What low-budget recipes/meal ideas do you have?

I'm on limited income, and get $150 in food stamps. I'm looking for tasty recipes/meal ideas that could have the following criteria: few ingredients, cheap ingredients, recipes that can go a long way, recipes that freeze well, vegetarian/healthy, easy to make, etc. Please list all ingredients and directions. Thank you.What low-budget recipes/meal ideas do you have?
I would buy frozen fries, fresh vegetables, burgers, things that you can get more than 1 use from, pastas, lasagnas and soups..........





1 lb spaghetti


salt


5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


3 garlic cloves, sliced


6 small hot red chili peppers (or generous qty of crushed red pepper)


1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped





Cook the spaghetti in abundant salt water following manufacturer鈥檚 instructions, tasting for readiness from time to time.


While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic and red pepper. Turn the heat to medium.


Saut茅 the garlic briefly, but turn heat off before the garlic could begin coloring.


When pasta is al dente (firm but not too soft or overcooked), drain and transfer to a bowl.


Top with the oil-garlic mixture.


Spread the chopped parsley on top (if desired). Toss thoroughly and serve at once.What low-budget recipes/meal ideas do you have?
MILDRED'S EASY CHEAP CASSEROLE





1 (8 oz.) cheese whiz


1/2 c. milk


7 oz. spaghetti, break in thirds cook and drain


2 tbsp.butter


10 oz. cooked broccoli


1 c. chopped chicken or turkey


1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms, drained


2 tbsp. chopped pimento


1/4 tsp. salt


1/4 tsp. sage





Combine cheese and milk mix. Toss spaghetti with butter. Combine all ingredients Mix well. Spoon into 2 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Stir well before serving. This is easy cheap and good.
Migas II


SUBMITTED BY: SHELLSHOCK








';This was my husbands favorite breakfast growing up in a Mexican household. Now we make it all times of day and even our kids always ask for seconds. Very simple, inexpensive, and quick to make. I sometimes add hot pepper sauce, or ingredients you would like in a omelet, but my husband prefers it the traditional way.';





Original recipe yield:


5 servings





PREP TIME 10 Min


COOK TIME 10 Min


READY IN 20 Min


PHOTO BY: BRIANADORAN US METRIC





SERVINGS About scaling and conversions





INGREDIENTS


4 teaspoons corn oil


12 (6 inch) corn tortillas


6 eggs, beaten


salt to taste


DIRECTIONS


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Tear corn tortillas into bite size pieces, and fry them in the skillet, stirring constantly, until they are just starting to get crisp.


Pour the eggs into the skillet with the tortillas, stirring until the egg is cooked through. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.








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NUTRITION INFORMATION


Servings Per Recipe: 5





Amount Per Serving





Calories: 271





Total Fat: 12.6g


Cholesterol: 211mg


Sodium: 346mg


Total Carbs: 30.4g


Dietary Fiber: 3.2g


Protein: 10.2g


VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION





About: Nutrition Info





Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database
I spend about $90 a week on groceries for 3 people. I by very little meat or dairy products and rely mainly on veggies, grains and beans. Plus, for health reasons I make everything myself. In other words, there is little prepackaged food in our house just things like canned beans and tomatoes. I also spend all day Sunday cooking for the week so I don't have to worry about it later. It you can cut out most meat and expensive prepackaged stuff, your budget should be pretty good. One great place for recipes is vegsource.com . There's tons of ideas there. Here's one yummy recipe I found there:








Bean And Rice Burritos














Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method


-------- ------------ --------------------------------


28 ounces pinto beans, canned --


-- drained and rinsed


1 cup Cooked brown rice -- -OR-


- up to double this amount


1 dash Chili powder


1 dash Garlic powder


1 dash Cumin


3/4 cup Water


6 Tortillas


-----TOPPINGS-----


1 Iceberg lettuce


--chopped and dried


1 bn Scallions -- chopped


1 tomato -- chopped


--ripe


2 cups Salsa --





Place the beans in a saucepan and mash with a potato masher. Add the


cooked rice, spices, and water. Heat 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Heat the tortillas quickly (just to soften) in a preheated skillet, toaster oven, or microwave. Tuck in the top and bottom edges, roll into a burrito, and serve immediately, topped with additional salsa if desired.
I know how you feel... been here myself and still is....


spaghetti


tuna casserole


green bean casserole


chili


mac and cheese
lasagna or vegeterian lasagna.
healthy choice tv dinners. Those are good.
Please check out this website. She has a great section on budgets adn food when facing a lay-off or a stoppage of income. She has great ideas AND recipes!





http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/improv鈥?/a>
Healthy Cucumber-Tomato Salad


2-4 servings 1录 hours 1录 hours prep





1 large cucumber, cubed


1-2 medium tomato, cubed


1/2 small onion, chopped


fresh basil, chopped


garlic salt


pepper





Add cucumber, tomato and onion to a bowl with a cover.


(preferably tupperware or something similar.) Add garlic salt, pepper and basil to taste.


Seal bowl and shake.


Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.





Really Good Vegetarian Meatloaf (really!)


High in fiber and protein, low in fat, easy and really yummy! I've always think meatloaf looks and smells so delicious and savory so, as a vegetarian, I decided to make a no-meat version! This is basically our favorite meatloaf recipe but with cooked mashed lentils instead of ground meat. The result is a very tasty dinner!


4-6 servings 1陆 hours 10 min prep





2 cups water


1 teaspoon salt


1 cup lentils


1 small onion, diced


1 cup quick-cooking oats


3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, jack or american)


1 egg, beaten


4 1/2 ounces spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce


1 teaspoon garlic powder


1 teaspoon dried basil


1 tablespoon dried parsley


1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt


1/4 teaspoon black pepper





Add salt to water and boil in a saucepan.


Add lentils and simmer covered 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of water is evaporated.


Remove from fire.


Drain and partially mash lentils.


Scrape into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.


Stir in onion, oats and cheese until mixed.


Add egg, tomato sauce, garlic, basil, parsley, seasoning salt and pepper.


Mix well.


Spoon into loaf pan that has been generously sprayed with Pam (non-stick cooking spray) or well-greased.


Smooth top with back of spoon.


Bake at 350 degrees for 30- 45 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm and golden brown.


Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes.


Run a sharp knife around edges of pan then turn out loaf onto serving platter.





Cabbage Salad


8-10 servings 30 min 30 min prep





1 small head of cabbage


1 apple


3/4 cup mayonnaise


1/4 cup evaporated milk


2-3 teaspoons sugar


salt





Grate the cabbage and apple finely.


Combine the cabbage and apple.


Mix dressing ingredients, which can be adjusted a bit though I wouldn't add anything or it won't be cabbage salad. The dressing should pour; thicker than heavy cream.


Combine dressing with cabbage and apple. If it seems a bit loose; normal. Make this about an hour before meal time and refrigerate.


The next day, if any is left, there will be some water to drain off before eating in most cases.


This is again *not* intended to be coleslaw.





Crock Pot New England Baked Beans


12-16 servings 陆 day 45 min prep





2 lbs dried white pea beans or navy beans (small white beans)


2 medium onions, whole


4-6 ounces salt pork, meaty cut into chunks (optional)


1 cup molasses


3/4 cup brown sugar, packed


2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice or vinegar


1/2 teaspoon black pepper


2 teaspoons dry mustard


1/16 teaspoon cinnamon


2 cups water


water





Soak beans over night or do a quick soak method. If soaking, drain soaking water, replace with new and boil the beans 30 minutes. I know what crock pots say about beans and sorry companies, this works!


Place onions and salt pork in bottom of pot.


Pour in beans drained of water.


Mix the next 7 ingredients in a saucepan and bring just to the boil stirring occasionally. Pour over beans in pot.


Add water to cover beans and cook on low 10-12 hours (or more) topping with water if necessary.


Stir every 2 hours and cook with lid off for final 2 hours to thicken. I usually find that I need to stop adding water at this point and stir occasionally as beans will ';appear'; dried out on top; this is how they should look. Just stir.


These should be saucy rather than liquidy or dry. a thick sauce. Unfortunately this is not a crock pot recipe which can be left unattended for more than 2-3 hours.


Eating the onions is one of the best parts! I used to only use 1 until my mother began screaming give me an onion!


These freeze very well. Freeze in plastic containers or bags and thaw at room temperature. Re-heat adding a bit of water if necessary as they *can* thicken upon freezing.





Cornbread


This makes a 9x13 pan. It is a bit sweeter than most, but that's the way I like it.


8-12 servings 40 min 10 min prep





3/4 cup sugar


2 eggs, beaten


2 cups all-purpose flour


1 cup yellow cornmeal


1 tablespoon baking powder


3/4 teaspoon salt


2 tablespoons melted butter (or cooking oil)


1 1/2 cups milk





Preheat oven to 350.


Grease a 9x13 pan.


Combine sugar and eggs.


Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.


set aside.


Add milk and butter to egg and sugar mixture.


Add flour mixture and mix quickly.


put mixture into prepared pan.


Bake for about 30 minute.


until light golden brown.





Brown Rice and Lentil Casserole


6-8 servings 1戮 hours 10 min prep





3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)


3/4 cup lentils


1/2 cup brown rice


3/4 cup chopped onions


1 teaspoon italian seasoning


1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I use more)


1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or a blend is preferable)





Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.


Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a baking dish (I use an 11 x 7).


Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.


Then remove the foil, add the cheese, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.





Black and Red Fiesta Beans With Rice


This is low fat with tons of flavor and fiber. A quick, easy weeknight meal. Serve with corn chips and a green salad. From Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller on foodnetwork.com.


