1
of 8
More from Justopia
Yes You Can -- make a great meal on a budget!
Dinner Doesn't Have to Break the Bank This menu is a complete meal and comes in at just under $4.00 and all ingredients come from Whole Foods Market. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't put together a great meal with quality ingredients on a limited budget. The entire meal, Bacon, Eggs and Pasta, Tomato Salad and Grilled Nectarines with Maple Syrup and Nuts cost a total of $3.98 per person! It's a meal that can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner, is nutritious and quick and easy to put together. I've made the pasta for breakfast, it's a great way to start the day. If it's winter and nectarines aren't in season, try apples, grapefruit or oranges. You won't be disappointed by this menu! Bacon, Egg and Pasta * 4 ounces pasta - preferably a thick spaghetti, I used Perciatelli * 1 ounce of bacon diced - using with kitchen shears makes it quick and easy * 1/4 large shallot thinly sliced * 1 teaspoon butter, if necessary * 1 egg, cracked into a bowl, ready to slip into the frying pan * 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil * 2 leaves of fresh basil* chiffonade * (thinly sliced) * 3 - 4 thin slices (shavings) of Parmesano Reggiano (optional) * Salt and pepper to taste Bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. When at a full rolling boil, add pasta. In the meantime, in a small frying pan, the same one you will fry the egg in, brown the bacon. When almost done, lower the heat and add the shallot slices. Cook until the shallots caramelize. Remove the pan from the heat and put the bacon and shallots in a bowl or on a plate while leaving the bacon fat in the pan for the egg to fry in. When the pasta has just 1 more minute until it is done, slide the egg into the pan on medium low heat. Cook until the white has begun to set and then cover. Drain the pasta and place on a plate or in a bowl and drizzle a tablespoon of high quality extra virgin olive oil onto the pasta. Add the bacon and shallots and stir to combine. Remove the cover from the egg and slide it on top of the pasta, add salt and pepper and top with optional cheese. Serve before the hot pasta continues to cook the egg. When pierced, the yolk will coat the pasta and create a carbonara-like sauce. Summer Tomato Salad * 1/2 ripe tomato coarsely chopped* * 1/4 large shallot diced * 3 leaves fresh basil, sliced thinly * 1/2 lime (1.5 oz) * 1tablespoons extra virgin olive oil * Salt and Pepper to taste Place tomato, shallots and basil in a bowl. Mix to combine. Pour the lime juice and olive oil over the tomato mixture. I don’t whisk the oil and vinegar prior to adding, because I like to taste the smooth and the tart separately. Top with salt and pepper. In the winter I use Compari or Grape Tomatoes +Maple and Pecan Griled Nectarine*+ * 1 ripe nectarine, halved — remove pit and slice to create a smooth surface * 2 teaspoon butter * 6 toasted pecan halves * 1 tablespoon grade A maple syrup * 3 lime slices Heat a grill pan on medium high, add butter and nectarine halves. Grill the nectarine until softened about 1/4 of the way through. Add the pecans to the edges where the butter has collected and let them toast further. When the nectarine halves have gotten grill marks, turn a quarter turn to make cross hatch marks. Cook until the grill marks have appeared and turn over. In the meantime, remove the pecan halves to a cutting board and roughly chop. Drizzle maple syrup over nectarine halves and remove to a plate. Sprinkle pecan pieces over the nectarines and pour contents of the pan over all. Squeeze one of the lime slices over the nectarine halves and garnish the plate with the other two slices to finish. A video and the recipes can be found on one of my blogs here: http://reduc.tion.tk/mgk
- TAGS:
- recession_recipes,
- economy,
- budget,
- breakfast,
- lunch,
- dinner,
- budget_menus,
- getting_by,
- the_silver_lining
- GROUPS:
What do you think of this story?
Select one of the options below. Your feedback will help tell CNN producers what to do with this iReport. If you'd like, you can explain your choice in the comments below.
Be and editor! Choose an option below:
iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.
© 2011 Cable News Network. 
Comments