Healthy Meals under $5 a serving!

This tasty dishes are great served with rice or rice noodles or on their own with extra veggies or leftover roast beef, pork chops, fish or chicken. A lot of easy meals are made from pantry staples and a little planning. Pick out a few recipes for the week and grab your groceries, but be sure to check your cupboards, fridge and freezer first! You never know what's lurking until you take a peek :)

Eggplant Curry ($1.79 per serving)

Pantry staples help this dish come together easily. All you will need to do is make some rice or heat up some naan to serve alongside.

 

Prep: 10 min Stand: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves: 4

 

1 small eggplant (about 375 g), chopped

4 tsp curry powder

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas (undrained)

1 cup tomato passata

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

 

Place eggplant in colander and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt; let stand for 10 minutes. Pat eggplant dry with paper towel.

 

Heat 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add eggplant and saute for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas and passata; bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until eggplant is very tender and sauce thickens. Stir in cilantro.

  

Tip: Make a pot of rice to serve up with the curry or naan breads.

If you have some fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley or basil in the fridge be sure to chop and add them to the curry.

 

  

Sesame Soy Crispy Tofu ($3.02 per serving)

This combination is a fun and colourful twist to tofu. Serve it up with rice, rice noodles or ramen.

Prep: 15 min Stand: 15 min Cook: 15 min

Serves: 4

 

1 pkg (350 g) extra-firm tofu

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp Sesame Oil

2 large carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 cup Vegetable Broth

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp white miso paste

2 cups frozen edamame

3 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tsp cornstarch

 

Wrap tofu with paper towel and place on plate and cover with another plate and top with a heavy can. Let stand for 15 minutes.

 

Cut tofu in half crosswise and then lengthwise. Cut each square on a diagonal to get triangles and coat well with cornstarch.

 

Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pan fry tofu until golden brown on both sides, remove to a plate. Add carrots and sauté for 5 minutes or until starting to become golden.

 

Meanwhile, whisk together broth, soy sauce and miso. Pour into skillet along with edamame and sesame seeds; bring to a simmer.

 

Whisk cornstarch and 2 tsp water together and stir into skillet. Return tofu to skillet and simmer, turning tofu to coat in sauce. Simmer gently for 2 minutes or until well coated.

 

 

Rice Vermicelli Noodles: Bring a pot of water to boil and add 250 g rice vermicelli and cook about 4 minutes or until tender. Drain well and serve up with tofu.

 

Using ramen noodles? Simply pour some hot water over them and let stand for 5 minutes, then drain and they are ready to serve.

 

 

 

  

Sheetpan Dumplings and Veggies ($4.57 per serving)

Getting these dumplings crispy is a real win for a tasty dinner. Try serving them up on your favourite greens or shredded cabbage for some added crunch. Switch up the flavour and try a Korean Sauce for the Thai Sauce.

 

Prep: 5 min Cook: 35 min Serves: 4

 

1 pkg (500 g) Frozen Dumplings

1 pkg (500 g) Asian Style Mixed Vegetable Blend

8 cups chopped Romaine or Baby Spinach

1/4 cup Sweet Thai Chili or Korean Sauce (approx.)

1/4 cup chopped Roasted & Salted Peanuts

 

Spread dumplings and veggies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle with 3 tbsp Canola Oil and toss to coat evenly. Roast in preheated 425°F oven for about 35 minutes, stirring once, until golden brown and dumplings are crisp.

 

Spread lettuce onto plates and top with dumplings and veggies. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with peanuts to serve.