Quick, Cheap, and Easy

[MikeLM]

Several years ago when my son and I were working in his cabinet shop, we wanted frozen entrees for lunch - just in a microwave - and we found that Safeway's Safeway Select brand were the only ones at all fit to eat. Some of them were actually pretty good. We tried most of the other brands - once.

Mike

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by shel

This is the time of year when I can get pretty busy, and this morning, facing an empty fridge and a desire for something hot and fast, I stopped in at the local TJ's and picked up some canned soup and chile, some beans, and a few similar odds and ends. I made some franks and beans for lunch - certainly fit the quick, cheap, and easy requirement, although, even with adding a bunch of flavor to the beans, the results were still low-tier for taste. Maybe the canned soup, with the addition of some fresh veggies, would be better.

So, what would you suggest for some quick, cheap, and easy meals, dishes in which there's little or no cooking involved, heat and eat stuff, ideally one pot or skillet prep, for those times when a person is working 14 hours a day, or is on a tight budget at the end of the month?

Maybe some frozen dinners that can be zapped in the microwave would be acceptabe. Any suggestions for those?

shel

I would look at the thread about crock-pot meals from last week...lots of stuff there that would fit the bill...

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

Several years ago when my son and I were working in his cabinet shop, we wanted frozen entrees for lunch - just in a microwave - and we found that Safeway's Safeway Select brand were the only ones at all fit to eat. Some of them were actually pretty good. We tried most of the other brands - once.

Mike

Oh, and I really like the Amy's Organic brand of frozen food (in the organic section of your grocer). My fave thing to heat up on the run is her No-Cheese veggie pizza with sweet onions, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers on a whole wheat crust with a balsamic vinegar sauce instead of the normal tomato. I sprinkle some fresh grated parmesan or asiago on it before cooking and it's soooo good (and healthy, too).

[indianwells]

My favourite quick meal would be to knock up a quick tomato sauce (sorry, I just can't buy the jarred stuff!) then throw in a top quality tin of tuna (Spanish if possible) and serve over pasta. Delicious, nutritious, filling, cheap(ish) and very easy!

[Ishbel]

If you add some chopped olives to that, plus some chili flakes, I'll join you for lunch!

[shel]

Originally Posted by DoryD

Oh, and I really like the Amy's Organic brand of frozen food (in the organic section of your grocer). My fave thing to heat up on the run is her No-Cheese veggie pizza with sweet onions, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers on a whole wheat crust with a balsamic vinegar sauce instead of the normal tomato. I sprinkle some fresh grated parmesan or asiago on it before cooking and it's soooo good (and healthy, too).

I like many of Amy's products and can often get coupons for $1.00 off. About eight months ago I wrote them with a quaestion about a couple of their products. Within hours I received two replies from different departments, fully answering the questions, and then, as a bonus, the offered to send me some coupons. I got four coupons for free products, about the same for $1.00 off frozen products, and four or six fifty-cent off coupons.

I sometimes enjoy their mac and soy cheese, some of their canned siups are pretty good, especially when pumped up with some fresh ingredients.

Their ciupons got me to try some new products, like the canned soups. Oh, yeah, they also sent me a brochure that listed every item they make.

Amy's is a great company, local to the San Francisco area, privately and family owned. I believe they are really trying to put out a good product, and a lot of what they produce is good tasting and healthy.

shel

[shel]

Originally Posted by indianwells

My favourite quick meal would be to knock up a quick tomato sauce (sorry, I just can't buy the jarred stuff!) then throw in a top quality tin of tuna (Spanish if possible) and serve over pasta. Delicious, nutritious, filling, cheap(ish) and very easy!

Interesting idea ... esp with the addition of olives and chili flakes. There's a jarred sauce I sometimes get, Don Pomodoro, that would make this a very workable idea. Thks!

shel

[shel]

Originally Posted by DoryD

I would look at the thread about crock-pot meals from last week...lots of stuff there that would fit the bill...

Don't have a slow cooker now- anyway, food cooked that way takes hours to prepare and requires some pre-planning I'm really looking to prepare some fast, last minute dishes.

I do like slow cooker cooking, however. I had the original Rival Crockpot, and made some nice meals in it. One was a low fat, low salt, "Greek" stew that was a fairly common meal here for a while. I'd like to get a new slow cooker some day.

shel

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by shel

Amy's is a great company, local to the San Francisco area, privately and family owned. I believe they are really trying to put out a good product, and a lot of what they produce is good tasting and healthy.

shel

Yes, I think the story of the company is what got me to start buying their products. I'm going to have to watch for coupons, LOL.

I would love to find a way to make that no-cheese veggie pizza myself and have the balsamic vinegar sauce taste half as good as theirs.

One of the very, very few frozen foods that actually surpasses my expectations -- you can even taste the olive oil in the pizza crust.

