The Pauper's Gourmet

This is the first time I've ever tried to make ratatouille. I researched a few recipes, and then just decided to give it a go with my own. This was delicious. Unbelievably delicious. I used: 2 tomatoes, peeled and skinned: $0.60 1 zucchini: $0.35 1 green bell pepper: $0.30 1 medium-sized onion: $0.15 2-3 small cloves of garlic: $0.05 200 grams of skinless, boneless chicken breast: $2.80 (was on special) about 1/4 cup of olive oil (or cooking oil): about $0.50 for olive oil ($0.05 for cooking oil) 1/2 a cup of rice: $0.30 salt to taste black pepper to taste dash of dried basil pinch of dried thyme 1 small bay leaf (optional) TOTAL: $5.05, generously serving 2 Ratatouille is peasant food, best made in summer when ingredients are cheap and fresh. It normally includes eggplant, but I am not the biggest fan of eggplant. There are multiple approaches to cooking ratatouille. Julia Child's famous recipe suggests that you cook all ingredients separately, and then layer them into a casse

Today it was a sweltering 36˚C, with a humidex of about 42˚C. Holy smokes, who wants to cook under those conditions?! It'll have to be something quick and effortless in the kitchen today. Something light on the tummy, too. I looked through my freezer, and I still have some tilapia leftover from my last recipe. Great. A nice, light fish would be perfect for a day like today, and tilapia is such an easy meal. It can be cooked straight from frozen, in the oven. That means, I spend NO time in front of a hot stove, except to take the rice off, once it has boiled. So tonight, it's fish, rice, and fresh salad. Here's my dinner tonight, with prices: 2 tilapia filets (left over from my pack of $6.99): $2.80 side of rice (1/2 a cup, and I have left-overs for the fridge): $0.30 pack of mixed greens: $1.99 (I added the full price to the total, but I only used $0.40 of it, with lots left-over) an english cucumber: $1.00 (I used about $0.20 of it, with lots left-over) a lemon: $0.33 You