5 of the best meals from the ‘poor man’s kitchen’
When we talk about ‘poor man’s food’, we mean budget recipes with simple ingredients used to make dishes that even a Michelin-starred chef wouldn’t turn their nose up at. And there are plenty of them—meals like that, I mean; enough to choose from!
And if you’re hopelessly addicted to instant noodles, there may be no amount of money that can come between you and your spicy slurping session. But there’s also plenty of comfort food to be found in the healthier category that will make you happy; whether you’re as poor as a church mouse or as rich as Scrooge McDuck. These are 5 top picks:
Instant noodles
We just mentioned them: these packets and sachets are seriously addictive for many people. And while it really isn’t healthy to eat them often (although there are also varieties with less salt and artificial additives), sometimes a bag of hot noodles in broth can make you very happy. Add a few simple ingredients, such as shelled soybeans (buy them cheaply at an Asian grocery store) and a boiled egg, and you’ll be happy for very little money.
Pasta
Of course, if you want to splash out a little, you can buy all the ingredients for a slow-cooked ragù made with, for example, organic pork shoulder. But with a packet of spaghetti, some crumbled stale bread, a clove or two of garlic and some chopped parsley (or wild garlic—if it’s in season, you can forage it for free!), you can put a dish on the table that may earn you an Italian’s approval. And that’s no easy feat! But just look here: this is the recipe for spaghetti with breadcrumbs.
Risotto
In Italy, they’re clearly very good at this: turning very little into something delightful. You don’t need any meat or expensive ingredients at all; if you have a packet of risotto rice and some simple flavorings, you can easily put a filling meal on the table that will make everyone happy. Add frozen peas as a budget vegetable, take the time to stir gently from time to time, and you’ll soon have the cucina povere (‘poor man’s kitchen’) down pat.
Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup
This is a golden combination: savory, umami-rich tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich made from thick slices of bread and melted cheese, fried until wonderfully crisp in a skillet. Dipping is mandatory! And here’s how to make cheap tomato soup for 2–4 people: put two cans of peeled tomatoes and one can of water in a pan, add a chopped onion, a stock cube and 50–70 grams of butter, simmer for 45 minutes, purée, and it’s ready…
Rice with legumes
Rice with beans, rice with chickpeas, rice with lentils: all nutritious and inexpensive meals that can be absolutely delicious. Sauté chopped onion and garlic in oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add some ground cumin and/or curry powder, then a mug of rice (stir it through) and one and a half mugs of stock, and cook the rice over low heat until tender. Once the liquid has almost completely evaporated, add the drained and rinsed contents of a can of legumes and sprinkle with some fresh green herbs, if available. Small budget, big pleasure!
Need even more tips? Then take a look at the little book Armeluiseten by Sylvia Witteman.
Also read:
- Budget cooking: eggs
- Urgent kitchen question answered: should you stir risotto or not?
- 11 cheap ways to upgrade your instant noodles
