Cheap and good

My kids love grilled squid. Despite feeling so stuffed at Sakae Sushi, YK insisted on ordering one teriyaki squid which costs $9! He paid for it anyway since it was mother's day treat.

I bought two fresh squids from the wet market this morning. I'm going to replicate that dish for dinner. It's easy, just grill in the oven for a few minutes, brush with teriyaki sauce and serve. The price of 2 squids? S$4 (US$3)!

I'll be making tauhu goreng too. One large piece of fresh tauhu (firm bean curd) costs 60cts. I paid 30 cts for a Japanese cucumber and another 30 cts for a large packet of bean sprouts which is more than what I need. I have all the ingredients for the sauce (tamarind, chilli, garlic, peanuts and sugar) at home. For about $1, the entire family can enjoy a generous serving of tauhu goreng.

I was attracted to the white button mushrooms at the vegetable stall, I picked about 20 large ones which cost me only $4. It would cost twice as much at the supermarket. I'll sautee with olive oil, butter and garlic tonight. We all love the buttery texture and aroma of sauteed button mushroom.

As usual we'll have soup. I'll use fresh chicken carcass with breast meat to make the stock. It costs $2 and the tender meat will become Rusty's dinner. I'll toss in ingredients that I already have in the fridge to make a nutritious soup - raw peanuts, soy beans, dried scallops, dried oysters, sweet corn and that chunk of pumpkin that's lying around.

So, you see, for about $10 or the price of one grilled squid at a Japanese restaurant, I can whip up a really good meal for the family.