inexpensive recipes

[carp]

Ravioli is a miracle food. All you need are dough ingredients and a cup of filling to feed whatever size family you might have.

[marie-louise]

I am always amazed how much more things cost in CA. I think we had a thread a while back on milk prices, and CA milk costs another dollar or two a gallon.

Sigh... living in paradise ain't cheap.

[dano1]

at the moment i'm about as broke as i've ever been-and eating better and healthier

than at any time in the past.

Do not discount mark downs on meats. i get veal cutlet, chops, etc in nitro flushed packs at 1/2 off marked down a day before the sell by date. Remember the sell by date isn't an expiration date-much like dairy products, etc. fish and poultry i'd distance myself from, but your nose is your guide. Remember the smell test, this is used in every kitchen-i won't go into detail. If you think "discount" meats are worse than that last piece of sole at the restaurant, think again.

Recipes are guidelines, look at whats in season(cheap) for produce. Get to know your local purveyors and use them. In my area a local market sells USDA Prime ribeye for 5.99/lb every couple of weeks. Thats cheaper than i can buy choice at wholesale-not to mention they break down to my specs(no trim loss).

Buy at your local restaurant supply house or club in bulk. Invest in a vacpack machine and use it.

hth, danny

[misstenacity]

I made a chart of approximated cost per gram for common protein sources. When I'm trying to eat healthy its actually hard to get enough protein (since my amount of veggies and salads goes up and takes the place of much meat). The general results? Tofu is more expensive than you think, as is cottage cheese & yogurt. Eggs and chicken still rule the day.

Here's the chart (and costs I used for my math):

Protein (cents per gram):

Eggs ($1.49/doz): 1.7

Chicken - boneless skinless breast ($2.99/lb): 2.0

Tofu ($1.99/lb): 6.2

Whey powder mix ($16/lb): 5.5

Pinto Beans ($.99/can): 3.0

Cottage Cheese ($1.99/16oz): 4.2

Yogurt ($1.99/quart): 4.1

Couscous ($1.49/lb dry): 2.5

Beef, ground, 85% ($2.99/lb): 2.5

Tuna, canned ($.99/can): 4.2

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[Gastro888]

I've noticed that shopping in ethnic markets (Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese in particular) tend to yield high quality produce and cheap (filling) pantry items such as rice noodles.

[Andrew Fenton]

Chicken livers!  Still one of the great bargains around.

Word to that. I just bought a five-pound bucket for all of $5. Fry them up with the appropriate flavorings, then chop 'em and you're eating pâté on a peasant's budget.

[irodguy]

Lasagna Bolognese

Since there is practically no cheese you don't have to pay for that. I use tube turkey from Walmart. Since you are spicing it and mixing it with tomato sauce the meat doesn't really matter. The Tube Turkey is $1.03 LB.

All you need is a couple of cups of milk a little butter and flour and some noodles. You can easily make an entire Lasagna for less than $4 and probably less than $3 depending on what type of tomato product you use.

[dknywbg]

I'll jump on that soup bandwagon--last night I made mushroom barley, enough for four meals, for about $3. Last week it was epicurious's Lentil & Brown Rice. Other times I'll just throw whatever aging veggies I have in a pot with some stock and let it simmer.

I also separate the trimmings from chicken cutlets--you know, the little bits that come off when you're preparing them for the freezer--and freeze those separately. I'll usually get at least 1/2 pound out of a family-pack of cutlets, and it's perfect for stir fry. It's all cut up and ready to go!

Oh, and my mom's old standby, American Chop Suey. It's elbow macaroni & ground meat with tomato & worcestershire sauces, onion & celery. Yummmm.

[EdS]

...I think that large producer whole chickens are closer to $2/pound here. The organic ones I buy are $4/ pound, but [compared to other cuts of meat] I still consider that a bargain-you can get 4-6 servings from a nice 4 lb. roast chicken. A good roast chicken makes a bargain meal for company, along w/ lamb shanks & white beans or braised chicken thighs w/ legs attached.

