Web Exclusive Tips: Savory Savings

Salmon
Canned wild salmon is an amazing budget find! And in a flavorful recipe like this one, you really can’t tell that you’re not using fresh, so save your cash here. An unlikely source for some extra savings: I have found that canned salmon goes on sale at drug stores! So keep an eye out, and stock up on a couple of cans next time you see them on sale. I load up when I find them for under $2 a can (for 14 ounces!) They’ll last for a year or two in your pantry, so no reason to pay full price. But, even if you do, you’ll be saving about 75% over fresh wild salmon, so still a deal. Tip: Be sure to remove the large round central bone?easier to do if you do this before flaking.

Parmesan
A good quality parmesan is actually not much more expensive than the “cheap stuff” because the flavor is so much stronger, you get a lot more mileage out of just a little bit.

Roasted asparagus
Roasting the asparagus brings out the sweet and earthy flavors and makes them pop, so you get a lot of mileage out of this ingredient. Out of season, asparagus can be pricey, but in season, and this luxurious-feeling ingredient is downright inexpensive.

Orzo
My orzo recipe is an inexpensive and easy alternative to risotto. It gets its luxurious creaminess from cooking in water and stock without draining – much less expensive than cream or butter. One of my favorite inexpensive ways to get a ton of flavor is the humble red pepper flake. When I’m out of fresh ingredients and I need to get something tasty on the table, I can always count on the little jar of red pepper flakes in my spice cupboard to bring an amazing kick to my dishes.

Stock
I keep leftover odd bits of onion, celery leaves and carrot in a freezer bag to have ready for when I have some leftover chicken pieces or bones to make a homemade stock. I then freeze the stock in one cup containers so I can pop out the large frozen chunks, keep them in a freezer bag and use them in recipes without measuring.

Thyme
Throwing away fresh herbs past their prime will make even an in-season ingredient very expensive! So, I get the most out of everything I buy; I take leftover fresh thyme and freeze in ice cube trays, either blended with oil, or chopped in water.