I love cheap thrills!

As the weather gets colder, we typically want our food to get warmer. There is truly nothing better than a nice nutritional and warm meal on a freezing winter day. With that being said, making meals like such can get expensive.

Here are 4 winter meals you can make for $20 or less!

 

1. African yam soup

african yam soup in traditional bowl

Price: $15-$20

What you’ll need:

  • 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 cup of salsa
  • 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 diced zucchini
  • ½ cup cooked rice
  • 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter

Directions:

  • Heat oil in pot over medium. Saute onion, sweet potato, and garlic until onion is soft.
  • Stir in broth, thyme, and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in salsa, chickpeas, and zucchini. Simmer until tender.
  • Stir in rice and peanut butter until peanut butter has dissolved.

 

2. One-pan hash potatoes with bacon, tomato, and egg

Pan of fried eggs, bacon and cherry-tomatoes with bread

Price: $10-$15

What you’ll need:

  • 1 bag of diced hash browns
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 5 pieces of bacon, snipped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 eggs

Directions:

  • Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium. Add potatoes and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Add bacon, stirring, for 10 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes. Add onion and black pepper.
  • Push the mixture to the outside of the pan allowing for a circle in the center. Crack eggs and fry until white are set and yolks are hot. Serve.

 

3. Winter kale salad

Kale salad with dried cranberries

Price: $15-$20

What you’ll need:

  • Kale
  • Cranberries
  • Slivered almonds
  • Flax seeds
  • 1 sweet potato
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • Cinnamon
  • Parsley

Directions:

  • Rinse kale.
  • Chop sweet potatoes into cubes.
  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Spread sweet potatoes onto baking pan, sprinkle with cinnamon and olive oil.
  • Cook sweet potatoes for 25 minutes.
  • Add kale, potatoes, cranberries, flax seeds, and almonds to salad bowl.
  • Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and parsley into another bowl.
  • Pour into salad and serve.

 

4. The best-ever roasted cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower

Price: Under $10

What you’ll need:

  • 1-2 cauliflower heads
  • Olive oil
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Turmeric
  • Paprika

Directions:

  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Cut up cauliflower.
  • Spread olive oil on base of baking pan.
  • Put cauliflower onto pan.
  • Sprinkle paprika, turmeric, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper onto cauliflower.
  • Bake for 45 minutes.

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