EatCheapEatWell
  • Home
  • SHOP
  • Life/Budget/Household Stuff
  • Food and Meal Blog
  • About
  • Home
  • SHOP
  • Life/Budget/Household Stuff
  • Food and Meal Blog
  • About

Falafel (Vegan Middle Eastern Chick Pea Patties)

9/28/2017

 
Picture
My love for falafel started way back when my husband was in school, and I was supporting us on a meager wage in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Restaurant meals were just not an option for us at all. And that included any kind of meal out for lunch at work. Our household of two at the time simply could not afford the hit to our bottom line of daily take-out or cafeteria meals. 

Even for a single person that would have meant hundreds of dollars less every year that could go toward savings or long-term financial goals. And for the two of us, it would have amounted to a couple of thousand dollars a year. That’s tens of thousands over the course of a lifetime.

And let’s bear in mind that this is money spent on completely forgettable food.

So we brownbagged our lunches then, both for school and for work. And we continue to do so now, either by taking leftovers, or making ourselves sandwiches.

​Our financial situation taught us early that there’s simply no reason that lunch should cost more than $1-$2 per person. 

Read More

3-Bean Spinach, Tomato and Lime Pasta Salad

9/19/2016

 
3-Bean Spinach, Tomato, and Lime Pasta Salad
This colorful, delicious recipe had its beginnings long ago in my desire to somehow turn leftover pasta I had sitting in the fridge into a quick and easy meal and avoid cooking over a hot stove in the middle of a heat wave. 

That first meal was a haphazard affair, with a bit of this and that thrown in, but it was good enough to keep in my repertoire.

I have used it as a basic starting point for many a meal over the years, and it has seen a few different incarnations.

This particular version is a huge favorite with my husband.  He just raves about it. I think it’s the combination of lime and fresh garden tomatoes that appeals to him so much. He is a real tomato lover.

​And I like that, too, but what I really like is that it’s so darned easy to put together and involves no cooking at all if you have some extra cooked pasta on hand from an earlier meal.

​And I love that I have lunch to take to work for a few days during  the week.  

Read More

"Baked" Bean Casserole, Stove Top and Slow Cooker Method

7/27/2016

 
Picture
Tangy
Growing up, we typically ate baked beans a couple of times a month. Baked beans, homemade coleslaw,  with hot dogs and rolls, or old-fashioned canned brown bread – was a regular meal in our house.

I loved it. 
​
It turns out it was the result of a misunderstanding between my parents -  namely, that while Mom thought that Dad liked baked beans from his time in the army, he actually didn't like them much at all because they reminded him of the army.
​
But he never said a word of complaint about it for decades. I think part of that was because he felt the household and the meals were Mom’s domain, and he did not want to interfere. 

Read More

Black-Eyed Peas and Spicy Greens

5/19/2016

 
Picture
Black-Eyed Peas and Greens
“This is really good. I didn’t think I’d like anything vegetarian, but I really do like this!” Those were my brother’s surprised words when I prepared this dish for a family gathering a while back.

​He’s right, of course. This meal is very tasty -- one of my personal favorites. And just as it did him, it might surprise others who are new to the idea of meatless meals to know that vegetarian does not mean tasteless or unsatisfying. It’s perfectly possible to be nutritious, healthy and delicious all at the same time. 
Black-Eye Peas and Spicy Greens
The spiciness of his recipe as written is probably what appealed to my brother. It's certainly one of the reasons my family likes it so much. But it can be made quite mild as well, or however the cook would like it to be.

​The heat is adjustable to personal tastes, and the medley of vegetables in the recipe lends plenty of flavor of their own.  
​
It can also be a very quick recipe to get on the table if you happen to have a batch of cooked rice on hand (because you planned and cooked extra from another meal earlier in the week that called for rice, such as Jamaican-Style Lentils).  

Using frozen greens, instead of fresh,  further reduces the prep and cook time. 

In fact, the only thing besides the rice that takes any time is the vegetable chopping. An experienced cook can get it done in about 10 minutes, but it will take a novice a bit longer.  


Read More

Pasta Fagioli

2/3/2016

 
Picture
This is one of my very original recipes from a cookbook I made as Christmas gifts for my family way back when my husband was in school and we could not afford to buy presents for everyone.

