Healthy, Low-Cost Dinner Recipes[MUST TRY]

 Kate Sears 

Eating healthy on a tight budget is easy with these expert money-saving tips for grocery shopping and low-cost meals. The number-one piece of advice: Plan your dinners in advance. It's easy with these healthy, budget-friendly dinner recipes.

1.Farfalle with Watercress, Cherry Tomatoes, and Feta

Price per serving: $3.56*
All recipes make four servings.
Ingredients
8 ounces farfalle pasta
1 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups watercress leaves (from 2 small bunches)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions. Place the cheese in a large bowl; top with the watercress. Before draining the pasta, take 1/4 cup of the cooking water from the pot and pour it over the watercress. (Watercress will wilt slightly, and cheese will get soft.) Place the tomatoes in a colander. Drain the pasta over the tomatoes for a super-quick blanch. Toss with the watercress and cheese; sprinkle with pepper and serve.

2.Souffle Omelet with Zucchini, Artichoke, and Cheddar

Price per serving: $2.63
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 cup chopped tomato
12 large egg whites
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/3 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, artichoke, and tomato. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Set aside. Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they form soft peaks. Add the whole eggs, salt, and pepper; stir. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add the egg mixture. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Using a spatula, slide omelet onto a plate. Return it to the pan with the cooked side facing up; cook 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Place vegetable mixture and cheese on half the egg and fold it over to enclose the filling. Press down lightly with the spatula until omelet holds its shape and the cheese melts.

3.Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak

Price per serving: $1.81
Ingredients
Nonstick spray
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1 flank steak (about 1 pound)
Preheat the broiler and coat a broiler pan with nonstick spray. Combine all ingredients except the steak in a small bowl; rub mixture over steak. Broil 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until cooked. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting diagonally across the grain into thin strips. Serve with a green salad.

4.Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Quesadilla

Price per serving: $3.36
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 ounces baby spinach
4 ounces semisoft goat cheese
4 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sugar, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is a dark golden brown. Remove from pan. Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon water to the skillet; cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is just wilted. Remove from skillet and turn off heat. Spread a quarter of the goat cheese on each tortilla and top with tomato, onion, and spinach; fold closed and press lightly. Heat the skillet and place two folded quesadillas in it; cook two minutes per side, or until golden brown and lightly crisp. Repeat.

5.Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

Price per serving: $4.08
Ingredients
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 piece (about 1 inch) peeled ginger, cut into 6 thin slices
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
1 cup instant brown rice
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
1 cup sugar snap peas
12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup chopped scallions
In a large pot, bring the chicken broth, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, and chili sauce to a boil. Add the rice and cook 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, mushrooms, pepper slices, and peas; reduce heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice; ladle into bowls and top with scallions.

6.Chicken Tagine with Olives

Price per serving: $2.68
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup raisins
10 ounces cooked chicken breast, diced (2 cups)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, peas, olives, and raisins; simmer 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and chickpeas; cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until chicken is heated through.

7.Buddha Stir-Fry

Price per serving: $3.04
Ingredients
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 14-ounce packages firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup snow peas
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of the water. Stir in the remaining water, soy sauce, and chili sauce; set aside. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, 15 seconds. Add the green beans and red pepper and stir-fry 2 minutes; push them to the perimeter of the skillet. Add the tofu and cook, stirring once or twice, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Stir the sauce and pour it into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and snow peas; cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
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