Easy Grad School Cooking

[Dal PhDer]

It seems like a lot of us like food.

What are some cheap, easy, time saving things that you cook for meals?

 

I recently discovered a easy way to make brocoli soup with left overs!

I always have brocoli and potatos hanging around, so I just plop them in a pot with onions, garlic, salt/pepper, and chili peppers and let steam for a bit, then I cover them with stock and water and let it boil for 20 minutes. I mash it all up, toss in some grated cheese and soy milk, and I'm good to go! It's super easy to make and cheap!

[TeaGirl]

A big pot of southwest chili.

 

There's this soup that I make where I saute some ground beef/lamb and bell peppers in olive oil. Add a chopped potato, water/stock to just barely cover the stuff and some heavy cream. Salt & pepper. Once the potato is cooked ~15min, the soup thickens. Sometimes I'll add some greens right at the end, and toast some almonds to have on top.

 

Fatteh is also great. Combination of chickpeas, sauteed meat, toasted pita bread bits, and yogurt whipped with a mashed garlic clove and some salt. A sprinkle of paprika on top. Very Lebanese food

Split Lentil soup. Lentils, stock, salt, pepper, and optional: ground beef, chili, cumin.

 

My go-to meals are sauteed chicken/shrimp in some butter+olive oil and with whatever vegetables I have plus seasoning.

[pears]

+1 to lentils! all things lentil = amazing. i'm a pescatarian with some funky eating habits, so the protein and cost of lentils make them some of my favorite things ever! i cook mine down in a 1:4 mix of white wine to veggie stock, and throw in some saffron or curry powder. mujaddara is the best- i spice my rice with coriander and cumin, caramelize my onions, spin honey into my yogurt, and roast some crushed almonds with brown sugar and sea salt to crumble on top of it all. nommm. i think i know what i'm making for lunch then dinner then lunch again tonight, hah!

 

also, depending on where you live, salmon can be really cheap, too. i broil mine for 12 minutes with light mayo and dill- the mayo sounds gross (i'm not a fan of mayo on anything else), but it keeps the fish soft and moist, and the flavor of the dill makes you forget what your fish is topped with. cheap and easy, especially if you grow your own herbs. 

[MadScience]

I do the whole paleo eating thing, so it makes cooking insanely simple. No processed foods, only things with a shelf life (i.e., veggies, fruit, fish, chicken, eggs, meat) and lots of herbs for micronutrients. Although, sometimes I dabble in fancy paleo cooking with recipes I find on different blogs And if you go to farmer's markets to buy your produce it's super cheap. Breakfast is eggs and an avocado, lunch is a salad with chicken and lots of veggies (no dressing), dinner is steamed salmon (or whichever fish is on sale) seasoned with sage, garlic, onion powder, etc over a bed of kale with some raw carrots and broccoli on the side. Easy peezy lemon squeezy!

[sociologo]

I eat an obscene amount of lentils and black beans. Super cheap, super versatile, and oh so delicious. 

[Dal PhDer]

Mmm! Lentils are so good!
 

There's a really yummy recipe for sloppy joes with lentils!

 

Basically it's tomato paste, lentils, onion, garlic, mustard, and balsamic vinegar. I like to eat it on a flat bread with some fresh avocado on top!! So yummy!

[Dal PhDer]

Fatteh is also great. Combination of chickpeas, sauteed meat, toasted pita bread bits, and yogurt whipped with a mashed garlic clove and some salt. A sprinkle of paprika on top. Very Lebanese food

Split Lentil soup. Lentils, stock, salt, pepper, and optional: ground beef, chili, cumin.

 

My go-to meals are sauteed chicken/shrimp in some butter+olive oil and with whatever vegetables I have plus seasoning.

 

Mouth is watering!! Fatteh- that sounds amazing! What type of meat do you normally use?

 

 

 

+1 to lentils! all things lentil = amazing. i'm a pescatarian with some funky eating habits, so the protein and cost of lentils make them some of my favorite things ever! i cook mine down in a 1:4 mix of white wine to veggie stock, and throw in some saffron or curry powder. mujaddara is the best- i spice my rice with coriander and cumin, caramelize my onions, spin honey into my yogurt, and roast some crushed almonds with brown sugar and sea salt to crumble on top of it all. nommm. i think i know what i'm making for lunch then dinner then lunch again tonight, hah!

 

also, depending on where you live, salmon can be really cheap, too. i broil mine for 12 minutes with light mayo and dill- the mayo sounds gross (i'm not a fan of mayo on anything else), but it keeps the fish soft and moist, and the flavor of the dill makes you forget what your fish is topped with. cheap and easy, especially if you grow your own herbs. 

 

I'm a big big fan of baked fish- wrap anything in a banana leaf and broil/bake it, so yummy! Poached is good too! I find cooking up fish to have cold in my fridge is a great snack! Even just with a squeeze of lemon, dill, s&p!

 

 

I do the whole paleo eating thing, so it makes cooking insanely simple. No processed foods, only things with a shelf life (i.e., veggies, fruit, fish, chicken, eggs, meat) and lots of herbs for micronutrients. Although, sometimes I dabble in fancy paleo cooking with recipes I find on different blogs And if you go to farmer's markets to buy your produce it's super cheap. Breakfast is eggs and an avocado, lunch is a salad with chicken and lots of veggies (no dressing), dinner is steamed salmon (or whichever fish is on sale) seasoned with sage, garlic, onion powder, etc over a bed of kale with some raw carrots and broccoli on the side. Easy peezy lemon squeezy!

 

Yum! I LOOVE avocado and eggs! I found this new breakfast sandwich...you make a small omelet, then put in on some bread with mushed up avocado, a slice of tomato, mayo, and s&p! So good!!

[Chai_latte]

Beans- chickpeas or kidneys w/ brown rice and (usually) chicken.  Stir cooked ingredients up in a pot, add seasoning, have a side of veggies and call it a night.

I definitely do salads.  My guilty pleasure is bread, so twice a month I'll bake some (pita, cornbread, biscuits-whatever).  With the exception of pita (which requires yeast and time to rise), it definitely isn't hard.

Couscous is also pretty easy (particularly when pre-seasoned).

Steamed veggies (as someone already mentioned).

Various stews (made up of whatever you've got)...basically "one-pot" dishes are super easy.

[TeaGirl]

Mouth is watering!! Fatteh- that sounds amazing! What type of meat do you normally use?

 

Usually beef or lamb. Either ground or more cuts cut into cubes that have been cooked till they're soft. Or you could do it with the meat too, just drizzle some olive oil on top and add some sauteed almonds.

 

 

I do the whole paleo eating thing, so it makes cooking insanely simple. No processed foods, only things with a shelf life (i.e., veggies, fruit, fish, chicken, eggs, meat) and lots of herbs for micronutrients. Although, sometimes I dabble in fancy paleo cooking with recipes I find on different blogs And if you go to farmer's markets to buy your produce it's super cheap. Breakfast is eggs and an avocado, lunch is a salad with chicken and lots of veggies (no dressing), dinner is steamed salmon (or whichever fish is on sale) seasoned with sage, garlic, onion powder, etc over a bed of kale with some raw carrots and broccoli on the side. Easy peezy lemon squeezy!

 

Ooh. I started going paleo almost a year ago. I've had to do several variations and modifications to my favorite meals. Still, it's going well. I do enjoy the simplicity of cooking and the richness of the food.

[Dal PhDer]

What's a paleo diet?

[aberrant]

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys consider "cheap"? For I pay money for saving time to buy the ingredients, cook, and washing dishes

[MadScience]

Ooh. I started going paleo almost a year ago. I've had to do several variations and modifications to my favorite meals. Still, it's going well. I do enjoy the simplicity of cooking and the richness of the food.

