Saving a few$: Cooking and Med School (Tips & Recipes)

[Tiki]

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Anyone have suggestions for a good way to "doctor up" (haha no pun intended) tuna other than piling a huge glob of mayo on it? (That's the only way I know, but I'm looking for some healthier ways to enjoy tuna).

One of my friends hates mayo, so she uses fat free ranch dressing and swears that it is good.

I use light mayo, because I can't really taste much of a difference.


I think I really need to start freezing stuff. Honestly, I never thought of just cooking food and freezing it. How long do you reheat homemade dinners after you freeze them?

 

[infiniti]

There is one added benefit to actually going through the process of cooking your food......You eat a lot less because smelling the food while cooking it actually fills you up (or gives you the impression that you are filling up). This is a nice benefit for those of us who watch what we eat.

 

[browniegirl86]

Anyone have suggestions for a good way to "doctor up" (haha no pun intended) tuna other than piling a huge glob of mayo on it? (That's the only way I know, but I'm looking for some healthier ways to enjoy tuna).

A little olive oil, you can use an infused one if you have it (I like garlic or basil-infused) OR another type of oil, like almond or walnut
Fresh herbs (thyme and sage are my faves; I grow them)
Grapes or apples, celery if that's your thing
Nuts
Salt and pepper
Vinegar: salad or basalmic

 

[MollyMalone]

There is one added benefit to actually going through the process of cooking your food......You eat a lot less because smelling the food while cooking it actually fills you up (or gives you the impression that you are filling up). This is a nice benefit for those of us who watch what we eat.

This is totally true. I am never less hungry than when I sit down to a meal I cooked for myself.

 

[browniegirl86]

How long do you reheat homemade dinners after you freeze them?

If you freeze individual portions, you can just take it out of the freezer and toss it in the fridge in the morning before you leave. Then when you get home, it will be at least partially defrosted and you'll just have to microwave it.

Of course, this means you have to think about dinner in the morning, which is sometimes too much organization for me to handle 😳

 

[triangles]

Anyone have suggestions for a good way to "doctor up" (haha no pun intended) tuna other than piling a huge glob of mayo on it? (That's the only way I know, but I'm looking for some healthier ways to enjoy tuna).

tuna and cumin go pretty well together. cut up a pickle or some celery and put it in there too

 

[Dunce]

Put in chopped celery and raisins. and/or apples.
Put in chopped artichoke hearts (okay, those are expensive), chopped olives, red peppers, onions, summer squash.
Put in a big glob of mustard.
Splash in a little balsamic vinegar.

more suggestions for spicing up poor man's tuna:
(stolen directly from Whole Foods)

First, drain the crap out of that stuff from the can.

Then add the following:
a small amount of mayo
*dried cranberries*
some diced red onion
minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

I lightly saute the onion + garlic with a splash of olive oil but that's up to you.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

There is one added benefit to actually going through the process of cooking your food......You eat a lot less because smelling the food while cooking it actually fills you up (or gives you the impression that you are filling up). This is a nice benefit for those of us who watch what we eat.

That's definitely not science 🙂 Smelling my amazing cooking just gets my taste buds revved up and ready to gorge... definitely doesnt trick me into thinking that I've actually eaten something.

 

[Pewl]

Four words: White Castle Crave Case. =P

 

[Trail Boss]

mercury. need I say more?

 

[samenewme]

mercury. need I say more?

I think people get a little too hung up on mercury sometimes, but okay, it's a valid point. Tuna EVERY DAY is probably not the best idea. I am happy to tell all you tightwads that the chunk light tuna has less mercury than the more expensive albacore. Sure, it has fewer omega-3 fatty acids, but that's life.

 

[carrigallen]

ay - reading these recipes is making me hungry..wonderful thread!

 

[NubianPrincess]

6. Greek salad: chop up a some cucumbers, roma tomatoes, green peppers, and red onions. I usually take the seeds out of the cucumbers by slicing them in half the long way and using a spoon. Add a few green olives (kalamata are great if you're feel like paying for them). Add some chunks of feta cheese. If you don't add any dressing, you can keep this in the fridge for a few days. When you're hungry, just add some vinnegar and enjoy.

