Frugal Vegetarian for Beginners
November 23, 2023 8:13 AM Subscribe
I am looking to move towards a mostly vegetarian lifestyle and am severely limited by budget, skill and cooking experience. Honestly, I’m in the grilled cheese range of skill. I don’t have a lot of supplies and spices so I’d love suggestions on pantry staples to have on hand. Prioritized if possible because it’s going to take time to stock up.
I’d love a list of easy to make, flavorful meals that I can cook on Sunday and eat through the week.
Thanks in advance!
These cheesy chickpea melts are super simple and surprisingly delicious. To simplify even more you can just toast the bread, just make sure it’s sturdy enough to hold the weight of the chickpeas and not get soggy.
posted by sillysally at 9:00 AM on November 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by sillysally at 9:00 AM on November 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
This is perfect for rice and beans! Make a batch of rice and beans.. That recipe is just a sample; you could use white rice and another type of beans if you prefer and you don't have to use all those spices or even to sautee onions or garlic for it to be good. Very friendly to heat up in the microwave, and every night top it with something you like, such as shredded cheese, an egg, yogurt, salsa, avocado, and / or microwaved frozen vegetables.
posted by Tim Bucktooth at 9:01 AM on November 23, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Tim Bucktooth at 9:01 AM on November 23, 2023 [4 favorites]
I also find soups to be easy, cheap, and delicious. Check out Ina Garten’s winter minestrone.
Oh, and her Tuscan white bean soup! She has a bunch of good ones, those are the first two that pop into mind. She often uses pancetta but you can just skip that and it will still be amazing.
posted by sillysally at 9:02 AM on November 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Oh, and her Tuscan white bean soup! She has a bunch of good ones, those are the first two that pop into mind. She often uses pancetta but you can just skip that and it will still be amazing.
posted by sillysally at 9:02 AM on November 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
I wonder if you could find a cheap (or free? local free group?) Instant Pot because this is the device that makes my life easiest, particularly when I went vegan a few years back. Dry beans are so easy to do (and taste better than canned - though canned are perfectly fine).
When I started off I ate SO MANY potatoes (mainly russets) and was baking them all the time. But, you can steam them in the Instant Pot in like 10 minutes and there's hardly any clean up. And the Instant Pot goes off by itself. So many benefits!
So I would always have baked (or steamed) potatoes on hand, and would often slice them and then bake them to make fries. For fries, garlic or garlic salt (I have mainly done no salt and no oil - but start however you feel comfortable, I actually used garlic salt and bbq sauce only for quite some time and it was both cheap and easy). I also did a lot of steamed vegetables, particularly broccoli, and got an inexpensive 3-piece steamer for the stove top, which I also use most days.
After potatoes, my next favorite thing is steel-cut oats in the Instant Pot. Rolled oats may be less expensive (and also perfectly fine, and cook more quickly). For the oats I would do 2 cups steel cut oats, 4 cups water, 1.5 cups plant milk, cinnamon, ginger and (very little) cloves (thing of ground cloves will last forever, if you like it), and golden raisins. Cooks in 6 minutes (which does not include the Instant Pot warming up and also for all the steam to release - but it's not necessary to wait for the steam to naturally release if you don't want.) Then eat for 4-6 days heated up with frozen blueberries every morning (and/or often for lunch at the office). Sprinkle a little maple syrup or brown sugar or plant milk if you like. ALSO nice sweet snack to scoop out a bit and heat with some choc chips and plant milk, or just a bit of extra brown sugar.
My third main dish is a red lentil something or other. I don't even measure stuff. Sometimes I don't chop anything because you can get all frozen vegetables. Riced cauliflower is awesome for lowered calorie density, added vegetable and rice-like consistency. So for instance:
tl;dr
potatoes (russet, sweet, your preference)
beans or lentils, whatever your preference
rice
garlic salt
whatever vegetables you can get. cabbage is pretty good bang for buck, I like red.
check frozen aisle for veg on sale*
garlic powder/frozen garlic
ginger powder/frozen ginger
onion powder
bbq sauce
canned tomatoes (your preference)
curry powder
turmeric
cumin
chili powder or red pepper flakes if you like it
oats
cinnamon
nutmeg/cloves/pumpkin pie spice, whatever you like
brown or turbinado sugar
Apologies for length. Had no idea I was in a typing mood until I sat down. ;)
*I personally can't stand frozen brussel sprouts tho
posted by Glinn at 9:08 AM on November 23, 2023 [6 favorites]
When I started off I ate SO MANY potatoes (mainly russets) and was baking them all the time. But, you can steam them in the Instant Pot in like 10 minutes and there's hardly any clean up. And the Instant Pot goes off by itself. So many benefits!
So I would always have baked (or steamed) potatoes on hand, and would often slice them and then bake them to make fries. For fries, garlic or garlic salt (I have mainly done no salt and no oil - but start however you feel comfortable, I actually used garlic salt and bbq sauce only for quite some time and it was both cheap and easy). I also did a lot of steamed vegetables, particularly broccoli, and got an inexpensive 3-piece steamer for the stove top, which I also use most days.
After potatoes, my next favorite thing is steel-cut oats in the Instant Pot. Rolled oats may be less expensive (and also perfectly fine, and cook more quickly). For the oats I would do 2 cups steel cut oats, 4 cups water, 1.5 cups plant milk, cinnamon, ginger and (very little) cloves (thing of ground cloves will last forever, if you like it), and golden raisins. Cooks in 6 minutes (which does not include the Instant Pot warming up and also for all the steam to release - but it's not necessary to wait for the steam to naturally release if you don't want.) Then eat for 4-6 days heated up with frozen blueberries every morning (and/or often for lunch at the office). Sprinkle a little maple syrup or brown sugar or plant milk if you like. ALSO nice sweet snack to scoop out a bit and heat with some choc chips and plant milk, or just a bit of extra brown sugar.
