Frugal Feeds | Meat Shopping Guide

Buying in bulk works for most of the things that you need that aren't fresh. Now lets talk about the fresh meat ingredients.

Beef and Pork: If you eat meat you will find that it is the most expensive ingredient you buy on a regular basis. But there are some things you can do to cut down on your meat costs. First of all, if you are eating whole grains, beans, peas, corn, eggs and dairy then you don't have to eat meat to get your proteins. That means that you can use meat for flavor instead of for nutrition. If you think of meat as a flavoring aid then you can significantly cut down the amount of meat you buy. In most dishes 1/4 cup, or 1/4 pound of meat is enough for a meal that makes four servings.

Let's do some math here. I am going to use the spaghetti meal as an example because the spaghetti meal is one of the least expensive meals that the family eats regularly. If we can reduce the costs on this meal then we can gain even higher savings on the meals that cost more.

If you normally use 1 pound of ground beef for a spaghetti recipe it might cost you $1.69/# for super lean ground beef in a 4# bulk package. That would be $6.76 a month, or $81.12 a year for just one spaghetti meal a week.

One pound of bulk super lean ground beef is 1/4 cup (4 servings) at .42 each, or 1.69 per meal.
One pound of store brand dry Parmesan cheese is 1 Tablespoon (90 servings) at .18 each, or .72 per meal.
One pound of store brand fresh grated cheese is 2 teaspoons (88 servings) at .14 each, or .56 per meal.
One pound of frozen green peas is 1/2 cup (6.6 servings) at .12 each, or .48 per meal.

So, if you reduce your meat to 1/4 cup for four servings and add 8 teaspoons Parmesan and 2 cups of peas you will save .23/ meal, have a wider variety and by the end of the year you will save $11.96 on this meal alone. If you were to make these changes to all three of your daily meals, over the course of the year you would save $251.16. Remember though that this is one of your least expensive meals that you can save on. For your more expensive meals the savings will be higher.

Not every meal will be great if you replace meat with cheese and peas, so lets look at ways to extend the meat, and alternatives to the meat.

Using bread crumbs to replace a portion of meat called for in the recipe. See the Frugal Feeds blog about that here: 15 Ways With Bread Crumbs

Using beans or peas to replace a portion of meat called for in the recipe.

Using low fat cheeses to replace up to half of the meat.

Using textured vegetable protein.

Using savory vegetables, like sauteed onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, potatoes, carrots, etc...

Using seasoned tofu or tempeh.

Using eggs.

Let's look at a few other dishes.

Bacon is a great flavor booster. Think of bacon not as the side dish to an egg breakfast but rather a seasoning, like you think of salt and pepper. When you fry up your bacon make it extra crisp. Place it between paper towels and pat it completely dry of oil. Then crumble it up into tiny pieces. Place it into a covered canning jar in the refrigerator. Every time you need to pump up the flavor of a dish, sprinkle a Tablespoon of bacon onto it. Works for pasta dishes, egg dishes, bean dishes, vegetable dishes, salads and casseroles. At around $2.50/# it is more expensive per pound than ground beef but you only need a little bit to make the flavor really come through. One pound of bacon will give you about a cup of bacon bits. (It depends on how fatty that bacon was because the fattier it was, the more you will cook off from it and drain away). So, if you have one cup of bacon bits, you will have 16 Tablespoons and can flavor 16 dishes with it. The cost will be around .15 per meal, or about 10% of what the ground beef costs.

Sausage is also great but not quite as versatile. While bacon goes with almost everything (there are even many desserts and chocolates out there that feature bacon) sausage needs to be considered more thoroughly. There are tons of sausage types out there and each has its special qualities. Breakfast sausage is a good basic sausage for a lot of dishes but remember that it has sage in it that can be the wrong flavor for some dishes. Kielbasa's, German sausages, Italian sausages, they all taste remarkably different so use them where you know the flavor will work before experimenting. To use sausage, slice it lengthwise and then cut it into small cubes or half moons. You want to cut it down as much as possible so that you can cook off the fat. The more surface area that you saute the more flavor that sausage will impart as well. Once it is fully cooked, drain it in a colander lined with paper towels. Put another few paper towels on a plate and top with the drained sausage. Using another bunch of paper towels, pat the sausage dry. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sausage for your recipe and place the remainder of the sausage into small freezer bags, each bag holding 1/4 cup. Label the bags with the sausage type and the date. Use it all up within three months.

