Our biggest money saver is making a roast chicken, with lots of roast veggies.
the first night, we eat the roast chicken with veggies (just a little chicken, with plenty of gravy and veggies and bread and butter. The two of us usually eat most but not all of a breast between the two of us.) And then the rest of the chicken we use for other meals.
We like to take fresh veggies (whatever is fresh, cheap and seasonal. zuchini, peppers, mushrooms, greens, peas all sorts of stuff., and sometimes some sundried tomatoes), saute them in olive oil or butter with some salt and pepper while the whole wheat pasta is cooking, add some chicken in to saute it and heat it up, mix the veggies and pasta (sometimes I add some water to the veggies and simmer a bit, as it makes it more... saucey) serve with cheese.
One of our favorites is "mexican chicken fry breads". We make some bread dough (sometimes with corn, sometimes not), and then when we're almost ready to eat, we fry them in a pan with a little coconut oil (any healthy fat would work). You could probably make the same dish with tortillas. We shred some chicken meat, saute some onions in a pan then add the chicken to it add in any extra gravy that I didn't eat as sandwhiches, a clove or two of garlic, some peppercorns, some cumin, and cover everything with homemade stock (though storebought might work.... I don't know. homemade is so nutritious and easy and tasty). I let it simmer until almost all the liquid is gone, and all the flavor is in the chicken, and salt to taste. Then we serve some guacamole on the breads (or tortillas), and then sourkraut (cabbage might work instead but not as healthy or amazing tasting. make it yourself or buy unpasturized for the pro-biotics and enzymes and vit. c and such), then any fresh veggies in season (in winter, that's about it. in summer, tomatoes and corn as well), then top with the chicken, and sometimes hot sauce. yummy.
We make the chicken into soups as well, and curries (with lots of veggies and a little chicken, served with rice). (dh usually makes those so I don't totally know what goes into them. curries usually I would make starting with sauted onions, coconut milk, and then either "thai" or "indian" curry spices. for thai, I use thai curry paste (I like
this one
, it lasts for literally a few years open in the fridge) just a spoonful or so, and sometimes some ginger and garlic, and sometimes mostly just the curry paste, and some lime juice and salt. for indian, I take garam masala, cumin, a little cinnamon, ginger (dried powder is fine), curry powder or paste (I usually buy commercial curry powder at the grocery store in the spices section), and sometimes some fenugreek. I also make similar curries with red lentils, cooking them until they are really really soft and yellow in coconut milk, water, and stock.
I know the curries aren't "basic easily accessible ingrediants" but particularly with the thai curry, you can order one to two ingrediants online (thai curry paste and a box of cans of coconut milk) and have it last a long time, and make lots of yummy flavorful dishes (veggie curries, chicken curries, beef curries etc).
Eggs for dinner... yum and so cheap. I love sauting onions and sometimes mushrooms, and sometimes spinach or something (or herbs. we have a thyme plant now, and don't ever make eggs without it) and then adding it to eggs in a scramble.
also migas. saute some tortilla strips in oil til they are golden. Add a can of tomatoes. add some eggs, salt and pepper. (maybe an egg or two per person). When the eggs are cooked, serve with green salsa and beans (or no beans, but beans stretch the meal. We love refried white beans. can you tell I'm more of a white bean fan? lol)
We love grilled cheeses and salad for dinner. If you get some good healthy whole wheat bread, and use real cheese, and cook them in butter, they're pretty healthy.
Also cheese sandwhiches with mustard, buttered bread, and some homemade balsamic vinegrette on the sandwhich (I just gave my secret away!) it's amazing with the dressing. the last two are definite.... uggg hungry too tired to cook must eat now meals.
HTH
