In search of poor people recipes

Eggs are cheap, if you don't buy the fancy organic/cage-free/omega3 stuff. Just the plain ole' store brand eggs -- they are still healthier for you than Ramen noodles.

One of my favorite "cheap" lunches is a can (or package) of wild-caught salmon, with a squirt of mayo and
Siracha hot sauce, and some chopped apple, maybe some chopped onion. Delicious, healthy, and not very expensive.

Some veggies, like cabbage, carrots, onions, etc. are very cheap -- and very healthy. Just look around the produce section - you'll see the cheap veggies pretty quick. Stir-fries are great, because you don't need to add a lot of meat.

Don't forget fruit. A bunch of bananas will cost about a buck and some change - lots of potassium. You can buy bags of apples and oranges pretty cheap - you need vitamin c.

I always have a bag of frozen peas around. They have protein, fiber and vitamins. They're cheap, and they are great in the stir-fries, or with pasta. And I LOVE making fried rice with peas, carrots, onions, a little bit of shredded cabbage, and eggs. Throw in some soy sauce, and Siracha sauce (can you tell I like Siracha sauce?), and you have a meal fit for a king, on a pauper's budget.

I know you were looking for meals, but here is a money saver. Cleaning with vinegar and baking soda for everyday surfaces avoiding the expensive cleansers and chemical agents. I use this detergent and used to do tub laundry to save getting to the laundramat when either I didn't have a washer or it went on the fritz. Just add an extra shower rod down the middle of the tub and use plastic hangers for drying. I would do the laundry in the evenings and hang, but they would finish their dripping enough to be moved for showering in the morning.

Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. Stir the next day and before each use. You use ½ cup per load.

Follow your detergent washing with a clear water rinse or two adding a very very small amount of fabric softener and a little vinegar to rinse water. Tub laundry is easier on the wear and tear of your clothes, gives you exercise, and smells good. Wear rubber gloves with ANY detergent if doing by hand! I know buying a whole box of washing soda and borax when you are only using a small bit, but you can make so many batches of the stuff it's crazy. Maybe buddy up with some friends split the cost and have a detergent making party? The ingredients are cheap enough and Wally World is starting to put them together in the endcaps but they are found in the detergent isle. Just be sure its WASHING SODA usually by Arm and Hammer.

hope this helps some.

You can make stuffed cabbage or peppers with hamburger, chopped onion, rice and tomatoe soup. I cook each thing seperately then mix them all together and add the tomatoe soup for flavor.

Someone else in here mentioned a cabbage soup with carrots and potatoes and polish sausage. I make mine with a lite kielbasa, chicken broth, potatoes and carrots. Everyone who tries it loves it.

Or, a layer of hamburg and chopped onion, layer of corn, layer of mashed potatoes and top it all with american cheese.

I can make a big pot of beef soup from a meaty soupbone for about five bucks. Enough to eat for lunch and supper for five days. Trouble is that you need a lot of different spices and veggies to add to it that you have to buy that exceed what you need. Like a head of cabbage to use just a quarter of it and a celery that you use two sticks of. Half of an onion isn't bad but when you buy a whole garlic to use two cloves it's expensive. Same with bay leaves, only need two and a little tabasco sauce to give it better flavor means buying a whole bottle.

My daughter called for the recipe for chicken soup and instructions, I told her what she needed for a medicinal quality soup. A simple huge pot of soup that costs about seven bucks at home cost her seventy five bucks when she had to buy everything. She was staying with a friend in California who had nothing, eating only processed foods. The seventy five bucks got rid of her illness in one day though, doctors can't even do that.

Try going to look for a food pantry for help, they are around most places and are glad to help people in need.

Here is a foodie blog all about how to eat well on the cheap. Lots of soups, breads, veggie casseroles etc.

agirlcalledjack.com...

Originally posted by rickymouse
I can make a big pot of beef soup from a meaty soupbone for about five bucks. Enough to eat for lunch and supper for five days. Trouble is that you need a lot of different spices and veggies to add to it that you have to buy that exceed what you need. Like a head of cabbage to use just a quarter of it and a celery that you use two sticks of. Half of an onion isn't bad but when you buy a whole garlic to use two cloves it's expensive. Same with bay leaves, only need two and a little tabasco sauce to give it better flavor means buying a whole bottle.

