There are some things that I try to always have on hand in my kitchen. Sometimes there are no exciting sales, or I find myself cooking for guests on short notice. By keeping a few things constantly stocked, I give myself some flexibility to make a decent variety of dishes with whatever other random ingredients are lying around. Some of these are generally inexpensive, and others I buy piles of when they're on sale. They also tend to have decent shelf-lives.
* Mirepoix is the fancy French word for chopped carrots, onions, and celery. These are three good veggies to have around, and are commonly tossed into soups, salads, stews, roasts, and stock. Carrots and celery are also good alone as a snack. Onions are very versatile and fit in fresh or sauteed with meats or grains.
* Potatoes are easy to bake, roast, boil, or microwave, and go well with most meats. Sweet potatoes are even better.
* Eggs are versatile and necessary for most baking.
* Rice
* Cheese
* General baking supplies: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, oils, butter, salt
My pantry is full of other things, canned veggies, dry beans, pasta, tuna, but I don't consider those essential, and I do not necessarily rush to replace them when they run out. I do not even have milk most of the time because of its relatively short lifespan. I usually have some chicken breasts in the freezer, but not always. Between my staples and whatever else is lying around, I am generally equipped to feed people easily.
2010-05-27
2010-04-06
Sourdough
Sourdough is a tasty, interesting, and fun food. It's a great project for kids, like a Tomagochi, except cheaper and edible. All purpose flour is $1.59 for a 5lb bag right now, and whole wheat flour is maybe $4 for 5 lbs. There are many resources online for learning about and how to make sourdough. I've tried a few, and I'm writing about what has worked well for me. I encourage you to delve deeper.
Quick Explanation: Naturally occurring yeast and other wee beasties are in the air around us all the time. If you create the right environment, the ones you want will thrive and the ones you don't want will die. The process takes a while, but a good strain can be maintained indefinitely. Some bakeries have strains over a century old. Use this instead of store-bought baker's yeast for your baking, and enjoy a slightly sour flavor unique to your location and technique.
Finicky Stuff: Sourdough has some weird rules to follow to foster your organisms without screwing anything up. I don't know which are strict and which are lenient, and I'm really just repeating what seemed to have convergent validity from what I've seen.
* Use a glass bowl or jar for your starter.
* Keep the lid loose (or else gas will build up and pop the lid off for you).
* Avoid metal utensils (lenient, but avoid extended exposure to metal).
* Keep the temperature generally between 70 and 80 F.
* Throw it out and start over if you see mold.
* A mix of rye or whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour may result in better flavor or development due to organisms that come in the flour.
* Sourdough starters tend to produce hooch, which is a slightly alcoholic brown liquid. It is totally harmless; you can stir it back in or throw it out depending on how you feel. I wouldn't drink it.
* Spring might be the best time to make a starter because there's so much stuff in the air.
* Different factors will affect the consistency of your starter. Typically, it should be slightly thinner than pancake batter, but at different stages as it fills with bubbles it can resemble a fluffy sponge.
Making the Starter:
Day 1: Mix 3 Tbsp water with 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) flour in your glass container. Keep a loose lid on.
Day 2: You probably won't notice anything neat yet. Throw out half. Mix in 3 Tbsp water. Mix in 1/4 cup flour.
Day 3: It may start to smell bad. That's okay. It will eventually smell like vomit, but only for a few days. That is a normal part of the process. Throw out half. Mix in 3 Tbsp water. Mix in 1/4 cup flour (see a pattern?).
Day 4-6: You should see bubbles a few hours after each feeding. Ignore bad smells. Each day, throw out half, mix in 3 Tbsp water and 1/4 cup flour.
Day 7 and beyond: Your starter should be good by now. It should have a slight sour smell, and not smell like vomit. Now, instead of throwing out half, you can store that half in another container and keep it in the fridge. This will add up over the days and let you make some good stuff later.
Sourdough Bread:
I love that the ingredients are just flour, water, and a pinch of salt. I've had great success with the 1-2-3 recipe for sourdough bread. The trick is that those are the ingredient ratios by mass, not volume. Use 1 part starter, 2 parts water, and 3 parts flour. I have a small scale, and I make small loaves using 2 oz starter, 4 oz water, and 6 oz flour (2/3 whole wheat). What the volumes look like are 1/3 cup starter, 2/3 cup water, and 3/2 cups flour. That is 1/3 of a recipe I found for a 2lb loaf. Below is the full recipe:
* Make a "sponge", which is just starter you're going to use for your bread. The night before the day you'll bake, mix 1/3 cup starter, 1/3 cup water, and 1/2 cup flour. Those are approximate volume measurements. You will find what works best with experience and experimentation.
* In the morning, use the 1-2-3 ratio (starter-water-flour by mass) and a bit of salt to make your dough. Mix the ingredients in a bowl, then leave the dough to sit for half an hour. If I had to guess on volumes, I would say 1 cup starter, 2 cups water, 4.5 cups flour.
* Kneed the dough for five minutes or so. Maybe you have a stand mixer. I use a wooden spoon and keep the dough in the bowl. I don't kneed by hand because it takes extra flour, makes a mess and throws off the ingredient ratio.
* Let the dough sit in a loosely covered bowl for about 8 hours (like while you're at work). If you're around, use a silicone spatula to gently fold the sides of the dough onto the top after a few hours.
* When you're done letting the dough rise (it should have at least doubled in size), gently fold the sides up, shape into a loaf, and put it with the "seam" side down on a baking stone or sheet. There are videos online showing how to do this far better than I will describe here.
* Put your loaf in the oven. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes. I spray a little oil on the loaf to brown the crust. When it's done, it should sound hollow when you tap it, and crackle a little when you take it out of the oven.
* Let it cool in the open for a couple hours. If you put it in a container right away, steam will condense inside and make the crust soggy and increase the risk of mold.
Sourdough Pancakes:
These are DELICIOUS! This will use up all the starter you have collected in the fridge over time. They are extremely light and fluffy, and will be thin like crepes. This makes about 15 pancakes; good for 2 people for about $1 total and 450 calories each.
* In a bowl, mix 2 Tbsp sugar, 4 Tbsp oil (or applesauce), 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt
* Mix in 2 cups of starter
* Get your griddle up to 350 F
* In a cup, mix 1 tsp baking soda and 1 Tbsp warm water, then mix it into the rest and wait a minute
* Pour 1/4 scoops of batter onto the griddle. They will spread a lot because the batter is thinner than for regular pancakes. When bubbles stop rising, flip the pancakes. They'll take maybe 2 minutes on a side.
These are extra good with 1 mashed banana and 1/4 cup chocolate chips added to the batter.
Quick Explanation: Naturally occurring yeast and other wee beasties are in the air around us all the time. If you create the right environment, the ones you want will thrive and the ones you don't want will die. The process takes a while, but a good strain can be maintained indefinitely. Some bakeries have strains over a century old. Use this instead of store-bought baker's yeast for your baking, and enjoy a slightly sour flavor unique to your location and technique.
Finicky Stuff: Sourdough has some weird rules to follow to foster your organisms without screwing anything up. I don't know which are strict and which are lenient, and I'm really just repeating what seemed to have convergent validity from what I've seen.
* Use a glass bowl or jar for your starter.
* Keep the lid loose (or else gas will build up and pop the lid off for you).
* Avoid metal utensils (lenient, but avoid extended exposure to metal).
* Keep the temperature generally between 70 and 80 F.
* Throw it out and start over if you see mold.
