PBR Streetgang German-Vietnamese Fusion Stew

Submitted by: Carie

Prep Time: 40 mins   Serves: 4   PerPerson: $1.60

Dietary: adventurous eater

Description: Okay, so this actually is weird. We wanted Phở, but the stores closed down before we could get all the ingredients we needed. So we made do by making shit up. And it turned out awesome.

Part I: Shrimp $1.99  1/2 lb shrimp, deveined $0.20  2 Tbsp olive oil $0.10  1 Tbsp honey $0.10  1 tsp hot sauce (e.g. Sriracha)   Directions: Stir fry shrimp in oil, honey, and hot sauce. This can also be eaten plain with rice or noodles for a super-fast, super-tasty, cheap meal.

Part II: Tofu $1.00  1 package chopped tofu       Directions: Brown tofu in a skillet until golden brown on all sides

Part III: Soup $0.20  2 stalks celery $0.20  2 carrots $0.20  1/2 purple cabbage $0.10  1 serrano chili $0.25  5 cloves garlic, chopped $0.10  1 onion, chopped $0.10  1 stick cinnamon $0.20  2 Tbsp cooking oil $0.20  2 Tbsp soy sauce $0.20  1 cube vegetable bullion $0.00  8 cups water $0.20  1 lime $0.20  1/4 c. cilantro

Directions: Roast the garlic, onions, carrots, and chili in the oil until onions are translucent, add the celery, cabbage, bullion cube, and cinnamon stick and stir for 2 minutes (breaking up the cube) until cabbage is slightly softened. Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil, then simmer soup on low. Chop the cilantro and quarter the limes for a garnish.

Part IV: Spätzle $0.10  1 c. flour $0.26  2 eggs $0.10  1/4 c. milk (we used rice milk) $0.05  2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro $0.02  1 tsp salt $0.02  1/2 tsp pepper

Directions: Gently beat eggs with milk, pour into flour and mix. Add flour or milk until the consistency is that of a thin dough (should drip in clumps from a spoon). Stir in cilantro, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and press dough through a slotted spoon or colander (or a Spätzle press if you are lucky enough to have one) into the boiling soup. Alternately just make dumplings by dropping the dough into the soup by the teaspoonful. Dough will float to the top of the soup when it is finished cooking. In making normal Spätzle, the dough is dropped in plain salted water. Once the dough floats to the top, it is scooped out, strained, and fried in butter. But this way makes a superfast addition of noodles to a soup when you realize that you want soup with noodles but don't have noodles. Which is why we did it.


Part V: Garnish

$0.20  1 lime

$0.20  1/4 c. cilantro

$0.20  1/2 c. pea pods

$0.10  2 sprigs Thai basil

Final Directions
At this point, the soup is done. Now all you have to do is mix and match the parts you want (tofu? shrimp? plain?), garnish (with the stuff above, or add bean sprouts, chili peppers, or whatever else), and eat up! We served this with a side of baby bok choy and broccoli, stir fried with garlic and soy sauce ($0.55 for two people).


Total: $6.39


Notes: The units in this recipe can be mixed and matched with other things for endless delicious possibilities. Make spicy shrimp with noodles, tofu salad, beef Phở, Spätzle with goulash... oh god, so hungry.

Tunafish Pasta

Submitted by: Carie

Prep Time: 15 mins   Serves: 3   PerPerson: $2.04

Dietary: dairy-free

Description: sound weird? It's delicious, I swear it.

Ingredients
$1.59  1 package of pasta (used Rainbow Rotini)
$1.34  2 cans of tuna, drained
$1.99  1 can diced tomatoes
$0.80  8 tbsp olive oil
$0.15  3 cloves garlic, chopped
$0.05  salt
$0.05  pepper
$0.05  red pepper flakes
$0.10  oregano                             
$6.12  Total ($2.04 per serving)


Directions
Super-easy, and only takes as long as boiling pasta.

1. Cook the pasta in salted water.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and fry the garlic until golden brown
3. Add the canned tuna and toss with the rest of the oil, fry for 2 mins stirring constantly
4. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer on low until sauce is heated and pasta is done
5. Flavor sauce with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and oregano
6. Drain the pasta and toss in the sauce 
7. Serve warm or cold

Notes: By using cheaper pasta or cutting your own tomatoes, you could make this recipe even cheaper.

The Cost of Breakfast

Obviously dinner isn't the only meal of the day, although it's the one that we focus on. A good breakfast is a critical start to the day for many people, myself included. Here I'll compare the costs of a few different favorite breakfast options...some of them are surprisingly expensive! Contact us to add yours.

Cereal
$0.70 2 cups of cereal
$0.75 2 cups of rice milk
$1.55 Total

Bacon & Eggs
$0.39 3 eggs, scrambled
$1.00 4 strips of bacon
$1.39 Total

Beverages
$0.75 tall glass of Orange Juice

Grilled Radicchio & Eggplant Pasta

Submitted by: Carie

Prep Time: 40 mins   Serves: 4   PerPerson: $1.68

Dietary: vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free

Description This delicious pasta recipe comes from Epicurious. The bitterness of the radicchio is nicely balanced by the sweetness of the eggplant and tomatoes.

Ingredients

$0.65   large eggplant

$2.99   can peeled tomatotes (peel your own for more savings!)

