A Frittata with Ramen? Yes!

Bacon and Onion Ramen Frittata

Ingredients:
2 packages of ramen- 50 cents
1 packet of chicken ramen flavoring- free!
2 cups of water- free!
1 onion- $1.39
4 cloves garlic- 20 cents
1/3 a package of bacon- $1.11
1 tsp cumin- free
4 eggs- 90 cents
1/2 cup fat free ricotta- 50 cents
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella- 57 cents
Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, add 2 cups of water to a pan and let it boil.
2. Add two packets of ramen to the pan and cook it for 2 minutes (a bit al dente- it will cook in the oven).

3. Drain the ramen, add one packet of seasoning, and toss in a bowl.

4. Add eggs, 1/4 cup of ricotta, and pepper to taste to a food processor. Blend until smooth and frothy.
5. Add egg mix to ramen and toss.
6. Cook bacon in a dry cast iron skillet until enough fat has come out to cook the garlic and onion, then add garlic and onion.

7. Cook until garlic and onion are caramelized, and bacon is crispy on the edges.
8. Let cool enough that the mixture won't cook the eggs in the ramen, then add to noodle mixture.

9. Add rest of ricotta (split up into little balls) and mozzarella.
10. Pour mixture back into the cast iron, squash flat, and then place in oven and cook for 20-30 minutes (until the top is set).

This was so good warm and cold. I highly recommend peas as a side dish. I bet it would be good with any meat, cheese, or meat folded in too.

Price: $5.17 for 4 very filling meals: $1.29 

Bacon, Ricotta, and Leek Pizza

Let me start this recipe by coming clean about something: I went out with some friends and on my way home, I bought 3 packets of bacon. They were on sale, and my brain informed me that I must have them... So, I now must cook with bacon.

Bacon, Ricotta, and Leek Pizza

 

Ingredients:
1 packet of pizza dough- $2.49
1 leek, finely chopped- $1.16
3 cloves of garlic, minced- 15 cents
6 pieces of bacon sliced finely- $1.11
1/2 cup of Fat-free ricotta cheese- 50 cents
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella- 57 cents
1 tbsp oil- 12 cents
Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475 (this is as high as my apartment's oven can go).
2. Cook the bacon over medium high heat until curled but not crispy (it will cook in the oven). Spoon out the pieces onto a plate, you want to keep that amazing bacon fat.

3. Cook the leeks and garlic until soft, but still a bit green, in the pan with the bacon fat, some pepper and a bit of salt (unless you have very salty bacon).

4. Cut the pizza dough into 4 palm sized pieces (I guess this could be a whole pizza, but I like smaller hand sized food).
5. Oil your cookie sheet so that the pizza dough won't stick, and then use the oil on your hands for when you're stretching each piece, or else it will stick to you.
6. Stretch each piece until it's pretty thin, it will spring back when you put it down, so make it bigger than you think you want.

 7. Evenly add ricotta to each pizza, then leeks and bacon, and then mozzarella.

 8. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until crust looks golden. Sprinkle some salt on top, and if you like spice, I recommend some hot pepper flakes.

Price: $5.98 for four pizzas, which is about 3 meals, so that's $1.99 per deliiiicous meal.

This would be amazing with a spicy baby arugula greens salad. I think next time I may crack an egg on top and serve it for brunch!

Ramen, Egg, and Leek Bowls

Chicken Flavored Ramen, Egg, and Leek Bowls

Ingredients:
1 package of chicken Ramen- 25 cents
1/4 and 1/8 tsp of chicken seasoning
1 1/2 cups water- Free. Yaaay!
2 eggs- 45 cents
1 leek sliced thinly- $1.16
2 cloves garlic diced- 10 cents
1 tbsp oil- 12 cents
Salt & pepper





1. Preheat oven to 350. And boil water in small pan.
2. Add ramen package to the water, cook for 2 and a half minutes (it's cooking again so you don't want it overcooked).
3. Remove noodles and drain. Add 1/4 tsp of the seasoning and a splash of oil and toss with noodles in a bowl.







4. Oil muffin pan (this is very important step- I didn't and they stuck!) and push noodles into two cups to make two bowls. This amount of noodles could probably make three bowls, I made full ones and nibbled.
5. Pepper the bowl and then place in the oven for 20 minutes, until light brown and a bit crunchy on the edges.

6. In a pan, add oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic, leeks, and 1/8 tsp seasoning and cook until soft and browned.