 

That's awesome! I think it's probably one of the easier one's to stick to since you never feel deprived it's excellent for people with food allergies too since it's gluten/dairy/peanut-free.

 

What's a paleo diet?

 

It's also known as the "caveman diet" - the concept is that you only eat things in their most basic, purest form, like a caveman would It's toted as being a high fat diet so you can eat lots of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, avocados, coconut, etc in addition to all the other less fattening natural things like veggies and fruit. No grains though and no beans or potatoes (but sweet potatoes are ok!) so it ends up being a low carb diet, but not a carb free diet since you can eat veggies and fruit. I went on it because it's bragged about for being an anti-inflammation diet and I'm always achy and prone to migraines. Cleared it all up for me

[MadScience]

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys consider "cheap"? For I pay money for saving time to buy the ingredients, cook, and washing dishes

Usually $10-12 gets me about 3 meals if I'm making anything with fish. I pay about $8-10 for 3 meals with chicken/pork/beef. I only buy meats/veggies when they're on sale though and try to make it to the farmer's market when possible.

[TeaGirl]

That's awesome! I think it's probably one of the easier one's to stick to since you never feel deprived it's excellent for people with food allergies too since it's gluten/dairy/peanut-free.

 

 

It's also known as the "caveman diet" - the concept is that you only eat things in their most basic, purest form, like a caveman would It's toted as being a high fat diet so you can eat lots of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, avocados, coconut, etc in addition to all the other less fattening natural things like veggies and fruit. No grains though and no beans or potatoes (but sweet potatoes are ok!) so it ends up being a low carb diet, but not a carb free diet since you can eat veggies and fruit. I went on it because it's bragged about for being an anti-inflammation diet and I'm always achy and prone to migraines. Cleared it all up for me

 

That's true. Except, since I'm actually trying to gain some weight, I have to add more potatoes/bananas/carbs etc. to my version of it otherwise I get too underweight  . I also still eat dairy (cheese and yogurt) since I don't have allergies and tried going without for 4 weeks and didn't notice much difference. Still, the main point is giving up processed food, bad vegetable oils, grains, legumes, and most importantly wheat which did wonders to my low energy, digestion, and bloat issues.

 

 

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys consider "cheap"? For I pay money for saving time to buy the ingredients, cook, and washing dishes

 

I'd say around $150-200/month is fairly on the cheaper side of eating while not sacrificing or depriving yourself from certain things. However, I was only able to spend that much (while avoiding cheap fast food), by cooking at home 80% of the time.

[ruru107]

I also prefer one-dish meals. Manicotti and lasagne are awesome, and not as difficult to make as you might think. Any kind of casserole/oven thing, like cheesy hash, chicken pot pie, baked mac and cheese, etc. Shake and bake chicken with mashed potatoes is very filling, and I also make big batches of stir fry that last a while. My options are not the healthiest, but they sure are tasty.

[OhMySocks]

The actual monetary value of "Cheap" will vary largely depending on where you live. I manage to get by on 200-250 if I'm trying to save. I could probably get lower but I LOVE fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

My meals tend to be fairly simple. A lot of rice and potatoes (both are dirt cheap), beans, various grains, tons of vegetables, meat every few days. As long as I take the time to plan out what I'm eating for the week and think about what I need to buy and how I can use up what I already have, my grocery bills are fairly cheap. If I try to rush and just go to the store without thinking thats when it starts to add up. 

[pears]

The actual monetary value of "Cheap" will vary largely depending on where you live. I manage to get by on 200-250 if I'm trying to save. I could probably get lower but I LOVE fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

definitely true. including about 2 dinners out and "lazy" meals (e.g., amy's microwave dishes), my food costs in san francisco float around the $300 mark per month. without dining out, it'd be around $200-$250, which is nothing compared to NYC, but about the same as boston. when i lived in rural central virginia, my coworkers and i ate out once a week, but $175 or so got me through the month there. then, there was australia, where $300 was about as cheap as i could get, despite 2-3 free meals a week at work.