​That original recipe, though, was for fewer servings, so I’ve adapted it over the years to accommodate numbers and appetites in my household.  As I’ve mentioned before, my boys are chowhounds who can go through food like there’s no tomorrow. 

This meal was a big favorite with them. I like it, too, because it’s quite quick and easy to make.  It only takes about 20 minutes or so of prep time, and can be on the table in about 40 minutes.

Read More

Tamale Pie Casserole

12/22/2015

 
Tamale Pie Casserole
Mom was a 2nd generation Texan, so it makes sense that we were introduced at a young age to tamales. It’s one of the few ethnic dishes I remember from my childhood, since most of our meals were more typical American fare, with some traditional Italian dishes in the mix. 

​Interestingly, the tamales I recall were prepared ones, an almost unheard of circumstance in our large family. I think it’s a testament to Mom’s love of Mexican food that she chose them as one of her very rare indulgences.

Read More

Curry Cauliflower, Bean,  and Spinach Stew (Vegan and Chicken Versions)

11/18/2015

 
Cauliflower Bean Soup
​This is another old recipe that I’ve been using since the days a few decades ago when I was the sole breadwinner of the family and my husband was in school. We had very little money and things were very tight. What with tuition, rent, utilities, and commuting costs, just about every penny was earmarked for something.
​
It was a good thing that after years of frugal grad student living overseas, I had acquired a few recipes that cost almost nothing and could feed us for a few days besides. 

Read More

Greek Bean, Tomato, and Vegetable Stew

10/30/2015

 
Greek Bean Stew
This recipe has quite a history for me, going back as it does to the days when my husband and I first met in an international student dorm in Vienna, Austria.   

Unlike at U.S. universities, there was no cafeteria or meal plan available, so we all had to get our own meals. And as was the case for most of our dorm-mates, my husband had left home with non-existent cooking skills.

Add to that the fact that most of us were trying to get by on tight student budgets, and it’s easy to understand that we would do whatever we could to save money on food and still eat.

​Suffice it to say that I saw some interesting and, shall we say, “creative” concoctions in that dorm kitchen during the time I lived there.  Sometimes dinner consisted of a can of herring in tomato sauce served over pasta. ​

Read More

Hearty Black Bean Soup

10/3/2015

 
Picture
This is one of my oldest recipes. I have loved black bean soup since my childhood. 

It's the canned version I remember. That was what we occasionally had for lunch -- but never for dinner. Campbell's, I think it was - a pretty rare purchase made by my frugal Mom. But the flavor sure stuck with me.

Of course I didn't learn about the possibility of meatless meals until I had a vegetarian house mother the year I worked on a farm in England after high school. She introduced me to all kinds of possibilities for nutritious, budget-conscious meals.

So when I was a poor grad student and then a low-earning newlywed, I made it a point to try to re-create her delicious vegetarian fare, as well as my childhood favorites. This particular  soup was definitely one of those.

I wanted to replicate the flavor, but add a whole lot more heartiness to make it a meal in a pot. I soon came up with this recipe.

It was a mainstay of my menu repertoire for many years, included in the cookbook I created for family members one Christmas in lieu of gifts we could not afford.  But I had not used it in years and years, and had actually forgotten about it until recently when I happened to notice it again among my recipes.

I cooked it up shortly thereafter,  fell in love with it all over again, and proceeded to make it a few times over the course of the next few weeks.  

Read More
    Follow Me
    Picture
    Picture
    Hi, I'm Nancy, and I'm on a mission to help people eat and live well on a tight budget. In these uncertain times, it has never been more important to practice frugality. 

     In this section of the blog, I offer some meal plans and recipes, some old, some new, to help get you started on eating well for less than you think and keeping money in your bank account.

    I hope you find some of these recipes useful.  

    And thanks for visiting!

