The unofficial cheap meals thread

[whocares123]

Originally Posted by HOLLISTER GUY

Ramen Spaghetti

Obviously ramen is one of the least expensive things you can eat. The flavor packets make me ill though and butter noodles get boring. I got free spaghetti sauce from a friend who made a bunch and parmesan cheese is cheap. This would probably cost a dollar or less to make and it's good a fuck. It could probably be argued that spaghetti noodles when bought in bulk are as cheap as ramen, but w/e ramen is very convenient. You have to make your own sauce by the way, none of that prego ragu shittttt. sorry the pic quality is pretty shitty, just using the built in cam, dissapointing.

i have tried ramen spaghetti and it was fucking terrible. this makes me doubt you on all else.

[Ambient]

Originally Posted by TruthWielder

Er, 2 gallons of cumin or 2 tablespoons?

Amounts would be appreciated.

To taste

For a hungry family of 4, I would put 1 tablespoon for about 500g chickpeas. If its just you, 150g chickpeas and 1 teaspoon cumin. But again, adjust to taste! Chickpeas double in size when you boil them.

[Toothlessjoe]

Soup. Seriously, soup is a motherfucking damn cheap meal.

Buy a squash, a pumpkin, a carrot or two and an onion, roast them, and then blend them with some cumin. You'll make a delicious soup, it's got some decent vitamins and shit in it, and it'll make fucking tons of the stuff. You'll have days worth of lunch and small meals.

Grab a stale baguette on sale and you're good.

[TruthWielder]

http://www.zoklet.net/bbs/showthread.php?t=63161

^^Similar thread made earlier in the year. Too lazy at the moment to transfer the good suggestions.

[Mavus]

Ok heres my budget meal

Chickpea Curry
sweat an onion (30-50p)
some vegetable oil (5p, from a £1.50 bottle)
Patax balti/masala/tikka curry paste (25p, using about 1/6 from £1.50 bottle. Some people use powder, I use paste, it's cheaper than instant sauce and it goes a long way)
add 1 can of chickpeas (20-30p, literally dirt cheap)
and Sieved tomatos or pasata (30-50p)
all in sauce pan till chickpeas are soft

Seperatly
1 cup basmatic rice (10p, buy it in bulk its cheap)
2 cups water (free-ish)

Total £1.25 ($1.90)
Also with the ingrediants I've listed there will left over curry sauce no doubt, slap it in the fridge or freezer.

[mr.blunt]

I just picked up a huge bag of chicken thighs for $10 on the meat clearance the other day. Thighs are the shit, I cooked up a plate of them (5 or 6) with soy sauce, some chicken spice, and honey. Fried some diced up potatoes with spices for some homemade fries, and topped it off with a side of rice. All of these were bought in bulk for under $20 total, and ten of that was just the chicken.

[Saiph]

Learning how to make rice is essential if you're living frugally.

1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon olive oil/pad butter
1 teaspoon salt

Bring water to a boil, add everything, then simmer for 20 minutes, lid on for the last 5 minutes.

I bought myself a 50-pound sack at the beginning of the year and it's lasted making a 2-cup pot every Sunday since then.

Once you have your rice, you can make really easy fried rice by throwing rice, oil, an egg, and whatever you have around into a pan and frying for 5 minutes. My usual "base" to add whatever I have on hand:

1 cup cooked rice
2 oz olive oil
1 egg
Drizzle soy sauce
Drizzle tabasco

Fry everything up and sprinkle whatever garlic/paprika/chile powder you have on it, along with meat or veggies if you have them. Makes a filling, fast meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

-Saiph

[The English Gentleman]

One tea spoon of salt, are you trying to give everyone cardio-aids ?

[Mor3BL7]

since in college, my friend has a rice cooker, and often i have rice every once in a while.
It's a good meal your right, if you have meats/veggies in it.