* A mix of rye or whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour may result in better flavor or development due to organisms that come in the flour.
* Sourdough starters tend to produce hooch, which is a slightly alcoholic brown liquid. It is totally harmless; you can stir it back in or throw it out depending on how you feel. I wouldn't drink it.
* Spring might be the best time to make a starter because there's so much stuff in the air.
* Different factors will affect the consistency of your starter. Typically, it should be slightly thinner than pancake batter, but at different stages as it fills with bubbles it can resemble a fluffy sponge.
Making the Starter:
Day 1: Mix 3 Tbsp water with 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) flour in your glass container. Keep a loose lid on.
Day 2: You probably won't notice anything neat yet. Throw out half. Mix in 3 Tbsp water. Mix in 1/4 cup flour.
Day 3: It may start to smell bad. That's okay. It will eventually smell like vomit, but only for a few days. That is a normal part of the process. Throw out half. Mix in 3 Tbsp water. Mix in 1/4 cup flour (see a pattern?).
Day 4-6: You should see bubbles a few hours after each feeding. Ignore bad smells. Each day, throw out half, mix in 3 Tbsp water and 1/4 cup flour.
Day 7 and beyond: Your starter should be good by now. It should have a slight sour smell, and not smell like vomit. Now, instead of throwing out half, you can store that half in another container and keep it in the fridge. This will add up over the days and let you make some good stuff later.
Sourdough Bread:
I love that the ingredients are just flour, water, and a pinch of salt. I've had great success with the 1-2-3 recipe for sourdough bread. The trick is that those are the ingredient ratios by mass, not volume. Use 1 part starter, 2 parts water, and 3 parts flour. I have a small scale, and I make small loaves using 2 oz starter, 4 oz water, and 6 oz flour (2/3 whole wheat). What the volumes look like are 1/3 cup starter, 2/3 cup water, and 3/2 cups flour. That is 1/3 of a recipe I found for a 2lb loaf. Below is the full recipe:
* Make a "sponge", which is just starter you're going to use for your bread. The night before the day you'll bake, mix 1/3 cup starter, 1/3 cup water, and 1/2 cup flour. Those are approximate volume measurements. You will find what works best with experience and experimentation.
* In the morning, use the 1-2-3 ratio (starter-water-flour by mass) and a bit of salt to make your dough. Mix the ingredients in a bowl, then leave the dough to sit for half an hour. If I had to guess on volumes, I would say 1 cup starter, 2 cups water, 4.5 cups flour.
* Kneed the dough for five minutes or so. Maybe you have a stand mixer. I use a wooden spoon and keep the dough in the bowl. I don't kneed by hand because it takes extra flour, makes a mess and throws off the ingredient ratio.
* Let the dough sit in a loosely covered bowl for about 8 hours (like while you're at work). If you're around, use a silicone spatula to gently fold the sides of the dough onto the top after a few hours.
* When you're done letting the dough rise (it should have at least doubled in size), gently fold the sides up, shape into a loaf, and put it with the "seam" side down on a baking stone or sheet. There are videos online showing how to do this far better than I will describe here.
* Put your loaf in the oven. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes. I spray a little oil on the loaf to brown the crust. When it's done, it should sound hollow when you tap it, and crackle a little when you take it out of the oven.
* Let it cool in the open for a couple hours. If you put it in a container right away, steam will condense inside and make the crust soggy and increase the risk of mold.
Sourdough Pancakes:
These are DELICIOUS! This will use up all the starter you have collected in the fridge over time. They are extremely light and fluffy, and will be thin like crepes. This makes about 15 pancakes; good for 2 people for about $1 total and 450 calories each.
* In a bowl, mix 2 Tbsp sugar, 4 Tbsp oil (or applesauce), 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt
* Mix in 2 cups of starter
* Get your griddle up to 350 F
* In a cup, mix 1 tsp baking soda and 1 Tbsp warm water, then mix it into the rest and wait a minute
* Pour 1/4 scoops of batter onto the griddle. They will spread a lot because the batter is thinner than for regular pancakes. When bubbles stop rising, flip the pancakes. They'll take maybe 2 minutes on a side.
These are extra good with 1 mashed banana and 1/4 cup chocolate chips added to the batter.
2010-03-31
Amortization and Utilities
You may be unfamiliar with the term amortization. Its root means death, and the word refers to killing the cost of something on a balance sheet gradually over time instead of all at once at the time of purchase. Amortization is relevant to our game when calculating true costs of meals. So far, I have only included the costs of food in my write-ups, and this is typical of reports of the costs of meals.
Electricity and gas costs for cooking are not amortized. They would be recorded in full at the time of cooking. Unfortunately, you would have to know how much gas and electricity you use during cooking, and how much you pay per unit. Electricity prices change according to time of day and your peak use, depending on your supplier. I think I pay about $0.05 on average to run my microwave for 15 minutes. You may also find out about how much water, heating, and soap cost you for washing dishes, since those costs are also related to your meals.
Electricity costs for refrigeration should be distributed. Fridges use a lot of juice. If you are really motivated, you can keep track of everything you refrigerate and figure out exactly what proportion of your fridge electricity cost can be attributed to each food, but that is a lot of work. Maybe estimate the monthly cost of running your fridge and flatly divide by the number of meals you make that use refrigerated items, then add that amount to the cost of each meal. A quick search suggests that a typical fridge costs $8-12 to run per month. That adds about $0.10-0.30 to each meal.
Cookware! Quality cookware, the stuff that turns food out properly, can cost piles of money, but lasts generations if you take care of it. Non-stick cookware generally needs to be replaced every few years (or not used). Investing in durable equipment that you will use more can result in lower per-use costs. Suppose you drop $100 on a sweet stainless steel pot with an aluminum core. That's a lot of money, but it makes nicer meals than a $20 pot (there is a significant difference). If you use it once a week for 20 years, that's about $0.10 per use, which can be a fraction of that per meal. Good, maintained cookware should last a lifetime.
Appliances are also investments. A Sunbeam blender may only cost $15, but when it breaks after a few uses and has to be replaced, you'll realize you would have been better off with a $60 Oster. A $20 slow-cooker may do bad things to your food that a $100 slow-cooker with a timer and higher-quality construction would not. Whatever your decision, think about the amortized cost over the lifetime of an appliance. Maybe you can look back on your buying behavior and realize that you have a tendency to buy things that you end up not using much. In the store you think "I'll use this so often!" but things sit on your shelves while you eat frozen dinners and fast food. Know yourself, be conservative, and think about how much you're spending on a per-meal basis.
You can see that the variance is very high among amortized and utility costs for your meals depending on what equipment you buy and how you use it. Based on the numbers I threw together for this post, I estimate that these costs add an average of $0.50 each time I cook, which is about $0.10 per meal over all. Seemingly trivial, but it can add up, and wise, big one-time equipment purchases can be daunting to someone with few financial resources, confusing the value of saving up for a purchase.
Electricity and gas costs for cooking are not amortized. They would be recorded in full at the time of cooking. Unfortunately, you would have to know how much gas and electricity you use during cooking, and how much you pay per unit. Electricity prices change according to time of day and your peak use, depending on your supplier. I think I pay about $0.05 on average to run my microwave for 15 minutes. You may also find out about how much water, heating, and soap cost you for washing dishes, since those costs are also related to your meals.