←

I live across the SF bay from you (San Mateo) and whole Foster Farms chickens at Costco are $0.79/lb but you need to buy them three at a time. Chicken thighs are $0.89/lb. They've been the same price for as long as I can recall. I think they're about double at the regular grocery store.

[Jensen]

I live across the SF bay from you (San Mateo) and whole Foster Farms chickens at Costco are $0.79/lb but you need to buy them three at a time. Chicken thighs are $0.89/lb. They've been the same price for as long as I can recall. I think they're about double at the regular grocery store.

←

I'm out in Sacto and those same three chickens cost $0.89/lb at Costco here. This thread prompted me to check out the sales on the Raleys website; right now, chicken thighs are on for $0.99/lb (reg. $1.49/lb). I usually buy them blast frozen at Costco. I buy chicken breasts the same way.

[marie-louise]

I live across the SF bay from you (San Mateo) and whole Foster Farms chickens at Costco are $0.79/lb but you need to buy them three at a time. Chicken thighs are $0.89/lb. They've been the same price for as long as I can recall. I think they're about double at the regular grocery store.

←

Ah, I don't go to Costco. I was thinking prices at Safeway or the local butcher/ neighborhood store.

[Shalmanese]

My local butcher sells 3 chicken carcasses for $1 or 6 for $1.50. Make a big lot of stock with them then just pull the meat off the bones and use it for chicken soup or something similar. I can easily get 1 kilo of meat from the 6 carcasses and it's usually the good stuff too, breast, thigh, oyster etc.

[ludja]

I made a chart of approximated cost per gram for common protein sources.  When I'm trying to eat healthy its actually hard to get enough protein (since my amount of veggies and salads goes up and takes the place of much meat).  The general results?  Tofu is more expensive than you think, as is cottage cheese & yogurt.  Eggs and chicken still rule the day.

Here's the chart (and costs I used for my math):

Protein (cents per gram):

Eggs ($1.49/doz): 1.7

Chicken - boneless skinless breast ($2.99/lb): 2.0

Tofu ($1.99/lb): 6.2

Whey powder mix ($16/lb): 5.5

Pinto Beans ($.99/can): 3.0

Cottage Cheese ($1.99/16oz): 4.2

Yogurt ($1.99/quart): 4.1

Couscous ($1.49/lb dry): 2.5

Beef, ground, 85% ($2.99/lb): 2.5

Tuna, canned ($.99/can): 4.2

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

←

neat list misstenacity...

Pinto beans are even cheaper (and better tasting) if you buy them dried.

Pork shoulder is also a great cut that you can often get at $2/lb; good for stews... with beans, posole, potatoes, etc.

[EdS]

I'm out in Sacto and those same three chickens cost $0.89/lb at Costco here. This thread prompted me to check out the sales on the Raleys website; right now, chicken thighs are on for $0.99/lb (reg. $1.49/lb). I usually buy them blast frozen at Costco. I buy chicken breasts the same way.

←

I hit Costco tonight. They're now up to $0.89/lb here as well. Thieves, I tell ya!

[purplewiz]

Big old ugly pork arm or shoulder roasts. They've been on sale for next to nothing lately, and pork roast + crock pot = amazingly wonderful dinners on the cheap. Things like: throw in roast, add jar of salsa over the top, cook on low all day, shred at night.

I love the crock pot for cheap meals, because you can take cheap and/or boring ingredients and let the magic of time and slow heat transform them into something magical.

We got a lovely 2.5 lb piece of beef chuck last week for about $3.50. We made a Thai-flavored beef stew out it for a potluck, because we know that potlucks around here are often short on the meat dishes and long on the macaroni salad and cream of mushroom soup casseroles. I think the whole stew's worth of ingredients were about $5.25 - not bad for a dish to serve 6-8 and heavy on the meat.

