There are few faster ways to reduce your shopping bill than by adding a meat-free night (or three) to your week. Alice Taylor makes that easy with these delicious recipes for tofu and felafel.
I’ve been trying to work out which small, realistic changes make the greatest difference when it comes to saving money on food.
Cutting back on takeaways has helped, achieved through keeping a few “fakeaways” in the freezer for busy nights. Think burger patties and buns, Thai green curry paste, frozen half cans of coconut milk, and chicken that I have already diced.
Reducing supermarket visits by making do with what’s in the cupboard has had an impact. Some of my meals this past week have been a little strange, using up the odds and ends, but it’s been fun to get creative and even more fun to save the $30 I would have otherwise spent.
But the most noticeable change has been introducing one vegetarian dinner a week.
That one dinner quickly became two, then three. Over time, I’ve seen a clear difference in my grocery bill.
I grew up in a household where meat was part of every dinner. It was just the norm, and to be fair it was much more affordable a decade ago than it is now. My partner, meanwhile, grew up in an Albanian family in Italy, where meals looked quite different. There might be a vegetable-based pasta first, followed by a much smaller portion of meat, or sometimes no meat at all.
I’ll admit, I used to think a meal without meat wouldn’t feel satisfying. But with the right dishes, that really isn’t the case.
Here are two of my go-to vegetarian dinners that are affordable, full of flavour and protein, and tend to win over both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.
(Ps: I've just noticed that they're both deep fried. No wonder I like them!)
Recipe: Crispy tofu
Serves 2
Tofu is one of the cheapest and most versatile proteins you can buy. And when cooked well, it's delicious.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 block firm tofu
• 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• Vegetable oil
For the sauce
• A splash of oil
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, diced
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp ssamjang, or swap for hoisin, sriracha or teriyaki
To serve
• Rice or noodles
METHOD
Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and place something heavy on top. Leave to press for about 20 minutes. The excess water comes out of the tofu, and it becomes much easier to fry and has a better texture.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Gently fry the spring onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add your chosen sauces and let it simmer briefly. Just use what’s in the pantry; it will be delicious, I'm sure!
Cut the tofu into cubes and coat in cornflour. Heat oil in a pan and fry the tofu until golden and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
Toss the tofu through the sauce for a minute, then serve over rice or noodles. It is also very delicious in a banh mi-style sandwich with sliced and lightly dressed cabbage and onion.
Recipe: Homemade falafel
The first time I made falafel from scratch, I couldn’t believe how simple and cheap it was. I also genuinely couldn’t fathom how delicious they are. I often make a big batch of this mixture, fry half and freeze the other half for another day.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
• 250g dried chickpeas or split yellow peas
• ¼ onion, peeled
• 1 cup fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil or mint
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• Optional, ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp salt
METHOD
Soak your legumes first. Split peas need around four hours, while chickpeas are best soaked overnight.
Drain and rinse, then add to a blender with the onion, herbs, spices and salt. Blend until you have a fine paste. If you have time, let the mixture rest overnight, but you can cook it straight away if needed.
Heat oil in a pan to around 180°C. You will see bubbles form around a wooden spoon when it is ready. Using two wet spoons, shape the mixture and carefully drop into the oil.
Fry until golden on all sides, then drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt.
Serve in wraps, salads, or with a simple yoghurt sauce.
Shifting towards more vegetarian meals does not mean giving anything up. It is simply about adding a few reliable, low-cost options into the mix, and once they are in rotation, the savings tend to follow. Plus, is never a bad thing to eat some more beans and veggies!
Chef Alice Taylor posts cooking videos as @alicetayloreats on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
Chef Alice Taylor posts cooking videos as @alicetayloreats on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
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