Okay guys,
So kind of on a budget. Not working for the next two weeks due to injury and need some ideas.
I have a toaster and kettle. i need ideas on foods to eat during the day with only using these two appliances.
I usually eat mcdonalds etc but due to needing to budget I just need simple things to get me through until dinner.
I live with a large family and I live downstairs. There is a kitchen. But upstairs with a family I would prefer not to see.
Anything! go!!!
Pop tarts
Australian Favourite? :-)
A+++
SPAM
Never tried spam but that might be a pass hahaha
Can't go wrong, spam with your instant noodles or in your toasties, very versatile.
Lol! Is that stuff actually nice?
enjoy your sodium
get some no frills instant oats. plenty of carbs, cheap, low GI, plenty of fibre. sprinkle some cinnamon or honey on top.
Spam is the best =) especially in fried rice & noodles
get some no frills instant oats. […] low GI
Have you ever looked up the glycaemic index for porridge made with instant oats?
Porridge made from instant oats is a high GI food, tested to be 82 by Sydney University:
http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php?num=846&ak=detai…
This makes it a high GI food, as it is above 70.
@RJK:
Depends on the oats. You're talking about instant oats.
http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php?num=829&ak=detai…
Rolled oats on the other hand are lower GI food. And that's raw/uncooked.
Cook it and it'll go even lower and it's also nutritional.
Some people eat em raw… like me :P
I'm very aware that I was discussing instant oats, as the person I replied to specified "instant oats" as being low GI.
FWIW I'll only eat oats soaked and fermented, which is the traditional way to prepare them. The way I do it means the oats come out warm and ready to eat. This isn't really going to be convenient for the OP, so personally I wouldn't even recommend oats at all. Look up phytic acid and make up your own mind.
instant noodles. or im sure kmart or big w would have a cheap sandwich press you could consider. toasties. eggs. etc. easy to clean as well.
Never thought of using a sandwich press for anything other than toasties! Thank you. Will look into it :)
I once saw a lady at a previous work place cooking sausages on the sandwhich press. Wut?!
People at work use the sandwich press to cook their chicken, fish, etc.
Gross. Is this an acceptable thing now? Hope they at least wash it properly afterwards, instead of giving the whole office the shits.
@woolfenstein: It's gross because the whole office smells of their food. There grease proof paper available for staff to use.
@skywards: they could always wrap their food in foil and cook it that way?
I did just buy some meat and a sandwich press. But I would only do it at home. Not at work. eugh :/
Another option if you decide to buy a sandwich press is to fill a pita bread full of your favourite ingredients and toast it in the sandwich press. The pita bread when folded in half tends to hold more ingredients than regular sliced bread. The price of a packet pita bread varies but have seen it between 70cents and $1 at the fruit and veg shop.
People at my work use it as a frying pan. Bacon, eggs, tomato, mini frankfurts, you name it.
I reckon if yours is recessed enough and has a lip, you can stir fry on it
Cup noodles that cook in hot water?
One of my favourites, avocado on toast sprinkled with salt.
Fresh fruits?
My favourite breakfast of all time!
Avo on toast is amazing! I actually forgot I used to eat that nearly everyday. Need to get back into that !
Avocado is not cheap.
Around $3.8 for 3 @Woolies this week. That's cheap enough considering avocado is a very healthy and nutritious fruit. Its skin and pith are lightweight so you can get most of the flesh out if it.
@721411: I tried to guess what you typed… Thought for a moment that the skin and pith were somehow edible.
@cowiie: it is not cheap ! But it is delicious. But yes, budgeting sucks. So prob won't be getting it until I actually get my next pay. Which could be up to a month away -.-
@cowiie: Sorry, I typed on my phone and auto correct messed thing up. What I meant is that the skin and the pit of an avocado are not as heavy as those of other fruits, so the edible flesh counts for most of the fruit's weight.
But common cowiie, I know you can eat the whole fruit without problems.
@goog101: Of course, avocados are not cheap but ~$4 for 3 is a good price.
Got some little ones for $1 a kilo at Footscray's little Saigon yesterday.
