Lump crab can be very expensive unless you know where to buy it! I buy mine in canned containers at Costco or Trader Joes. I pay an average of $7.99 for a 16 oz. can. Shrimp is another misunderstood ingredient as it can be sold for too much money at some stores. However, if you [...]

This is a copy of my cook book called “The Fugal Chef Cooks for Four”. This book presents 26 weeks of unrepeated frugal menus, grocery lists and recipes. All recipes are for 4 people and cost and average of $10. Healthy, easy, delicious, frugal food! All for $9.97! It is an e-book that you can [...]

Here’s a very easy and delicious salad that goes well with chicken, meat and fish. It is very refreshing and great for summer weather. All you need are avocados, tomatoes, basil, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. I used 4 avocados, 2 medium tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves. I diced the avocado [...]

Here is a nice pasta salad that can be served as a side dish or as a light meal. It is easy to make and very tasty. It is important to achieve a balance between the salt and vinegar – kind of a salt & vinegar chip – so taste it as you season it [...]

Tabbouleh requires some work but it is certainly worth it. You need to make sure to chop the parsley and the mint very finely. You also need to make sure the bulgur wheat is soaked enough that it is soft but not mushy. Lastly, it is important to balance the acid from the lemon juice [...]

This is a very nice salad that can be made as a side dish or a light summer meal. It is very easy to make and incredibly tasty. It is also quite inexpensive. You will love the contrast of the sweet corn and the salty Cotija cheese. Here is what you are going to need [...]

Verdolaga a.k.a. Purslane, is a vegetable green used in many Latin American countries. It is also popular as a salad green in France and other European countries. It is similar in taste and consistency to watercress. Verdolaga is also valued in Latin America for its medicinal properties. It is believed to be native to Iran [...]

This is a great salad to serve as a light lunch or as a side for any grilled meat. The chopped vegetables tend to sink to the bottom of the bowl so make sure you fish them out and top the pasta when serving. 8 oz. spaghettini pasta, torn in half, cooked and drained 1 [...]

This spinach salad is one of my favorite ones and it could be served as a main meal for lunch or a light dinner. It is very colorful and an easy way to feed kids spinach because of the sweet dressing. Here is what you are going to need to make this delicious meal: 1 [...]

Croutons are a great way to save stale bread! You can make these and store them in an airtight container for a week. They are so much better than anything you can buy at the store and so super easy to make! You can use just about any kind of bread you have left over [...]

Here’s a bit of crazy trivia. . . did you know that Caesar salad was originally created in Tijuana, Mexico by a gentleman by the name of Caesar Cardini? Go figure! Tijuana! And you thought it was originally from Europe! OK, OK so Cardini was Italian . . . rumor has it that he concocted [...]

Greek salad is one of my favorite salads. I love making this one without lettuce and I do not add bell peppers to it because my husband hates them! So, if you want to add lettuce and bell peppers go right ahead. You are going to need: 2 large cucumbers 4 medium tomatoes 1 medium [...]