Using Textured Vegetable Protein (textured soy flour nuggets) can be effective but if you use too much in the dish it will over power the flavor of the meat. I recommend no more than 1/4 of the meat in the recipe be replaced by TVP. I use low sodium beef broth to reconstitute it and then cook it with the rest of the ground meat and no one can ever tell that it is in there. TVP is exceptionally inexpensive. You can get it for as little as .11 cents per quarter cup and a quarter cup is all you need to replace 1/4 of the ground meat in a dish. If you figure that 1/4 cup of ground beef is .40 cents, you can see how replacing it with the TVP will give you a lot of savings in the long run.

Some meat cuts to look for:

Ground beef, extra lean
Flat Iron Steaks--incredibly flavorful, very inexpensive, makes small delicious steaks that cook up quickly.
Chuck eye steaks--very flavorful, inexpensive, diced up it goes with a lot of dishes
7 bone roast--flavorful and has a great many uses, but you will have to work around the bones
Pork shoulder--very flavorful, but can be fatty, so use for flavoring a dish in that case. Otherwise cook it on a low heat for a long time in a braise and use it shredded into dishes.
Skirt steak--very flavorful for when you need a little meat to make a big impact. It is often used for fajitas for that reason, but you can use it anywhere that sliced steak would work.
Tri-tip--When you need a steak to be a steak but a little flat iron steak won't do. Very flavorful when cooked slowly.

So, lets recap. Use your meat as a flavoring aid rather than the major component of a meal. Buy it in bulk if you can cut it down to 1/4 cup or 1/4 pound servings and freeze the remaining servings. Remember that you will have to defrost the meat in the refrigerator at least one day before using. Look for the low cost meats listed above. Try using meat extenders.

Frugal Feeds | 9 Recipes for White Sauce Creates Endless Diversity in your Dishes

Understanding white sauce will open up a tremendous amount of options for your recipes. Although called a sauce, and in some cases used as a sauce, white sauce is actually more of a binder. Think of it as either a thin, liquidy glue, a standard white glue, a paste or a caulk. When thought of in these four terms it is closer to how we use it.

Today we will focus on white sauce number one--thin, liquidy glue.

For White Sauce #1 you will need:

1 T. fat--olive oil, coconut oil, nut butter
1 T. starch--white whole wheat flour, whole wheat flour, whole oat flour, 3/4 T. brown rice flour or 3/4 T garbanzo bean flour
(Pan browned flour makes it less thick but more flavorful.)
1 c. liquid--2% milk, plain milk alternative, low sodium broth, wine, juice or water
1/2 t. seasoning--salt, pepper, herbs, spices, low fat cheese, bacon

Makes 4, 1/4 cup servings, or about one ladle-full each


For the Traditional White Sauce #1 that works out to be:

1 T. olive oil
1 T. white whole wheat flour
1 c. 2% milk
1/4 t. salt

You will need a whisk, a pouring cup and a saute pan.

In a medium sized saute pan over medium-high heat (usually 7 on the dial), melt the fat, if using coconut oil, and bring to a low simmer. If using nut butter add a bit of water to the nut butter before bringing to a simmer. Sprinkle the starch (white whole wheat flour) over the simmering fat and whisk it until it is very smooth, bubbly and fully mixed. Allow it to simmer for five minutes. You have just made a Roux. Using about one third of the liquid (2% milk) at a time whisk it into the Roux--fat-starch mixture.

Have the liquid fully whisked in before adding the next third of liquid. By this careful process you end up with a sauce that is free of lumps.

Once all of the liquid is whisked in--drop the temperature to medium low (usually a 4 on the dial) and let it simmer until it thickens slightly. Add the seasoning (salt) to taste and serve.

This is the sauce you would use for making a thin white sauce for left-over chicken, a cream-of-something soup, a creamy wine sauce, and a bechamel. One serving of White Sauce #1 gives you 70 calories.


For the White Sauce #1 using Corn or Potato Starch:
Melt the fat in the pan. In a bowl whisk together the liquid and the starch until fully smooth and lump free. Add liquid to pan, whisking regularly. Add seasoning and allow to thicken.


