I’m a college student and I want to learn to cook to save on food. I can make a few basic things like pasta and omelets, but not much else. Any cheap, quick, tasty recipes? We have no microwave and no oven, only a stove and an oven toaster.
Damifino, but I’ll be watching this thread!
Mince and onions will get you heaps of meals. I use 100g mince per adult female. One small onion per person (or one large between two).
If you think it’s not enough, add more veges and sauce before adding more carbo (rice/ pasta / bread) or meat. Play around with seasonings and really shop around to get in season veg cheaper. Add garlic to everything. Or not to anything - your choice)
Not really Bolognaise
Add crushed garlic with the onions and browned mincemeat, add finely chopped carrots and tin of chopped tomatoes and any veges you like (you’ll learn your preferences, for now try anything cheap). Squeeze in a goodly blob of tomato sauce and however much salt works for you, let the whole lot bubble away in the frypan while you boil heaps of long spaghetti (or linguine, whatever long thin noodle was on special). Just before the pasta is done, turn off the meat sauce and add green herbs - fresh is better, dried are okay and much cheaper - basil & oregano are a good start.
When the pasta is boiled, give everyone a good base of cheap pasta and barely cover with the bolognaise
Not really Stroganof
Mince and onion base, lots of in season cheap mushrooms sliced quite thick (1/2 cm), fry till they look good. A cupful of frozen stir fry veg per person - frozen’s again, almost as good as fresh and they’re cheaper, but shop around and don’t pay extra for ‘special blends’ that might simply have a paler broccoli variety.
When everything is hot, put on a pot of rice - Basmati rice is cheap, low GI and cooks in half the time which saves power.
Mix up a cup of single serve mushroom soup, using a little less water than suggested. Add to the mince and mushrooms. Stir this every so often while you wait for the rice to cook. Taste and salt ( the soup mix will have lots) if needed. Add any herbs that seem like a good idea.
Make beds of rice and nestle the meat mix in the centre.
Swap out the mushrooms and soup for equal parts honey/soy/lime (Tbs per portion) use more veges and serve on instant noodles for Not Really Singapore Beef.
This is also good for using spicy sausage, chicken bits and any other cheap bits of meat you can get.
Basic mince mix. Garlic. Finely diced potato. Add 1/2 cup water and tsp curry powder (Curry per person at your discretion and risk) Add finely chopped apple and seasonal veg (go for colour in this one). Salt generously, the spud will soak it up. When the rice is ready - add a handful or two of raisins to the meat and mix through. Best added close to the end as they will retain heat longer than the other ingredients. Not Really Kheema.
During winter, in a pot with spud carrots and cheap greens - about 3- 4 cm of water in the bottom. Boil it, add salt. When the veges are done, add a packet mix gravy. Serve with lots of wholemeal or wholegrain bread - it costs more but you feel full with much much less - and it’s better for you. Not Really Stovies
For reasonably easy and mighty tasty, it’s tough to beat Navy Bean and Kielbasa Soup. The hubby prefers a very fine dice on the veggies, but you could do a coarser chop to save extra time.
That same blog has an archive of recipes that all look good, though I haven’t tried all of them yet.
get a crock pot
add some meat to it
add some veggies to it
add some stock to it
add some spices to it if you want (definitely some salt but hold off on the pepper til you serve it, according to Alton Brown it can turn food bitter)
cook it for 8 ish hours on low and then put it in your FASE!
seriously Crock pots are magical, like Harry Potter/Gandalf Magical
one more crock pot recipe thats stupid easy
pork, boneless enough to mostly fill the crock
1 jar course ground mustard
1 jar bbq
1 jar franks red hot buffalo wing sauce
3-4 spoonfuls of something sweet (honey/jam)
1 onion chopped kinda fine
mix sauces and onion, add pork and sauce to pot (if you got pork chops then do layers of sauce/pork, if you got a big pork shoulder just pour sauce over the pork)
also cook for 8 ish hours and then stick it in your FASE…wait not yet
after 8 hours or so the pork should just fall apart when you poke it so
Shred the pork well while its STILL IN THE SAUCE.
now drain the sauce, most of it or as much as will reasonably drain.
now put it on a bun or in a tortilla or just eat it with chips.
for a easy dish for any time, all you need is a skillet and a spatula, a cover for the skillet rocks but isnt neccesary
potatoes chopped kinda small (to speed cook time)
some oil in the pan, maybe a couple spoonfuls.
cook on medium or a bit higher while covered stirring occasionally (the cover is to speed cook time on the taters, you wont need it once you add the other stuff)
when potatoes are starting to soften add some chopped onion/bell pepper red/yellow/orange are my preference, greens are to damn strong
when that is all really close to done drop in some eggs and keep stirring till done
its easy and very good just about any time.
You make this and I guarantee no one will think you’re a beginner…and it couldn’t be easier!
Originally posted by Twickster
Caribbean Pumpkin Soup
Makes 4 servings (5 cups)
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
2-1/2 cups chicken broth (I use Maggi veggie cubes)
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper to taste
(optional: cilantro and/or sour cream for garnish)
Sauté onion and bell pepper (either use nonstick spray or a little oil) till tender. Add garlic and cumin and cook another minute. Stir in everything else and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer five minutes to blend flavors.
I would recommend Cooking Light magazine- it’s really not “that” light but it has a “cooking class” feature and a bunch of tasty, easy recipes to start out with.
Orange Glazed Chicken with Rice
* 1/2 cup flour
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (or use 1 broiler fryer chicken, cut up)
* 1 large orange, seedless
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups orange juice
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* hot cooked rice
* 1 green onion, with green part, sliced
Combine flour and salt in a food storage bag or paper bag; add chicken pieces, a few at a time, and toss to coat well. Reserve remaining flour mixture.
Grate 1 teaspoon of peel from orange; reserve. Peel the orange and separate into sections. Cut each section into 4 pieces; set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet or large frying pan over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces and brown quickly on both sides, about 5 minutes. Combine reserved flour mixture, orange peel, orange juice, and sugar; stir well. Stir orange juice mixture into the skillet or pan; cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Prepare rice while chicken is cooking. Spoon hot rice onto a serving dish; top with chicken pieces. Stir orange pieces and green onion into the skillet; heat through. Spoon a little of the sauce over the chicken and serve the rest on the side. Serves 4 to 5.
Rice: Put one cup of long grain white rice in a pan with two cups water and a tablespoon of butter or margarine. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (I have an electric stove, so I just turn off the element.) Do not remove the cover until it’s done. Fluff and serve.
Something to go on the rice: Remove the skin and bones from some chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Cook them in a pot with a little olive oil. Add a jar of Trader Joe’s (or similar) Curry Simmer Sauce (red or green) according to instructions. Simmer 20 minutes.
Breakfast: Fry some bacon and remove to paper towels. Cube a large russet potato. Fry the potato cubes over medium heat in (some of) the bacon grease with salt and black pepper. While the potatoes are cooking chop a yellow onion. Add the onions to the potatoes and cook until both are done. Chop up the bacon and mix it in with the potatoes and onions. Crack two eggs over the mixture and cover. Cook until whites are set. Eat with Tabasco® Sauce.
Ham Hocks and Black-Eyed Peas: Soak one pound of beans overnight. Rinse and drain. Put the beans into a slow cooker or crock pot. Add two large smoked ham hocks and enough water to cover. Cook on high for about six hours. Remove the skin and bones from the ham hocks. Chop the meat a bit and put it back in the pot. Simmer a couple more hours. (You can also do this on the stovetop, but be sure the pork is falling apart before serving.)
BBQ Beef: Not actually BBQ beef, but good for sandwiches. Slice a beef roast into about 2" slices and put the meat into a crock pot. Add some salt and pepper as desired. Cook on high until the meat comes apart with a fork. Drain any liquids and add your favourite bottled BBQ sauce. Mix it up and serve on rolls.