I thought I was the only one in the world who removed the seeds from my cukes! I just can't deal with them

 

[NubianPrincess]

Four words: White Castle Crave Case. =P

Two words. Belly Bombers! 😀

 

[2ZRSQ!]

Don't know if this helps, but these are the best and easiest burgers i have ever had, takes about 1/2 an hour, with time to make sides while they are cooking.

1 lb. ground turkey (healthier!)
1 block fave cheese (extra sharp chedder has lots of flavor)
1 bell pepper
1 onion
(you can add whatever other veggies you like too)

chop up all the vegies and crumble the cheese, mix in with the ground turkey. Add salt/pepper/grilling spices to taste. You can grill or (i think this is easier) put a teensy bit of olive oil in a pan (the burgers are juicy once they start cooking so you don't need much) on medium and cook (about 3 mins on the 1st side, 2 on the second). Don't mess with them much, just flip once- all that stuff in there makes them kinda crumbly till they cook. '

Seriously the best burger (beef or turkey) i have ever had, and so easy, literally half an hour start to finish.

Another variation: ground lamb or turkey with feta cheese. You can find cucumber sauce in most grocery stores (a greek sort of thing) and use that for sauce on the burgers, a great, EASY greek meal.


I didn't use to think I could cook, either, but I started with Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals for guys (I'm a girl but a meat and potatoes kind of girl!). It was kinda like training wheels and now I am cooking up a storm! Good luck, cooking really is worth it- tends to be healthier and cheaper in the long run.

P.S. Another thing that really helped was taking notes from another Rachel Ray book- something like "how to stock a pantry plus 30 easy meals"- great tips on what basics to keep on hand and such. Have fun!

 

[tin can]

LOL, ditto on the tall bowl. I have one bowl that works for microwaving oatmeal. I've tried other bowls, and the outcome's not pretty -- scraping hot oatmeal out of your microwave when you're hungry is not so fun. You can buy regular old fashioned oatmeal instead of instead and microwave it for 5 minutes instead of 2. I add peanut butter. 🙂

my roommate senior year had a GIANORMOUS bowl that she used to use just for oatmeal. i used to make so much fun of her for eating a handful of oatmeal out of it...turns out, it wasn't so weird afterall. sorry roomie

 

[tin can]

ok, my turn to contribute. i have 3 favorite recipes, one soup, one salad, and one desert. the soup one is at home and i don't want to mess anyone up by winging it right now, so i'll just post it later.

Apple Cake (don't be intimidated by the length, it's really an easy recipe and pretty quick as far as deserts go. also, it's so good, it's worth it...oh, one more plug, apple cake rocks for breakfast!):
1 ½ cups sugar
½ stick margarine softened
1 teaspoon vanilla abstract
6 oz. Block style cream cheese softened
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups chopped, peeled red apples (2 large apples)

preheat oven to 350
beat 1 ½ cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed until well blended
add eggs one at a time beating well after each
combine flour, baking powder and salt
add flour mixture to creamed mixture beating at low speed until blended
combine ¼ sugar and cinnamon
combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and apples in a bowl, stir into batter
pour batter into 9 or 8-inch spring-form pan (doesn't have to be a spring-form pan, they're just nice) coated with cooking spray and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture on top of batter
bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 or until pulls away from sides of pan

**the batter is very runny. don’t worry about it; it will turn out great!

Strawberry Vinaigrette-Spinach Salad:
Baby spinach + any other greens that you like
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar (balsamic is a good substitute)
1 tsp. salt
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard (optional, but makes a difference)
1.5 tbls. minced onion (optional, i've never bothered with this)
1 cup vegetable oil
1.5 tbls. poppy seeds
lots of strawberries (allow to soak in dressing for a while (30+ min) for best taste)
½ cup pecans (optional)

Good luck!

 

[LJDHC05]

This is totally true. I am never less hungry than when I sit down to a meal I cooked for myself.

Me too, but only because I constantly graze while cooking on the ingredients...

How long do you reheat homemade dinners after you freeze them?

It's kind of fun to play that whole "when the hell did I make this and what is it?" game. I usually date the meal, and when I find it in the back of the freezer, covered in 3 inches of freezer-burn and burried under the half eaten pints of ben and jerry's 3-4 months later, I'll toss it.

 

[Empress]

Great topic!
What do people think of Hamburger Helper (made with ground turkey of course because it is both healthier and cheaper). Dirt cheap, one pan...although nearly every variety has a 17-20 minute "simmering" step that may be more wait than its worth...
How say you?

You can make a Hamnurger Helper type meal without using the box mix. The one I frequently make is pretty simple. Brown hamburger or groung tukey with chopped onions and garlic, drain and return to pan. Add couple cups of short pasta (uncooked!) like rotini, a jar of marinara or a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce, and a 1 1/4 cup of water. Season with 1/2-1 tsp salt, italian seasonings like basil, oregano, etc, and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes until noodles are cooked. Top with shredded cheese. You can add extra veggies if you want, mushrooms and green peppers are good.

One of the best things I learned about making big meals is immediately divide it up, half or more goes into individual portions for the freezer. I then save one portion for leftovers the next day. No eating it for days on end. And I always have something in the freezer to eat if I am feeling lazy.

Muffins and quick breads freeze well, and you can adjust the recipe to make a small or large batch depending on your mood.

If you have Trader Joes in your area you can go there to get a lot of healthy food for cheap. I buy most of my frozen vegetables there. They sell pizza dough for a buck each, too.

 

[outofhere]

I never bought chicken parts in med school. I always bought the WHOLE chicken, (so much cheaper), and then hacked it myself into eight awesome pieces. Or, roast the whole thing, and eat part of it as roast chicken, then tear meat off to make chicken pot pie, (using Bisquick mix recipe), or chicken salad, or whatever else you can imagine....
Bisquick mix isn't too expensive, and has some pretty good recipes that are quick...of course.
I also ate a lot of cabbage- keeps a LONG time in the fridge, and super yummy with a little bit of bacon...
I hardly ever ate out...
I also made scones/muffins myself, which took really no time (and if you follow the recipe exactly, you will be successful- and which one of us can't follow directions? We all survived organic chemistry!)
The final thing I did was that when I get to the grocery store, I only buy items that are in the circular. And absolutely nothing else.
I did live with a roomate who bought groceries on Mondays, threw everything out on Sundays, and went back to buy the SAME exact stuff on Mondays...

 

[jammin06]

Man, all this talk of food is making me absolutely hungry. I suppose it's time for my contribution to this thread. Granted I'm haven't started medical school just yet, but this was something that was simple to make during my undergrad. Any thougths on how this could be improved?

My meat of choice is usually chicken, so I end up buying a pound at a time from the local grocery store on Sunday and then putting this "Montreal Grilled Chicken" seasoning on and grilling/slicing to make fajita strips.

These strips were then used to make one of two dishes during the week, one salad, one entree.

Salad
I would mix together some lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro (makes a HUGE difference), carrots and cucumbers with some lime juice, glazed walnuts, and some fat-free italian dressing, and finally some of the chicken strips.

Entree
This is honestly my favorite meal on the planet and takes maybe 5 minutes to make.
Chicken Quesidillas!!! Take the pre-cooked chicken out and put it, along with some fat-free mozzarella, chopped bell peppers and some taco bell sauce (gotta love the Bell) inside of ONE tortilla. Fold it over and then cook it on the pan on medium heat till the cheese melts and the veggies cook.

Any comments? Criticisms?

 

[tch001]

I'm surprised none of the vegetarians have mentioned this yet, but my fav quick cheap recipe is eggplant!

I get two big eggplants on the weekend, chop them up, coat each piece with an egg and extra virgin olive oil mix and then sprinkle with breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, and parmesean cheese. Cook for about 20 mins and you have a crispy, tasty snack or meal!

