Good, low cost meals

[The_Reader_David]

Lentil soup.  Soak a cup and a half of brown lentils overnight.  When ready to make the soup, chop up a big onion, mince a few coves of garlic, and cut up whatever else you fancy (bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, eggplant,...). Saute the garlic and onion for a while in whatever oil you like to cook with, add the other veg, season with whatever you like (we usually use Levantine spices like cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper, but a bit of chili powder would do) saute a little longer, add the lentils (drain the water you soaked them in first) and some sort of broth, cook for about a half hour.  If you like you can put in some chopped tomatoes or tomato paste.  If you fancy sour soups (a taste that seems to start in Greece and run all the way across Asia) squeeze some lemon or lime juice on before serving.

[massadvj]

Here is a cheap and handy meal I like to make once in a while. Take one can of Hormel tamales, heat them up in the microwave, then just serve them over a nice big bed of rice. Serves two for under $2.00 per person.

[Cyber Liberty]

Years ago, I used to eat hamburgers twice a day, at least 6 days a week.
It gave me body odor.  I smelled like a cattle feedlot.
Later, for economic reasons, I changed over to eating more chicken.
No more body odor.
I didn't realize what was causing the body odor until after I changed my diet.

These days, I try to keep a rotation going something like
beef, chicken, chicken, pork, chicken, pork, chicken.
Or maybe
pork, chicken, fish, pork, chicken, fish
with beef thrown in occasionally.

Some foods that can cause body odor (if eaten in large amounts) are -
Onion, garlic, green peppers, peanuts/peanut butter, beef, pork.

I rotate my foods, too.  I try to never eat the same protein 2 nights in a row.

[roamer_1]

Lentil soup.  Soak a cup and a half of brown lentils overnight.  When ready to make the soup, chop up a big onion, mince a few coves of garlic, and cut up whatever else you fancy (bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, eggplant,...). Saute the garlic and onion for a while in whatever oil you like to cook with, add the other veg, season with whatever you like (we usually use Levantine spiced like cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper, but a bit of chili powder would do) saute a little longer, add the lentils (drain the water you soaked them in first) and some sort of broth, cook for about a half hour.  I you like you can put in some chopped tomatoes or tomato paste.

My sis makes a bomber lentil soup, and when she does she always sends some over. It's_delicious.

My only critique: It needs meat. I am kosher, but I always envision cooking that up with a ham bone.

[roamer_1]

I rotate my foods, too.  I try to never eat the same protein 2 nights in a row.

I'm often the opposite. I like making a big pot of something and eat on it for days.

[Smokin Joe]

I'm often the opposite. I like making a big pot of something and eat on it for days.

Me, too. Maybe I'll make two big post and trade off...but usually when I get a distinct hankering for something I will eat until the pot runs dry. (of course, exceptin' hot chili, I usually get some help...)

[roamer_1]

Me, too. Maybe I'll make two big post and trade off...but usually when I get a distinct hankering for something I will eat until the pot runs dry. (of course, exceptin' hot chili, I usually get some help...)

Yep. Mostly this place runs on three meals: chili foremost, goulash, and spaghetti. With those meals comes a huge amount of variation - well, with the spaghetti and the chili anyway.

For instance, if you have the forethought to roll up a few meatballs, the marinara sauce and meatballs and mozeralla cheese, and some decent Texas toast, and you have a meatball sandwich that'll knock you right out.

Rip some French bread longways, pan fry it,  and use that marinara and make some french bread pizza...

Oh, and sourdough pizza, made in a cast iron pan... I do a sourdough slurry that leaves a beautiful crust... Man, sometimes I would prefer that to any pizza.

But all that is only around if you make a big ol pot of spaghetti sauce to start with. 

[The_Reader_David]

My sis makes a bomber lentil soup, and when she does she always sends some over. It's_delicious.

My only critique: It needs meat. I am kosher, but I always envision cooking that up with a ham bone.

