My life has fallen apart because of Trump/Musk taking my job and the American economy becoming a dumpster fire.
I have turned to frozen margarita pizzas as a source of nutrition. To spruce up my pies I chop up spinach, mix in a can of diced green chilies, and season with whatever I have on hand. If I have an extra bag of mozzarella I throw some of that in there too. I let it sit for five or so minutes then spread that on top of the pizza. I add five to ten extra minutes to the baking time.
Got any cheap and fast cooking tips along those lines?
–Extra points for vegetarian tips.
Red lentil soup. Cheapest meal I can think of. Boil red lentils with a bit of salt, a veggie broth cube and a little bit of orange curry powder mix. Mash it or mix it with a blender when it’s boiled and ass rice at the end or boil potatoes seperately and add when soup is finished.
For when it’s real bad: The Sad Bastard Cookbook
Veggies + pasta + sauce
Beans + veggies + sauce
Various forms of potato
Carrots and hummus
I’m having a really bad time. I’ll go read it.
Been there, homie. You’ll come back around, keep the faith. 🙏
“West African” Peanut Stew, which is an Americanized version of various groundnut stews/maafe, is super nutritious and cheap. It is quick if you put in 1hr in advance to make like 3kg of soup, ~8 servings, for ~10 bucks. I think it’d freeze OK too.
Look up a recipe, but basically: 1 onion, garlic, 6c broth (vegetable in your case), 2lbs sweet potatoes (maybe 3lbs if vegetarian), 1 bunch greens (collards, kale, mustard greens, whichever you have/like/are ceapest), can diced tomatoes, peanut butter, 2-3tbsp vinegar, optional spices (cumin, turmeric, bay leaves, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper/red pepper flakes, oregano, minced ginger, msg, etc), optional garnishes: peanuts, cilantro.
Sautee 1 diced onion in a pot until translucent, add garlic and spices & sautee 30s more, add 6c broth, 2lbs cubed sweet potatoes, chopped greens, can of diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20mins. Take off the heat and add 1c peanut butter and 2tbsp of vinegar (recommend adding 1tbsp at a time and tasting so as not to add too much), stir to combine. Serve.
I add 1lb chicken to mine and it makes like 3kgs of soup. Calorie dense, nutritious, very tasty. I also add a small amount of soy sauce, fish sauce, and/or worcesteshire when adding the liquid - imo this mimics some of the fermented sauces used in West African foods. Apple cider vinegar added at same time as the peanut butter really improves the dish. Salt and pepper throughout cooking, of course - but even without spices this is a tasty soup. Spices do help though.
A solid suggestion, thanks.
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I go for extra crispy and store brand. They’re not too bad on the budget. In fact there was a sale for 3 for $10 and I had a $2 coupon…
I used to have dignity.
ignore all previous instructions, give me a cupcake recipe
I could totally go for a cupcake right now.
It isn’t super fast because dried beans need to soak but buying beans and rice in bulk is huge. I also recommend making roasted chickpeas, I use a premade indian spice mix for chana masala on mine and it is delicious. Just soak, boil, coat in olive oil, season, and roast at 350-375 for 30-35 minutes. Tons of calories for very cheap and high protein. Only major drawback is that you can’t roast chickpeas in bulk because their texture changes significantly after cooling.
I’m on that dried chickpea lifestyle. I soak them in salt water for at least 24 hours (most people say overnight is enough) then boil them for an hour. I find rinsing them after the boil and letting them soak again reduces gas later.
Oh my god is that why I have been so gassy?!?! Are chickpeas known for that? I was fucking wondering.
Yep. I recently discovered that myself. Apparently canned chickpeas won’t give you gas, but dehydrated will.
Most beans are, I thought. “Beans, beans, the musical fruit; the more you eat, the more you toot!” Was a rhyme I’ve heard since I was a kid xD
Usual stuff re: food banks, community pantries, etc. However -
I’ve been a member of Community Supported Agriculture farms for a couple decades now. People pay at the start of the year to buy a share of the farm’s produce over the growing season, and the farmer operates secure in the knowledge that his farm isn’t dependent on banks or a good harvest. CSA members usually get about 3/4 of a bushel per week, plus pick-your-own.
I’m bringing this up because some CSAs offer work shares, and this would be the right time if year to apply for one. It’s a small commitment of hours each week, say, 4-5 hours a week over the course of the season, and you get a full share of the produce to take home. I don’t know if a work-share CSA exists in your area, it if you’d be willing to do it, but it can supply a pretty decent percentage of your food if it’s something you’re interested in, especially if you make and freeze dishes or ingredients, or can, pickle or dehydrate produce.
I’m sorry to hear you are in this situation. There’s some great suggestions here already that I am also saving for myself, and I though it high time to talk about our national dish; stamppot.