I wonder if you could freeze some of the soup, and eat the remaining veggies in a different recipe during the week instead (like stir-fries and cheap casseroles)? That would use up all of the vegetables before they go bad, and provide some variety of recipes during the week as well. The extra frozen soup could be pulled out any time, maybe during a "leaner" budget week. It would require an initial investment in some items, though - like spices and hot sauce, but those things also last a long time.

I like a recipe that I dont have a name for all you need is Milk any milk will do , semolina, butter or marg, and choc powder.
recipe goes: milk in a sauce pan n heat on med till it starts to get hot dont boil it though.
Pour in semolina stir constantly till it thickens.
Spread on a plate about a centimetre thick.
Spread butter over semolina evenly so it melts.
Sprinkle choc powder over and consume rapidly.
It might not be healthy but it will get u through till dinner no worries.

reply to post by SinDefiant


Every post earned a star from me ok!

Explanation: S&F!

I here provide 2 of my threads ...

Poor Mans Mock Roast! An Aussie Pensioners experiment with chuck steak!

Survival Shopping in Oz with OmegaLogos on $28 budget for 2wks with coffee, bacon and icecreams!!!

Please note that I made a mistake with the amount of cups of coffee per day and it is 1.5 cups per day and not 3 cups ... however there is still at least 1 cup of coffee per day ok!

Personal Disclosure: I am a grocery shopping maestro and any I will gladly provide any further help I can ok!

reply to post by SinDefiant


Simple stews and soups are great if you are finding times hard. They are one of the few one pot meals that are quick and easy to do and they warm your belly well..

Cheap Yummy Soup:

onion
garlic
carrot (1/3 more than potatoes)
potatoes
salt
pepper
stock/ stock cube
(you could even add coriander if you fancy)

saute onions and garlic in pan with oil. add chopped carrots and potatoes, saute for another 3/4mins then add boiling water. bring to boil and add stock, salt and pepper. Leave to simmer away for 20/30/40mins (depending on how you like your soup - the more time it has the softer the veg and the thicker the soup..!)
Serve with bread.

Originally posted by OmegaLogos
reply to post by SinDefiant

 

Every post earned a star from me ok!

Explanation: S&F!

I here provide 2 of my threads ...

Poor Mans Mock Roast! An Aussie Pensioners experiment with chuck steak!

Survival Shopping in Oz with OmegaLogos on $28 budget for 2wks with coffee, bacon and icecreams!!!

Please note that I made a mistake with the amount of cups of coffee per day and it is 1.5 cups per day and not 3 cups ... however there is still at least 1 cup of coffee per day ok!

Personal Disclosure:

I am a grocery shopping maestro and any I will gladly provide any further help I can ok!

Explanation: OL, you get a star from me.

Personal Disclosure: Because I love your posts!

eggs are cheap and are a good source of minerals and vitamins. overconsumption of eggs is not good though. The egg white can strip the beneficial metals out of digestion because they lock to the molecules. It is good to eat some eggs, and store bought eggs are nutritious but they lack a lot of the immunity boosting ability of a free range egg. If you always eat the eggs scrambled the yolk and white mixture will mix before hardening and cause an increase of inflammatory properties.Occasionally eating them this way is ok and sometimes even beneficial under certain conditions.

Eggs three to four times a week is good for you, always eat eggs if you crave them. Eggs can also take heavy metals out of the body if needed. They will combine with lead in the intestine and make it so it cannot be absorbed. Same with mercury and other heavy metals. Trouble is they can strip iron out of the body also if overeaten as well as some other needed minerals. The yolk is rich in these necessary minerals though and these necessary minerals are less apt than lead to attach. Eggs also attach to arsenic and lock it up in their prison.

