In my previous article on the 5 tips on how I save more money, I mentioned about cooking my own meals. Preparing your own meals definitely costs much lesser as the ingredient alone are already cheaper as no extra expenses like rent, labour and utilities that the food store outside factor in.
I am always on the lookout for simple and affordable recipes and when I see one, I make sure to bookmark it to try it out.
This blog post will be to introduce 5 easy recipes that I found online that can be put together easily and fast.
15-minute Garlic Prawn Udon
15-minute Garlic Prawn Udon - Marion's Kitchen
This udon dish only requires 3 steps and the ingredients can be switched and easily found. Udon can be found from Daiso and that means a serving size of 4 in a packet for only $2. Making this dish is really affordable as you can switch the prawns to chicken or pork depending on your preferences or budget. Another similar rendition would be scallion noodles which is also affordable.
BEST Scallion Noodles Recipe & Video - Seonkyoung Longest
Korean Garlic Spicy Eggplant
Korean Spicy Garlic Eggplant Recipe & Video - Seonkyoung Longest
This is a vegetarian dish and I have actually tried this out myself before. It taste really good as the sauce is flavourful and the texture of the eggplant really soaks up the sauce and provides a nice compliment to it. Eggplants are also very affordable where they are usually priced from a few cents to a dollar plus depending on the size. Do note to try to get chinese eggplant where it is usually lighter in colour, more lavender-purple, and is sometimes longer as they contain lesser seeds and hence less bitter. Also, they are able to become softer much faster after the steaming.
Mapo Tofu
Mapo Tofu Recipe & Video - Seonkyoung Longest
I like tofu because it is so versatile, it can be panfried, fried, steam or in soup and sauces. Tofu is also a good source of protein. Mapo tofu is great because it pairs so well with rice (carbs!). This means you can easily finish your bowl of rice with a small portion of it. Also, you can add minced meat in as well to push up the flavour.
Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup)
Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup) 豚汁 * Just One Cookbook
A simple soup is a good dish to add, tonjiru is actually a soup dish that my brother introduced to me. When he was studying in UK, he used to cook this soup dish very often and said that he can cook it pretty well although I haven't tasted it till now. Soups are great because you can almost throw anything in and best if the weather is slightly chilly.
Japanese Egg Sandwich (Tamago Sando)
Sandwiches are great for those really rushing, you can make a large batch of the egg salad and just plonk it on your bread before you eat them. During the circuit breaker period, when most of my colleague were adjusting to the increased workload, many of them opted for sandwiches during lunch as it saves them a lot of time and bread can be purchased in a loaf so that loaf can last them for a few days.
If you are rushing for deadlines or have tight lunches, sandwiches are a good way to go though it's important to have a good meal once in a while.
Definitely, there is always the good ol' fried rice that is easy to prep and you can use all the leftover ingredients in your fridge for it. This post is definitely not money/investing related but it is also one of favourite topic, FOOD! I crave for certain food and love having late night suppers. Feeling very hungry as I am typing this out. What other recipes do you have and like to share?
