Low Dollah Dinnah

[Darth Cupcake]

Since we all got worked up about the evils of SPAM, let's discuss some better ways to eat cheaper and better!

I gotta admit, I haven't got much here. I somehow manage to spend a ton on groceries and never seem to eat enough or healthy or whatever. So let's discuss ways to eat on a budget. Also, I would love to hear ideas on how to avoid fresh produce going bad before you can use it (because it's kinda expensive here in the city, and it seems like I'll buy just a tiny bit, use some in my meal, and then when I'm ready to use the next bit, it's gone bad! ).

Here's what I had the other night:

-1 whole wheat tortilla spread with some nayonnaise
-broccoli, asparagus, sweet onion, and arugula stir-fried in olive oil, garlic, red pepper, and black pepper
-dump the veggies onto the tortilla, liberally add feta cheese crumbles
-wrap, eat, enjoy.

I have a flier for the co-op I shop at that says that refried beans in a can are on sale, so I think I'm going to stock up on some of those to augment my new burrito-making habit. Also, beans are delicious. I think beans and/or rice are going to become some of my new themes. Groceries are eating my budget alive.

[Suu]

Beans are also exceptionally good for you.

I'll try the burrito idea, but hold the mayo, as that stuff makes me ill.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Not a recipe exactly, but a grocery budgeting tip.

A few things to always have on hand:

Dry beans
Brown rice (I mix mine with wild rice, for texture)
Canned beans (I prefer pintos, garbanzos are great for a change)
A couple chicken breasts or pork chops in the freezer
Frozen corn, lima beans, spinach
Canned crushed tomatoes
Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Garlic

Practically any combination of some or all of these will make an excellent meal, and will stop you from going out and buying last-minute groceries. They all keep a long time, so you don't have to worry about using them before they go bad.

If you like middle-eastern food, you can keep the following on hand:

Tahini
Garlic
Bottled lemon juice
Canned garbanzo beans
Olive oil
Bulgur wheat

And when the mood strikes, buy:
yogurt
parsley
a cucumber
green onions
a tomato
an eggplant
ground beef
pita bread

and you will have all you need to make hummus, baba ganoush, tabouli, tzatziki, and kafta, and it's all very cheap. I can, for instance, make enough food to feed all five of us several meals for under $20. You could probably go even cheaper by making falafel instead of kafta, but I don't know how to make falafel so I can't really say for sure.

[Dido]

This one was an impromptu effort that turned out to be popular with my vegetarian guests. Sorry if it is not more accurate, I am a chaot.

Not shepherds pie:

Cook blacklentils (I like them with rosemary and black cumin. If you use them, heat whetever fat you use, throw them in and add the lentils and water after they start smelling and before xsomething burns.)
Cook and mash potatoes. Add chili powder and parsley.
Grate zuchini and carrots and add them to the lentils.

Put the lentils in a deep pan, cover them with the mashed potatoes. You can finish with a thin layer of crumbled cheese. Cover them with foil and bake for about (Ok, 15 minutes in medium heat will suffice but it is a lot better if it stays in the oven for an hour in very low heat. It is more a matter

Serve with tomato sauce with garlic and green olives or capers.

[Richter]

Simple anything meal:  

Meat / veggie part:
Cook 1/2 - 1 lb. meat with whatever veggies, garlic, and other spices you have around in olive oil or butter.  Deglaze the pan to give it a little sauce if you like.  Spice to match whatever meat / veg. / carb is involved.  Make a lot and it will be good for a few meals in a row.

Carb Part.
Cook up 1-2 servings worth of rice or pasta.  If you can't do that, WAYSA?

Put the meat part over the Carb bit.
If it's a pasta, add a little tomato sauce or pesto.  If rice, add whatever you like on rice.

Eat it.  Cover and Refridgerate the rest for additional meals.

A big part of making this economical is buy things CHEAP and OFTEN.  Use sales to stock pasta and rice (or other dry / canned things), since they'll keep for a few years, and are versatile as hell.  Work shorter term for the meat, but same principle.  
I'll only buy veggies for a few days / one week to ensure quick turnover.  

[Suu]

Purchase one x-large deep dish pizza from Sicilia's....


Feed Mr. and Mrs. Suu for 5 days straight.

[LMNO]

Cheap eats:  My one-pot Inappropriately-named Spanish rice.

I shall bump.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Somewhere I posted my posole recipe, I think... get a pork shoulder, cut it into cubes, place in soup pot with a diced onion. Add a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, some salt, a tablespoon or so of marjoram, and a couple of tablespoons of ground chili. Simmer for several hours, add a can or two of hominy (rinse first) and simmer a bit more. Serve over shredded cabbage and sliced radishes, with sour cream and lime wedges.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Oh! Also, lentil curry soup.

1 lb red lentils
an onion
a potato
a package of chopped frozen spinach
a lemon
salt
yellow curry powder
Water

Simmer together, eat, yum yum!

[Suu]

Cheap eats:  My one-pot Inappropriately-named Spanish rice.

I shall bump.

Srsly, Mr. Suu and I eat a pot of his rice for days.

[LMNO]

The posole sounds good Nigel.

I have a recipie for it as well, but it's not cheap.  I roast some pork bones and may my own stock, use ribs as well as shoulder, and the whole thing takes all day to cook.

Delicious, but not cheap.  I'll try your way, see what happens.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Its surprisingly good for how cheap and easy it is.

I have a fancier version for holidays that's more involved, and starts with dry posole corn, which is a royal PITA but does taste better IMO. I also usually serve it with green onions and cilantro, but if you're on a budget those can be omitted.

Another good cheap recipe is green chili with or without pork, which goes like so:

2 lbs pork (shoulder, once again, is good, and cheap)
2 potatoes
2 carrots
2 TBSP flour
2 TBSP oil
an onion
a few cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery
1 qt chicken stock
1 can of diced green chilies
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Cube the meat, potatoes, and carrots, and dust them in flour. Brown them in the oil, add the stock and the rest of the ingredients, simmer on low for 2 hours. Serve with jack cheese, sour cream, and corn tortillas.

[M.K]

Dudes. Get some whole-grain rice, cook it, put some in a bowl, put some ketchup and chili on it and presto. Delicious.

[LMNO]

... I think part of the requirement is actual, you know, nutrition.

[Darth Cupcake]

Yeah, I like to feel like I'm not dying.

Nigel, some of those recipes sound freaking amazing. I can't wait to try them!

Likewise, Dido, your not-shepherd's pie sounds pretty excellent. This thread is full of win! Yay!