Meal prep on a budget » under €2 / $2 meals
Today we're making some delicious recipes all of which are under two euros each
The pick up line studio is based in the Netherlands
So when we do our grocery shopping everything comes out to be in euros
So every recipe we're making today is just under two euros per serving which is about two US
dollars per
serving and every recipe serves four people in total or four servings in total so you can enjoy with a whole family or you can
meal prep batch-make this stored in some containers to enjoy it for lunch or dinner in the days that follow
We also always try to make sure that our recipes are balanced when it comes to veggies and grains and plant proteins
So we've thought about it so that hopefully you don't have to. We will read a little disclaimer though before we jump in, I fully recognize that
ingredients are gonna cost either more or less depending on which country you live in or which grocery store you shop at
Everything we're sharing today just comes from the local grocery store that we do our shopping at but more than anything
This is just a fun exercise for us to see which delicious meals we can make while keeping our eyes on the price
Now without further due, let's get started on making the recipes for the first recipe
We're making a comforting hearty and protein packed full of macaroni chili first up
We're gonna cook two cups or about 285 grams worth of macaroni until it's al dente here
We're using some whole-wheat macaroni just to make it a bit more wholesome
But feel free to use whatever pasta you have on hand while the noodles are cooking
We're gonna dice 1 medium onion almonds 2 cloves of garlic
We're gonna peel and dice 2 medium carrots deseed and dice one red bell pepper
And then we're gonna drain and rinse one can of kidney beans
to a large pot on medium-high heat we're gonna add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and when it's hot
We're gonna add the onions and garlic and saute it until the onions have softened which is gonna take about 3 to 5 minutes
To the pot. We're then gonna add a 400 gram can of diced tomatoes and then we're gonna fill that can up with water
It's gonna be about 400 milliliters worth of water just to rinse out the camera gonna add that to the pot as well
We're gonna spoon in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 1
vegetable bouillon cube and a teaspoon each of hot chilli powder paprika powder salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of
Ground black pepper and give it a stir and once it's bubbling away
We're gonna add one and a half cups or two hundred grams worth of a soy veggie ground
and at this stage
We'll also add in that diced carrot the bell pepper and the kidney beans
We're gonna stir it let this cook until the carrots of softened
We're just gonna take about five to eight minutes or so by now
The pasta should be done cooking
And in fact, you might want to try to stop it just before it's al dente because we're gonna drain it
We're gonna add it to the pot
We're gonna cook it for another minute or two along with three cups or about a hundred grams worth of spinach
We're gonna stir everything together and after a couple minutes when the spinach has
Wilted, we're gonna remove it from the heat and serve it up
This recipe makes 4 large serving sizes or 6 smaller ones depending on your appetite if you'd like
you can add an optional sprinkle of chopped up chives for garnish and here we're adding a little sprinkle of sea salt -
As if pasta and chili weren't already comforting and delicious dishes enough on their own we've gone ahead and made it a lovechild
It's filling warm protein packed with both the soy veggie ground and the kidney beans
Pack away any extras that you have in some airtight containers to enjoy as meal prep in the coming days
the grand total for this recipe is one euro and
Forty cents and if you want to include the optional chives the total comes to one euro and fifty cents
Next up. We're making a tofu Vietnamese sub called Bami
We're gonna begin with a four hundred and fifty gram block of tofu
Gently squeezing it with our hands to remove as much liquid as possible
So we get our tofu from an Asian supermarket
we try to go like twice a month just to stock up on things like soy sauce and edamame and
Coconut milk tofu spices because you tend to be able to get a larger volume for a lesser price
So that's a little tip if you're looking to save some money
Well now Finley slice that press tofu into half centimeter or quarter-inch thick slices into a shallow dish
We're gonna add three cloves of crushed garlic 2 tablespoons of a sodium reduced soy sauce 2 teaspoons of sugar here
We're using raw sugar 2 teaspoons of stretch of hot sauce
Or you can use another hot sauce if you'd like and then we're gonna add a teaspoon of sesame oil
And half of a lime that's been juiced then give it all the whisk and once it's mixed
We're gonna add the tofu slices to it gently coating it in the marinade making sure to coat both sides
And then we're gonna let this sit to the side while we make some pickled carrots
We're first gonna peel two medium carrots, and then we'll cut them into little
julienne strips as
Thin as matchsticks if possible
Then place that cut-up carrot into a jar and we're gonna add to it half of a cup of boiling water
half of a cup of white vinegar
One and a half tablespoons of sugar again ours is raw sugar
But any sugar will do and a teaspoon of salt then you're going to screw on the lid and give it a gentle
Shake until the sugar dissolves and then let this sit to the side while we prepare the rest of the recipe
to a large skillet on medium-high heat we're gonna add a teaspoon of vegetable oil and when it's hot
You can place the tofu slices in a single layer on the pan
you'll want to cook this for about three to five minutes or until the tofu gets nice and
Golden and crispy you can spoon any leftover marinade that you have over the top of the tofu slices
And whenever you're ready give it a flip and then cook it on the other side for another three to five minutes
While this cooks we're gonna create thin little slices out of one large cucumber
Using a potato peeler and next we're gonna get the sandwich ready
So here we're using two whole-wheat baguettes
And if it's not already crispy on the outside
You can pop it in the oven for a few minutes just to toast it up a bit
When it's cooled enough that you can handle it cut it open along the center
