Locally Carei: Save money in preparation of meals
As we go into uncertain times, we may be looking at some economic impacts to our lives. One of the best areas to save money is in the preparation of meals.
I recently gave some food purchasing advice to high school students in Brownsville. And the best way to save money is to plan. Plan your meals and plan what to do with leftovers. On average, we throw away about $1,500 of food per year from our fridge and pantry. That’s a lot of money, which we may need.
When planning your meal, plan a secondary meal. It may need an additional one or a few ingredients, but not much. Sometimes you may need to cook more than you will need the primary meal, but your time and effort will be the same.
Plan your meals before you shop. That you will have everything you need. But, also look at the sale prices and work your meals around them. Steak may be expensive, but with sale prices you can do magic. Turn a steak dinner into a steak salad meal three days later, at reduced prices.
Utilize your spice rack. You can create different flavors by just changing up some herbs and spices you use. Create and Italian meal by using basil and garlic. Go Middle Eastern with cumin, or Asian with ginger. You and your children could hop continents culinarilly and they would be none the wiser.
You can also utilize a creative night that gets everyone involved. Have a hot pot night; which is a Taiwanese way of cooking by dipping leftover ingredients into a seasoned broth and serving with noodles or broth. Or a Mongolian bbq night, heat up your leftovers on a grill or skillet as individual ingredients to make a ‘bowl’ for dinner.
Don’t serve your primary and secondary meals back to back. Shelf life in the refrigerator is about 7 days, so 3-4 days after initial meal will be good. You don’t want a rebellion on your well laid plans. Use labels to date your dishes or indicate days of use.
Although, we are unsure what the future holds. With leftovers and planning, we can be assured it will be delicious.
Below is a meal plan with pork that has a total cost of about $17.46 for eight meals.
Pork loin with roasted potatoes and cauliflower
Ingredients
1 Pork loin 3-pound $9.00
2.5 pounds red potatoes $1.50
1 cauliflower head broken $2.20
1 onion, medium diced $.30
2 teaspoons garlic, separated $ .10
3 tablespoons oil $.10
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper $.05
2 teaspoons herbs (optional) $.07
Total $13.32
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Place pork loin on sheet tray or roasting pan. Season pork with salt and pepper, garlic and herbs if desired. Cube potatoes and toss in oil, tsp garlic, salt and pepper, Do same with cauliflower. Place potatoes and cauliflower around pork. Place in oven for about 1 hourr or 20 minutes per pound. Check with a thermometer. The temperature should be 155 degrees for medium, 165 for medium well. If you do not have thermometer, make a slit in the pork to check.
Pork stir fry
Ingredients
2 tablespoons sesame or vegetable oil $.10
2 stalks celery, chopped or diced $.35
1.5 pound carrots, chopped or diced $.35
1 medium onion, chopped or diced $ .29
1 large head of broccoli, cut up $1
vegetables, optional $.50
2 cubes chicken bouillon, $.12
leftover pork, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder, $.05
1/2 cup soy sauce, $.50
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, $.10
1 tablespoon honey, $.15
3 tablespoons cornstarch, $.10
1/4 cup water
4 cups rice, $.53
Total – $4.14
Dice up left over pork, set aside. Make 2 cups chicken broth out of bouillon. Start preparing rice. Heat up large pan or wok and add oil. When oil is hot add vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a lot. Add pork and then chicken broth. Bring to boil and cook for a minute. Mix cornstarch and water until smooth. Mix into stir-fry. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon stir-fry over rice or toss rice into stir-fry and serve.
Money Saving tip, you can buy whole pork loin around 6-7 pounds for about $1 a pound cheaper. Freeze the other half for another meal.
Below is a meal plan for meatloaf that costs around $17.37 and provides 8 meals, plus a few sandwiches
Meatloaf dinner
Ingredients
4 pounds ground beef, $10
3 pounds russet potatoes, $1.50
2 cans corn, $1.20
2 medium onions, diced, $.60
2 cups crushed crackers, $1
4 eggs, $.45
1 teaspoon garlic, $.10
3 tablespoons oil, $.10
4 tablespoons butter, $.40
2.5 cups milk, separated, $.65
1 cup bread crumbs, $.25
Total $16.25
Peel and cube potatoes. Cook in pot until tender.
Mix ground beef, onions, garlic, crackers, 1½ cup milk, bread crumb, eggs and ketchup. Do not overmix. Place mixture in 2 loaf pans. Bake for 1½ hours at 350 degrees#. Place one meatloaf in fridge for next recipe.
Drain Potatoes and mash in mixer or with mixer with butter and cup milk along with salt and pepper.
Mash until smooth. Set aside half of the potatoes in fridge. Serve other half.
Heat corn and add salt and pepper and butter if desired. Check with a thermometer to 165 degrees.
Shepherd’s pie
Ingredients
Leftover meatloaf $0
Leftover potatoes $0
Leftover corn, plus one can drained, $.60
2 tablespoons butter, $.20
2 tablespoons flour, $.05
2 cubes beef boullion, $.12
2 cups water, $0
1 egg $.15
Total $1.12
Melt butter with flour in saucepan, cook a minute after butter melted. Add water and boullion, reduce by ½. Chop up leftover meatloaf as fine as you like. Place in bottom of casserole dish. Add reduced beef stock. Top with corn. Beat potatoes until fluffy again, heat up if you have to. Beat in egg. Spread on top of corn/beef mix. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes.
More than likely you will have more meatloaf left over for sandwiches.
Chef Joe Carei has been an award-winning chef in Fayette County nearly half of his life. The former PA Restaurateur of the Year now operates Ellie Mae’s Catering and Food Clubs. He can be reached at joe@elliemaescatering.com.