a delicious way to take the edge off your hunger. you can add whatever ingredients you would like to it, but obviously the more you add, the more expensive it gets.
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1 egg (16.6¢)
1 slice cheddar cheese (9.4¢)
1 t milk (0.4¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
ketchup packet from fast-food restaurant
- heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- crack the egg into a bowl and add the milk. whip lightly together until white and yolk are combined and milk is well-mixed.
- pour egg mixture into saucepan and let cook until the egg is firm on the underside and still slightly runny on top.
- add cheese slice (you can further slice this if you desire).
- let omelet continue to cook until all runniness is gone.
- pour in ketchup, fold in half and eat!
this is about as basic as you can get for an omelet. add more eggs and use a larger pan for a bigger one, or chop up green peppers, onions, sausage, bacon, ham, tomatoes, olives...the list is endless!
April 07, 2009
tomato-lime chicken over pasta: 92¢
I was feeling spontaneous and decided to make a marinade for half of a chicken breast I had in the freezer. it ended up amazing! the lime seeped into the chicken and tenderized it, as well as flavored it through and through.
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1/3 pound pasta (19.8¢)
1/2 chicken breast (49.5¢)
1/3 can tomato sauce (9.4¢)
juice of 1/4 lime (8.2¢)
1 t worchestershire sauce (5.2¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
garlic salt
lemon pepper
olive oil
- cook the pasta to preference.
- chop the chicken breast into pieces about two bites'-worth. combine remaining ingredients (excluding pasta) in a bowl and stir well. smell to ensure the sauce is to your taste.
- place chicken in marinade and stir to cover pieces. refrigerate for one hour.
- heat up olive oil in frying pan and add chicken plus remaining marinade. cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- serve over pasta.
I was sick when I made this, and my friends were having a barbecue on a lovely sunny day. they came back raving about their barbecue and then tried my marinade. they said it was as good as what they'd just eaten!
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1/3 pound pasta (19.8¢)
1/2 chicken breast (49.5¢)
1/3 can tomato sauce (9.4¢)
juice of 1/4 lime (8.2¢)
1 t worchestershire sauce (5.2¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
garlic salt
lemon pepper
olive oil
- cook the pasta to preference.
- chop the chicken breast into pieces about two bites'-worth. combine remaining ingredients (excluding pasta) in a bowl and stir well. smell to ensure the sauce is to your taste.
- place chicken in marinade and stir to cover pieces. refrigerate for one hour.
- heat up olive oil in frying pan and add chicken plus remaining marinade. cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- serve over pasta.
I was sick when I made this, and my friends were having a barbecue on a lovely sunny day. they came back raving about their barbecue and then tried my marinade. they said it was as good as what they'd just eaten!
March 25, 2009
italian chicken pasta: 99¢
I was craving chicken tonight and was planning on making a casserole, but then got lazy and just made a pasta instead. it turned out really delicious!
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1/8 green bell pepper (9.9¢)
1/3 chicken breast (33.3¢)
1/4 container tomato sauce (25¢)
1/2 yellow onion (8.1¢)
1/3 pound pasta (19.8¢)
1 garlic clove (2.7¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
oregano
salt
lemon pepper
olive oil
- cook the pasta to preference.
- chop up the bell pepper and onion and mince the garlic.
- heat a dash of olive oil in a frying pan and toss in the onion and garlic. saute on medium heat for about a minute.
- cut the chicken into tiny pieces and saute until just cooked. add the spices and finely chopped bell pepper.
- add the tomato sauce and turn the heat to low. let simmer for two minutes. serve over pasta.
this is easily doubled or even quadrupled and saved for a later lunch - the flavor gets better with time.
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1/8 green bell pepper (9.9¢)
1/3 chicken breast (33.3¢)
1/4 container tomato sauce (25¢)
1/2 yellow onion (8.1¢)
1/3 pound pasta (19.8¢)
1 garlic clove (2.7¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
oregano
salt
lemon pepper
olive oil
- cook the pasta to preference.
- chop up the bell pepper and onion and mince the garlic.
- heat a dash of olive oil in a frying pan and toss in the onion and garlic. saute on medium heat for about a minute.
- cut the chicken into tiny pieces and saute until just cooked. add the spices and finely chopped bell pepper.