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by shel

Don't have a slow cooker now- anyway, food cooked that way takes hours to prepare and requires some pre-planning I'm really looking to prepare some fast, last minute dishes.

I do like slow cooker cooking, however. I had the original Rival Crockpot, and made some nice meals in it. One was a low fat, low salt, "Greek" stew that was a fairly common meal here for a while. I'd like to get a new slow cooker some day.

shel

I posted one there that I did again this week and it literally takes 5 minutes of your morning (if you ever get a crockpot again, LOL)...

Dump a pork tenderloin (or two), a large sliced sweet onion, (you can even toss in a couple of granny smith sliced apples), and a bottle of Stubbs Chicken Marinade. Cook for the day and serve with Jim Beam BarBQ (low cal and low sugar by coincidence, not by design, but very rich flavor) and fresh cole slaw. (I buy the cabbage already shredded and add rice wine vinegar, a little turbanado (sp?) sugar, pepper, tiny bit of mayo, and if I have the time, some shredded apples. You can eat it on a bun, but I like mine just plated with no bread. The cold slaw with the pork is just right for a cold winter evening.

[shel]

Originally Posted by DoryD

I would love to find a way to make that no-cheese veggie pizza myself and have the balsamic vinegar sauce taste half as good as theirs.

I'm going to have to look for that one. I don't recall having ever seen it. Amy's has a very extensive line of products, and it's a rare store (around here) that carries even half their line.

BTW, there really is an Amy ... it's not just a made up company name. Here's a recent pic from the Amy's Kitchen web site.


shel

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by indianwells

My favourite quick meal would be to knock up a quick tomato sauce (sorry, I just can't buy the jarred stuff!)

I have yet to manage a scratch-made sauce that I like, and there are very few jarred sauces that do it for me either, but the two I DO like are Trader Joe's Trader Giotto's brand Artichoke Marinara (this is my kids' absolute fave) and I think it's Mom's Pasta Sauce (very creative name, LOL) Artichoke, Basil and Asiago (in the organic aisle of my grocer and pricey, but worth it -- this is a staple in my house) since we don't have a Trader Joe's near anymore. I chop marinated artichoke hearts into it (Pastene are the ones that taste best to me) and serve it with fresh asiago over pasta or spaghetti squash. Yum!

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by shel

I'm going to have to look for that one. I don't recall having ever seen it. Amy's has a very extensive line of products, and it's a rare store (around here) that carries even half their line.

BTW, there really is an Amy ... it's not just a made up company name.

shel

LOL...I know...I used to love reading the side of the boxes while I was waiting for my food to cook (I actually believe what I read, he he).

This is one that I've never had trouble finding...Even here in Farmington, Maine. (My Hannaford grocery store just added a HUGE organic aisle a month or so ago -- I literally did a little happy dance when I walked in -- then I caught the looks of the Mainers around me and went on my way. But I caught other women doing the same thing that week, LOL.)

My old grocery store in No. VA carried very few of her products, but even they carried this pizza. Hope you find it.

[shel]

Originally Posted by DoryD

Dump a pork tenderloin (or two), a large sliced sweet onion, (you can even toss in a couple of granny smith sliced apples), and a bottle of Stubbs Chicken Marinade. Cook for the day and serve with Jim Beam BarBQ (low call and low sugar by coincidence, not by design, but very rich flavor) and fresh cole slaw. (I buy the cabbage already shredded and add rice wine vinegar, a little turbanado (sp?) sugar, pepper, tiny bit of mayo, and if I have the time, some shredded apples. You can eat it on a bun, but I like mine just plated with no bread. The cold slaw with the pork is just right for a cold winter evening.

That does sound good. Y'know, I bet I can cook "crock pot" meals in the oven just by keeping the heat real low. I'm gonna save this little recipe of yours.

I've done something of my own that's quite similar, made with chicken thighs and drumsticks. Cooked it in a sauté pan in the oven, and it turned out great. Set the temp very low and cooked the chicken for a couple of hours. I love pork, which would be a nice change from chicken.

shel

[DoryD]

Originally Posted by shel

That does sound good. Y'know, I bet I can cook "crock pot" meals in the oven just by keeping the heat real low. I'm gonna save this little recipe of yours.

I've done something of my own that's quite similar, made with chicken thighs and drumsticks. Cooked it in a sauté pan in the oven, and it turned out great. Set the temp very low and cooked the chicken for a couple of hours. I love pork, which would be a nice change from chicken.

shel

Well, after I posted it on the other thread, I had a huge craving for it and then couldn't find my crock pot anywhere, so your idea is actually what my friend (who had popped in late afternoon and was staying for the evening) and I were going to do. Then I just went to Walmart instead and bought the same one I had just bought before I moved and never opened, instead. (I just know I'm going to find it in my barn this spring buried under the few boxes I haven't unpacked yet!)

Low heat in the oven should work well. Enjoy!