Writer: Helena Bergström
We love good food and a bit of luxury, it must be said. It may not always be cheap, but we try to find affordable options and often find that we manage to prepare some really fancy party food, sometimes without having to be expensive.
Cheap food – but luxurious
Cheap food, but luxury… is that possible? Yes, to some extent. However, we must be clear that we fully understand that you may have little time to cook or do not want to invest in new kitchen appliances etc. Here we share some thoughts on things you enjoy doing. can do this if you want to cook extra luxurious party or weekend food without costing your shirt.
1. Root vegetables
Root vegetables are great! Besides being cheap, filling and having good nutritional value, they also fit perfectly in exclusive dishes. We often cook potatoes, carrots, beets and parsnips. Sometimes we experiment with other root vegetables, such as celeriac or artichoke.
2. Cabbage
Cabbage is cheap, but also tasty… and often fits perfectly in luxurious meals! Moreover, the cabbage has a long shelf life in the refrigerator. We love white cabbage, red cabbage and kale. Fantastic products!
3. Onions
You can’t live without onions! As you know, onions are cheap, but they are obviously included in most luxurious dishes. Botanize game between yellow onions, red onions, charlotte onions, green onions and leeks!
4. Legumes
Lentils, beans and peas are both cheap and good sources of protein. These ingredients can easily play the leading role in a vegetarian meal. When we cook more luxurious food, it is more common to give it a tasty supporting role, which allows you to reduce the meat/fish portion.
5. Affordable protein sources
You don’t have to buy tenderloin or lobster for a luxurious dinner. In exclusive restaurants in France we have learned to appreciate chicken much more than before; carefully prepared chicken is a fantastic product. Other protein sources that are often affordable include pork, minced meat, eggs, beans, salmon and sometimes some other types of fish.
6. Less meat
You usually count on about 100-125 grams of meat per portion. If there are other protein sources in the meal (for example beans, bacon, cheese, eggs or a starter with meat or fish), you can easily reduce the amount of the ‘main protein’. To enjoy one small A piece of exclusive meat does not have to be too expensive.
7. More vegetables
Vegetables are not always cheap, but some vegetables can be affordable. If you also choose vegetables that fill you up, you can reduce the portion of meat, and the meal as a whole is often cheaper. Vegetables also contribute with fantastic flavors! Think of carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, radishes and other goodies.
8. Vegetables depending on the season
By choosing vegetables per season, you often make a better environmental choice, while you often also get a better price. In autumn and winter it is the season for root vegetables and cabbage, while in spring and summer you can enjoy more things like lettuce, young leaves, tomatoes, sugar snap peas and asparagus.
9. Offers/Weekly prices
Food prices can vary widely. By looking at current offers and what is cheap ‘now’, you can make bargains. We like to buy fresh fish at the fish counter, but we usually buy the fish and shellfish that have a good price at the moment…
10. Don’t throw away food
Of course, one of the best ways to save money in the kitchen is not to throw away food. Sometimes it is of course necessary, but we always do that our very best so you don’t have to throw away. We try to make small portions, we use leftovers for lunch and we freeze leftover sauces etc. Vegetables that get a little sad are perfect in the soup.
11. Inventory the cupboards
This point is somewhat related to the previous point. Seriously, how easy is it for things to get left in the cupboards… and when you finally find them, the contents have to be thrown away because they expired years ago? Maybe there are a lot of interesting things in there: spices, broths, sauces, nuts…
12. Cook from scratch
No, of course you don’t always have the time to cook from scratch. But if you have the time and the ability, it can be an affordable way to get fancy food. Homemade vegetable soups, for example, are both delicious and luxurious. We love cauliflower soup, broccoli soup, spinach soup, asparagus soup and pumpkin soup. You can also cook your own stock on meat bones or cook shrimp soup on shrimp shells. We (read: Peter!) do the latter regularly.
13. Cook food carefully
What is luxury? Is the raw material expensive, or is the raw material carefully prepared? In our world the latter is the hardest. We love our sous vide, which of course comes with a purchase price, but in our case there is one extremely good PPA (price per use). Another variant could be to use a thermometer for the meat or fish, in order to get the right temperature.
14. Luxury and affordable ingredients
There are many commodities that can be perceived as luxurious, while at the same time they can be quite affordable. We like to splurge on blue mussels (not overly expensive) and we like to take the opportunity to buy fresh shrimp in the shell if it’s a good price. Other things that can feel luxurious without being particularly expensive include crushed tomatoes from a slightly better brand, fresh pasta, and sourdough bread.
15. Luxury and affordable flavorings
There are also many good seasonings that can spice up the simplest dishes and immediately give them a more luxurious look. Our favorites are Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, good oils, olives and capers.
Luxury food for a low price – more tips?
Do you have more tips for cooking luxurious food at a cheap price? Do you have any favorites that you usually buy or cook?
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