My third main dish is a red lentil something or other. I don't even measure stuff. Sometimes I don't chop anything because you can get all frozen vegetables. Riced cauliflower is awesome for lowered calorie density, added vegetable and rice-like consistency. So for instance:
Two onions, can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce (or I use a whole can of tomato paste), bell peppers, [any veg- cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, green beans, etc], 4-5 cups water (you don't even need veg stock - but you might want to start with stock or veg bouillon or a low salt mix. Anyway I just throw in a bunch of seasoning. If you have a multi seasoning blend you like, use that. My fave blend: garlic and ginger (I use frozen cubes of those, so easy! 3 each), cumin, turmeric, lots of curry powder. And then pour in some red lentils 1.5ish cups (or any couple cans of drained beans or lentils). Stir. Cooks in ten minutes.Anyway. I bought an Instant Pot and it sat for two months because I didn't know if I'd be able to do it. Let me tell you something, you can do it. It is the easiest dang thing, and I'm still using it 3+ years later. 40 minutes no soak chickpeas can then be tossed with seasoning and soy sauce and baked for a crunchy snack.
tl;dr
potatoes (russet, sweet, your preference)
beans or lentils, whatever your preference
rice
garlic salt
whatever vegetables you can get. cabbage is pretty good bang for buck, I like red.
check frozen aisle for veg on sale*
garlic powder/frozen garlic
ginger powder/frozen ginger
onion powder
bbq sauce
canned tomatoes (your preference)
curry powder
turmeric
cumin
chili powder or red pepper flakes if you like it
oats
cinnamon
nutmeg/cloves/pumpkin pie spice, whatever you like
brown or turbinado sugar
Apologies for length. Had no idea I was in a typing mood until I sat down. ;)
*I personally can't stand frozen brussel sprouts tho
posted by Glinn at 9:08 AM on November 23, 2023 [6 favorites]
You can eat a baked or steamed sweet potato with any of the toppings you'd use on a regular baked potato.
If you have an Aldi near you, I've seen spices there. Their website won't list any prices but this article written last year says they range from $.95 to $2 a bottle.
posted by Constance Mirabella at 9:17 AM on November 23, 2023
If you have an Aldi near you, I've seen spices there. Their website won't list any prices but this article written last year says they range from $.95 to $2 a bottle.
posted by Constance Mirabella at 9:17 AM on November 23, 2023
For supplies and staples, the most critical thing in my medium sized city is to avoid the supermarkets and go to the smaller Indian grocery store or Mexican grocery stores. There I can find bulk (or large bags) of various kinds of beans, various kinds of lentils, really excellent rice, bulk spices that are much fresher than the stuff at the grocery store, and interesting veggies. We buy rice by the 20 or even 50 pound bag. Did you know there are several kinds of chick peas (garbanzo beans)? Our Indian grocery has them. There are countless kinds of lentils. Other staples like canned coconut milk and good whole fat yogurt (without gelatin added, yuck) are better and cheaper there too. The Mexican grocery down the street usually has fresh epazote which is really good in beans. No supermarket would have such a thing around here. The middle-eastern places have really good olive oil by the gallon too, you'll want that!
posted by fritley at 9:20 AM on November 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by fritley at 9:20 AM on November 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
Budget Bytes has a bunch of cheap, easy vegetarian recipes.
posted by hydropsyche at 9:48 AM on November 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 9:48 AM on November 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
A lot will depend on the type of food you like, but the absolute essential things in my pantry are:
onions (can cut then freeze)
garlic - powder and fresh (can blend then freeze)
ginger - especially fresh (can freeze and grate while frozen)
soy sauce
vegetable/neutral frying oil
olive oil
cumin
chili powder
red pepper flakes or similar like cayenne
I use most of these in almost every meal I make, and certainly all at least once in any given week.
I always stock noodles, rice, and several kinds of dried lentils and beans, plus canned tomatoes and coconut milk. I always have tofu and eggs in the fridge too - both are cheap protein sources. I always have frozen veggies in the freezer - often cheaper than fresh and won't go bad.
The more spices and sauces you accumulate, the more types of food you can make, but you don't have to buy everything at once and you might not like all flavours. Add sesame oil, rice vinegar, and chili sauce to be able to cook more asian dishes (lots of tofu-based recipes). Add turmeric, garam masala, curry powder to be able to cook some indian recipes, which have lots of lentil and bean-based dishes (and then other spices to cook even more). Add yeast and flour (and ideally a kitchen scale) if you want to try baking breads or things like naan, which can save you some money at the cost of time.
Use the recipes that appeal to you most to decide which spices to buy next. You might be able to find some sauces/spices for free from your local buynothing group, or at low cost from bulk stores or dollar stores. If your spices are old, try using ~double what the recipe calls for.
posted by randomnity at 10:15 AM on November 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
onions (can cut then freeze)
garlic - powder and fresh (can blend then freeze)
ginger - especially fresh (can freeze and grate while frozen)
soy sauce
vegetable/neutral frying oil
olive oil
cumin
chili powder
red pepper flakes or similar like cayenne
I use most of these in almost every meal I make, and certainly all at least once in any given week.
I always stock noodles, rice, and several kinds of dried lentils and beans, plus canned tomatoes and coconut milk. I always have tofu and eggs in the fridge too - both are cheap protein sources. I always have frozen veggies in the freezer - often cheaper than fresh and won't go bad.
The more spices and sauces you accumulate, the more types of food you can make, but you don't have to buy everything at once and you might not like all flavours. Add sesame oil, rice vinegar, and chili sauce to be able to cook more asian dishes (lots of tofu-based recipes). Add turmeric, garam masala, curry powder to be able to cook some indian recipes, which have lots of lentil and bean-based dishes (and then other spices to cook even more). Add yeast and flour (and ideally a kitchen scale) if you want to try baking breads or things like naan, which can save you some money at the cost of time.
Use the recipes that appeal to you most to decide which spices to buy next. You might be able to find some sauces/spices for free from your local buynothing group, or at low cost from bulk stores or dollar stores. If your spices are old, try using ~double what the recipe calls for.
posted by randomnity at 10:15 AM on November 23, 2023 [2 favorites]
Don't be afraid to order in as often as you need to and can afford while you build up your pantry and recipe collection. You'll probably find much to inspire you.
Also, there are decent vegetarian canned soups and frozen prepared meals at many supermarkets today.
You don't always have to cook from scratch (or at all).
And a fried egg on top of anything quickly adds protein and healthy fat.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 10:26 AM on November 23, 2023
Also, there are decent vegetarian canned soups and frozen prepared meals at many supermarkets today.
You don't always have to cook from scratch (or at all).
And a fried egg on top of anything quickly adds protein and healthy fat.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 10:26 AM on November 23, 2023
Many budget, beginner cooks get a lot of ideas from Jack Monroe: I think I would have loved that site when I was a beginner cook, and it may well be of help to you, but since then I have developed a different approach, and maybe it can work for you, too. (Warning: ocean of words below).
