southwest breakfast scramble

Ahhh, it's everything I love in one place: eggs, salsa, cheese, chips, and cilantro. Oh, and black beans, too! Just feed me this every day for the rest of my life and I'll be straight.

This super quick Southwest Breakfast Scramble is reminiscent of migas because of the tortilla strips, but I just ended up adding all the things that I like best. It's really delicious and hearty... and who really cares if you eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? I know I'll be bringing it to work with me tomorrow for lunch.

I'll be using the microwave to reheat my leftovers. Sure, it will change the texture a bit (the eggs will get more firm and the tortilla strips more soft), but that's just how leftovers go. It's never quite the same, but still delicious!

P.S. If you're not into cilantro, use some sliced green onion instead. They don't taste similar at all, but it's nice to have something green and fresh on top for contrast.

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chana saag

Sometimes, when I'm suffering from a creativity block, all I need to do is take a stroll through Whole Foods... the freezer aisle in particular. Yesterday I did just that and saw a frozen dinner called Chana Saag. I didn't look too closely, I just saw chickpeas and spinach and knew that's what I wanted to eat. Yummmmm.

I made this Indian Style Creamed Spinach a while back and although it was a little complex to make, it was one of the best things I had ever tasted. So, I decided to simplify that recipe, add chickpeas, and call it a day. I can proudly say that it was a very good day.

This recipe can be made either hot or mild depending on what type of curry powder you use, but either way the fragrant spices will be heady and flavorful. The evaporated milk adds just the right amount of natural sweetness and creamy flavor to balance those Indian spices. You can probably use coconut milk in its place, but be sure not to let it come up to a simmer or else it may curdle (I learned that the hard way in previous recipes).

I suggest serving this over rice or with some homemade naan to sop up the sauce. I served mine with some rice and while I usually go for jasmine rice, the Chana Saag was so flavorful that plain white rice did the job nicely.

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black bean & avocado enchiladas

Okay, I have to take a little break in the Shredded Beef programming to bring you this absolutely scrumptious vegan delight!

I've been eating this for lunch all week and the fact that I only have one serving left almost makes me want to cry... I might have to make a second batch PRONTO. Yes, they're that good.

What makes these enchiladas so amazing? Not only are they filled with super fresh flavors, but they're smothered in a homemade enchilada sauce. Now, if you've made my homemade enchilada sauce before you know that it takes less than ten minutes to make and is 100 x better than the canned stuff. Well, this time I went one step further and added a little cocoa powder to the enchilada sauce. OMG. You won't believe how rich and amazing the cocoa makes the sauce! It doesn't taste like chocolate, just extra rich and good. It's the same amazing chili/chocolate combo that works magic in the Aztec Cocoa. SO. GOOD.

Black beans give these enchiladas filling power and avocado offers that creaminess that you'd usually get from cheese. If you're vegan, just make sure your tortillas are vegan (some use lard, some don't). Or, try making your own!

And yes, I know that enchiladas are supposed to be wrapped in corn tortillas, not flour. Use whichever type you like. Delicious is more important than correct, in my book.

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navy bean soup with sausage & spinach

I think we're experiencing one of the last cold spells of the year here in Louisiana, so I wanted to make one last hearty, soul-warming soup. This soup was incredibly easy, but boasts huge flavor and major filling power. In short, it's AWESOME.

Lately I've been trying to ween myself off of my bouillon crutch. I usually use chicken bouillon (Better Than Bouillon brand) to add oomph to my soups and just make the whole process super easy and flavorful. What I've found recently, though, is that I really enjoy the subtly of broths made simply by the vegetables and herbs that I use in the soup. This soup is a perfect example. Plus, this way you can be in complete control over the sodium.

I used smoked sausage in this soup, but there are a couple of options if you don't want to use sausage. You can substitute the sausage with bacon (about 6 ounces should do), or you can use a smoked ham hock. The ham hock doesn't need to be sauteed, just add it in when with the beans, herbs, and water. If you want to do a vegetarian version, just add a little liquid smoke to give the broth that nice smokey depth. The vegetables and herbs should add all of the flavor that you need!

