5 Healthy and Cheap Ingredients to Put in Your Shopping Cart
Foodist author Darya Pino Rose started eating healthily while living as a grad student in San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the country. Here's how she did it.
By Lynn Andriani
Insta-Flavor in a Jar
Cost: $6 for 8 ounces
Many Japanese cooks rely on dashi, a stock made with water, seaweed and dried fish flakes, for the savory taste known as umami. Rose is a huge fan, too; she buys it in a powdered form at her grocery store (she likes Hon Dashi by Ajinomoto), dissolves a smidgen in some water, and pours a few teaspoons into a stir-fry (the broth makes tofu and veggies taste as if they've been simmering in a delicious sauce for hours). If chicken or beef stocks are more familiar to you than dashi, though, Rose suggests keeping a jar of Better Than Bouillon in your fridge; the concentrated paste also delivers rich flavor in just a small amount. It's terrific with beans or lentils, or mashed potatoes, parsnips or cauliflower; just stir a teaspoon in with the butter and milk when you're pureeing the vegetables.
Many Japanese cooks rely on dashi, a stock made with water, seaweed and dried fish flakes, for the savory taste known as umami. Rose is a huge fan, too; she buys it in a powdered form at her grocery store (she likes Hon Dashi by Ajinomoto), dissolves a smidgen in some water, and pours a few teaspoons into a stir-fry (the broth makes tofu and veggies taste as if they've been simmering in a delicious sauce for hours). If chicken or beef stocks are more familiar to you than dashi, though, Rose suggests keeping a jar of Better Than Bouillon in your fridge; the concentrated paste also delivers rich flavor in just a small amount. It's terrific with beans or lentils, or mashed potatoes, parsnips or cauliflower; just stir a teaspoon in with the butter and milk when you're pureeing the vegetables.
Published 04/24/2013