What I do now is I cook from what I can find that is cheap. I go to Middle Eastern and Asian markets, I look for bargains in the chain supermarkets, and I'm lucky enough to have a store nearby where they sell goods that are at their "best before" date but are perfectly good to eat. That means that my fresh fruit and veg are mostly seasonal -- because they are the cheapest. Obviously that only works if you know what to do with the stuff you buy. I'll get to that in a minute.
First you have to stock your basic pantry. It can be a good idea to start with one cuisine at a time. Often on recipe sites, including Jack Monroe's and Budget Bytes, it's Chinese one day and Mexican the next. That way, you need to buy dozens of different spices, herbs and condiments. Instead my suggestion is that you start out in one corner of the globe, and work your way around the cooking world over a couple of years or more. That way you will build up your pantry slowly, and you will learn the different techniques far better. Think of each cuisine as a system, where there are a relatively fixed set of procedures and techniques that are applied to different ingredients. By sticking to one cuisine till you have learnt the basics, you will have less mistakes and failures than if you jump between completely different cultures.
I have only rarely followed a strictly vegetarian diet, but I have eaten mostly vegetables since I was 17, and back when I started, vegetarian food in Northern Europe where I live was very "crunchy", if you know what I mean. I have had too many nut loafs. It was only later I learnt that some cultures have a vast array of vegetarian dishes for different reasons. Majority Catholic and Orthodox regions have a lot of vegetable recipes because they have fast days. Buddhist, Jain and Hindu worshippers also have bans or restrictions on meat. Muslims and Jews have some restrictions on meat, but I also think the abundance of vegetables in Middle Eastern cooking is because the original Ottoman cuisine was extremely sophisticated and rich -- something you will also find in French and Chinese cuisine. (I'm only just dipping my toes into Mexican food, so I can't expand on that, but it is also one of the world's great cuisines).
So you decide where to start. But if I may make a suggestion, I'd go with either Italian, Greek or perhaps Southern French food, because they use a relatively limited palette of herbs, spices and condiments, and simple techniques, and the food is still very tasty.
With either of these, you'll need flour, rice, pasta (spaghetti and penne to start with), olive oil, wine vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper in a mill, not as a powder, and dried thyme, oregano and rosemary as your base. Depending on which cuisine you choose, there may be additional herbs and spices, but it won't be many if you stick to one area. Google your chosen country pantry for more advice. You'll also need cannellini beans, green lentils and chickpeas. Start out with cans. You also need canned tomatoes and tomato paste in a tube. When I was very young I also bought olives and some sort of nuts or almonds once a month for snacking, but also for some delicious recipes. Buy olives in brine, and make your own marinade with olive oil infused with thyme. Cheaper and nicer.
You need onions and garlic, I keep them on the counter. And you also need some bread. If you don't eat a lot, buy frozen rolls and take out one at a time.
In your fridge, you need eggs, cheeses and butter if you plan on eating any animal protein. The cheeses depend on where you are starting your voyage. I also keep potatoes, carrots, celery, parsley, green onions and a cucumber there. And this time of the year: some form of brassica. All of these things keep fairly well, though the parsley, green onions and cucumber are limited to about a week's life in the fridge.
In the freezer, you should always have small green peas, spinach and thin green beans. Here we can also get frozen kale. Frozen green vegetables are cheaper, and in these four specific cases, they are often also better.
Now your pantry is stocked, you can handle any emergency and always find a recipe online. Good free sites are Serious Eats and The Guardian/food. They are good because the descriptions are mostly very good, the recipes are properly tested and the pictures are informative. As a beginner, you will learn a lot from following recipes rigorously. Don't begin improvising until you feel confident in what you are doing. I started out with a huge French cookbook. I have learnt so much from doing things that seemed really weird and counterintuitive.
At the nearest Middle Eastern store, go and see what fresh foods are cheap. This time of year, you might find good deals on avocados, oranges and lemons, and perhaps a Hokkaido pumpkin or a squash. You might be able to find fairly priced apples. I can still find good eggplants. And there may be fennel bulbs and the wintery types of salad greens. One of the great delicacies of winter is the leek. This is the time for leek and potato soup, or for a cheesy gratin with leek, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Now you can either buy whatever attracts you, or go home and think, google and plan and then go back, or take out your phone and google for recipes right away. I strongly advise you to stick to one of the recommended sites for the first year, for instance "serious eats" eggplant italian, and then see what happens. You will find a first page with good, reliable recipes and can choose one. From there, you can see what else you need, that you don't already have. It might be a special cheese, or a herb or a nut. This is fennel guardian recipe. It's interesting, because here you can look at the dates of the recipes and see wether they fit the season you are in. I feel newspaper sites are very good for this, their recipes are organized like news.
When you have worked your way through one country/region for a few months, move on to the neighbor. For instance from Greece to Turkey, and then from Turkey to Georgia, Iran or the Middle East. Interestingly, there is natural jump from The Middle East to Mexico, because there is a large Middle Eastern group of immigrants there. If you go to "neighboring" cultures, you will find it easier to build on the knowledge and skills you have learnt in phase one. As you move from more famous cuisines towards lesser known traditions, you will have to move beyond the big professional sites. But you will be ready to navigate the great ocean of recipes on the internet if you have trained well, and you will find those that are reliable out there.
If you find this concept interesting, and say where in the world you want to start, I might find you some good first recipes. I'm currently working on my Chinese cooking skills and I love the Woks of Life, though at this point in my life, I also have many cookbooks. But the thing is, now I have many other cuisines in my toolbox, so we are not eating Chinese food every day. It makes the learning process slower, but gives more options when you are standing in that market, looking for the good deal.
Good luck!
posted by mumimor at 11:46 AM on November 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
What I do now is I cook from what I can find that is cheap. I go to Middle Eastern and Asian markets, I look for bargains in the chain supermarkets, and I'm lucky enough to have a store nearby where they sell goods that are at their "best before" date but are perfectly good to eat. That means that my fresh fruit and veg are mostly seasonal -- because they are the cheapest. Obviously that only works if you know what to do with the stuff you buy. I'll get to that in a minute.
