swamp soup $7.93 recipe / $0.99 serving

swamp soup

$7.93 recipe / $0.99 serving

***Disclaimer: Dear Louisiana friends, this soup has nothing to do with real swamps, swamp culture, Cajun or Creole cuisine. It simply looks swampy to those living in non-swampy areas because it's thick and has green stuff floating around in it.***

Despite it's swampy appearance, this soup is simply one of the best things I've ever eaten. My mom had been raving about this soup for months and, to be honest, it didn't sound that special. Then she made a batch when I was visiting over Christmas break. I swear to you, I would have brought the whole pot home with me on the plane if I thought the TSA would have allowed it!

If you like tomato soup, you'll adore Swamp Soup. It's like tomato soup on steroids and with the grilled cheese built right in. The broth is incredibly thick and hearty, it's full of tons of vegetables that add texture and flavor, plus you get these nice, creamy, gooey bits of swiss every other bite. It's TO DIE FOR. Plus, it's so healthy that you really don't have to feel guilty about eating that second bowl. ;D

The soup comes together really fast so it's reasonable for a week night dinner. You can have the whole thing assembled in about a half hour. I prefer to let mine simmer a little while after assembly but it can be eaten just as soon as it is heated through. Assembly is even faster if you have pre-chopped and frozen carrots left over from your last soup waiting in the freezer.

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party food round up, 2010

party food round up, 2010

Okay, New Years Eve is just a couple of days away and if you're having a big party then you probably have your menu all planned out... BUT I thought I'd round up some appetizers, drinks and other party foods in case there are any stragglers out there who haven't yet decided!

Budget Bytes Appetizers

Hummus (four flavors): Hummus, it's a classic and people almost expect it at a party.

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black-eyed peas $2.74 recipe / $0.34 serving

black-eyed peas

$2.74 recipe / $0.34 serving

In hope of good luck and prosperity in the new year, I cooked up a pot of black-eyed peas yesterday. Eating black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread on the first day of the new year has been a tradition in the Southeast United States for generations. Heck, even if they don't bring me good luck and prosperity, they have certainly brought me happy taste buds, a full stomach and tons of good nutrition. Read more about the tradition here. For my collard green recipe, click here.

Both the black-eyed peas and collards greens can be prepared with or without a ham hock. I've made the collard greens both ways and tend to cook them without the hock just because it's one less step, less money and every bit as scrumptious. Although I intended to make the black-eyed peas with a ham hock, I forgot to buy one and therefore made it without. I was far far far from disappointed. These beans are freaking delicious!

I made my peas in slow cooker so that I could just throw it all in there and forget about it while I cooked other things but they can also be made on the stove top. To prepare them on the stove, just saute the onions and garlic in a large pot with the olive oil until soft, add the rest of the ingredients and then let everything simmer on low (with a lid) until the peas are cooked through. Super easy.

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pesto shrimp pasta $11.84 recipe / $1.97 serving

pesto shrimp pasta

$11.84 recipe / $1.97 serving

It's a new year (almost) and I'm about to go back to a 8-4 work day. What does that mean? I'm going to need to scale it back in the kitchen. There will be more quick, "throw it together in a pan/pot" meals. This pesto shrimp pasta is so quick, it literally comes together in the time that it takes to cook the pasta.

One of the keys to making this dish affordable is finding pesto at a good price. I am usually able to find this Classico brand Pesto for under $2.50 a jar at most grocery stores (click on that link, there's a coupon on their website!!). It adds loads of flavor and, if you don't use the whole jar, you can keep it in the fridge or freezer. If you can find fresh herbs at a good price in the summer, make your own pesto and freeze it for use later in the year!

If you don't like shrimp, this dish would be equally delicious with grilled chicken or sea scallops. If you're a vegetarian, throw in a drained can of artichoke hearts.

Serve this up with some garlic bread and a quick, fresh salad and this is a five star dinner, for sure.

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holiday tea $8.32 recipe / $1.04 serving

holiday tea

$8.32 recipe / $1.04 serving

Baby, it's cold outside! Here's a super scrumptious, HOT cocktail that you can sip by the fireside on Christmas eve or serve to your guests at your New Years Eve party. The recipe includes rum but if you prefer to go alcohol free, it will be just as delicious (plus about half the cost).

The chai concentrate that I made recently was so delicious that I started this recipe off the same way. The only differences being that I added star anise and I mixed the concentrate with apple cider instead of milk. DE-LISH. After it's all put together and warmed up, just add a shot of spiced rum and you're good to go.

I've discovered cinnamon sticks, star anise and other spices sold in the hispanic section of grocery stores (especially Walmart) for a much lower price than in the actual spice aisle. I bought a bag of four small cinnamon sticks for $1.28 and a bag FULL of star anise for just $0.94 cents. It is worthwhile to check there or search out any local ethnic grocers because they often sell herbs and spices in bulk and at much lower prices.

