Boiling on a Budget

We visited four local grocery stores in San Luis Obispo to give us a better idea of the different prices students are faced with when it comes to their weekly grocery excursions. Prices varied between Smart & Final, Trader Joes, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs. We went through each store and gathered the cost of the same seven items in search for the most affordable option.

Business junior Kenny Wu  spent most of 2020 in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, when he began posting his culinary skills on Instagram and Tik Tok. When he moved to college, his nearly four thousand followers watched him trade in his four-course meals for quick and budget friendly recipes as he adjusted to a new routine and less resources.

In his time in San Luis Obispo, Wu has done collaborations with local businesses such as Flour House, Sequel Tea, and Madonna Inn. As a business student, his current senior project is a business plan for a food truck, combining his academics and his passion for food. Wu’s food-based social platforms have helped bridge the gap between obtaining the ingredients for his recipes and what to do with them.

While living on campus in 2021, Wu learned about the Cal Poly Food Pantry through Cal Poly Scholars. Since then, visits to the food pantry have become a staple in his weekly routine. He tends to keep an eye out for fresh produce and meat, which can be the priciest part of shopping at a grocery store.

“It’s a really good resource for students who maybe don’t have as much money to go to the store, or if they’re stuck on campus,” said Wu.

Click here to catch a glimpse of what it is like to spend a day in the kitchen with Kenny Wu!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRofoRK7/

Below are four delicious recipes Kenny created around items he found on sale at local grocery stores.

Quick Arugula Salad

• Salad
  • 5 cups of arugula 
  • 4 large carrots 
  • One pint of cherry tomatoes 
  • Choice of chopped nuts or seeds
  • Preferred amount of salt and pepper
  • Optional: ⅓ cup of crumbled parmesan, cilantro and oregano  

• Dressing (optional):
  • 2 tbsp of lemon juice 
  • 1 tbsp of balsamic 
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil 
  • ½ tspn of salt

Directions:

• Peel carrots into shavings or ribbons and slice cherry tomatoes. 
• Grab a large bowl and put arugula into it. 
• Combine carrots, tomatoes and arugula and toss. 
• If using cheese, combine nuts, seeds and cheese and toss all ingredients in a bowl. 
• Toss in salt and pepper as well as chopped cilantro and oregano if desired. 
• Put off to the side and start dressing. 
• Add lemon juice, balsamic, olive oil, and salt to bowl and whisk together. 
• Pour over dressing and serve.

10 minutes

Spinach & Garlic Omelette

• Clove of Garlic
• 2 eggs
• Spinach 
• Soft ingredients: salt, pepper, olive oil 
• Optional: milk and cheese

Directions:

• Place a pan on medium heat 
• Add minced garlic and wilted spinach into pan and the remove ingredients from heat to the side. 
• In a separate bowl or cup, whisk two eggs until through consistency and add a dash of milk if desired for a fluffier finish. 
• Sprinkle desired amount of salt and pepper over egg and pour in pan still on medium heat. 
• Drizzle olive oil over the top of the eggs. 
• After about 1-2 minutes, add in cheese over the surface of egg if so desired. 
• Add spinach and garlic onto half of the pan while still cooking. 
• Once you notice the eggs gain fluff and see the sides detach from the pan, flip in fold-in-half and serve.

15 minutes

Tomato & Basil Soup

• 3 or 4 Tomatoes (depending on size)
• ½ cup of Basil
• Vegetable broth 
• Chopped onion 
• Garlic 
• Butter
• Tomato Paste 
• Heavy Cream or cream dairy alternative

Directions:

• Slice tomatoes in eighths and place in a blender and blend until it’s a puree consistency.
  • If no blender, mush in bowl until puree like consistency 
• Add in ½ cup of basil to puree, mush or blend depending on method 
• Set aside to be used later. 
• Chop onions and throw butter then a little minced garlic and, finally, chopped onions into a pan on medium-low heat.
• Slowly add 2 tbsp of tomato paste 
• Add in 3 cups of vegetable broth and stir 
• Incorporate the tomato basil mixture and keep the heat on low 
• Let simmer for about 10 minutes then pour in the cream additive of your choice and whisk 
• Serve and enjoy.

30 minutes