Kitchen Essentials for the Frugal Cook

Effective frugal cooking requires some key staples in a kitchen. Oil. Onions. Garlic. Spices. 

Acquiring these staples requires start-up funds, but they will pay dividends in the long run. If money is tight in making these purchases up front, one could rotate in cost-smart meals for a couple of weeks until the budget catches up. Beans, lentils, and frozen vegetables are not inflation-proof, but they are inherently inexpensive, super healthy, and easy to prep. In fact, I will use these ingredients a lot in my recipes here. 

Now... where to get these core staples? No one should ever buy spices in pretty little jars. Anything beyond $3 for 200grams of any ordinary spice is stupid and a rip-off. Of course, saffron and candlenut are more expensive but we can skip those big ticket items and make delicious stuff with more accessible spices like paprika, basil, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Always buy these spices in big packages, often best found at "ethnic" grocery stores that charge a fraction of the price. Same goes for large jugs of olive and vegetable oils, 10kg+ bags of rice, and flour.

There are other essentials needed in a frugal pantry. Dried beans and lentils, as well as canned beans and chickpeas. Sometimes the big budget chain grocers often do canned items at a better price, especially if they have an in-house brand that sells for about a dollar. The same grocers are more likely to have in-house brands of frozen vegetables. 

Frozen vegetables are a frugal cook's best friend. Flash frozen veggies are full of nutrients and comparatively much less expensive than fresh. It is also much more difficult to waste frozen vegetables, making them a sensible choice. Now, leaning on frozen vegetables does not preclude buying fresh as well. But by using both selectively, this adds dimension to a meal plan without breaking the bank. This is especially important in the winter months when fresh fruits and vegetables are more expensive.

Once these staples are in hand, so much is possible. They are the foundation upon which creative cooking on a tight budget can happen. And with them, we can find ways to stretch, stretch, stretch our main courses so that they go the distance.

For example, tonight I made 2 super-easy dishes that pair with a side of rice. First, let's talk lentils. This is my mother's daal recipe. To start, I boiled 2 cups of green lentils for about 20 mins, then drained. In a frying pan I sautéed diced onion and crushed garlic and ginger in olive oil, and added powdered coriander, cumin, and turmeric spices and salt to the mix. Then I added in the drained lentils and let it cook another minute. It was already tasty, but it needed something more. So, I grabbed a couple of handfuls of chives from my backyard (the easiest thing to grow, and it will last until late frost), and chopped them up and tossed them in. The chives added both colour and a nice onion-y flavour. Super easy. Done in 30 mins. This is a protein-rich dish that goes nicely with rice, and will help stretch about 8-10 meals this week. It cost me about $1.50 to make this. Tomorrow I might make a side dish from frozen spinach (cost $2) that pairs with this daal.

Second, let's talk turkey... or chicken, or any ground meat! This is the easiest and most inexpensive meat and veggie skillet that I know. Frozen ground meat is often a less expensive option and very easy to store. I happened to have 2 pounds of extra lean frozen poultry in my freezer, which I had paid $5 for. In the spirit of this blog, I decided to make the easiest possible dish, requiring the fewest ingredients. So, I started again with sautéed onions and garlic in olive oil, and then browned the ground meat in that skillet. I spiced it with salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne... and a bit of my husband's favourite steak spice mix. Once the meat was crumbled and browned (about 10 mins), I added another dollop of olive oil, and then the cheapest and most common frozen vegetable mix. A bit more salt and steak spice, stir it up, and then let it simmer on medium for about 15 mins. Done and delicious. This will stretch out to about 8 meals with the rice, and the total cost was about $7.

These are just two quick plug-and-play recipes to keep my fridge stocked and my family comfortable. These two basic dishes now become the foundation upon which I will add a few other inexpensive dishes aimed to enhance the overall experience, which will keep me and my mountain-of-a-man husband happily fed for the week. I'll share more of what I cook tomorrow. Goodnight!