Cost Effective Recipes

[Carly1803]

When we are down and out the last week of the month, we all need a little inspiration. Post your favorite economical recipes to "help a brother out".

[Bandit]

Mince + Salt...

 

The less economical you're able to be the more you can put in it. Once a month you can treat yourself to some "rice"

 

 

[Señor]

I recently found this thread on reddit's personal finance sub regarding cost effective cooking using a slow cooker. The goal: to spend less on take-aways and make tasty meals on the cheap.

[Carly1803]

I have this thing about cooking rice in a bit of oil, makes my mouth water just thinking about it. So this recipe is right up there for me.

Things you will need:

1 Cup parboiled rice

A bit of oil

2 Raw eggs

1 Cup cooked chicken, cut into pieces

½ Cup spring onions

Garlic (in whichever form you prefer)

Chilli (optional but I like the kick)

And then salt and pepper as you wish

 

Things you will need to do:

Steam the rice until ready to eat.

Heat the oil in a saucepan.

Whisk the egg until mixed well.

Braai the rice in the oil along with the spring onions, garlic and chilli.

Add the whisked egg, mix thoroughly.

Add the chicken, mix well and you are all done and ready to eat.

[Spreadsheet Ranger]

Venster Broodtjies (Birds in a Nest Breakfast)

 

This is my go-to meal on a budget, it hits the spot without breaking the bank and it's unique enough to offer it to guests, but then you might go fancy and add some bacon, but for the investor on a budget bacon is a luxury so I stick to the basics.

 

All you will need is the following ingredients:

 

Sliced Bread

Eggs

Olive Oil (or butter)

Salt and Pepper

 

The first step is to rip out the insides of the bread, the guts. If you are not used to hunting your food I suggest you use a class and eloquently remove the inside, almost like cutting out cookies from the dought.

 

 

Now coat your non-stick (or el-cheapo) frying pan with a solid layer of olive oil, and place it on the stove over medium-high heat.

 

Once the olive oil is HOT, add the bread to the pan. I like to toast up the removed bread circle as well.

 

 

The bread will first soak up some of the oil and then will start to turn a lovely golden brown color. If your bread looks like it is starting to burn, add more oil to the pan. Once the bread has achieved a nice base tan, crack an egg directly into its empty middle.

 

 

You should immediately hear the egg start to sizzle. Once the egg whites start to appear, well, white, and it’s strong enough to survive separation from the pan, very carefully flip the egg-filled bread. The egg yolk should still be very much runny at this point; don’t break it.

 

 

Let the underside cook just a little bit – a minute or less? – so that the rest of the egg whites cook while the yolk remains fairly fragile. As soon as you’re certain you won’t get Salmonella, nimbly transfer the eggy bread off of the pan and onto your plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 

And dig in!

 

[Carly1803]

This is an awesome recipe I made this evening. It serves around 4 people, depending on hunger.

 

What you will need:

500g mince

1 diced onion

2 carrots sliced thinly

1 small, drained can of peas

1 cup beef extract

1 cup of water

Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

What you need to do:

Braai the onions until brownish in the oil. Add your mince and cook until it is cooked. Add your cup of water and your vegetables. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes (until carrots are soft). Add the beef extract and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Spice as you feel necessary. This dish is best served with rice.

 

Having tried to be as cost-effective as possible I'm proud to say I could make this meal for under R70, it tasted great and checked off the vegetable category.  

 

[Bandit]

^ pffft, rich people. Now replace the rice with zucchini "noodles"

[Spreadsheet Ranger]

^ pffft, rich people. Now replace the rice with zucchini "noodles"

 

Hahaha I guess someone will need to post 2 minute noodle recipes.

[Carly1803]

 

Hahaha I guess someone will need to post 2 minute noodle recipes.

 

My mother used to make stir fry with 2 minute noodles.