This recipe makes a huge batch, but it can be easily halved... which I totally should have done! Oh well, guess I'll have some stocked in my freezer for a while. No complaints here. It's delish!

Oh, P.S. Both my sausage and spinach were on sale. One hint for spinach... avoid the small, salad sized bags of spinach and look for the large bags of "cooking spinach". They're about three times the size of bagged salad spinach and contain the exact same thing. Mine was on sale for $2.50, which is less than the small bags of "salad" spinach!!

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island rice pilaf

I really can't imagine ever just eating plain rice again. Over the past few years I've discovered so many different things you can do with rice, especially cooking it with different liquids and seasonings.

One of my all-time favorites is Savory Coconut Rice, which combines coconut milk, garlic, and jasmine rice. This recipe is kind of like that, but it veers off in a slightly different direction. Instead of using jasmine rice, this recipe uses plain rice (great for those of you who can't find jasmine) and includes some black beans, which always go great with rice. Coconut milk makes everything creamy and mellow, while savory herbs like garlic and thyme add depth. A little sweet pineapple and fresh cilantro help round everything out to create an awesome (and easy) side dish.

The mellow creaminess of this rice was perfect for balancing my Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken, but it would go great with any spicy meal.

Although I called this "pilaf," be aware that it's definitely heavier and more dense than most pilafs. When I hear the word pilaf I think of a light, fluffy rice mixture. Cooking the rice in coconut milk definitely makes it heavier and even a little sticky. So, just be aware of that before you begin. That being said, I could eat a mountain of this rice!

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quinoa black bean tacos

Shhhhhh.... They're VEGAN!

I decided to experiment a little more with vegan food in 2013. Now, before you get your panties all in a bundle, hear me out.

I'm an omnivore and probably always will be. I eat everything, animal and non-animal, but that doesn't mean that every meal has to include both. I see vegan food as a challenge (I LOVE challenges) and a good way to incorporate more fresh food and fiber into my diet. Also, I'm only really interested in food that just happens to be vegan, not strange ingredients or concoctions that are meant to replace animal products. I plan to use only ingredients that can be found at regular grocery stores. Luckily, quinoa has become so popular in the past few years, that you pretty much can find it at any grocery store these days. And if you can't? You can sub with rice. Rice and beans together make a complete (and delicious) protein source.

Quinoa is great because it cooks up quickly, can be seasoned with just about anything, is highly nutritious, and has a really fun texture. I mixed in some black beans ('cuz I love 'em) and seasoned it all up with some taco spices. I topped the tacos with homemade pico de gallo (which is absolutely to die for) and a slice of avocado for that rich creaminess that I'd normally get from cheese or sour cream. Quick, simple, delicious.

Here are some other fun toppings for your tacos: pineapple, mango, jalapenos, corn, or sauteed mushrooms (okay, now I'm just thinking about all of the things that I like to put on my burritos at Izzo's).

The verdict: Super fast, super easy, super tasty, and way more satisfying than I expected! Love 'em! (and cheap, as usual)

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sausage & kale cassoulet

I know I've done the whole sausage-bean-kale thing numerous times, but that's because it's so good.

This might not be a traditional cassoulet, but that's the closest word I could find to describe what's going on here. It's beans slowly cooked with meat so that the rendered fat has time to soak in and give everything the most amazing flavor. I added kale, which isn't traditional in cassoulet, just so I could get some greens in there and have everything I needed in one bowl. If you're not into kale, you can add a half bunch of parsley, which is much more traditional for cassoulet.

This dish surprised me with it's deep, rich flavor. It's just a few simple ingredients, but tastes like a million bucks. I guess that's why cassoulet has been one of those classic poor mans' meals that has survived for centuries. It just works.

Serve this with some fantastic french bread to sop up the wonderful liquid in the bottom of your bowl and you'll be one happy camper.

