Inflation is impacting everyone’s wallets, especially in the grocery store. So, along with this recipe, I’m including all my best tips to reduce your grocery bill. One of my favorite recipes of all time are these sesame noodles, and they just happen to be budget-friendly. What could be more affordable than pasta, especially this recipe made with ramen noodles?
My biggest money-saving tip is to prepare your own fruits and vegetables. You can have convenience or savings, but you can’t have both. I used to wonder who bought pre-chopped vegetables. … Then I had a baby, and I understood the need for some assistance. Every time the grocery store pays someone to chop up fruit and put it in a neat little container, you’re going to pay more. I realize carting around a whole watermelon isn’t exactly convenient, but you’ll learn a new skill and save a ton of money.
I joined a wholesale club for a year, and as long as you don’t mind pushing through crowds with a massive cart, the savings are there. Just don’t make my mistake of accidentally buying a year’s worth of one-ply prison toilet paper. If you have a large family, a wholesale club membership will more than pay for itself. Plus samples are back, so … free snacks!
If you have kids or snack like one, buy the largest container of your favorite snack foods and portion them out yourself. Again, the battle of convenience versus savings rages on. It only takes a minute to portion out snacks into plastic or reusable bags and have them in the pantry ready to go.
The exception to the rule of convenience versus savings is frozen produce. I love frozen foods, and I don’t care who knows it! It’s often just as fresh, if not more so because it’s frozen at peak ripeness. I especially love frozen broccoli, microwaved and jazzed up with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper – an easy weeknight side. Frozen fruits also make healthy and delicious additions to smoothies. Unless berries are in season, fresh fruit can end up being a huge chunk of your grocery budget. Check out the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” lists, which allow you to evaluate which fruits and vegetables are worth buying organic. You don’t really ever need to buy organic avocados because they’re on the “Clean 15” list. However, it may be worth buying organic strawberries because they’re on the “Dirty Dozen” list.
Another ingredient to reevaluate is meat. Meat and seafood are always going to be a large portion of your grocery budget. If you can reduce the amount of meat on your menu or shop for proteins at a wholesale club, you will definitely see a reduction in your bill. I highly recommend Trader Joe’s canned beans as an alternative protein source. Their canned beans cost just 99 cents and are BPA-free. Trader Joe’s is not only a fun place to shop but a cheap one.
Now to the noodles! These noodles are so simple and delicious. Simply cook, drain and chill the noodles. The sauce requires no cooking. I used ramen noodles from the soup aisle and ditched the packets, but if you’d rather use pasta, linguine makes a fine substitution. Add a few cucumbers, green onions or basil, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, and you’ve got a cool, refreshing summer dinner.
Chilled Sesame Noodles With Cucumber
Ingredients:
4 packets of ramen noodles (soup seasoning packets omitted) or 1 pound dry linguine or spaghetti
1/2 of an English cucumber (sliced thin)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2-3 green onions (dark green only, sliced thin)
Sliced basil (optional)
Sauce Ingredients:
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 clove of garlic (pressed or minced)
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to your taste or follow box directions. Rinse and drain well. Chill in a large bowl in the fridge.
- For the sauce, mix all ingredients well with a whisk.
- Combine sauce with noodles. Chill for 10 minutes to allow the noodles to drink up some of the sauce. Serve with sliced cucumbers, green onion, basil and toasted sesame seeds.
