cook-at-home

cheap eats

quick and affordable meals

Food bills are a big part of just about every family’s budget. With increasing food costs, a trip to the grocery store can be a challenging—although necessary—endeavor.

Affordable ingredients can be found if you know where to look. Here are some tips on preparing cost-effective meals. ● Most oils and vinegars can be swapped for another type to save money and space in the pantry. Extravirgin olive and sunflower are all you need for oils. As for vinegars, all-purpose white-wine vinegar can be used in place of all the rest. ● Purchase canned items when they go on sale. Stock up on as many as you can afford to and have space for. Canned vegetables and fruits tend to be less expensive than their fresh counterparts. ● Seasonal vegetables are generally a better deal than out-of-season produce, which is typically flown in at great expense. ● Whenever possible, buy the store brand of canned goods and pantry staples to boost savings. ● If a meal calls for sweet potatoes, buy the big bag if it’s a better deal. Use the extra potatoes in other dishes. ● Flavor bomb inexpensive staples like beans and pasta. Capers, Dijon mustard, chili sauce, tahini, and olives add an initial cost to your grocery bill but once purchased they last a long time in the fridge. ● Instead of throwing away fruits or vegetables that are about to be past their prime, freeze and use them later. ● To save extra fresh herbs, chop and place them into ice cube trays with some water or olive oil. Freeze for future use in soups, stews, and sauces.

Here are some ideas for meals that are inexpensive but still satisfying. ● For the ultimate quinoa bowl, cook a pot of quinoa and add your favorite roasted veggies. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over and add a drizzle of sweet chili sauce. For protein, add a fried egg on top. ● Split baked white or sweet potatoes and top them with black beans, corn, and chopped green onions. ● Toss cooked bowtie pasta, raw baby kale, and grated Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Top with Caesar dressing for a Caesar pasta salad. ● Bake ¾-inch-thick slices of eggplant until tender, top with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, and broil until the cheese melts. Garnish with sliced fresh basil for mini vegetarian pizzas. ● Spiralize or finely shred raw zucchini into noodles. Sauté in a splash of oil with minced garlic until softened. Top with tomato sauce and dried oregano. ●

SELECTED SOURCES “15 meals under $15 . . .” by Hannah Loewentheil, www. PureWow.com, 11/1/16 • Broke Vegan by Saskia Sidey ($14.99, Hamlyn, 2020)

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

From Broke Vegan by Saskia Sidey ($14.99, Hamlyn, 2020)

prep time serves 2

2 sweet potatoes (1 lb to 1 lb 5 oz) 2 Tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeños 2 green onions, finely sliced, divided Large handful of cilantro, finely chopped, divided 1 lime 2 large tortillas 2 Tbsp flavorless oil Salt and pepper

1. Prick potatoes all over with a knife and microwave on high for 5–7 minutes until tender. Cut in half and then scoop out flesh into a bowl.

2. Mix potato flesh with jalapeños. Add most of green onions and cilantro, reserving some of both for serving. Finely grate over zest of lime. Then cut lime in half and add juice of half of the lime to season filling. Cut other half of lime into wedges for serving.

3. Distribute filling between 2 tortillas, heaping it on the half of each tortilla. Then fold over the empty side and press it down to make sure filling is an even layer. 4. Heat oil in a large frying pan and add tortillas. Fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown and filling is warm inside.

5. Cut into wedges and serve with reserved green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges. Kitchen Note: The sweet potato in these quesadillas gets a zesty kick from the lime and the perfect level of spice. Try adding black beans or other vegetables to the mix. The method of cooking the quesadillas in semi-circles rather than sandwiching the filling between 2 circles ensures you don’t lose any filling when flipping them.

Per serving: 397 Calories, 7 g Protein, 56 g Carbohydrates, 8 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 7 g Fiber, 18 g Total fat (1 g sat), 593 mg Sodium, ★★★★★ Vitamin A, K, ★★★★ Vitamin E, ★★★ Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Folate, ★★ Vitamin B6, C, Phosphorus, ★ Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium