So I’ve decided to try to seriously reduce my spending for a while. Being me, the biggest luxury I spend on is food, so that’s where the cut is going to have to be. No more $6.00 coffee shop sandwiches! K-Wok only in absolute emergencies! I surveyed my kitchen cabinets, and these are the major food groups I’ve got to build on:
About two weeks worth of black beans. Tortillas. Lots of lentils. Raisins. Black and kalamata olives. Evaporated milk. Oats. Tomato sauce. Spices galore. Misc other.
Any recipe suggestions would be appreciated.
There are also a couple pounds of venison in the freezer, but it’s from the hunting season before last (fall 2004), so I’m not sure about that. I’m not going to avoid buying food altogether, but I think spending will be limited to ingredients to go with what I already have (such as ginger, cilantro, onions, maybe veggies, yogurt), ice cream, and milk of course.
Comments
Laila,
Here's a great suggestion. I tried this on Monday when I cooked for some people over at my apartment.
Take your tortillas (flour works best) and turn them into pizzas.
I just used a bunch of regular ingredients (tomatoes, basil, feta cheese, fresh mozzarella, kalamata olives, parsley, diced cayenne pepper...seeds and vein removed) and topped the tortillas with that. Take some olive oil and spread a nice thin coat over the tortilla and top as you like. Bake in the oven for 2-3 minutes at 425 degrees.
It's so good and easy. Have you ever used za'atar spice? I've heard so much about it.
Posted by: John | June 16, 2006 12:16 PM
Hey, thanks John! I should have known that a posting about food would be what finally got you to comment. I did the tortilla thing last night, but with baked beans and ketchup. Not quite what you had in mind, but even easier! I'm not a big fan of zatar. It's mostly thyme, I think, with sesame seeds and maybe cumin. You put some in a plate, fill another plate with olive oil, and dip pita bread in the two for breakfast.
Do you have a recipes section of your blog? You should start one, complete with photos of meals of which you're particularly proud.
Posted by: Laila | June 17, 2006 12:38 PM
Food gets me talking too.
You need an onion for this which you didn't mention, but hopefully you can afford an onion. I think you should boil the lentils and while they are boiling sautee the onion with hot pepper, raisins and chopped up olives (more raisins than olives). when the lentils are done, spoon a layer lentils onto a tortilla, top with onion mixture and canned or frozen corn if you have it.
The next day, instead of eating the same thing again you can take all the fixings for lentil tacos (except the tortillas) and mix them together. Then make patties out of the mixture and fry them up! Serve on Tortillas.
For breakfast: simmer oats in evaporated milk, add raisins and salt. Also works for dessert if you add chocolate chips.
Here's my new thing: whole wheat cous-cous with vodka sauce. You take the package of cous-cous, follow the directions on the box, open up a bottle of vodka marinara pour on top cold. (the cous-cous heats the sauce) it's just spaghetti only faster! Bottles of vodka sauce last for weeks too.
Posted by: amy | June 26, 2006 10:11 PM
What is vodka marinara?
Raisins with olives???
I do appreciate all the recipes. I actually finally learned how to make black beans and rice (from Joy of Cooking), and they're really good! And you can carry them around in your bag all day without worrying about refrigeration.
Posted by: Laila | July 1, 2006 11:58 PM