- add the tomato sauce and turn the heat to low. let simmer for two minutes. serve over pasta.
this is easily doubled or even quadrupled and saved for a later lunch - the flavor gets better with time.
purchasing tips: cooking liquids
pretty much any dish that you cook will require some sort of liquid. here is a growing list of cooking liquids and the best ways to buy them as well as good prices. don't buy them more expensive unless you absolutely must!
soy sauce
do a little research and figure out where the local restaurants shop. it will probably be a bulk shopping center like Cash and Carry, which carries massive containers of food you will think you could never eat in a million lifetimes. however, it is really useful for some products...like soy sauce. I purchased a gallon container of soy sauce for $3.75, and I share it with my three roommates; there's no way we're going to finish it off before we leave this apartment. if you can't find a bulk shopping center, at least buy the largest container of soy sauce at the grocery store - it will be cheaper per ounce and save you money in the long run.
cooking wine
if you've ever been inside a Trader Joe's, you've been inside a little piece of heaven. they sell a line of $3 wine called Charles Shaw, which encompasses six different types of wine. while you probably wouldn't want to get drunk off this stuff, it is great for cooking and adds the perfect flavor. however, Trader Joe's is not currently found across the U.S., so really, any cheap chuck will probably do. just don't pay more than $3.
broth
my mom always says that 50¢ broth is just as good as anything else. I take it a step further (and some would disagree with me on this point because of flavor, but at least I'm cheap) and say, what's wrong with a cup of broth for 11.9¢? bouillon cubes may not be as delicious as getting broth from a can, but it's certainly cheaper when you can buy the equivalent of 15 cups for $1.79. beef and chicken flavors are both available.
soy sauce
do a little research and figure out where the local restaurants shop. it will probably be a bulk shopping center like Cash and Carry, which carries massive containers of food you will think you could never eat in a million lifetimes. however, it is really useful for some products...like soy sauce. I purchased a gallon container of soy sauce for $3.75, and I share it with my three roommates; there's no way we're going to finish it off before we leave this apartment. if you can't find a bulk shopping center, at least buy the largest container of soy sauce at the grocery store - it will be cheaper per ounce and save you money in the long run.
cooking wine
if you've ever been inside a Trader Joe's, you've been inside a little piece of heaven. they sell a line of $3 wine called Charles Shaw, which encompasses six different types of wine. while you probably wouldn't want to get drunk off this stuff, it is great for cooking and adds the perfect flavor. however, Trader Joe's is not currently found across the U.S., so really, any cheap chuck will probably do. just don't pay more than $3.
broth
my mom always says that 50¢ broth is just as good as anything else. I take it a step further (and some would disagree with me on this point because of flavor, but at least I'm cheap) and say, what's wrong with a cup of broth for 11.9¢? bouillon cubes may not be as delicious as getting broth from a can, but it's certainly cheaper when you can buy the equivalent of 15 cups for $1.79. beef and chicken flavors are both available.
chicken masquerade: 84¢
my roommate actually invented this recipe - kudos to her. it's called chicken masquerade because when I tried it, I was convinced she'd used beef.
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1 chicken thigh (37.5¢)
1/4 cup white wine - the cheap stuff (15.8¢)
1 clove garlic (2.7¢)
1 stalk of celery (12.3¢)
1 cup of rice, uncooked (15.7¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 t paprika
1/8 t celery seed
1/4 t garlic powder
- skin and chop up the chicken. saute the pieces in soy sauce.
- when the chicken is about halfway cooked, add the wine and the spices.
- mince the garlic and add it.
- chop the celery. when most of the liquid is cooked out, add it.
- serve over rice.
kind of a fried rice feel!
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1 chicken thigh (37.5¢)
1/4 cup white wine - the cheap stuff (15.8¢)
1 clove garlic (2.7¢)
1 stalk of celery (12.3¢)
1 cup of rice, uncooked (15.7¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 t paprika
1/8 t celery seed
1/4 t garlic powder
- skin and chop up the chicken. saute the pieces in soy sauce.
- when the chicken is about halfway cooked, add the wine and the spices.
- mince the garlic and add it.
- chop the celery. when most of the liquid is cooked out, add it.
- serve over rice.
kind of a fried rice feel!
March 24, 2009
fried rice: 79¢
while this may not be as flavorful as what you buy for $2 a box at Chinese restaurants, it's a hell of a lot cheaper and probably a lot better for you, too. my mom always made this with whatever leftover meat she had in the fridge, and I've taken to doing that too. make larger batches to share with friends!