7. Remove bowls from oven, spoon leek and garlic mixture into bowl.

8. Crack egg into bowl and place back in oven for 20 minutes until egg is cooked.

9. Salt and pepper eggs.

10. Remove bowls with spoon and place on plate. Eat!

Cost: $2.08

Review: Wow. Best dinner. So amazing. Sweet leeks and spicy garlic with eggy noodles and a hearty egg. Incredibly delicious.

Fried Egg and Leek Couscous & Curried Squash

Fried Egg and Leek Couscous

Ingredients:

1 cup Garlic, Parsley, and Corn Couscous - Left over! 40 cents

2 eggs, one separated one whole - 45 cents

1 leek - $1.16

1 tbsp olive oil- 12 cents

Salt & pepper

1. Slice the leek in half lengthwise, and rinse out the dirt hiding in the layers. Then slice thin half-moons using the white to light green part.

2. Add oil and leeks to a pan on medium heat and cook until softened.

3. Add couscous and whole egg to the pan. Mix until the egg has cooked enough to hold the mix together.

4. Add second egg's white, then cook until mostly solid.

5. Make a well at the center of the couscous, and then pour in yolk.

6. Cook until yolk is just cooked enough that a skin forms.

7. Pour couscous and yolk onto a plate.

8. Break the yolk with your fork and mix in yolk to make a sauce.

9. Salt and pepper to taste, and then YUM!

The hearty egg makes this meal very filling, and the leeks add a nice oniony sweetness to the sweet corn and spicy garlic. The couscous doesn't get dry from a second cooking because the egg adds moisture and richness to the dish.

Cost: $2.13 for a very filling meal.

Curried Squash:

Ingredients:

4 slices of cooked squash- 61 cents

2 tbsp olive oil- 12 cents

1/2 tsp curry powder- Free? It's in my spice cupboard

Salt

1. Take pieces of squash and rub generously with curry on either side.

2. Add oil to pan and heat to high. Then place squash in pan.

3. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, and then flip when seared until well cooked on each side.

4. Salt and then eat!

The sweet and meaty squash works so well with the curry powder and the salt means that the balance of spicy, salty, and sweet is pretty perfect. This would be great with a vinegary salad and brown rice.

Cost: 73 cents, perfect as the main part of a meal.

Total meal: $2.86 :)

Starting Out: Roasted Ambercup Squash and Couscous

I am a 24 year old teacher living in an expensive city. I just moved out of my family home so I am suddenly much more broke, and paying for food on my own. I am also a foodie with expensive tastes, so I need to figure out a way to keep eating delicious and fresh meals without breaking the bank!

Tonight's meal:
Roasted Ambercup Squash and Garlic, Parsley and Corn Couscous

Ingredients:
Couscous:
1 cup cooked Whole Wheat Couscous- Free! (leftovers from dinner at my parents', but it's cheap)
1 tbsp of chopped parsley- a few cents, let's say 7
1 tbsp olive oil- 12 cents
3 cloves of chopped garlic- $1 for the whole head, so about 15 cents
1 small diced onion- 35 cents
1 corn cob- 50 cents
Salt & pepper

1. Mix couscous with parsley.

2. Boil a pan of water, add corn and cook on each side for 45 seconds until yellow and shiny.

 3. Take out the corn and then remove corn by slicing with knife down cob, add to couscous.

 4. Put oil in sauté pan and cook garlic and onion until shiny and a bit caramelized.

5. Add garlic and onion to couscous, then salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Ambercup Squash:

2 1/2 pounds Ambercup Squash- $2.45 at the Farmers' Market

2 tbsp olive oil- 24 cents

Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375. 

2. Clean outside of squash very well. Slice in half along stem line (I recommend a big knife), then scoop out guts and seeds.

3. Slice into half moons about 3/4 of an inch thick. Place in a bowl with oil and salt and pepper.

4. Place pieces on baking sheet in single layer, and bake for about 15 minutes or until browned and soft and then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes.

The Ambercup Squash is meaty and delicious, it has a fantastic texture and it's my favorite color flesh of any squash right now. The couscous is textured and sweetened by the corn. They are so great together!

Total price: $4.51 for 3 meals! That's $1.50 a dinner. :D And I have lunch tomorrow! Win.







BONUS SNACK:
My squash had a bunch of seeds in it, so I decided to make sweet roasted squash seeds to go on my yogurt for breakfast. All ingredients were scavenged from my kitchen's communal shelf.
3/4 cup of seeds (washed of all squash bits)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oil

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat on low until every seed is coated in honey spiced goodness.

3. Transfer to baking pan, and put in oven for 15 minutes.

4. Serve on yogurt for breakfast!