Budget Bytes: May 2010

szechuan pork & green beans
$4.17 recipe / $1.04 serving

I'm certainly not going to claim that this recipe is authentic Szechuan because I'm not a Szechuan expert but I will claim that it is a deliciously spicy stir fry with a Szechuan inspired sauce!

This stir fry is super easy and packs a lot of flavor thanks to a quick sauce made with garlic chili paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and sesame oil (all of my favorite players!). All of these items can usually be found in the asian section of most large grocery stores. I served this spicy pork along side a pile of steamed rice (I used half white, half brown) and I couldn't have been more satisfied. If you're feeling extra ambitious, chop a few more veggies and turn the rice into a pilaf or vegetable fried rice (recipe later this week).

Peanut oil will give the most authentic flavor to this recipe but if you don't have any, plain vegetable or canola oil will do. Because high heat is required, I would not suggest olive oil which has a low smoking point. I used a large skillet rather than a wok to demonstrate that you don't have to go out and buy special equipment to stir fry! Wok's are great to cook with but sometimes you can make do with what you already have on hand.

This recipe is easily doubled if you have more than four mouths to feed.

Szechuan Pork

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cranberry almond biscotti
$3.64 recipe / $0.12 ea.

Why haven't I made these before? I have seriously been missing out on some extra enjoyable morning coffee time! I will, without a doubt, be making these on a regular basis.

Here's a little background... A long time ago in a land far away (no joke), I earned my wages as a barista for a small coffee roasting company. Every few days we would have homemade biscotti delivered to our shop by a local baker. These biscotti were like no other biscotti. They were crisp enough to stand up to dunking but not dry or "cut your mouth" hard. Cutting your mouth is not okay... unless we're talking about Captain Crunch, but I digress.

Anyway, I've since been on the search for another biscotti that was so perfectly balanced between crisp and tender. I do believe that today my quest has ended. After searching through biscotti recipes all across the internet, I finally decided to make a hybrid of this one and this one. I like the Food Diary recipe because of the texture (not cut-your-mouth dry) and I like the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest in the Not Derby Pie recipe. I intended on making just almond biscotti but then half way through remembered that I had some dried cranberries so I added them to half. They're good either way and dried cranberries are expensive so if you don't have them on hand, don't worry. I also reduced the amount of sliced almonds from 1 cup to 1/2 cup (because they're expensive also) and it seemed to be plenty.

In the end, I made two weeks worth of biscotti (assuming I eat two every morning... let's be realistic) for the same price as two biscotti at a coffee shop. I consider that a victory.

Oh, did I mention that they're ridiculously easy? Yeah.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

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summer cook-out
$18.69 meal / serves 8+

In preparation for Memorial Day weekend, I thought I would share with all of you my favorite summer time dinner. I love getting together with friends, cooking outdoors and leisurely enjoying evening. The picture of the plate below is from the first cook-out that we had this summer. Since I was busy enjoying my friends and a nice bottle of wine, I didn't get the costing done for that particular meal.

Summer Cook-Out

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grilled vegetable pasta salad
$9.48 recipe / $0.79 serving

This pasta salad is so colorful, full of vibrant flavor and it makes a TON. Basically, it's the perfect pasta for summer BBQs, potlucks or picnics. The medley of grilled vegetables and balsamic vinaigrette bring so much flavor to this seemingly simple salad. You can use any vegetables that are in season but I like to make sure I get a good mix of colors. I roasted a pint of grape tomatoes for a pop of red because they were actually less expensive than the red bell pepper that I usually use. This recipe is flexible so use what you have available!

This recipe could be made less expensive by making your own balsamic vinaigrette but I had a lot of cooking to do that day so this is where I took my short cut. Also, if you don't overpay for your red onion like I did ($1.18 for one onion!), then you'll also have me beat. Oh, and I also used Barilla Plus penne which is multigrain, has more protein, fiber, omega-3's and also happens to be about $1 more expensive than generic. I splurged a little.

As I mentioned, this recipe makes a TON. If you want to make half a recipe, I would suggest still grilling all of the vegetables but reserving half for other recipes. Since you are only using one of each vegetable, it would be difficult to cut the amount of grilled vegetables in half. The left over chopped grilled vegetables are great for sandwiches, salads, pizzas or as an addition to marinara sauces! They're an all around delicious nutrient delivery system!

