My Favorite Foods When I Need to Save Money

Groceries are damn expensive these days, even the basics. Honk if you walk out of the supermarket with one measly bag of $50 worth of food. Grocery shopping is one of those times where I get angry about it (nothing will stop me from complaining into the void), but at the end of the day, I need to find a way to cook smarter.

Make squirrels work for your budget

Although eating meat will quickly add up to your grocery bills, you don’t have to give it up. I eat a variety of proteins, and I think that’s the key to reducing my expenses and keeping my meals interesting. When purchasing meat, I recommend dividing it into smaller portions so that you can use one item—say, a bag of shrimp or a pound of turkey—for two or three different meals. Then use accompanying ingredients to increase its volume. The following recipes include seafood, meat and plant-based dishes. All recipes serve two servings, so divide or multiply as needed.

Fried tofu with beet salad

Air fried tofu is a big hit in my family these days. I like to use this recipe to coat firm tofu with nutritional yeast and air fry it until it’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Beet salad is easy to make and always convinces me that I should be eating more beets.

Ingredients:

• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoons white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 container firm tofu, drained

• Neutral coating oil

• Nutritional yeast for coating

• Sprinkle with salt

• 1-8 ounce package steamed and peeled beets, quartered

• 3 cups spring mix (or any salad greens)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Add chopped onions to a deep salad bowl along with vinegar, sugar and salt. Toss it to coat the onions and let them “marinate” in the liquid while you prepare your food.

2. Cut the drained tofu into four thick slices. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Spray or drizzle the tofu with neutral oil and sprinkle with salt. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast onto a plate and press the tofu into it until it is completely coated. Air fry the boards at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp on the outside.

3. Add the beets and spring mixture to the bowl with the onions and toss with the olive oil until coated. Place the crispy tofu next to the salad and serve.

Khao Tom Goong (Thai shrimp and rice soup)

This soup is great for any time of day, so don’t hesitate even if it’s 8am. I buy a pound of raw frozen veined shrimp from Trader Joe’s for about $12 and use them for several meals, including this one. It’s hearty and satisfying, and you can use leftover rice to speed up the cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 8 raw shrimp with tail on, thawed (if frozen)

• A pinch of salt

• Dash fish sauce

• 1 cup chicken broth (or any broth)

• 1 cup cooked rice

• Garnish with chopped cilantro, fried garlic and chopped ginger.

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan with the garlic over low heat. Once the garlic starts to sizzle slightly, add the shrimp. Sprinkle salt as you turn shrimp. After about a minute, when the shrimp are half cooked, add some fish sauce and broth.

2. Add the rice and let the soup simmer for two minutes. Serve the soup with plenty of fried garlic, cilantro and ginger.

Frozen dumplings and broccoli

This recipe is just that: a recipe. Other than adding sauce to the broccoli, it’s almost exactly what it sounds like: dumplings and broccoli. Somehow I find this to be a meal I always look forward to. It’s important to use frozen dumplings that you actually like. Again, I frequent Trader Joe’s for affordable frozen gyoda, but if possible, I recommend stopping by an Asian supermarket for some delicious dumplings at a good price.

Ingredients:

• 1-16 ounce bag frozen pork gyoza (substitute any filling)

• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets

• 2 tablespoons original Japanese BBQ sauce Bachan (soy sauce substitute)

1. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan with a half-inch of water in the bottom. Add the frozen dumplings to the steamer and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the dumplings over medium heat for five minutes.

2. Open the pan, place the broccoli florets on the dumplings and close the lid. Steam the contents for another five minutes. The broccoli should be cooked through, but slightly crispy, and the dumplings should be cooked through. Toss broccoli into sauce (or set aside for dipping). Place broccoli dumplings on the side.

Pasta Pantry

If you’re looking for a recipe that will stick to your ribs without breaking the bank, pasta is a reliable ally. This is a simple recipe in which you can replace any protein, and the “sauce” is butter. You can use any bean for pasta, but I use peas because I always have them in the freezer. If you’re looking for a red sauce pasta idea, try my dairy-free vodka sauce recipe .

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil to coat the pan

• 8 ounces ground turkey

• 1 shallot (or quarter of an onion), chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 4 mushrooms, chopped

• ⅓ cup frozen peas

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 4 ounces any cooked pasta (I like rigatoni)

• 2 tablespoons salted butter

1. Add enough oil to a medium saucepan to cover the bottom and heat over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and break it into small pieces while it cooks. When half cooked, add shallots, garlic, salt and mushrooms.

2. Cook the mixture until the shallots are soft and the mushrooms are plump. Add peas and garlic powder. Stir and let the peas warm through. Add the cooked pasta with a spoonful of pasta water, turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir gently until butter melts. Serve in bowls.

Hot chicken sausage and vegetables

As I mentioned earlier, I find it easier to stretch protein when it comes in smaller portions. It’s more of a mind game and I play it with myself. A three-ounce steak will look meager on a plate, but slice it and toss it with something and you’ve got a filling portion. You can use any sausage you like, but I like chicken sausage because it’s not as heavy as pork.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil to coat the pan

• 2 links cooked chicken sausage

• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

• 4 mushrooms

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

• ½ tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 cup cooked rice

1. Cut the sausages in half lengthwise. Then cut them crosswise into half-inch-wide pieces. Peel and cut the onion into strips. Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut it into strips approximately the same size as the onion. Cut the mushrooms into quarters.

2. Grease the bottom of a medium saucepan with neutral vegetable oil. Heat it over medium heat and add the sausage pieces and vegetables. Fry everything until the onions begin to sweat and become soft. Add garlic powder and salt and stir. Add hot sauce and soy sauce to coat. Serve hot chicken and vegetables with rice.

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