# Recipe website that gives recipes according to what ingredients you have?



## seans_potato_business (Jan 12, 2008)

I'm sure I've heard of websites where you enter what ingredients you have available, and it suggests recipes based on these. What I really want to do is enter the basic things that I normally buy, and get recipes based on these. I'm fed up of trawling through recipes only to be knocked back by calls for wine or some stupid herb or any of the millions of ingredients that I can't afford as a student.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 12, 2008)

I think the best one to use is Google  You can search for something like this:

recipe chicken "tomato sauce" pasta

The quotes will cause Google to restrict results to those that contain that phrase, as well as the other search terms. If you find there are a lot of recipes that contain ingredients you don't have, you can narrow it down by specifying terms that should *not* be included, like this:

recipe chicken "tomato sauce" pasta -wine

The - sign says, don't include this word or phrase in the search results. If you still have too many results, continue adding terms to include or exclude until you find something you like. HTH.


----------



## seans_potato_business (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. That method is a bit tedious for my liking, plus it relies on my imagination to come up with something to search for in the first place. If I was going to follow the Google approach, I'd need a list like "-wine -basil -corriander -honey -stilton -brie -steak -chicken" etc etc since there's always something in there that I don't buy. It's a lot easier to list what I _do_ have! I'm really looking for something where I can spend 20 minutes entering the ingredients that I'm happy to work with and then save them into my account on that website and be done with it, reserving the Google expeditions for when I want to do something special.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 12, 2008)

seans_potato_business said:


> Thanks for the reply. That method is a bit tedious for my liking, plus it relies on my imagination to come up with something to search for in the first place. If I was going to follow the Google approach, I'd need a list like "-wine -basil -corriander -honey -stilton -brie -steak -chicken" etc etc since there's always something in there that I don't buy. It's a lot easier to list what I _do_ have! I'm really looking for something where I can spend 20 minutes entering the ingredients that I'm happy to work with and then save them into my account on that website and be done with it, reserving the Google expeditions for when I want to do something special.



It's going to work basically the same way whether it's Google or another site - that's just how search engines work. They can't know what you don't have if you don't tell them and if you want to exclude those items, as I thought you said you did in your first message, then you have to tell them.

Three things can help: Keep a text file on your desktop with a list of the minus items in it that you can copy and paste each time you want to use it, and do what I said in the last sentence of my previous message: Keep adding ingredients you do have, to restrict the results to those. You can save this list in your text file, too. Also, get a reference of what kinds of things can be substituted for what. For example, if you like to make stir-fry but don't have bok choy, you can substitute celery.

You might also consider looking for a cookbook or two based on the type of cuisine you like to cook, so you don't have to go searching for recipes all the time. You can find inexpensive ones on bargain tables at bookstores and sometimes used books on Amazon. HTH.

Or maybe someone else knows of a site like what you're looking for. I don't use any like that, so I don't know.


----------



## MexicoKaren (Jan 12, 2008)

Not sure if it is OK to mention on this site, but allrecipes.com has an "ingredient search" feature that lets you list the ingredients you want (and specify those you don't want) and it will give you recipes. Hope I haven't broken any rules.....


----------



## GB (Jan 12, 2008)

Nope it is fine to mention that Karen


----------



## flukx (Jan 13, 2008)

Personally, I always considered THIS website to be my one-stop shop for coming up with ideas based on the ingredients I have


----------



## auntdot (Jan 13, 2008)

I am with flukx.  Why not list your ingredients here and see what our folks come up with?

Can't assure you that someone will not suggest adding an additional ingredient or two.  Very creative types here. But I am sure you will get a lot of ideas.


----------



## sage™ (Jan 13, 2008)

You can try this  http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f58/invent-your-own-casserole-10495.html


----------



## college_cook (Jan 13, 2008)

Why don't you start by telling us the sort of things your normally buy; the fine folks here can surely help you out.  Also, don't let recipes restrict you.  Many times the recipe will be affected only slightly by omitting certain ingredients.

Search out local ethnic grocery stores.  They can be tough to find, but their products are about as cheap as you can get.  Asian grocers always carry more varieties of rice than you thought existed, in varying sizes, from 5 lb. bags to 50 lb. bags.  And of course, buying in bulk is usually a good deal cheaper.

The best thing you could learn to do is blaze your own trail.  By that I mean, when dinnertime rolls around, have a look at what you have, and make something out of it.  That's the way I cook almost every night, and while it's difficult at times having that skill available to me certainly allows me to be more thrifty while shopping.

Also, PM me for any questions you might have for shopping on a budget.  I just graduated, less than a month ago, after 4.5 years of cooking on a very limited income.  Actually I don't think I've ever been more broke than I am right now, but I still manage to eat very well, IMO.


----------



## Hoot (Jan 13, 2008)

flukx said:


> Personally, I always considered THIS website to be my one-stop shop for coming up with ideas based on the ingredients I have



I agree....There simply isn't a better place to seek new recipes and advice than right here.


----------



## auntdot (Jan 13, 2008)

When we first married one of us was in school.  Our income was meagre at best.  Course we had tuition and books to pay for, what was left over was not much.  But we ate amazingly well.

At the beginning we had a frying pan, a pot, a cutting knife, knife fork and spoons for two, a few plates, a couple of bowls and a hibachi.  Yes and a working stove and an enamel baking dish that was great for casseroles.  

We were only accessible to normal supermarkets, no great cheap Asain or other ethnic places available.

