Cheap Ass Cooking

[quote name='JimmieMac'][$30 restaurant items][/QUOTE]


[quote name='This Thread'] Cheap Ass Cooking[/quote]

You're doing it wrong.
 
You're wrong. All those plates are from my kitchen at home. 2 dollar pork chops, 50 cents worth of apples, 1 dollar spinach. A bucks worth of green beans and almonds. It's nothing.

Your "fake jambalaya", as you call it, costs more than any of those plates I have pics of there and my dishes take less time than yours.
 
No. How much stuff you think you need to feed two people? You can't find a 2 pack of pork chops for under 3 bucks? What's two apples cost? What's two big hand fulls of green beans set you back?

If you want I'll scan my receipt and take plate pics every time I cook at home for my girl and myself all summer and you tell me how you couldn't do the same thing.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']You're wrong. [/QUOTE]

And you're an ugly loser.

You completely ruined this thread, for no reason, from post #65 on... responding to everyone's posts with degrading comments, being extremely rude to everyone just because you think you're a better cook than them. Nobody wants to post here now because they know you'd be in shortly after to be a prick. Seriously, how small must your penis be to need to compensate on an online videogame forum's cooking thread?

[quote name='JimmieMac']All those plates are from my kitchen at home. 2 dollar pork chops, 50 cents worth of apples, 1 dollar spinach. A bucks worth of green beans and almonds. It's nothing.

Your "fake jambalaya", as you call it, costs more than any of those plates I have pics of there and my dishes take less time than yours.[/QUOTE]

Bullshit on your prices, but regardless, what I made tonight was under $2.50/lb and involved 10min of prep. Not that it's relevant, since the thread ended 20 posts ago, and considering you didn't post a recipe or instructions anyway.
 
Made a kick ass orange gingery sauce last night, just threw unmeasured amounts of random stuff that sounded good into a pot heated it and added cornstarch.

Put it over some rice and chicken, it was good.

I'm going to try to make something similar again today and actually write down what I added and how much.
 
Sometimes I do wonder about the prices I've seen in this thread. Honestly, most of what I've been buying (in Indiana, Pittsburgh, as well as in NY [Long Island]) are far closer to JM's prices than otherwise. $4 for two apples, or presumably several apples? I'm a bit surprised by that.

Next Up: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/11/pork-chops-with-bourbon-laced-teriyaki-sauce-recipe.html

I did these a few months back and I think it ran me just a few bucks. Pork chops were $2, the bourbon was $2 (airplane size, plus I wanted it to be something not sitting in a plastic jug), sugar cost me barely a quarter, soy sauce and everything else ran me another $1 and could be reused quite a few more times.

Doesn't sound like much but I didn't need all of that sauce on the two chops when I was done. Held over the reserve for another three batches of pork chops, making it one hell of a useful, simple dish for $5 the first go, $2 each additional.
 
looking for simple ways to cook chicken breast. My wife is vegetarian and I'm usually don't cook chicken enough to try and experiment. Just looking for a simple way to cook it in the kitchen, toaster oven, oven, on a pan? What to season it with or what to use to marinade.
 
[quote name='homeland']looking for simple ways to cook chicken breast. My wife is vegetarian and I'm usually don't cook chicken enough to try and experiment. Just looking for a simple way to cook it in the kitchen, toaster oven, oven, on a pan? What to season it with or what to use to marinade.[/quote]

I make this one all the time, it is easy and goes great with pasta. You don't really need the greens or vinaigrette.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_70294_,00.html
 
[quote name='homeland']looking for simple ways to cook chicken breast. My wife is vegetarian and I'm usually don't cook chicken enough to try and experiment. Just looking for a simple way to cook it in the kitchen, toaster oven, oven, on a pan? What to season it with or what to use to marinade.[/quote]

I make this one all the time, it is easy and goes great with pasta. You don't really need the greens or vinaigrette.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_70294_,00.html
 
Great thread!

My favorite thing to cook are cheeseburgers, with a twist. (I don't know if this was posted, only read a few pages).

Take 2 small burger pattys, and a slice of cheese (any kind). Fold the cheese twice to make a small square, and put it on the center of one of the pattys. Then take the other patty and put it on top. Squeeze the burger to make it look like it is just one patty and grill to your desire (I like medium). When you bite into it the cheese just oozes out of the middle. Very tasty!

Enjoy :)
 
[quote name='Kapwanil']I'd say check local bakeries instead if you have any nearby rather than supermarkets and the national chains for donuts. You won't get the exotic variety most of the time but you can usually cut down on the price a great deal otherwise and still get great, if not better, quality at the end of the day.