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pasta bolognese $8.06 recipe / $2.02 serving

pasta bolognese

$8.06 recipe / $2.02 serving

I can always tell when my body needs iron because I get some serious cravings for a big juicy hamburger. Of course, my body could just be craving some saturated fat, but we'll go with the iron thing.

Instead of running out to the closest burger joint, I decided to make a good, rich, meaty pasta bolognese. Bolognese sauce is often misinterpreted as a red sauce with meat when, in fact, meat is the star of the show in bolognese sauce. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are more like... well... the stage hand. A little bit of tomato paste is used, but usually not even enough to turn the sauce bright red. Instead, the tomato just helps build the incredible, beefy gravy. If you really like tomatoes, you can add a can of diced tomatoes to get that traditional "red sauce" feel. Plus it will stretch the meat further and give you more servings per recipe. I'm pretty tomato obsessed so, admittingly, I'll probably add some next time.

The recipe calls for red wine so if you don't have any reserved in your freezer, open up a bottle of vino and hang out with your sweetheart as you put the sauce together. It needs to simmer for an hour so that's just enough time to snack on some cheese and crackers and finish off that bottle! That, my friends, is how you do date night in.

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cranberry walnut bread $1.49 recipe / $0.12 serving

cranberry walnut bread

$1.49 recipe / $0.12 serving

I was at the grocery store the other day and almost got sucked into buying a small boule of cranberry walnut bread for $1.99. It just looked soooo good. My hand was literally on the bread when I thought, "DUH, I can make this, with next to no effort, using the no-knead bread recipe!" And so I did.

...And they were perfect.

...And they cost less than half the price.

...And you can do it too.

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black bean & roasted salsa soup $5.87 recipe / $0.97 serving

black bean & roasted salsa soup

$5.87 recipe / $0.97 serving

I've begun to rely more heavily on beans in my diet. They're fiber-licious, super cheap and make my tummy full and happy. Black bean soup has to be one of the easiest and tastiest ways to prepare beans. If you're in a hurry, you can literally combine a can of black beans, a can of tomatoes or salsa, puree it up and your taste buds will be probably happy.

I wanted to go a few steps further than that so I decided to combine my Fire Roasted Salsa recipe with some freshly cooked black beans. This is still a very basic recipe that, although delicious on it's own, can be altered through additions and garnishes. Here are some ideas:

• For a creamier soup, add half & half, sour cream, plain yogurt or cream cheese
• Add a few chipotle peppers in adobe sauce for a smokier, spicier soup
• If you're in a meaty mood, smoked sausage would be PERFECT
• Top the soup with a variety of garnishes:
• pico de gallo
• avocados
• sour cream
• shredded cheese
• fresh herbs
• lime wedges

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how to: kick the can (of beans)

how to: kick the can (of beans)

I know many of you Budget Byters already cook your own beans but I wanted to make this post for all of the newbies out there. Beans are one of the most economical and nutritious foods available so I try to use them in recipes as often as possible. Canned beans are quick and convenient but with a little planning ahead, dry beans can be just as easy and HALF the cost of canned.

Many people (including myself) shy away from cooking dry beans because it seems like such a daunting chore with the overnight soaking and hours of cooking. What I've discovered is that cooking beans can be as easy as "setting it and forgetting it" and, thanks to Kalyn's recent post, I now know that presoaking is not even necessary! If you cook a large batch, the beans can be divided up into two cup containers, frozen and then pulled out of the freezer as needed. Taking frozen beans out of the freezer is just as convenient as opening up a can!

Last night, I cooked up a batch of black beans for today's soup. The final cost for one can equivalent of dry beans was $0.40 cents. Compare that to a store bought can which usually runs me about $0.79 and I've cut the cost in half. Plus, I've eliminated salt, preservatives and a lot of wasted packaging. Have I convinced you yet?

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falafel $2.64 recipe / $0.30 serving

falafel

$2.64 recipe / $0.30 serving

I was so excited, so drawn in, so salivating when I saw this recipe for falafel over on Making Life Delicious a few weeks ago. The only problem was that I didn't have a food processor. But somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice was telling me, "you WILL get a food processor for Christmas... just be patient, Beth." Sure enough, my parents bought me this food processor as an early Christmas and graduation gift. I've been using it non-stop ever since.

Any-whooo. If you've never had falafel before, they are a little cake made up of mashed beans (fava or sometimes garbanzo) along with tons of fresh herbs and spices. Traditionally (actually, ALWAYS) they are fried which gives them a wonderful crispy exterior with a soft warm center. I broke the rules and gave them a quick pan fry in non-stick spray. You can send me hate mail now. Actually, I might even send myself some hate mail on that one. Admittingly, my dry cooked falafel are not nearly as good as fried but the flavor of the fresh garlic, herbs and spices definitely carried the little falafel through. I froze most of my falafel uncooked and will probably shallow fry the rest of them.