Electricity costs for refrigeration should be distributed. Fridges use a lot of juice. If you are really motivated, you can keep track of everything you refrigerate and figure out exactly what proportion of your fridge electricity cost can be attributed to each food, but that is a lot of work. Maybe estimate the monthly cost of running your fridge and flatly divide by the number of meals you make that use refrigerated items, then add that amount to the cost of each meal. A quick search suggests that a typical fridge costs $8-12 to run per month. That adds about $0.10-0.30 to each meal.
Cookware! Quality cookware, the stuff that turns food out properly, can cost piles of money, but lasts generations if you take care of it. Non-stick cookware generally needs to be replaced every few years (or not used). Investing in durable equipment that you will use more can result in lower per-use costs. Suppose you drop $100 on a sweet stainless steel pot with an aluminum core. That's a lot of money, but it makes nicer meals than a $20 pot (there is a significant difference). If you use it once a week for 20 years, that's about $0.10 per use, which can be a fraction of that per meal. Good, maintained cookware should last a lifetime.
Appliances are also investments. A Sunbeam blender may only cost $15, but when it breaks after a few uses and has to be replaced, you'll realize you would have been better off with a $60 Oster. A $20 slow-cooker may do bad things to your food that a $100 slow-cooker with a timer and higher-quality construction would not. Whatever your decision, think about the amortized cost over the lifetime of an appliance. Maybe you can look back on your buying behavior and realize that you have a tendency to buy things that you end up not using much. In the store you think "I'll use this so often!" but things sit on your shelves while you eat frozen dinners and fast food. Know yourself, be conservative, and think about how much you're spending on a per-meal basis.
You can see that the variance is very high among amortized and utility costs for your meals depending on what equipment you buy and how you use it. Based on the numbers I threw together for this post, I estimate that these costs add an average of $0.50 each time I cook, which is about $0.10 per meal over all. Seemingly trivial, but it can add up, and wise, big one-time equipment purchases can be daunting to someone with few financial resources, confusing the value of saving up for a purchase.
2010-03-18
Gorgonzola Sauce
I found some reasonably priced Gorgonzola cheese, more expensive than my regular cheese threshold, but fine for a rare treat at $6/lb. I've had good Gorgonzola sauce in a restaurant, so I decided to try to make my own. My default source for recipes is allrecipes.com. This means I tend to end up with a half dozen highly reviewed and widely different recipes. Which is best? I won't know because I am not going to try them all. I just take a loose average adjusted to my taste. I ended up with a good (and rich) dinner for two for about $3.50.
Gorgonzola cheese, 1/4 lb @ $6/lb = $1.50 (~400 calories)
Milk, skim, 1 cup @ $3.45/gal = $0.22 (80 cal)
Butter, 3 tbsp @ $2/lb = $0.19 (300 cal)
Flour, 1/2 cup = $0.08 (200 cal)
White wine, 1/4 cup, optional = $0.20-0.50 (45 cal)
Nutmeg, pinch, optional = ~$0.05
Spaghetti, whole wheat, 1/4 lb dry @ $1.29/lb = $0.32 (420 cal)
Served with 1/2 lb frozen green vegetables on the side @ ~$1.50/lb = $0.75 (50 cal)
Start boiling your water for the pasta. Melt the butter in a quart pot on low. Stir in the flour until it's foamy. Add the pasta to the water when it starts boiling. Stir in the milk to the butter-flour mixture (like a roux) and turn the heat up to low-medium. Keep stirring the sauce as it gets warmer and thicker. Add the wine if you are using it. Crumble up your Gorgonzola and stir it gradually into the sauce the minute before your pasta is done. Drain your pasta, put it on plates, and pour the sauce on top.
The Gorgonzola should melt quickly, and also thicken quickly as it cools, so be ready to eat when the pasta is done. I honestly did not notice the nutmeg flavor, nor the bottom shelf chardonnay that I used, but recipe comments suggested that the wine is added to keep the Gorgonzola from forming a bad texture, and lemon juice (something acidic) would also work.
About $1.75 and 750 calories for each person. Takes less than 15 minutes start to finish. Serves two Americans.
Gorgonzola cheese, 1/4 lb @ $6/lb = $1.50 (~400 calories)
Milk, skim, 1 cup @ $3.45/gal = $0.22 (80 cal)
Butter, 3 tbsp @ $2/lb = $0.19 (300 cal)
Flour, 1/2 cup = $0.08 (200 cal)
White wine, 1/4 cup, optional = $0.20-0.50 (45 cal)
Nutmeg, pinch, optional = ~$0.05
Spaghetti, whole wheat, 1/4 lb dry @ $1.29/lb = $0.32 (420 cal)
Served with 1/2 lb frozen green vegetables on the side @ ~$1.50/lb = $0.75 (50 cal)
Start boiling your water for the pasta. Melt the butter in a quart pot on low. Stir in the flour until it's foamy. Add the pasta to the water when it starts boiling. Stir in the milk to the butter-flour mixture (like a roux) and turn the heat up to low-medium. Keep stirring the sauce as it gets warmer and thicker. Add the wine if you are using it. Crumble up your Gorgonzola and stir it gradually into the sauce the minute before your pasta is done. Drain your pasta, put it on plates, and pour the sauce on top.
The Gorgonzola should melt quickly, and also thicken quickly as it cools, so be ready to eat when the pasta is done. I honestly did not notice the nutmeg flavor, nor the bottom shelf chardonnay that I used, but recipe comments suggested that the wine is added to keep the Gorgonzola from forming a bad texture, and lemon juice (something acidic) would also work.
About $1.75 and 750 calories for each person. Takes less than 15 minutes start to finish. Serves two Americans.
2010-03-05
$3/day Diet - A Retrospective
I lived for years on a grocery budget of $20-21 per week, and it was not difficult. It was also not terribly unhealthy, though not exactly healthy either. My diet was heavy on carbohydrates and practically meatless. I almost never went out to eat (and got the $2 chili when I went out with friends), and did not buy alcohol. I was never hungry, and actually overate, maintaining an unhealthily high body weight.
In the beginning... there was ramen, and it was bad. Those little packages of ramen noodles are just processed flour, salt, and fat, but they're six for a dollar. I wouldn't eat them alone, though. For the one year that I ate a package of ramen daily, I added a couple turkey-dogs (also predominantly fat and salt) and either three sliced carrots or some frozen broccoli. Actually, it was just carrots for a few months, and I switched to broccoli when my skin turned orange. Broccoli is maybe the second healthiest vegetable in the world, right after spinach, and may be responsible for protecting me from the rest of my diet. Besides the big bowl of ramen'n'at each day, I also ate cookies. Yes, store-brand cookies are a very cheap source of calories, and sometimes some nutrients. A friend recently reminded me that I once figured out how to live only on lemon cookies, but, fortunately, I never tried. I did not have any notable health problems during this year that I recall, but I was young.
The other years were better. I typically had a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast, often corn flakes or frosted flakes with non-fat milk. These were huge bowls, easily three servings or more. I made myself two sandwiches for lunch, using whole grain bread, all natural peanut butter, and strawberry jam. These sandwiches were maybe around 800 calories each. Dinners were usually spaghetti with Prego sauce and broccoli, and when I lived in a place with a stove I often sauteed fresh onions and bell peppers in olive oil to add to the spaghetti. I may have been cheap, but Ragu is just too nasty to eat. My portions of spaghetti were also huge. Depending on sales, I would sometimes buy Tropicana orange juice, bananas, or fancier cereals (Oatmeal Raisin Crisp, Honey Bunches of Oats, Life). I no longer bought cookies or ramen, and I still did not buy meat.
