Mind Your Decisions

Welcome to Food Fridays, Plus a Recipe

I somewhat shamefully admit that some of my greatest passions started from watching TV and movies. I took my first game theory course because of the movie A Beautiful Mind, which chronicles the life of John Nash. And I took an interest in cooking and food after watching the Japanese show Iron Chef, where two chefs compete to make the best dishes in a one-hour battle. The show made me realize how food is more than fuel; it is an art and a joy.

Food is an important part of our lives, and it also affects our finances. In fact, food is a large category of most people’s budget. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, Americans spend about 13.3% of their budgets on food. And a whopping 42% of that money is on dining out. Which suggests that cooking at home is a way to curb your expenses. On that note, I will infrequently post a recipe on Food Fridays, and I invite you to send me your favorite recipes.

Today, I share my vegetarian taco recipe. It requires very little cooking knowledge, and it is affordable: I spent about $10 on ingredients and I made 8 good sized tacos.

But Food Fridays is about more than recipes. It is about how food and finances are intimately related; understanding one topic helps with the other. Here are three reasons why I am introducing Food Fridays:

First, food can help explain some of my important financial philosophies:

An Unprocessed Lifestyle: a philosophical analogy about processed food and “processed” finances

Cutting Back on Your Expenses Gives You More Bang for Your Buck: A lesson on why less is more, inspired by an experience at a pizza buffet

Second, good finance skills help you make better decisions when food is involved:

Rule of 25% on Tipping: The title pretty much says it all

Three Friends Walk into a Bar: The ways people pay for meals

What You can Learn From Beer: A lesson on buying low cost items

And lastly, some experiences improve both finance and food decisions:

Game Theory on Eating with an Indian Host: A lesson on credible threats

How Cereal Companies Lie to You: A story of misleading packaging

Now, here is my recipe for vegetarian tacos (with cost estimates). I find the meal hearty, but you can add chicken or beef if you want more protein.

Incidentally, the meal can help you get started on eating healthier, as it loosely follows guidelines of a recent health study about cancer incidence (eat lots of veggies, less red meat, less salt).

Presh’s Vegetarian Tacos (makes 6-8 tacos)

10 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced ($2.00)
2 large red peppers, diced ($1.50)
1 medium onion, diced ($0.50)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (very cheap)
1 teaspoon salt (very cheap)
1 large tomato, diced ($0.50)
16 ounces black or pinto canned beans ($1.00)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated ($2.00)
8 whole wheat tortillas ($2.50)
1 cup cooked rice (very cheap)
non-fat or low-fat sour cream for topping ($1.00)

Instructions:

1. Add tablespoon of oil to pan. Sautee mushrooms, red peppers, and onion on medium heat with a teaspoon of salt until vegetables are cooked but still crunchy, about 10-15 minutes. I sometimes also add a tablespoon of chili powder and cumin for a spicy preparation:

2. Heat beans until warm in a pot using medium heat, about 5 minutes. Warm tortillas in microwave for 1 minute. Use rice cooker to prepare the rice. Dice a tomato.

3. Stuff tortilla with rice, cheese, beans, tomato, and sautéed vegetables. Top with sour cream if desired.

Here is what the final taco looks like: