Stretch Your Dollar: Smart, Delicious Cooking
Good and good-for-you meals don't have to cost a lot. In this one-hour live virtual demo, you'll learn practical strategies for getting more out of your ingredients. We'll cover how to build satisfying meals from simple ingredients and techniques, and reduce waste by making the most of what you already have.
Pour-Over Miso Noodle Soup
Cabbage Apple Slaw with Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Broiled Lemony Cabbage & Chickpeas
Pour-Over Miso Noodle Soup
This is a simple, soothing bowl built from pantry staples and whatever vegetables you have on hand. The key is to shred or finely chop them so they soften in the just-boiled water. In traditional Japanese cooking, miso soup is built on dashi, a light, savory broth made from kombu and bonito flakes (thin shavings of dried, smoked fish) that provides quiet depth beneath the miso. Here, the miso does that work on its own, while cooking the vegetables right in the broth keeps the dish light but satisfying.
If you are using tofu, use firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed and patted dry. You can either add it directly to the broth for a soft, silky texture, or sear it in a lightly oiled skillet until golden for more flavor and structure. Pre-cooked/seasoned tofu is a great option, too, to bring in more flavor.
Makes 1 serving
(For multiple servings, just multiply the ingredients and divide between bowls.)
Small tangle vermicelli noodles (thin rice noodles or thin mung bean noodles)
1 scant tablespoon white or yellow miso paste
1 scant tablespoon soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
1 teaspoon each grated fresh ginger and garlic, optional
1 cup shredded or minced vegetables: mushrooms, bok choy, spinach, carrots, cabbage, etc.
Optional add ins:
Protein: Tofu, edamame, cooked chicken, frozen shrimp (defrost before adding), chickpeas, beans or lentils
Heat: Chili crisp, sriracha, gochujang, fresh chiles, kimchi juice/shredded kimchi or chili flakes
Seaweed: Wakame or crumbled nori
Garnish: Scallions, cilantro, toasted sesame seeds,
crushed roasted peanuts or cashews
Soak the noodles in a bowl of cold or room temperature water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In the bowl you will eat your meal out of, stir together the miso paste and soy sauce. Add the ginger and/or garlic if you are using.
Place the vegetables and protein on top of the sauce.
Boil 2 cups of water. Transfer the noodles to the bowl and pour just-boiled water over them, making sure the noodles are submerged. Cover with a plate or lid and let stand for 5 minutes, stirring once, until the noodles and vegetables are tender.
Stir, taste, and adjust the broth with soy sauce, miso, or water if needed and add optional heat, seaweed and garnishes. Eat!
Cabbage Apple Slaw with Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
For this template, I use whatever nuts or seeds I have on hand. Cabbage is great because it’s so nutritious, crunchy, and keeps for a long time in the fridge, but any shredded vegetable or chopped leafy green will do. I love apple here, but swap it out for another fruit like peach or orange. Fresh mint or other herbs are a bonus that bring in another layer of flavor. But even without the mint and without making the dressing, this is tasty with a dressing of a splash of vinegar or lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
Serves 4-6
For the dressing:
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons pure dark grade A maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the slaw:
1 small head cabbage, thinly shredded
1 large Honeycrisp apple (or another firm, sweet and tart apple), sliced into matchsticks
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Handful mint leaves, chopped
2 cups roasted chickpeas (see below)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard. Continue whisking and slowly drizzle in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake.
In a large bowl, fold together all the ingredients with the dressing, reserving some mint for garnish. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide equally among plates and garnish with the reserved mint.
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Makes about 2 cups
You can do this with beans and lentils too, just adjust the timing. Black beans will take 15 – 20 minutes. Since lentils are much smaller, they’ll take more like 10 – 15 minutes. Regardless of what you’re crisping up, if they’re not dried well before roasting, they’ll steam before they get crispy and will take longer.
1 15-ounce can chickpeas or around 2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 - 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
2 – 3 teaspoons spices or finely chopped fresh herbs (consider za’atar, chili powder, curry
powder, smoked paprika, rosemary), optional
Heat the oven to 425°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pat them dry with a clean dishtowel or paper towels until they look matte and feel dry. They can air-dry for a few minutes up to a couple of hours if you have the time. Any chickpea skins that separate while drying can be removed.
Use your hands to evenly coat the chickpeas with the remaining ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet, then spread them out in an even layer. Roast the chickpeas in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes (or longer depending on how crunchy you like them), stirring the chickpeas or shaking the pan a few times. Don’t be alarmed if you hear a few chickpeas pop. They are done when they’re golden and crispy on the outside and soft inside – unless you cook them longer for a crunchier interior.
Serve while the chickpeas are still warm and crispy. They will lose their crispiness as they cool and become chewy – still delicious, just different.
Broiled Lemony Cabbage (& Chickpeas)
This very simple preparation will turn anyone into a cabbage lover. It’s buttery, sweet, and has an addictive quality. When it’s right out of the oven, I like eating the loose cabbage pieces with my fingers. For a more complete dish, serve with an herby sauce or yogurt-based sauce alongside your preferred protein. For me, that means chickpeas, a bean or lentil purée, or big meaty beans like scarlet runners.
1 small or medium head of green or Savoy cabbage
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon, halved crosswise and seeds removed
A handful of roughly chopped delicate herbs (like flat leaf parsley, cilantro, chives, mint), optional
A handful of roughly chopped toasted nuts (like walnuts, pistachio nuts, almonds) or breadcrumbs sautéed with olive oil and garlic, optional
Turn the oven on to the high broil setting.
Chop the cabbage in half through the core. Place the halves flat side down and slice it into thin slabs, keeping the core intact. Place the cabbage on a rimmed baking dish and use your hands to gently coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper. (You may need two baking sheets.) Try to keep the slabs intact. Nestle in the lemon halves cut side down.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on the top oven rack until the cabbage starts to turn brown in spots and the cabbage turns more of a vibrant hue. Remove from the oven. Flip over the cabbage and lemon halves with tongs or a spatula and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes until the edges of the cabbage are browned. Keep a close eye - ovens vary and it can cook quickly!
Remove from the oven and use a spatula to smush the juice out of the lemons, removing any seeds. (If the cut side of the lemons aren’t caramelized and browned yet, you can return them to the oven briefly - without the cabbage - until they are.) Toss the cabbage with the lemon juice and serve immediately with herbs and nuts or breadcrumbs if you are using, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
