Hannah
It’s January, which means a lot of people have set New Years resolutions to be better with money or to eat healthier. It’s hard to make good choices with meals or choose healthy snacks when working from home, but these recipes are simple and cost-effective to fill you up without breaking your budget.
Below are recipes for breakfast, lunches, dinners, and healthy snacks to get your resolution in motion and cut costs. Hopefully, these will help you save for whatever you need or maybe just allow you to buy some dumb crap online more often.
1. Salmon Burgers or Crab Cakes ($5.25 per recipe)
Recipe:
1 large can salmon (15-17oz)
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
Seasonings – these are lemon pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne. About 1 teaspoon lemon pepper and a dash of each of the others.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Dump the salmon into a bowl and pick out the larger bones and skin pieces. The bones are soft from being canned so you don’t need to worry about the small ones.
- Add the egg, flour, and seasonings and mix really well. It’ll make about 10 smaller patties or 5 full size burgers.
- Cook them in a skillet on the stove until browned (about 3-5 min per side)
2. Breakfast Quiche ($6.31 per recipe)
Recipe:
1 frozen pie shell
1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
4 oz. bacon
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp seasoning salt*
4 oz. shredded medium cheddar, divided
INSTRUCTIONS
- Thaw broccoli florets. Cook Bacon and drain on paper towels.
- Cook broccoli in a skillet. Transfer to a cutting board and chop.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, Parmesan, and seasoning salt.
- Roll out frozen pie shell on to plate. Place the chopped broccoli in the dish along with half of the shredded cheddar. Crumble the bacon over top. Stir the broccoli, cheddar, and bacon together. Pour the egg mix over.
- Bake the quiche for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is puffed and it is golden brown around the edges.
3. Crunchy Chickpeas ($0.80 / serving)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas, remove any loose skins
- Pat dry or sit out to dry.
- Once dry, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. If the chickpeas aren’t allowed to completely dry they won’t crisp as well.
- Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes
- Toss with whatever seasoning you’d like, the sky is the limit!
(This batch is tossed in garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, chili powder, coriander, parsley, and thyme for a cheesy-garlic flavor)
4. Homemade Tortillas ($0.19 / 10 Tortillas)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix the masa harina and water according to the instructions on the back. I used 2 cups (240g) and 1.5 cup water.
Take a small chunk off (I use about 36g of dough) and roll it into a ball.
2. Take a piece of parchment paper that’s at least twice as big as the tortilla you’re making. Put the masa ball on the parchment and fold it over so it’s covered on both sides.
3. Use something heavy to press the tortilla from the top. I like to use a glass cooking dish because it lets me see how big the tortilla is and which spots are uneven.
4. Make sure your pan is preheated on medium-high heat. Peel off the top layer of parchment carefully and then carry the bottom layer to the pan. Flip it over and carefully peel the tortilla off into the pan.
5. Cook for 30 seconds on each side, turning it three times for a total of one minute per side (this is from the instructions on the masa package).
6. Let the tortillas sit for a minute or two before you try to eat them so they become soft and pliable.
5. Foccacia ($0.50 for 600g pan of bread)
Recipe:
2 cups flour
1 cup lukewarm water
olive oil
1 teaspoon of yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
+ extras like black pepper, oregano, thyme, ground up sun dried tomatoes, olives etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix flour, yeast, water, salt, and any extras you’re adding in (in the one I made today I added 6/7 minced sun-dried tomatoes, some mixed herbs, and black pepper)
- Lightly grease with olive oil, cover, and leave in the fridge overnight (12 hours roughly)
The next morning deflate and transfer to a cast-iron skillet or baking pan greased with a good glug of olive oil. Cover and leave for another couple of hours (I usually wait 4 hours in time to bake for lunch). - Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celcius / 425 Fahrenheit.
- Before baking, use your finger to indent lots of crevices and drizzle with more olive oil (around 2 tablespoons). Sprinkle with a little salt and any other you want (I like more herbs and spices and stuff like that, you could even add some chili oil!).
- Immediately put into the oven for 25-30 minutes.Enjoy!!
6. Greek-style stuffed vegetables ($5.78 per recipe)
Recipe:
8 tomatoes
4 green bell peppers
1–2 eggplants
5–6 potatoes, cut into wedges
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
500g/ 18 oz. rice (for risotto)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
a small bunch of parsley, chopped
a small bunch of fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsps tomato puree
2 tsps sugar
2 tbsps of butter
salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil
250 grams (8.8oz) beef mince (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Wash veggies and remove fleshy insides. Set them aside in a bowl. Place vegetables on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the tomato insides to a blender and add 5-6 tablespoons olive oil, tomato puree, sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3.Saute onions and olive oil. If you would like to add meat, do so here. Add garlic and the insides of any other veggies you are using and cook until soft. Add rice until translucent. Add can chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until the liquid is absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and add any fresh herbs you like.
5. Spoon the filling inside the empty vegetables and place the potatoes, cut into pieces, in between the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and pour the tomato juice (sauce) over the vegetables and in the baking tray. Cover the vegetables with their lids and add 2-3 glasses of water.
6. Cover and bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes. Remove the foil after 30 minutes.
7. Top with feta and Enjoy!
7. Enchiladas ($24.30 for 60 Enchiladas)
Recipe:
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded chicken (about 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken)
1 15oz. can black beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 tsp ground cumin
8 soft taco sized 8 inch tortillas
1 batch homemade red enchilada sauce (about 2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mince the garlic and sauté it in a large skillet with cooking oil over medium heat until softened. Add the can of diced tomatoes with green chiles and cook until the tomato liquid has reduced by about half and become slightly thick.
- Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir it into the tomato mixture. The sauce will become smooth and creamy as the cheese melts in.
Rinse and drain the can of black beans, then add them to the skillet along with the frozen corn kernels, shredded chicken, and cumin. Stir to combine. Taste the filling and add salt if needed. - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the creamy chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it up like a cigar. Place the filled and rolled tortillas into a 9×13 inch casserole dish, seam side down.
- While the oven is preheating, make a batch of homemade red enchilada sauce(or use canned), then pour it over the enchiladas in the casserole dish. Bake the dish in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the edges of the tortillas are slightly brown and crispy.
8. Jambalaya with Red Beans & Rice ($10.52 per recipe)
Recipe:
1 lb. dry red beans
2 Tbsp cooking oil
14 oz. Andouille sausage
1 yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
3 ribs celery
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 bay leaves
6 cups water
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp salt, or to taste
1.5 cups long grain white rice (uncooked)
3 green onions
INSTRUCTIONS
- The night before, add the dry beans to a large bowl with double their volume in water. Allow the beans to soak in the refrigerator overnight.
- When you’re ready to start cooking, slice the sausage into rounds. Add the cooking oil and brown the sausage over medium. Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl. Place the cooked sausage in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Mince the garlic.
After removing the cooked sausage, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the pot. Sauté over medium heat and scrape any browned bits and stir in. Add the remaining spices and stir. - Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add them to the pot along with 6 cups of water. Stir.
Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the pot boil for one hour, stirring occasionally. Replace the lid every time you stir. - Boil beans for 1 hour. Smash beans with the back of a spoon. Let the pot simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the rice while beans simmer. Add the rice and 3 cups of water to a saucepot. Cook according to package directions.
- Once the red beans have thickened, add sausage back to the pot with 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Stir. Add salt to your liking.
- Serve the red beans in a bowl topped with a scoop of rice and a sprinkle of sliced green onions.
9. Frozen grapes ($1.50/ Serving)
Instructions:
1. Wash grapes
2. Freeze them
3. Eat them.
10. Chili ($9.28 per recipe)
Recipe:
1kg of lean ground beef
2 onions diced
2 jalapeno diced. Left the seeds in
8 cloves garlic minced (yes, I thought this was crazy but it’s not too garlicky at all)
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
28 oz crushed tomatoes canned
40 oz rinsed kidney beans
28 oz diced tomatoes (leave the juice)
355ml of beer
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon white sugar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Instant pot for 10 minutes but with pressurizing it took about 20 minutes – but you could easily just do this on the stovetop too! I’d probably brown the garlic, jalapeños, ground beer and onion first. You could also add bell pepper to it, and I’ve heard beef soup broth is amazing but I didn’t include it. The consistency was a wee watery (think Wendy’s chili texture) but it was SO tasty. You could also halve the recipe if you’re just one person.
11. DIY Salad dressing ($1.50 per recipe)
Standard Vinaigrette: All you really need is oil, vinegar, and a bit of emulsifier—usually mustard—to pull this standard together.
Italian Dressing: This tabletop favorite is actually just a basic olive oil and red or white wine vinegar vinaigrette mixed with a few herbs—fresh parsley and dried basil, oregano, and red pepper—with lemon juice and garlic.
Balsamic Vinaigrette: Balsamic vinegar makes a tart and sweet base for salads, so it’s a common vinaigrette ingredient, usually with a splash of honey to bring it together.
12. Zucchini and Corn Fritters with Herb Sour Cream ($2.08/ Recipe)
Recipe:
2 cups shredded zucchini (2 small or ¾ lbs. total)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 small clove)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 handful fresh parsley
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Grate the zucchini. You will need about 2 cups total which was 2 small zucchini.
2. Combine the garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl (start with 1/4 tsp of salt and about 10 cranks of the pepper mill). Taste the zucchini and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. It should be stronger than you want the finished product to be because once you add the flour and egg, the flavor and saltiness will be diluted.
3. Whisk an egg and add it to the zucchini along with 3/4 cups of flour. Stir until evenly combined. The texture should be similar to cake batter.
4. Heat the oil. Drop the batter into the oil, one spoonful at a time. Fry the fritters on each side until deep golden brown. Let the fritters drain on a paper towel covered plate.
13. Black bean and quinoa burritos ($1.22 Each)
Recipe:
2 Tbsp canola oil
1.5 large yellow onion diced
6 garlic cloves crushed
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1.5 red bell pepper diced
1 medium zucchini diced
1 cup corn, frozen or canned
2 medium plum tomatoes diced
1/2 cup dry uncooked quinoa
3-4 cups black beans (I used 4)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 cup shredded cheese or replacement cheese
8 large whole wheat burrito sized tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Rinse quinoa. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes.
2. Saute onions in oil until softened. Add garlic and jalepeno.
3. Add zucchini and red pepper and cook for 8 minutes. Add corn and tomato.
4. Add back in black beans, quinoa, and seasonings.
5. Heat tortillas, add fillings, and roll in foil to store in the freezer.
14. Carbonara ($0.97 / serving)
Recipe:
1 LB of Pasta (Spaghetti or Linguine)
4 Eggs
¼ LB of Bacon
2 OZ Parmesan cheese
Dash of Black Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Boil pasta.
2. Chop bacon
3. Whisk 4 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs. Stir in cheese and pepper.
4. Cook bacon in pot. Drain on paper towel. Remove most of the fat from the pot.
5. Add pasta to bacon dish with some pasta water.
6. Stir in egg mix until it forms a glossy sauce.
7. Mix in bacon, top with pepper and cheese.
15. And here’s just a helpful graph
This shows you what proteins will give you the best bang for your buck!
