Favorite Dishes

Matt and I have been working hard to make cheap, healthy, and filling meals. The only meal we've had out was the one we had on the day we landed! We've been cooking at home to save money and to make sure we're eating healthily. 

Here are some of the dishes we've liked best. 

Mushroom risotto with peas.

Lentil stew with rice, carrots, onions, and garlic.

Deconstructed spring rolls (rice, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, green onion, purple cabbage, avocado, and chili sauce)

Rice (cooked with tomato sauce with corn stirred in), with black beans, and spicy eggs (I don't eat eggs - this was Matt's plate)

Veggie sushi (avocado, carrot, cucumber, green onion, and pickle)

Thai red curry with baby corn, potatoes, onions, purple cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cilantro and jasmine rice. 

Tips on how to eat cheap:

• Dried beans, lentils, and rice are usually some of the cheaper things at the grocery store. Instant is quicker, but more expensive. Have lentils or beans soaking - you'll find a use for them.
• Buy ingredients that are cheap for your area. Avocado is super expensive in the US, but here it's not at all expensive. We're taking advantage of that!
• Buy what's on special. The mushroom risotto doesn't require the fanciest mushrooms. We pick whichever mushroom is cheapest at the market.
• Don't buy cartons of stock/broth. We buy vegetable buillon, which comes in packs of 8 for about $1. Usually, a quart of premade stock costs $4. Boil some water and dissolve the buillon. It's an extra step, but it sure does save a lot of money.
• Buy vegetables like carrots in bulk. Baby carrots or julienned carrots would be easier, but a bulk bag of whole carrots is much cheaper, and you'd be surprised how many dishes you can throw them into. Same goes for lettuce. Bagged lettuce is expensive and browns quickly. Buy romaine hearts and chop them as you use them.
• Try to have fruit on hand. A small meal can be supplemented well with a banana or an apple or a sliced orange.
• Don't skimp on onions and garlic. They're cheap and really pack a punch.
• Have healthy, non-perishable proteins on hand. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are full of protein. We throw them into salads to beef them up.
• Speaking of salads, don't fuss with too many dressings. They crowd your fridge, and often go to waste before you've finished the bottle. Keep lemons, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar on hand. They're less expensive than bottled dressings, and they taste good on most salads. 
• Waste not! Make the correct portion sizes, or have tupperware ready to catch leftovers. 

If anyone would like the recipes to any of the dishes, let me know and I will post them.