You can heat it up with spagghetti, sauce, and cheese for egg plant parm, add vegetables and soy sauce for stir fry, or just eat it on its own. Yum!

Also, I would reccomend investing in a quesadilla maker. Tortillas keep forever in the fridge and you can throw anything in it for a quick yummy meal. Some of my favs are mushrooms and veggie cheese or PB&J (the penuttbutter gets all warm and goey, but the tortilla stays crispy on the outside, and has less carbs then regular bread)

 

[tch001]

and when I'm really in a pinch for time, Wawa has really good ready made salads for ~$3 😍

 

[anon-y-mouse]

I'm surprised none of the vegetarians have mentioned this yet, but my fav quick cheap recipe is eggplant!

Speaking of eggplant, my favorite is a crowd-pleaser... an indian eggplant curry, I'm not sure what the name of it is. Bake an eggplant or if you have a gas range, 'roast' it till blistered... and then peel off the crispy skin and scoop out the fleshy interior pulp (without the juices). Sautee some diced onions, cumin, and garlic, then add chopped eggplant pulp, diced tomatoes, salt and "masala" powder, then add some cooked peas... let this simmer till done. Serve with rice or indian flatbread (or just regular bread)

 

[maharishi3383]

30 minute meals by Rachel Ray is a great cookbook. I also have to say the crock pot is the greatest invention ever. Buy a chuck roast on sale for 5-6 bucks. Throw it with some carrots, potatos, and oinion, leave all day with a few cups of water. You come home to a lovely meal all cooked. Then save the broth with the little pieces of meat that fall off, throw a bag of mixed fozen vegis and you have soup! Seriously 10 dollars can feed you for a week.

Another good crock pot meal is parmasean chicken. A can of tomato sauce, 1 cup parmasean cheese, and a few chick breasts it the pot for a day. Cook some pasta when you get home. If you only eat half the chicken breast each meal and cook alot of pasta it can last several days and again, only about 7-8 bucks.

If you cook a ham you can make split pea soup with the bone in a crock pot. Cook the bone over the first day with water. That night remove the bone, making sure you get all the meat off it. Add a bag of split peas and one oinion cut up. In the morning add several cut up carrots. That night add some milk right before you eat it. Also cheap and good and freezes well. (Freeze without the milk and add it when you defrost it.) I eat well for less then 30$/wk and I don't really spend that much time cooking.

 

[NolanDNA]

I cook for 3-4 days for a body builder (aka 6 meals a day) and myself. We are health nuts but we still cook easy and quick.

We make 16 chicken breast in these ways:

Rosemary Lemon: Lemon juice, olive oil, galic minced, rosemary chopped.... coat chicken then broil 4-6ins away from broiler 4 mins, turn cook 4-7mins until done

Fried/broil chicken : Tastes like fried chiken tenders but healty! Ital. bread crumbs, ital. seasoning (like if you were making your own salad dressing) and parm. Cheese coat chicken and place on nonstick cooking sheet, cook at 400 for 6 mins on one side turn, cook 5-6 mins on the other side or until done.
--- Top with sauce and cheese for parm. chicken
---Eat with BBQ Sause

Cook 5 to 6 lbs of ground sirloin (not cheap but you can sub. the fatty stuff if need be)
-- Taco meat
---Very Large meatloaf
---Hamburgers
----Chili (we also use ground turkey for this)

we cut up all our veggies and make atleast 2-3 serving for each of us

Put it all in tupperware and your good to go. We shop once a week and cook 2 times a week. its great
Some sundays when I have time a make other diff. dishes but always in bulk.

 

[tiger_lily]

About the tuna - another great thing to use instead of mayo is fat-free Italian salad dressing. Yummy! (especially if you roll it up on romaine lettuce leaves)

 

[smiles33]

Tuna: Try mixing Mayo, ketchup, onion, celery, Worcestershire sauce, and a splash of lemon juice...everyone gives me a weird look about the ketchup and Worcestershire, but most people end up loving it.

Rice: Make way more than you need then split it into single size servings and freeze it once it's cooled. When you want it splash a little water on it and zap it for 30 seconds - 2 minutes depending on portion size and shape. Saves so much time on cooking rice🙂

For the nights that you don't have anything frozen to heat up - the second you come in start boiling water. Then figure out what you want to make. There's a good chance it will include rice or pasta - since all the other food has gone bad and then your water is already hot! If you end up going with something else use this water to put all your dirty cooking utensils in as soon as you finish using them. It will keep you from having to scrub them later.

NUTS! Pine nuts are a great thing to keep some of in the freezer for a treat. Warm some up in a pan and throw them on pasta or meat or a salad and you have a "fancy" meal.
Thanks for everyone else's ideas....mmmm food....

 

[Choolie]

One of my favorite ways to eat tuna is to mix the can with chopped red onion and/or celery, then add a dollop of mayo and a dash of curry powder. it tastes amazing 😱

as for cheap meals... i make beef stew in the crockpot all the time. throw in beef chuck, random vegetables, lots of worcestshire, a pinch of pepper flakes and a cup of water and you're good to go!

Being chinese, i also cook a lot of asian stuff. you can stir fry just about anything with a little hoisin sauce and chinese BBQ sauce (it's really thick and gloopy - it's made with ground up shrimp and oil, not at all like the american stuff http://www.kgrocer.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1068 ) and it'll taste amazing. i'm fond of chicken and chinese broccoli, which can be found cheap at most chinese grocers.

another cost-effective chinese dish is mapo tofu. There are hundreds of variations, but basically i cook a little ground turkey with ginger and garlic, throw in a little hot bean sauce (or you can just use plain sriracha with a little soy sauce), and then two packages of diced tofu. it's very quick and healthy.

kebabs are also great, as someone mentioned previously. I usually marinate the meat in some of the lowry's marinades for a few hours, then throw it onto the george foreman with onions, peppers and lemon chunks.

I've also started reading food blogs recently. They're great for cooking -- they almost always come with photos and some of them feature some wonderful recipes. Here are my favorites:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/
http://cookalmostanything.blogspot.com/
http://orangette.blogspot.com/

and this one features recipes so ridiculously fantastic that i would never dream of making them, but they still look darned pretty.

http://www.nordljus.co.uk/en/

 

[jammin06]

i'm hungry....bump!

 

[Jon Davis]

I'm planning on sticking to frozen meats, frozen meals and canned foods. When I go shopping, I'll go buy some fresh stuff, like ground beef (which can conveniently be freezed until use) to add to a Chunky soup for example. I'm thinkin this will break that cycle of buying and then having to throw away. I'm also a big fan of fresh fruits. When buying fruits, I buy a little less than I really want because I always end up throwing some out anyway.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

The crockpot meals mentioned above are great. If you're looking for a higher-budget crockpot meal, try this baby out:

Take a large tritip (~3lbs), trim the fat, place in crockpot
Cover in salsa (I prefer medium)
Turn crockpot on, go to class, work out, etc. - Cook for 8-10 hours
Tritip is done when it easily seperates by fork
Serve tritip over white rice, use the cooked salsa as a sauce

Seriously this meal takes 15 minutes in preparation time and is absolutely amazing. It comes out pretty cheap too if you buy the tritip on sale.

 

[66Lenses]

5. I decide I've been pretty good about not eating out and treat myself to a meal...besides, everything I bought last week is now expired.
QUOTE]

Always treat yourself every once in a while or it will be like sticking to a diet and you'll get fed up and quit. This is a "reward" you deserve, just try not to reward yourself multiple times per day 😛

I buy those prepared, frozen meals. Lean Cuisine has some decent flavors if you're watching calories. If not, there are a slew of brands that offer all ingredients prepackaged. All you need is a skillet really. They can prepare 2-4 servings depending on the brand. I've found them between $3-6, not bad for a meal.