@PVA: Thought nowhere is as expensive as Darwin. My local Coles and Woolies both have 3 packs of avos for $3.6. It works out to be 6-7/kg (around 200g per avo). Avos are usually 2 for $4, 5 or even 6. Gonna buy lots of them and other stuff to get 10 off 40/shopping (Everyday rewards email).
they do have 3 packs as well, $4.98 - gold coast woolies are expensive, especially the southport stores.
$1.60 each at aldi this week…… CHEAP! :)
Cans of tuna. Or those tuna/rice cans. Most people seem to find this a turn off - but would you eat baked beans straight out of the tin? Cereal…so you won't be accessing the fridge at all?
I also have a fridge & freezer so that's okay ! my room has a smaller kitchen in it so fridge sink etc just no oven. only kettle and toaster. thanks for the ideas !
You should look into buying a slow cooker or even a cheap rice cooker. That should allow you to make stews, soups, curry and such.
Throw in meat, onion, potato, veg of your choice, curry paste all into one pot and cook… no mess.
Also consider an electric frypan. http://www.kmart.com.au/product/homemaker-electric-frypan/17…
+1 Electric Frypan..
You can cook pretty much anything with one.
It's a Frypan, saucepan, Roasting oven and Bain-marie in one appliance.
Was looking at getting a slow cooker ! see so many good recipes. I might get one of those too. Who needs an oven these days!
Problem with a slow cooker is you have to be rather organised. On the plus side you can use cheap cuts of meat and they'll be tender.
+1 electronic fry pan. Look in your local Salvos. You can cook all sorts of dishes, reheat canned soup, curry, fry an egg and bacon (good for anytime of the day), make pancakes, cook sausages, make hamburgers, fill with water and reheat hot dogs, stir fry, steak, grilled or shallow fried fish, Schnitzel, paella .. The list goes on.
Scubacoles, how do you roast in one?
If you happen to be in sydney i have an electric pan you can have. Its hardly been used, was a present from someone and i hate it anyways. Its one of those useless ones that goes on and off and cant be set on a steady temp so you have to watch it
I think those instant soup + toasted bread would go very well for brekkie at least. Instant noodle is also very good, but I think fruit and salad would be the healthier option (at least once in awhile, grab some cheese and ham and throw them in as well for a meal).
sandwiches and wraps, get a cooked chook from colworths.
Instant mashed potato, comes in powder form, just add boiling water.
Add some butter and a little milk with the hot water to make it creamier and tastier.
You can get a small George Foreman grill for $55.
Got mine off ebay 2nd hand for $10. Love it.
If you can afford it, a halogen oven is great at $39. Doesn't take up much room. very versatile.
The sandwich Toaster is also a good idea. I think Target had a sale on kitchenware, but I am unsure if it is still on.
What can you cook in those ? I was looking at that exact one just before but is it mainly for roasts ? All these ideas are amazing ! lol
It's a miniture oven. I cook roasts in there 2-3 times a month. When we have been away for Christmas camping (powere site of course), I take this with us.
There are a few sites on this, and here are a few mixed reviews
similar instructions
When the kids have had a party, I do the frozen pies, quiche, sausage rolls in them.
The Aldi Frozen Spinach triangles are delicious.
Here is a halogen oven
BTW Danoz used to sell the original unit for over $200. Here is the previous advertorial
Some awesome recipes here too!
http://dormroomdelights.weebly.com/recipes.html
As a person who was bombarded with a box of instant noodle every quarter (came as a bonus for constant nightshifts I had to endure), I recommend adding canned tuna to the instant noodle. I am not sure how the flavour would turn out with Australian (since the noodles that I used to do it with were different to Australian ones), but tuna chunks with little bit of liquid from the canned tuna made the instant noodle taste so much better (imo).
Yes to tuna and or egg. Any other protein would do just fine! :)
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein too. Get a cheap blender and drop in to a fruit and veg shop close to closing times to nab the bargains then pulverize away. Cheap and healthy
Man that sounds like a depressingly halfassed perk for working night shift.
I gotta ask what brand noodles though, before handing down final judgement.
That's what you get for being a male in Korea. Stupid conscription.
We got paid less than the minimum wage, etc etc. Though, it was better than nothing and many other army places were not getting any of the compensations that I've got for night shifts. It was definitely a part of the compensation though.