 

i actually plan on asking about food costs in addition to rent, once i start contacting programs' current students; it's one of those things that has a huge impact on spending (along with travel costs), but is hard to get a true sense of until you're already settled in.

[callista]

I've been using The Fresh 20 for a few months and recommend it if you are in a recipe rut!  The subscription is about $5/month (I used a Groupon, so it's even less) and the groceries for 5 days of dinners cost about $50-55/week.

[Eigen]

I usually cook on Sundays, and try to put stuff in dishes for the week. I use a lot of pyrex!

 

It depends on what I feel up to, but I usually cook 1-3 large one dish meals that my wife and I can grab in the morning depending on our mood- usually something light, something heavy. 

 

Chili's, pasta dishes, baked pasta, lentil soup, french onion soup, bean soups, roasted chicken, pot roast, etc. 

 

We aren't on as tight of a food budget as we used to be, but our first two years we fed both of us on a bit under $70 per week, for 3 cooked meals per day. 

 

If you're really trying to be budget conscious, go with a whole chicken, roasted with a ton of veggies. For about $15, you can get almost a weeks worth of meals out of it. Roast it on the weekend, have it hot for dinner that night. Then section out some of the chicken to re-heat as roasted with veggies (usually legs and wings), and some (breast meat) for sandwiches. Then take the non-sandwich scraps and put them aside for a one-dish meal later in the week- chicken pasta usually works for me, or chicken and rice. Then take the carcass, and use it to make stock for a soup at the end of the week. 

[msocean]

I usually cook on Sundays, and try to put stuff in dishes for the week. I use a lot of pyrex!

 

It depends on what I feel up to, but I usually cook 1-3 large one dish meals that my wife and I can grab in the morning depending on our mood- usually something light, something heavy. 

 

Chili's, pasta dishes, baked pasta, lentil soup, french onion soup, bean soups, roasted chicken, pot roast, etc. 

 

We aren't on as tight of a food budget as we used to be, but our first two years we fed both of us on a bit under $70 per week, for 3 cooked meals per day. 

 

If you're really trying to be budget conscious, go with a whole chicken, roasted with a ton of veggies. For about $15, you can get almost a weeks worth of meals out of it. Roast it on the weekend, have it hot for dinner that night. Then section out some of the chicken to re-heat as roasted with veggies (usually legs and wings), and some (breast meat) for sandwiches. Then take the non-sandwich scraps and put them aside for a one-dish meal later in the week- chicken pasta usually works for me, or chicken and rice. Then take the carcass, and use it to make stock for a soup at the end of the week. 

Roasted chickens has been my go-to for my busiest weeks!  Works great for finals or when I have tons of papers to write.

 

I throw two whole chickens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tons of veggies in the oven to roast 325 degrees for about 90 minutes.  I usually indulge in eating a bit of everything for a wonderful Sunday dinner.  Then I have enough for fajitas, chicken and smashed potatoes, pasta with chicken, chicken salad sandwiches, checken wraps...everything I need for a week to 10 days.  And then soup!  with the carcass and leftover veggies when I just can't stand to look at it anymore.  I'll usually throw in some barley or rice to make it a bit more interesting.  And then I usually freeze half the soup because I'm so tired of looking at chicken by that time ;-)

 

Another thing that works well for me is to turn on the gas grill and fill it up with brats, burgers, salmon patties, tons of veggies and even some fruit (pineapple slices or wedges, peach halves, plums) and whatever else can be grilled.  This will keep me going for over a week with meat/veggie wraps, chop it up and throw over past or rice or beans.

 

Lastly a good pork or beef pot roast with potatoes and veggies...yum...another good week of food.

 

And for all of these I can freeze anything that is hanging around too long.  Depending on where I'm living I've actually eaten well on $125 / month.