Five Profitable Recipes That Are Low Cost But Packed With Flavor
Inflation dominates the news, and everything we seem to talk about in the office is how much groceries cost.
I picked five more bang for your buck that I love for this week's meal plan. And here are some rules of thumb when thinking about meals and current supermarket prices: stay away from meat (which has risen dramatically, especially beef) or make recipes that use it in smaller amounts.
Prefer vegetables and beans, which are less affected by inflation. Canned tuna is your friend, as are anchovies, which can add incredible flavor to your cooking.
Chicken Zucchini Balls with FetaMeatballs are an economical way to eat meat
(Getty/iStock)Generally speaking, meatballs are an economical way to eat meat. thrifty to eat meat: ground meat is cheaper than steaks or chicken breast, and the meat is "stretched" with added ingredients. A little goes further. In this excellent recipe by Ali Slagle, the addition is zucchini - always inexpensive and plentiful right now.
Serves 4
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
3 large courgettes (about 680g)
Salt and black pepper
< p>1 large shallot, halved30 g panko
1½ tsp ground cumin
< em>1 tsp red pepper flakes
450g ground chicken or turkey
< p>2 tbsp chopped fresh mint, basil, parsley or dill, plus more for serving60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grease and drizzle
3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
115 g of feta cheese
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 220C. Cut 2 courgettes into 1½ cm thick slices. Transfer to a plate, salt and set aside.
2. Over a large bowl, using the large holes of a box grater, grate the rest of the zucchini. Also grate half a shallot into the bowl. Add the panko, cumin, ½ tsp red pepper flakes and ½ tsp salt, and use your hands to mix until combined. Add chicken and herbs and toss gently until combined.
3. Lightly grease a baking sheet. With damp hands, form the chicken mixture into 16 meatballs (about 2-3 tablespoons each) and place them on one side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, dry the zucchini slices, then lightly coat them with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with pepper.
5. Roughly chop the remaining shallot half and transfer to a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and mix.
6. Add the sliced zucchini to the other half of the baking sheet, moving the meatballs around if necessary. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and the zucchini is browned on the bottom, another 15 to 20 minutes. For browner meatballs, broil for a few minutes, if desired.
7. Meanwhile, crumble the feta into the shallot mixture. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the remaining ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir, break up the feta a little and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Eat the meatballs and zucchini with a drizzle of feta sauce and more fresh herbs.
Cold tofu salad with tomatoes and peachesFresh fruits and vegetables were less sensitive to inflation, which makes this gorgeous silken tofu salad from Hana Asbrink a great choice for dinner. Serve with green vegetables or with rice noodles tossed with some of the dressing.
Serves 4-6
Total time: 20 minutes
< p>Ingre...
Inflation dominates the news, and everything we seem to talk about in the office is how much groceries cost.
I picked five more bang for your buck that I love for this week's meal plan. And here are some rules of thumb when thinking about meals and current supermarket prices: stay away from meat (which has risen dramatically, especially beef) or make recipes that use it in smaller amounts.
Prefer vegetables and beans, which are less affected by inflation. Canned tuna is your friend, as are anchovies, which can add incredible flavor to your cooking.
Chicken Zucchini Balls with FetaMeatballs are an economical way to eat meat
(Getty/iStock)Generally speaking, meatballs are an economical way to eat meat. thrifty to eat meat: ground meat is cheaper than steaks or chicken breast, and the meat is "stretched" with added ingredients. A little goes further. In this excellent recipe by Ali Slagle, the addition is zucchini - always inexpensive and plentiful right now.
Serves 4
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
3 large courgettes (about 680g)
Salt and black pepper
< p>1 large shallot, halved30 g panko
1½ tsp ground cumin
< em>1 tsp red pepper flakes
450g ground chicken or turkey
< p>2 tbsp chopped fresh mint, basil, parsley or dill, plus more for serving60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grease and drizzle
3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
115 g of feta cheese
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 220C. Cut 2 courgettes into 1½ cm thick slices. Transfer to a plate, salt and set aside.
2. Over a large bowl, using the large holes of a box grater, grate the rest of the zucchini. Also grate half a shallot into the bowl. Add the panko, cumin, ½ tsp red pepper flakes and ½ tsp salt, and use your hands to mix until combined. Add chicken and herbs and toss gently until combined.
3. Lightly grease a baking sheet. With damp hands, form the chicken mixture into 16 meatballs (about 2-3 tablespoons each) and place them on one side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, dry the zucchini slices, then lightly coat them with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with pepper.
5. Roughly chop the remaining shallot half and transfer to a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and mix.
6. Add the sliced zucchini to the other half of the baking sheet, moving the meatballs around if necessary. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and the zucchini is browned on the bottom, another 15 to 20 minutes. For browner meatballs, broil for a few minutes, if desired.
7. Meanwhile, crumble the feta into the shallot mixture. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the remaining ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir, break up the feta a little and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Eat the meatballs and zucchini with a drizzle of feta sauce and more fresh herbs.
Cold tofu salad with tomatoes and peachesFresh fruits and vegetables were less sensitive to inflation, which makes this gorgeous silken tofu salad from Hana Asbrink a great choice for dinner. Serve with green vegetables or with rice noodles tossed with some of the dressing.
Serves 4-6
Total time: 20 minutes
< p>Ingre...What's Your Reaction?
