/ck/ - Food & Cooking

Eat it with other cheap veggies like grilled onions or steamed carrots and pick up some cheap seasonings.

My recommendation for cheap food is tilapia fillets. Depending on your store, you can pick them up in huge bags for a pretty cheap price.

Season whatever you want, put a little bit of butter or whatever oil you want to use on it, wrap it in foil and put it on a grill pan or bake them.

>>4677835
That sounds good, what kind of seasoning would you recommend? I have no idea what I'd put on it. I tried cumin and it was nasty as shit. Kinda new at the whole not eating fast food thing.

>>4677819
Soup, like Turkish lentil soup.

>>4677839

Salt & Pepper are stables for pretty much everything, so if you don't have that, you should probably pick that up.

For the tilapias, I use salt, lemon & pepper, garlic seasoning, and a small bit of basil leaves . I don't like many herbs myself.


Seasonings can be surprisingly expensive, so don't feel compelled to try and build a spice rack or something. Just pick up whatever's cheap you find at your store and experiment. You'll eventually find a combination you like. Just don't go overboard with seasonings or else you'll overpower the flavor of the fish.

>>4677835
After having bought a package from the freezer and lightly steamed for first try, then breaded and fried for second attempt, I wouldn't recommend tilapia to my worst enemy.

I've lived on the coast and fished since I was in diapers, this isn't fish.

>>4677819

i've been there. I really enjoy lentils and rice together, fried up with a little garlic, onions, and whatever fresh herbs i could find for cheap (fresh dill is the best in my opinion) along with some raisins. it's actually really delicious! when i was broke as shit i also had a small herb garden growing at my window, seeds are pretty cheap in the spring. using your own herbs/vegetables that you grew yourself is very satisfying.

>>4677855

Soups yeah, easy to make, delicious and filling. My favorite lentil based dish is Fakes. This recipe is pretty optimal as it is, but adding some celery and dried chili can't hurt. And be generous when adding vinegar, this dish really benefits from it.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/greek-lentil-soup-fakes/

Lots of good suggestions above. Even going minimalist, salt adds a ton of flavor, and it's crazy cheap.

If you like the flavor of lemon, buy bottled lemon juice from concentrate (usually in the fruit juice aisle, even though it's not a beverage); it's much cheaper than lemons. RealLemon is a popular brand name, but I'd go with a cheaper generic. I think I get a liter or so for $2-$3, and it lasts forever.

You may find various premade hot sauces, like Tabasco, Frank's, or Srirachi, are a convenient and economical way to liven up a dull dish.

I also like to add a little olive oil to a lentil soup, or a plate of cooked lentils, after it's done cooking, and you do need some fat in your diet. There are cheaper oils, with subtly different flavors and characteristics. For just putting on an already-cooked dish any of them will work.

Try combining with chopped cheap veggies; onion carrot and celery are usually a good value and pack some decent flavor and nourishment. You could sautée them first, or just throw them in a pot with the lentils when you cook them. I'm sure some /ck/ers think that's too plain, but meh, it's good basic food.

Seasoning-wise, salt and pepper are really a fine starting point. I agree with
>>4677871

In addition to lentils, grains can offer an excellent value for filling nourishment. Oatmeal is a good breakfast food, and rice combines well a ton of dishes.

>>4677819
box of spaghetti
>$1
can of diced tomatoes
>$1.15
servings:
>8

dont feed yourself disgusting food just because its healthy. if you want a complete protein chock full of calories, add some black beans or some barbecue beans or something to it

>>4677819

>>4677819
make lentil soup
make lentil tacos (suete onions and peppers, add spices and lentils, eat on homemade tortilla)
lentil sloppy joes with some tvp

or spring for some pardina lentils. they taste about 20 times better. i just eat them cold tossed in olive oil and salt & pepper

>>4678369
I'd never seen someone cooking multivitamins, why would you do that?
you just destroy the vitamins

1 portion lentils to 3 portions water, boil for 15 minutes. If you're making it from scratch, add chili, salt, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, or garlic. However, it would be easier to just buy a jar of curry paste and add a spoonful of that.

>>4679392
Repeat after me, anon: I will always do the opposite of what sceak tells me.

>>4677819

Look up recipes for lentil soup. Lentil soup is fucking delicious.