We shopped very carefully.  We would find turkeys on sale, not near the holidays, outrageously cheap. If there was a great sale we found it.  A ten pound turkey can feed two people for days, with the sandwiches, and then the turkey soup.

Anyone can make a ribeye taste good.  But you can eat quite well off the much cheaper cuts.  And we learned how to make them.  This was before the computer age and we could not afford cookbooks so we learned how to do it by talking to folks and trial and error. 

I will tell you that not everything was a success but we made out.

We ate low on the hog and a lot of pasta - usually baked ziti although we make it with the spiral macaronis. But we ate healthily and usually quite well. 

That frugality has lasted with us for the last almost thirty years.  Although now we can, and do, buy more expensive foods as we see fit.  But I still cannot resist a sale on turkeys in July or a big bag of chicken parts in the late fall at an outrageously low price.

Some markets put their almost outdated stuff on sale at a certain time, usually early in the morning.  If you can learn when that is you can get stuff for ridiculous prices.

As I have said we have a great forum here and people who are at every turns in their lives.

I would suggest you give us a chance.  You might be surprised.


----------



## Sue-Zee-Q (Jan 13, 2008)

ivillage used to have that type of feature (entering your ingredients and it would give you a menu) but now it doesn't anymore.  I agree with auntdot, if you tell us what you have on hand or what you buy, we could certainly come up with some frugal and great ideas for food.  Being a vegetarian, legumes are a good food to eat when you are on a tight budget.  If you buy them dried, that money goes a lot further than buying canned ones, but canned ones of course are good for that spontaneous 'Oh!  I think I'll have this tonight.' moment.


----------



## seans_potato_business (Jan 14, 2008)

Meat, at least where I live, is quite expensive compared to vegetables, per unit weight, so the only meat product that I tend to buy is 'leverwurst' (liver-sausage) which contains a large proportion of vegetable anyway.

I prefer to avoid things which I believe are devoid of nutritional value (mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce - I prefer fibre sources to also provide vitamins/minerals). I've noticed that sprouts, yukky as they are, are quite cheap, and would like to place special emphasis on their use (although any other combination also appreciated).

The kitchen equipment that I have available is pretty basic (no oven; but a microwave oven with grill and a separate gas stove). I also have a hand-held blender.

My pantry can consist of (classified as best I can; it's likely that I've forgotten a couple of things, but not much):

Dairy:

Milk
Eggs
Cheese (cheapest; somewhat softer and less flavourful than Cheddar)

Meat:

Liver-sausage

Produce:

Potatoes
Onions (white)
Broccoli
Carrots
Peas
Brussels sprouts
Baked beans
Tomatoes
Apples
Bananas
Oranges

Grains:

Museli
Flour
Cornflour
Bread (brown but not wholemeal) [Flour comes from grains and bread comes from flour...]
Sugar (white and brown/unrefined?) [If sugar isn't a grain, what is it?]
Rice (brown and white)

Herbs and spices:

Fresh parsley
Fresh chives
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Monosodium glutamate

Other:

Mustard (French and 'seedy')
Peanut butter (smooth)
Oil (sunflower, peanut and olive)
Chicken and beef stock cubes
Baking powder
Yeast


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 14, 2008)

seans_potato_business said:


> Meat, at least where I live, is quite expensive compared to vegetables, per unit weight, so the only meat product that I tend to buy is 'leverwurst' (liver-sausage) which contains a large proportion of vegetable anyway.
> 
> I prefer to avoid things which I believe are devoid of nutritional value (mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce - I prefer fibre sources to also provide vitamins/minerals).



You might want to reconsider this conclusion. Certain mushrooms, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce are great sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Check out this site (which also includes some healthy, tasty recipes): The World's Healthiest Foods


----------



## seans_potato_business (Jan 14, 2008)

GotGarlic said:


> You might want to reconsider this conclusion. Certain mushrooms, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce are great sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals.



After some research, mushrooms do appear to be better value than I had been led to believe, and the lettuce, despite being 96% water, also has levels of vitamins worth considering. However cucumber, perhaps being the wateriest of the bunch, contains too few vitamins (concentration) per 100g that I'll keep it off the list. Thanks for the heads up. (modifying my original post)


----------



## kitchenelf (Jan 14, 2008)

We already have a sub forum for this exact thing - I only have "these" ingredients...help me be creative.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Jeekinz (Jan 14, 2008)

seans_potato_business said:


> After some research, mushrooms do appear to be better value than I had been led to believe, and the lettuce, despite being 96% water, also has levels of vitamins worth considering. However cucumber, perhaps being the wateriest of the bunch, contains too few vitamins (concentration) per 100g that I'll keep it off the list. Thanks for the heads up. (modifying my original post)


 
Greener lettuces are healthier.  I only use iceberg on my burgers.

All you need to add is chicken to your kitchen and you can make 3 bazillion dishes.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 14, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Greener lettuces are healthier.  I only use iceberg on my burgers.
> 
> All you need to add is chicken to your kitchen and you can make 3 bazillion dishes.



Actually, romaine is much healthier than iceberg: Ice Berg and Romaine Lettuce Nutrition


----------



## Maverick2272 (Feb 23, 2008)

Originally I liked going to places like allrecipes.com and providing ingredients to get recipe ideas back. But now I like the idea of coming here and hearing from folks what they would do with the ingredients. A lot of what they come up with is more creative plus they state why they like it etc instead of just a recipe, so it is more personal.
Now I just go there only if I don't get a lot of responses here.


----------



## seans_potato_business (Feb 23, 2008)

What happened to freshsqueze's post?


----------