I think I've gotten rather variety of instant noodles. They did a survey and we got to choose. It wasn't that good as a compensation, but it was always there. I've seen some people getting creative about those things, which was almost guaranteed as the meals from the base tasted awful and since we had a routine different from others we often missed the meal. That + practically unlimited amount of instant noodle gave birth to creativity.
Haha well fair enough. I was evaluating it from the context of a job in Australia.
I guess Korean mandatory military service is definitely more of a 'employers' market so nice of them to do even that!
And yes, have seen some amazing things done with instant noodles. To the point where I'd consider it restaurant grade. However sometimes (often?) the effort factor becomes such that I don't really classify it as instant noodles anymore.
@adante: Nah, they know that the maltreatment even goes against the constitution. It is permitted under the reasons of war and lack of resources if they were to improve the condition to a reasonable level (i.e. minimum wage etc). It's really bad, but it's basically lesser of two evils. Budget's very complex there since making it efficient causes another problem (have to admit that this opened my eyes, where I realised that "best" solution sometimes is not the most efficient one).
That being said, yeah, people can be very creative with noodles. I actually really liked those instant rice noodles we used to get. Yes, it didn't get cooked well unless you cook it for a long time (4~5 minutes). That being said, you could muck around with the noodle since the noodle was very nice. The soup it came with however, was mediocre, it tasted like salt + MSG. You could cook the noodle, wash it with cold water, add bit of the soup powder in and add tuna in to make it into a cold noodle (sort of). I have to admit, I don't really miss that part of my life. Scarcity did bring the creativity out, along with dark side of the people.
My go to lunch is salad. Before you screw your nose up, consider all the variety that you can have within a salad.
Spinach Leaves, Capsicum, Cucumber, Celery, Carrot, Cheese (Cheddar, Feta, whatever takes your fancy) Mushrooms, Olives, Anchovies. I add 2 cans of Tuna into it (which adds variety. I get the Coles small cans, and they add a wide range of possible flavours. Sweet Chilli, Indian Curry, Sweetcorn & Mayonnaise, Tomato and Onion, Lemon and Herb etc., and that's my lunch for the day. It takes 10 minutes to prepare, and is incredibly healthy.
You can add or remove anything you want! Just give it a try, and if it works, great! If not, don't include it next time.
Not a huge tuna fan although I do have some just incase I'm starving! haha I actually do like salad though. Depending on the ingredients but I'll definitely try and findividuals some recipes !
You can also get canned chicken (or just use spam!)
Yeah salads rock. But I cannot stand tuna in salads. but I like nice dressing like the $6 balsamic and good olive oil so not sure that's on a budget…Oh and pine nuts!
Love those small tins of flavoured tuna.
I add them to salad greens, plain pasta, wraps, frittata.. So versatile!
my wife eats this stuff, id rather starve
Is getting a portable stove an option? They're not too pricey and would be good if you get sick of eating instant noodles
I'm pretty sure my mum has a little camping stove somewhere in her house so on the weekend I'm def going to try dig it out haha just got a sandwich press and loads of chicken, steak, Mince etc. Found a few cool recipes using only a sandwich press.
thank god for ozb!
Be careful using it inside…you generally need good ventilation or use it outside.
Just don't try to make cheese on toast with your toaster like Jamie Oliver once suggested by turning toaster on side. Quick way to ruin your toaster.
Hahaha I was actually talking about this yesterday! Thought it was a good idea lol won't try it now.
Hash brown in toaster. Need to cook it many times to get it crispy though
Delivery He…. Oh
I would get a electric pressure cooker, they're really useful and fast! Similar to a slow cooker, just not slow ! You can cook rice in under 20 mins
I use my pressure cooker to cook rice, pasta, soup with any kind of meat. Quick and easy, no mess. It uses less energy to cook, retains most nutrition and moisture. You can keep your food hot for hours after cooked.
Try to eat less of instant foods, especially those like instant noodles which is full of fat, salt and/or MSG. -> You need to balance your diet.
You also need more protein to help heal your injury.
My favorite meals are:
Tips: you don't like the family? Eat them!