I tried doing the whole "Dollar Menu" thing a while back for a few weeks and tracking my expenses. I found a few things for myself that probably won't transfer over to others, but it certainly shaped my view on a few things:

1) Eating 3 meals a day to satiety usually ran me around $11 per day before taxes.
2) Despite my activity and exercise being the same for those two weeks, by the end I had gained about 4 pounds.
3) I completely and utterly threw my GI tract for a loop. No more needs be said.

On the other hand, I've been keeping an eye on my food expenses when I prepare and cook my own food and I'm running near $7 a day on average to hit satiety. I can hit $6 a day if there are some good sales on certain products, $5 if I nail it big with coupons.[/QUOTE]Man you are right. There was a bakery right on the way up tell December. They where the best around this area. Sadly they closed in December due to the owner of the lot was a jerk and skyrocketed the price of rent for that building and they moved out to the high desert where rent is cheaper.
 
[quote name='ep2011']Great thread!

My favorite thing to cook are cheeseburgers, with a twist. (I don't know if this was posted, only read a few pages).

Take 2 small burger pattys, and a slice of cheese (any kind). Fold the cheese twice to make a small square, and put it on the center of one of the pattys. Then take the other patty and put it on top. Squeeze the burger to make it look like it is just one patty and grill to your desire (I like medium). When you bite into it the cheese just oozes out of the middle. Very tasty!

Enjoy :)[/quote]

nice, will try this next time I grill
 
[quote name='ep2011']Great thread!

My favorite thing to cook are cheeseburgers, with a twist. (I don't know if this was posted, only read a few pages).

Take 2 small burger pattys, and a slice of cheese (any kind). Fold the cheese twice to make a small square, and put it on the center of one of the pattys. Then take the other patty and put it on top. Squeeze the burger to make it look like it is just one patty and grill to your desire (I like medium). When you bite into it the cheese just oozes out of the middle. Very tasty!

Enjoy :)[/quote]
If you make your own burger patties out of ground beef at home, you can shred some cheese and chop up some bacon and mix it in, every bite is cheesy =)

I made panna cotta the other day, it was pretty easy. Milk, cream, sugar, egg, gelatin, and vanilla. I've taken a big liking to custard desserts recently.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']Oddly enough I took this pic the other day:


[/QUOTE]

I bought 4 apples from QFC yesterday for $7.60. And I'm in Washington (Seattle).

I also haven't seen decent pork under $4/lb in over a year.
 
[quote name='kainzero']If you make your own burger patties out of ground beef at home, you can shred some cheese and chop up some bacon and mix it in, every bite is cheesy =)[/quote]

Mmm.. Sounds good :) I'll try that some time. (Not with bacon though.. Don't eat pork :p)
 
[quote name='JohnnyFoxDarko']Too bad Jimmie has a raging boner for this thread. Otherwise, I'd post something.[/quote]
Prices, pictures, and presentation matter little to me. Don't be afraid to post in this thread 'cause some stranger will get off on belittling it.
Underserved scorn from others should never bother you and yes somebody that isn't as good, practiced, or knowledgeable as you is undeserving.
Take it with a grain of kosher grade cooking salt, ignore it, and realize that the vast majority reading this thread will enjoy your posts and ideas.

You know what I have a craving to prepare this week by mixing prepackaged items?
2-3 boxes Kraft Mac n' Cheese
1 can Tuna (I try for albacore in water when on sale)
1 can Campells Cream of Mushroom soup
1 small bag or 1/2 large bag of frozen peas

I make the Mac n' Cheese like normal then stir on low heat adding the soup and tuna.
I like to add the peas last so that they don't get to soft and maintain almost crunchy deliciousness.
This has long been one of my favorite "all-in-a-bowl" meals and most that have tried it like it too.
Prices on inidviual items will obviously vary but I would guess they can be bought almost universally on sale for less then a buck.
There ya' go, anybody should be able to make that regardless of kitchen skill. Now that I'm craving it, I probably eat it sometime this week.
 
ck64's orange lemon garlic ginger sauce.

Aight heres the sauce:
Stuff you need-
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 + 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger (or powder if you're cool/lazy)
1/2 tablespoon garlic (chopped or powder)
1/2 teaspoon (ie sprinkle a few) red pepper flake things, i used papa murphy's pizza pepper stuff
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup of red wine of choice
3 green onions chopped how you want
2 orange segments (use the rest in presentation)
and finally, the peel from the orange itself.

You will also need cornstarch to thicken the sauce if you like.

Aight, preparing this stuff is really easy.

Take everything except the green onions, orange pieces, and cornstarch and put it in a pot.
I just let it sit somewhere between low and medium heat, closer to medium. Stir it to get all the stuff mixed up and just let it heat up.
While its heating up take your two orange segments and mash the juice into the mixture and tear up the remains and put them in the pot too.
Once you've heated the sauce to be for about 10 mins or so turn it up high enough to start bubbling if it hasn't been already. I dunno if it makes any difference, but I did it both times so might as well.
Turn the heat down to low and add your chopped green onions.

