Do you have more of something and less of something else? What to make a fabulous recipe with cheaper ingredients? You can! Frugal cooking to the rescue.
Whenever I am meal planning, whether it is gathering a menu for the week or more likely, figuring out what I am going to make for that night, I always take into consideration the ingredients that I have on hand. There is no running out to the store at the last moment to find a thing or two that I don’t have for the meal. Instead, I’ll substitute, leave out or adapt the recipe to make due. I’ve been able to get some great meals this way!
For example, let us take a typical Italian meal. If I have run out of shredded mozzarella, I can use whole or sliced (which is generally cheaper anyway) or substitute a similarly mild cheese, such as provolone. If I am out of pasta sauce, I could use fresh tomatoes to make my own, use canned tomatoes or even use canned tomato soup!
How about a crockpot or casserole dish? If there are no bread crumbs in the house, I could make my own by toasting bread ends, crumbling them up and seasoning them. Or I could create a topping out of crushed plain or unsweetened cereal (or use the crumbs in the bottom of the bags. Peas can be substituted for broccoli and vice versa for most recipes.
What about baked goods. This can get a little tricker since there are chemical reactions going on, but you can still adapt according to your needs. Only have two ripe bananas for banana bread when the recipe calls for three? Fill in the gap with another soft fruit, such as half a cup of applesauce.
Recently, a recipe called for expensive Dutch processed cocoa. Instead I did a little search on the Internet and found that I could use regular cocoa powder by adding extra baking soda. The recipe for a chocolate coffee cake came out so delicious.
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