$1.20   1 head radicchio

$0.20   4 cloves garlic (chopped)

$0.15   1/2 onion (chopped)
$0.25   1 vegetable bullion cube
$0.10   1 Tbsp Italian parsley
$0.10   1 Tbsp thyme
$0.59   basil (1/2 c. chopped)
$0.50   1/2c. dry white wine (the one sitting half-drunk in your fridge...)

$6.73   Total ($1.68 per serving)

Directions

1. Cut the eggplant into 1" thick strips, salt lightly, and lay out on paper towels to "sweat" the eggplants for 30 minutes. Pat dry, brush with olive oil, and salt lightly. Meanwhile...
2. Heat a grill.
3. Cook pasta. Meanwhile...
4. Cook onions and garlic in oil on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add parsley & thyme and cook a few more minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, wine, vegetable broth cube, basil, and red pepper. Simmer for 8 minutes.
6. Cut the radicchio into quarters, remove the heart. Brush with olive oil.
7. Grill the eggplant and slice into bite-sized pieces. Grill the radicchio until slightly wilted.
8. Turn off the heat and add the eggplant and radicchio to the sauce.
9. Toss the pasta in the sauce.

Notes
This recipe can easily be modified to add meat, e.g. ground beef or sausage. That makes it a little more expensive, but this is still a dirt-cheap meal!

More Photos

"Sweating" the Eggplant slices

Grilling the Eggplant on a Foreman Grill

Aloo Gobi with Biryani & Flatbread

Submitted by: Carie & Vicky

Prep Time: 90 mins Serves: 5 PerPerson: $1.94

Dietary: vegetarian

Description This meal is a lot of work, but sooooo worth it. After tasting the flatbread, Vicky wanted to take it out back and get it pregnant.

Ingredients

$1.50 1 cauliflower - cut into florets
$0.19 large ginger root
$0.70 2 large green spicy peppers (we used pasillas, but others will work)
$0.65 1 very large potato (or a few small ones) -diced into pieces about the same size as the cauliflower
$0.18 1 onion - diced
$2.50 frozen mixed vegetables
$1.50 1 cup garlic
$0.30 2 cups corn flour
$0.07 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
$0.20 1 cup rice
$0.10 2 Tbsp coriander
$0.05 1/2 Tsp tumeric
$0.05 1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
$0.10 1/2 Tbsp whole cloves
$0.50 fresh cilantro (free from our garden)
$0.60 1/2c. cooking oil
$0.50 stick of butter

$9.69 Total ($1.94 per serving)

Directions
White girls cooking Indian food!!!!! Don't be scared, it's not that daunting, just keep track of the spices and follow the recipe. Anyone can do it, we swear.

The Aloo Gobi and Biryani call for a wet garam masala blend - if you don't own it already, you can approximate it by first making a garlic-ginger paste and adding a few spices to it.

1. Blend 1cup chopped garlic, 1 cup fresh ginger, and 1/2 cup oil (olive works, so does canola) in a food processor until smooth and paste-like
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon tumeric, 2 tablespoon coriander, and 1 cup water to the paste. Stir. As it sits, it should become a darker yellow.
3. Set this aside - you will need half of it for each dish. If you only want to make one dish, just halve the proportions.

Now to the actual cooking

1. In a large pot, heat 2tbsp oil until it shimmers, but doesn't smoke
2. Split your pepper in half, but do not severe it. Add it, cut side down to the hot oil, and wait 30 seconds
3. Add the cumin seeds and wait until they stop sputtering and popping. Optional - order the seeds to 'dance, DANCE I SAY!' as they cook
4. Add the wet masala (which will also pop and sputter). Cook until it thickens slightly and darkens a bit in color (the oil will start to seep out at the sides- about 2-3 minutes). If using dry masala, add it and 1/2 cup water
5. Add the cauliflower and potatoes - stir to coat with masala
6. Stir in about 1/2 cup water, and salt to taste
7. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes
8. Remove the lid, stir, and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are soft, about an additional 5 minutes.
9. Garnish with cilantro and serve

Biryani

1. cook rice. Brown, white, basmati, whatever you have on hand
2. Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil in a pan.
3. Add 1/2 tbsp of cumin seeds and 1/2 tbsp of whole cloves. Heat for about 30 seconds to a minute
4. Add the cup of chopped onions, and brown but don't burn
5. Stir in the rice and cook for about a minute
6. Stir in the frozen vegetables, wet masala mixture, and any chili powder you may desire (we desire all of it). If you are using dried garam masala instead, also add 1/2 cup water at this time.
7. Cook down for about 5 minutes, until the masala thickens.
8. If desired, fluff with butter before serving, but we didn't miss the extra fat.

Notes
This is easier to make if you own a pre-blended garam masala (an Indian spice blend that makes everything taste like magic), but its also not too much of a hassle to make your own, so long as you own a food processor or really like chopping garlic.

The frozen vegetables used where ByBee Frozen Organic mixed vegetables from Costco. Its a blend of shelled edamame, carrots, corn, and peas that I find goes equally well in stir fry as in pasta sauce. I keep it on hand always, and throw a cup in whatever I am making to up the vegetable content.

We heartily recommend adding chili powder/red pepper flakes to the Biryani.

Adaption: you could just make a large pot of the Biryani and add some tofu for protein.

More Photos

Aloo Gobi cooking with the pasilla slices

Flatbread dough

Flatbread dough balls: roll out, fry, & voila!