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pesto chickpea salad

I've been loving "quick fixes" lately because I'm cooking triple time in preparation for the cookbook. So, at the end of the day the last thing I want is something elaborate, time consuming, and dirty dish-creating. I just want something easy and delicious. Well, this salad takes about 10 minutes to whip up and will satisfy both your stomach AND your taste buds. As a matter of fact, it might be the most excitement your taste buds have seen a while. Pesto is seriously flavorful.

There were at least five brands of pesto at my grocery store, ranging from $1.99 to over $6, all for about the same size container. So, be sure to scour the shelves and get the best deal because that will either make or break the cost of the recipe. And hey, if you've got a bunch of fresh basil growing in your yard, make your own pesto! It will be even mo' bettah!

You can eat this salad several ways. Straight out of the bowl (like I was trying not to do), on a bed of salad greens, stuffed into a pita with some sliced tomato, or even as a cracker dip. It's good no matter what and fairly addicting, if I do say so myself.

Oh, this can easily be made vegan, too. Just sub the mayonnaise with some vegannaise!

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spicy hoppin' john salad

I lost track of who sent me the link to this Hoppin' John Salad from Whole Foods Market, but whoever it was, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

The moment I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. It has all of my favorites: beans, crunchy veggies, and SRIRACHA! This is a super easy, super healthy way to use up the rest of that Thanksgiving ham. If you don't have any holiday ham, you can just go to the deli (like I did) and ask for a single thick slice of ham (black forest, smoked, honey, whatever type). Be sure to tell them you'll be cutting it into cubes for a salad so they'll know about how thick you'll need it.

This recipe was already so perfect that I *barely* adjusted it. I tweaked the ratio of the dressing a smidge and used rice vinegar because I didn't have any white wine vinegar. I also decided to add some golden raisins to complete the sweet-salty-spicy flavor trifecta. I really wanted to use chopped up dried apricots, but I couldn't find any at the store. Luckily, I had some golden raisins in the back of my pantry and they made a suitable substitute :D Green onions would probably also be super good in this!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

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chipotle chicken chili or "C3"

I know, I know, I just made a chicken soup-type dish. Well, sometimes you've gotta work with what you've got. I have a ton of chicken in the freezer, I had some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce left over from another test recipe, and it's getting all fall-like outside. What does that add up to? Chili, of course.

I went pretty light on the chicken in this recipe to keep costs down (even though I got a crazy-good deal on the chicken) and beefed it up with a couple different types of beans and corn. Most of the flavor in this dish comes courtesy of the sweet-spicy-smokey chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They definitely have a kick, so start with just two peppers and a couple spoonfuls of sauce, and add more to taste.

The V8 juice was my biggest cost and I could have done better. V8 offers a depth of flavor that plain tomato juice can't, so I wouldn't suggest skipping this secret ingredient. Check the bottom shelves of the juice aisle for the large metal cans because they cost less than the resealable plastic jugs. If you have some left over, into the freezer it goes! (makes a great base for soups and cocktails!)

If you can't get a good deal on chicken like I did, you can easily make this into a vegetarian stew. Just add some diced sweet potato for bulk and you're good. Although it's so far from chili at this point that I don't know if it can go by that name anymore, but who cares, it tastes good.

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spicy green beans

This might be my new favorite treatment for vegetables. I have big plans to try it with every single vegetable out there... until then, here is the green bean version!

I love green beans because they're so fast and easy to cook. A quick boil or steam and then they're ready for any flavor that you want to throw at them. I like my green beans cooked just until tender, but still with a very slight crunch. Always bright green and never mushy. There's a sweet spot between raw and fully cooked, but that's just me.

I used Sambal Oelek (chili paste) to flavor the beans. The kind I used is made by the same brand as our beloved Sriracha Sauce (Huy Fong Foods) and is usually available at most places that sell Sriracha. They also make a similar sauce, called "chili garlic sauce" that would be equally good in this recipe. Just find some sort of crushed chili paste and you'll be good to go.

This recipe takes about ten minutes to cook and is SUPER good!

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tuna & white bean salad

The hardest part about cooking and testing so many recipes (for the upcoming cookbook) is that I get full after a few bites, but my taste buds still scream for more! I wanted to eat this whole bowl...

