Staples
Since cholesterol is only found in animal products, reducing our consumption of these food sources automatically reduces our cholesterol intake. Many of the recipes I suggest will contain little if any meat, but by all means feel free to experiment - just remember to keep it in moderation!
Not only is "real" food more cost effective than convenience food - it's better for our environment, our bodies and our taste buds - at least once you get used to actual tastes and textures!
Items I cannot live without in my pantry:
* lentils, as many varieties as I can find. These keep well in old sauce or condiment jars with tight lids, why pay money for cute little containers when you throw away perfectly serviceable ones on a weekly basis? Each color of lentils has a different taste and texture - so if you didn't like the brown ones the last time you tried them, this time why not try the red or yellow?
* rice, which comes in a rainbow of colors and flavors. If you think all rice is the same, think again! Rices come in short, medium, long grain and sticky varieties. Each has it's own place in cooking. Some are culturally specific, like Jasmine rice with Thai dishes - but everything is up for experimentation. Try a few new varieties to see what textures and aromatics please your palette.
* canned tomatoes and green chilies. Sometimes a can IS better than fresh, especially when you are strapped for time or find that too much fresh produce in your crisper tend to rot before you use it all.
* canned beans, depending on variety. Some beans and legumes take so long to soak and cook that the few cents difference between canned and dried is negligible.
* frozen vegetables. Once considered bland and nutritionless these have come back to the forefront for those of us with a limited storage area for fresh vegetables. Studies have also shown that these frozen wonders have as much or MORE nutrition than some fresh, because they are picked and flash frozen at their peak - instead of being dyed and irradiated to keep on store shelves. Always check the sodium content on frozen and canned veggies though, sometimes the added salt preservatives are a bit gratuitous. Look for low sodium options.
* brown sugar.
* vegetable bouillon.
* TVP. Once dismissed as "hippie food" Textured Vegetable Protien gets the short end of the stick. It comes in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and can be either used to extend meat dishes, like spaghetti or meatloaf, or as it's own protein source. I make a vegan taco that will blow your mind, and so far not once has a non vegan guessed the meatless secret until their 3rd helping! The flakes are the most versatile, but many Asian and Indian markets carry what I jokingly refer to as "kibble" - large chunks that are more suited to curries and savory dishes.
* soy sauce. This is one area I don't skimp - because bad soy sauce tastes like ass. hit up Asian markets to find large quantities of authentic soy sauce at amazingly affordable prices. I recommend Kimlan. They even make a "cooking" variety that is more akin to a thin paste than a dark water. with this ingredient you can make your own authentic teriyaki sauce, and almost all Asian dishes require soy sauce in some capacity.
I tend to buy staples like bread and cereals, but I'm trying to change that. Homemade bread, with a second-hand breadmaker, is not only cheap but delicious. You can add anything from cheeses to spices and the varieties are endless! If you do decide to bake your own bread, I recommend finding a slicer. These are plastic bread boxes with slots cut in the side to facilitate slicing, and they offer a variety of slice thicknesses. These help to keep the bread from "squashing" as you slice, and allows you to cut more perfectly even and slender pieces for sandwiches - or thick texas toast styles - all from the same loaf and with ease.
You'll also notice my hardcore thrift store "suggestions". I never buy anything new, from high heels to cookware, most of these items can be found gently (if at all) used and at a fraction of their original prices if you know where to look. I have found that this is the only way to give in to my kitchen gadget obsession without breaking the bank. From crock pots to casserole dishes, fondue sets to toaster ovens - you can get anything in your local resale shop for next to nothing.
Perhaps I should have called this blog "goodcheapliving" instead, because thrift and recycling go hand in hand. For example, I buy the jelly in the "glasses" jars so I can get a new (sturdy and decent looking) glass every time I use my red plum jelly - a personal favorite since it also goes well with meat marinades and makes an excellent on-the-fly plum sauce dip for Asian foods.
