Strategies to eat cheaply

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MCT) - A new kind of retro is taking hold in today's kitchen _ cooking the way that baby boomers' parents did during leaner times.

There's a reason meatloaf and tuna casserole are comfort foods: They're the dishes that helped our parents or grandparents stretch food dollars and keep families fed. They had places on the family dinner table long before prosperous times brought prepared gourmet take-out foods and exquisite fruits and vegetables.

If you're looking to save money in the kitchen, ask yourself: What would Grandma do? And then think about ways you can give it a modern twist, using the same principles.

For example:

1. Look to cheaper cuts of meat.

Meat prices haven't gone up to the same degree as dairy and other food products _ yet. But meat still can be a big-ticket item on the grocery bill.

The least expensive cuts, according to Chip Bunzel of Bunzel's Old-Fashioned Meat Market, 8415 W. Burleigh St.: Whole chicken or chicken legs and thighs; pork steaks off the shoulder, ham or whole pork loin divided into specific cuts by a butcher in a package deal; ground beef and chuck steak (the chuck eye is best).

A small serving of good-quality red meat also may be more satisfying than a big hunk of a cheaper cut. Smaller portions are a great way to save money, as well as inches around the waist. Carve meat into thin slices to stretch it. Serve it with a rich sauce to enhance flavor and make a modest portion more filling. A split chicken breast becomes a meal with a pan sauce.

Use the slow cooker to cook and tenderize the least expensive beef cuts.

2. Stretch meat with grains and legumes.

Buy ground beef when it's on sale. You can stretch ground beef with texturized vegetable protein, or TVP. If you use small quantities in meatloaf or hamburger, your family may not even notice. Look for TVP in natural food markets and grocery stores. It's usually about the same price as a can of beans, and it looks and tastes like meat when cooked in chili, stew and spaghetti sauce.

Many ethnic cuisines from countries that aren't as wealthy as the United States stretch meat with rice or beans, which also can be excellent sources of protein, said Judy Mayer, nutritionist for Outpost Natural Foods. One pound of dried lentils, beans or brown rice costs $1.59 to $1.99 purchased in bulk at Outpost. One cup of cooked lentils or beans offers 14 to 18 grams of protein, while a cup of cooked brown rice has 9 grams.

Soups, stews, chili and crock pot dishes are great candidates for adding beans, rice, lentils and pasta, and are healthy and tasty ways to stretch your serving size, Mayer noted. Purchasing these dried items in bulk can save you money because you aren't paying for packaging and you can buy only what you need. If you add dried lentils to soups and chili, they cook down in no time, adding texture and flavor, Mayer said.

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Hearty and savory dishes can be fortified by adding canned or frozen vegetables. Chili with beans easily makes two or three meals from 1˝ pounds of ground beef, Mayer said. Serve it over brown rice to stretch it further. Similarly, spaghetti and meat sauce easily makes two meals from one pound of ground beef.

Or simply make your favorite chicken and rice casserole with less chicken and more rice.

"The idea is to use nutritious and inexpensive staples to stretch a meal," Mayer said. "Rice, beans, lentils, whole-wheat pasta, textured vegetable protein and tofu are good meal-extenders."

3. Regularly incorporate vegetarian meals, maybe a couple of times a week.

Quinoa has 21 grams of protein per cup. A 3.5-ounce chicken breast or 3.5 ounces of 85 percent lean hamburger have the same number of grams of protein. That's an inexpensive and nutritious trade-off.

Beans are a great source of protein and a more familiar protein ingredient to meat eaters than, say, tofu.

Or if "vegetarian" doesn't appeal to your family, try serving breakfast for dinner, Mayer suggested.

Eggs are a terrific and affordable way to bring high-quality protein into weekly meals, she said. They provide a rich source of stress-busting B vitamins, she added. Scrambles, frittatas, omelets and quiche are just a few suggestions.

4. Keep it simple.

Choose recipes with fewer ingredients and simpler seasoning profiles, sticking to seasonings already in the pantry when possible.

Buying spices in bulk at a spice shop or natural foods store can save a lot.

Identify a few all-purpose seasoning blends you like that work well in multiple dishes. It's expensive to keep collecting specialty seasonings and condiments that you may never use again.

