Raindrop

joined 2 years ago
MODERATOR OF
[–] Raindrop 1 points 1 year ago

Yay, thank you!

[–] Raindrop 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Love this. I'm thinking about getting a Dutch oven. What would you say is the best size is best for a 1-2 lb loaf/blob of bread? It looks like your recipe is close to the one I make, and it makes about a 2 lb loaf.

[–] Raindrop 2 points 1 year ago

That's a good question, I'm not really sure. I'll ask my friend since it's his recipe. The last two times I've made it, I've actually forgotten to add the ACV and it's been great. So it's probably not needed!

[–] Raindrop 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Great idea! I agree, it's such a good point.

Edited to add: I added a blurb to the community - please let me know if you think it needs any changes. Thanks again, I really appreciate the insightful feedback :)

[–] Raindrop 3 points 2 years ago

Ah thank you so much! I didn't realize you could buy it online, that definitely makes it more convenient!

[–] Raindrop 16 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Hi everyone, this post inspired me to make a community about this topic! https://lemmy.world/c/cheaphealthyfood

10
Sourdough starter? (self.cheaphealthyfood)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by Raindrop to c/cheaphealthyfood
 

I make all our bread from scratch - regular loaves, rolls, buns, pitas, tortillas, dough, etc.

I really want to try sourdough, but I have no idea where to get it. I have two friends with starters, but they live across the country. Do I just go to a bakery and buy it? It feels like a secret society lol.

Please help with my entrance into the secret sourdough society!

[–] Raindrop 3 points 2 years ago

Agreed. We moved into a rental in 2021 and the oven was broken. Our landlord brought over a nice air fryer for us to use/borrow until the oven was repaired. I was amazed at how quickly it heated up (compared to a big oven) and how little space I actually needed to cook and bake stuff.

We got an air fryer of our own last year, it was on sale at Costco. It's one of the ones with the different trays/racks, rather than just a fryer basket. Since last year, we have only used the big oven once, and that was for the turkey at Thanksgiving!

12
Rice and vegetables (self.cheaphealthyfood)
submitted 2 years ago by Raindrop to c/cheaphealthyfood
 

If I'm in a hurry/tired/drained and don't want to put much mental effort into making food, I make rice, steam some veggies, and add a sauce.

We get big, inexpensive bags of frozen veggies with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I steam them for a few minutes while the rice cooks. Then I whip up a sauce, usually some kind of Thai-inspired spicy peanut butter sauce.

If there's leftover rice, I let it hang out in the fridge for a couple days, and then use it to make fried rice, which is basically the same as above, but all fried together and possibly with different flavors :)

[–] Raindrop 4 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Ooh that's pretty fancy with the salt! :D I love our air fryer so much. It saves so much time and it somehow cooks potatoes so perfectly. One time I meant to bake ~3 big russet potatoes for an hour at about 400 F, but I accidently set it to air fry. Quite a ways into that hour, I noticed the skins were really crispy and kind of thick. My husband loved this, thankfully! After eating them liked baked potatoes, we just picked up the skins and ate them like slices of pizza!

9
BEANS (self.cheaphealthyfood)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Raindrop to c/cheaphealthyfood
 

My current favorite bean situation (a recipe from a friend):

  • 2 cans* of beans (usually black)
  • 1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1/2 onion, diced (yellow or white)
  • Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, to taste
  • Drain and rinse beans (if from a can).
  • Put them in a medium-sized pot.
  • Fill pot with water just until beans are covered.
  • Add all ingredients and stir.
  • Bring to a boil with the lid on.
  • Turn down to low to simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Take off lid, stir, and finish cooking until you have your desired consistency (we like it a little mushy).

*I haven't been able to figure this out texture-wise with our dried black beans, even after soaking and cooking for a long time, so I'll have to work on that a bit. But beans in cans work really well!

What are your favorite ways to make beans?

8
Potatoes! (self.cheaphealthyfood)
submitted 2 years ago by Raindrop to c/cheaphealthyfood
 

Potatoes are so versatile. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew, and more yet. We buy a 50lb bag of potatoes from the Costco Business Center and have fun learning new ways to eat them.

It's definitely possible to make potatoes unhealthy, but you can fix them up with your own ingredients and techniques to keep an eye on nutrition.

My current favorite thing to do: Bake 3 or 4 russets, ideally until just before they're baked-potato-mushy. Dice them up in to nickel-sized pieces. Gently toss with a little oil and seasoning. Air-fry them at 400 F until crispy.

Then you can add them to burritos, have them with eggs, or just with some roasted veggies.

What are your favorite cheap ways to eat potatoes?

[–] Raindrop 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)