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

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raspberry oat bars
$2.00 recipe / $0.17 serving

It's time for a dessert again because I'm cravin' some sweets! This recipe is one of those quick classics that you can throw together in under 15 minutes, let bake for 30 minutes and then you've got a cure for your sweet tooth. The best part about this recipe is that all of the ingredients are staple items in my pantry or refrigerator. I used raspberry jam but any jam that you have on hand will do!

The handsome fish monger that gives me fantastic fish advice (among other things) had great idea for these bars. If you have some peanut butter, add a little bit to the jam layer for a wonderful PB&J crumb bar! Natural peanut butter would work best because when it's warm it is kind of thin and you can "drizzle" it over the bar.

Rasberry Oat Bars

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greek chicken dinner
$13.55 meal / serves 5

Here is the complete meal that I made this past week with the Greek Chicken Stew (sorry about the delay). Although the chicken stew needs to simmer for a while, the meal as a whole is super simple and very inexpensive! This meal packs a ton of protein (chicken and chickpeas), vegetables (tomatoes, aromatics/onions/garlic, spinach), and carbohydrates (rice and pita bread). To make this meal leaner, make the stew with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and use a low-fat milk for the creamed spinach. You can also substitute brown rice for the white rice in the stew (increase cooking time) for added fiber and nutrients.

This meal includes:

Greek Chicken Stew $9.38
Creamed Spinach $2.93
Whole Wheat Pita (1 pack of 6) $1.24
Total: $13.55
Serves: 5

Greek Chicken Dinner

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creamed spinach (take 2)
$2.93 recipe / $0.73 serving

I had been looking for a reason to make creamed spinach again and this week's Greek Chicken Stew gave me the opportunity. Creamed spinach is the perfect side dish to the chicken stew which already offers a protein, vegetables and starch (it's served over rice). The creamed spinach brings some ooey-gooey, creamy goodness to the plate plus some healthful dark greens.

I made creamed spinach once before but this time I changed it up a bit and found an easier method with a tastier result. The price per serving is a bit higher but I upped the serving size a smidgen so the total recipe gives you four larger servings rather than six smaller servings. Of course, serving size is subjective.

The differences between the old recipe and the new recipe are as follows: I had some grated parmesan on hand so I melted that into the cream sauce (YAY FOR CHEESE!), I used loose frozen chopped spinach rather than the box of packed frozen spinach (gives a better texture), I used minced garlic from the jar instead of chopping an onion and garlic (so much easier), and I added a bit of nutmeg for a more classic alfredo taste. The results were fantastic and I haven't stopped eating it (or Egg Florentine Quesadillas) since!

Creamed Spinach

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greek chicken stew
$9.38 recipe / $1.88 serving

I guess I have a little bit more of this Mediterranean-ness left in me, so bear with me! This stew is decidedly less Greek tasting than some of the other recipes this week so if you're not that into Greek food, you should still give it a try. Really the only reason that I'm calling it Greek is because it has some chickpeas and I topped it with parsley and feta. Otherwise, it's just a delicious, tomatoey, chicken stew!

I used chicken thighs for this recipe because they are inexpensive, fairly uniform in size and because they are simmered slowly in the stew. Meat on the bone (read meat with connective tissue) is excellent for cooking long and slow because the connective tissue gelatinizes and you end up with an ultra tender, moist piece of meat. This is the concept behind roast, ribs and other "fall off the bone" tender meats. You can also purchase a whole cut up chicken if you prefer a variety of pieces (thighs, breasts, drumsticks).

If you want to make this recipe more lean, you can either purchase skinless thighs or just use boneless, skinless breasts. Keep in mind, the boneless, skinless breasts are always more expensive and will not give as much flavor to the stew.

Greek Chicken Stew

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beef enchilada dinner
$17.21 meal / serves 6+

This meal is one of the easiest and most satisfying you'll ever make. The warm, gooey enchiladas are truly comforting, the cilantro lime rice adds substance and a ton of flavor while the guacamole salad offers a fresh, cool, bright contrast to the hot enchiladas. The three dishes go so well together that you can even use the guacamole salad as a topping for the enchiladas or add some of the rice inside the enchiladas before baking. See the notes below for a vegetarian option!

This meal includes:

Beef & Been Enchiladas $10.32
Cilantro Lime Rice $2.08
Guacamole Salad $4.81
Total: $17.21

Serves: 6, plus 4 left over enchiladas (tomorrow's lunch!)