If a favorite recipe calls for several fresh herbs, remember there's nothing wrong with using dried herbs in winter in most recipes. At $2.50 or more a packet, fresh herbs can quickly increase that per-serving cost. Just remember to adjust the amount of dried herbs accordingly.

5. Cut down on food waste.

Save leftover vegetables and meats from one meal to incorporate into another.

Cut leftover meat in strips or chunks. Add chunks of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc., and you've got the basic ingredients for a stew.

Even ˝ cup of leftover chicken can be made into chicken salad for a brown-bag sandwich.

Got leftover ingredients from an opened can? Try freezing them in pre-measured portions. Chicken or beef broth can be frozen in ice trays. Measure out 1-tablespoon dabs of tomato paste into a small, shallow freezer container and freeze for use later. The paste freezes well and thaws quickly.

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Leftover egg whites? Make meringue cookies, a pie with a meringue or schaum torte. Or toss them in with whole eggs to stretch an omelet, scrambled eggs or quiche. Yolks? Make homemade vanilla pudding.

RECIPES

A whole chicken is relatively inexpensive. This recipe, from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by James Beard award-winning author Beth Hensperger (Harvard Common Press, 2005, $16.95), adds lime and cilantro for sparkle.

The chicken cavity is stuffed with lime halves, and the whole bird is poached in the slow cooker. Serve it with rice and beans for extra protein to stretch the chicken for more servings. If there is leftover chicken, stretch it again by making soft tacos with salsa and chopped fresh tomatoes and lettuce for a second meal.

MEXICAN-STYLE LIME AND CILANTRO WHOLE CHICKEN

Makes 4 to 6 servings

One 3- to 4-pound broiler/fryer

ľ to 1 teaspoon salt

˝ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 small or ˝ large lime

˝ cup fresh cilantro sprigs

2 cloves garlic, peeled

Wash and dry chicken thoroughly. Reserve giblets and neck for another use. Cut off any lumps of fat. Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Place in slow-cooker, breast side up. Squeeze juice of lime over the chicken, and put the rind, cilantro sprigs and garlic into the cavity. Cover and cook on low until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees, six to seven hours.

Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour liquid from cooker into a separate container and refrigerate; skim off the fat after it congeals. Or pour cooking juices into a gravy separator and into a container to refrigerate if not using. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and cut or shred meat from carcass. Refrigerate meat if not using it immediately.

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Here's a healthy vegetarian meal that's delicious and nutritious with 13 grams of protein per serving. Judy Mayer, nutritionist for Outpost Natural Foods, figures the per-serving cost at $1.29, assuming you have all the spices and the olive oil in the pantry.

Spices can be purchased in bulk _ as little as a tablespoon _ which is more affordable than purchasing an expensive bottle that will lose its potency in time, Mayer said.

GYPSY SOUP

Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups diced onion

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped (about 3 cloves)

3 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 1 large)

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon paprika

1˝ teaspoons ground turmeric

1˝ teaspoons dried basil

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˝ teaspoon salt

˝ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 dash cayenne pepper

1˝ cups canned diced tomatoes

2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 low-sodium vegetable broth bouillon cubes, dissolved in 4 cups water

Heat oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, sweet potato and celery, and saute 5 minutes, stirring to avoid burning.

Stir in bell pepper and spices. Saute another 3 minutes. Add tomato, garbanzo beans and vegetable stock. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and serve.

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You want both inexpensive and simple? This fast, easy meal with four ingredients (not including salt and pepper) hails from the Four Corners region (where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona meet). Serve it in bowls with French bread, Spanish rice and a green salad. It's from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook."

NAVAJO STEW

Makes 4 to 6 servings

One 2- to 2˝-pound Boston pork butt, trimmed of all fat

1 large yellow onion, cut in half and sliced into half moons

Water to cover

One can (15 ounces) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

One can (4 ounces) roasted whole green chiles, drained and cut into ˝- to 1-inch-wide strips

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In the morning, place pork butt and onion slices in slow cooker and add just enough water to cover. Cover and cook on low until pork shreds easily when pressed with spoon, seven to nine hours.

When ready for dinner, cut pork butt into cubes or break into uneven pieces. Return to cooker, add chickpeas and chiles, turn cooker to high, and cook until hot, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. You can thicken sauce by taking off lid and cooking another 15 minutes on high. Serve in bowls.

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© 2008, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.