Suggestions for a REALLY cheap side dish
 

Hey, you guys have the best recipes and meal suggestions of anyone I know, so I thought I'd bring my query here...

At church we're doing a Bible study about food (about world hunger, justice in our eating practices, etc). It's really interesting, and one of the cool parts is that we share a meal before we do our study. At the next one, we're doing a potluck where we each bring a dish that we spent no more than $2.00 on. It has to feed 10 people, and it can be anything.

Any good suggestions? Obviously I want it to be vegetarian (or vegan would be better). I don't think anyone will be able to bring meat at that price, so there will be lots of stuff for me to sample!

Couscous Salad

I don't know if this is under 2 bucks, but it sure looks good.

1/2 tsp table salt, divided
1/2 cup(s) uncooked whole wheat couscous, quick cooking-variety
15 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium scallion(s), trimmed and chopped
1 cup(s) cooked broccoli, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup(s) canned tomato juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil

There is a new vegan cookbook out called Vegan on the Cheap:
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cheap-Re...dp/0470472243/

Of course it does depend on how much things are for you right now but I always like Chickpea/broccoli casserole which is cheap if you used dried chickpeas:
http://www.hsus.org/farm/humaneeatin...casserole.html

You can get a big bag of potatoes and make a potato salad or something.

Im not the best cook so Im not much help but that popped in my head! lol

What about some sweet potato/zuchini fritters? I just made these the other night and they are great. Or maybe stuffed jalapenos. Here's the link:

http://inthenightlife.blogspot.com/s...imal%20Recipes

I hope you find something great!

Have you thought about Googling a recipe for veggie soup or stew? A simple broth, some tomato sauce, a bag of mixed frozen veggies, and some pearl barley make an awesome soup. You can shred some cabbage into it as well. Use veggie broth for a vegan soup. And soup goes a long way. Season with some salt and pepper to taste, or add some chopped onion or some onion powder. If you buy generic, or make your own broth, you should be able to make a pot of it that will feed 10 people for around $2. You could leave out the barley and use diced potato instead to make it even cheaper. Just an idea. :)

edit- you can make it in a crockpot for easy transport, and leftovers can be frozen.

Not a vegetarian anymore, but I was one for a few years in high school/college, and I still often eat meatless meals a couple times a week. How about a bag of whole wheat pasta/brown rice mixed with a handful of veggies and a little margarine or evoo. Add a little garlic and onion powder a bit of salt and pepper and you've got a great meal.

i would do a split pea soup - it would taste gourmet.
1 bag of split peas, 1-2 tbs. vegetable broth - maybe a few carrots if you have them.

cook, then blend. it is so simple, and everyone just goes crazy over it.

but then, what if everyone is doing a soup/stew? then, i would probably do a mexican black beans and rice dish. Or, if you have time - make homemade wheat bread.

I don't know if you've already done this, but I am a huge fan of sauteed cabbage. A head of cabbage is usually pretty cheap and makes a lot of food. I would sautee it in a little bit of olive oil and season it with salt and pepper. You could add a grain to it, and with hot sauce it's one of my favorite things. It's one of those high-volume, delicious, cheap things I make for lunch. I also like it with pasta.

Lentils--a simple lentil soup or stew, for instance. One of my favorite lentil recipes is a Persian dish that's nothing but rice, lentils, and carmelized onions...unfortunately, it's not exactly low-calorie, so it no longer makes it into my meal rotation. It is really yum, though. If you're looking for something more waist-friendly, I'd suggest looking for some Indian dal (also spelled "dhal") recipes.

Seconding the lentils! Spiced lentils, with or without rice can be a good protein packed (and SUPER CHEAP) option.

lentils cooked with with salsa.

Barb

Just curious as to what you made.

I'm ashamed to admit that I ended up making something very unhealthy -- no-bake chocolate oat cookies! It was a rough day with my little one and the boy I babysit, so I just threw something easy together.

Thanks for all the suggestions, though, guys!