First you have to stock your basic pantry. It can be a good idea to start with one cuisine at a time. Often on recipe sites, including Jack Monroe's and Budget Bytes, it's Chinese one day and Mexican the next. That way, you need to buy dozens of different spices, herbs and condiments. Instead my suggestion is that you start out in one corner of the globe, and work your way around the cooking world over a couple of years or more. That way you will build up your pantry slowly, and you will learn the different techniques far better. Think of each cuisine as a system, where there are a relatively fixed set of procedures and techniques that are applied to different ingredients. By sticking to one cuisine till you have learnt the basics, you will have less mistakes and failures than if you jump between completely different cultures.
I have only rarely followed a strictly vegetarian diet, but I have eaten mostly vegetables since I was 17, and back when I started, vegetarian food in Northern Europe where I live was very "crunchy", if you know what I mean. I have had too many nut loafs. It was only later I learnt that some cultures have a vast array of vegetarian dishes for different reasons. Majority Catholic and Orthodox regions have a lot of vegetable recipes because they have fast days. Buddhist, Jain and Hindu worshippers also have bans or restrictions on meat. Muslims and Jews have some restrictions on meat, but I also think the abundance of vegetables in Middle Eastern cooking is because the original Ottoman cuisine was extremely sophisticated and rich -- something you will also find in French and Chinese cuisine. (I'm only just dipping my toes into Mexican food, so I can't expand on that, but it is also one of the world's great cuisines).
So you decide where to start. But if I may make a suggestion, I'd go with either Italian, Greek or perhaps Southern French food, because they use a relatively limited palette of herbs, spices and condiments, and simple techniques, and the food is still very tasty.
With either of these, you'll need flour, rice, pasta (spaghetti and penne to start with), olive oil, wine vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper in a mill, not as a powder, and dried thyme, oregano and rosemary as your base. Depending on which cuisine you choose, there may be additional herbs and spices, but it won't be many if you stick to one area. Google your chosen country pantry for more advice. You'll also need cannellini beans, green lentils and chickpeas. Start out with cans. You also need canned tomatoes and tomato paste in a tube. When I was very young I also bought olives and some sort of nuts or almonds once a month for snacking, but also for some delicious recipes. Buy olives in brine, and make your own marinade with olive oil infused with thyme. Cheaper and nicer.
You need onions and garlic, I keep them on the counter. And you also need some bread. If you don't eat a lot, buy frozen rolls and take out one at a time.
In your fridge, you need eggs, cheeses and butter if you plan on eating any animal protein. The cheeses depend on where you are starting your voyage. I also keep potatoes, carrots, celery, parsley, green onions and a cucumber there. And this time of the year: some form of brassica. All of these things keep fairly well, though the parsley, green onions and cucumber are limited to about a week's life in the fridge.
In the freezer, you should always have small green peas, spinach and thin green beans. Here we can also get frozen kale. Frozen green vegetables are cheaper, and in these four specific cases, they are often also better.
Now your pantry is stocked, you can handle any emergency and always find a recipe online. Good free sites are Serious Eats and The Guardian/food. They are good because the descriptions are mostly very good, the recipes are properly tested and the pictures are informative. As a beginner, you will learn a lot from following recipes rigorously. Don't begin improvising until you feel confident in what you are doing. I started out with a huge French cookbook. I have learnt so much from doing things that seemed really weird and counterintuitive.
At the nearest Middle Eastern store, go and see what fresh foods are cheap. This time of year, you might find good deals on avocados, oranges and lemons, and perhaps a Hokkaido pumpkin or a squash. You might be able to find fairly priced apples. I can still find good eggplants. And there may be fennel bulbs and the wintery types of salad greens. One of the great delicacies of winter is the leek. This is the time for leek and potato soup, or for a cheesy gratin with leek, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Now you can either buy whatever attracts you, or go home and think, google and plan and then go back, or take out your phone and google for recipes right away. I strongly advise you to stick to one of the recommended sites for the first year, for instance "serious eats" eggplant italian, and then see what happens. You will find a first page with good, reliable recipes and can choose one. From there, you can see what else you need, that you don't already have. It might be a special cheese, or a herb or a nut. This is fennel guardian recipe. It's interesting, because here you can look at the dates of the recipes and see wether they fit the season you are in. I feel newspaper sites are very good for this, their recipes are organized like news.
When you have worked your way through one country/region for a few months, move on to the neighbor. For instance from Greece to Turkey, and then from Turkey to Georgia, Iran or the Middle East. Interestingly, there is natural jump from The Middle East to Mexico, because there is a large Middle Eastern group of immigrants there. If you go to "neighboring" cultures, you will find it easier to build on the knowledge and skills you have learnt in phase one. As you move from more famous cuisines towards lesser known traditions, you will have to move beyond the big professional sites. But you will be ready to navigate the great ocean of recipes on the internet if you have trained well, and you will find those that are reliable out there.
If you find this concept interesting, and say where in the world you want to start, I might find you some good first recipes. I'm currently working on my Chinese cooking skills and I love the Woks of Life, though at this point in my life, I also have many cookbooks. But the thing is, now I have many other cuisines in my toolbox, so we are not eating Chinese food every day. It makes the learning process slower, but gives more options when you are standing in that market, looking for the good deal.
Good luck!
posted by mumimor at 11:46 AM on November 23, 2023 [7 favorites]
I make sure to always have a container of taco seasoning (costs about as much as 3 pouches but has a lot more seasoning in it) and kosher chicken soup powder (contains no chicken). The Knorr halal chicken cubes also contain no chicken but I find it easier to spoon out some powder than crumbling and dissolving a cube.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:53 AM on November 23, 2023
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:53 AM on November 23, 2023
it's so easy to go super carb heavy - i was a terrible veggie when i began. be sure to include a good protein mix e.g. soy, tempe, legumes, eggs & dairy (if not vegan). good time to cut empty calories, too. some resources:
how to cook everything vegetarian, bitman
moosewood cookbook, katzen
atk complete vegetarian cookbook, atk
lord krishna's cuisine, yamuna devi (op, but an absolute classic)
oh yeah, i love nut milks too. maybe you will?
posted by j_curiouser at 12:28 PM on November 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
how to cook everything vegetarian, bitman
moosewood cookbook, katzen
atk complete vegetarian cookbook, atk
lord krishna's cuisine, yamuna devi (op, but an absolute classic)
oh yeah, i love nut milks too. maybe you will?
