* Get to know SPY’s new video series, Life Hacks (For $100 Or Less)
* See how to make seven meals for two people (or more), for less than 100 bucks
* Full video is up on Facebook now
We all want to look better, eat better, drink better and feel better, but it’s not always easy to do it on a budget. Or is it? From food and entertaining, to travel and decor, SPY is showing you how to throw the best parties, cook the healthiest meals and decorate up a storm without spending more than a hundred bucks. It’s all part of our new Facebook video series, called Life Hacks (For $100 Or Less).
Watch: Life Hacks (For $100 Or Less) Now
Each episode will break down just how to spend that $100 bill, to hack every dollar in your favor. Remember: you don’t need a lot of money to have a good time – you just need to know how to spend it.
Our debut episode shows you how to spend less than $100 to get a week’s worth of dinner for two or more people. And you don’t have eat like a peasant either. Watch the video here, then come back to get the full recipes.
MONDAY: CHICKEN STIR-FRY
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup jasmine rice cooked
1 cup of broccoli florets
1 cup yellow bell pepper
1 cup red bell pepper
1 cup mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/3 cup fresh ginger cut into strips
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp hot water
1 clove of garlic minced
In a large skillet or wok, heat vegetable oil and add chicken on medium heat. Cook until chicken only has traces of pink left to cook off, about 7mins. Turn to high heat and add onion, broccoli and bell peppers, stirring often. Once those vegetables have softened, add mushrooms.
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In a separate bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, hot water, minced garlic, and whisk. Pour the mixture into and skillet, stir, and reduce heat. Serve over cooked rice.
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TUESDAY: FISH TACOS
2 filets of tilapia
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 avocados sliced
1/4 cup red onion sliced
1/2 cup mango sliced thin
1/2 cup red pepper sliced thin
1/4 cup red cabbage sliced thin
1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
2 tbsp of olive oil
juice of half a lime
1 bunch of cilantro
1 container of sour cream
1 package of tortilla wraps
Preheat oven to 400F. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place the fish filets on top. Sprinkle with salt pepper and cayenne and bake for 8-10mins depending on thickness.
In a separate bowl, combine mango, red pepper, and cabbage, add olive oil, white wine vinegar and lime juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the tacos by placing a spoonful of sour cream on a tortilla shell and building with flaked fish filet, a slice of avocado, red onion, mango slaw, and fresh cilantro leaves.
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WEDNESDAY: LOADED SWEET POTATO
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can of black beans
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup water
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp red pepper chili flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 avocado
1 container sour cream
4 tbsp cilantro leaves
1 lime
Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the sweet potatoes length wise, leaving a half inch on either end. Then cut 3-4 slices perpendicular across. Think of the cut lines as the lacing on a football. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 60-75mins.
Drain the black beans. In a medium sized pot, over low heat, melt the coconut oil and cook the garlic for 2-3 mins. Add beans, one cup of water, salt, pepper, and red pepper chili flakes. Simmer for 10mins, then gently mash the beans using a potato masher.
Scoop the bean mixture into the centre groove of each potato, then top with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro to taste. Garnish with lime.
THURSDAY: ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH CHERRY TOMATOES
2 zucchinis
2 containers of cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 red onion sliced
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup of fresh basil
1/2 cup of pesto
Pour olive oil into a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, stirring until soft. Added cherry tomatoes and continue stirring intermittently. Meanwhile, using a spiralizer, spin zucchini noodles. Once tomatoes have softened, toss in zucchini noodles and pesto, stir in the pan for 4-5 minutes. Plate and garnish with basil.
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FRIDAY: CLASSIC RIGATONI
2 cups of uncooked rigatoni
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup tomato-based pasta sauce
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 head kale
1/2 cup caesar dressing
1/2 cup garlic croutons
Add 5 cups of water to a large pot and place over high heat. Add olive oil and cover. Once boiling, add uncooked pasta. Cook for 10-12mins.
Drain pasta, saving 2 tbsp of the pasta water. Pour pasta back into the pot and add tomato-based pasta sauce. Add pasta water, basil, parmesan cheese and stir.
Remove the spine from kale and wash leaves. Place on a cutting board and chop into slices. toss in a bowl and massage with hands, until the colour darkens. Should smell lightly of freshly cut grass. Add caesar dressing and mix. Use garlic croutons to garnish.
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SATURDAY: SAVOURY OMELETTE
6 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded kale
1/4 cup sweet potato, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and place cubed sweet potato, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40mins.
In a frying pan, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and fry mushrooms, and kale, until tender. Remove from the pan, but do not wash. Reduce heat to low.
Crack 6 eggs into a bowl and whisk until the mixture is full of air bubbles, then pour into the pan over low heat. Lift the edges lightly using a spatula, when the mixture is half cooked through, add the roasted sweet potato, and cooked kale and mushroom mixture to one half of the egg mixture. Top with cheddar cheese. Then, gently fold over the second side, topping with any leftover cheese. Cover the pan with a lid for 3-4 mins. Then serve with side salad.
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SUNDAY: EASY CHANA MASALA
1 chopped yellow onion
5 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp ginger chopped
2 cans chickpeas, drained
2 cans plum tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander seed
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup cooked rice
In a shallow pot, add olive oil and cook onion and garlic over medium heat. Combine spices and cook off. Add contents of plum tomato cans, chickpeas, and water, then stir. cover and reduce heat slightly. Cook for 30-40mins, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Serve over cooked rice, season with salt and pepper and garnish with cilantro leaves.
TOTAL COST FOR ALL SEVEN MEALS: $62. See how we did it here.