Now, in a different container (bowl or whatever), scoop out about.. 1/4 cup of the sauce and mix it with a tablespoon of cornstarch.

Once well mixed, dump it into the pot with your sauce.

Let it sit, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins and see if its to the thickness that you like. If it is then hooray, its sauce. If not, add some more cornstarch, but be careful. It doesn't take much cornstarch to thicken stuff up.

Also, remove the orange peel now.
---
So, now you've made the sauce. Sweet. Stick it in the fridge to cool it off if you'd like. I have no idea how long it keeps, so I'd suggest making it when you intend to use it right away.

I've used it for two things so far.

First, I had a bag of those chicken strip things like what you'd get at a fast food place, so I cut those up over some lettuce and put the sauce on it with some orange segments on the side to munch on. Pretty damn good.

And, I put it over rice and chicken breast, again, with the remaining orange segments on the side to munch on. Also, damn good.

SO thats it, hope someone enjoys or maybe JMac will till me how I'm making the sauce wrong and will help us all out by telling us the proper way to do it. Its win win, and I'm completely serious about that.
 
[quote name='ep2011']Mmm.. Sounds good :) I'll try that some time. (Not with bacon though.. Don't eat pork :p)[/quote]
Eat turkey bacon. I think it tastes much better than pork bacon anyway plus it's not as greasy nor does it shrivel up like pork bacon.
 
[quote name='ChibiJosh']Eat turkey bacon. I think it tastes much better than pork bacon anyway plus it's not as greasy nor does it shrivel up like pork bacon.[/quote]

I'll try it sometime.. Don't have any turkey bacon at the house though, I'll put it on the list :p
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']ck64's orange lemon garlic ginger sauce.

Aight heres the sauce:
Stuff you need-
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 + 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger (or powder if you're cool/lazy)
1/2 tablespoon garlic (chopped or powder)
1/2 teaspoon (ie sprinkle a few) red pepper flake things, i used papa murphy's pizza pepper stuff
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup of red wine of choice
3 green onions chopped how you want
2 orange segments (use the rest in presentation)
and finally, the peel from the orange itself.

You will also need cornstarch to thicken the sauce if you like.

Aight, preparing this stuff is really easy.

Take everything except the green onions, orange pieces, and cornstarch and put it in a pot.
I just let it sit somewhere between low and medium heat, closer to medium. Stir it to get all the stuff mixed up and just let it heat up.
While its heating up take your two orange segments and mash the juice into the mixture and tear up the remains and put them in the pot too.
Once you've heated the sauce to be for about 10 mins or so turn it up high enough to start bubbling if it hasn't been already. I dunno if it makes any difference, but I did it both times so might as well.
Turn the heat down to low and add your chopped green onions.

Now, in a different container (bowl or whatever), scoop out about.. 1/4 cup of the sauce and mix it with a tablespoon of cornstarch.

Once well mixed, dump it into the pot with your sauce.

Let it sit, stirring occasionally, for about 10 mins and see if its to the thickness that you like. If it is then hooray, its sauce. If not, add some more cornstarch, but be careful. It doesn't take much cornstarch to thicken stuff up.

Also, remove the orange peel now.
---
So, now you've made the sauce. Sweet. Stick it in the fridge to cool it off if you'd like. I have no idea how long it keeps, so I'd suggest making it when you intend to use it right away.

I've used it for two things so far.

First, I had a bag of those chicken strip things like what you'd get at a fast food place, so I cut those up over some lettuce and put the sauce on it with some orange segments on the side to munch on. Pretty damn good.

And, I put it over rice and chicken breast, again, with the remaining orange segments on the side to munch on. Also, damn good.

SO thats it, hope someone enjoys or maybe JMac will till me how I'm making the sauce wrong and will help us all out by telling us the proper way to do it. Its win win, and I'm completely serious about that.[/quote]


I like how it all looks but here's how you can tighten up the game a bit. First, just use the zest of the orange, the white stuff that's between the outside and the flesh is called the pith and it makes sauces taste bitter. Just take a knife when the orange is still whole and shave off the skin. Thin layers.

Also, if you have some sort of mesh strainer I'd run it thru that after it's simmered a bit but before you add the cornstarch. With the addition of corn starch it's best to make a slurry before hand with just cold water and corn starch. Mix it up separately and add it in. I wouldn't add the sauce to the cornstarch because that sauce is hot and sticky and it's not worth trying to fuck with and risk getting burned. So just make up a cornstarch water mixture and add that in after you strain the sauce out, get those bits of orange skin and red pepper flake out. Once it's all cooked up no good is going to come from having it still in there, the red pepper has given up all it's magic.

I'd also use brown sugar instead of white, because the brown sugar may even help you eliminate the need for the cornstarch and brown sugar is just overall better than white for cooking. More flavor and you'll prolly even need less brown than white.
 
