Kosher Blog

Kosher on the Cheap: Week 1, Day 1

Having already polished off the aforementioned bag of Double Stuf Oreos (2,100 calories and 105 grams of fat, can you say “Heellllloo control top tights?”) it’s not surprising that I wasn’t too hungry when lunchtime rolled around. Realizing that I’d need energy to get me through today’s move but feeling too lazy to put in a real effort, I decided that eggs were the way to go.

Lunch: Two-egg tomato and mushroom omelet, cucumber dill salad

If I’d had a dairy frying pan available (all my worldly goods are packed safely away to be shuttled two blocks west) I’d probably have mixed a bit of yogurt in with the eggs and then scrambled the mixture sans vegetables for a light, fluffy entrée. To go all-out country club, stir some orange juice into your old Kedem champagne for a twist on the mimosa.

The cucumber salad is a cinch to make and always a crowd pleaser. Combine white wine vinegar with vegetable oil, lemon juice, sugar and a healthy dash of McCormick’s “It’s a dilly: Blend of dill, lemon and seasonings, tailoring the proportions to your personal taste. Pour dressing over paper-thin slices of cucumber, mix, and you’re good to go. This dish tastes best when left overnight to marinate, allowing the cucumbers to soak in some of the dressing. Ideal for tossing together on a rushed Thursday evening, to serve with either of your Shabbos meals.

You’ll note many of the dressing’s ingredients — vinegar, oil, sugar and dill-blend spice — didn’t appear on yesterday’s grocery list. I’ve decided to permit myself use of pre-owned kitchen staples (spices, oils, some instant rice, tuna and the oddball potato) during my exercise in frugality.

Come dinner time, I opted to commit the Kosher pauper’s greatest faux pas: Eating out.