Garlic or even real garlic salt and powder is good to have in the kitchen, the sulfur compound in it can help to detox the body. The sulfur chemicals can create blood chemistry that takes heavy metals out of the body. Remember that it also takes out iron if eaten too much and even cobalt. Too much is also no good, eat it if you crave it or find yourself staring at the garlic in the store. Onions possess the same chemicals mostly as garlic but the percentages are way different. They are milder and more can be eaten. Overeating onions can cause the same problems as garlic though, they rob the some of the blood of necessary metals like iron and cobalt. At the same time the sulfur is needed to carry oxygen, using disulfide bonds to connect things together. Eat onions when you feel like them and remember that certain recipes including onions need them to be there. This comes under the blood type diet, the agglutination of the blood cells needs to be controlled. The antigens cause agglutination and the right sulfur compounds dampen this effect. Too much sulfur without enough Molybdenum in the diet and it creates asthma like symptoms.

Molybdenum is found in many seeds but is locked up much of the time. Fiber contains a lot of this but the Phytic acid ties it up. Heat breaks this bond, roasting of peanuts helps. Another good source is cream of wheat or cocoa wheats. The body will store some reserves so eating them once a week is ok. If a person gets a headache it could be because of sulfites and sulfites as well as acetyl aldehyde and Xanthine need molybdenum to create their proper detox. sulfur and sulfite constantly fluctuate on the blood, delivering oxygen to cells as they do. Sulfite levels also increase in the body when there is fungal infections present. This is normal. The sulfite kills the fungus. Notice that a lot of shampoos have sodium Laural Sulfate in them. As you wash off the sulfur it should be replaced on the skin.

I may seemingly may look like I am getting off but there is a reason. I recommend that everyone have onions on hand and eggs three times a week, over easy or over hard. Garlic salt or powder is also necessary. as are some sunflower seeds or cream of wheat/cocoa wheats at least once a week. I prefer wheat germ myself to add to things, it is more versatile. I add a little to soups sometimes. sometimes it is beneficial to know a little of this if times get tough so a person doesn't wind up depressed.

I've tried to summarize these things to show something. I have extensively studied foods and there is a lot more to this than this. I still only know a small amount of what is what can be known about food also, I learn more every day.

Here is a link to a book that takes penny-pinching and frugality to an extreme level:

Amazon- Tightwad Gazette

It covers cooking, food, meal-planning and a lot more.

reply to post by SilentE


Explanation: St*rred!

Personal Disclosure: @SinDefiant ...

It just occured to me that if you do get some free or cheap vegetable and or fruit produce in bulk that they can be preserved using kosher salt or vinegar ... both of which are relatively cheap!

Some can be sun dried like tomatoes and apricots.

And if you require bulk grains, nuts and molassass ... then your local animal feedlot can provide such stuff in bulk.

Have you coinsidered buying a side of beef/lamb/pork and smoking/dry curing it after butchering it yourself?

All the above can help you prep for the long term ok!

I have to go to bed now as I am very tired ... but I go shopping tommorow for my gran with my parents and I will be keeping both you and this thread uppermost in my mind and if anything else occurs to me then I will be posting that here asap!

reply to post by OmegaLogos


Great points in your post!

Some can be sun dried like tomatoes and apricots.

You don't even need the sun to dry surplus fruit even in the wintertime, if you have a dry place with some air circulation. Attics usually work well. Just slice the fruit or vegetables as thin as possible and lay them out on racks (old refrigerator or oven racks work) and wait for them to dry. Then store in a cool dry place.

Rice, Rice, Rice...You can get a huge bag that will last a long time. Add in just a little meat, veggies and a sauce, and make a variety of dishes. You can really stretch meat and veggies this way, using only a little, to feed a lot.

Eggs...not just for breakfast, cheap protein...and cheap for a lot. Add biscuits or toast, grits, etc.

Spaghetti...make a big batch, eat off it for days.

Chicken...pound for pound, one of the cheapest meats, and you can do a lot with it.

Hamburger Helper....lots of different varieties here, and all you add is cheap ground beef.

2) Hamburger Helper Strogranoff. Cheap, directions are on the box.

My favorite flavor too!

Lipton Noodles....lots of varieties, about $1 each, and 2-4 servings as a good side dish (depending on appetite)

McCormick Marinades....add a lot of variety options to meats. You could have chicken every night, but with a different marinade, and it would be a completely different dish. My fave is the Mesquite, with Chicken, and a side of the Lipton Chicken Noodles.

Pizza...especially store brand ones. WalMart has pretty good (and huge) pizzas cheap.

Chicken and Yellow Rice...easy to make, again, make a big batch, as the leftovers are great too.

