Frugal Fridays: Yummy Frugal Recipes

So, there has been a lot of discussion on various blogs about meals and what to eat on a small budget. A lot of times I find that the meals listed as frugal are slim pickings–very saucy, processed or lots of soup. There is a time and place for all of that, but I thought I would offer a couple alternatives. I love food that is bold with clean flavors. I also love breakfast for dinner. One of my favorite fallbacks is cinnamon french toast. It’s got a nice blend of blend of grains and protein with a sweet touch.

Caramelized Cinnamon French Toast

4 eggs
2 TBS milk
2 TBS orange juice
2 tsp vanilla extract (I like using a good amount of this as you can tell!)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar (sweeten with a little honey instead if you’d like)
1/4 tsp nutmeg

8 slices bread (white, wheat, sourdough–whatever you like)
butter (I use whipped Earth balance soy butter to make it a little healthier)
cinnamon sugar

1. Mix all the first ingredients in a flat dish for dipping. Make sure to whisk the eggs and spices as evenly as possible.

2. Heat omelette pan/griddle/frying pan over medium heat and begin to melt the butter. Once the butter has melted, shake a little cinnamon sugar over the melted butter. Try not to shake it over an open part of the pan. It might burn and be difficult to clean off.

3. Dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture on both sides, and place it directly on the butter and cinnamon sugar. Essentially what is happening is that the cinnamon sugar is caramelizing directly onto the bread. The butter, which may look like a lot, is less that you would probably use to butter toast, and it will aid the sugar as well as crisping up the edges of the bread. Be sure to use the butter and cinnamon sugar on both sides of the bread.

Note: If it looks a little blackened, turn down the heat a touch and clean the pan with a clean paper towel. It is most likely the excess cinnamon sugar/butter and not your own cooking skills. Sometimes the more “blackened” pieces are the tastiest too!

Mesquite Veggie Medley

This is probably one of our favorite ways to eat veggies. Here in California, we have an endless abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. I love the farmer’s market, and we make use of it with this recipe.

Veggies (We prefer red/mixed bell peppers and red onions, but you can use anything crisp)
Mesquite Seasoning (I use a garlic mesquite seasonings, which has been on of my best seasoning purchases ever.)

Slice up the veggies, and toss with the seasonings. You can toss in a little bit of olive oil if your veggies have a low water content. You can either enjoy them raw or grill them on a grill pan or bbq. I love them grilled! Juicy but still crisp. Mmmmmm.

Spinach Citrus Salad

baby spinach leaves
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 red onion, sliced in very thin slices
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles (You can use whatever you have, but I love how the tartness of the goat cheese contrasts the subtle flavor of the spinach.)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS lime juice
2 TBS sugar or honey
1 tsp poppy seeds

1. Mix together dressing ingredients in small bowl and let chill. Stir vigorously until blended before serving.

Most of these ingredients I have on hand at all times, so this salad rarely costs me much to serve. You can easily make substitutions to match your family’s likes and dislikes. You can also dice up some cooked chicken to make this an entree salad.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my rather long post of meals. All of these are quick and easy meals to make! Let me know if there are any questions I can answer for you.