You can also throw in some additional frozen or fresh veggies to increase portions so you can split them. That way you're only eating the same thing 2 times per week instead of making a pot of spaghetti and eating it for 7 days straight.

Look into it. Cheap, easy, quick (less than 10 min) and lots of varieties. I cook this for my SO and myself when I don't feel like cooking a "real" meal.

 

[jammin06]

5. I decide I've been pretty good about not eating out and treat myself to a meal...besides, everything I bought last week is now expired.
QUOTE]

Always treat yourself every once in a while or it will be like sticking to a diet and you'll get fed up and quit. This is a "reward" you deserve, just try not to reward yourself multiple times per day 😛

I buy those prepared, frozen meals. Lean Cuisine has some decent flavors if you're watching calories. If not, there are a slew of brands that offer all ingredients prepackaged. All you need is a skillet really. They can prepare 2-4 servings depending on the brand. I've found them between $3-6, not bad for a meal.

You can also throw in some additional frozen or fresh veggies to increase portions so you can split them. That way you're only eating the same thing 2 times per week instead of making a pot of spaghetti and eating it for 7 days straight.

Look into it. Cheap, easy, quick (less than 10 min) and lots of varieties. I cook this for my SO and myself when I don't feel like cooking a "real" meal.

Careful of frozen meals though. The amount of calories that you save may not be worth the significantly higher amounts of sodium that you will consume in those meals. You get about 20% of your daily sodium in that one little package.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Another tip: Though high in simple carbs, Pasta Roni (and similar products) is a quick and easy meal when combined with a chopped chicken breast or can of tuna (tuna's not always the best flavor choice, but you got to get your protein from somewhere 🙂) Between the chicken breast, box of Pasta Roni, and the necessary butter, you can stuff youself for under $3. 😀 Then you can go blow $5 on a pint of a cheap domestic beer on a Friday night 😡

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Careful of frozen meals though. The amount of calories that you save may not be worth the significantly higher amounts of sodium that you will consume in those meals. You get about 20% of your daily sodium in that one little package.

Is sodium really an issue for someone in their 20s? I was under the impression that a relatively high sodium diet is fine for a young and active individual. Not being contentious here, I'm honestly curious.

 

[jammin06]

Is sodium really an issue for someone in their 20s? I was under the impression that a relatively high sodium diet is fine for a young and active individual. Not being contentious here, I'm honestly curious.

from the material that I've read, it's not the best idea. I'm trying to work out and trim down, and the more sodium you consume, the greater amount of water retention in your body, and the less likelihood of your workout making any difference on your appearance.

 

[RaaMD]

Moved.

 

[DNAroolez]

i was forced to go down to my kitchen and eat a poptart while reading this thread, it made me so hungry.

i'm starting in a few weeks, and have no idea what to buy to stock up my kitchen. is there anything you guys always have handy? my house is usually pretty stocked, but walking into an empty kitchen in my new apartment is a scary thought.
also, what kind of cooking pots and pans and supplies should i get, all i have now is a 10 inch skillet and some bowls. that probably won't cut it!

oh by the way i second the italian dressing on tuna. simply delicious. i also love relish in my tuna salad (or sweet pickles, same thing)

mean plan, why have you foresaken me?

 

[tiger_lily]

Home-made Pad Thai is cheap, easy and DELICIOUS. Probably one of the best meals on the face of the planet. Some rice noodles, chicken or prawns, tofu, sprouts, an egg, etc. all stir-fried with a little fish sauce and some spices... YUM YUM YUM!

 

[jammin06]

Home-made Pad Thai is cheap, easy and DELICIOUS. Probably one of the best meals on the face of the planet. Some rice noodles, chicken or prawns, tofu, sprouts, an egg, etc. all stir-fried with a little fish sauce and some spices... YUM YUM YUM!

can you elaborate on this recipe? I LOVE pad thai, but i have never had the courage to try and make it. thanks!

 

[tiger_lily]

can you elaborate on this recipe? I LOVE pad thai, but i have never had the courage to try and make it. thanks!