I ate in the neighborhood of 3500 calories each day, and weighed 230-240 lbs. Since then, I have significantly broadened the variety in my diet, and reduced how much I eat, with very good results. I also spend twice as much on food, but because I can and I enjoy it, not because I have to. But I still hold on to the gamer mentality at the store, follow my rules, and try to optimize my gastronomical enjoyment to cost ratio.
A huge problem with eating healthily on a poverty-level budget is not that healthy foods are too expensive, but that unhealthy "foods" (cookies, candy, frozen pizza, etc...) are cheap and easy. Someone has to be knowledgeable and motivated in order to make healthy choices and do some preparation and cooking instead of taking the lazy and immediately gratifying road. It would probably be good for national health to raise the prices of unhealthy foods, and not lower the prices of healthy foods, motivating the highest risk groups to buy better food, especially for their children. Childhood obesity and type II diabetes are serious health and economic issues with some straightforward solutions.
In the beginning... there was ramen, and it was bad. Those little packages of ramen noodles are just processed flour, salt, and fat, but they're six for a dollar. I wouldn't eat them alone, though. For the one year that I ate a package of ramen daily, I added a couple turkey-dogs (also predominantly fat and salt) and either three sliced carrots or some frozen broccoli. Actually, it was just carrots for a few months, and I switched to broccoli when my skin turned orange. Broccoli is maybe the second healthiest vegetable in the world, right after spinach, and may be responsible for protecting me from the rest of my diet. Besides the big bowl of ramen'n'at each day, I also ate cookies. Yes, store-brand cookies are a very cheap source of calories, and sometimes some nutrients. A friend recently reminded me that I once figured out how to live only on lemon cookies, but, fortunately, I never tried. I did not have any notable health problems during this year that I recall, but I was young.
The other years were better. I typically had a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast, often corn flakes or frosted flakes with non-fat milk. These were huge bowls, easily three servings or more. I made myself two sandwiches for lunch, using whole grain bread, all natural peanut butter, and strawberry jam. These sandwiches were maybe around 800 calories each. Dinners were usually spaghetti with Prego sauce and broccoli, and when I lived in a place with a stove I often sauteed fresh onions and bell peppers in olive oil to add to the spaghetti. I may have been cheap, but Ragu is just too nasty to eat. My portions of spaghetti were also huge. Depending on sales, I would sometimes buy Tropicana orange juice, bananas, or fancier cereals (Oatmeal Raisin Crisp, Honey Bunches of Oats, Life). I no longer bought cookies or ramen, and I still did not buy meat.
I ate in the neighborhood of 3500 calories each day, and weighed 230-240 lbs. Since then, I have significantly broadened the variety in my diet, and reduced how much I eat, with very good results. I also spend twice as much on food, but because I can and I enjoy it, not because I have to. But I still hold on to the gamer mentality at the store, follow my rules, and try to optimize my gastronomical enjoyment to cost ratio.
A huge problem with eating healthily on a poverty-level budget is not that healthy foods are too expensive, but that unhealthy "foods" (cookies, candy, frozen pizza, etc...) are cheap and easy. Someone has to be knowledgeable and motivated in order to make healthy choices and do some preparation and cooking instead of taking the lazy and immediately gratifying road. It would probably be good for national health to raise the prices of unhealthy foods, and not lower the prices of healthy foods, motivating the highest risk groups to buy better food, especially for their children. Childhood obesity and type II diabetes are serious health and economic issues with some straightforward solutions.
2010-02-13
Chicken Soup for the GI
When the big roasting chickens are buy-one-get-one-free, I grab two. A 6-7lb chicken fits right in my slow cooker. I throw in some rosemary, a couple carrots, onions and celery ribs, then cook on low for 6-7 hours, until the little plastic gauge pops up. The chicken meat easily serves 8. But this is a post about soup.
Slow cooking or roasting a chicken results in three usable byproducts. After the chicken is removed from the pot or pan, you will have chicken drippings and various debris at the bottom. I scoop out the big chunks (eat the veggies), and pour the drippings through an old threadbare hand towel (I don't have cheesecloth) into a bowl. That bowl goes into the fridge where the fat will rise to the top and solidify. The drippings, full of gelatin, will gel. I call the fat "chicken butter" and sometimes use it sparingly to add flavor to noodles. I am sure it is not healthy. I call the supercooled liquid drippings "chicken jelly" and use it in soups and stews.
When the chicken has cooled for maybe 20 minutes, I cut all the meat off the bones. There are good small pieces of meat between the ribs and along the back that are easy to get with your fingers. The legs, breasts, and wings are usually served for dinners with sides of vegetables and rice or noodles for about $1.75 per person. All the bones, skin, giblets, neck and wingtips go back in a big pot with carrot, celery, onion, rosemary, and garlic. I use the celery heads and roots that were cut off earlier, and any carrots or onions that are getting on towards bad shape. You probably won't eat these vegetables after using them for stock. Bring that pot up to a simmer for a long time. Since I tend to cook the chicken for dinner, I end up at this step in the evening, and just put everything in the slow cooker on low over night, then deal with it in the morning. Again, scoop out the chunks and toss them. Pour the remainder through a threadbare towel into bowls. From one chicken I can get a good 5 pints of stock. It can be safely refrigerated for a few days, or frozen for weeks.
This stock will be a little cloudy. I don't mind. This isn't fancy cuisine. There may be a way to clarify it by slowly and carefully whisking egg whites into warm stock, then filtering through the cloth again, but that's more work and wasted eggs to me.
I had never made a chicken soup before yesterday, and it turned out to be the best chicken soup I've ever had in my life. I have no idea how many calories are in the homemade chicken jelly or stock. This ends up being a thick and rich soup. This made 6 quarts for around $6. This is a delicious meal for no more than $1 per hungry person. Total time was three hours, but only half an hour or so of it is work, and it can cook in two hours easily. This is something a 10-year old could make.
All of the stock from one chicken.
All of the chicken jelly from one chicken, with the fat removed.
1 lb carrots, sliced
8 celery ribs, sliced
10 scallions, chopped
2 medium-big onions, largely diced
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 lb noodles, spiral, whole-grain, dry
1/2 lb diced chicken meat (I diced the pieces of rib and back meat and part of a leg)
rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper to taste
Note: I also added some navy beans because they are very nutritious. I made 1 cup of dry beans in a separate pot, then added them to the soup when they were soft. The beans were the only not-delicious part of the soup. They did not ruin the soup by any means. The soup was still incredible, but if I add beans in the future, I will add half as many and prepare them even further in advance.
Put all of the stock and chicken jelly (no fat) in a 6+ qt pot. Bring to a boil for a minute or two. Add the sliced carrots and celery and spices and garlic. Let rise to a boil again, then reduce to a simmer. After an hour, add the onions and scallions. 20 minutes before serving, add the dry noodles and diced chicken. That's it.
Slow cooking or roasting a chicken results in three usable byproducts. After the chicken is removed from the pot or pan, you will have chicken drippings and various debris at the bottom. I scoop out the big chunks (eat the veggies), and pour the drippings through an old threadbare hand towel (I don't have cheesecloth) into a bowl. That bowl goes into the fridge where the fat will rise to the top and solidify. The drippings, full of gelatin, will gel. I call the fat "chicken butter" and sometimes use it sparingly to add flavor to noodles. I am sure it is not healthy. I call the supercooled liquid drippings "chicken jelly" and use it in soups and stews.
