Thumpy Rose Everybody knows the cost of food is up. You see it in your grocery bill. That aside, we all have had days when we couldn’t find the time to grocery shop. But, whether your wallet or busy schedule constraints you, we all must eat to live (or live to eat 😉). Shop your pantry or pantry raid is a great fallback for leftover dinner ideas and cheap pantry meals. Moreover, the grain possibilities in your pantry as the base for quick nutritious meals are endless. Particularly, our bowl of this easy one pot meal is incredibly delicious and healthier than reaching for a take-out menu. What’s more, this flavorful meal is one of the many plant-based recipes you can try out.
Secret Weapon in Pantry Cooking
The secret weapon to an enjoyable easy one pot meal is flavorful ingredients. Shop your pantry is no different. Culinary artists say that having a well-stocked pantry is one of a cook’s best tools for fixing quick nutritious meals.
However, due to those constraints previously mentioned, this might not be a reality for most of us. Here are eight tips to ensure you’re armed with tasty and healthy cheap pantry meals:
- Buy food on sale and store it for when you want it. This is a great way to save money.
- Know your likes and dislikes to avoid stocking your pantry with things you cannot stand. Stock up on foods you enjoy, especially when you spot them on sale. You’ll save money and reduce food wastage. Then you’ll easily prepare a heartwarming recipe without hesitation😉 after you’ve shop your pantry.
- Look at the expiration dates to make sure their dates are far enough out there to give you time to enjoy them.
- If you buy the same items, keep track of prices by holding on to the receipts or keeping a price book. This will help you know when the price is good, which is ideally the best time to stock up thus saving you money.
- Focus on wholesome ingredients, you’ll notice that the cost of processed food is equal to or even more than nutrient-dense foods. For example, a bag of potato chips costs about the same as a bag of dried beans. You’ll be cooking healthy meals.
- Include more plant-based options such as lower-cost fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat noodles, corn), and protein sources ( canned or dried beans, lentils, peas). Dried spices and canned vegetables last longer and come in handy when spicing up leftover dinner ideas.
- Consume homemade instead of canned soup. Preparing a large bowl of lentil soup will cost less per serving than a single can. And you can freeze up leftovers for later use. We have plenty of hearty African plant-based soups you can try out.
- Gardening is a good way of saving money and ensuring a healthier diet. Here is a way you can grow easy vegetables on your front or back porch.
Please share some of your tips in the comments section. Meanwhile, learn how to make this easy one pot meal.
Video Tutorial
Leftover meal ideas-make it taste good
One good thing about shopping your pantry is that you can use whatever leftovers you have on hand to create cheap pantry meals. We all have an almost empty sauce or forgotten dried or frozen food somewhere in the pantry or fridge.
Experience this mixy boxa combination with me, which is one of many. I like the fun of mixing seemingly odd things together to make something edible. These days, we have a new appreciation for food therefore wasting is not an option. Moreover, this crazy cool method helps you empty out those last droplets of sauces to make decent-tasting meals.
Now, about our hearty easy one pot meal, peanut buttered noodles with vegetables. We were glad to use our pantry and fridge leftovers to create a dish to add to your quick nutritious meals.
No rules…or just make sure it comes out tasting good!
Use the kind of noodles you have and whatever mix of veggies is left in the freezer. Stir fry them and add your peanut sauce.
We mixed soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lime juice, and peanut butter to make our creamy peanut sauce.
Be sure to check the recipe card for ingredients and detailed instructions. This pantry raid recipe is one of the most simple leftover dinner ideas you can make on your busy weeknights. And if you enjoy mushrooms, this eclectic juiciness of leftover noodles recipe and enoki mushrooms might interest you.
We hope you have fun turning those pantry leftovers into tasty heartwarming meals. Please let us know how it turned out for you. Sharing is caring so share this article or the recipe on your social media. Curious about a no-animal-meat food lifestyle? Check out our Instagram page for real-life inspirations 😊.
Shop your pantry-Peanut Butter Noodles Recipe
This creamy, flavor-packed peanut buttered noodles with vegetables is an excellent clean-out fridge type of recipe. We have an appreciation for food so wasting is not an option and this crazy incredible method helps you empty out those last droplets of things to make cheap pantry meals. Try it! No rules...or just make sure your pantry raid recipe comes out tasting good!
Ingredients
For the peanut sauce
- 2 TBS Peanut Butter
- 1.5 TBS Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tsp garlic
- Over 1tsp ginger (emptied jar)
- Half TBS sesame seed oil
- Some soy sauce
- 1 tsp-ish lime juice
- 1/4cup water
- Pepper
For the stir-fry
- 2 TBS Oil
- Leftover Frozen Vegetables
- Leftover Noodles (follow package cooking direction)
- Quarter Onion
Toppings(optional)
- Parsley
- Cilantro
Instructions
- To cook the leftover noodles, boil water in a deep cooking pot. Add noodles and cook according to package instructions. When ready, transfer the cooked noodles to a colander to drain excess water. Rinse with cold water so they don't get sticky and drain again. Put them back in the pot and set them aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut sauce ingredients until well combined to make a creamy sauce. It should be thick but easy to pour.
- Place a large deep frying pan on the stove on medium heat and warm 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 1/4 onion diced and cook stirring occasionally until they turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add leftover frozen vegetables and stir-fry until they are tender-crisp, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add your cooked noodles and pour the peanut sauce on top. Thoroughly and gently stir swirling the pot around to combine. Ensure the sauce is well mixed in. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley or cilantro. Best served immediately.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Leftover dinner ideas are substitutable; switch or add more ingredients to suit your palate.
- For easier whisking, some people suggest microwaving the peanut butter for about 10 seconds to soften.
- This is one of our quick nutritious meals that can also be made ahead and kept in the fridge in an airtight container. Although the flavors develop fully, note that the noodles might get sticky. If you mind that, you can add a bit of water or oil when warming it.
