Yellow Squash Veggie Rice Sesame Bowl under $5

Another empty fridge day here. Rummaging through the empty shelves I found that same bottle of sesame asian salad dressing, three petite sized yellow squash from the farmer's market last week, less than a cup of brown rice, and some frozen veggies in the freezer. I decided to put them all together and make an asian veggie rice bowl reminiscent of a teriyaki bowl I used to order back home at one of my favorite sushi restaurants.

Ingredients:
3 very small yellow squash or 2 regular sized, chopped in thick slices and quartered $2
half a bag of frozen peas $.50
half a bag of frozen corn $.50
half a bottle of sesame salad dressing $.50 (see post below, these are the sizzling salad kit for $2 and comes with 2 bottles)
1 cup of brown rice $.25 (it's $.85 a small bag)
Total price for 2 people = $3.75

Recipe:
1. Make rice according to package. I like to add some seasonings if I have them, so I added a splash of sesame oil and some sesame seeds. I use a rice cooker now which you literally pour in water and rice and forget about it until the button pops up. No more burned rice.
2. Steam yellow squash in small saucepan with an inch of water. Drain excess water after about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, microwave frozen veggies about 4 minutes until hot.
4. Mix squash with peas and corn gently to not mush everything. Generously pour salad dressing on top.
5. When rice is ready, divide evenly between two bowls. Top with sesame veggies. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if you have.
6. Enjoy.

Under $5 asian dinner: peanut noodles, sesame zucchini, & teriyaki tofu

Here are some recipes of some very easy, simple entrees for a collective "asian style" dinner at home.

Peanut Sauce Ramen Noodles
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Almond or Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp jelly (pineapple, apple, or jalapeno will work)
1/4 tsp ginger powder
4 Tbsp soy milk (any milk will work too)

Stir together with a whisk and voila. Pour over three packets of ramen and throw away the seasoning packet it comes with.

Sesame Zucchini
Ingredients:
1 huge zucchini or 2 smaller ones
1/4 cup sesame dressing
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt

I will admit it. I cheated. I love making my own sauces and I could've if I put my mind to it, but I had some leftover sesame asian salad dressing. So what did I do? I chopped a HUGEmongous zucchini fresh from our local farmer's market. To chop like this, I cut thick one inch circles and then cut them into four quarters each. I topped them with the dressing and threw on some extra sesame seeds, sprinkled with ginger powder, and garlic salt, and called it my own.

Baked Teriyaki Tofu (adapted from http://kosherfood.about.com/od/vegetarianmaindishes/r/tofu_teri.htm )
1 package firm tofu
drizzle of oil
2 Tbsp of your favorite packaged teriyaki sauce (tip: I bought the new Kraft sizzling salads set for $2 that comes with a small bottle of teriyaki and a small bottle of sesame dressing)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Press water out of firm tofu. This is quite a challenge, I've made a few awful batches of tofu before because of forgetting this step - too little and too watery, too much and it all squishes. So I read online a trick tonight. Wrap tofu in paper towels, then in a dish towel. Place under a cutting board and top the cutting board with heavy items like a few cans. Wait 10 minutes. Done.
3. Slice in 1/4 inch pieces, into about 6 slices or tofu steaks.
4. Line the pan with parchment paper.
5. Coat with oil and then purchased teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle with garlic powder. I know, cheating once again. I promise soon to make a real teriyaki sauce from scratch. It never tastes the same, atleast not the ones I've made yet.... but it's cheaper usually and I don't feel like a cheater.
6. Bake for 35 minutes.

Here's a picture of the final CHEAP dinner.

In order of greatness, after the final tasting, the peanut rames were the best, then the zucchini, and lastly the tofu. I still need to play with the stuff more. I just don't like the eggy consistency. Any tips welcome!

Total Bill $5:
$.66 (22 cents a pack of ramen x 3)
$1 huge zucchini at farmer's market - cheaper if bought elsewhere
$2 firm tofu
About $1.34 for spoonfuls of all the other ingredients (peanut butter, teriyaki sauce, oil, spices, etc.)