Most people call me weird for it but I quite like many meats raw, Beef mince (my favourite), Steak, Sausages, bacon. Never had a problem to this day with food poisoning either. Just be sure to buy the freshest meats possible.
You can even make a nice Steak Tartare if you're up for some fine cuisine.
There are cooking methods (well more like serving method) where the meat is served raw, it's called steak tartare. I'd be careful about the parasites though.
Yeah, I just added that before you posted your comment.. Made one last week. Bloody beautiful.
I actually do enjoy steak tartare (one of my favourite dish, I have to add), though I am slightly worried about parasites. I try to get them from restaurants (makes it hard to have them. Slightly sad, because of that.)
Not sure if you're being serious? Haha you can't actually eat this stuff raw can you? mince? Sausages? I have enough trouble eating sushi! Lol
Yes, there are some cuisines which incorporate raw meat, Japan as you already know eat sashimi (fish), as well as raw horse (sakuraniku) which can be prepared in a sashimi form (in this case, called basashi).
Similar thing in Korea is raw beef
In Germany they have 'Mett', made of raw pork mince and chopped onion, spread on a bread roll.
I wouldn't try eating raw meat that is bought from the supermarkets here… much of them have been sitting around in the store for too long and the combination of what the animals originally ate (feed) and hormones would likely promote bacterial growth.
that's interesting. I never knew that. Is that not bad for you? even coming from somewhere fresh? I saw a post on Facebook once ( can't trust facebook though) of a girl who ate sushi and was riddled with parasites. Seeing that turned me off anything remotely raw lol
who ate sushi and was riddled with parasites
That's always a risk, fish from the seas always have parasites, they are part of the natural ecosystem so any fish caught from a natural source will almost certainly have some unwanted extras. Think of it as a freebie!
In fact most store bought fish also have parasites and eggs, but because the fish are flash frozen on the fishing ships, the freezing process kills the parasites.
Even though sushi bars serve raw sushi-grade fish, all of them have actually been frozen for -35 degree C for 15 hours to kill off parasites. If they haven't been flash-frozen as per guidelines, then you run the risk of eating a slice that still has living eggs or worms in it.
@scrimshaw: I think it depends on location. Well with global warming and with Fukushima, I'd be more reluctant to say this, but the ocean near Japan and Korea is much colder. As long as it's not during Summer and as long as it's from the ocean, I've heard that it's relatively safe (to an extent where you wouldn't need to worry too much about the parasites at least.)
Definitely need to make sure you have some fruit…oranges are cheap at the moment and will guard against scurvy!!
Or mandarins - easier to peel
1) I'm so sorry to hear about your injury. I wish you the fastest recovery. I hope you are not in too much pain. PM me if you have pain issues. I know a lot about mediating it.
2) can you do a big cook up and then refrigerate it for a few days?
Can you ask your family to buy you food but you prepare it?
3) dependence is horrible so I do wish you well because being unable to even prepare food easily is horrible. Especially if you want to avoid your family
Thank you! Just shoulder problems but due to having steroid injections my doctor won't give me a clearance for two weeks and work can't let me back until I have a clearance :( which means no pay for up to a month due to being paid fortnightly.
I do eat dinner with the family every night but they are very hard to be around. I generally make sandwiches for work and come home and eat but being home all day now, they aren't very filing! And they get boring.
thank you for the ideas ! will definitely try them :)
why not continue with sandwiches then?
Not sure if it's just me, but when I work I don't get hungry. So a sandwich will do Until dinner.
but now, I'm starving at 10 am. And i think if I ate 5 sandwiches a day I'd never want to eat one again. Just variety I guess :)
you need a second breakfast.
If you have cereal, have toast and vice versa.
Or muesli + yoghurt
or if you want to be healthy celery or carrot sticks.
@jubba:
I did get some muesli & yogurt today. will try it in the moring Followed by raisin toast and see how it goes haha :)
@goog101: Make sure you get some protein in you early on, you'll find that fills you for longer - egg, cheese, yoghurt (not sugary ones), meat etc.
I find I am starving if I only eat predominantly carbs for breakfast (cereal, toast etc).
Instant noodles? Indomee!!