For the Thin White Sauce for Chicken
Change it up from plain white sauce to something different every time.
Things to change:
Add mustard (be sure it doesn't contain vinegar, lemon or other acid or your sauce will curdle) or use mustard powder
Add some grated low fat cheese once you remove the sauce from the heat, and stir to melt
Add Summer Savory
Add Rosemary
Add Thyme



For the Cream-of-Something-Soup
Recipe, as it is, is one serving for a soup. To make it a family sized four serving soup change the ingredients to:

4 T. fat
4 T starch
4 c. liquid
2 t. seasoning

This change to the serving size for Basic White Sauce #1 makes each serving of Cream of Something Soup provide 281 calories and 16% of your daily fiber.

Veggie Soup: Add leftover cooked vegetables at 1/2 cup per person
Broccoli Cheese Soup: Add 1/2 c. broccoli and 1/4 c. shredded low fat cheese per person--add the cheese after you remove it from the stove but before you serve. Stir until melted through.
Cream of Mushroom Soup: Add 1/3 c. sauteed mushrooms and some garlic to taste.
Cream of Tomato Soup: Whisk in 3 c. tomato puree, 2 T. tomato paste and 1 tsp. black pepper.
Cream of Potato Soup: Add 2 diced, cooked, medium sized potatoes and 1/2 cup crumbled bacon or imitation bacon bits.

Adding vegetables increases the nutrients. Adding cheese increases the fat and calories.

 
For a Creamy Wine Sauce:
You will need to replace at least 1/2 of your liquid with red or white wine, depending on how strong a wine flavor you are seeking.

For a Creamy Bechamel Sauce:
You will need to replace 1/2 of your milk with low sodium beef or low sodium chicken broth, depending on how strong a meat flavor you are seeking. Low fat broth reduces the calories in the White Sauce #1 recipes.

You now have a simple sauce that can be used to enhance flavor, mask left over meats, add variety to dishes or to take small amounts of left overs and turn them into filling soups. Add a few croutons from last week and the taste and texture will be outstanding.

Tomorrow we will cover White Sauce #2.

Frugal Feeds | 15 Ways with Bread Crumbs

Continuing on the theme for the week, lets now talk about Bread Crumbs.

Bread crumbs are great extenders in so many dishes!

2 slices of whole grain bread will give you about 1 cup of dried bread crumbs. Because of weight differences in the type of bread you use and how dry your crumbs are, this number is an average from my experience--but modify as needed.

Going with the 2 slices=1 cup theory, you will want 1/2 cup of crumbs per person for a serving. That means that if you are doing a crumb topping for a casserole you would use 2 cups for 4 servings.

Meat Extenders. Any time that you have a little less meat than you need for a dish, add up to 1/2 cup crumbs per desired pound of meat plus 1/3 cup of liquid. For example, if you needed 4 servings (1 pound) of ground beef for a dish, but had about 3/4 pound of meat you can add that 1/2 cup of crumbs plus 1/3 cup of any of the following broth, wine, tomato sauce, 2% milk, vegetable juice, barbecue sauce or 1/2 cup of sauteed vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant or any other moist vegetable.

This works also to intentionally use less meat. Less meat consumed saves money, so if you are buying ground beef at $1.75 a pound and bread at $1.00 a pound, then you save over .17 cents per serving, or .68 cents per meal, or somewhere over $400.00 a year.


Lets take a basic list of ingredients and change it a few times over:

3/4 # 95% Lean Ground beef or turkey
1/2 c. Bread Crumbs
1/3-1/2 c. Liquid or vegetable

Method

Extended Meat Dishes--

Mexican Style Meat Extender: 95% Lean Ground beef, bread crumbs, salsa (or canned diced tomatoes and peppers)--add to tacos or burritos

Stroganoff Style Meat Extender: 95% Lean Ground beef, bread crumbs, mushrooms--add to whole grain egg noodles with a white sauce (add onions and parsley for Stroganoff)

Italian Style Meat Extender: 95% Lean Ground beef, bread crumbs, peppers and onions--add to whole grain pasta with a tomato sauce

American Style Meat Extender: 95% Lean Ground beef, bread crumbs, broth--add to brown rice with vegetables and/or cheese

SOS Style Meat Extender: 95% Lean Ground beef, bread crumbs, 2% milk, white sauce--add to lightly buttered toast for SOS

Casserole Style Meat Extender: 95% Lean Ground beef or lean ground turkey, bread crumbs, red or white wine--add to casserole, top with additional seasoned crumbs also

Sloppy Joes Style Meat Extender: 95% Lean Ground beef, bread crumbs, bbq sauce and ketchup--add to toasted buns for Sloppy Joes.