I third (or fifth, or whatever) the "scratch and dent" meat. Especially if you're going to freeze it like I do - that extends the life by quite a bit. I got a "scratch and dent" shoulder pork "steak" that weighed nearly a pound for $1.26 last week - chopped it up, added an onion, can of tomatoes, dash of cumin, garlic, and a bunch of frozen green chiles, and made green chile stew - and had leftovers.

Marcia.

[lovebenton0]

Definitely all kinds of dried beans and peas. Cooked with a bit of meat and stock, onions, garlic, carrots, peppers -- hot or not. (I don't like long cooked celery . . . ew! But a little celery seed does a nice thing for soups and stews, dried beans.) A bit of EVOO or OO is your friend. Good flavor for small per serving amount and good for you too.

Baked pasta dishes. Ziti, rotini, penne pasta, etc., baked with tomatoes, onion, EVOO, garlic, oregano, etc., red pepper, muzz or just good grated Parm on the top. Add meat if you want or not.

Grinding your own meat in grinder -- I use my FP -- is the best. You can buy cheap cuts of beef, pork, lamb (scratch and dent, just use your senses), and have really good ground meat. Sometimes that's what you need or want for a dish. Cheap cuts make excellent grind for burgers, meatballs, meat sauces, etc.

Have to throw in another vote for braising here -- great this time of year especially. Cheap cuts become divine meals. Paired with the current bargain veg you have a great meal for little $$$.

Baked potatoes as the main topped with your fav veg and/or meat combo. Perfect set up for Makeovers with leftovers that are great the second time around -- cause it's new again , such as chili or thick soups, stir-fried veg combos. All make great toppers with fresh garnishes of herbs, roasted garlic, sour cream, cheese, whatever you like.

For something to add a lot of flavor with little cost, easy to make and keep on hand try some onion confit to top your cheap sides of rice and pasta, or smeared on toast, or stirred into vegs. Great on bakers and soups as well. If you make it you'll find a hundred ways to use it. I'm working on my list now.

Using your pressure cooker with cheap cuts of meat is also a good way to go -- particularly when you want that fall apart goodness without much time. Beans, stews, soups, pork ribs (country cut, cheap), with sauerkraut, apples and potatoes in PC are wonderful.

[HungryChris]

I spent quite a few years living day to day, hand to mouth and one of my old faithfuls was smoked shoulder when it went on sale for 69 cents a lb. A New England Boiled Dinner with potatoes carrots and cabbage would start out the week. It made good leftovers, great sandwiches on homemade bread during the week and then the ham bone would go into split pea soup. You could live on the thing for at least a week with good variety and all for less than ten bucks. Ahhh....... the good old days.

Welcome to EG by the way, astrayacorazon.

Cheers,

HC

[norsk]

some nights i eat naked matzoh balls. just the matzoh balls with a little salt and some pepper. no soup. sometimes without my clothes too, just to keep with the theme.

thats really cheap. youre out two eggs and 1/2 a cup of matzoh meal. that cant be more than 50 cents worth of material.

practically no other work involved, esp if you dont shape the balls and just scrape them off the spoon directly into the water.

<center>gadzooks, what are those? scones? underfried fried chicken?<br><i>no! these are the result when good matzoh meal meet bad gentiles.<br></i>

<img src="http://www.rawbw.com/~coconut/eg/04/041208matzoh.jpg"></center>

this is not a responsible meal, not for anyone under 18. but this is for two adults who live dangerously and take risks on a regular basis. we live on the edge and can eat the balls without the soup. there are certainly worse things than homemade naked matzoh balls, no?

some days when i come home at 10 pm, its what i can muster up at the last minute.

it is warm, moist, simple. satisfying.

