Cut it coarsely. As you cook them, add a tiny bit of sodium bicarbonate. After they melted down, add a tiny bit of vinegar to neutralise the bicarbonate.
It’s not really necessary in modern society. I do canning and other preservation hobbies. It’s easier to buy it. Unless you’re really interested in customizing your food, which is why I do it, it’s easier to buy it.
As far as cheap quick and easy it’s hard to beat Midwestern style “salads”. Egg salad is something I eat fairly often. Mix hard boiled eggs, mayo or miracle whip (I use light), and sweet pickle relish in whatever proportions you prefer. I generally add some frozen peas and top mine with Tajin powder but you can add veggies, nuts, seeds, cheese, seasonings or sauces… whatever you want to customize it. To make a different kind of “salad” replace the eggs with ground, chopped, or shredded meat (home cooked, deli, or canned) of whatever type you prefer or a can of beans with the liquid drained. It can be made into sandwiches, wrapped in a tortilla, used as a dip, served over rice, noodles, cooked or fresh veggies, it can be eaten cold or hot, if you add a lot of veggies, pasta, or rice and some liquid it can be baked off as a casserole maybe topped with cheese. The meat/eggs/beans should be cooked before they go in so all you have to do is dump it in a bowl and mix it up.
For a dessert “salad” there is cottage cheese salad. Mix a tub of cottage cheese, a can of fruit (pineapple is the norm but I use oranges because I don’t like pineapple and it’s suppose to be drained but I don’t), and a small package of flavored gelatin (sugar free store brand works fine) in a large bowl then fold in a tub of whipped cream. Sometimes I add some cherries and/or walnuts. Any fruits, nuts, or seeds can be added. It has to be refrigerated for a couple hours so the gelatin can set up.
I survived on fruit growing in my neighborhood and a potato a day for a while. I was extremely broke. During this time, I walked between two grocery stores logging prices for basics between the two and buying the cheaper items to stretch my budget. I know what it means to be desperate to make it work on low or no funds. Keep your head up cause life can improve. I wish you the best.
Russet potatoes are filling and cheap. They can be seasoned for flavor with whatever you might have. Pour oil over one and sprinkle whatever seasoning you have, wrap it in aluminum foil and bake for 63 minutes at 425°. Or do the cheaper version without spices and aluminum foil. It’s still a large portion of food.
Noodles are cheap. I have an adequate budget now, but I still eat noodles for breakfast almost every day (M-F) cause I like them and they’re easy. Distinguish between rice noodles and pasta noodles (wheat). They aren’t the same and probably provide different nutrients. Eggs are also fairly cheap (except when they weren’t) and can be cooked a bunch of ways. Rice is cheap, though a westener’s diet might find it bland over time. Beans are supposed to be a top protein source. If you eat red meat, probably look for hamburger and find ways to work that in.
Toss cubed Tofu and some hardy veggies in oil with some spices. Back at 350 (Tofu may need longer than your veggies, depending on what you pick). Serve over Quinoa or with bread.
I’m not really putting measurements on here but I’d say you want to cook minimum a pound of beans.
-Soak red kidney beans overnight
-Sautee onions, garlic, celery in a 4 quart pot
-Pour in beans and cover with water
-Throw in 2-3 bay leaves
-Add meats (if you want them to be tender)
-Salt/pepper to taste
-cayenne pepper, solely based off of your heat tolerance
-mix
-Bring to broil reduce heat
-Cook at least 8 hours on medium low heat
-Stir occasionally
-beans should be a viscous, not runny/watery and not incredibly thick. Add water as needed to thin out beans.
-Serve with white rice
-Garish with Italian parsley and/or chopped green onions
-if you didn’t Add meats in the beginning, serve with your choice of smoked sausage, bone in pork chop, Andouille, or boudin on the side and/or French bread with butter
-Top beans and rice with your favorite hot sauce (typically louisiana hot, Tabasco, or crystal)
This is your basic no frills red beans that tastes delish.
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