My favorite dirt cheap (but nutritious) dinner is mujadarrah. 1 1/2 c. lentils (rinsed) 3/4 c. rice (rinsed) 1 onion 6 Tbsp. olive oil Slice the onion into 1

My favorite dirt cheap (but nutritious) dinner is mujadarrah. 1 1/2 c. lentils (rinsed) 3/4 c. rice (rinsed) 1 onion 6 Tbsp. olive oil Slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick rings. Fry them in the oil over medium heat for 15 minutes. They'll be kind of ropy when they're done, at which point you should take them off the heat. While the onions are cooking, put the lentils and 1 quart of water in a medium to large saucepan over medium high heat. Get the water boiling and cook the lentils uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the lentils have started to soften up, add the rice, a little salt, and a lot of pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Once the water is all absorbed, stir in the onions, let it cool for a minute or two, and dig in. Definitely stay as close to raw ingredients as possible. I've lived out of two cookbooks for the last several years: - Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" - Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" Learn to not be picky. Ramen may be cheap and taste sort of ok, but you need to take care of your body if you want a well functioning mind. Learn to love things like kale... cheap, available year round, VERY good for you. Boil it until tender and hit it with a little tabasco.