How To Eat Well When the Cupboard is Bare

Wednesday 20 January 2016



























 I don't know about you, but my pocketbook is really feeling the pinch this January.  There are days when I go to the cupboard and I feel like Old Mother Hubbard.  My cupboard looks bare.  That doesn't mean that you can't rustle up a tasty meal however.  Here are some great ideas for super meals that will satisfy and please, created from next to nothing!





Simply Tasty Tomato Soup   With nothing more than an onion, a nob of butter, a tin of tomato soup and a tin of chopped tomatoes you can have  a delicious hearty soup on the table in next to no time.  With a grating of cheese on top and a few croutons made with stale bread, this is an easy pleaser!

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Twice Baked Potatoes by Lil' Luna .  The ultimate in comfort food on a limited income.  Potatoes, cheese, sour cream and bacon.  Who could ask for anything more!



Friday Fried Rice  With a bit of this and a bit of that, you can clean out all the bits in your vegetable bin and have a tasty meal that everyone will enjoy pronto!

One-Pot Pasta

One Pot Pasta by Damn Delicious.   Easiest dish ever with smoked sausage, basil, grape tomatoes, onions, pasta and cheese, all cooked together in the same pot.  Nothing could be easier or cheaper.  Especially if you are a cook who keeps fresh herbs on the kitchen window sil like I do.

Ham, Spinach & Potato Frittata

Ham, Spinach and Potato Frittata by  The Pretty Bee.  Frittatas have to be the simplest and the most adaptable meals ever.  With just a few eggs and a couple of other ingredients you can have a delicious and filling meal on the table in next to no time at all.

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Chicken and Cheese Dumplings  Chicken and dumplings . . . who doesn't love that!  With just two chicken breasts, some well organized seasonings, peas and carrots and a simple drop dumpling, this is bound to become a family favourite.

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup by Dinner Was delicious. A box of lentils, some vegetable broth and a few chopped vegetables and store cupboard herbs and Bob's your Uncle.  Dinner is served.  Rib sticking goodness.

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Sloppy Joes from Cooking Classy. It's totally amazing what you can do with a bit of ground beef, some ketchup, seasonings, onions and peppers.  And a few rolls.  (I always keep rolls in the freezer.)

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Clean Out the Bin Vegetable Soup.  This is a real favourite and you can use whatever vegetables you have languishing in your vegetable bin.  Cosy, comforting and filling!


8 comments

  1. Piatti gustosissimi!
    Grazie cara Marie!
    Lieta serata da Luci@

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    Replies
    1. Sei così benvenuti Luci, hanno un grande giorno!

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  2. Ha! I'm feeling your pain, as my pocket book is feeling the post-Christmas pinch too. I'm trying to only buy fresh produce this month so that I can clean out my pantry 'can cupboard a bit and use the small bags of meat that I have stored in my freezer ... the grocery bill should be dramatically lower this month!

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    1. All great tips Susan. I keep a fairly well stocked store cupboard so in January when the money is short (or anything when the money is short for that matter) all I have to do is pick up a few fresh essentials and I can feed us very well for not a lot! xo

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  3. I love this post. With the cost of food rising and our income staying much the same, I'm always on the lookout for ways to eat well, but inexpensively. I plan out each month and try and shop seasonally, plus scour the specials for cupboard staples and items that can be bulk bought, then used over time. Luckily I grew up with a very thrifty mother, so I learned young.

    That lentil soup looks amazing - perfect for a cold, snowy day like today. And I must try those baked potatoes. That's something I forget about, but they are so filling and so good.

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    1. I am very much like you Marie. If I see a good deal, I will stock up on it. I also like to shop seasonly. You are right about baked potatoes. They are a canvas for many other flavours! You can pretty much put anything on top of them and have a meal! I also learned thrift at a young age. Some of my favourite meals ate the ones when we take all the leftovers in the fridge and heat them up for a veritable smorgasborg! Yum!

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