Next Cookoff!

[Jester]

Hunt's is cheaper....in both ways. It's not as bad as Ragu (nothing is), but I still prefer the sauce I use. As for thickening, the sauce I start with is already decently thick, and the cheese and other things I put in the sauce help make it even thicker. Hell, I used to have to THIN my sauce out with wine or oil because it got TOO thick.

[AdminAssistant]

They also are the only ones I know doing the basil, garlic, and oregano thing which is great if you are cooking for kids and/or grownups who do not like finding a bunch of herby-things in their sauce.

Every time I've looked at flavored diced tomatoes/sauces, I've seen either HFCS or regular corn syrup on the ingredient list.

[tollbaby]

TVP can double for ground beef, and it's shelf-stable. No, it doesn't taste like beef, but it does taste like whatever you cook it in, and it's a protein source!

ETA - using CANNED spaghetti sauce as a base? BLECH. If I was a judge, I wouldn't even want to taste that! There are so many fantastic things you can make on the cheap... (obviously you'd want to spice these, they'd be pretty bland otherwise)

1 can tuna, 1 can baby peas, 1 can chicken, celery or broccoli condensed soup, 1 handful of "canned" parmesan cheese, add a bit of powdered milk and water, and some noodles, and you've got tuna casserole (for 2x people, use 2 cans tuna, 2 cans baby peas, 2 cans condensed soup, and more noodles - you'd have enough in a can of parm cheese and in a package of powdered milk to add more). Season with pepper, perhaps tarragon and onion powder. Total cost should be around $20 for the double recipe. Most expensive ingredient, probably the powdered milk.

1 can diced or crushed tomatoes (the big 19oz cans that go for a dollar), 1 can sliced mushrooms, 1 can green chilies, 1/2 cup to a cup of TVP, 1 can tomato paste and some dry pasta would make a decent meal, total cost about $10. (double the recipe for about $15). Most expensive ingredient would be the TVP. Season with anything you like, really... either spaghetti sauce herbs & spices (basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram), southwest type spices (chili powder, ground dried anchos, red chili pepper flakes)... if you do the southwest, you could add a can of corn and a can of black beans and still come in way under $30 for the double recipe.

2 cups brown rice, 4 beef bouillon cubes, 1 can mushroom pieces, 1 can green beans, about 1/4 cup coconut milk (you can usually get a soft-drink-sized can of it for about $1.50 where I live), 1 squirt lime juice (those bottles they sell in the juice section are considered non-perishable, I think), 1 small can pineapple chunks. Add a can or two of salad shrimp, and the total cost should be somewhere around $15, or double the recipe for about $25.

You could make a fantastic Manhattan-style clam chowder (I do mine with a twist)... can of clamato juice (the big 2L cans), one or two cans of clams, can of corn, can of black beans or pinto beans, some tomato paste to thicken it up, and some chili powder, crushed red chilies, etc.

All you have to do is get creative, substitute a little, and enjoy yourself (which you already know, Jester, my suggestions were actually more in line with giving everyone else ideas LOL I'll shut up now)

[trailerparkmedic]

Every time I've looked at flavored diced tomatoes/sauces, I've seen either HFCS or regular corn syrup on the ingredient list.

Some tomato sauces use sugar. I can't remember any off the top of my head but MIL is allergic to corn so I had to dig through half the tomato sauce section to find something she could eat.

[tollbaby]

Some tomato sauces use sugar. I can't remember any off the top of my head but MIL is allergic to corn so I had to dig through half the tomato sauce section to find something she could eat.

That's why I buy plain canned tomatoes and make my own (I prefer fresh, but they're too damn expensive).

[AdminAssistant]

Don't get me wrong, when I'm making spaghetti, that sauce is coming from a bottle (lately, I've been using Newman's Own). I have neither the time, patience, skill, or give-a-damn to spend hours or $$$ on making homemade. But I will search for kinds with no corn syrup (Newman's Own, and some kinds of Ragu). Sauce is kind of a small component for me anyway, since I add a lot of veggies and a couple of chicken breasts/thighs every time I make pasta.