posted by j_curiouser at 12:28 PM on November 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) can be subbed for ground beef really easily. We've made some bomb sloppy joe's and chilis with it.
posted by GrimmblyTuna at 1:52 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by GrimmblyTuna at 1:52 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
A good one I make a lot is this cheesy white bean bake, recipe from the new york times so you might need to refresh a couple of times if there’s a paywall. It’s definitely beginner cook friendly and it pretty much just takes a can of beans (or dried if you’re confident with them), tomato paste, cheese and some garlic or herbs.
posted by chives at 1:59 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by chives at 1:59 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
In terms of staples to have on hand, it does depend what you like to eat (just think about what kind of flavours you like when eating out or other people are cooking for you and start there). I like tex mex-y flavours, so my cupboard always has paprika, cayenne, cumin, chilli flakes, coriander powder, garlic salt. As a base for things like chilli or spaghetti sauce I always have tinned tomatoes in, I also always have garlic, pepper and dried oregano for more Italian flavours. Having stock cubes or soy sauce around can add more depth of flavour. In general I would advise using more salt in cooking than you think you’ll need, or you can add MSG as a way to get more flavour with less salt. Budget wise, everything I’ve listed apart from garlic is an every 1-4 months purchase and it allows me to make a lot of simple things taste good. I buy spices in bigger bags and divide them into jars - the more you can buy in bulk the better BUT only if it’s stuff you know you’re confident cooking and enjoy eating, there’s no point having a 3kg bag of some grain or spice you’re not sure how to prepare or whether you like it. It’s better to try some recipes and figure out some easy budget friendly favourites and then buy the ingredients for those in bulk.
posted by chives at 2:09 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by chives at 2:09 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I just re-watched Carla Makes Beans followed by Brothy Basil Beans.
Here's the original article (unlocked) about brothy beans in a restaurant.
Beans are a great place to start - cheap, flavourful, and can be a base for many different meals. Also, as you will see if you watch these videos, beans are forgiving.
posted by lulu68 at 2:22 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Here's the original article (unlocked) about brothy beans in a restaurant.
Beans are a great place to start - cheap, flavourful, and can be a base for many different meals. Also, as you will see if you watch these videos, beans are forgiving.
posted by lulu68 at 2:22 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Here's the French cookbook Mumimor mentioned on the Internet Archive.
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:38 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:38 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Beans & veg soups. White beans, kale and garlic. Black beans, tomatoes, and curry. Beans taste good, they're good for you, cheap, versatile. Chili can be made as kidney beans and tomato curry. I've made this chickpea, lemon and garlic soup; it's really good. Add rice or pasta to bean dishes to make them more filling. I make a big pot of soup and eat it for days - if I get tired of it, I freeze a bunch.
The Bittmans cookbook is really good, also, Moosewood.
posted by theora55 at 6:04 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Bittmans cookbook is really good, also, Moosewood.
posted by theora55 at 6:04 PM on November 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Maybe you'd like "Tortilla Pizzas"? Very simple, but can be a filling and even healthy meal. Pretty cheap. I often make a few at a time and then fold or roll them up to eat cold later.
On a tortilla (white or whole grain), spread 2 or 3 tablespoons of sour cream.
Repeat, this time with your pasta sauce of choice.
Add as many canned black beans as you like. Also add whatever you like on pizza. I usually just add thin slices of mushrooms.
Top with any cheese you like. I use cheddar. Feta is different, but also nice.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Needs to be in the oven for only 4-5 minutes, on a pretty high setting (400 or so). Since none of the ingredients need to be cooked for safety, you can take the tortilla out whenever it looks good.
For staples, traditional cheap and filling pantry food is chilli. You can just go to the canned food aisle and get your favorites: beans, pureéd tomatoes, corn, a different type of beans, chickpeas. Then, put all that in a big pot. The consistency should be almost soupy. Add more tomato if it's not. If you like onions, add small cubes of those. Salt and pepper until the tomatoes taste good, not just weirdly sweet. Put in other veggies you like: mushrooms, cauliflower, cooked potato..boil on low for 45 minutes.
posted by toucan at 7:01 PM on November 23, 2023
On a tortilla (white or whole grain), spread 2 or 3 tablespoons of sour cream.
Repeat, this time with your pasta sauce of choice.
Add as many canned black beans as you like. Also add whatever you like on pizza. I usually just add thin slices of mushrooms.
Top with any cheese you like. I use cheddar. Feta is different, but also nice.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Needs to be in the oven for only 4-5 minutes, on a pretty high setting (400 or so). Since none of the ingredients need to be cooked for safety, you can take the tortilla out whenever it looks good.
For staples, traditional cheap and filling pantry food is chilli. You can just go to the canned food aisle and get your favorites: beans, pureéd tomatoes, corn, a different type of beans, chickpeas. Then, put all that in a big pot. The consistency should be almost soupy. Add more tomato if it's not. If you like onions, add small cubes of those. Salt and pepper until the tomatoes taste good, not just weirdly sweet. Put in other veggies you like: mushrooms, cauliflower, cooked potato..boil on low for 45 minutes.
posted by toucan at 7:01 PM on November 23, 2023
See if your local library has any books on vegetarian cooking. Often cookbooks will have lists of pantry staples at the front. Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian seems like a good place to start.
I’d start with something like:
Good cheese, tofu, beans (canned and dried), nuts, peanut butter, pasta, rice, jarred sauces (marinara, curry, maybe molé), salsa, yogurt, frozen veggies, onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, canned coconut milk, sweet potatoes, good bread, cabbage, tomato paste, eggs.
For produce, get 2 or 3 favorite veggies and one fresh fruit.
Take that grilled cheese and with just a slight adjustment you can have crostini with cheese. Cook one of your favorite veggies, toast your bread. Pile veggies on top of the bread, add cheese, and stick it under the broiler. (When I do tomatoes I don’t pre-cook. All others, I do). Along those lines, Smitten Kitchen has a lovely Broccoli melt (I believe it calls for anchovies but you can leave them out).
Roasting veggies at high heat is a game changer.
Dal (just google for recipes) can be very simple and it’s a wonderful thing.
posted by bunderful at 6:16 AM on November 24, 2023
I’d start with something like:
Good cheese, tofu, beans (canned and dried), nuts, peanut butter, pasta, rice, jarred sauces (marinara, curry, maybe molé), salsa, yogurt, frozen veggies, onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, canned coconut milk, sweet potatoes, good bread, cabbage, tomato paste, eggs.