I don't have my recipe handy, but a similar one can be found here: http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/thailand/padthai.html

You can substitute white vinegar for tamarind paste (1/4 cup of the paste plus water produces approx. 5 tbsp of juice, so use approx. 5 tbsp of vinegar). You may want to use less; you'll have to experiment a bit. Also, you can use chives instead of onions, and you can add paprika for a slightly different flavour and to add colour. I usually don't add the peppers or chilies, but that's just cuz I don't like anything remotely spicy and can't eat peppers 🙂 Some recipes call for banana flower (aka banana blossom) as a garnish, in which case you can cut them into sections (like an orange) and rub with lime juice to keep them from turning dark. Also, you want the extra-firm tofu, which usually comes in a bag, not in water. Good luck! Let me know how it goes 🙂

 

[anon-y-mouse]

The key to a successful pad thai is really fast cooking at high heat. Make sure you have everything chopped, ready, and convenient for you before you put it in... and you want everything crisp, too... when you soak the noodles (I usually just do 10 mins in hot water), they should be pretty 'al dente' / somewhat raw (but somewhat tender), so they can finish cooking up in the wok. Be careful with oil... when you cook it for the first few times, you may use a ton of it, making the dish super caloric...

 

[chicamedica]

I buy vegetables every week and make a huge salad. I eat on it during the week either as a meal itself or as a side salad. It only takes me about 20 minutes to cut up everything. You can buy some pita's and put the salad in those for a change of pace. So that you don't get tired of eating salad, keep a variety of dressings and alternate the toppings you put on it (bacon bits, shredded cheese, peanuts). I also buy the big bag of frozen chicken breasts. Thaw one of those out and grill it on the Forman and you'll have a pretty decent and healthy meal. Occasionally I get one of those huge bags of frozen veggies. In a covered skillet, add a frozen chicken breast, 3 cups of frozen veggies, a teriyaki sauce, and spice to taste. Leave the stove on medium and you can go study (surf SDN) for about 30-45 minutes while you're meal is cooking.

My grocery bill for a week's worth of food is only ~20 bucks. (I don't buy any snack food)

Great thread!! Lots of awesome tips from everyone that i may try out!

Similar to Perrin, I make a huge salad that lasts me like 1.5-2 weeks. To make it keep longer, use a huge airtight container, use cherry tomatoes (if you want to use sliced, add em when ready to eat), do not include mushrooms (keep em separate and add when ready to eat), cucumbers are iffy, but if fresh enough you can include them; and obviously add dressing only to the portion you're ready to eat.

Some time savers i've accumulated over the years:
--prepackaged prewashed chopped lettuce/greens (HOWEVER, a bit more pricey than buying a lettuce bunch, and doesn't keep as long).

AND

--baby carrots

So all i do is dump the lettuce and greens into my big container, dump a handful of baby carrots, a handful of cherry tomatores, cut 1-2 slices of a big vidalia onion (which can keep for a while in a ziplock bag in the fridge), maybe chop some cilantro or basil (enough to "spice"). . .and this is dinner for like 2 weeks! The cilantro has been a pain cause i only use a teeny bit for the salad and by the time it's time to make a new mega-salad, the cilantro bunch goes bad. Sometimes I cook indian dishes that require a whole bunch of cilantro, but not often enough to prevent wasting a whole lot of spoiled cilantro.

Anyway, back to the salad diet 😀 . I generally dont like store-bought dressing, so my two fav dressings at home are:
1. about 50:50 (maybe 60:40) olive oil:balsamic vinegar plus a bit of black pepper and hot red pepper powder (and sometimes cumin)

2. Two tbsp plain lowfat yogurt plus 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

I am getting tired of these dressings tho, so any new ideas for healthy dressings are welcome!!

 

[lord_jeebus]

Home-made Pad Thai is cheap, easy and DELICIOUS. Probably one of the best meals on the face of the planet. Some rice noodles, chicken or prawns, tofu, sprouts, an egg, etc. all stir-fried with a little fish sauce and some spices... YUM YUM YUM!

