The $10 dinner challenge
There is a weekly roundup sponsored in part by Sweetnicks that details how various bloggers have made a dinner for 4 for $10. That used to be $7, but now the $10 pretty much equals €7. I think I’d like to do this, but I don’t feed 4 people. I still think that considering the state of the economy and that panicky feeling I remember so well that it’s worth seeing whether I can do it just using recipes that are already on this blog.
I did most of my degree as a single mother living on $9100 per year including university fees and books. We had $5 per month left to fling around with gay abandon after paying all the unalterable expenses like rent, fuel and food. I am no stranger to the need to be cheap while rearing children.
Naturally no one needs to meet that restricted budget using only recipes from this blog, but my challenge will be to do that except to also include things too simple to be published, like salad and boiled vegetables. It’s sort of putting my money where my mouth is, right? With the extra bonus that I don’t actually have to cook for four people, but do have to check what things cost at the market every week.
Why don’t you do it too? Other people can profit from your ideas and you might find some great ideas among their menus, too. Anyway, I hope you will and that I’ll see you at Sweetnick’s.
I’m going to have to think about this. We’re only two (since the little guy’s not eating yet), so I guess I’d have to double what I do for us.
@Mary:
I have to quadruple or invite three people over.
Me, I think I´ll just divige the moeny by four. or freeze left overs.
Actually, it shouldn´t be hard at all to cook for E 1,75 per person. Canned tomatoes, brisket, pasta, seasonable vegetables.. no problem.
Jke, I thought of that too, but then I realized there were many recipes that you just cannot make in such small quantity. Or even more, perhaps, which would not be economical to cook for one. If you spend the energy to cook an inexpensive cut of meat three hours, should it be 100 grams of meat?
Nah, in that case, I’ll braise, say, 800 grams and freeze the leftovers. It’s what I do many times in winter, anyway.
I’ll be looking forward to people’s recipes.
I\’m looking forward to reading the results of this challenge! With my recent vet bills, I\’ve put us on what I call a Recession Menu. Don\’t worry, we\’re not about to be tossed into the streets — I just want to be able to resave all the money I\’d set aside for a new living room set, carpet, coffee tables, lamps, etc.. I am still going to buy wine, just maybe less of it (wine here is crazy expensive).
My constraint is that we prefer meat-less dishes, and we avoid eating soy often. Ze Professor would rather I didn\’t serve beans too often as well, only for the sake of his digestion! It\’s regrettable because we both like beans of all kinds.
So I\’ve started mapping out a set of meal rotations that would cover 14 meals per week (breakfast being hot or cold cereal) that feature less beans than what I tend to do. I also want these to be fairly inexpensive. AND low fat. AND providing balanced protein. It sounds restrictive but it\’s actually an interesting challenge. Here\’s what I\’ve written down so far. I\’m not even putting down all the soups and vegetable side dishes, of which there are usually one or two around to round it the meals.
Rotation
2 egg and dairy dishes (to last 6 meals) such as quiche, savoury flan, omelette / tortilla espagnola / frittata, some paneer dish, huevos rancheros, Indian eggs, quesadilla, egg salad sandwiches…
1 pasta dish (to last 2 meals), such as macaroni casserole, lasagne, stuffed pasta, regular pasta, cold soba noodle with sesame…
1 bean dish (to last 2 meals), such as rice & beans, small chili or couscous stews, socca with toppings, hummous, refried beans in a burrito, dahl, lentil salad with goat cheese crostini…
1 grain dish with nuts or dairy (to last 2 meals), such as a risotto, a pilaf with slivered almonds or pistachio, a grain salad with feta and olives, Portobello \’shrooms topped with grainy stuffing, something made with quinoa, shroom and barley soup…
On occasion, a tofu dish, some fish or seafood, or another bean dish.
Eggs and milk are are pretty cheap here, but not cheese so much.
Forgot to add this link. Not zackly what we’re looking to do, but it’s headed in that direction
http://www.chow.com/stories/11399
@Snowpea:
I’m going to Vancouver after all, because I don’t like leftovers…. your choices sound good although I don’t know what socca is. I reckon just eating seasonally is a huge start on being cheap.
When are you going to Vancouver? And are you stopping in Montreal on the way? Please say you are!
Socca is farinata in Italian, I believe. Thin chickpea flour pancakes.
No, I was jokingly referring to a recent thing where I couldn’t decide whether to go live off you or Kidmagnet.
I now remember reading of them at David Lebowitz.