The combinations are endless already. But don't just think of ground beef here though, think of ground lean turkey, chicken, fish, lamb, buffalo, and even veggies and cheese.

Lean Meat Solution: Ground turkey breast is notorious for being very dry and tasteless but add seasoned breadcrumbs and some moisture and it suddenly becomes delicious. Same is true of lean ground buffalo or beef. Crumbs with some egg also help hold together lots of little bits of things into lumps of things that taste really great! They hold moisture, flavor and hold it together. But don't add too much or it will taste more like meatloaf.

Meat Cakes--
Basically, if you have 3/4 pound of cooked meat bits, you can add 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of liquid, 1/2 cup of vegetables and one beaten egg. Mix well. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Using a #20 disher, dish out 8-12 patties. Flatten with the bottom of a cup. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Lightly butter a second cookie sheet, or use a non-stick cookie sheet. Invert and place on top of first sheet and then, holding pans together, invert and remove the parchment paper. Or, simply transfer meat cakes with a thin, flat spatula to the buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through. Serve immediately and allow unused servings to cool in refrigerator. Place four patties each into three freezer bags. Write the date and name of the patties on the freezer bag and freeze for up to three months.

This is the basic recipe behind crab cakes, fish cakes, meat loaf and seasoned sausage patties. You can add herbs, spices or low-fat cheeses to change the flavors. Play around with different vegetables, different types of crumbs, use bbq sauce, tartar sauce, citrus juices, tomato juice, vegetable juice, gravies, sauces, etc...
Its your dish. Play around with it and make it unique to you.

Cheese Straws

1 cup bread crumbs, Pinch of cayenne, 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/4 cup milk, 2/3 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Mix all together. Roll it out fairly thin, about a 1/4 inch thick. Cut into strips about 6 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes in moderate oven. 


Crumbs don't need to just be a small component to a dish though. They can be the dish. Here are some super simple ways to use up a bunch of crumbs quickly, and sweetly--

Pancakes--To the traditional custard:

(2 Eggs, beaten, 1 cup 2% Milk, 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract)

add another 1/2 c. 2% milk
1 c. crumbs
1 c. whole grain flour
4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt.

If crumbs are very dry you may want this to rest for 20 minutes before cooking. Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto a moderately hot, lightly buttered, griddle. When edges of pancakes have dry bubbles, flip them and cook until they no longer send out any steam. Serve as usual pancakes.


Fridge pudding--This is not a blanc mange or a creamy pudding but more similar to a very moist bread pudding or English pudding. It is a super easy and breezy way to go through that bucket of fresh picked berries in the Fall.

Take 4 c. bread crumbs and mix with 2 cups pureed berries pureed and sweetened to taste with honey. Pour into a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Invert onto a plate. Slice. Serve with maple, honey or stevia sweetened plain yogurt. Simple and delicious!

Pie Crusts--

Pie Crusts Sweet Version--2 cups bread crumbs, 1/2 a cup of liquid coconut oil (warm briefly in a small pan on the stovetop or in a bowl in the microwave), 1/4 cup brown sugar or ground dates. Press into pie plate with the bottom of a glass. Use for fruit pies. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. To prepare for cream pies fill pie pan shield with dried beans then bake. Allow to cool thoroughly before putting the beans back into the pantry. Fill, chill and serve.

Pie Crusts Savory Version--2 cups bread crumbs, 1/2 c. nut butter (almond, cashew and pecan work well), 2 Tablespoons herbs. Press into pie plate with the bottom of a glass. Or, reduce the nut butter and add low fat cheese. Use for quiches, shepherds pie or top with unbaked biscuits for pot pies. Bake according to recipe or at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.


Crumb Topping For Desserts--
Combine 2 Tablespoons ground nuts with 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1/3 c. crumbs, 2 Tablespoons whole grain flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the remaining ingredients until all is the texture of crumbs. Top cakes, pies, bars and muffins with this before baking.