When I first moved to NYC, I realized very quickly that I love cooking... but not for myself. It's not nearly as enjoyable. And there's a bunch of cleanup in my tiny kitchen, plus it cost more to buy ingredients... etc.
So I needed filling food that could be bought in bulk and didn't involve the words "peanut butter" or "jelly" (which is a food group in itself, and deserves a blog post in the near future).
Hence the potato.
I now eat this veggie about three times throughout the week. Spuds cost 75 cents a pound, while a small onion is around 70 cents. Cheese is $1.99 for a block, and I buy the family size butter so it lasts for a month.
Grand total for three potato dinners in a week? Under $4.
"But baking these vegetables takes forever!" you say, maybe whining a little bit.
And then I say in my infomercial voice, "No, silly. It only takes a few moments of your time." Watch and learn how to enjoy the incredible, edible, 5 Minute Microwavable Baked Potato:
First rinse off the skin in warm water and get rid of any lingering dirt.
Next, stab the sucker. Put at least one line of holes down each side of the potato and on either end. This is an important step to prevent your dinner from exploding...
Next, take a damp paper towel and wrap the buttered spud. This step also helps to keep your meal from getting too dry and starchy. 
Stick in the microwave for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, cut up your toppings. Cheese, onions, broccoli, etc. 
When the potato is done cooking, peel away the paper towel and cut the spud in half. I then like to cut two lines on each side...
And STUFF them! I add cheese and butter, then put back in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. 
Finally I add my onions, broccoli, crumbled rosemary, salt, pepper, and sometimes a dash of Old Bay.
You could make this and clean up within 15 minutes - plus it's filling/cheap.
And that's how this poor New Yorker rolls...
4 comments:
nuking potatoes... did you learn about putting the holes in the potato from a bad experience with it exploding inside the microwave? I'll have to try this at some point. see you soon.
I have that same microwave =P
You can always buy like, a big bag of rice that usually last a long time and some beans. Spaghetti is always a easy cheap meal as well, or i know how much you love, RAMEN lol. I mean, i love potatoes as much as the next person but sheesh, you need some variation!
hahaha yes! tonight i had rice... tried to eat chicken, but it had been forgotten in my freezer for way to long and kinda tasted like crap... even buried under piles of parmesan cheese. but the rice and vodka sauce were good!
You can also wrap the potato in saran wrap instead of the paper towel. Also, bacon bits or can chili on the potato can be something different. YUM!!!!
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