<b>manischewitz box matzo balls</b>

<i>makes about 8 balls</i>

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1/2 cup matzoh meal

1/4 tsp salt

some finely, freshly ground pepper

2 tablepoons water

<ol><li>mix everything in a medium sized bowl with chopsticks until blended. cover with some saran wrap and stick it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes (i think its the chilling that keeps them from falling apart...).

<li>bring a large pot of water to a boil.

<li>shape the chilled mixture into balls if you want to be proper. or not. they can be any size that you like, but be aware that these things expand. the box says about "1 inch in diameter". thats a good sensible size, but then the matzoh balls wont be grapefruit sized like some people prefer. you will need to make them larger in that case.

<li>drop balls in and reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes.

<li>meanwhile, heat some chicken soup. in a perfect world mama will have lovingly made this from scratch before you make the balls. come to think of it, she makes the balls too. i have been known to use campbells chicken noodle soup (that sounds so sad, doesnt it). anyway, if desperate, heat up chicken or veggie bouillon cubes in coffee mugs (that sounds sadder). or not.

<li>serve in the hot, very hot! soup. or not.</ol>

←

[norsk]

some nights i eat naked matzoh balls. just the matzoh balls with a little salt and some pepper. no soup. sometimes without my clothes too, just to keep with the theme.

thats really cheap. youre out two eggs and 1/2 a cup of matzoh meal. that cant be more than 50 cents worth of material.

practically no other work involved, esp if you dont shape the balls and just scrape them off the spoon directly into the water.

<center>gadzooks, what are those? scones? underfried fried chicken?<br><i>no! these are the result when good matzoh meal meet bad gentiles.<br></i>

<img src="http://www.rawbw.com/~coconut/eg/04/041208matzoh.jpg"></center>

this is not a responsible meal, not for anyone under 18. but this is for two adults who live dangerously and take risks on a regular basis. we live on the edge and can eat the balls without the soup. there are certainly worse things than homemade naked matzoh balls, no?

some days when i come home at 10 pm, its what i can muster up at the last minute.

it is warm, moist, simple. satisfying.

<b>manischewitz box matzo balls</b>

<i>makes about 8 balls</i>

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1/2 cup matzoh meal

1/4 tsp salt

some finely, freshly ground pepper

2 tablepoons water

<ol><li>mix everything in a medium sized bowl with chopsticks until blended. cover with some saran wrap and stick it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes (i think its the chilling that keeps them from falling apart...).

<li>bring a large pot of water to a boil.

<li>shape the chilled mixture into balls if you want to be proper. or not. they can be any size that you like, but be aware that these things expand. the box says about "1 inch in diameter". thats a good sensible size, but then the matzoh balls wont be grapefruit sized like some people prefer. you will need to make them larger in that case.

<li>drop balls in and reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes.

<li>meanwhile, heat some chicken soup. in a perfect world mama will have lovingly made this from scratch before you make the balls. come to think of it, she makes the balls too. i have been known to use campbells chicken noodle soup (that sounds so sad, doesnt it). anyway, if desperate, heat up chicken or veggie bouillon cubes in coffee mugs (that sounds sadder). or not.

<li>serve in the hot, very hot! soup. or not.</ol>

←

←

[MarketStEl]

I live across the SF bay from you (San Mateo) and whole Foster Farms chickens at Costco are $0.79/lb but you need to buy them three at a time. Chicken thighs are $0.89/lb. They've been the same price for as long as I can recall. I think they're about double at the regular grocery store.

←

Ah, I don't go to Costco. I was thinking prices at Safeway or the local butcher/ neighborhood store.

←

Whoever said California was expensive is right, I guess.

I don't need to go to a wholesale club to get that price. Several poultry shops in the Italian Market in Philly routinely sell Allen's or Perdue whole roasters for that price or $0.89/lb.

Even if you don't buy jarred sauce, spaghetti and meatballs usually comes in under $5 for four servings as well. Even with the Parmesan cheese (though you will need to use the domestic variety).

