chicken shawarma

This has to be the very best chicken marinade that I've ever made. The marinade was so good that I might even use it as a sauce in the future. The flavor is an interesting mix of savory garlic, sweet spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, and tangy yogurt and lemon. It's pure magic. Next time I'll probably cut the chicken into strips before marinating to increase the surface area and magnify the flavor saturation.

I made this chicken with the intention of eating it in these sandwich wraps but then I started topping salads with it and eventually just snacked on it plain. It's just that good. You could really use this flavorful chicken for anything. I divided the ingredient list to show just the chicken & marinade in case you want to use it for something other than the sandwich, because even if you don't want the sandwich, you NEED to at least try the chicken.

If you've had chicken shawarma in a restaurant, this is a bit different. Real chicken shawarma is cooked slowly on a rotisserie with fattier bits of chicken. The result is an uber-moist, somewhat greasy delight. Also, when you buy a chicken shawarma sandwich, the lettuce is usually tossed in an oregano vinaigrette, feta and red onion. Well, I had some feta and red onion but forgot both when building my sandwich. A total tragedy... but it was still magically delicious.


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freezer burritos

Are y'all ready for a Budget Bytes first?! Here it is... a recipe that actually costs MORE than the store bought version!

Yes, you read it right. I made these frozen burritos to replace those guilty-pleasure frozen things that cost around $0.60 each at the store. I'll openly admit that every time I'm grocery shopping I want to put a few (or ten) in my cart. But then the fear sets in. Something about factory made, super cheap burritos has always frightened me. And thank goodness because that hhas also kept me away from Taco bell. So I decided to make some frozen burritos myself. To my surprise, they were more expensive!

Then why am I posting it? Because I still like the idea. I like that I know what is inside of them and that I put it there. I like the idea of having these handy little bundles in the freezer to just grab and go whenever I don't have time to prepare something (which will be often these next few weeks). Plus, a lot of you have teenagers in the house and this is a GREAT item to keep around for hungry, grazing teens.

Why are they more expensive? Well, big burrito sized tortillas are surprisingly expensive. I'll need to learn to make my own to combat this - it's on my list. Also, I added sliced jalapenos which definitely puts these heads and shoulders above the store bought variety. Lastly, the refried beans ended up being a bit pricey at $0.98 per can. I can buy a whole pound of dry beans for that price (about three cans worth) so next time I'll make my own refried beans.


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meze lunchbox

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.


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sushi bowls

Ah, sushi. So insanely delicious but also so insanely expensive. Sushi has a right to be expensive, seeing as fresh, sushi grade fish can be anywhere in the neighborhood of $16-$20+ per pound. Plus, you have to add in the cost of the expert technique that is involved with the intricate cutting, slicing and rolling. So, when I do shell out some cash for sushi, I feel like it's well worth it. Unfortunately, I can't afford to have sushi as often as I crave it. But, of course, I have a solution. These neat little sushi bowls are the perfect budget friendly fix for those days when you're craving sushi but your bank account is not.

The main cost cutting factor here is that I used imitation crab. Yeah, yeah, I know, imitation crab is "scary". But once you know what it is all of your fears will float away, I promise. Imitation crab is simply a less expensive fish (usually pollack) with a little crab flavoring mixed in. The "crab" that I bought, was actually a mix of pollack and real crab so it's even LESS scary (plus it boasts sustainable fishing practices and lots of omega-3s). Besides, I'm just going for a sushi fix, not authenticity. It's mouth-wateringly delicious and easy, that's all that counts.

Another thing that makes these sushi bowls great is the fact that all of the difficulty has been removed. You don't need to know how to roll sushi. You don't need to know how to perfectly julienne any vegetables. Cut the "toppings" however you see fit, throw them all into a bowl and dive in! I cut mine into different shapes and sizes for fun but you don't need to be fancy to have it taste great.

Okay, enough intro already...


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