Life

What to cook in March: Budget-friendly meals for uncertain times

Simple, hearty recipes packed with pantry staples.

Simple, hearty recipes packed with pantry staples

Top down shots of a hand reaching for chickpea wraps on a plate; bowls of yellow soup; a shallow bowl of green herby pasta.
(Dhivya Subramanian, Amina Al-Saigh)

Food prices were already expected to rise in 2025, thanks to a weaker Canadian dollar, climate change–related supply chain disruptions and reduced cattle numbers. But now, a trade war with the U.S. is adding to the pressure. 

If you're feeling the pinch at checkout, cooking with pantry staples can help you stretch your budget without sacrificing flavour. Below is a collection of cheap and cheerful, mostly meatless dishes that are packed with pantry MVPs like lentils, rice and chickpeas. And, of course, there's pasta — because keeping a box (or five) on hand just makes life a little easier. 

Red lentils with crispy garlic and greens

Overhead shot of hands adding a spoonful of dal with greens to a plate with rice on it.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Chickpea picnic salad

Closeup on a blue patterned plate of chickpea salad sitting on a large rock.
(Photography by Joanne Pai)

Caramelized onion pasta

Top down shot of a blue plate of bucatini with tomato sauce topped with parmesan.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

One-pot chickpea curry

Overhead shot of 2 plates of Chickpea Curry with Spinach. One person's hands are dishing some of the curry onto a plate from a pot. A second person's hands are holding naan and a spoonful of curry over the second plate.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Tandoori chickpea wraps with herby yogurt dipping sauce

Overhead shot of a plate of chickpea wraps cut in half. 2 hands are reaching into frame to grab a wrap.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Red lentil soup

Top down shot of 2 bowls of yellow soup on a white tile background.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

Rice and peas

Overhead shot of a plate of rice and peas with bowls of sliced limes and green onions next to it.
(Photography by Owais Rafique Marketing Inc.; styling by Matthew Chin)

Master recipe for a pot of beans

Closeup overhead shot of a red pot of beans next to a stack of bowls.
(Photography by Ed Anderson)

Instant tan tan shin ramyun

Overhead shot of a bowl of ramen with an egg and bok choy. It's in a shallow yellow bowl next to a bright blue serving tray. The table it's on is covered with a red and white checked cloth.
(Photography by Heami Lee)

French onion soup pasta

side by side of 2 images. left: overhead shot of three handpies on a baking sheet, on top of a wire cooling rack, sitting on a marble surface. right: overhead shot of a bowl of short pasta topped with onions and cheese, sitting on a marble surface.
(Photography by Aviva Wittenberg)

Lentil shepherd's pie

Top down shot of a casserole dish with a lentil shepherds pie. The top is covered with slices of potato and sweet potato.
(CBC Life)

Kunde (black-eyed peas and tomatoes in peanut sauce)

Overhead shot of a shallow bowl filled with kunde, black-eyed peas and tomatoes in peanut sauce. It sits on a dark grey surface.
(Photography by Khadija M. Farah & Jennifer May)

Herby labneh pasta

Overhead shot of a bowl of pasta with a green, creamy sauce on it.
(Photography by Amina Al-Saigh)

Seaweed brown butter pasta

Closeup of pasta topped with shredded white cheese and furikake. It's on a beige plate.
(Photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon)

Khichdi

Overhead shot of a bowl of Khichdi topped with red chili slices, cilantro and a dollop of yogurt.
(Photo: Shayma Owaise Saadat)

Misir wot

overhead shot of a bowl of lentil stew with a small bowl of spices sitting next to it. a plate with flatbread (injera) sits next to that.
(Photography by DL Acken)

Vegan ragu bolognese

Closeup on a plate of pasta with bolognese sauce on it. A noodle is twirled on a fork above the plate.
(Photography by Lauren Toyota)

Zucchini dal

Overhead shot of 2 plates of zucchini dal with rice, sitting on a pink tiled surface.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Skillet lasagna 

A skillet on a grey wood surface. The skillet is filled with a cooked lasagna with melted cheese and dollops of ricotta cheese on top.
(Photo: David Bagosy, Styling: Melissa Direnzo)

Puda (chickpea flour pancakes)

Two plates of thin, folded pancakes with a side of greens and topped with pickled sliced onions.
(Photography by Diana Muresan)

Baby bok choy and rice vermicelli soup

A bowl of soup with vermicelli and baby bok choy. It's sitting on a wood surface with a pair of chopsticks in the background.
(Photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon)

Polos ambula (young jackfruit curry)

Overhead shot of Young Jackfruit Curry in a black pot on a grey surface. The jackfruit is cut in triangular pieces and a wooden spoon is in the top left corner.
(Photography by DL Acken)

Golu molu (buttered roti)

Overhead shot of a stack of fresh rotis on aluminum foil, on a light blue surface. A small glass bowl of melted butter sits beside them.
(Photography by Dominique Lafond)

Jeera rice

closeup of basmati rice topped with fried onions, on a gold plate on a dark gold background.
(Photography by Christian Lalonde)

Breakfast bean ragout

Overhead shot of a bowl of white beans with a fried egg and a piece of toast on it.
(Credit: Matt Basile)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jamey Ordolis is the senior producer of CBC Life.

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