[quote name='Koggit']And you're an ugly loser.

You completely ruined this thread, for no reason, from post #65 on... responding to everyone's posts with degrading comments, being extremely rude to everyone just because you think you're a better cook than them.[/quote]

Now Jimmie doesn't need anyone to speak for him but I like to play devil's advocate. He IS a cook by profession. Doesn't excuse his attitude but, hey, that's JimmieMac's style.
 
I have to admit that the jimmie changes to the ck64 sauce make it look even better, my mom always said the same things about brown sugar too.
With those changes I really have no excuse to get in the kitchen now!
 
Enchilada Sauce

Put about a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil into a saucepan and mix in about 2 tablespoons of flour. Brown the flour up. I use a medium heat and stir constantly to not burn the flour. Once it's browned, I mix in one container of Baca's hot red chili. I dunno if Baca's is available everywhere, if not, you can use Bueno, but I prefer the Baca brand. If you want, you can boil up your own chili pods, blend them and strain them as well. The Baca's is a 12 or 13 oz container.

After adding the chili I use the container that the chili came in and mix in an equal part of water. Add some cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and salt to taste. Let it cook up and it will thicken from the flour.

I use the sauce for enchiladas, on burros, on eggs, etc.

My favorite enchiladas to make use the sauce. Once the sauce is done, get 2-3 corn tortillas and soften them in oil. Dip them in the sauce and layer them with a bit of cheese in between each. Top it with shredded chicken breast, some sour cream, and sliced fresh avacado. Then top the whole thing with more sauce and a bit more cheese.
 
I save money by shopping the papers and getting the protein, around here in WV Giant Eagle often has b1/g1 on roasts and boneless chicken so it brings cost down to sometimes less than 3/lb

then I rather cook on weekends and have leftovers or make other dishes.

Definitely get a good slow cooker. (they now have liners for easy clean up too!)
or Electric Pressure Cooker is the best of both worlds (rice cooker too)
Cooking bags are great (just add meat and cook)
Big Lots has spices too 2/1.00

Chilli:
Brown 1-2/lb ground meet
Bush's Chilli Beans (mild, medium or Hot! great tasting and spicy) your choice
Onion or dehyrated
Spice to your taste (chilli powder, chilles, etc)
sm or lg can diced tomatoes (more or less as you like)

I find a ratio of cans of beans to meat your prefereance but roughly a 2 to 1/lb basically make as much as you want)
Cook to desired thickness, more you cook down thicker it gets. Enjoy!

Hint for chicken:
I boil my chicken in chicken broth and seasoning until done and tender. Then once done I shred and use in noodles, enchiladas, tacos, alfredo, buffalo sandwichs, or package and freeze

I like to take the shredded chicken add buffalo wing sauce and fix alfredo noodles. (Kroger's Noodle Packet) hence: Buffalo Chicken Alfredo Noodles..
 
[quote name='Koggit']Bullshit on your prices, but regardless[/quote]

Just because I can't just let shit slide I got some pics of apples at two stores here in NH and one from Marten at a QFC out in Seattle.





Then I took pics of some pork prices, just so you can see what 2 chops looks like and how much they'll cost you:



And a package of Spinach:



So with that listed there you could feed two people for under 7 bucks.
 
Ripped off something I saw on Emeril. Browned some cut up chicken. Stirred in diced red/green peppers, some sundried tomatoes (mostly because I need to use 'em - had 'em forever) and garlic. Added some tomato sauce and chicken stock. Reduced for a bit and then added some sour cream (Emeril used heavy cream, which I didn't have).

Turned out well. Could be a little sweeter.
 
Heh, stopped by Safeway today getting some stuff for camping and couldn't help but wander to the pork and apples.

Porkchops were 4.99 a pound, and apples ranged from 1.99 a pound for something I'd normally buy to 3.49 a pound for some apples I'd never heard of.

I am in Washington, but not Seattle.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac'][stuff][/QUOTE]

Try to be specific -- what part of that proves you right?

Thanks for being a bigger loser than me, though. I appreciate you going out of your way to prove yourself wrong. It's convenient.

[quote name='crystalklear64']I am in Washington[/QUOTE]

?!?!

News! Hot news.

I was supposed to already know this, wasn't I?

Still news.
 
iva9uq.jpg


Mmmmm
 
[quote name='joe2187']I've seen it with glazed donuts...but a fucken choclate frosted donut?!?

Your fucken disgusting.[/quote]

Thanks ^^
 
[quote name='Strell']It's a Luther Burger, named after Luther Vandross.
It gives you the itis.[/quote]
It gives you more then the itis I'm sure. Funny that I've never heard mention of it.
The place mentioned in the article actually isn't that far from me so I could go shave some years off my life if I wanted.
Is that where you took the photo or is this regional favorite available elsewhere?
 
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