CHEFTALK
Money
saving cooking tips
A few blogs ago I promised
to give money saving cooking tips how to prepare fresh, healthy home cooked
meals that fit your budget.
My point was, quote: “I reject to believe that you have no
choice or that your only choice is a 99 cents fast food meal because the
organic aisle is too expensive. To me that is just a cheap excuse.” End
quote.
This was based on a study
with the outcome that white bread and ground chuck were on average cheaper than
healthy organic products and that is why consumers grab processed food instead
of cooking with fresh ingredients.
Now, I do believe that
organic artisan bread is healthier than factory made white bread but I also
(strongly) believe that you do have a choice and there are more options than the
organic isle.
When preparing this
article, I wondered myself what the best way would be to explain the subject.
You would probably say, easy
talking for a chef.
Maybe it is, but read on, I
am sure you will find something helpful.
Tip 1: Vacuum to safe money
My first tip may sound
exaggerated, but vacuum – sealing tools are truly revolutionary when it comes
to preserving food in your freezer and refrigerator. The ugly food destroying
freezer burn is eliminated and your food stays fresh and delicious for months
in the freezer. In the refrigerator vacuum prolongs shelf life significantly.
If that does not save money?
Tip 2: Use cheaper cuts of meat
 |
| Great Roasting Meat |
A cheaper meat cut is not
necessarily ground chuck. Pork, lamb, beef have many cheap(er) cuts that are
delicious.
You need to get familiar
with some different cooking techniques but making a roast it as easy as searing
a steak.
Shoulders of pork of lamb cost
$ 2.00 to $6.00 per pound compared to steaks $10.00 a pound. These shoulders make
a great roast and make one (or two) at a time, use what you need for dinner and use the rest for other means, these roasts make a great sandwich filling (cheaper than cold cuts), or filling for a
pasta or a rice dish later in the week. On top of a cracker with a bit of
mayonnaise and a salad leave it makes a nice snack to go along with a drink on
a weekend.
Consider investing in a slow cooker, these cheaper cuts are fantastic to use in stews, turn the slow cooker on before you go to work and
dinner is ready when you come home.
Tip 3: Think ahead
Buy meats on offer and
prepare all at once and use the balance in a stir fry. Or marinate what you do
not use immediately, vacuum and freeze, this way you always have something on
hand when there is no time to shop. This saves energy and your time.
Pre-prepared vegetables keep
well when vacuumed and frozen; take advantage when you find offers.
Tip 4: Serve the right portioning
 |
This is not good |
Have a look at how much you
really need to cook and put on a plate. Tons of good food are wasted daily
because of over-portioning.
Tip 5: Clever ways to use left overs
Overripe fruits are sweet,
take advantage and turn them into dessert toppings by simmering them for a
couple of minutes with sugar, a bit of water, a slice of lemon and a cinnamon
stick , vacuum and freeze.
Tip 6: Make the best of fruits
Turn overripe bananas into
banana bread, this can be done in an hour inclusive baking, lovely for
breakfast or a snack when the kids come home from school. A lot cheaper than
throwing them in the rubbish and buy ready- made jars of toppings and packets
of snacks.
Tip 7: Make your own juices
 |
Delicious |
When the store has overripe
fruit and sells it cheap, blend it with a bit of water or that little leftover
of milk or yogurt.
Delicious drinks/smoothies, I do that all the time and make
healthy fruit juices for less than 0.50 cents per glass. If you know how packed
fruit juices are filtered you will follow this tip.
Tip 8: Do not throw bread away
Do not throw stale bread in
the bin, grind it in a food processor, fresh or wet breadcrumbs are a fantastic
binding agent for sauces and stews. Easy to vacuum and frozen they last for
months. If you have a lot consider a bread and butter pudding.
Tip 9: Think traditional
Two eggs, a cup of flour, 2
tbsp of oil and a bit of salt makes dough that gives you enough pasta for a
family of four. It takes five minutes to make the dough, then ten minutes to
make pasta from the dough and it cooks in three minutes.
With some left over bacon,
mushrooms, broccoli or zucchini half an onion and two more eggs you make an unmatched
traditional Carbonara. How does that sound?
Fry the bacon, add the
vegetables until soft, boil the pasta, add the pasta straight from the water
into the bacon vegetable mix. Off the heat, add the whisked eggs and toss.
That’s how they make pasta dishes in Italy. Absolutely divine.
Tip 10: Spend wisely
Invest wisely, buy fresh
food that fit your budget and remember that recipes are ideas that sprung from
somebody’s mind, change to your liking, recipes are no laws.
Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less
I compiled these budget
friendly tips so that you will not be locked up in your kitchen every day. Be inspired and cook healthy foods.
By: Marinus Hoogendoorn
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