Tacos...get a box kit, add a pound of ground beef (or 2 kits and 2 pounds for more), and you're set.

BANNOCK,
The métis used this recipe for generations to feed themselve. ITs cheap, quick and easy and allows for variations based on what you may have lying around. I make it all the time for my familly with orange peel and cranberries, or raisins, or blueberries, etc... Whatever your imagination can muster.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup butter or oil, melted
1 1/2 cups water

mix loosely any combination of fruits or meats into the dough before cooking

Measure flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir to mix. Pour melted butter and water over flour mixture. Stir with fork to make a ball.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, and knead gently about 10 times (optional).
Pat into a flat circle 3/4 to 1 inch thick.
Cook in a greased frying pan over medium heat, allowing about 15 minutes for each side.
May also be baked on a greased baking sheet at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
Or rolled into a snake and wrapped arround a stick to cook over and open fire (by far the best and funnest way).

Btw, oatmeal is also full of nutrients and is easy to make.

Spaghetti is a cheap, filling meal that can last.

You'll have to comparison shop to see if it would be cheaper to make your own sauce (usually some stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil and salt to taste) or if it would be cheaper to buy a jar of the commercial sauce.

When I was younger (and poorer) I would make a big batch of spaghetti and eat off that for a week or more. Still do every now and then because I never get tired of pasta.

I'll tell you a filling meal that tastes pretty damn good, albeit greasy. Ground beef, potatoes, 1/2 an onion, and two sliced jalapeno peppers. cook the meat first in a skillet, brown it, add milk and flour to make hamburger gravy, then fry the potatoes onions and peppers all together. pour the hamburger gravy over the veggies. That's cheap and you can stretch it pretty far, it tastes good too!


ETA: Another one is plain old instant mac and cheese, add hamburger or tuna to make a pretty decent meal.

reply to post by Darkrunner


If the canned/jar type spaghetti sauce is too bland get a medium salsa from the dollar store.
Mix 1/2 canned spaghetti sauce, 1/2 jar cheap salsa.This tastes nearly homemade.

If you have it in your budget any meat on sale will only spice it up further. Hamburger, Chicken.
The last time I made this we used some 50% off chicken legs, pulled the meat off the legs
and cocked it and added to the spaghetti sauce. It was very good.

1 lb of blue fin tuna steaks
2 0z of Ti guan yin
100g kopi luak
1 litre of Kona Nigari Water
2 yubari melons
1 densuke watermelon
4oz Diva premium vodka.
1lb of fois gras

Take your tuna steaks and slice those bastards in half butterfly style. Marinate that # in 4 oz of diva premium vodka, with your kopi luak, ti, guan yin and kona nigari water, and the juice from one of your nubari melons over night.

NEXT DAY, take out your tuna steaks, and stuff that meaty pocket with fois gras. Pre heat a skillet, and smather that # in as much pam as you can(don't catch yourself on fire. Aerosol oil and hot surfaces = boom) Blacken the crap out of the outside of those steaks, remove skillet from the stove, and put the remaining marinade in the skillet, put in the over at 350 degrees and cook until the marinade has reduced to a thick sauce. Serve on plate garnished with remaining yubari melon, and densuke melon.

Finish the bottle of premium diva vodka as you contemplate the 1.5 million dollars you just spent to prepare this meal. When the bottle is finished see if you can stomach the blackened mass on your plate that's worth more than 99% of peoples homes. BUT WAIT, at this point you may realize there are diamonds in the center of your Premium Diva vodka bottle.

At this point in your drunken rage(curse my name if it feels right.) smash the bottle, and toss the remainder of the $9000 melon I told you to buy, ( no one eats the damn garnish anyways) and storm off to try and pawn your gemstones. At this point you may be thinking you could still get the million back you paid for this freaking bottle of premium vodka, at which point the pawn shop will look at the glass encrusted stones and call the cops.

Hey, if nothing at all, at least you'll have a really unbelievable story to try to explain to the cops as you're sitting stinking drunk in the holding tank while they try to figure out where you got $25,000 worth of precious gemstones encrusted in broken glass.

If nothing else, than pound of fois gras you ate will give you the wicked squirts and you'll have a wicked experience drunken crapping in front of a bunch of other criminals.