Teriyaki Salmon: Put a salmon fillet skin-side down on a sheet of aluminum foil. Cover with Soy Vay Very Very Teriyaki. Seal the foil around the fish and bake in the oven until it’s done (20 minutes or so – depends on the size of the fillet). Steam some asparagus. I put a little water in a frying pan and put them in, cover, bring to a boil, turn off the heat. (Hint: Snap the bottoms off of the asparagus instead of slicing them off. They’ll break at the appropriate place to you don’t get the ‘woody’ part.) Serve with rice.
Chipotle Salmon: Mix some canned chipotle chiles into a pint of sour cream. (Not the whole can. You’ll have to determine how hot you want it.) Slice some mushrooms and onions and mix them in. Put a salmon fillet skin-side down on a sheet of aluminum foil. Cover with the sauce and seal the foil. Bake in the oven until it’s done. Slice up a selection of squash and steam them as a side dish.
Garlic Chicken: Put two chicken breasts (with skin on) into a baking dish. Add about 40 cloves of garlic (cloves, not heads!) to the baking dish after removing the papery skin but not the actual skin. Pour in a half-cup or a cup of drinkable white wine. Bake the chicken until it is cooked through. Squeeze the garlic from out of its skin into a small saucepan. Mash them up and add some heavy cream. Heat through and serve on the chicken. (Or: Get some French bread and squeeze the garlic onto it as you eat.)
Beef Crêpes: Get some good-quality beef steak, sliced very thin. You want them as thin as possible. Pound them if you have to. Remove the fat. Roll a beef around a stalk or two of asparagus. Cook on all sides in a frying pan or on a BBQ grill. Slice the crêpes like a sushi roll and put each slice flat-side down on a plate – like a sushi roll. Mix up a sauce of mayonnaise, light soya sauce, and some rice vinegar. (You’ll have to do this by taste.) Dip the crêpe slices in the sauce as desired. Serve with rice and a little salad.
Stuffed Mushrooms:
Remove stems from large button or baby bella shrooms. Put in laughing cow, cream or other spreadable cheese. Top with pesto. Coat with cooking spray. Bake at 350 until bubbly. Couldn’t be easier and people love these!
I’m not good with quantities- “some” means “whatever you think is an appropriate amount”.
Creamy chicken- serves 2-4 depending on quantity of onions and meat
Fry garlic and an onion in olive oil.
Add chopped chicken pieces, black pepper, salt and some dried herbs (I use a Herbes D’Provence mix).
Add some cubes of bacon.
When chicken is browned and bacon is cooked, add a glass of white wine and a tub of Philadelphia cream cheese.
Serve with pasta.
You can substitute wholegrain mustard and honey, or green peppercorns for the herbs if you prefer.
Lentil & bacon soup
Cook and onion and some garlic in olive oil until soft. Add 1 tsp of cumin.
Add some bacon and continue to fry until crispy.
Add some red split lentils, and stir to coat with oil.
Add some vegetable or chicken stock- enough to cover lentils well.
Bring to boil, then simmer on low heat until lentils are cooked and soft- either mash with wooden spoon or potato masher, puree with a hand blender, or leave chunky and “rustic”.
Serve with cream and croutons.
Dirty Rice:
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 pkg (1/2 pound) bulk breakfast sausage (the kind in the roll - Owen’s or Jimmy Dean)
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
1 minced garlic clove, or a dash of garlic powder
Brown the sausage with the peppers, onions and garlic over medium heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Dump in the rice, mix and eat! You can serve it with link sausage, or a baked chicken breast.
Easy Fish Tacos: Mix a packet of taco seasoning into sour cream to taste. Slice some tilapia (or other white fish) filets into reasonably-sized chunks. Coat with Fish Fry (breading) according to instructions. Fry the fish in oil. Warm two stacked corn tortillas. Put some fish on the tortillas and add shredded cabbage, the white sauce you made earlier, and some fresh lime juice.
Fish: Mince half a yellow onion and a couple/few cloves of garlic. Sauté in olive oil. Add a teaspoon or so of capers. Slice one or two Roma tomatoes and slice the slices in half. Add to the mix. Move the mixture aside and add two tilapia filets, turning once and spooning the mixture on top. When the fish is done serve over angel hair pasta.
