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What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking?
What food and drinks have you been enjoying (or not enjoying) recently? Have you cooked or created anything interesting? Tell us about it!
What food and drinks have you been enjoying (or not enjoying) recently? Have you cooked or created anything interesting? Tell us about it!
I'm not the usual cook in the house but I've made pork chops twice now, just in a pan with some oil and basic seasoning and I'm very good at it. So I'm proud of me.
I'm trying to figure out some breakfast alternatives that are filling, not super intensive and not overnight oats, because eggs aren't getting cheaper, cereal is expensive and not ideal, overnight oats taste weird, and right now a $2 sandwich from McDonald's is almost the best price I can pull off. Considering trying a congee or something. But open to ideas!
As another suggestion, I've been eating peanut butter toast as my standard breakfast for, like...the past decade, at least. I toast the bread (a mild sourdough), sprinkle cinnamon on top, add honey, and then cover generously with peanut butter. It keeps me plenty full until lunch. With coffee, to me, it's the perfect breakfast. A nice sweet (but not too sweet) treat that fills me up. I look forward to it every day and never get sick of it.
I've never been a warm PB fan, but I may experiment a bit on the weekend and see if something can stick.
I get very routine-y about what foods I want, and having to pivot is frustrating. I can afford eggs right now but supplies are anticipated to get low. If I can make it to warmer months I have some community members whose chickens may start laying more too. If they don't get sick But more options will probably help most in the long run.
An alternative is PB on bread. If you like spicy and tangy, then hot sauce on bread + a layer of PB is lovely and lasting. Especially if the bread has a good amount of fiber.
Edit: I also really like rolled oats with peanut butter and frozen blueberries. You can add ground flax for the rarer fatty acids and more fiber
I have a few non-egg, cheap, filling break suggestions.
Granola, specifically this recipe from Cookie and Kate. It is freaking delicious. I sometimes give it as a birthday present to my really active friends. It's filling, healthy (though high calorie from the nuts/seeds/oils), and I eat it like a cookie. Seriously tasty and all in it takes me about 30 minutes for about a gallon of granola. Costco has most of the ingredients for very cheap. For my ratios I go all coconut oil, 1 cut pecan with 1/2 cup pumpkin seed). It's great for breakfast but really just a great snack for all the time.
Yogurt with jam mixed in. You get to balance the sweetness/tanginess. Costco has the massive Fage Yogurts for like 8 dollars each. It's my go to breakfast.
Pan y Tomate. Grab some good bread and toast it up, grab half a tomato and kind of score it across the top of the rough, toasted bread. Top with olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. Good, cheap, high calorie. Best in the summer months with good tomatoes.
How are you not hungry again immediately after just bread and tomato!
I find I need more fat and protein, plus I'm diabetic so it's best if I mix all three. Unfortunately yogurt and I are not friends but I'm down to try a granola recipe so I'll check that out.
Nice! I ended up making some this morning after writing that up yesterday!
I think the olive oil does a lot of the lifting on the Pan y Tomate in terms of fullness. Also I do really thick cuts of the sourdough loaf when I make it. You can add cheese if that works better for you, I'd go with a creamy goat or feta.
Another idea I got yesterday was smoked salmon on toast or a bagel. My partner came home with some from Costco and it was a smash hit! I usually pickle some thin cut onions or daikon radish with it.
I have a good friend with hypoglycemia who needs much more protein/fat to feel good. He does a ton of oatmeal (which I have a hard time stomaching) or wraps with peanut butter and banana. I'll ask if he has any other suggestions!
Consider a tofu scramble with onions or kale or whatever you would mix with eggs.
Grilled cheese sandwich.
Idk why I didn't think of grilled cheese!
I'm not sure if tofu would end up cheaper than eggs around here, I may have to check at the Chinese grocery for pricing. I don't know much about cooking with tofu - what type would I want to try?
I'm the wrong person to advise about types of tofu. I just guess. I'm away from home or I would look at the package.
I make tofu scrambles. I make deep fried tofu cubes. I put raw tofu cubes to cook in soup.
Glad you liked the grilled cheese.
I can google recipes, just always like to ask folks. Tofu has just never really come down in price here, though it's been a minute since I've checked. I'll still take a look.
Point in favor of congee, here is a chicken one I whipped up before sitting down and opening this post. Infinitely versatile, great way to breathe some new life into leftovers, warming, and cheap!
I’ve been experimenting with a lot of fermentation, and it’s been a blast. Sauerkraut, fermented pickles, and ginger bug sodas have been my successes so far. I’m also trying to bring a sourdough starter to life but I’m getting a bit sick of how long it’s taking.
It’s been fun to jump into a culinary area I’ve never tried before, and that’s been my primary motivation. I also like it because it’s a natural method of preservation and I love having tasty things on hand in my fridge that last a long time. The last benefit that a lot of people report is the health benefits. It wasn’t my main motivation but I definitely have noticed an improvement in my mood, energy levels, and surprisingly also my skin.
Next on my list of fermentation experiments is kefir!
I made pickled fish for the first time. Specifically some smaller Northern Pike that I caught ice fishing. I got the recipe from an old church cookbook I found at my parents house, and it called for a certain white wine that had been out of production for 10 years, or so the guy at the liquor store told me. Thankfully, he was able to show me what other people were using. Anyway, it turned out great, but I'm kind of sick of it already and there are several jars left.