[norsk]

Melonpan,I would love to try your matzoh balls. My husband does not like soup! I do. He does like dumplings, could I use chicken broth to boil the matzoh balls and then add it to a chicken stew? Do they rise to the top when cooking? I think I will make some for my own pleasure just to see.

[Mottmott]

In addition to the many good suggestions you've gotten above, several of which advocate soup/stock making: keep in mind that you may be throwing out things that can be used in making stocks (and hence sauces). This assumes you have some freezer space,

For example: When you boil/steam vegetables, keep the pot juices; when trimming some vegetables (celery, dill for example) these trimmings can be used. I've read that restaurants use parings, but I assume that's when they are tourne-ing their veggies. And if you make a roast chicken, turkey, etc., serve it so that the family does not chew the meat off the bones and freeze the carcass for soup making. Similarly, when making something like a vegetable soup, even buying some soup bones to add to the soup will add flavorf and texture. A small amount of something like chuck, which is usually among the least expensive cuts, can be added to add some meat to the dish. Buy a ham bone, hocks, etc. and make a huge pot of bean or lentil soup that will have that smoky, meaty flavor without breaking the bank.

Stale bread? Leftover rice? Think pudding. Make a custard (milk, eggs + seasonings), pour it over the bread. You can swing these either sweet or savory. There are lots of recipes out there for these simple dishes (see stratta as well as breadpudding in indexes. And almost everyone loves them. Oh, and for rice, be sure to get yours in an Asian market if one's available. Way better quality usually for way less money.

Cheap, cheap? A bag of polenta goes a long way. It can be made easily in the oven without constant attendence. It can be served immediately as a warm substitute for potatoes, rice, noodles, the leftovers saved to be fried the next day. I particularly like it with maple syrup for breakfast, but also use it like "toast" under meats, mushroom or vetable ragout, etc.

And don't fail to look at egg recipes for dinner. Frittatas, omlets, poached and added to various vegetable dishes.

And ditto ditto ditto on those who have suggested scratch cooking rather than using processed foods. Why pay for all those chemicals?

Edited December 10, 2004 by Mottmott (log)

[artisan02]

A tool I recently found that's helped a lot is that Publix has their weekly circulars online. . .you plug in your zip code and see the flyer for your store.  Short ribs are $2.19/lb this week; since I'd never tried making them before (but wanted to after reading the "Braisin' Hussy" thread), it seemed like a good time to buy them.  So I'll probably go tomorrow and buy a couple more packages for the freezer, since last night's were wonderful--and required the purchase of ONLY the ribs, as I had everything else I needed already in the pantry.

And that's where the thriftiness lies. . .if it's a genuinely good deal and you'll really use the product, stocking up on it (if it can be stored long-term) when it's on sale and knowing who charges what (89 cents/lb for oranges at the grocery store or 10 for $1 at the farmer's market; while asparagus costs $2.99/lb both places) saves more money in the long run. 

←

This is how I have been shopping. However I travel around quite a bit for my work (I am a traveling nurse), and when I am in an area for a few months, I find all the grocery stores in my area, and do the online circular thang. I find that most stores are now online, and the circulars come out either on Tuesday or Wednesday, with an occasional one starting on Sunday. I compare prices from all the stores, and make my menus from what is on sale there in the various stores. Usually, that is. Sometimes I go to a store to check out the on sale product, and it is totally a waste, in terms of quality and value.

I also shop the farmers markets, and the markdown bins at my local produce stores: sometimes the produce marked down is amazingly good.

No, it is usually not organic, and not the "best" of ingredients, but being on a tight food budget precludes going that route most of the time, unfortunately.

Christine

[NulloModo]

Going along with the 'scratch and dent' meat thing:

I just picked up from the grocery store tonight:

1.5 lbs of Italian Sausage for $1.99

4 lbs of boneless chicken thighs for $4

Safeway seems very good for marking down meat that still has quite a bit of life left in it.