Crazy Cheap Rice and Beans

It's going to sound crazy, but this week I'm living on food that costs less than $2 a day. My pastor challenged our whole church to do it in order to experience some semblance of what it's like for the 2.5 billion people in the world who live on less than that for all their living expenses, not just food. I've been doing pretty well and haven't been hungry at all, but then again I have a lot invested in knowing how to cook at home! At the very least, I'll be able to donate what I would have spent on food to someone who needs it more than me.

So obviously, rice and beans are staples of anyone looking to eat on the cheap. And even if you aren't attempting a $2 a day challenge, this meal is an awesome way to save serious cash on your daily lunches. It breaks down to $0.62 per portion and has about 400 calories. If you normally spend $10 on lunch out, that's about $47 saved in a week. 47 American dollars, people!!!

Grocery list

• Dried black beans - 16 oz. (or you could cheat and use 3-4 cans)
• Frozen corn - 8 oz. (half a 16 oz. bag)
• Brown rice - 2 cups
• Onion - 1/2 medium sized
  

 Pantry

• Canola oil - 1 tbsp.
• Salt - 1 tsp.
• Cumin - 1 tbsp.
  

Directions

Cook the dried beans (or pop open some cans). The easiest method is to soak them overnight, drain, add water to cover by at least an inch, and simmer until they're the right tenderness (about 2 hours). I've heard you should add the salt when they're just starting to feel soft, but I don't think it really matters.

The beans should look a little soupy...either add water to get a consistency you like, or if you're using canned beans, include some of the canning liquid. Dice the onions and sautee them in oil, then just mix in the onions along with the corn and cumin and cook the rice to serve with it!

This is enough for seven meals, but feel free to adjust the quantities if you think you'd get bored with it seven days in a row!

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Yield: 7 servings 
To Bring: leak-proof container

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!

Butternut Squash Soup with Yogurt

More soup? Yeah, it's seriously that cold out! This recipe even includes curry powder for double warming power. It's a really simple recipe based on Ellie Krieger's Curried Butternut Squash Soup; I've left out the honey, but add two tablespoons as the original recipe suggests if you like.

Butternut squash in its natural state can be difficult to work with, but Trader Joe's sells cubed butternut squash pieces in the fresh vegetable section and they work really well in this recipe. It's a little more expensive (mainly because whole squashes are so cheap!) but you'll probably save yourself 20 minutes of chopping and seeding.

This also freezes really well! I got about six meals from one batch, and immediately froze most of it in individual servings. You can even freeze it directly in a canning jar or other leak-proof container and just grab one in the morning and let it defrost at your desk.

I rounded out the meal with a container of plain 2% yogurt stirred right into the soup (use way more than Krieger's recommended 4 teaspoons if you want to make a real meal out of it) and a handful of Trader Joe's sesame melba toasts. And if this looks good but you don't have time to make the recipe, well, Trader Joe's sells organic butternut squash soup in a box that's pretty good, too ;-)

Grocery list

• Cubed butternut squash 1 lb. (or about 1 whole squash)
• Onion - 1 medium
• Plain yogurt - 1 container
  
• Melba toast, bread or crackers (great to keep at work)

 Pantry

• Curry powder - 1 tbsp. (or more, depending how spicy yours is. I used Rajah hot curry powder.)
• Vegetable stock or water - 6 cups
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Oil - 1 tbsp.
• Salt - about 1/2 tsp. (depending how salty your stock is) 
• Canola oil - 1 tbsp.

Directions

Roughly chop the onion and smash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife (no need to chop). In the bottom of a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat the canola oil and cook the onion and garlic until they soften, about 7 minutes. Add the stock, squash and curry powder (you may want to add the salt at the end once you see how it tastes. Cover and simmer on medium for 1 hour. The squash should squish easily when it's ready. Let cool about 20 minutes before and then blend it together - an immersion blender works best, but you can also do it in a blender or food processor in batches.

Separate it into individual containers and you're set for a week!

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
To bring: canning jar or other leak-proof container

Simple Pea Soup

Are you freezing your tail off yet? I think mine chipped off and shattered in pieces across a busy intersection somewhere around early December. Of course when it's freezing out, all you probably want for lunch is a hot bowl of comforting soup, but the last thing you want to do is make a mad dash through the cold to Hale & Hearty to get it. Problem solved, my friends. Hands on time for this soup is actually around 10-15 minutes, and it's mostly chopping. It needs to simmer for about an hour, but you don't have to be around for that!

One of my favorite shortcuts is to use a tablespoon of Better than Bouillon instead of stock or MSG-containing regular bouillon. It's basically a concentrated paste version of the same things you'd find in stock-in-a-box anyway, and no heavy boxes to lug home and store. I'm already assuming you're not going to make your own stock - even I find that a pain!

(Just as a caution, some of Better than Bouillon's products contain autolyzed yeast extract, which is related to MSG, so I tend to go for their organic and kosher lines. I also ignore their suggestion for 1.5 tablespoons of base per quart of water - way too salty!)