Beef Enchilada Dinner

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red beans & rice dinner
$12.12 meal / serves 6+

I'm going through a bunch of the old recipes and trying to put together some meals with grocery lists to save y'all some time. This first one is a basic, soul-food style southern meal. This may not be up everybody's alley but don't worry, I have more "complete meal ideas" on the way!

The complete meal ideas will usually include one main dish and at least one or two sides (a vegetable and a starch unless the main dish is heavy in one or the other). When you prepare a well rounded meal in this fashion, it is more satisfying and you'll feel less "deprived" over not having a fancy (and expensive) meal served to you at a restaurant.

This meal includes:

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice $8.48 recipe
Stewed Okra and Tomatoes $2.88 recipe
Cornbread (no recipe, follow box directions) $0.76 (prepared)

Total: $12.12

Serves: 6, plus 4 left over servings of beans & rice (tomorrow's lunch!)

Red Beans and Rice Dinner

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meze lunchbox
$2.93 each

This is my first attempt at breaking the "turkey sandwich and carrot sticks" brown-bag lunch mold. I went on a Mediterranean food cooking spree this week so I thought it would be really easy to put it all together in a Meze lunchbox. Meze is basically just a collection of appetizers or small dishes... the Greek version of Tapas.

It's scientifically proven that having a variety of foods is more stimulating to our appetite (this was my big research project in college) so if you're sick of having the same sandwich with chips every day, a "variety box" like this might do the trick.

Meze Lunchbox

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jalapeno hummus
breakfast sandwich
$0.70 each

This one is for all of you out there who enjoy crazy egg sandwich concoctions like me (or maybe you don't know you do until you try Chili Garlic Breakfast Quesadillas or Egg Florentine Quesadillas). Either way, you won't find this at Burger King and I have to say, it's their loss.

This really should be called the "Lauren Sandwich" but I like to give recipes names that indicate what's in them. So, I'll just refer to it as the "Lauren" in casual conversation. Lauren is my crazy canuck of a roommate who came up with the idea of combining jalapeno cilantro hummus with an egg sandwich. It's pure genius. The hummus is tangy, spicy and creamy all at the same time which adds so much excitement (yes, excitement) to the basic egg sandwich. What's better yet is that because the hummus is so creamy, there is no need to add cheese. It's just pure goodness.

The original Lauren Sandwich was made on a hearty, toasted bread but I'm an English Muffin fanatic so that's what I used. Also, spinach is completely optional. I just have a bag of it in my fridge that I'm trying to use up. I do wish I had some tomato laying around because tomato would be PERFECT with this sandwich.

Jalapeno Hummus Breakfast Sandwich

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hummus (four flavors)
$1.97 recipe / $0.39 serving

In case you haven't noticed, this is Mediterranean week here at Budget Bytes (not really, I just started with the yogurt and it snow-balled). Readers have been asking for hummus and I used to make it a lot but haven't in quite some time so I figured now was good.

If you're unfamiliar with hummus, it is a spread/dip made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans), olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon and garlic. There are a million different things you can add into hummus and I have posted three variations here (Jalapeno Cilantro, Roasted Red Pepper and Parsley Scallion). I also added a little cumin to my "original flavor" for some smokey depth and I garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika and a few whole chickpeas. All of that is completely optional.

Hummus is great to keep in your fridge to eat as a snack with some pita, vegetables or chips but it also makes a great spread for sandwiches and wraps. It has a really great richness and adds moisture so I find that it makes a great substitute for mayo or cheese if you're trying to watch your saturated fat. This recipe comes together in about 10 minutes, requires no cooking and all you need is a blender or food processor. EASY!

Hummus

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can I get an upgrade?
FREE

It's time to make a couple of additions here at Budget Bytes, both of which come as a response to suggestions from all of you awesome readers out there! The more I exercise my cooking and meal planning muscles, the more I forget what it was like when I was just starting out. You wouldn't believe how much easier it is just one year into the project!

The first suggestion comes from Tara, who asked for examples of grocery lists. This got me thinking about how overwhelming it can be to plan out an entire meal, gather the ingredients and then execute the whole thing. When I was in school studying Nutritional Science, they had us planning menus and writing grocery lists every day (all. freaking. day.), so it's second nature to me now. And hey, since I'm already doing it for the blog, why not post it and save y'all some trouble? Right? Right. So, the first new addition to the blog will be "Complete Meal Ideas" with grocery lists. I have a fairly large bank of recipes now so I'll start putting together the meal ideas slowly.

Click on the "Complete Meal Ideas" tag in the "Labels" list in the column on the right to be taken to all of the posts that fit that category. There is one in there already, a BBQ Chicken Dinner that I made way back in the Blog's beginning (there are no grocery lists on that post, sorry).

The second addition to the blog comes courtesy of Saj. Saj is on the road for work a lot and does not have the luxury of a refrigerator and microwave to reheat food for lunch. Confined to sandwiches, wraps and other items that can be kept cool with a cold pack, Saj is looking for something new and exciting for his brown bag lunches. This is definitely going to be a challenge for me seeing as I've always had the luxury of being able to reheat my leftovers from the night before. I have a couple of ideas so far (one which you'll be seeing this week) and will hopefully be adding more as time goes on. I will be labeling these meals with the "lunch box" tag so look for that in the Labels list soon.

As always, thank you ALL so much for visiting, emailing and sharing your ideas. Feel free to email me any time and share your ideas in the comments section. Your comments are not only helpful to me but to other readers as well!

In the mean time, lets all put our heads together, help each other out and share ideas. What is your favorite thing to pack for lunch? 2,500 heads are definitely better than one!

- Beth M

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dolmas (stuffed grape leaves)
$7.99 recipe / $0.80 serving

One of my favorite things to order when I go to Mediterranean restaurants is Stuffed Grape Leaves or Dolmas. I've always shied away from making them at home because they seemed like they would be complicated and a jar of grape leaves is pretty pricey. Since I have a nice week long break between semesters, I decided to challenge myself with making them and to see if they really were all that expensive. The verdict? Very inexpensive and pretty easy to make! The hardest part was unraveling the "cigar" of rolled up grape leaves from the jar. The taste was spot on. They were exactly the tangy, herby little bundles of joy that I get from the restaurant. Sure, my rolling technique leaves a bit to be desired but once they're in your mouth who cares what they look like!

There are many versions of Dolmas out there, some with meat, some without. I usually order the vegetarian kind when I'm out so that's what I went for here. After looking at a ton of recipes, I decided to work off of this recipe by Emeril Lagasse because it seemed closest to what I've eaten before. There were a few changes, of course, to meet my budgetary needs. First, I nixed the pine nuts and golden raisins because they're both fairly pricey. Some day when I have some disposable income, I'll definitely give them a shot, but not today. Also, I decreased the amount of olive oil because, again, it's pricey. The end result was still fairly oily (as they should be) so decreasing the olive oil didn't seem to hurt. I still used fresh mint because that is absolutely essential to this recipe. I only used about 1/4 of the pack which cost $1.99 and will be freezing the rest. Mint is excellent in iced tea or even just water... or maybe I'll make some mint juleps!

Oh, BTW, you can eat these alone but they are AMAZING when dipped in some cool, creamy Tzatziki.

Dolmas / Stuffed Grape Leaves

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tzatziki (greek yogurt sauce)
$2.25 recipe / $0.38 serving

I have a whole menu of Mediterranean food planned for this week so I decided to start with the Tzatziki, since it goes with just about everything. Tzatziki is a delicious sauce made with a Greek Yogurt base, seasoned with garlic, cucumber and dill. This cool, creamy sauce is great for dipping vegetables, bread and dolmas or as a spread for sandwiches. This tzatziki was so easy to make and so good that I couldn't stop from eating it right off the spoon. The sauce should stay good in your refrigerator for 5-7 days and the flavor will intensify as it refrigerates. For that reason, I used minced garlic from a jar rather than fresh. I find that fresh garlic leaves me with the most unbearable breath for a good 24 hrs... no matter how many times I brush and gargle with mouthwash. Garlic from a jar is more subtle.

Tzadziki

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greek style yogurt
$2.39 recipe / $0.60 serving

Just in case you haven't heard, I'll give you the scoop. Greek style yogurt is all the rage. What is Greek yogurt? Basically, it's just yogurt that has had some of the moisture drained off so that it has a thicker, creamier consistency. Some people also love it because it has more protein per ounce than traditional yogurt (everything concentrates as the moisture is removed). Greek yogurt is great for making dips (like the tzadziki I'll be making later this week), topped with honey, nuts and fruit as a snack or as part of big bowl of Yoatgurt.

