We love making one pot meals that can be made in bulk, kept in the fridge, and don't need to be reheated before eating. This very simple and nutritious dish only takes about 30-40 min to make and can be used as an excellent side or an entree by itself.
It's based on many quinoa recipes that are already out there and in store delis, but we differentiate ours by adding in more spices to make the flavor pop.
Ingredients (makes 4 servings):
- 1 cup quinoa seeds - $1.80
- 3 cups low fat / low sodium chicken broth (or water) - $1.10
- Flavoring: curry powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, all spice - $0.25
- 1 red bell pepper (diced) - $0.70
- 1/2 red onion (diced) - $0.35
- 8 oz frozen green peas - $1.20
- 1/2 bunch green onions (chopped) - $0.50
- Chopped herbs, e.g., rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano - $1.00
- Currants or any dried fruit (chopped) - $0.50
- Lemon juice - $0.50
- Red wine vinegar - $0.20
- Salt and pepper - N/A
Estimated Cost: $8.10
Directions:
- Cook quinoa in rice cooker with chicken broth and/or water and stir in flavoring
- Quickly blanch the green peas for 2-3 min in boiling water and then cool in ice bath
- Once quinoa is cooked, refrigerate for at least 20 min to cool
- Mix quinoa, bell pepper, red onion, green peas, chopped herbs, and dried fruit in large bowl
- Add lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste
Calories per Serving: 280
Triple H Rating: 10 out of 10 (5 for health and 5 for cheapness factor)
This one's a quick favorite in our household - also is pretty healthy as a side considering it tastes like dessert.
Ingredients:
- ~2 lbs of sweet potato - $1.40
- Coconut oil - $0.50
- Ground cinnamon - $0.10
- Ground nutmeg - $0.05
- Honey - $0.25
Estimated Cost: $2.30
Directions:
- Dice sweet potatoes to desired size (leave skin on)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil over medium heat in large pan or dutch oven
- Toss in diced sweet potatoes and sprinkle in ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- Mix well for a few minutes and then remove from heat
- Spread sweet potatoes onto baking dish, drizzle honey (or maple syrup) and stir well, making sure it does not stack too high (I used a 13x9" pan)
- Put in oven and bake/roast for about 40 min or until desired cooked level
So easy/quick to make, and like I mentioned earlier, it tastes like dessert. No need to wait until Thanksgiving to make this dish - you can find sweet potatoes in grocery stores all year round and the cheapest ones are in the Asian grocery stores. Optional add-ons to make this dish even more addictive are candied pecans or walnuts, and ripe banana chunks which caramelize nicely when added to the pan during the last 10 min of roasting. Also some chopped mint for garnish and an extra dimension of flavor/fragrance.
Calories per Serving (1/2 lb): ~180
Triple H Rating: 9 out of 10 (4 for health and 5 for cheapness factor)
Was walking by the hot foods deli at Whole Foods Market one day (no, that isn't one of our regular grocery spots) and saw a pan of roasted cauliflower called "Cracklin' Cauliflower." Haven't really been much of a cauliflower eater but it looked and smelled good.
Quickly scanned the list of ingredients on the label and realized we already had most, if not all, of the ingredients in our pantry.
So here is our take on "Cracklin' Cauliflower," with a few Triple H additions, specifically the cajun jerk seasoning, garlic powder, rosemary, and brown sugar.
Makes 4 servings (enough to fill a 13x9" baking dish)
Ingredients:
- 1 cauliflower head - $3.50
- 1 yellow onion (diced or sliced) - $0.40
- 8 oz frozen green peas - $0.80
- Ginger (thinly sliced or minced) - $0.10
- Few cloves garlic (minced or crushed) - $0.20
- Lemon zest - N/A
- Rosemary - $1.00
- Cilantro (chopped for garnish) - $0.20
- Curry powder - $0.05
- Garlic powder - $0.05
- Cajun jerk seasoning - $0.05
- Brown sugar - $0.05
- Olive oil - $0.20
- Sea salt - N/A
- Black pepper - N/A
Estimated Cost: $6.60
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Cut up the cauliflower into small florets
- Throw cauliflower, onion, ginger, garlic, rosemary into mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, curry powder, garlic powder, cajun jerk seasoning, brown sugar, sea salt, and black pepper
- Transfer to baking dish and roast for 30 min, mixing every 10 min or so
- Quickly blanch frozen peas in boiling water for 2-3 min, making sure they retain their bright green color; drain
- Remove dish from oven, top with cilantro, peas and lemon zest
If you feel like the dish is missing some protein, dice up some skinned chicken thighs and saute in olive oil using the same seasoning/spices used for the cauliflower. Serve with grain of your choice, e.g., brown rice, quinoa, for a complete and satisfying meal.
For those that don't know much about cauliflower, it contains a load of nutrients, such as vitamins C, K, B1-B6, folate, choline, potassium, fiber, manganese, and others. It is also said to help with detox support and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Calories per Serving: ~130
Triple H Rating: 9 out of 10 (4 for health and 5 for cheapness factor)