For produce, get 2 or 3 favorite veggies and one fresh fruit.
Take that grilled cheese and with just a slight adjustment you can have crostini with cheese. Cook one of your favorite veggies, toast your bread. Pile veggies on top of the bread, add cheese, and stick it under the broiler. (When I do tomatoes I don’t pre-cook. All others, I do). Along those lines, Smitten Kitchen has a lovely Broccoli melt (I believe it calls for anchovies but you can leave them out).
Roasting veggies at high heat is a game changer.
Dal (just google for recipes) can be very simple and it’s a wonderful thing.
posted by bunderful at 6:16 AM on November 24, 2023
There is a book called Low Budget Vegetarian Cooking that is available for free online from the author. It starts from the basics of shopping and preparation, and takes you through planning meals for the week. I recommend it as a friendly handholding guide for exactly what you say you're after.
posted by rollick at 6:18 AM on November 24, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by rollick at 6:18 AM on November 24, 2023 [3 favorites]
We make vegetarian curry a lot. The recipe below usually gives my family about 6 servings.
1) Dice up a small onion & saute it in a little oil in a big frying pan until it gets a little brown & kind of translucent. If you don't have an onion or don't like them, skip this step.
2) Open a can of Maesri red curry paste or their Panang curry (both are vegetarian & delicious). Depending on spicy you want things, put either half or the whole can in the pan & spread it around with the oil & onions. Cook it for a minute or two until it smells good. (Keep stirring it around).
3) Add a can of coconut milk & stir until everything is mixed.
4) Microwave a bag of frozen stir fry veggies (or your favorite veggies), then dump them in the pan with the sauce.
5) Add a drained can of chickpeas or kidney beans or some cubed tofu for protein.
6) Heat & stir until everything is warm.
7) Serve with rice.
8) If you've feeling fancy, sprinkle some peanuts or canned pineapple on top.
posted by belladonna at 2:11 PM on November 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
1) Dice up a small onion & saute it in a little oil in a big frying pan until it gets a little brown & kind of translucent. If you don't have an onion or don't like them, skip this step.
2) Open a can of Maesri red curry paste or their Panang curry (both are vegetarian & delicious). Depending on spicy you want things, put either half or the whole can in the pan & spread it around with the oil & onions. Cook it for a minute or two until it smells good. (Keep stirring it around).
3) Add a can of coconut milk & stir until everything is mixed.
4) Microwave a bag of frozen stir fry veggies (or your favorite veggies), then dump them in the pan with the sauce.
5) Add a drained can of chickpeas or kidney beans or some cubed tofu for protein.
6) Heat & stir until everything is warm.
7) Serve with rice.
8) If you've feeling fancy, sprinkle some peanuts or canned pineapple on top.
posted by belladonna at 2:11 PM on November 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
This Cheesy White Bean-Tomato Bake is super easy, very tasty, and made from basic ingredients, and is really really good served with garlic bread.
posted by skwm at 5:41 PM on November 24, 2023
posted by skwm at 5:41 PM on November 24, 2023
Isa Chandra Moskowitz’ The Post Punk Kitchen, and especially her cookbook The Veganomicon, are specifically focused on easy, budget-friendly vegan meals. (For non-vegan vegetarian recipes, you can substitute non-vegan milks and cheeses if you want. Anything that’s a tofu scramble could also just as easily be an egg scramble.)
I find it’s handy to have a few standard meals where the basic recipe or cooking technique is the same, but a small change will vary the flavor profile enough so that I don’t feel like I’m eating the same thing every day. Tempeh, tofu, and lentils are good for this since they all easily absorb a marinade or sauce at the end of an otherwise standard cooking process. Rice and lentils with sprouts, lentils (with some marinade/sauce for flavor) as a pate on toast, lentil soup with toast, and fried tofu(*), in each case alongside a green veggie of some sort, are some of my staples. In summer, a simple salad with a flavorful lettuce (eg. romaine or green leaf), one other vegetable, tofu cubes or seeds or nuts, and just olive oil and vinegar as a dressing can make a good light meal that is quick and easy and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Favored seasoning salts or herbs/herb mixes can be sprinkled on top for additional variation. Egg scrambles are also something where you can have a standard basic technique or recipe that is easy to vary the flavor of by adding different veggies and spices, without requiring too many different pantry or fridge ingredients. (Tempeh can be quite tasty, but requires slightly more complex of a cooking process, so it’s easier to start with lentils, tofu, and eggs.)
When I went vegetarian, I transitioned over about two years, where I slowly started replacing my meat-based go-to meals with vegetarian ones. That gave me time to experiment and learn without every single meal taking extra prep and effort due to being a new recipe.
* The cookbook This Can’t Be Tofu was one of my best early buys, even though I only consistently one recipe from it (the very first in the book). Get some extra firm tofu. Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick pieces (other dimensions can be anything from slabs, to strips, to cubes), and press the water out (this is easiest to do when in 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slab form, and then circulars up more afterwards if desired). Heat a thin layer of oil over medium or medium-high (if you have a higher smoke point oil) heat in a frying pan until it just sizzles when you flick a drop of water in, then add the tofu. Cook for 5 minutes, flip over, then cook another 5 minutes (in particular, don’t stir or poke at it during those 5 minutes! Counterintuitively (to me, at least), it will stick less to the pan if you leave it alone for the full 5 minutes). Turn heat off or down to low, drain any excess oil, but add a mmarinade/sauce while everything is still hot. The cookbook has recipes for a few different marinade/sauce options, but the easiest option is to just get some vegetarian Worcestershire sauce and pour enough in to the pan to coat both sides of the tofu (you’ll need to flip the tofu over again to get it well covered on both/all sides). (This will be less sauce than the amount of oil needed.)
posted by eviemath at 10:41 PM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
I find it’s handy to have a few standard meals where the basic recipe or cooking technique is the same, but a small change will vary the flavor profile enough so that I don’t feel like I’m eating the same thing every day. Tempeh, tofu, and lentils are good for this since they all easily absorb a marinade or sauce at the end of an otherwise standard cooking process. Rice and lentils with sprouts, lentils (with some marinade/sauce for flavor) as a pate on toast, lentil soup with toast, and fried tofu(*), in each case alongside a green veggie of some sort, are some of my staples. In summer, a simple salad with a flavorful lettuce (eg. romaine or green leaf), one other vegetable, tofu cubes or seeds or nuts, and just olive oil and vinegar as a dressing can make a good light meal that is quick and easy and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Favored seasoning salts or herbs/herb mixes can be sprinkled on top for additional variation. Egg scrambles are also something where you can have a standard basic technique or recipe that is easy to vary the flavor of by adding different veggies and spices, without requiring too many different pantry or fridge ingredients. (Tempeh can be quite tasty, but requires slightly more complex of a cooking process, so it’s easier to start with lentils, tofu, and eggs.)
When I went vegetarian, I transitioned over about two years, where I slowly started replacing my meat-based go-to meals with vegetarian ones. That gave me time to experiment and learn without every single meal taking extra prep and effort due to being a new recipe.
* The cookbook This Can’t Be Tofu was one of my best early buys, even though I only consistently one recipe from it (the very first in the book). Get some extra firm tofu. Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick pieces (other dimensions can be anything from slabs, to strips, to cubes), and press the water out (this is easiest to do when in 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slab form, and then circulars up more afterwards if desired). Heat a thin layer of oil over medium or medium-high (if you have a higher smoke point oil) heat in a frying pan until it just sizzles when you flick a drop of water in, then add the tofu. Cook for 5 minutes, flip over, then cook another 5 minutes (in particular, don’t stir or poke at it during those 5 minutes! Counterintuitively (to me, at least), it will stick less to the pan if you leave it alone for the full 5 minutes). Turn heat off or down to low, drain any excess oil, but add a mmarinade/sauce while everything is still hot. The cookbook has recipes for a few different marinade/sauce options, but the easiest option is to just get some vegetarian Worcestershire sauce and pour enough in to the pan to coat both sides of the tofu (you’ll need to flip the tofu over again to get it well covered on both/all sides). (This will be less sauce than the amount of oil needed.)
posted by eviemath at 10:41 PM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
One fall I made a different lentil soup each week. Makes good leftovers when cooking a batch on the weekend, and the flavor can range from French to Moroccan to East African to Middle Eastern to Chinese to Mexican, and probably other regional flavor profiles as well. Works really well with pre-made spice blends. Common vegetables to include would be onion, garlic, ginger (in some cases), and carrots, but it’s really all about the different spice blends (which you can find recipes for online, or gourmet/semi-gourmet spice brands have tons of different options).
posted by eviemath at 10:58 PM on November 24, 2023
posted by eviemath at 10:58 PM on November 24, 2023
I'm just making my favourite comforting dinner for when I'm tired and just want to eat something that is both easy to cook and to eat:
Cannellini and tomato stew (for two meals, at least for me)
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 fat chopped clove of garlic
a bit of chopped chili (today I'm using fresh, dried flakes are good too)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 can of chopped tomatoes (200grams)
1/cup of water
1 can of cannellini beans, drained (any white bean will do) (400grams)
Greens (today, a handful of fresh chopped curly kale and a cup of frozen whole spinach)
macaroni -- less than 1/2 cup
salt, pepper and lemon juice to season
Some chopped parsly to garnish
In a sturdy pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic, chili and oregano, and stir while gently cooking them until they begin to smell fragrant and nice, but nothing must brown. Browning is BAD.
Add the tomatoes and the water, then the beans, and a bit of salt, bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the greens and the pasta, simmer on for at least fifteen minutes, more if you like. Taste to test, and season again with lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. I like my greens cooked through, others like them almost raw. You decide. If you want to cook the greens completey to mush, you might want to add the pasta later, but pasta cooks more slowly in a sauce/soup/stew than in plain water. If you like the greens more raw, you'll have to cook the pasta separately. Try my version first and then adapt.
Serve with the chopped parsley on top. And cheese if you want.
This is not only tasty and healthy, it is also very pretty to look at. And you only have like ten minutes of active cooking time, the rest is the slow simmering.
You can use the rest of the chopped tomatoes for a pasta dish some other day, like an arrabbiata. (Note that this recipe is for six servings, you have leftover tomatoes for two, so you'll have to do a bit of math).
Leftover tomato from a can keeps better if you pour it into a clean glass or plastic container and keep it in the fridge. But it will keep in the can, covered with film, for a day.
Some notes:
This is very cheap food. I can't tell you the prices where you live, but you only use half the can of tomatoes, a tiny bit of a bag of chopped and rinsed kale, and I used four of those little balls of frozen spinach, about a fifth of the whole bag. For two meals! It would be even cheaper if I made the beans from scratch, but this is more convenient and very simple. The macaroni, garlic, chili and parsley are also just fragments of bigger buys that are easy to put to use. If you are really skint, the macaroni will go just fine with the arrabbiata sauce instead of penne. Follow the cooking instructions on the package.
It would also be cheaper to buy the kale whole, with stalks and all that. Again, I'm going for convenience here, because the bagged kale is very affordable and stretches a long way.
Obviously, I need to use the the kale before it goes bad. Some of it I already used in a salad Wednesday, and the rest will be put to use tomorrow. Kale keeps very well in the fridge.
For greens and herbs like parsley, it's a good idea to wash and dry them the day you buy them, then pack them into containers or plastic bags (you can wash and reuse the bags). If you don't have a lot of money, you need to avoid waste, and even greens and herbs that are sold as washed need a sorting when you get home.
What happens tomorrow will depend on what good bargains are out there, since it's the weekend, and I'll have the time to look. We don't have thanksgiving, but we celebrate St. Martins' day by eating goose or duck, and right now there are some pretty amazing offers on confit legs or breast from those birds, the stores are selling out so they can restock for Christmas. Maybe there are similar offers on turkey in the US that could be interesting for you if you are not fully vegetarian? Another great way to use up kale is to make bubble and squeak.
I found a good bargain on a bag of lemons. When you get home with a bag, check them for any problematic stuff, like mould, or maybe being on the soft side- You can use a soft lemon that day, but the mouldy ones have to go. So take notice at the store already. Then keep them in a clean crisper drawer in the fridge, but not in a plastic bag. You can use a paper bag, if you want. They keep for quite a while, if stored properly.