When the chicken has cooled for maybe 20 minutes, I cut all the meat off the bones. There are good small pieces of meat between the ribs and along the back that are easy to get with your fingers. The legs, breasts, and wings are usually served for dinners with sides of vegetables and rice or noodles for about $1.75 per person. All the bones, skin, giblets, neck and wingtips go back in a big pot with carrot, celery, onion, rosemary, and garlic. I use the celery heads and roots that were cut off earlier, and any carrots or onions that are getting on towards bad shape. You probably won't eat these vegetables after using them for stock. Bring that pot up to a simmer for a long time. Since I tend to cook the chicken for dinner, I end up at this step in the evening, and just put everything in the slow cooker on low over night, then deal with it in the morning. Again, scoop out the chunks and toss them. Pour the remainder through a threadbare towel into bowls. From one chicken I can get a good 5 pints of stock. It can be safely refrigerated for a few days, or frozen for weeks.
This stock will be a little cloudy. I don't mind. This isn't fancy cuisine. There may be a way to clarify it by slowly and carefully whisking egg whites into warm stock, then filtering through the cloth again, but that's more work and wasted eggs to me.
I had never made a chicken soup before yesterday, and it turned out to be the best chicken soup I've ever had in my life. I have no idea how many calories are in the homemade chicken jelly or stock. This ends up being a thick and rich soup. This made 6 quarts for around $6. This is a delicious meal for no more than $1 per hungry person. Total time was three hours, but only half an hour or so of it is work, and it can cook in two hours easily. This is something a 10-year old could make.
All of the stock from one chicken.
All of the chicken jelly from one chicken, with the fat removed.
1 lb carrots, sliced
8 celery ribs, sliced
10 scallions, chopped
2 medium-big onions, largely diced
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 lb noodles, spiral, whole-grain, dry
1/2 lb diced chicken meat (I diced the pieces of rib and back meat and part of a leg)
rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper to taste
Note: I also added some navy beans because they are very nutritious. I made 1 cup of dry beans in a separate pot, then added them to the soup when they were soft. The beans were the only not-delicious part of the soup. They did not ruin the soup by any means. The soup was still incredible, but if I add beans in the future, I will add half as many and prepare them even further in advance.
Put all of the stock and chicken jelly (no fat) in a 6+ qt pot. Bring to a boil for a minute or two. Add the sliced carrots and celery and spices and garlic. Let rise to a boil again, then reduce to a simmer. After an hour, add the onions and scallions. 20 minutes before serving, add the dry noodles and diced chicken. That's it.
2010-02-03
Catfish Dinner
I was pleasantly surprised to find catfish on sale for $2.29/lb. I never see fish this cheap. It was in chunks marketed as "nuggets", though each piece was maybe a quarter of a full fillet, many times bigger than a fast food chicken nugget. There was also a great sale on veggies and bagged salad. I buy when the sales are on. Here's the writeup for a substantial dinner for two, $2.45 and 660 calories for each person:
Entree - $2.92 - 630 calories:
catfish, 1 lb - $2.29, 240 calories
flour, 1/2 cup - $0.08, 100 calories (half gets eaten)
eggs, 2 - @ $1.80/dozen = $0.30, 140 calories
breadcrumbs, 1 cup - $1/can = $0.20, 150 calories (half gets eaten)
paper towels, 2 - $0.03
aluminum foil, 16" - <$0.02
Garlic Bread (or Toast) - $0.61 - 400 calories:
bread, "French", 1/4 loaf - @$2/loaf = $0.50, ~300 calories
butter or olive oil, 1 tbsp - $0.06, 100 calories
garlic powder, 1/2 tsp - <$0.05
Salad - $1.38 - 290 calories:
baby spinach, 2.25 oz - @$1/9oz bag = $0.25, 15 calories
salad mix (mostly iceberg), 3 oz - @$1/12oz bag = $0.25, 15 calories
mushrooms, 2 oz - @$1/6oz = $0.33, 10 calories
walnuts, crushed, 2 tbsp - @$4.50/lb = $0.15, 100 calories
cheese, 1 oz, diced - @$4/lb = $0.25, 90 calories
dressing, 2 tbsp, light - @$3.50/24oz = $0.15 , 60 calories
Stir the two eggs together in a bowl. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil on a large baking sheet. Optionally spray oil on top. Set the oven to 425 F.
Dry the fish between the paper towels, coat in flour, dip in the egg, then coat in bread crumbs. Place on the aluminum foil with a little space between each. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 minutes. Season with black pepper, thyme, or cayenne as you like.
The fish is a nice treat that should be a more common part of the American diet. It is usually expensive, though. You can use chicken instead, cutting the cost of the meal by at least $1. Just set the oven to 350 F and increase the baking time a few minutes. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F, and juices should be clear.
This salad is something I make very often, but the price is usually higher. Even with sales, this salad for two people usually costs me closer to $2. The difference is in the prices for bagged spinach and salad mix. If you buy your own greens, you may cut your cost a bit, but do more work. Mushrooms are often $3/lb, though they've been $3.50/lb lately.
Entree - $2.92 - 630 calories:
catfish, 1 lb - $2.29, 240 calories
flour, 1/2 cup - $0.08, 100 calories (half gets eaten)
eggs, 2 - @ $1.80/dozen = $0.30, 140 calories
breadcrumbs, 1 cup - $1/can = $0.20, 150 calories (half gets eaten)
paper towels, 2 - $0.03
aluminum foil, 16" - <$0.02
Garlic Bread (or Toast) - $0.61 - 400 calories:
bread, "French", 1/4 loaf - @$2/loaf = $0.50, ~300 calories
butter or olive oil, 1 tbsp - $0.06, 100 calories
garlic powder, 1/2 tsp - <$0.05
Salad - $1.38 - 290 calories:
baby spinach, 2.25 oz - @$1/9oz bag = $0.25, 15 calories
salad mix (mostly iceberg), 3 oz - @$1/12oz bag = $0.25, 15 calories
mushrooms, 2 oz - @$1/6oz = $0.33, 10 calories
walnuts, crushed, 2 tbsp - @$4.50/lb = $0.15, 100 calories
cheese, 1 oz, diced - @$4/lb = $0.25, 90 calories
dressing, 2 tbsp, light - @$3.50/24oz = $0.15 , 60 calories
Stir the two eggs together in a bowl. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil on a large baking sheet. Optionally spray oil on top. Set the oven to 425 F.
Dry the fish between the paper towels, coat in flour, dip in the egg, then coat in bread crumbs. Place on the aluminum foil with a little space between each. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 minutes. Season with black pepper, thyme, or cayenne as you like.
The fish is a nice treat that should be a more common part of the American diet. It is usually expensive, though. You can use chicken instead, cutting the cost of the meal by at least $1. Just set the oven to 350 F and increase the baking time a few minutes. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F, and juices should be clear.
This salad is something I make very often, but the price is usually higher. Even with sales, this salad for two people usually costs me closer to $2. The difference is in the prices for bagged spinach and salad mix. If you buy your own greens, you may cut your cost a bit, but do more work. Mushrooms are often $3/lb, though they've been $3.50/lb lately.
2010-01-22
Pizza
I make a lot of great pizzas which easily each feed two hungry adults. Use the bread dough recipe I posted earlier, which makes 3 pizza crusts and keeps well in the fridge for two weeks (I am sure it freezes for longer, but I have never done that). A plain cheese pizza costs about $1.75 and has about 1060 calories ($0.88 and 530 calories per person).
