Looking for recipes to make
February 16, 2014 10:04 AM
I've got ground beef, tofu, cheese, spices, and a low budget. What can I make that's healthy and will last me for a week of leftovers? I'm open to any style of food but I just don't know the options that are available to me. (I live near a grocery, so I can source a lot of other ingredients readily if I know what I'm making.)
Ground beef, tofu and spices? Try mapo doufu (AKA mabo tofu). Recipes are easily Googleable.
But personally I would buy some potatoes, mushrooms, onions and carrots and make a huge cottage pie or a bunch of little ones. You could freeze some portions or individual pies if you're worried about them keeping a week in the fridge. This is classic winter comfort food, and difficult to go wrong with. Just make a nice tasty mince mixture (a bit of soy or Worcester sauce helps a lot), top with a good layer of mashed potato, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake. Detailed recipes abound online.
posted by Grunyon at 10:21 AM on February 16, 2014
But personally I would buy some potatoes, mushrooms, onions and carrots and make a huge cottage pie or a bunch of little ones. You could freeze some portions or individual pies if you're worried about them keeping a week in the fridge. This is classic winter comfort food, and difficult to go wrong with. Just make a nice tasty mince mixture (a bit of soy or Worcester sauce helps a lot), top with a good layer of mashed potato, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake. Detailed recipes abound online.
posted by Grunyon at 10:21 AM on February 16, 2014
If you can spring for an onion, a can of beans and some diced tomatoes, think chili. Served over pasta or rice (both cheap), it's filling and lasts for days.
posted by itstheclamsname at 10:36 AM on February 16, 2014
posted by itstheclamsname at 10:36 AM on February 16, 2014
30-pack of corn tortillas, two tomatoes (or two tins of Herdez) and a head of lettuce and you've got taco fixings for a week.
posted by carsonb at 10:46 AM on February 16, 2014
posted by carsonb at 10:46 AM on February 16, 2014
Seconding the chili - and if you use dried beans it's waaaay cheaper and not much more effort. Just throw them in water overnight, drain, and boil them for a few hours before you cook the rest of the ingredients.
You could also buy some discount bruised/old-looking veggies, chop them up and throw them in with some cubed tofu for a curry. Pretty much any veggie works - carrots, zucchini, potatoes are usually especially cheap. Throw on top of rice for a more filling meal. If you don't have the right spices or don't know how to use them, you can buy a curry spice packet/paste for a dollar or two in the ethnic food aisle.
posted by randomnity at 10:56 AM on February 16, 2014
You could also buy some discount bruised/old-looking veggies, chop them up and throw them in with some cubed tofu for a curry. Pretty much any veggie works - carrots, zucchini, potatoes are usually especially cheap. Throw on top of rice for a more filling meal. If you don't have the right spices or don't know how to use them, you can buy a curry spice packet/paste for a dollar or two in the ethnic food aisle.
posted by randomnity at 10:56 AM on February 16, 2014
you don't even need to soak the beans, or cook them for hours. Just preheat your oven to 250 degrees. While it's heating put the beans in a heavy oven safe pot, then put your finger on top of the dried beans and add water until the water comes up to the second knuckle (from the end; i.e. you will have two knuckles underwater). Put the bot on the stove, bring it to a boil, then put it in the 250 degree oven for 75 minutes. Hey presto, dried beans from cupboard to table in an hour and a half.
So yeah. I would go to the store, get some dried pinto or kidney beans, a onion, a can of tomatoes, and some sour cream. Make chili con carne, eat it with cheese and sour cream on top. Yum food. if you feel like getting your bake on you can make cornbread to go with, a box of jiffy cornbread mix is like sixty cents in my supermarket.
posted by KathrynT at 11:09 AM on February 16, 2014
So yeah. I would go to the store, get some dried pinto or kidney beans, a onion, a can of tomatoes, and some sour cream. Make chili con carne, eat it with cheese and sour cream on top. Yum food. if you feel like getting your bake on you can make cornbread to go with, a box of jiffy cornbread mix is like sixty cents in my supermarket.
posted by KathrynT at 11:09 AM on February 16, 2014
Meatloaf. I always put tofu in meatloaf to help it stay moist and tender. I add oatmeal than sandwich spanish and cheese in the middle. If you don't have spinach, just sandwich the cheese or cover the loaf at the end.
posted by gloturtle at 11:16 AM on February 16, 2014
posted by gloturtle at 11:16 AM on February 16, 2014
+ spaghetti + tomato sauce = Spaghetti Bolognaise
+ lasagne sheets + tomato sauce + milk = Lasagna
+ eggplant + tomato sauce + milk = Moussaka
I would add some of the tofu to the mince, as gloturtle suggests, in recipes for all of the above.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 11:36 AM on February 16, 2014
+ lasagne sheets + tomato sauce + milk = Lasagna
+ eggplant + tomato sauce + milk = Moussaka
I would add some of the tofu to the mince, as gloturtle suggests, in recipes for all of the above.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 11:36 AM on February 16, 2014
If the tofu is of the firmer variety, I'd slice the tofu into thin sheets, quickly deep fry them, and then make a lasagna or moussaka with the tofu substituting the pasta/eggplants. You'd need canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, peas and whatever else you'd like to make the meat sauce, and the cheese goes in between the tofu sheets and on top.
posted by destrius at 1:02 AM on February 17, 2014
posted by destrius at 1:02 AM on February 17, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by scody at 10:20 AM on February 16, 2014