Grocery list

• Dried peas - 16 oz. bag
• Carrots - 1 large (or a handful of baby sized)
• Onion - 1 small
• Sausage - I used one link of Trader Joe's all-natural chicken andouille sausage, diced. (Veggie sausage or traditional diced ham would also be good.)
• Stock - 1 tbsp. of Better than Bouillon Organic Beef Base plus 6 cups of water, or 6 cups of the stock of your choice

 Pantry

• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Oil - 2 tbsp.
• Salt (optional)
• Pepper

Directions

Dice the onions and sausage and mince the garlic. Sautee everything together in a large pot or dutch oven for 10-15 minutes until the onions are translucent and some of the fat has rendered out of the sausage (dice the carrots while you're waiting.) Add 6 cups of water and a tablespoon of Better than Bouillon (or 6 cups of stock), the entire bag of peas and your diced carrots. Stir to combine, crack as much pepper as you want into it, and cover. Turn the heat to low and simmer for an hour. Check it when the time is up - the peas should be mostly mushed together and not taste mealy. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: about 5 servings
To bring: canning jar or other leak-proof container

[Leftover] Turkey Chili

I always feel silly writing recipes for chili. Everyone pretty much has their own method, and it's so easy, anyway! But in case you've got a huge container of leftover turkey haunting your fridge, and can't stand the thought of one more turkey sandwich, I present my favorite post-Thanksgiving recipe. Fill five canning jars with the results and your lunch is set for a week! Apologies for the less than stellar picture, but it's not much prettier even when you can see the chili clearly!

Grocery list

• Kidney beans - 4 cans or 20 oz. cooked dried beans
• Jalapeno peppers - 4 medium
• Onions - 2 medium
• Crushed tomatoes - 16 oz.
• Tomato sauce - 12 oz.

 Pantry

• Leftover turkey - about 3 cups chopped (I'm assuming you have this on hand! If not, I think a pound of browned ground turkey would work well.)
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Olive oil
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, paprika, anything else you like

Directions

Dice the onions and jalapenos and mince the garlic. Saute them in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until the onions are transparent but not browned. Stir occasionally and cover in between stirrings so the jalapeno vapors don't get to you! In a slow cooker or large stockpot on medium heat, combine the turkey, beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and sauteed vegetables. Season to taste (I used about a teaspoon of each spice listed) and cook for about 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the turkey has broken down a bit and everything is well blended.

Yield: 6-8 servings
To bring: canning jar!

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!

Baba Ghanoush and Pita

Baba ghanoush is essentially hummus made with eggplant instead of chick peas. The other ingredients are all the same: garlic, olive oil, tahini (ground sesame seeds), lemon juice and salt. I love to make it this time of year because I just can't resist all the pretty purple eggplants that are in season, but it's also a great Middle Eastern dip to make yourself because it's much easier on appliances than chick peas (I burned out the motors of two blenders before realizing you should really make hummus in a food processor!) If you're not up for the DIY version, many brands like Sabra sell it right alongside hummus at the store. Several varieties include mayonnaise though, so watch out if you're looking to keep the meal vegan.

Grocery list

• Eggplant - 2 medium (about 3 lbs.)
• Tahini - 2 tbsp. (optional - use more olive oil if not using. It's usually found near the peanut butter)
• Lemon - juice of 1/2 (or 2 tbsp. bottled juice)
• Whole wheat mini pitas - 2

 Pantry

• Garlic - 2-4 cloves
• Olive oil - 2 tsp.
• Salt - about 1/2 tsp.
• Smoked paprika - optional
• Parsley flakes - optional

Directions

Slice each eggplant lengthwise and puncture the outside skin several times. Lay the fruit cut side down on a sheet sprayed with oil and roast under a low broiler for 1/2 hour (or for 1 hour at 400 degrees, although I don't like to leave the oven on for that long when it's hot outside!) Turn the the eggplant to face upwards about halfway through. If you like roasted garlic (it's more mellow) go ahead and throw the cloves in at this point.

It's best to let the eggplant cool completely. When it's ready to handle, peel off the skin and press out most of the liquid (it can give the dip a bitter taste; use a towel if you need to.) Now for the easy part - put everything in the blender! I like to add the garlic one clove at a time at the end to get the right flavor. And of course, add more of any ingredient until you get a taste you like!

Pack it in a small container. I topped mine with smoked paprika and parsley flakes for effect, but they're optional. Add a plastic bag with two sliced mini pitas and you're good to go! It's also great on bread (or a bag of pita chips from the vending machine if you're desperate.)

Yield: about 3 cups, or 6 servings
To bring: small container and plastic bag

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments! 

Quinoa Salad with Berries, Nuts and Greens

This recipe is a little more complex than most of the recipes I plan to post on this site, but if the rave reviews it received from every single person who tried it tell you anything, I think it's worth it! I used a whole box of quinoa so it makes a ton - feel free to cut it in half if you don't think you'll use all 8 servings in one week.

Bonus: this recipe is crazy healthy, especially for how delicious it is! Quinoa (keen-waa) is a whole grain with lots of fiber and protein, and you already knew that nuts and leafy greens are super good for you. Depending on how much olive oil you add, it's also fairly low fat, plus it's vegan and gluten free!

Grocery list

• Quinoa - 1 box (16 oz.)
• Vegetable stock - 1 box
• Fresh currents OR pomegranate seeds OR dried sweetened cranberries - 1 cup
• Kale OR other dark greens (collards, spinach) - 1 medium bunch
• Walnuts OR other nut - 1 cup, chopped
  

Pantry

• Onion OR shallots - 1/2 to one cup, chopped
• Olive oil OR butter - 1 to 2 tbsp.
• Salt - 1 tsp. or to taste

Directions

Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box, substituting vegetable stock for water (add a few cups of water if you need need more liquid.)

Chop the greens and their stems into fork-sized pieces. Blanch them in boiling water, making sure to add the stems about 2 minutes before the leaves. Cook the leaves and stems together for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Sautee the onions or shallots along in olive oil until softened and slightly caramelized.

Optional: toast the walnuts in a dry pan 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them!

When the quinoa is cooked, salt to taste. Toss in the rest of the ingredients: greens, berries, nuts, onions. Top with more olive oil if desired. Store in a large container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or immediately split into individual lunch containers. Serve either cold or heated.

Yield: 8 one to two cup servings
To bring: transport container (microwave safe if heating)

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!