Traditionally white baguettes are used to make a balmy sandwich. Which would also make this more affordable
But feel free to choose whatever bread you'd like for this once you've got it cut open
We're gonna spread along the inside about two tablespoons worth of vegan mayonnaise and two teaspoons of Sriracha hot sauce
You're gonna divide that over the two baguettes and then we're gonna layer on the cooked tofu slices on top of that goes the sliced
Cucumber followed by my absolute favorite the pickled carrots and for the greens
We're adding about half of a cups worth of cilantro or coriander over the two baguettes
Plus one whole chili pepper that we're gonna thinly slice and sprinkle on the sandwiches as well
The baguettes are pretty huge once they've been filled up. So we considered a whole baguette to be two servings
Feel free to have as much or as little as you'd like these Bami sandwiches are delicious
As is with a cherry on top that makes this also delicious is serving it with a side of hoisin sauce
It is optional, but I highly highly recommend it
So for the grand total four servings of this tofu Bami sandwich
it comes up to one euro and
83 cents per serving if you choose to add the hoisin on the side that's gonna be one euro and
Eighty-seven cents each if you're looking to meal prep, by the way
you can always make the tofu ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and
The pickled carrots can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to two weeks
That way you can make a grab-and-go sandwich whenever you need it for the final recipe
We're making a nourishing and creamy golden chana dal
I loved all recipes because they're really filling affordable easy to make for this recipe
We're gonna be using one and a half cups of channa dal, which is also known as split chickpeas
So it's this larger sized legume and because it is bigger
You're gonna want to make sure you soak this the night before that way
it speeds up the cooking time the next day when you're ready to enjoy it if you don't have this on hand or if you
You know don't want your cooking time to be longer. You could also opt for just lentils
There's yellow lentils or red lentils
They will need a little bit less water to cook in but you don't need to soak them ahead of time
The only thing is the consistency when you use lentils like these ones it's a little bit more mushy the dal which is still delicious
But I want my dal to have a bit of chew. So that's why today we're gonna be using the chana dal
We'll get started by dicing 2 medium onions will mince 4 cloves of garlic and then peel and chop a chunk of ginger
To make about 1 tablespoon worth once it's been minced and finally we're gonna mince one full red chili pepper
Reserving a few slices just for garnishing at the end a to a large pot on medium-high heat
We're gonna add a tablespoon of vegetable oil
and once it's hot
We're gonna add the onions to it and let this saute until it gets nice and lightly golden which will take about five minutes
Add splashes of water as needed to deglaze the pan and then all at once we're gonna add the garlic ginger and chili
saute this for another two to three minutes or so until it becomes nice and
Fragrant and then we're going to drop the heat to medium at this point
We're gonna add to the pan one tablespoon of curry powder two teaspoons of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala plus half a teaspoon of salt
We're gonna cook this for about 30 seconds to a minute to allow the spices to bloom and then add to the pot 2 cups
Or 500 milliliters of boiling water one vegetable bouillon cube
And then the chana dal that was soaked overnight is make sure to drain it first rinse it before adding it to the pot
Then give this all a stir bring it to a boil and reduce it to a simmer with the lid partially covered for about 25
To 30 minutes. You want to check on it at least once or twice throughout that time just to give it a stir
So the dal doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Meanwhile, we're gonna cook some rice here
We're using one and a half cups of brown rice that we first left soak overnight
We're gonna drain it add it to a pot with two cups of water
Bring it to a boil reduce it to a simmer and partially cover it with a lid while everything is cooking
We're going to cut one cup for about 18 cherry tomatoes in half and then we're gonna dice one red as well as one yellow
Bell pepper. This is a super versatile recipe when it comes to veggies though
So add whatever you have in the fridge that you need to use up like zucchini or cauliflower broccoli spinach
Anything works with this dish going back to the legumes once they've been cooking for about 25 to 30 minutes
We're gonna add 1 can of coconut milk along with the bell peppers. Give it a mix
You're gonna cook this for 10 minutes longer with a pot
Uncovered and at this point you're gonna start to see the dal soak up more of that liquid
It's going to become a little bit thicker and at this point we can add the cherry tomatoes cook it for 5 minutes more
Before removing it from the heat to serve
Scoop some of the brown rice into a bowl and serve it alongside a generous few scoops of the dal
this hearty and filling meal comes to only one euro and
73 cents per one of four servings if you'd like
You can add some optional garnish which in our case is a drizzle of reserved coconut milk a bit of fresh
Cilantro leaves some reserved chili slices from earlier in the recipe and half of a lemon sliced and served on the side
With these optional garnishes the total for the dish comes to one euro and 99 cents
You can enjoy this meal with your whole family or if you're making it just for one pack up any extras and some airtight containers
To enjoy as lunch or dinner in the coming days. It's an easy affordable and delicious meal prep
I hope you guys enjoy this video
it's a little bit different than what we've done before with pricing things out if you did like this video if you'd like to see
More like it or if you have any requests for videos
You'd like to see feel free to share that in the comments below the full breakdown to all of the recipes as always is on
The blog those links are in the description box below
Hopefully we were able to share with you today that making a wholesome delicious meal
Doesn't have to break the bank if you did enjoyed today's video as well
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