Stretching a budget but don’t want to give up your favorite Eugene dishes? Check out these at-home knockoffs.

Breakfast Scramble

Re-appropriation by Sami Edge

Whether it’s for a late brunch out with friends or as the first place you think to take your parents for their weekend visit, Glenwood never fails to satisfy.

But what if I told you you could make your favorite scramble on the menu, for half the cost? And it’s easy, too.

Ingredients: 

• 2 eggs
• 1 piece of bread
• 1 potato
• Cheddar & any other cheese
• Bacon
• Onion
• Cilantro
• Salt, Pepper, Hot Sauce to Taste
• Any other produce (mushrooms, tomatoes)

Cost: approx. $3
Menu Cost: $9.50 + tip
Savings: >$7.50
Prep Time: 10 minutes

How: 

1) Start by getting the bacon out of your freezer and thawing a few slices. Toss them in a frying pan on high heat and chop them up with the spatula (you don’t need oil because of bacon grease. Woot!).

2) Then, chop a potato into chunks and throw them in. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings. Lawry’s seasoning salt, if on hand, is amazing.

3) Chop up as much onion and bell pepper as you desire and add them.

4) Now add any of the produce in your fridge that you think would taste good (I added cilantro, mushrooms and a handful of spinach).

5) Keep stirring until it’s all been thoroughly cooked through and the spices are stirred in. (Now’s the time to stick a piece of bread in the toaster if you like!)

6) Then, turn down the heat, crack your eggs into the pan and stir them up quickly with the spatula to scramble them into the veggies. Let them cook for a minute, then keep scrambling. Once the eggs are as cooked through (or as gooey) as you like, turn down the heat, grab the grater and grate your cheeses directly into the pan over the eggs. That way it’ll get nice and melted from the heat.

7) Grab a plate, slide the messy delicious scramble out of the pan, throw your toast on top and you’re done. Easy as that.

Notes: 

On the first bite, the gooey cheesy, savory, fresh and homely scramble with potatoes is a masterful delight. But with eggs and potatoes, bacon and fridge leftovers, can you ever go wrong?

The hardest part is the potatoes. If you’re a homestyle fry aficionado, prepare yourself to be a tad disappointed with any home-substitute. Though it’s hard to screw up potatoes, every breakfast restaurant ever must share the secret recipe for the perfect homestyle fry seasoning. Salt and pepper won’t do the trick. Eyeball levels of cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and paprika add to the mix — but still are no match for those comforting, spice-filled bites of pure delicious potato.

A note on company: although Glenwood’s food is delicious, the real reason you go is for those who accompany you. If you want that chill, laid-back environment from the comfort of your own kitchen, there’s nothing holding you back but the fear of embarrassing yourself by touting cooking skills that apparently only you can taste. But for those home-cooked savings, why not start practicing now?

Hummus

Re-appropriation by Samantha Matsumoto 

Whenever I am low on funds (which, let’s be honest, is often) and in need of a quick snack, my go-to dish is Caspian’s hummus plate. For $3.95, the dish comes with a serving of flavorful hummus and warm pita bread. It’s simple, sure, but it’s easy on my wallet and always satisfies my cravings.

Approximating Caspian’s hummus at home had the same appeal for me: It looked cheap and easy. Chickpeas, the dish’s main ingredient, are less than $2 per can, and most people have the needed spices in their cupboard. However, many hummus recipes call for tahini, a sesame paste that clocks in at about $7.99. So, to stay as close to Caspian’s cost as possible, I used a tahini-less recipe.

Turns out, the tahini gives hummus its creamy texture and rich flavor. My verdict: Go a little more complex and use the tahini if you want to make your own hummus. But if you want to get Caspian’s authentic quality for the low cost, then save yourself the time and money and just head to 13th Ave.

Cost: >$2
Menu Cost: $3.95
Savings: <$2
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, liquid reserved
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

How to :

1) Blend all ingredients in blender or mixer until smooth.

2) To get desired texture, my recipe instructed to gradually add in the reserved bean liquid. However, I would recommend using more olive oil instead — the bean liquid made the hummus unpleasantly salty.

Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce

Re-appropriation by Katherine Marrone

A break in my day for lunch usually means a visit to Sweet Basil Express for its signature Pad Thai: The noodles are soft and chewy, the chicken flavorful, and the sauce sweet and savory. Yet, what this dish is missing — and many others like i t— is more peanut. After all, that’s what initially drew me to this dish — peanut sauce — and the only peanuts this dish has is a few crumbled on top.

So, I decided to make my own version of its pad thai— this time with a creamy peanut sauce.

Cost: >$4

Menu Cost: Before 4:30 p.m.: $6.95. After: $8

Savings: $2.95-$4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Soy sauce
• Peanut butter
• Water
• Brown Sugar
• Rice noodles
• Protein (I used chicken)
• 1 egg

How:

1) Mix 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of water, 4 tbsp of soy sauce and 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a sauce bowl. Heat the sauce and stir with a whisk.

2) Place wide rice noodles in bowl and pour boiling water over them so that they’re all covered. Wait 8-10 minutes or until noodles are firm, yet chewy.

3) Then, mix noodles, peanut sauce and protein on stir-fry pan and cook until desired.

4) Scramble egg on separate pan.

5) Plate noodles and chicken and pour egg on top.

This recipe makes enough for at least two people, and most of the items you’ll need are probably already in your cabinet. It’s a creamy and filling twist on Sweet Basil’s signature dish, and best of all: The peanut sauce actually has peanut.

Pumpkin Spice Latte 

Re-appropriation by Chris Berg

Tired of waiting in line at Starbucks every morning and spending $4 on your Pumpkin Spice Latte? It’s not fall without the sweet taste of cinnamon and nutmeg perking you up throughout the day. Try this at-home equivalent for almost a quarter of the price.

Cost: >$.82

Menu Cost: Tall (12 oz.) $4.25; Grande (16 oz.) $4.75.

Savings: ~$3.40 to $3.90

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes (depending on how/if you froth the milk)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup coffee (brew yourself, or use instant for convenience)
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (bought in bulk at Market of Choice, 81 cents for 1 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons honey

1) Blend the pumpkin pie spice into the honey, until it’s saturated.

2) Froth the milk. Pour into a shallow bowl, and whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes. If you’ve got a blender, it can also be used to quickly froth the milk. Alternatively, if you’re in a rush, skip this step and enjoy the same flavor in a more standard coffee form.

3) Combine the milk and coffee in your cup, and pop in the microwave for two minutes.

4) Pour the honey mixture into the latte, and mix until the honey has dissolved.

5) If desired, top the latte with whipped cream and a sprinkle of the spice blend.