Notice, I left the broth open:  you can use beef or chicken stock.  (We usually don't, being Eastern Orthodox there are too many days when we're supposed to be almost vegan -- we're always allowed shellfish, but they don't go with lentil soup.)

[roamer_1]

Notice, I left the broth open:  you can use beef or chicken stock.  (We usually don't, being Eastern Orthodox there are too many days when we're supposed to be almost vegan -- we're always allowed shellfish, but they don't go with lentil soup.)

LOL! Like I said - Kosher - so no ham bone for me... But that's what seems to fit it... Though a nice sausage coined up and seared and thrown in would be nice too.

But what a great soup. Hardy. Sprung from the ground. The kind of thing you'd get at a farmer's table with a nice chunk of homemade bread... A ripped-off chunk... No sliced bread there.

 

[libertybele]

Bean Soup -- (I normally start to simmer and stir in the morning and cook this for most of the day till dinner time).

1 lb great northern beans - 4-5 qts water
Ham and or bone or hocks
2 Bay leaves (decent sized pieces)
1 large onion chopped or diced
couple large carrots
1 or 2 potatoes (preferably Idaho)
1 or 2 tomato sliced/diced
whole peppercorns
tomatoes
Tabasco sauce (optional)

Put enough water in pot to cover beans bring to a boil (or soak overnight)  Empty water and refill with qts of water and bring beans to boiling again. Simmer -- add bay leaf, ham, onion peppercorns, carrots. Simmer till ham and beans are almost tender, add  tomatoes, potatoes (Potatoes are for thickness too) and simmer. When potatoes are soft and soup is thickened to desired consistency and ham is tender (or off bone), remove bone and mash till thick. Remove or leave peppercorns to taste.

If desired add a shot or two of Tabasco sauce.

[berdie]

Hobo Dinners

Since the cost of hamburger has come down a little bit it's pretty cheap.

In heavy duty foil for individual portions, crumble up uncooked hamburger. Lightly salt and pepper. Cut up potatoes and carrots in rounds and layer on top. Cut up a boat load of onions and layer on top. Lightly salt and pepper. Bring the tops of the foil together and seal. It will kind of look like an aluminum foil burrito.

This is made to be cooked on a campfire but works just as well in the oven. I guess I like it because it can be fixed ahead of time and can feed one or ten . And the clean up is a breeze.

[roamer_1]

Hobo Dinners

Since the cost of hamburger has come down a little bit it's pretty cheap.

In heavy duty foil for individual portions, crumble up uncooked hamburger. Lightly salt and pepper. Cut up potatoes and carrots in rounds and layer on top. Cut up a boat load of onions and layer on top. Lightly salt and pepper. Bring the tops of the foil together and seal. It will kind of look like an aluminum foil burrito.

This is made to be cooked on a campfire but works just as well in the oven. I guess I like it because it can be fixed ahead of time and can feed one or ten . And the clean up is a breeze.

Double-BUMP. I have eaten hobo so many times it's uncountable.
You can put your bannock bread right in with it too, but it turns out more like dumplings than bread...

[240B]

I'm looking into an old Tuna Melt Jello dish. Looks promising so far.

[Sighlass]

Lentil soup.  Soak a cup and a half of brown lentils overnight.  When ready to make the soup, chop up a big onion, mince a few coves of garlic, and cut up whatever else you fancy (bell pepper, carrot, zucchini, eggplant,...). Saute the garlic and onion for a while in whatever oil you like to cook with, add the other veg, season with whatever you like (we usually use Levantine spices like cumin, coriander, Aleppo pepper, but a bit of chili powder would do) saute a little longer, add the lentils (drain the water you soaked them in first) and some sort of broth, cook for about a half hour.  If you like you can put in some chopped tomatoes or tomato paste.  If you fancy sour soups (a taste that seems to start in Greece and run all the way across Asia) squeeze some lemon or lime juice on before serving.

Be sure to check your lentils beforehand, sometimes small rocks get picked up in them, so hand sort them first. Usually the rocks are porous stones grey if I remember correctly.  Don't want a dentist bill to ruin your fun... Such a treat they are, and good for the heart (you know the rest .... toot).