This recipe is as easy as 1,2,3... literally. Just mix it all together, adjust to your taste buds and you've got a protein packed lunch ready to go. You can eat this salad plain with a fork, top crackers with it, stuff it inside of a pita pocket, or scoop some over top of a bed of spinach. Anyway you serve it, it's super tasty!

One thing to consider with this recipe is the quality of beans and tuna. I chose the most inexpensive options for both, and it showed. The flavor was still top notch, but the beans were falling apart and the tuna was lumps of mush rather than large chunks of tuna meat. So, if you like things to be pretty, make sure to get high quality beans and tuna. :)

You can use any type of white beans you like - great northern, navy, butter beans, whatever. They'll all add an element of "creaminess" without having heavy mayo!

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roasted vegetable burritos

So, I broke down last week and bought a burrito from the hospital cafeteria for lunch. It was SO good, but at $5.50 for the least expensive option, I knew I could do better.

I just finished tallying my cost for this recipe and I have to say, I'm sure I could have done much better. To be fair, I didn't do any comparison shopping, I just ran in, got what I needed, and ran out. So, you might be able to make these for far less than I did. I did, however, make my own black beans instead of buying cans. That saved me a dollar or two. Oh, and I lucked out with the red bell peppers - on sale 10/$10! That's a SUPER good price.

I seasoned up some regular old white rice, added my black beans (you can season those too, if you'd like), and then topped those with some amazing roasted vegetables. Roasting vegetables intensifies their flavor, and when you add herbs like I did, they become even more amazing. I suggest using whatever vegetables you can get for a good price (I was a bad example here), but the mushrooms really did make this special. So, get the mushrooms if at all possible!

Now I have 8 awesome burritos in my freezer just waiting to be grabbed for lunch in the morning. The recipe is enough for 10, but I already ate one burrito and I had previously used one of the tortillas for something else. To reaheat just place in a microwavable dish and nuke until hot.

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taco stuffed shells

But Mom! Everyone else is doing it!

I don't know who the first person was to stuff pasta shells with taco fillings, but it's definitely a good idea. I kept seeing taco shells around the internet, so I had to make some, Budget Bytes style.

I made this recipe affordable by using homemade enchilada sauce (takes less than ten minutes), homemade taco seasoning (takes about two minutes), and beans cooked from dry in my slow cooker (cooked ahead of time and kept in the freezer until used). It took a little thinking ahead, but it definitely saved some bucks.

This recipe ended up being a little more work than I anticipated and I dirtied more dishes than I like to, but in the end it was well worth it. It made a HUGE batch of ten large servings, nearly all of which went into my freezer. I've been eating these amazing shells for almost a week now and have yet to get tired of them!

I didn't realize that the ground beef I bought was in a 1.5 lb. package instead of just one pound, so thats part of why it made so much. You could also do this with just beans and no meat if you want it even less expensive!

I paired this with some cilantro lime rice and I was a happy, happy girl.

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vegetable tamale pie

Do you want evidence that this recipe is good? How about the fact that I've been eating it for lunch AND dinner for the past three days straight, and I still wanted a piece for breakfast this morning. Seriously.

There are a million and two ways to make tamale pie, some being more like actual tamales than others. This one is not so much like a real tamale, but it's amazing all the same. I decided to go with a cornbread crust instead of polenta because A) I'm in love with corn bread and B) I wanted something that could soak up yumminess from the bottom of the pan. It definitely worked.

I originally intended to make this a beef tamale pie, but I bullied myself into doing a vegetarian mix because I felt like I needed more beans and vegetables in my life. If you did want to do beef (or chicken or pork), simply switch it out for the sweet potatoes, beans, and peppers... or add them all in there together! It's very flexible.

P.S. I know the ingredients list looks long, but it's really quite simple to make. Promise!

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kale & chickpea soup

I know hot soup may seem characteristically out of place, especially since I'm posting it on the unofficial first day of summer. But, at my work place it's a perpetually cold 65 degrees every single day and a warm bowl of soup is still much appreciated mid-day.

