Cheap and easy cooking!

No gimmick and it's pretty darn healthy!  This is a work in progress, so please bear with me.  Feel free to add your own, I'll index them in.

Choose a protein source:

I recommend shopping the sales and getting whatever your protein source is as cheaply as possible.

• Chicken
  
• Eggs
  
• Beans
  
• Tofu
  
• Seafood
• lean cuts of beef & pork 
• some other thing like ostrich (I haven't gotten into the exotic, but others might)

Choose a carbohydrate:

• rice
  
• bread
  
• pasta
  
• potatoes
  

Choose a veggie or three (I prefer the frozen veggies since they're cheaper and you don't have to worry about them spoiling):

• Green beans (requires no prep time)
  
• broccoli (a quick cook in the microwave or stove top)
  
• asparagus (no prep time)
  
• pea pods (goes great with broccoli, but doesn't cook at quite the same time)
  
• bell peppers (raw or in omlettes/scrambles)
  
• carrots (I like mine straight up)

Snacks & Desserts

• roasted chick peas
• tofu cookies
  

tofu?

Storage - you will want to get Tupperware or plastic ware or other reusable containers.  I also like the glass Pyrex, but they're a bit more expensive and don't store as easily.  Preferably nothing too expensive as if you're like me, there will be times when you forget to rinse the container and throw it out because it's disgusting.  I really like the "as seen on TV" containers that all stack neatly in one spinning thing and all use the same lids, they come in 1/2 cup, 1 cup, and 2 cup sizes.

You can use the 1/2 cup containers to store one serving of a carbohydrate or protein and the 2 cup to store veggies if you want to mix and match on the fly instead of making one complete meal.

If you're like me, you can happily eat the same thing for a few days in a row, but if you're not, then you'll want to make a batches of different things and freeze them for later consumption.

The other option is to store each item individually and just pick the containers that you want for the meal out of the fridge or freezer.  Mix and match actually works.

It really takes just the same amount of time to make a cup of rice as 2 cups, the same with noodles.  I don't bother with undercooking them to freeze as I think that no matter what I make it's still better tasting and healthier than a frozen entree.

You do need to take a few hours a week for your prep work, but it will actually take less time than it does to go to a restaurant or a take out place and wait for your order, plus it will be more nutritious and generally better tasting.

Chicken precooked chicken breast, whole roasted, sliced chicken breast.  They all work just fine, precooked chicken will generally be more expensive, but if your time is limited then it's generally worth it.  You can usually find it for around $5/lb at costco or another warehouse store and around $6 or $7 per pound at a regular grocery store.  It is cost effective because of the time involved and the weight is the finished cooked weight without any bones or skin.  BTW, the precooked chicken does freeze just fine so if you find a sale, don't worry about buying too much.

Toss 3-4 ounces in your storage container.

Cooking options for raw chicken - this is not the most time effective, but if you plan it right it's not too hard:

• Bake in a foil packet with veggies
• Grill - quick and easy ~3 minutes per side
• Bake open in the oven ~6 minutes per side
  
• Bake in oven, covered with foil, this will take about 1.5 hours for a whole so it's a bit time intensive.
  

don't forget that you can poach chicken: it's always nice and moist, just a little bland.  but add some salsa/chutney/whatever and it's delicious.  great for salads!

steamed shrimp?!

doesn't really keep very well but it's quick & easy on the night you steam it....

Eggs - generally around $1-2 per dozen, one of the cheapest sources of protein available.  They keep pretty easily for a few weeks in the fridge.  Check the sell by date at the store and try to get the latest one.  Make sure you check your eggs before you buy them by twisting each one in the carton at the store.

Fresh or you can freeze the whites or yolks in an ice cube tray and defrost them when you're ready to use them.  You will want to toss in a dash of either sugar or salt depending on your future intentions to preserve them.

Hard boiled is the simplest and easiest and they usually keep fairly well all day long.  Put the eggs in the pot with tap water and set a timer for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, turn the heat on just above medium, I use 5.5 or 6 on an electric.  Set the timer for 12 minutes, that's about how long it will take to boil.  Once the water has boiled, set your timer for another 20 minutes, turn the heat off and put the lid back on the pan.  Rinse after 20 minutes and store in the fridge.

Omlettes are a quick and easy meal, just toss 2-3 eggs into a bowl, some diced veggies or cheese or protein (smaller is better), mix it up and toss it in a pan for a few minutes on each side.

Scrambled...I'm just not able to do these, but you're supposed to be able to toss eggs into a pan and just stir them and they come out like scrambled eggs.  Mine always look like a messed up omlette.

Over easy/hard.  Toss a couple eggs in a pan with a spritz of olive oil and flip them over once the white is no longer transparent.  Serve on toast or eat straight up.

Beans - do you hate beans in general?  Give them another chance, but avoid canned beans at all costs!  Canned beans are not fit for human consumption imo, you must cook them yourself to have a satisfactory result.  Try making your own, they're pretty easy, but they do require timing.  I like to use my crock pot.

Around $1-2 per pound, I like the chick peas and black beans best. You can also sometimes find soup mixes with beans and barley, Trader Joe's carries a 17 bean and barley mix that is terrific.

The key is to soak them overnight and dump the rinse water.  Then toss them in your crock pot with about an inch of water over the level of beans.  Cook for a few hours with whichever seasonings you have chosen (or none).  When you go to reheat them, you can roast them in the oven with pepper and seasoning salt, garlic, whatever pleases you.  If you make them into a soup instead, toss in all the frozen veggies that you have lying around or fresh ones and you're set.  Put salt and tomatoes in after the beans have cooked for a few hours.