Falafel can be eaten as an appetizer dipped in tzatziki sauce, placed on top of a greek salad or stuffed into a pita with fresh vegetables, tzatziki or feta. Any way you dish them out, falafel are little power packed cakes of flavor. If you love fresh garlic, you'll LOVE these babies!

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pita bread $0.78 recipe / $0.10 serving

pita bread

$0.78 recipe / $0.10 serving

Oh the fascinating world of flat breads... Although the ingredients for this pita are different from naan, the execution is almost exactly the same. The only difference here is that you bake them in a super hot oven instead of in a skillet on the stove top.

The extra hot oven (500 degrees) creates a pocket of steam inside the bread that leaves a very convenient cavity once cooled. Stuff the bread full of your favorite sandwich fillings and you've got a quick lunch that's good to go.

I used a little bit of whole wheat flour in my recipe but feel free to use all regular if you wish. The only change I'd make if making these again is to divide the dough into 6 rounds rather than 8 to yield a thicker pocket. But, hey, who needs all that thick bread anyway. What you stuff inside of it is the real prize.

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peppermint marshmallows $2.58 recipe / $0.22 serving

peppermint marshmallows

$2.58 recipe / $0.22 serving

Need more homemade gift ideas? You've gotta try these peppermint marshmallows from Martha Stewart. Even if you're not doing homemade gifts this year, this is a really fun weekend project to do with your kids. It can get sticky, it can get messy and you might end up with red fingers but the end result is so worth it. The flavor is way better than expected and they melt wonderfully into hot cocoa or even coffee.

I'm going to mark this recipe as advanced because it does take some tricky moves. Two things you WILL need to make this recipe: a candy thermometer and a mixer. Did I mention that my parents ready the Kitchen Gadgets post and sent me a mixer and food processor as an early graduation/Christmas present? Very cool!

Anyway, two things that will make this recipe A LOT easier: a helper/extra set of hands and a stand mixer. I used a hand held mixer and it worked but a stand mixer will take this recipe from tricky to easy-ish.

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cinnamon spice biscotti $1.47 recipe / $0.11 serving

cinnamon spice biscotti

$1.47 recipe / $0.11 serving

It's gift giving season and there has been a lot of talk on Budget Bytes Facebook about making gifts to give. These Cinnamon Spice Biscotti make a great gift that can be wrapped up in pretty packages. The mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove give them an extra special holiday twist.

This recipe is super easy to mix up so you can make them the night before you plan to gift them to ensure ultimate freshness. Once baked, the biscotti should be stored in an air tight package for up to 10 days.

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pasta e fagioli $8.12 recipe / $1.35 serving

pasta e fagioli

$8.12 recipe / $1.35 serving

The more I cook, the more challenging, complex and lengthy my recipes get. But sometimes all you want is a quick "dump and heat" recipe for those busy week nights. This recipe totally fits that bill. Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list because the preparation couldn't be any easier. Spend 10 minutes chopping your veggies and then just dump in the rest and heat it up. Easy.

Not only is this recipe super easy but I'm not sure if it could be any more healthy. I mean, you've got vegetables of every kind, shape and color, beans bursting with fiber and antioxidants and a complete, vegetarian source of protein (beans + pasta = complete protein source). The dish is colorful and fun which should make it a hit with kids.

If you want to put in a little extra time and effort, you can cook dry beans and add a few cups of each in place of the canned beans. This will reduce the sodium content and cost in one fell swoop.

Pasta e Fagioli can take many forms. I'll list a few variations at the end of this post.

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no-knead ciabatta $0.74 recipe / $0.12 serving

no-knead ciabatta

$0.74 recipe / $0.12 serving

I know, man can not live on bread alone. So I'm a little obsessed with baking bread lately... humor me. There will be more "real food" soon, promise.

You may remember this video that I referenced in my very first no-knead bread recipe post. The recipe and technique in the video are a little different from the basic no-knead recipe. The dough is wetter, it ferments for 18 hours at room temperature and is shaped into a long, fairly flat, ciabatta shaped loaf.

Well, I'm glad I decided to give this one a try. For some reason it seems easier than the original no-knead and the result so much better. The inside is lighter and fluffier. The flavor is wonderful. The shape, although flat, is perfect for sandwiches. PERFECT.

I followed the instructions in the video exactly. The video is great so give it a quick watch (it's only 5 minutes long) before making the bread. The only change I'll make next time is to divide it in two and make two smaller loafs. Everything else is just easy and perfect.

This is my new go-to bread!

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