No, I was referring to the times I've wanted to buy plain diced tomatoes or tomato sauce for other applications. On those, when I've looked at the "Basil, Garlic, Oregano" varieties, I usually see corn syurp.

[Jester]

Question: Does anyone know of a non-perishable egg product that would be a good substitute for fresh eggs in a recipe? I have this one idea of a dish my mom used to make. She no longer has the recipe, but I found it online, and the one part that is throwing me is the eggs. EVERYTHING ELSE that is called for in it, I can find non-perishable versions. Hell, most of the ingredients are non-perishable by definition.

So....non-perishable eggs? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?


Tollbaby, what is TVP?

AA, you can make homemade spaghetti sauce without making homemade spaghetti sauce. I do it all the time. I find a jarred sauce I like as a base, and build on it, adding various veggies, sauteed or raw, various cheeses, and various spices, in the end getting MY sauce that is nothing like the base sauce I started with. And it really doesn't take that long.

[tollbaby]

TVP is textured vegetable protein. It looks almost like grape nuts, but it's a meat substitute that will basically have the texture of ground beef once it has absorbed the juices of whatever it's cooked in (or you can soak it in boiled water before using it, but it won't absorb anywhere near as much flavor). You can usually find it in the health food aisles, or with the organic stuff. It seems a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way And it's an excellent protein source.

Non-perishable eggs - you can actually get powdered eggs at the store, or you can make your own http://www.ehow.com/how_2304324_make-powdered-eggs.html

Try a camping or outdoors supply store, or again, a health food store will be able to get you powdered eggs. Or you can order them here: http://www.waltonfeed.com/

[Magpie]

TVP is likely to stretch the budget, that stuff is hideously expensive, especially if you get the brand-name version (So Soya is the brand with which I am familiar). One thing to be aware of if you're using it, is that you need LESS of it than you do of meat, because it's a very concentrated protein source. It's quite heavily processed.

A cheaper non-perishable filler is basically any legume, cooked until done (lentils you boil 10/30 minutes, beans you soak overnight and boil 1-2 hours, etc), and then ground fine - I use a meat grinder but most people don't have those. Just make sure that with ground legumes (and presumably TVP) you add fat, because they aren't meat, and therefore don't come with an excess of fat. We normally use olive oil.

Is there a penalty for being too far under budget? I just ask because that's a high budget to put, so I don't know if it's supposed to be a goal, or just to keep people making regular food instead of insanely processed stuff. I am a big fan of Brazilian black beans. I'll dig out the recipe for you later. I guess you could get the price up to about the $15 range (although it still serves way more than 6 people), by buying canned beans (or buying beans in really small bags), and expensive spices, using some kind of fancy grain, etc.

[tollbaby]

I didn't even know TVP came in name brands I get it at the bulk store, and it's not too expensive. You could substitute lentils, black beans, pinto beans, just about anything really for it.

[Jester]

Non-perishable eggs - you can actually get powdered eggs at the store

Two questions: 1. Where in the average grocery store (or even in a boutique grocery store, which we have one of) would I find these? (We also have a health food store I can check out, though they are obnoxiously overpriced.)

2. Do they act as a binder as regular eggs do?

Is there a penalty for being too far under budget?

Not that I am aware of, but with me, that is hardly likely to be a problem.

[Magpie]

Not that I am aware of, but with me, that is hardly likely to be a problem.

So this means that you don't want my Brazilian beans recipe. *sniff* That's ok. *sniff*.

[Jester]

So this means that you don't want my Brazilian beans recipe. *sniff*

I said no such thing. I simply said I don't believe there is a penalty for being obnoxiously under budget. I love beans. And I hate to see people cry for no reason. So please, tell me the recipe.

[tollbaby]

Errr, probably with the baking stuff. My grocery store doesn't carry them, but my mom's does. I guess it's hit or miss. But I know health food or bulk stores will likely have it. Making your own is actually the easiest option, and with a tiny bit of prep the night before, it's not that much trouble.