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1 egg (16.6¢)
1 carrot (14.1¢)
1 stalk of celery (12.3¢)
1 cup white rice, uncooked (15.7¢)
1/4 green bell pepper (19.7¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
soy sauce
olive oil
dash of peanut oil
leftover cooked meat, such as pork roast, beef roast, chicken, or turkey (note: you've essentially already accounted for this price in some other recipe, so it doesn't count against you)
- chop up the carrot, celery, and green pepper into little pieces. (trick: cut the celery in half short-wise, then cut the thicker end long-wise and chop.)
- heat up olive oil, peanut oil, and soy sauce in a frying pan. when oil is hot, add vegetables. saute until slightly soft while still retaining their crunch.
- in the meantime, slice up the leftover meat. when the vegetables hit the appropriate texture, toss in the meat and add a little more soy sauce. saute for about two minutes or until meat has soaked up flavor.
- remove from heat and place in bowl. put the frying pan back on the heat and add a scoop of the rice. beat the egg in a bowl and pour over the rice.
- stir until egg is cooked, then add egg rice and the rest of the rice to the bowl with the meat and vegetables. mix and serve with more soy sauce.
this is one of my favorites to serve in "bulk," because it's filling and very inexpensive. all things considered, it's pretty easy too.
ingredients I'm charging you for:
1 egg (16.6¢)
1 carrot (14.1¢)
1 stalk of celery (12.3¢)
1 cup white rice, uncooked (15.7¢)
1/4 green bell pepper (19.7¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
soy sauce
olive oil
dash of peanut oil
leftover cooked meat, such as pork roast, beef roast, chicken, or turkey (note: you've essentially already accounted for this price in some other recipe, so it doesn't count against you)
- chop up the carrot, celery, and green pepper into little pieces. (trick: cut the celery in half short-wise, then cut the thicker end long-wise and chop.)
- heat up olive oil, peanut oil, and soy sauce in a frying pan. when oil is hot, add vegetables. saute until slightly soft while still retaining their crunch.
- in the meantime, slice up the leftover meat. when the vegetables hit the appropriate texture, toss in the meat and add a little more soy sauce. saute for about two minutes or until meat has soaked up flavor.
- remove from heat and place in bowl. put the frying pan back on the heat and add a scoop of the rice. beat the egg in a bowl and pour over the rice.
- stir until egg is cooked, then add egg rice and the rest of the rice to the bowl with the meat and vegetables. mix and serve with more soy sauce.
this is one of my favorites to serve in "bulk," because it's filling and very inexpensive. all things considered, it's pretty easy too.
egg-drop soup: 49¢
while this soup will leave your system about as fast as water, the egg helps make it stick and the green onion adds flavor that you'll taste for hours afterward.
ingredients I'm charging you for:
2 chicken bouillon cubes (23.9¢)
1 egg (16.6¢)
1 scallion/green onion (7.9¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
3 cups + 2 T of cold water
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
- bring the 3 cups of water to a boil. toss in the bouillon cubes and let dissolve.
- stir the cornstarch into the 2 T of cold water. pour into boiling mixture and stir.
- crack the egg into a bowl and slightly beat it. pour a little of the boiling mixture into the egg bowl, let sit for about 10 seconds, then slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot.
- dump in soy sauce and stir. let boil for about 30 seconds. pull off heat and serve with chopped scallion to garnish.
mmm...hit the spot and satisfied my salt craving. I can see myself making this to go with some of my favorite Asian dishes; or do what I did and eat it as a comforting afternoon snack.
ingredients I'm charging you for:
2 chicken bouillon cubes (23.9¢)
1 egg (16.6¢)
1 scallion/green onion (7.9¢)
incidental ingredients (you should have these lying around):
3 cups + 2 T of cold water
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
- bring the 3 cups of water to a boil. toss in the bouillon cubes and let dissolve.
- stir the cornstarch into the 2 T of cold water. pour into boiling mixture and stir.
- crack the egg into a bowl and slightly beat it. pour a little of the boiling mixture into the egg bowl, let sit for about 10 seconds, then slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot.
- dump in soy sauce and stir. let boil for about 30 seconds. pull off heat and serve with chopped scallion to garnish.
mmm...hit the spot and satisfied my salt craving. I can see myself making this to go with some of my favorite Asian dishes; or do what I did and eat it as a comforting afternoon snack.
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