[berdie]

Double-BUMP. I have eaten hobo so many times it's uncountable.
You can put your bannock bread right in with it too, but it turns out more like dumplings than bread...

One of the things I have found interesting about this thread @roamer_1 is how no matter where we live, the cheap recipes are very similar. (I did have to look up bannock bread, lol)

The other thing is, when I was thinking about economical recipes from my youth and "lean days" of early marriage...they really aren't cheap anymore. For instance, salmon patties (heck a can of salmon is 4 bucks) and a roast that could be 3 meals at least. Roast is crazy expensive! When we first married, I worked at a fried chicken joint and got to take the left over chicken home every night. Wouldn't work today. We were in our teens and very active so cholesterol was not even a thought.

But the weather is a little cooler today (not cold by any means) so I made lentil soup for dinner. Yum!!

[roamer_1]

One of the things I have found interesting about this thread @roamer_1 is how no matter where we live, the cheap recipes are very similar. (I did have to look up bannock bread, lol)

Bannock bread is a hillbilly term, or at least it is out west - y'all may know it (in its variations) as indian fry bread or Navaho fry bread... But for all its variation (see pemmican as being the same way), it's all pretty much the same. Pretty much biscuit dough...

The other thing is, when I was thinking about economical recipes from my youth and "lean days" of early marriage...they really aren't cheap anymore. For instance, salmon patties (heck a can of salmon is 4 bucks) and a roast that could be 3 meals at least. Roast is crazy expensive! When we first married, I worked at a fried chicken joint and got to take the left over chicken home every night. Wouldn't work today. We were in our teens and very active so cholesterol was not even a thought.

Yeah... With my malady keeping me nailed down to the cabin, I am finding that out. It's truly an amazement to me how much I got for free when I could just go out and get it. It's coming on morels right now up in here, and that's something I should ought to just wander out in the woods and pick, but I won't have any this year, unless the kids think to bring me some by. Eggs... I am so used to just getting 4 dozen any old time I want, And now they are moved across town with my son and I am mostly eating store-bought, as it is a chore for them to bring em over. Salmon is another one of them... I ain't made salmon from a can in a coon's age. I just catch a mess of kokanee every year, and make it from that, frozen, or from smoked. We ain't even gonna talk about no beef, elk, moose, venison, and upland birds... That and fishin is what I have always done for fun, And my freezers have always been full - 3 of em... Now I have 1 freezer left, and it half full, and Instacart bringing me my groceries (and that at an enormous extra cost).

It is a bother. I cannot wait for my feet to come back (If Yah provides) . Hopefully this summer sees it come. I would much prefer to go back to taking care of myself. I sure ate better - If that in the more rustic manner to which I am accustomed.

But the weather is a little cooler today (not cold by any means) so I made lentil soup for dinner. Yum!!

We got it coming on.... Ain't no snow left down here in the valley - Even the snow berms from plowing are gone... But no crocus yet, no lilacs in the bud, and the willows ain't coming yet (all sure signs of that 's' word)
 

[unite for individuality]

The other thing is, when I was thinking about economical recipes from my youth and "lean days" of early marriage...they really aren't cheap anymore. For instance, salmon patties (heck a can of salmon is 4 bucks) and a roast that could be 3 meals at least. Roast is crazy expensive! When we first married, I worked at a fried chicken joint and got to take the left over chicken home every night. Wouldn't work today. We were in our teens and very active so cholesterol was not even a thought.

Some things have gone up a lot.
Mackerel used to be 75 cents a can.  Now it's $2.69.
Fukushima happened, and poisoned much of the ocean.
Stock up on non-perishable foods now, before they go up more!

I'd like to add - when buying canned fish, on the can, in addition to net weight,
it might say on the can "DR WT".  That means "drained weight."
That's the amount of fish you're actually getting
after you drain off the water in which the fish is packed.

And if you're going to stock up on beans, you should also stock up on Beano!
(The store brand tends to be a lot cheaper.)