Tomatoes are the culinary staple and favorite of every age. The soaring tomato price in India has hurt food businesses; McDonald’s and Burger King took tomatoes out of their burgers and wraps. Customers are getting ‘Maharaja Mac’ without the queen of vegetables now. What are the other budget-friendly dinner options available without tomatoes? Check out these five dinner choices that will assure you of the same pleasure.
1. Buddha Bowl-
After getting all the energy drained out, don’t you want a quick meal for dinner? Well, Buddha Bowl can rescue you from this situation. Also known by other names like macro bowl and hippie bowl, it is one of the best recipes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A single healthy bowl includes beautifully arranged portions of grain, vegetables, and protein with tahini sauce that you can prepare in under 15 minutes. Incorporating a grain or starch into your meal can provide a good source of fiber and help you feel fuller for longer.
Vegans can also enjoy a Buddha bowl prepared with quinoa, vegetables, micro greens, and walnuts.
2. Pesto Chicken-
If you’re wondering about an easy, quick, and budget-friendly dinner, try a simple version of the recipe. This 3-ingredient recipe requires boneless chicken cut into cubes, preferably chicken thighs. The pieces are tossed with salt and garlic powder seasoning and fried in neutral-flavored oil. Mix them well with pesto sauce and asparagus. This tender meal will cost you under $10 but would impress anyone around.
It may be a delicious combination to serve in cream style with rice, quinoa, garlic bread, or pasta. However, adding grated Parmesan cheese will boost the taste of Pesto Chicken; it will add up to a few bucks.
Packed with antioxidants, Pesto protects the body from many health risks.
3. Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara-
Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara is a fast and easy dinner recipe that goes fine if you want to ditch tomatoes. It can be a promising entrée to the dinner table. This four-step one-pot dish using creamy marinara sauce takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. You can add colors to your meal with spinach, mushroom, kale, and broccoli-like veggies.
The cheesy tortellini pasta in marinara can be an excellent side for slow cooker and baked recipes. You can use this leftover cheese tortellini for a couple of days to 3 months. It stays good for 3-4 days in freeze and up to 3 months in the freezer. You can thaw anytime, reheat with a plop of cream and enjoy.
4. Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup-
Instant pot vegetable beef soup for dinner can’t go wrong any day. It is an easy soup made with diced leftover beef with potatoes, onions, carrots, green beans, or any veggie at hand. Not just the veggies, you can customize the base to use vegetable stock or beef broth for the base. Use a garlicky strong flavor for a more robust taste. Similarly, you can adjust seasoning and play with herbs use.
This soup is comforting and soulful to make a perfect weekday meal. You’ll love the nutrition quotient and ability to customize it apart from the time used to cook it.
5. Vegetarian Hoppin’ John-
Vegetarian Hoppin’ John without fancy ingredients is the perfect budget-friendly dinner option. This rich-flavored simple recipe is a popular preparation for New Year in South America. The first Hoppin’ John was prepared in 1857 and published in The Carolina Housewife. Earlier, it was prepared with rice, peas, and bacon. You can make your version of this traditional dish at home. Moreover, if you are skeptical about using plant-based nutrition, try a vegetarian or vegan form.
I would love to hear what are the other promising budget-friendly dinner options for you besides the five listed above.