Creative consumption kept our grannies full in The Depression, and it can do the same for us as another one looms on the horizon.
Not only is "real" food more cost effective than convenience food - it's better for our environment, our bodies and our taste buds - at least once you get used to actual tastes and textures!
Items I cannot live without in my pantry:
* lentils, as many varieties as I can find. These keep well in old sauce or condiment jars with tight lids, why pay money for cute little containers when you throw away perfectly serviceable ones on a weekly basis? Each color of lentils has a different taste and texture - so if you didn't like the brown ones the last time you tried them, this time why not try the red or yellow?
* rice, which comes in a rainbow of colors and flavors. If you think all rice is the same, think again! Rices come in short, medium, long grain and sticky varieties. Each has it's own place in cooking. Some are culturally specific, like Jasmine rice with Thai dishes - but everything is up for experimentation. Try a few new varieties to see what textures and aromatics please your palette.
* canned tomatoes and green chilies. Sometimes a can IS better than fresh, especially when you are strapped for time or find that too much fresh produce in your crisper tend to rot before you use it all.
* canned beans, depending on variety. Some beans and legumes take so long to soak and cook that the few cents difference between canned and dried is negligible.
* frozen vegetables. Once considered bland and nutritionless these have come back to the forefront for those of us with a limited storage area for fresh vegetables. Studies have also shown that these frozen wonders have as much or MORE nutrition than some fresh, because they are picked and flash frozen at their peak - instead of being dyed and irradiated to keep on store shelves. Always check the sodium content on frozen and canned veggies though, sometimes the added salt preservatives are a bit gratuitous. Look for low sodium options.
* brown sugar.
* vegetable bouillon.
* TVP. Once dismissed as "hippie food" Textured Vegetable Protien gets the short end of the stick. It comes in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and can be either used to extend meat dishes, like spaghetti or meatloaf, or as it's own protein source. I make a vegan taco that will blow your mind, and so far not once has a non vegan guessed the meatless secret until their 3rd helping! The flakes are the most versatile, but many Asian and Indian markets carry what I jokingly refer to as "kibble" - large chunks that are more suited to curries and savory dishes.
* soy sauce. This is one area I don't skimp - because bad soy sauce tastes like ass. hit up Asian markets to find large quantities of authentic soy sauce at amazingly affordable prices. I recommend Kimlan. They even make a "cooking" variety that is more akin to a thin paste than a dark water. with this ingredient you can make your own authentic teriyaki sauce, and almost all Asian dishes require soy sauce in some capacity.
I tend to buy staples like bread and cereals, but I'm trying to change that. Homemade bread, with a second-hand breadmaker, is not only cheap but delicious. You can add anything from cheeses to spices and the varieties are endless! If you do decide to bake your own bread, I recommend finding a slicer. These are plastic bread boxes with slots cut in the side to facilitate slicing, and they offer a variety of slice thicknesses. These help to keep the bread from "squashing" as you slice, and allows you to cut more perfectly even and slender pieces for sandwiches - or thick texas toast styles - all from the same loaf and with ease.
You'll also notice my hardcore thrift store "suggestions". I never buy anything new, from high heels to cookware, most of these items can be found gently (if at all) used and at a fraction of their original prices if you know where to look. I have found that this is the only way to give in to my kitchen gadget obsession without breaking the bank. From crock pots to casserole dishes, fondue sets to toaster ovens - you can get anything in your local resale shop for next to nothing.
Perhaps I should have called this blog "goodcheapliving" instead, because thrift and recycling go hand in hand. For example, I buy the jelly in the "glasses" jars so I can get a new (sturdy and decent looking) glass every time I use my red plum jelly - a personal favorite since it also goes well with meat marinades and makes an excellent on-the-fly plum sauce dip for Asian foods.
Creative consumption kept our grannies full in The Depression, and it can do the same for us as another one looms on the horizon.