Dough - $0.45; 533 cal
4 oz Mozzarella, shredded - @ $4/lb = $1, 320 cal
1 tbsp olive oil - @ $10/101floz = $0.05, 100 cal
1 tbsp ketchup (Heinz) - @ $3/32oz = ~$0.05, 15 cal
3 tbsp corn meal - @ $3/75tbsp tube = $0.12, 90 cal
1/2 tsp garlic powder - ~$0.03
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - ~$0.03
pinch of black pepper
I don't have a pizza peel, so I just use one of those flexible smooth plastic cutting boards that come in a pack. I recommend the ones from Bed Bath and Beyond way over Walmart. The extra thickness and durability is worth the additional couple of dollars per pack. I have not tried others. Dust your surface with flour, plop on your dough, flour the top of the dough and roll it out. I use a wine bottle because I won't pay for a rolling pin. My pizzas are constrained to the 11" width of my cutting board, but I don't make perfect circles, so they're often longer ovals. When it's all rolled out, I put the whole thing with the cutting board into my freezer. I never time it, but about 8 minutes in the freezer is probably good. Set your oven to the highest non-broiler temperature setting (e.g.: 550 F) with your pizza pan or stone inside.
When you take your crust out of the freezer, it should be a bit stiff. This helps you lift it up off of the cutting board without deforming it so you can spread corn meal underneath the crust. The corn meal acts as ball bearings so the pizza will slide easily off of the cutting board. Spread olive oil over the surface of the crust. The oil prevents water from the ketchup and topings from making the crust mushy. Sprinkle the spices on top of the oil.
The ketchup is next. I am sure some of you may be appalled that I would use ketchup instead of tomato sauce or paste. I did buy some tomato sauce once when the smallest cans were on sale. I found, though, that even the smallest can had enough sauce for 4 pizzas, and the sauce would not keep well enough for the amount of time it would take me to put that many pizzas on our menu. Ketchup is cheaper, keeps nearly forever, and works well enough at the small quantities used. Spread the ketchup over the crust, but leave the edge bare for a half-inch to an inch. I firmly state that Heinz is the best brand of ketchup, and is worth the extra pennies over the competition. Heinz does not pay me.
Put on your toppings. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top, and avoid the outer edge. Any cheese on the outer edge will burn, and a clear edge makes a good place to grip slices for eating.
Now your pizza is getting softer. Shake your cutting board or peel gently to make sure that the pizza slides smoothly on it. If it sticks anywhere, try to carefully lift that area and put corn meal under it. When your oven is preheated, slide your pizza on to the pan or stone. Your pizza will be done when the cheese on top starts to turn brown in a few spots. This may take 8-10 minutes, depending on what toppings you used. Keep an eye on your pizza to make sure you don't burn too much cheese, especially if you are just making a cheese pizza.
I recommend letting the pizza cool for a bit, then transferring it to a plate or cutting board to slice.
Dough - $0.45; 533 cal
4 oz Mozzarella, shredded - @ $4/lb = $1, 320 cal
1 tbsp olive oil - @ $10/101floz = $0.05, 100 cal
1 tbsp ketchup (Heinz) - @ $3/32oz = ~$0.05, 15 cal
3 tbsp corn meal - @ $3/75tbsp tube = $0.12, 90 cal
1/2 tsp garlic powder - ~$0.03
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - ~$0.03
pinch of black pepper
I don't have a pizza peel, so I just use one of those flexible smooth plastic cutting boards that come in a pack. I recommend the ones from Bed Bath and Beyond way over Walmart. The extra thickness and durability is worth the additional couple of dollars per pack. I have not tried others. Dust your surface with flour, plop on your dough, flour the top of the dough and roll it out. I use a wine bottle because I won't pay for a rolling pin. My pizzas are constrained to the 11" width of my cutting board, but I don't make perfect circles, so they're often longer ovals. When it's all rolled out, I put the whole thing with the cutting board into my freezer. I never time it, but about 8 minutes in the freezer is probably good. Set your oven to the highest non-broiler temperature setting (e.g.: 550 F) with your pizza pan or stone inside.
When you take your crust out of the freezer, it should be a bit stiff. This helps you lift it up off of the cutting board without deforming it so you can spread corn meal underneath the crust. The corn meal acts as ball bearings so the pizza will slide easily off of the cutting board. Spread olive oil over the surface of the crust. The oil prevents water from the ketchup and topings from making the crust mushy. Sprinkle the spices on top of the oil.
The ketchup is next. I am sure some of you may be appalled that I would use ketchup instead of tomato sauce or paste. I did buy some tomato sauce once when the smallest cans were on sale. I found, though, that even the smallest can had enough sauce for 4 pizzas, and the sauce would not keep well enough for the amount of time it would take me to put that many pizzas on our menu. Ketchup is cheaper, keeps nearly forever, and works well enough at the small quantities used. Spread the ketchup over the crust, but leave the edge bare for a half-inch to an inch. I firmly state that Heinz is the best brand of ketchup, and is worth the extra pennies over the competition. Heinz does not pay me.
Put on your toppings. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top, and avoid the outer edge. Any cheese on the outer edge will burn, and a clear edge makes a good place to grip slices for eating.
Now your pizza is getting softer. Shake your cutting board or peel gently to make sure that the pizza slides smoothly on it. If it sticks anywhere, try to carefully lift that area and put corn meal under it. When your oven is preheated, slide your pizza on to the pan or stone. Your pizza will be done when the cheese on top starts to turn brown in a few spots. This may take 8-10 minutes, depending on what toppings you used. Keep an eye on your pizza to make sure you don't burn too much cheese, especially if you are just making a cheese pizza.
I recommend letting the pizza cool for a bit, then transferring it to a plate or cutting board to slice.
2010-01-14
Beef Stew
I tried something new, and it didn't come out perfectly because of my weak searing and dredging skills, but it is okay. Roasts were on sale. Don't stress about exact amounts. This will take refining.
Serves four people at about 650 calories and $2.00 each, but takes about 6 hours to make (you don't have to do anything for 5 of those hours).
1.7 lbs chuck roast - @ $2.39/lb = $4
1 cup all-purpose flour - @ $3/5lbs = ~$0.17
1/2 lb carrots - @ $1/lb = $0.50
3 stalks celery - @ $1.50/head = ~$0.50
6 red potatoes - @ $3/5lbs bag = ~$1.80
2 onions, regular - @ $1/lb = ~$0.50
1 tbsp garlic, minced - 1/42 of a jar @ $3/jar = $0.07
2 tbsp vegetable oil - @ $4/96tbsp bottle = $0.08
1 tsp oregano - @ $1/bottle = ~$0.05
2 tbsp red wine vinegar - @ $2/25tbsp bottle = $0.08
1/4 cup red wine - @ $15/5L box (Almadine Cabernet Sauvignon) = $0.19
splash of Worcestershire sauce - ?
2 paper towels - @ ~$1.00/roll = ~$0.03
Prep: Cut the beef into chunks 2-3" on each side. Take this opportunity to cut off the chunks of fat from the beef, and discard them. Slice up the carrots, celery, and onions. Dry the beef chunks on paper towels.
