12 Affordable Ingredients that Add Gourmet Flair to any Meal

Linsey Knerl — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:30:25 +0000

Does the ingredient list from that snazzy Food Network dish leave you feeling a bit underpaid and overwhelmed? Are you doubtful that your local grocer will ever carry persimmons? Here is an expert list of a dozen common ingredients that will add some flair to your dish — for less than you'd expect.

Roasted Garlic

I'm guilty of doctoring my garlic bread with that generic garlic salt from the dollar store. Jeff Swedarsky, founder of DC Metro Food Tours, insists that you only go fresh for the best flavor. Cut whole garlic cloves in half before oven roasting, and replace the stuff in the bottle completely. “It's a little more tame,” says Jeff, but it gives authentic gourmet flavor.

Greek Yogurt

Jeff also suggests using this healthy alternative to sour cream. It has a richer, more complex taste, and it still looks fabulous as a topper.

Romaine, Red Leaf, and Other “Fancy” Lettuces

Sure, the iceberg is usually what's on sale, but does that make it the best choice? Susan Palmquist, who blogs at The Budget Smart Girl's Guide to the Universe, doesn't mind “spending an extra 20 cents for something like a romaine or red leaf. Think about what's going to be the star of the dish, what ingredient are you going to be tasting more than any other and allocate more of your food dollar to that item. If the salad is just a side dish, the iceberg might work, but if the salad's going to be your main course, go with a lettuce with more texture, more bulk, and more flavor.”

Calamata Olives

These are just delish. I like to eat them straight out of the container, but Michele Samuels, a public relations consultant, mom and wife, has some even better ideas. She uses them to adorn salads, enhance a pasta sauce, dress up sandwiches, and garnish potato salads!

Capers

Seriously? I didn't even know what a caper was before I worked in a restaurant. After I learned of the odd little ingredient, however, I was hooked! Michele also loves the tiny flower buds, using them atop bagels and cream cheese and egg salads.

Dried Beans

When you sacrifice convenience, you are often rewarded with flavor and savings! According to Anna Broadway, author of Sexless in the City (and a writer who spent nearly two years in Brooklyn eating on $50/week or less for food and transit), soaking and cooking them yourself will take extra time, but a 1 lb. bag of dried beans is a better buy. There is also a marked improvement in the flavor of the beans.

Sundried Tomatoes

Many foodies claim that adding a few will bring impressive flavor to any dish. Blogger Stephen Bertasso dries his own, adding that the surplus of last season's fresh tomatoes were perfect as a dried ingredient in pastas, meats, and breads.

Whole-Milk Mozzarella

This creamy alternative to pre-shedded and prepackaged mozzarella comes recommended by Laura at Eating Well Anywhere. The higher fat content gives it a dreamy consistency and flavor (and you have to check out her grilled cheese photos).

Shallots

This was an overlooked ingredient at my home. Until I accidentally planted a batch in my garden, I was unaware of the flavor and texture the little guys can bring to an ordinary recipe. Chuck Wilkins, of Reston, VA agrees. After reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, Chuck began to live by shallots. “They are inexpensive and their flavor is so much lighter and more complex than ordinary onions.”

Citrus Zest

Nothing gives your dishes a zip like the zest of oranges, lemons, and limes. Jill Nussinow, The Veggie Queen, calls it the “bonus ingredient” because you also get to use the juice!

Toasted Nuts

Just about any nut can add some crunch and depth to your recipes. Julie Languille, of Dinners in a Flash, favors toasted hazelnuts, pinenuts, and almonds. She suggests adding a few tablespoons to salad and pasta for an extra special treat!

Bulk Dried Spices

The little spice containers from your local grocer aren't the best deal you could be getting (and their freshness is questionable). Stu Lustman, an equipment and tech leasing broker, buys his favorite 5 or 6 dried spices in bulk to save money. They are perfect for rubs, but Stu also uses them in the same way as fresh. The trick? He pan fries them slightly in a little oil to open up the flavor and adds them directly to his recipe.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the simple ingredients you can use to liven up your cooking (but it's a good place to start). Please share what works for you in the comments!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Gourmet Pizza for Less than a Buck

Linsey Knerl — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 20:11:58 +0000

I’m a pizza fanatic. I will never turn it down. Ever. While living in Omaha, I looked forward to lunches with my coworkers at the closest Zio’s Pizzeria. For about $6, you could get two slices of your favorite gourmet pizza and a soda. Sure it was a zillion calories, but it was something I just couldn’t live without.

Then I moved to a small town about 50 miles away from Big O-town. With only 1800 people in the community and less than $20,000 a year to live on, gourmet pizza was a forbidden dream at best. Looking for ways to find an affordable and easy gourmet pizza recipe close to that hand-tossed idol I came to know from Zio’s was next to impossible. But after some very frugal adaptations, I came up with the following scheme:

Since Red Baron or Tombstone was always 3/$9 at one of the grocers in the county, they were a constant supply of mediocre pizza meals. Occasionally, you could even get a better brand rising-crust variety or a brick-oven type for less than $4. Paired with choice toppings and a better cheese, it was quite possible to get a gourmet knockoff for less than $5 a pie. Split the creation with 4 friends (because 900 calories really is enough) and add a salad or fruit, and you have a meal. The pizza will not cost you more than $1 a person!

Here are my favorite recipes based on the $5 limit. While it may cost more to purchase a unit of the toppings, you can make 2-3 pizzas per item (can of artichokes, for example) and keep your $1 a slice formula.

Greek – Cheese pizza with 1 cup shredded frozen or fresh spinach, 1 small can sliced black olives, and ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese.

Linsey’s Special – Pepperoni pizza with ½ cup chopped artichoke hearts (canned work best), ½ cup baby bella mushrooms, and ½ cup shredded Italian cheese blend.

Fajita – Cheese or hamburger pizza with small amount of shredded chicken seasoned with taco or fajita seasoning, ½ sliced green pepper, and ¼ small diced white onion.

Cobb – Any variety pizza with 2 slices cooked crumbled bacon, 1 sliced roma tomato, and ¼ diced red onion.

Asparagus, shrimp, salami, meatballs, zucchini, broccoli, eggplant, pineapple, green olives, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, jalapenos, pesto, and anchovies also make great toppings in the combination that works best for you. Even if you were add a bit of your own extra pizza sauce, with the money you save on pizza, you can put the savings toward that cheap bottle of shiraz you were eyeballing!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: