Making great meals using just a few resources is an art many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers know how to do. Get Rich Slowly reminds us that we can use the same principles of using cheap, filling ingredients to make comfort foods today—and reduce our grocery bill.
The same cheap ingredient can be made multiple ways—each culture, for example, has its own take on rice:
Risotto in Italy, Spanish rice in Mexico, dirty rice in New Orleans, paella in Spain - all filling dishes that can satisfy a family with just a few ingredients.
Cheap but satisfying dishes you can fall back on and incorporate into your meal plan include ratatouille (example shown in the photo above), bibimbap (a Korean dish typically made with rice, vegetables, a raw or fried egg, and sliced meat), frittatas, and fajitas.
Rice, eggs, and veggies are the inexpensive ingredients. Stock up on those items (beans too) and some other staples (like bacon, extra-virgin olive oil, and some salty extras) and you can whip up a tasty meal and have more money in the bank.
(By the way, it looks like it's out of print now, but The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors by Jeff Smith is a great cookbook along this same line, containing recipes celebrating lots of ethnic traditions and old world peasant dishes.)
What peasant-like staples do you keep on hand?
Want to Save on Groceries? Cook like a Peasant | Get Rich Slowly
Photo by bnilsen