Smart ways to prepare your favorite dishes for less

Even when you have a tight budget, cooking delicious meals might be a challenge. And when you can’t give up your favorite dishes, the commitment is even trickier. We’ve talked about meal planning in the past, but this time, we gathered two of our best tips to help you cook your favorite meals without breaking the bank.

Tip number 1: Include leftovers from previous meals

We’ve talked about ways to save money during Ramadan, by preparing large batches of meals. But did you know you can apply the same tips to your daily lifestyle? You can save money and energy just by reusing leftovers from previous meals and creating new recipes.

To feel more confident about leftovers storage and safety, make sure you follow the golden rules:

• Make use of your leftovers, but only once. If you still got leftover chicken from the previous night’s dinner party for example, use them to prepare your favorite comfort foods such as mouthwatering chicken soup, tortilla wraps or a creamy pot of chicken and rice. But make sure you use them once because chicken cannot be reheated!
• Store your leftovers in airtight containers and tightly cover them from drying.
• Know your foods shelf life and don’t refrigerate leftovers for long periods of time. You can freeze them instead if you don’t plan on eating them right away.

Tip number 2: Use staple ingredients from the pantry

With the right ingredients at your reach, you can always prepare quick and easy meals without breaking the bank.

Hence, you should focus on your pantry, keep it organized and load it with staple ingredients that you will definitely need someday. From condiments to baking supplies and canned foods, make sure you include high-quality and affordable items such as California Garden Mashed Fava Beans in your shopping list. They will come in handy when you need a quick substitute to save your recipe or create an original dish based on a traditional recipe like hawawshi and eggplant boats!