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hi, i do not consider myself a vegan, and i doubt that i would ever use that word to describe myself...
i registered here hoping that you guys might have some tips for cheap animal free food i could prepare with a minimum of cooking knowledge, and doesnt require a stocked spicerack or an exotic market.
Hi, this area is closed, but check this thread:
http://www.veganforum.com/forums/sho...n-cheap-living
Good luck.
In Australia it's actually cheaper to eat vegan. Say a bag of potatoes is $3, spinach $3, a bag of apples $5, slice of water melon sometimes $1.90, a bag of carrots $3. When meat products range from $5 (very little amount and low quality) to $30 with an average of $15. Vegan being expensive is a myth.
And that is just supermarket pricing. When you go to actual markets it's a lot cheaper. Depending on whats in season.
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My favorite vegan meal is probably not healthy to eat all the time but it's super easy.Quote:
Pup Lovely
What you need:
- A decent fry pan
- Potatos
- Sesame oil
- Some form of curry or spices (I usually use red curry paste but there are healthier options out there)
optional: chives or freshly cut spring onions
1. Chop the potato into cubes.
2. Turn fry pan on.
3. Put oil and whatever herbs you chose (don't add the chives or spring onions unless the chives are dried. Then add those whenever you like)
4. Wait for paste to break up if using paste. Wah lah. You have sauce.
5. Add potato cubes into the saucy fry pan.
6. fry those till they start softening. I find if they burn a little they tend to taste better.
7. add spring onions or chives... or both. I'm not your mother. You do what you want.
the best thing is this recipe is fool proof and I came up with it because of experimentation.
Italian food is your friend!!!
- A pack of spaghetti
- A big onion, sliced
- A carrot, shredded
- a red pepper or similar vegetable, diced
- Optional: some fresh tomatos, diced, celery, shredded, garlic
- A can of tomatos (peeled/diced/sauce/whatever)
- Some herbs (basil, oregano), salt
And you are set for a sumptuous vegan pasta dish.
Cooking instructions:
Starting with the onions/carrot, put everyting in the skillet with some oil
Once the onions/carrot are soft, add the other vegetables and continue to simmer.
Finally add the can of tomatos and let it simmer for some time until the sauce has a thick consistency,
In the meantime, boil the spaghetti according to cooking instructions with lots of salt.
... and you're done, total cooking time about 30 minutes.
When I prepare pasta sauce, I normally use one 2-kg-can of tomatos and make enough pasta sauce to last me and my family for a week. Also freezes well.
Best regards,
Andy
I like to cook whole wheat spaghetti and make the sauce like this: use canned tomato sauce, canned or jar of tomato paste, chopped fresh vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and add minced garlic and dried oregano. I cook some red or brown lentils separately, then add them to the sauce. Once everything is cooked, mix it all together. All of the ingredients are cheap, can be bought in bulk, and can last for many meals.
I do almost all of my shopping at mainstream groceries or farmers markets. About once per month I pick up stuff like tempeh, nutritional yeast, or millet or vegan bread/tortillas etc at a Whole Foods Coop. That's about as exotic as I get. With some imagination and creativity, you can make vegan "cheese" sauces, puddings, and other goodies with only a few simple ingredients like sweet potatoes or avocados and cocoa powder and banana. No need to buy expensive prepackaged food or exotic spices.
Go to a street market (or if you don't have one a supermarket near to closing time when things are marked down). See what vegetables are in season and therefore cheap. Buy a good quantity of those and make them into a stew using a basic recipe like this http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/...vegetable-stew You could use sprouted or frozen beans, or pre-cooked dried ones, instead of canned.
Once you have made something like this you can eat it for days, one day with bread, one day with pasta, one day with rice, one day as filling for baked potatoes or a pie, and so on. You can add different flavourings such as curry if you have them. Add some water or veg stock one day and make it into soup. It will keep OK for a few days as long as you heat it through every day (be careful if you reheat rice though).
If that's too boring you can freeze some of it (assuming you have a freezer) and come back to it!
Good luck. Being vegan can be very cheap indeed if you steer clear of "specialist" foods which aren't usually as good for you anyway.
PS have just noticed this thread is three years old - I trust the OP hasn't starved in the meantime :)