Cooking: Heat the oil in a skillet or pot. Brown the dried beef chunks for 3 minutes on each side (this may take 2-3 shifts as all the beef won't fit in the skillet at once). Dredge the beef in flour to coat, then return to the skillet for a couple more minutes to cook the flour on. Put the beef in your slow cooker or dutch oven. Put the sliced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and oregano in the skillet. Stir fry the veggies together for a few minutes, then dump them on top of the beef. Mix your wine, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce together in the skillet to deglaze it, then pour the liquid on top of the veggies. Add the potatoes, cover, and set to cook at low temperature for 5 hours, 325 F if using an oven.
Notes: I would absolutely use more wine. That was just all I had. Almadine boxed wine is surprisingly good for the price, and keeps well. Smaller potatoes will cook through and be soft, but larger potatoes will still be firm. I inadequately seared and dredged my beef, and some of the chunks were dried out after cooking. Water will cook out of the vegetables and meat. You may option to pour out all the liquids after cooking, and mix in a little flour or corn starch to form a gravy, but I do not have good instructions for that.
EDIT:
After some research, I believe that my trouble browning the beef was related to my use of a low quality non-stick skillet. I think this has caused several problems with my cooking over the years, and I am just now finding out about the benefits of aluminum-core stainless steel cookware and cast iron. Unfortunately, great cookware from All Clad or even Cuisinart is expensive beyond the theme of this blog. Perhaps the Salvation Army or similar facilities can provide low-cost decent-quality cookware. Lodge sells a very highly reviewed 12" cast iron skillet for $19, as well as other relatively inexpensive cast iron cookware, but these require careful use and maintenance. I will return to this topic in the future.
Serves four people at about 650 calories and $2.00 each, but takes about 6 hours to make (you don't have to do anything for 5 of those hours).
1.7 lbs chuck roast - @ $2.39/lb = $4
1 cup all-purpose flour - @ $3/5lbs = ~$0.17
1/2 lb carrots - @ $1/lb = $0.50
3 stalks celery - @ $1.50/head = ~$0.50
6 red potatoes - @ $3/5lbs bag = ~$1.80
2 onions, regular - @ $1/lb = ~$0.50
1 tbsp garlic, minced - 1/42 of a jar @ $3/jar = $0.07
2 tbsp vegetable oil - @ $4/96tbsp bottle = $0.08
1 tsp oregano - @ $1/bottle = ~$0.05
2 tbsp red wine vinegar - @ $2/25tbsp bottle = $0.08
1/4 cup red wine - @ $15/5L box (Almadine Cabernet Sauvignon) = $0.19
splash of Worcestershire sauce - ?
2 paper towels - @ ~$1.00/roll = ~$0.03
Prep: Cut the beef into chunks 2-3" on each side. Take this opportunity to cut off the chunks of fat from the beef, and discard them. Slice up the carrots, celery, and onions. Dry the beef chunks on paper towels.
Cooking: Heat the oil in a skillet or pot. Brown the dried beef chunks for 3 minutes on each side (this may take 2-3 shifts as all the beef won't fit in the skillet at once). Dredge the beef in flour to coat, then return to the skillet for a couple more minutes to cook the flour on. Put the beef in your slow cooker or dutch oven. Put the sliced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and oregano in the skillet. Stir fry the veggies together for a few minutes, then dump them on top of the beef. Mix your wine, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce together in the skillet to deglaze it, then pour the liquid on top of the veggies. Add the potatoes, cover, and set to cook at low temperature for 5 hours, 325 F if using an oven.
Notes: I would absolutely use more wine. That was just all I had. Almadine boxed wine is surprisingly good for the price, and keeps well. Smaller potatoes will cook through and be soft, but larger potatoes will still be firm. I inadequately seared and dredged my beef, and some of the chunks were dried out after cooking. Water will cook out of the vegetables and meat. You may option to pour out all the liquids after cooking, and mix in a little flour or corn starch to form a gravy, but I do not have good instructions for that.
EDIT:
After some research, I believe that my trouble browning the beef was related to my use of a low quality non-stick skillet. I think this has caused several problems with my cooking over the years, and I am just now finding out about the benefits of aluminum-core stainless steel cookware and cast iron. Unfortunately, great cookware from All Clad or even Cuisinart is expensive beyond the theme of this blog. Perhaps the Salvation Army or similar facilities can provide low-cost decent-quality cookware. Lodge sells a very highly reviewed 12" cast iron skillet for $19, as well as other relatively inexpensive cast iron cookware, but these require careful use and maintenance. I will return to this topic in the future.
2010-01-13
The Staff of Life
I've been asked for my bread recipe. My approach is very minimalist, and I am sorry to say that the quality of the bread I make is not very high. I welcome your favorite bread recipes for the oven. I do not have a bread machine.
I got my recipe here: Fresh Baked Bread in Five Minutes. I use a fraction of the recipe because of the size of my bowls. I usually use:
2 cups whole wheat flour, ~$0.33 @ $3/5lbs
2 cups all-purpose or bread flour, ~$0.33 @ $3/5lbs
2 cups water
1 tbsp yeast, $0.67 @ $8/jar
1/2 tbsp salt
That's it. I mix the flour and salt together in a big bowl. I heat the water in a small bowl to 100 degrees F, then add the yeast and wait a few minutes. Then I stir the yeast and water into the flour with a big wooden spoon until evenly mixed, but I do not knead the dough. Let it rise a couple hours and do whatever you want with it. I usually put the bowl (loosely covered) in the oven, set the dial to "warm" for a couple minutes, then turn it off.
This stuff makes great pizzas. I'll post about pizzas later. One batch is good for three pizzas at $0.45 each. It makes two medium loaves of bread at $0.67 each. I spray a little oil on the dough before baking bread to help the crust, and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. The bread tends to be dense and dry compared to store bread. It makes a really good PB&J, but it is not very good by itself.
Could it use oil? Sugar? What makes a light, soft, tasty bread at low cost without filling it with junk?
I got my recipe here: Fresh Baked Bread in Five Minutes. I use a fraction of the recipe because of the size of my bowls. I usually use:
2 cups whole wheat flour, ~$0.33 @ $3/5lbs
2 cups all-purpose or bread flour, ~$0.33 @ $3/5lbs
2 cups water
1 tbsp yeast, $0.67 @ $8/jar
1/2 tbsp salt
That's it. I mix the flour and salt together in a big bowl. I heat the water in a small bowl to 100 degrees F, then add the yeast and wait a few minutes. Then I stir the yeast and water into the flour with a big wooden spoon until evenly mixed, but I do not knead the dough. Let it rise a couple hours and do whatever you want with it. I usually put the bowl (loosely covered) in the oven, set the dial to "warm" for a couple minutes, then turn it off.
This stuff makes great pizzas. I'll post about pizzas later. One batch is good for three pizzas at $0.45 each. It makes two medium loaves of bread at $0.67 each. I spray a little oil on the dough before baking bread to help the crust, and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. The bread tends to be dense and dry compared to store bread. It makes a really good PB&J, but it is not very good by itself.
Could it use oil? Sugar? What makes a light, soft, tasty bread at low cost without filling it with junk?
2010-01-12
The Most Important Meal of the Day
Among stereotypical breakfast foods is one that provides a great opportunity to eat healthily at a low cost: oatmeal. This is a whole grain food that should keep you feeling full through the morning, and it is very inexpensive. I typically buy the big store-brand canister of quick oats, which is $3 or less for 30 half-cup servings. That's 10 cents per bowl. It takes less than two minutes to prepare.
