As is clear from looking out the window these days (much less by looking at the title of this blog!), we are living in recessionary times. But there is no need to equate “recession” with “ramen (though we love it so). Nor is there any need for recession cooking to be any less exciting or tasty or nutritious than less frugal fare.
My eyes lit up when I came across a recipe for lentil-rice casserole over at $5 Dinners! I adore lentils and am always looking for a way to use them – especially ways wherein I don’t have to soak them first! So when I saw this recipe, which just throws all the dry ingredients in with some broth and spices and onions, I knew I had to give it a try.
Today was the most autumnal day we’ve had yet in the D.C. area, and this casserole was so warm and comforting … a true winner. And it only took minutes to prepare, leaving me plenty of time to catch up on housecleaning and just plain old relaxing while the casserole cooked!
Also, today was CSA delivery day, and in this week’s box came some beautiful fresh kale. I took about half the stalks, washed them well, and pulled them apart, lying them on a cookie sheet. I sprayed them with some cooking spray, seasoned them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and baked them for the last 10 minutes of the casserole’s cooking time. Voila – crispy kale! There’s nothing like it.
So, tonight we had a meal that was tasty, nutritious, hearty, comforting, and recession-friendly. We’ll definitely be enjoying it again!
The stats:
Lentils: $0.27 ($0.14/person)
Rice: $0.49 ($0.25/person)
Cheese: $4.59 ($2.30/person)
Onion: $0.50 ($0.25/person)
Kale: Prepaid.
GRAND TOTAL: $5.85 … or $2.94 per person.
BUT WAIT! This recipe makes enough for a very good-sized leftover. So the per-person price goes down even more!
:)