I love this soup because it's light, and packed full of veggies with all of their varied flavor and TEXTURE. Plus, as you may already know, I'm in love with kale... and I love chickpeas only second to kale.

Anyway, I kept this soup simple. I seasoned with bay leaf, oregano, and just a touch of curry powder to add a slight "sweetness." I have a feeling this soup would be amazing with a full-out curry flavor. So, if you love curry, go ahead and up the curry powder for more of an Indian flare. Chickpeas, kale, and potatoes all go really well with curry.

Serve this soup with some hearty bread and you've got a really great, albeit light, meal!

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summer succotash

I don't know why Sylvester always said "sufferin' succotash!" because I sure don't feel like I'm suffering when I'm eating it! Succotash may have started out as an inexpensive meal in the depression era, but it's stuck around because it's tasty and filling. There are many different versions of succotash, but most start with a base of sauteed corn and lima beans.

The succotash I made this week is a very light and fresh version. The lima beans and corn are just lightly cooked to allow their sweet, fresh flavor to shine through. Acidity from the fresh tomatoes and parsley keep the overall flavor light and fresh. The first time I had succotash it was a more "smothered" version. It had more butter and was cooked down with chicken stock until it was coated in a rich, flavorful "sauce." That version was also incredible, but because it's summer and I served this with fish, so I wanted to keep it light and fresh.

Frozen lima beans and corn are usually fairly inexpensive, but during the summer months you're likely to find fresh corn for super cheap too. Often times I see corn on sale for 3/$1 or even 4/$1, making that the more economical (and delicious) choice! Simply cut the kernels from the cob and you're good to go!

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lentil tacos

Pink slime got you down? Maybe you're already a vegetarian? Or maybe you just don't like paying $4/lb. for ground beef? Well, if you don't already know, lentils make a fantastic substitute (or extender) for ground beef!

I used lentils to stretch out a pound of ground beef in my Sloppy Joe's Plus recipe, but when one of my wonderful readers (Hi Emily!) sent me a link to this recipe on A Couple of Cooks, I knew I had to try lentil tacos. ...and I love 'em!

The taco seasoned lentils themselves are really easy to make (and cost only about $1.91) and then you can use whatever toppings or shells you want. I used small taco sized corn tortillas, homemade taco seasoning, homemade pico de gallo, fresh avocado (they were on sale), and some sour cream. The all-American lettuce, cheese, and tomato combo would also be great!

If your pantry isn't well stocked enough to make your own taco seasoning, you can substitute a store bought packet of seasoning and you can always use a jar of salsa instead of fresh pico. The price breakdown below includes my selection of toppings, so be aware that your choices will affect your total cost.


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coconut lentils

One of my all-time favorite, easy side dishes is coconut jasmine rice. So, I started thinking that if cooking rice in coconut milk was so good, maybe cooking lentils in coconut milk would be too? It sure was!

I basically followed the same formula: coconut milk, a little garlic, and a little salt. This time I also added a little turmeric for flavor and color. I kept it simple and mild because I wanted to pair it with the Indian Style Creamed Spinach, which was pretty spicy. If you want to dress these lentils up a bit, you could add a little red pepper (which I did for garnish on a couple photos), or maybe even a little cinnamon! Any way you do it, this dish is quick, easy, and delicious.

I've been just putting the spinach and lentils in one dish for lunch, heating them up together, and taking them both up in one delicious spoonful. They're made for each other!

**It's very important to note that red lentils are different in texture than green or brown lentils. They break down much more and cook faster than the other two. They are like the split pea of the lentil family!

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sriracha hummus

I never really understood why people say that chocolate is better than sex. Chocolate? Chocolate?! No ma'am. If any food is even going to come close, it's gonna be this sriracha hummus.

Okay, so maybe I'm just not a chocolate person.

Anyway, I don't know why I hadn't put two and two together before or why no one has told me to try this, but sriracha + hummus = heaven. Add an egg, stuff it into a pita, and you've got the best damn breakfast sandwich on the planet.

The end.

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