full of fiber--but you can use the one you like best).
Snap the lid on tight, stick in your bag, go.
I buy TJ's frozen raspberries (not the organic kind) for $1.89, TJ's Greek or organic yogurt (both $2.79, but the organic makes 5-6 servings, while the Greek only makes 3), and TJ's granola for less than $3 (I forget the price even though I buy it constantly). Anyway, if you get the cheaper yogurt, this clocks in around $1.28 per serving (no bananas); with the Greek, it's still doable at $1.75. Cheaper than buying one for $4 at Pret a Manger? You bet.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
More Frugal Lunches
I recall people enjoying the last post I did with a couple of frugal recipes, so I thought I'd post the recipe I've been enjoying for lunches this week. I really like this lunch because of the intensity of its flavors: there's a certain luxury to big, bright flavors that's often difficult to achieve in low-cost recipes.
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Couscous, you may have noticed, is really cheap. Especially if you buy it in bulk. Which I do. So, you start with about two cups of couscous, which you prepare in the normal way (that is, boil the same amount of water as you have couscous, pour couscous in, cover and remove from heat, fluff periodically). Say this costs a dollar.
Chop up a big red onion and a tomato or two. You can also add some cucumber. (This part cost me less than $2, but I skipped the cucumber this time.)
If you like these things, crumble in some feta cheese (I bought a block for less than $2) and some pitted olives (I like Kalamata, and am willing to lay out the ~$3-4 for them).
Also optional: tossing in some chunks of grilled chicken. (Say, $4 worth.)
You toss all of the extras into the couscous, dollop with olive oil & vinegar (wine vinegar is best), add salt and pepper to taste, and put it in the fridge. It's really, really easy, in addition to being cheap. And in addition to both of those things, it's also tasty.
So far, I've gotten two meals out of this, and expect to get two or three more. If the super-deluxe version (with cheese, olives, and chicken) costs $13 to prepare (the full batch), that's about $3 per meal. Keep in mind, too, that you basically don't need anything else to go with this (though an apple makes a nice side dish): it's a full meal in and of itself, which makes it really easy and convenient.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Frugal Gourmet
We did a great round of grocery shopping on Tuesday evening--$86, and totally a full week-and-a-half's worth of groceries. One particularly good move was the purchase of three pounds of chicken breasts, which I pounded thin; marinated in yogurt, mustard, and herbs; and pan-grilled in bulk. These have provided the core of three very delicious sandwiches so far (with more to come), and have cut my work-lunch food costs almost to zero over the past few days. I'm hoping I can get through the entirety of next week's work lunches on this chicken--I'll do a couple more sandwiches (I did a chicken pesto on baguette with baby spinach, and a chicken with cheddar cheese, onion, and baby spinach--I'm thinking I'll try something with thin slices of Fuji apple for next week, and maybe something with some Parmesan ends we've got sitting around), and I think I'll make a big batch of couscous salad with chicken (I add feta cheese, red onion, tomato, cucumber, Kalamata olives, and some oil and vinegar to couscous just like it's a Greek salad) and take that a couple of times. Maybe a pasta with chicken and pesto?
I'm really enjoying making and eating these lunches, actually. I find, perhaps counterintuitively, that putting more effort into them makes me more likely to want to spend the time making the lunch. I like thinking up new and creative ideas, and I don't feel like I'm eating the same thing every day even if the core ingredient is the same. It feels like I'm doing something nice for myself, and with spring starting to peek over the horizon, I can look forward to being able to take my lunch out to Bryant Park and have a little escape from the workday.
I may be too sick of chicken to repeat this next time I go shopping--then again, I might not. Either way, I'm hoping to continue developing the habit of packing tasty, healthy lunches for myself. It makes me happy, and it saves me money.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Relatively Inexpensive Valentine's Day Recipe #2: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
This one's so easy it's practically cheating.
Like last time, start with the chocolate. This time, meltability is key--chocolate chips are probably your best bet (go for a brand with a high cocoa solids percentage, like Ghirardelli). Get the kind of chocolate you like best--dark, milk, even white works, though it's tougher to melt (it breaks easily). Melt the chips in a double-boiler (or, do it like I do it, in a metal bowl over boiling water). You can add a smidge of some flavoring agent if you like (liqueur, cinnamon, chili powder, some kind of extract) without compromising the chocolate's ability to set, but personally, I think this tastes great plain.
While you're melting the chocolate (stirring thoroughly), slap a sheet of wax paper (or foil) over a cookie sheet and wash the strawberries (a pint works great for two). Once the chocolate is thoroughly melted and the strawberries are drained (you can dry 'em in a dishcloth if you need to hurry), start dipping: you can do it with your fingers, a skewer, or a fork, but it's pretty self-explanatory: dunk the strawberry in the chocolate and plunk it down on the wax-papered cookie sheet. Let them set up at room temperature, but once they're set, you can refrigerate them.
If you want to get really fancy, you can add some dribbles of white chocolate (melt it, let it set slightly, spoon it into a plastic bag, and cut a teeny hole in the corner for a cheap and easy piping bag), or you can place a conversation heart on each strawberry before the chocolate sets.
I know strawberries are expensive this time of year, but there's no way the basic version of this recipe will run you more than $8 or $9.
Eat with a partner. Feed each other, drink champagne, have a grand old time.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Relatively Inexpensive Valentine's Day Recipe #1: Hot Chocolate
If hot chocolate doesn't sound like a dessert to you, you've probably been drinking powdered cocoa, not real drinking chocolate. A mug of real hot chocolate with an artisan marshmallow or homemade whipped cream is a fabulous treat that can be made at home quickly and relatively inexpensively.
First, get yourself some chocolate. To make two servings, you want about four ounces of good chocolate, semisweet or dark. The larger the percentage of cocoa solids, the better. You can also use Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips; they melt easily and taste great. Once the chocolate is melted, add a cinnamon stick to simmer (or a dash of ground cinnamon), a pinch of salt, and, if you're feeling adventurous, a pinch of chili powder. Then dilute the chocolate with heavy cream (or regular old milk, if you prefer slightly less richness), slowly, stirring thoroughly. If you like, you can add amaretto, rum, curacao, or brandy to taste. Top with whipped cream (if you buy cream for the recipe, reserving a half-cup or so and whipping it with powdered sugar to taste and a teaspoonful of rum is delicious and cost-effective) or marshmallow.
If you only have to buy chocolate, cream, and either powdered sugar or marshmallows, this recipe should cost you under $10. I'd advise skipping the booze if it's not already in the pantry, but that's up to you.
Best enjoyed while cuddled up to a significant other or under a blanket. This is a great recipe for girls-only anti-love Valentines Day movie marathons, too, since it's cozy, comforting, can be expanded easily to serve as many people as your heart desires, and doesn't carry too much Valentiney baggage.