How much fish sauce do you use, and when do you add it? No matter how I try to use it, I find the nam pla flavor (I use Tiparos so I don't think it's a brand issue) to be excessive compared to restaurant pad thai.

 

[jammin06]

has anyone tried the 'freezing bread' method described earlier?

Also, another variation of an old classic is the Pb, banana and Honey.

 

[dianetanya]

So the OP was DEAD ON when it comes to buying in bulk. My trick is to have recipes for what I'm going to cook in mind before I buy. I buy what I need for my entrees and snacks and buy no more than that.

My trip-ups used to be fresh fruit because I hate going to the grocery store more than I need to. Since I'm the only one in my apt. but I love a variety of fruit from Costco (where EVERYTHING is in bulk), I have a "Plan B" on hand for everything. Here are a couple of ideas:

Grapes = freeze for dessert (these are so yummy, sometimes I do this right away)

Bananas = freeze for smoothies or just as is (like banana ice cream); OR heat over peanut butter/Nutella & toast for a warm dessert, make banana bread, or just cook with cinnamon to put over homemade french toast later
* By the way old bread --> bread pudding

The list goes on and on, really. If my blueberries go bad, I know that my smoothies will have a blueberry theme going on . . . Same with nectarines, peaches, plums, mangoes, etc.

When I get lazy to cook, that's when I end up throwing away money on dinners out, so I have a couple of healthy pre-planned dinner ideas that don't involve me cooking. One is that I'll get a big box of soup from Trader Joe's (like Whole Foods or Wild Oats if you don't have this chain). I have some salad that either I usually toss together (or get a little 99 cent one from Wendy's next door if I have no greens left). Then I only need 1/3 of the soup, which I sometimes like to plump up with some milk or broth and corn (which goes with like every soup), and finally some crusty bread for dipping.

Hope this helps a bit. 🙂

 

[Rogue_Leader]

I've just succumbed to having mommy provide dinner for me. Every 6-8 weeks or so, my mom drops by and drops off a great supply off food in individial disposal tupperware containers. My freezer is full of lasagna, cassarole, beans & rice, and so forth that I can eat for lunch and/or dinner every day. I in return clean the "disposal" tupperware containers and give them back to her so she can fill them up again for her next visit. It works out really well. When I feel like something not out of the freezer, that's when I get like a pizza or chineese takeout or some thing. Not a great idea, but it's better than ordering out every night.

 

[jammin06]

I've just succumbed to having mommy provide dinner for me. Every 6-8 weeks or so, my mom drops by and drops off a great supply off food in individial disposal tupperware containers. My freezer is full of lasagna, cassarole, beans & rice, and so forth that I can eat for lunch and/or dinner every day. I in return clean the "disposal" tupperware containers and give them back to her so she can fill them up again for her next visit. It works out really well. When I feel like something not out of the freezer, that's when I get like a pizza or chineese takeout or some thing. Not a great idea, but it's better than ordering out every night.

Man, that's a really sweet deal, but I think i may have you beat. I came back to my hometown for med school and my parents and I just got a condo that happens to be about 45 seconds away from the hospital where my dad works. (tons of residents live here). So...if i get hungry or don't want to make food one day, I can just call up my parents and have my dad drop a meal off at 6am on his way to work.

I've only done this once, because I don't want to be too dependant on that, but it is nice to get home-cooked meals that are tasty, healthy, quick and most importantly FREE!

 

[drjeni2b]

I've really gotten into making kabobs - they're healthy, quick and you can make a ton for a week's worth of dinner. I make shrimp, tuna, chicken, tofu skewers with tons of veggies like all sorts of peppers and onions and tomatoes and just brush on my fav sauce (asian sauces work best for me) and pop them in the oven for like 15-20 minutes. if you're feeling fancing, you can make your own sauce- i like honey mustard - literally just mix any old mustard and honey (u can steal them from fast food places if you're really cheap).

also, i love the food network website www.foodnetwork.com... they have a great healthy quick recipe ideas.