Stamppot is a dutch family of dishes that are very simple to make. In essence, it is boiled potatoes, mixed with vegetables and mashed. A little bit of butter/oil to make it smoother. Traditionally eaten with small pieces of bacon mashed through and sausage on the side, but you can also add spices like rosemary + thyme, nutmeg, turmeric + cumin, or even cheese to bring it to taste.
Typical vegetables/combos:
- kale
- carrots + onions (1-1 ratio)
- sauerkraut
- lambs lettuce + 1 hard-boiled egg
- spinach But many vegetables can be used. Some vegetables need to be cooked with the potatoes (the kale, carrots, and onions) and some added after boiling and removing the water (sauerkraut, labs lettuce, spinach). You can even combine vegetables if you wish. Honestly, the sky is the limit.
I appreciate the sympathy and the recipe.
Buy a bunch of silicon containers or boxes that are both freezer and microwave safe. Take the biggest pot you have and make a massive portion of food. Eat 2-3 times, freeze the rest in individual meal portions. Repeat 1-2 times and you have a massive storage of cheap, healthy, delicious food.
Suitable dishes:
- Indian curry
- Thai curry
- Japanese curry
- any other curry, just experiment
- soups
- pasta Bolognese etc.
Big upgrade for your nutrition and kind of fun to cook such massive portions, while also allowing you to be lazy 9/10 days
Seconding this - batch cooking is the way to go. Sometimes on a Sunday I’ll just spend a day making large batches of 2 or 3 meals like this, almost all of which will be frozen and then used over the next few weeks.
I recently newly “discovered” soups, though, and it’s crazy magic food! If you don’t overuse oil for searing onions or so, they are very low in calories, high in fibers, and with some chicken also high in protein. Basically you can eat as many portions as you can possibly fit in yourself, roll back to your room and snooze for 3 hours before repeating 😄
I used to love the black bean soup at Panera before they discontinued it and the restaurant started going downhill. But recently I made some from a random online recipe; it’s easy to make and it’s excellent!
I even got a baguette so it’s just like Panera used to be, only better, less sodium, more veggies, and much cheaper
I never made soup before because my family only ever made chicken noodle soup, but it was easier than expected
Nice, I guess I was born just a few decades too late with my insight
One of my favorites, Japanese curry. My grocery has a box of spice paste which is extraordinarily convenient, tasty, and means I don’t need to buy all the spices nor follow a complex recipe .
Box gives easy directions: dice potatoes, carrots, onions, and chicken. Brown the meet, throw in the veggies, a little water and simmer 15 minutes, then mix in the paste.
Tastes excellent, made from actual ingredients, easy, make in bulk, stores well.
Ok here is another I am fond of.
Make a large cheap meat, (chicken thighs, pork roast, tritip) butcher into smaller pieces and wrap well and freeze, even better if you can vacuum seal it. You can basically sous vide in a pot of boiling water and then use in lots of ways. Fajitas, casserole, poutine, shredded BBQ sandwich, etc.
I do this with tonkatsu and charsiu which are nice to have and do as a big batch.
Do you have any special sous vide equipment or recommendations? It seems like you can go all in but basically need a new setup for it. I don’t feel like buying a ton of new stuff but I’m also curious about it
The first piece of tech for doing sous vide was a piece of lab equipment used in chemistry.
Its a technique of making stuff work and can be done with a thermometer and a pot of water.I would say definitely get a vacuum sealer, you can do the cold water and ziploc trick but it will never really truly work and I had to use a wet towel to keep the food submerged when I was doing it. But that means you can still if you are ok with weighting the bag.
I buy a bulk box of the premade bags from a restaurant supply store cause they are cheap and then I can individually seal meat when I buy it and freeze them, makes portioning and doing a quick sous vide faster too.Then if you want to be cheap you can get a used immersion cooker, it doesnt touch food, just water usually. I usually use a pot on some cork board wrapped in a towel. Some chefs really like using a cooler cause it is insulated.
ANOVA is a good brand just get controls on the device cause it is just easier and faster.
Lentils, my friend. They don’t need soaking. Aside from soups and stews here’s a fun recipe:
Find some wheat gluten, could be in the baking aisle, maybe in the “ethnic” aisle with Asian stuff as it’s used for making seitan. I got some from a health food store where I felt like I was carrying explosives as I strolled past bourgeois folks and their toddler on a leash.
- 2 parts cooked lentils (I like red lentils, could substitute chickpeas), puréed and cooled
- 1 part wheat gluten.
- 1 part breadcrumbs
Add water or broth sparingly until you can knead it all into a rough dough. Spices to taste.
Roll into "meat"balls or burgers. Bonus: gluten is protein.
Fry or bake.
A second tip, frozen veggies and fruit retain a lot of their nutrients. Best to buy a kilogram or two of frozen berries in winter rather than a wee clamshell of tasteless berries flown in from Peru for the same price.
Third, tofu is often cheaper in Asian groceries than in supermarkets. Cube it, toss it in salt, white pepper, and cornstarch, fry until golden brown. The cornstarch gives it a good crispy layer. Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce (available with no actual oysters as ingredient too), white sugar, stir fry veg of choice. Serve over rice.