Now, you might say, "But I don't like the taste of plain oatmeal, and I'll go insane if I have to eat it every day." Here are some things I often add to my oatmeal to help it taste better, and you can mix and match for variety:
Cinnamon - zero calories, costs a penny per breakfast
Apple, half, sliced - 40-70 calories, ~$0.40 (varies by size & price)
Honey, 1 tbsp - 60 calories, ~$0.20 (highly variable)
Walnuts, chopped, 1/8 cup - 50 calories, ~$0.18 (@$4.50/lb)
Grape Nuts, 1/8 cup - 50 calories, ~$0.16 (@$2/box)
Flax Seeds, 1/8 cup - 90 calories, ~$0.15
Banana - 90-130 calories, ~$0.25 (@$0.69/lb)
Sugar Substitute - 0 calories, a few cents per packet or free
So, you can have a variety of pretty healthy and tasty breakfasts for $0.50 or less. I even splurge sometimes and have a $0.75 bowl of oatmeal with banana, honey, and walnuts.
Even throw in an 8oz glass of delicious Tropicana orange juice (they do not pay me) fortified with calcium and vitamin D for $0.40 or less. I refuse to pay more than $0.05/oz for juice, and it goes on sale often for less than that. There's a nutritious breakfast for less than $1 per day per person with only a couple minutes of preparation that even a child can handle.
This is a great option for those of you with kids. This kind of breakfast will help your children concentrate at school and be healthy. It doesn't make sense to pay more money for junk cereals that are half sugar, or Pop Tarts, or whatever else, which lead to poor concentration, obesity, and potentially type II Diabetes.
Now, you might say, "But I don't like the taste of plain oatmeal, and I'll go insane if I have to eat it every day." Here are some things I often add to my oatmeal to help it taste better, and you can mix and match for variety:
Cinnamon - zero calories, costs a penny per breakfast
Apple, half, sliced - 40-70 calories, ~$0.40 (varies by size & price)
Honey, 1 tbsp - 60 calories, ~$0.20 (highly variable)
Walnuts, chopped, 1/8 cup - 50 calories, ~$0.18 (@$4.50/lb)
Grape Nuts, 1/8 cup - 50 calories, ~$0.16 (@$2/box)
Flax Seeds, 1/8 cup - 90 calories, ~$0.15
Banana - 90-130 calories, ~$0.25 (@$0.69/lb)
Sugar Substitute - 0 calories, a few cents per packet or free
So, you can have a variety of pretty healthy and tasty breakfasts for $0.50 or less. I even splurge sometimes and have a $0.75 bowl of oatmeal with banana, honey, and walnuts.
Even throw in an 8oz glass of delicious Tropicana orange juice (they do not pay me) fortified with calcium and vitamin D for $0.40 or less. I refuse to pay more than $0.05/oz for juice, and it goes on sale often for less than that. There's a nutritious breakfast for less than $1 per day per person with only a couple minutes of preparation that even a child can handle.
This is a great option for those of you with kids. This kind of breakfast will help your children concentrate at school and be healthy. It doesn't make sense to pay more money for junk cereals that are half sugar, or Pop Tarts, or whatever else, which lead to poor concentration, obesity, and potentially type II Diabetes.
2010-01-11
Price Guidelines
I long ago established some hard rules for myself as far as how much I am willing to spend for certain foods. Despite inflation, I have not changed these limits since setting them about ten years ago. Though these are strict rules for me, you may find them to be useful guidelines when you are at the grocery store. If something costs more than my limit, I just don't buy it. There are many foods that I can only buy when they are on sale, and I have found that foods go on sale often enough that I do not go deprived of the foods I like. I often find food for less than my limits. I shop at a regular Albertson's chain store for most products.
Steak (rare occasions)- $5.00/lb (I am still sometimes able to get tenderloin and T-bones)
Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless - $2.00/lb
Cereal - $2.00/lb
Cheese - $4.00/lb
Mushrooms - $3.00/lb
Carrots - $1.00/lb
Onions - $1.00/lb
Tomatoes, canned - $1.00/32oz
Pineapple, canned (Dole) - $1.00/20oz
Yogurt (Danon Light & Fit or Yoplait only) - $0.085/oz
Granola Bars (Kashi or Nature Valley) - $0.50 ea.
Orange Juice (Tropicana only) - $0.05/oz
Spices - $1.00/1.3oz (buy these at a drug store or hardware store; not McCormick)
I do go to Trader Joe's for a few things, and I am lucky that one is very close to me. They have very inexpensive all natural peanut butter, honey, tea, tree nuts, fine cheeses, and chocolate.
Besides those limits, I tend to buy things only when they are on sale, but without strict limits in mind. Canned vegetables, tuna, potatoes, bagged salad/spinach, fish, bacon (typically buy 1 get 2 free deals). Once or twice per year I've been able to buy 101 fl oz jugs of extra virgin olive oil for $10-12, which is a steal. Every once in a while canned veggies are 42-50 cents per can, and I stock up. A small local market sometimes has grapefruit 6/$2, so that's when I get to eat grapefruit. I make my own bread, which is fun and cheap; yeast comes in an $8 jar that can make approximately 32 loaves or 48 pizzas. I love the summer for berries, and the fall for apples and squash. Local, seasonal foods are better quality and the prices are reasonable even to me.
Some prices are rising and causing me to reconsider my shopping behaviors with regard to them. Brown rice, which I can only find in 2lb bags, is getting more expensive. It's up to $2.50 per bag now, and I've been using barley as a replacement in some meals. Canned tuna is rising, so I bought piles of it the last time it was $0.50/can, and I don't think I'll ever see that price again. I will gradually adapt to changes in the market, but always strive to optimize my grocery habits.
Steak (rare occasions)- $5.00/lb (I am still sometimes able to get tenderloin and T-bones)
Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless - $2.00/lb
Cereal - $2.00/lb
Cheese - $4.00/lb
Mushrooms - $3.00/lb
Carrots - $1.00/lb
Onions - $1.00/lb
Tomatoes, canned - $1.00/32oz
Pineapple, canned (Dole) - $1.00/20oz
Yogurt (Danon Light & Fit or Yoplait only) - $0.085/oz
Granola Bars (Kashi or Nature Valley) - $0.50 ea.
Orange Juice (Tropicana only) - $0.05/oz
Spices - $1.00/1.3oz (buy these at a drug store or hardware store; not McCormick)
I do go to Trader Joe's for a few things, and I am lucky that one is very close to me. They have very inexpensive all natural peanut butter, honey, tea, tree nuts, fine cheeses, and chocolate.
Besides those limits, I tend to buy things only when they are on sale, but without strict limits in mind. Canned vegetables, tuna, potatoes, bagged salad/spinach, fish, bacon (typically buy 1 get 2 free deals). Once or twice per year I've been able to buy 101 fl oz jugs of extra virgin olive oil for $10-12, which is a steal. Every once in a while canned veggies are 42-50 cents per can, and I stock up. A small local market sometimes has grapefruit 6/$2, so that's when I get to eat grapefruit. I make my own bread, which is fun and cheap; yeast comes in an $8 jar that can make approximately 32 loaves or 48 pizzas. I love the summer for berries, and the fall for apples and squash. Local, seasonal foods are better quality and the prices are reasonable even to me.
Some prices are rising and causing me to reconsider my shopping behaviors with regard to them. Brown rice, which I can only find in 2lb bags, is getting more expensive. It's up to $2.50 per bag now, and I've been using barley as a replacement in some meals. Canned tuna is rising, so I bought piles of it the last time it was $0.50/can, and I don't think I'll ever see that price again. I will gradually adapt to changes in the market, but always strive to optimize my grocery habits.
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