u/cheapandbrittle

A lot of you already know this but just a PSA that buying frozen fruit and vegetables can save a ton of money. Even if you use them immediately and don't keep them frozen, it's still worth the savings.

This was my local supermarket last night, one small head of cauliflower for $7.99 but I wandered over to the freezer section and found a bag of frozen cauliflower for $2.99, regular price not even on sale. Basically the same quantity for half the price.

How often do you shop the freezer section, and what are some of your favorites?

Salt and pepper to taste of course, and a splash of lime juice if you're feeling frisky.

Ful medames is like the original cheap vegan breakfast. Fava beans were cultivated at least 10,000 years ago in the middle east, and probably earlier than that. Favas have been found in tombs of ancient Egyptian pharoahs but were consumed by rich and poor alike, so a dish that's been around for a few millennia must be pretty good!

Since it's been around for so long, there are tons of variations. Mine is a super simple version using just favas, onions, tomatoes, cumin seed and lemon juice since that's what I had on hand. Many recipes also add tahini, peppers, olive oil, a variety of herbs, etc. I've seen versions that skip the tomatoes (which is technically more traditional since tomatoes and peppers were native to the Americas and would not have been available in ancient Egypt) or even swap favas for chickpeas. It's just a cheap savory bean mash, so use what you have on hand.

There are tons of recipes all over the internet, but I love this video from CultureWhisk, it's a great visual of how to cook ful medames, plus Egyptian style bread: https://youtu.be/5dPfxumbnCM?si=t6zqqPmGTueQN-zx

1. Soak your fava beans overnight (or use canned if you can find them, my store only stocks dried).

2. Boil soaked favas for a couple hours until soft, and save some of the broth for the final dish.

3. Rough chop the tomatoes and onions (or dice if you prefer). Heat up a pan over medium heat and dry toast a handful of cumin seed for about 30 seconds until fragrant. (If you have ground cumin, add it in the next step with tomatoes and onions).

4. Add your chopped onions and tomatoes (with juice) to the hot pan and cook for a few minutes. Add the cooked fava beans and reserved broth if necessary so things don't stick to the pan. Cook for around 5 to 10 minutes, mashing some of the favas and adding more broth as needed.

5. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with lemon juice and enjoy!

Of course add whatever garnish you prefer, more olive oil or tahini, etc. I made a giant batch of ful to eat through the week, so I first served it with rice and chopped cucumber and a lemon slice for presentation. Later in the week I had some leftover spinach tortilla wraps which were actually perfect with this. I love how flexible this dish is.