Easier Fish Tacos- go to Trader Joe’s and buy their breaded tilapia fillets. Heat in the oven according to instructions on box. When they are hot, wrap each one in a corn tortilla and garnish with salsa and shredded cabbage or lettuce.
All these ideas are great, but just remember this: Saute chopped onion, chopped garlic and either diced bell peppers, chopped celery or carrots in a little olive, peanut or canola oil.
In New Orleans, onions, bell peppers and celery are the “holy trinity.” But I would add garlic, too. Unless, I’m mistaken, in France the three ingredients are onion, celery and carrots. You can’t go wrong either way.
Add salt and pepper and then some spices you like. Keep the heat low enough that it doesn’t burn. Then add protein you like – or not – cook until done. After you make this basic saute, your choices are endless. Add what you like.
Pour over pasta or incorporate into more adventuresome recipes. However, it’s always a quick and easy way to prepare food, make the kitchen smell great and everyone thinks you’re a chef.
Keep 'em coming! This is greats stuff (sadly things like “boiling rice” is the skill level I’m at).
I can make Mac and Cheese now. And Pasta!
But I’ve not tried anything else, all I have is a big pot (I make pasta in it), a little pot (I make… less pasta in it?), and I have a small skillet (i’ve made sausage in it).
What else can I make with these three tools?
Well if you have a little pot you might get the munchies.
OK, big pot. Put in a little olive oil and add chopped onions, chopped celery, and chopped carrots. Cook about ten minutes. Chop up some chicken breast and put it in the pot. Get a carton of chicken broth or vegetable broth and pour it into the pot. Chop some leeks, kale, and potatoes and add them to the pot. Bring it to a boil over high heat and skim off any foam. Add some freshly chopped parsley, a couple sprigs of fresh thyme, and a bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, a couple of hours until the chicken is tender. Finish with a pint of cream and heat until hot.
Pan con Tomate (involves practically no cooking, and your friends will think you are a genius):
4 slices of rustic bread (important, bread must be coarse or final product will be soggy)
1 Roma tomato
1 clove of garlic
olive oil
salt
Toast the bread lightly. Rub the clove of garlic lightly (lightly!) over the bread. Slice off the top of the tomato and rub it over the bread until lightly coated. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over each slice. Slice the tomato and distribute slices among the bread. Salt generously.
This is cheap, healthy, and surprisingly filling. Makes a great breakfast or snack. I usually eat it for dinner with some olives on the side.
I’ll get more later but here’s a quick one to go with your mac and cheese.
Ghetto Garlic Bread: Put butter on a slice of bread (the little bottles of spray parkay work great), then sprinkle garlic salt on it (in the spice aisle). Toast in toaster oven (toaster oven, not a regular toaster) or just fry it in a pan on the stove until toasty. Anything sprinkle-able can be added if you like, such as a little parmesan cheese.
Oh, another. Seasoned fries. In the spice aisle, get a bottle of seasoning salt. Make fries, sprinkle with seasoning. Tastes like they came straight from a restaurant.
Cheap Eats blog has meal ideas that are not only cheap, but mostly easy as well.
Big Pot- soups, stews, casseroles and your rice, pasta and potatoes.
Little pot-sauces and meats to go on top of your carbs.
Skillet- for sautes and frying meats, omelettes, fritattas and stir fry.
Stews and casseroles are EASY and cheap.
Start with an onion and garlic, finely chopped and fried in oil until soft.
Coat some stewing meat in flour with a little salt and pepper mixed in. Fry the meat in the pan in batches until brown an crispy on all sides.
Put all the meat back in the pot.
Add roughly chopped potatoes, carrots, celery, parsnips, rutabaga (swede) or whatever cheap root veggies you like.
Stick in some woody herbs (e.g. Bay leaf, rosemary, thyme) tied up with string.
Cover with stock, add some wine and a tin of tomatoes if you like.
Simmer until veggies cooked and liquid reduced to a stew like consistency- the longer it is cooked and the lower the temperature, the more tender and tasty the stew will be- we’re talking an hour or two.
Stir every so often to stop the bottom burning or sticking.
Take out herby bundle.
Season to taste (add salt and pepper until it tastes good).
Serve with chunky bread.