Easy and low effort meals for someone who is low key scared of cooking and struggling with money

Question

Sealligator · Answer

lentils: I taught myself to cook when I was a broke single mother and student, and lentils of any sort got me through.

Chop half an onion, a celery stalk, and a carrot. Sauté them over medium heat in a wide pot using whatever fat you have. (Olive oil is great, animal fat is decadent, anything will do.) Add maybe 1.5-2 C lentils and a box of broth (or water, and if water maybe add some bouillon). Simmer until the lentils are soft. If it gets too dry for you, add more liquid. As long and they’re fully cooked, lentils taste good soupy and they’re good drier, too.

For spices, you can add anything you like. Cumin? Add a little tomato and maybe some cilantro and lemon. Oregano? Tomato works here too and maybe some bay and wine vinegar. A little dash of acid (citrus, vinegar, wine) at the end of the cooking perks em up and I choose mine based on whatever I have around.

Lentils are cheap, tasty, and flexible.

D · Answer

Congee : Congee is easy and inexpensive to make on a budget. You can sub the meat in this recipe for veg. I like to add chili oil, green onions, and tofu to top it off.

Leslie · Answer

Old BA Rent Week Recipes: this (old, from-before-times) series has so many easy affordable recipes that you can follow exactly or riff on without much room for user error. hope you can feel inspired and nourished!

Gail · Answer

Zucchini boats for dinner: I wish I could see when I first pinned this recipe, because she’s been a staple for a long time. The hardest part of this recipe is the chopping and preparing, but pair prep with a glass of wine and it’s meditative. The mise en place is a pretty great reward. Cook it tonight!!

Steve M · Answer

The Plant Slant: His content is pretty much all YouTube shorts and it’s a lot of nutritional focused content but he makes a lot of recipes that are definitely budget friendly and easy to make on a weeknight.