    Archives buy

    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    -10 Soups
    -12 Ways To Prepare Zucchini
    -3-Bean Spinach Tomato And Lime Pasta Salad
    -Baked Bean Casserole
    -Baked Ham With Roast Potatoes
    -Bean Recipes
    -Beet And Caramelized Onion Quiche
    -Black Bean Burgers
    -*Black Bean Soup
    -*Black-Eyed Peas And Spicy Greens
    -Broccoli And Cheese Spaghetti Squash
    -Broccoli-Mushroom Lasagna
    -Broccoli Tuna One-Pot Pasta
    -Buckwheat Cakes With Citrus-Maple Topping
    -Butternut Squash And Apple Bake
    -Caramelized Onions The Easy Way
    -Carrot And Raisin Salad
    -Carrot And Turnip Mash
    -Cheesy Spinach Pasta Bake
    -Chicken And Turkey Recipes
    -Chicken /Turkey Noodle Soup
    -Chicken With Spinach
    -Chickpea And Vegetable Curry
    -Chick Pea Noodle Soup
    -Chili Mac
    -Citrus Fruit Slaw
    -Coleslaw
    -Curry Cauliflower Bean Stew
    -Dirty Rice With Collard Greens
    *Dressings And Sauces
    -Egg Alternatives
    -Eggplant Parmigiana
    -Egg Recipes
    -Falafel
    -Fast-Food Tortillas
    -Garlic Bread
    -Garlic Hummus
    -Gazpacho-Style Tomato Soup
    -Ginger Cabbage And Noodle Soup
    -Gluten Free
    -*Greek Avgolemono (Lemon-Egg Soup)
    -Greek Bean And Tomato Stew
    -Greek Beet Potato Bowl
    -Greek-Style Chickpeas
    -How To Cook Dry Beans
    -Lasagna Dishes
    -Latkes
    -Layered Summer Vegetable Casserole
    -Lentil And Barley "Meatloaf"
    -Lentil And Vegetable Salad
    -Lentil Bolognese Spaghetti
    -Lentil Recipes
    -Lentils-Mediterranean Style
    -Lentil Soup
    -Lentils-Spicy And Sweet
    -Mediterranean Chicken (or Lamb) Stew
    -Mediterranean Garlic And Green Bean Stew
    -*Mediterranean Zucchini And Eggs With Sweet Potato Oven Fries*
    -Minestrone Soup
    -One Pot Meals
    -Paella
    -Pasta Bruschetta
    -Pasta Dishes And Salads
    -Pasta Fagioli
    -Pasta With Lemon Vegetables And Feta
    -Pasta With Olives And Zucchini
    -Pasta With Swiss Chard And Beans
    -Pasta With Tomato And Spinach And Feta
    -Popcorn For Pennies
    -Potato And Cabbage Soup
    -Potato Recipes
    -Pumpkin Vegetable Soup
    -Quiche With Spinach Or Broccoli
    -Ramen Noodle Slaw
    -*Ratatouille - French-Style Vegetable Casserole*
    -Red Beans And Rice
    -Rice Dishes
    -Roast Chicken Dinner
    -Salad Dressing
    -Salads
    -Salad The Easy Way
    -Salmon Burger Dinner
    -*Salsa
    -Shakshuka-Style Spicy Egg And Tomato Casserole
    -Side Dishes
    -Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
    -Snacks (Cheap And Healthy)
    -Soup Joumou
    -Soups And Stews
    -Spaghetti (with Meat Sauce)
    -Spicy Black Bean And Corn Salsa Salad
    -Spicy Garlic Linguini
    -Spinach Lasagna (Easy Prep)
    -Split Pea Soup
    -Squash Prep
    -Stuffed Baked Potato
    -Stuffed Cabbage Made Easy
    -Stuffed Grape Leaves Made Easy
    -Summer Vegetable Recipes
    -Sweet Potato And Spinach And Feta Quiche
    -Sweet Potato Latkes
    -Sweet Potato Oven Fries
    -Tamale Pie Casserole
    -Tortellini Parmesan Salad Supreme
    -Tuna Casserole Supreme
    -*Turkey And Vegetable Rice Pilaf
    -Tzatziki
    -Vegan Seitan (Wheat Meat)
    -Vegetable Prep
    -Vegetable Soup Broth
    -White Bean And Parmesan Soup
    -Whole Wheat Bread
    -Zucchini Garlic Hummus
    -Zucchini Parmigiana

    RSS Feed

Home

SHOP                              Life/Budget/Household Stuff               

              Food and Meal Blog             About                      

Copyright © Nancy Maje Gillis 2015-2025