Tofu - I'm still not quite sure what to do with it, but it is a good and reasonably cheap protein source.  I've used it in stir fries which works quite well.  I've tried adding a bit to smoothies which isn't so good.  I hear that you can bake it with herbs and sauce.  I suspect it's just an acquired taste that I haven't acquired yet.

I just got some of those green bags you see on TV infomercials.  I'm hoping they will enable me to buy larger, thus cheaper, amounts of produce and keep it fresh.  There's a produce place that sells in larger quantities for so much cheaper.  Right now I would have to share with at least 2 more people to make it worth while.

By the way, once you have those cooked, drained chickpeas, you can roast them and eat them like nuts.  Pat them dry and put into a bowl with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Keep tossing until they all have just a sheen of oil.  Season with either plain salt, or any seasoning salt.  Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet.   Bake at 450 F for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring a few times to avoid scorching.  You want them to be dry and crunchy, and golden brown.  Cool and store in an airtight container. 

Seafood (salmon, ahi, swordfish, shark, shrimp, etc.) - this is a more expensive option ~$10-25/lb if it's fresh around $5-10/lb frozen, but if you have a Trader Joe's near you or save it for a special occasion it's worth it.

Canned tuna makes a great tuna salad and is economical if you can find a sale on it.  Personally I prefer the mixed tuna in water over the pure white and it's cheaper for some reason.  Add a spoon full of mayonaise per can, as many pickles as you like, some celery and you've got a great salad that goes well on bread, crackers, rice cakes or is just good by itself.

Grill it, stir fry it, steam it, bake it.  A lot of rice cookers have a top portion with a steaming insert that you can put fish on.  I recommend seasoning with pepper, garlic, and lemon juice, but almost anything works.

If you're going to eat it raw (sashimi), make sure you're getting it from a reputable store.

Fish generally keeps for about 3 days, so if you're hoping to make it last longer you're going to have to freeze it either raw or cooked.

I just made the most delicious tofu cookies today! I got the recipe from Fat Free Vegan and you can click here to view the recipe..  Completely fat free and extremely good! 70 calories a piece!

lean cuts of beef & pork - shop the sales, I've seen it anywhere from $1.50/lb to $20/lb depending on the cut and grade.  If you can avoid hamburger, you'll generally do better, but if hamburger is what you want, get the leanest grade that you can afford.  Depending on the market where you shop you might be able to ask the butcher to grind a cut that's on sale for you if you really want it ground.  I like london broil for stews and stir fries, top sirloin for milanesa, any rump roast for a roast.  You can also ask your butcher to cut a roast into 1" steaks for you.  I will happily freeze the meat and defrost it later to use.

Stir fries - get an oil like sesame or macadamia nut, cut thin slices of meat and stir in as many veggies as you like.  The meat is intending to enhance the stir fry, not be the bulk of the meal.  You can also toss in rice.  I like to use ginger and garlic for seasonings.

Roasting - there are books on how to roast, but you can pretty easily tuck a roast into a pan, cover it with foil.  Add a packet of soup mix and some water for easy flavoring, chop some onions and your favorite veggies to accompany it and bake it for an hour or so around 300 degrees.  make sure you use a meat thermometer to make sure it's done.

BBQ - take a steak, throw it on the BBQ, flip it after a few minutes, serve when it's done the way you like it.

Broiling - same as BBQ, but it usually takes less time and tends to be a bit drier so have something handy as a marinade.

For pork specifically, please make sure it's well done, trichinosis is not something you want.  My mother's standby was to toss a few pork chops in a large frying pan and pour a can of cream of potato soup over it, add a can of water and let it simmer with the lid on.

Rice - At $1-2 per pound it's one of the cheapest carbohydrate and protein sources available.  I recommend whole grain rice or wild rice.

(buy a rice cooker from a thrift store, it's cheap and easy)

If not, then toss a cup of rice in a sauce pan, add about 1.5 cups of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes with the lid on.

Bread - (I recommend a whole grain or complete protein bread, you can freeze the extra).  Choose whatever you like to eat, but if you're looking for economy, you'll find that per slice bread is cheaper than english muffins and bagels as well as having fewer calories.

Bake your own if you know how and have the time, but you'll probably find that it's hard for the cost of a loaf to beat the store price.

Pasta - (flax noodles or whole wheat taste just fine imo), at roughly $1-3 per pound a little bit goes a long way.  You can also get FiberGourmet noodles or shiratake noodles if you want to, but be aware that both of those options are significantly more expensive, especially if you add in shipping costs.

Put a sauce pan on the stove with enough water to cover the noodles you've put in (if you don't know how much, put the noodles in dry, eyeball the level and put a bit over half that level of water in), turn it on medium heat for around 12 minutes to bring it to a boil.  Put the noodles in, cook according to the package and your taste, usually 8-12 minutes, drain.

Serve with a protein and veggies or I like to make pasta salads with noodles.

• Greek pasta salad, one serving of pasta, frozen artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, canned olives, diced onion (optional), chicken breast, top with a sprinkle of feta cheese, oregano, ground pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt.
• Thai pasta salad - get a thai peanut dressing (not a sauce, that'll be too thick).  One serving of pasta, a ton of shredded carrots and cabbage, cilantrol, green onions.
  

Potatoes  - (the baby ones are pretty good, but keep the skin on for nutrients).  I'm particularly fond of the red and white ones and sometimes the blue ones, but not so much the russet varieties or sweet potatoes.

I prefer to bake or microwave them.  The time depends on their size, you want to easily stick a fork in the center to make sure they're done.

For mashed potatoes, you can use an apple corer/peeler to peel most of the skin off and cut the potatoes into very thin sliced for quick cooking.  Boil until done, rinse, drain, mash with either broth and herbs (rosemary and garlic) or more traditionally with butter and cream.