A bottle of extra virgin olive oil is an investment. For me, I have never been so poor I didn't buy it, and I have been very poor, but it's up to you. Just remember that you only use one or perhaps two tablespoons a day, so a bottle lasts a long time.
posted by mumimor at 10:55 AM on December 1, 2023
Cannellini and tomato stew (for two meals, at least for me)
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 fat chopped clove of garlic
a bit of chopped chili (today I'm using fresh, dried flakes are good too)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 can of chopped tomatoes (200grams)
1/cup of water
1 can of cannellini beans, drained (any white bean will do) (400grams)
Greens (today, a handful of fresh chopped curly kale and a cup of frozen whole spinach)
macaroni -- less than 1/2 cup
salt, pepper and lemon juice to season
Some chopped parsly to garnish
In a sturdy pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic, chili and oregano, and stir while gently cooking them until they begin to smell fragrant and nice, but nothing must brown. Browning is BAD.
Add the tomatoes and the water, then the beans, and a bit of salt, bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the greens and the pasta, simmer on for at least fifteen minutes, more if you like. Taste to test, and season again with lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. I like my greens cooked through, others like them almost raw. You decide. If you want to cook the greens completey to mush, you might want to add the pasta later, but pasta cooks more slowly in a sauce/soup/stew than in plain water. If you like the greens more raw, you'll have to cook the pasta separately. Try my version first and then adapt.
Serve with the chopped parsley on top. And cheese if you want.
This is not only tasty and healthy, it is also very pretty to look at. And you only have like ten minutes of active cooking time, the rest is the slow simmering.
You can use the rest of the chopped tomatoes for a pasta dish some other day, like an arrabbiata. (Note that this recipe is for six servings, you have leftover tomatoes for two, so you'll have to do a bit of math).
Leftover tomato from a can keeps better if you pour it into a clean glass or plastic container and keep it in the fridge. But it will keep in the can, covered with film, for a day.
Some notes:
This is very cheap food. I can't tell you the prices where you live, but you only use half the can of tomatoes, a tiny bit of a bag of chopped and rinsed kale, and I used four of those little balls of frozen spinach, about a fifth of the whole bag. For two meals! It would be even cheaper if I made the beans from scratch, but this is more convenient and very simple. The macaroni, garlic, chili and parsley are also just fragments of bigger buys that are easy to put to use. If you are really skint, the macaroni will go just fine with the arrabbiata sauce instead of penne. Follow the cooking instructions on the package.
It would also be cheaper to buy the kale whole, with stalks and all that. Again, I'm going for convenience here, because the bagged kale is very affordable and stretches a long way.
Obviously, I need to use the the kale before it goes bad. Some of it I already used in a salad Wednesday, and the rest will be put to use tomorrow. Kale keeps very well in the fridge.
For greens and herbs like parsley, it's a good idea to wash and dry them the day you buy them, then pack them into containers or plastic bags (you can wash and reuse the bags). If you don't have a lot of money, you need to avoid waste, and even greens and herbs that are sold as washed need a sorting when you get home.
What happens tomorrow will depend on what good bargains are out there, since it's the weekend, and I'll have the time to look. We don't have thanksgiving, but we celebrate St. Martins' day by eating goose or duck, and right now there are some pretty amazing offers on confit legs or breast from those birds, the stores are selling out so they can restock for Christmas. Maybe there are similar offers on turkey in the US that could be interesting for you if you are not fully vegetarian? Another great way to use up kale is to make bubble and squeak.
I found a good bargain on a bag of lemons. When you get home with a bag, check them for any problematic stuff, like mould, or maybe being on the soft side- You can use a soft lemon that day, but the mouldy ones have to go. So take notice at the store already. Then keep them in a clean crisper drawer in the fridge, but not in a plastic bag. You can use a paper bag, if you want. They keep for quite a while, if stored properly.
A bottle of extra virgin olive oil is an investment. For me, I have never been so poor I didn't buy it, and I have been very poor, but it's up to you. Just remember that you only use one or perhaps two tablespoons a day, so a bottle lasts a long time.
posted by mumimor at 10:55 AM on December 1, 2023
I make that kind of bean soup regularly, or sometimes even simpler — without the tomato and leafy greens, a little dill instead. And maybe a little sour cream, or yogurt. (Which I make in the instant pot with the milk already in my fridge as it starts to near expiration.)
If you want a break from entirely veggie but still keep it frugal and simple, it's easy to add a little sliced ham (or canadian bacon). Including to a leftover portion.
Various quick/refrigerator/vinegar pickles and things like preserved lemon are also easy to make on a rolling basis, will help jazz up all your dishes, and help avoid waste.
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:41 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you want a break from entirely veggie but still keep it frugal and simple, it's easy to add a little sliced ham (or canadian bacon). Including to a leftover portion.
Various quick/refrigerator/vinegar pickles and things like preserved lemon are also easy to make on a rolling basis, will help jazz up all your dishes, and help avoid waste.
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:41 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also, you can make simple flatbread easily and quickly in a pan. This is a good video—I used its bonus 'emergency 5 minute flatbread' recipe the other night to slap together a pizza-like thing to use up some pizza sauce, mozz, and veg I had leftover.
Likewise, it's easy to make simple leavened breads, including sandwich loaves (though they won't keep like store-bought loaves with all the preservatives). Sourdough in a dutch oven is great and all, but it can start to feel like a burden maintaining the starter, and the discard can feel wasteful and it's more work. Yeast is ultimately pretty cheap and a metal loaf pan yields pleasing sandwich bread. Use instant rise and AP flour and don't stress about getting it perfectly right by artisanal/foodie standards. It's still going to be better than Wonderbread, etc.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:05 PM on December 1, 2023
Likewise, it's easy to make simple leavened breads, including sandwich loaves (though they won't keep like store-bought loaves with all the preservatives). Sourdough in a dutch oven is great and all, but it can start to feel like a burden maintaining the starter, and the discard can feel wasteful and it's more work. Yeast is ultimately pretty cheap and a metal loaf pan yields pleasing sandwich bread. Use instant rise and AP flour and don't stress about getting it perfectly right by artisanal/foodie standards. It's still going to be better than Wonderbread, etc.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:05 PM on December 1, 2023
That loaf recipe calls for egg, so you may not want to follow it exactly if 'mostly vegetarian' means you don't want to keep eggs around, but it's a good introduction.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:12 PM on December 1, 2023
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:12 PM on December 1, 2023
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posted by less-of-course at 8:56 AM on November 23, 2023 [12 favorites]