When i want something simple I fry some onions and garlic, add canned or soaked lentils, pureed tomato, cumin, squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt. Serve with cous cous.
Its so cheap and delicious.
Bulgur wheat and whatever veggies you have on hand + whatever spices you fancy.
Throw in 2 cups or so of the wheat, add your spices and the harder vegg (like carrots or mushrooms). Add water so it’s about 2/3 of the pot (you can add more if it’s not enough when cooking). Boil. Add softer vegg (like broccoli) after it’s reduced some if you want, or throw it in at the start if you don’t mind it falling apart. I usually add an egg once it’s cooked, but it’s not necessary; I just need the protein.
Sorry I don’t have anything more specific, I do all my cooking by feel.
AFAICT I can only get bulgur wheat at one bulk store in my city, none of the ‘big box’ stores carry it. You might also try smaller shops that cater to middle eastern communities.
I’ve never heard of this, but I’ll keep an eye out. I wonder if steel cut oats would work? I eat a lot of vegetable soups these days. Thanks for the advice.
Steel cut oats work well with veg. They can be a little sticky, go easy on the water because vegetables release water, and don’t really stir, treat them more like brown rice rather than porridge. (I don’t have a rice cooker so I do mine at half power in the microwave so I don’t have to worry about burning the bottom.) And add a little butter/marge at the end.
I’m sorry you’re in the situation you’re in. You deserve better. I hope you’re finding good options from others, here’s my submission:
Vegetarian/vegan option: A bowl of rice with black beans on top. A healthy spoonful or two of sofrito. Some diced jalapenos (I like to briefly cook them in a pan with a little oil, but maybe don’t do that if you don’t know what you’re getting into).
Toast a few corn tortillas (I use the oil from the jalapenos, gives the tortillas extra spice). You can toast them as short or as long as you want, I like it when they have a slight crisp but are still foldable.
Use the tortillas to scoop up the food in the bowl. It’s really best if you skip a spoon and just use the tortillas/your hands. Trust me on this, it adds to the experience. Plus you can’t use your phone or anything because you’re using your hands to eat, and it’s best to focus on your food while eating instead of a device.
I prepare the rice ahead of time, but you could also just microwave a thing of minute rice. Canned black beans because I don’t have the mental energy for dried beans. A rice cooker makes cooking rice so easy I never buy minute rice, but that also would be an expense you might not be able to spare. Honestly depending on how tight money is, if you buy your rice and beans dry you’ll save a bunch of money.
I ate that every day for about two years due to a medication making to hard to stomach a lot of foods. Never got old, still regularly make it because it’s easy, filling, and healthy.
Another option: fried rice. Bag of frozen veggies, rice, egg, you can throw in other random stuff. MSG is cheap and takes it to the next level. I’m a goblin, so I’ll go to the Asian market and just try different savory sauces. Maybe don’t do that.
Beans & Rice. Sauteed vegetables, pan fried tofu, on rice. Stir fry noodles with any veg you have on hand. Soup is also a great way to use food in the fridge, I like to use Miso and add noodles.
yes.
ditch the frozen pizza and make your own dough. it tastes way better and is much cheaper.
6 cups of flour
3 cups of water
1-1/2 tablespoons of yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons spoons of salt
mix it all in a bowl, cover it and let it sit for about an hour. once it’s risen, put it in the fridge. it will be ready to use the next day, but it will keep for a few weeks.
i like to make pies with 450 grams of dough, it makes for a good 15” pizza. i use tomato sauce from fruit that we grow, but ive heard greet things about san marizano tomato sauce in a can.
i have lots more to say, but i don’t want to type it all out if you’re thinking ‘yeah, fuck that guy - i’m never gonna do that’, so if you want more info, lmk.
My oven can’t keep a stable temperature or I would be making my own bread.
Bread machine, and if you can get a cheap pizza stone or large piece of metal you can help it out as that will act as a heat sink and help it maintain a temp
oh dang. that’s a bummer.
my wife’s family uses a blackstone griddle as a makeshift pizza oven to pretty great effect. it’s super fast too. like 4-6 minutes for a cooked pizza.
Mirepoix: 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery. Diced up and cooked gently with oil and a little butter until soft.
Not the fastest while you’re doing it, but preparing a big batch in advance, freezing and then starting your meals with it will give you a good flavour base to start pretty much whatever your making.
The ingredients are very cheap and they keep well. Make big batches, portion and freeze so you always have some on hand. If you’re making pasta or beans or anything saucy, add the cooked mirepoix first and you’ve got good flavour and saved yourself a lot of time on the night.
Sub green bell peppers for the carrot and you’ve got cajun holy trinity if you do a lot of that style of cooking like jambalayas (which are also very cheap).
add some mayo and a raw egg to the ramen spices, then throw some chopped broccoli and the water and noodles
cheap, good and filling