4 servings 20 min 10 min prep





2 cups instant brown rice


1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce


1/2 cup salsa


1 tablespoon onion flakes


1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin


1 teaspoon dried oregano


1 teaspoon dried thyme


1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained


1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained


1 (11 ounce) can corn, drained


salt %26amp; freshly ground black pepper





Cook rice according to package directions.


Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and set pan over medium-high heat.


Bring to a simmer. Fold in rice and season to taste with salt and black pepper.





Zucchini Bread


This moist bread. I like it because it's easily thrown together in one bowl and very moist 鈥?perfect for a snack at work or school!


2 loaves 1录 hours 10 min prep





2 1/2 cups sugar


3 eggs


3 cups flour


3 tablespoons vanilla


1 cup oil


2 cups zucchini, grated


1/4 teaspoon salt


1 teaspoon baking soda


1/4 teaspoon baking powder


1 cup nuts (optional)


3 teaspoons cinnamon





Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Combine all ingredients.


Pour into two greased loaf pans.


Bake for one hour.
Okay first of all, I say whole roasted chicken is the way to go... what I do on occasion is buy 2, and roast them at the same time. One of them, I will season both INSIDE the cavity, and out, maybe stuff some butter, lemon, and rosemary inside the cavity and in between the breast and the skin.... the other, just season with salt and pepper. Blast them initially at a HIGH temp, like 500 degrees. Drop it down to 350 after about 15 minutes, and roast until they reach an internal temp of 155. (I know they say 160 but i figure the residual cooking will take it up there, you don't want a dried out bird!) Let them cool.





Now, with the lemon one, serve as is, and shred any leftover meat. (I'd serve with a rice pilaf, saute about 1/2 cup onions in butter and olive oil, add about a cup of rice, saute until rice is golden brown, add 2 cups chicken broth*, bring to boil, drop temp to simmer and cover.... should be done in about 15-20 minutes) and maybe steamed or canned veggies, depending on your preferance.





So, now you've had dinner one night with the roast chicken, and have shredded chicken for tomorrow night. Go ahead and put in the fridge. Tomorrow night, saute some sliced onions until soft, and add shredded chicken. Take one can of stewed tomatoes, with juice, and add to pan. Add about 1/2 cup chicken broth, and season. This is now a pretty good filling for chicken tacos. Tomatoes, lettuce, cheese etc are usually things people keep on hand at all times, therefore no special or costly ingredients.





With the other whole roasted chicken that's in the fridge, go ahead and do whatever you want with that! Take some canned tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper, bay leaf, dried oregano, and simmer together for a while on the stove, add pieces of the roast chicken and heat through, serve over white rice. Or cut up the chicken before roasting, and have good ol' fashioned fried chicken with mashed potatoes.





Chicken is so versatile, and you can plan a few different dinners around a couple of low cost whole chickens! If you're looking for more good, simple, rated, and easy recipes, check out some food websites, like allrecipes.com or cooks.com, for techniques on cutting a whole chicken up, I suggest food.com.





Hope these help a little!





* I usually buy chicken bouillon as opposed to chicken broth, you can get a pack of 8 for less than 2 dollars, and that's equivalent to 16 cups of broth.... I use beef and chicken broth instead of water in a lot of recipes, to add a little more flavor. Just boil 2 cups of water in the microwave, drop in one cube and let sit a minute. Cheaper than canned broth, and a space saver as well. Try Knorr, there often on sale.
From Costco, we buy a case of soy milk. This we use with our oatmeal each morning -- and to make an occasional cup of chai.





Breakfast: From a local health food store we get oatmeal in bulk form (plus some oat bran because we add to the pot 1 tablespoon for each 2 servings).





Lunch: Buy inexpensive package of sandwich baggies with the fold-over tops. Purchase a few fresh fruits in season that you can eat raw. (Mushroom, zuchinni squash, carrots, bell pepper (red %26amp; green), broccoli, celery etc.). Cut up an assortment into finger food size and pack into a sandwich size baggie each day for lunch.





Dinner: Measured amount of meat or meat substitute. Buy salmon patties and veggie burger patties at Costco. Freeze the package. Dinner is one patty of either and one serving of fresh greens tossed in a pan with about one tsp. olive oil %26amp; garlic with soy sauce to season lightly.





Or you can buy a few pounds of ground turkey or beef and make a meatloaf (ground meat, little minced onion, a grated carrot, little catsup, few drops soy sauce, little chopped celantro -- bake 350 in oven until done) on weekends and store it in your refrigerator to eat during the week for dinner -- or pack for lunch with raw veggies.





If you prepare your food from scratch, it's always fresher and better -- and CHEAPER. I haven't made the veggie burger myself yet, but found a great recipe from another blogger and intend to make it one day soon.





Since I retired, and went on a good diet, and cut way down on buying packaged prepared foods and restaurant food, our food budget dropped way down. Also, I lost weight (abdominal fat still going away) and feel a lot better.