The problem with Greek yogurt is that it's insanely expensive. I've seen little 4 or 6 oz. cups retailing for over a dollar when regular yogurt cups usually sell for about $0.50. Sure, it takes more regular yogurt to make the same volume of Greek yogurt but I really believe that some of that extra cost is a "fad fee". People are lovin' the Greek yogurt right now and are so willing to pay for it.

So, promise me this: If you're a lover of Greek yogurt, don't pay over $1 for a tiny portion. Buy some regular yogurt and magically transform it into Greek yogurt in your refrigerator and save yourself some money. K? Good.

Greek Style Yogurt

Pictured here with honey and almonds. YUM.

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apple cinnamon bread pudding
$4.22 recipe / $0.70 serving

Is it breakfast or is it dessert? I don't know, I suppose that's up to you but bread pudding (for those of you who don't know) is pretty much like french toast but in a casserole. It's pretty amazing. This bread pudding is based off of memories of the bread pudding that my mom would make when we were children. Because she is the original Budget Byter, she probably made it just to use up stale bread. Me, I make it because it's delicious.

Now, there are many many versions of bread pudding, some of which are down right decadent. The really bad for you yet delicious recipes use a lot of egg, cream and butter to make their custardy goodness but because I'm a good girl, I lightened it up a bit. I used 2% milk, only two eggs, reduced the sugar some and used "no sugar added" apple sauce. If you like it really sweet, use regular apple sauce and you'll be good. I also don't like my bread pudding too soggy so I increased the bread to custard ratio to soak up more liquid. If you like really gooey, custardy bread pudding, try using half to 3/4 the amount of bread that I have listed here.

I think I cleaned this recipe up pretty good so that it could possibly qualify as a decent breakfast. It has bread, milk, eggs, fruit... all components of a healthy breakfast. Add a couple chopped nuts in there for protein and I'd give it a gold star!

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

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summer gazpacho
$5.14 recipe / $0.86 serving

I love the summer. The sun is warm and the vegetables are fresh (and cheap!). I've been waiting for the produce market to be flooded with all of the summer goods so that I could take a stab at making some gazpacho. This soup turned out so delicious and refreshing that I want to eat it for almost every meal. Not only that but gazpacho is pretty much just a bunch of raw vegetables pureed together... it doesn't get healthier than that! Imagine salsa turned into a soup, mixed with the fresh dewy flavor of cucumbers. It's kinda like that. Oh, plus some nice creamy chunks of avocado to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Heaven! I like to serve this with a big wedge of crusty bread spread with butter. It would also be great with a nice grilled cheese sandwich.

A note on ingredient choice: I used minced garlic from the jar here only because I find that it doesn't leave you with dragon breath like fresh garlic can. If you don't mind dragon breath, using two cloves in place of the minced will be much less expensive. Also, I found tomatillos for only $0.99 cents per pound at the produce market so I bought two and threw them in there. Those are optional and to be honest, I couldn't taste them. Usually gazpacho has bell peppers too but they are outrageously expensive right now ($3.99/lb. what?!). Maybe later this summer. Traditionally gazpacho is made with fresh tomatoes but I used canned tomatoes and vegetable juice for convenience and to add body to the flavor.

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pesto cheese toast
$5.80 recipe / $0.48 serving

This is a quick little appetizer/snack/side dish that comes together in less than half an hour. You can eat it by its self or dip it in some marinara or a bowl of creamy tomato soup. The thick hearty bread gives it substance so it pairs well with a salad for a light lunch. Serve this with a plate of spaghetti and homemade meatballs and you've got a fancy home-cooked meal that is sure to impress any guest (or date!).

If you have a garden and can make your own pesto from fresh herbs, count yourself blessed. Thats just about the only way this dish could get any better.

Pesto Cheese Toast

I finally decided to make a Budget Bytes Facebook page! I'll be posting links to all new blog entries and maybe an occasional extra thought or tip. I figured Facebook would be a more convenient way for some people to get updates and it will be more interactive!

So, come join me on Facebook by either clicking the Facebook badge in the right hand column of this website or search for Budget Bytes in the search box in Facebook and click on the Budget Bytes page.

Hope to see you there!

Beth M.

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