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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roasted vegetable french bread pizza

Ecstasy. Pure ecstasy.

This recipe turned out even better than I had imagined. You know, when you take that first bite and you're not even done chewing before you have to let out a muffled "Woah..." This roasted vegetable french bread pizza with pesto and ricotta made me do that.

The pesto sinks into the bread and creates an almost garlic bread type base, the ricotta gets warm and creamy, and roasted vegetables are, well, they're just heavenly (one of my favorite things on the planet, actually)! I'm going to be making this one over and over and over.

The cost of this recipe got a little out of hand, but there are several ways you can rein it in. First, if you can find a farmers market, CSA, or some other cheap source of vegetables, that will help a lot. Produce prices at my local grocery store were a bit (okay, more like a lot) on the steep side. This might be a good recipe to stash until the peak of summer when produce is abundant and cheap. You can make your own pesto (use this parsley pesto recipe) and that should help. Also, you could make this on some homemade focaccia instead of French Bread, which would cut a big chunk from the price (although the crispy exterior and fluffy interior of French bread is pretty magical). And lastly, this pizza was actually quite filling, so you might get more like 8 servings out of it.

Oh boy, I can't wait until I get hungry again so that I can have more...

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beef ragout with mashed cauliflower

This is the last installment in the shredded beef series. Although this recipe ended up being something quite different than I intended (thanks to my chronic absent mindedness), it still ended up super delicious!

I intended on making a classic ragout with lots of vegetables stewed into the sauce... but... somehow I forgot all of the vegetables (time to start taking ginko?). SO, if you want, you can finely dice a stalk or two of celery and shred a carrot in with the onion and garlic for the sauce. It will add tons of flavor, texture, and visual appeal. Not that it wasn't still delicious and gorgeous!

Wine adds quite a bit to the cost, but it has such an incredible flavor that I didn't want to skip it. If you'd rather not use wine, you can substitute with beef broth. While beef broth will also give you a nice deep flavor, it is a different deep flavor from the wine.

So, when I was brainstorming this recipe I got the idea to put the ragout over mashed cauliflower. Cauliflower isn't exactly cheap and I was hesitant to add to an already fairly pricy recipe, but I couldn't get it out of my head and had to try it. Was it delicious? Yep. Was it worth it? Eh, not unless you're trying to avoid carbs. My suggestion is to go the much more budget conscious route and serve this over mashed potatoes. Plus, one head of cauliflower didn't make very much mash. It yielded only 2-3 cups of mash, which doesn't give you much to spread out over the 6 servings of ragout. Go with mashed potatoes.

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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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simple portabella pasta

My favorite recipes are those that feature just a few ingredients so that the subtle and intricate flavors are not lost. ...not to mention, they're just easier to make! ;)

Nearly every time I go to the grocery store I look at the portabella mushrooms longingly. They're so good, but so expensive. This time I decided to take the plunge. I figured I could just employ the basic budget bytes principle of combining expensive ingredients with bulkier inexpensive ingredients to keep the cost down. Well, it worked marvelously!

If you have the option to buy the portabella caps loose (by the pound) rather than packaged, you're likely to get a better deal. My grocery store sells them both ways, $5.99 for a package of three small-ish caps, or $5.99/lb. Portabella mushrooms are very light and spongy, so they don't weigh a lot. I got two large caps for just $2.70. Of course, weigh them out first and compare.

This pasta is super simple, but packed with flavor. Rich portabella mushrooms give a deep earthy flavor, while garlic, thyme, parmesan, and a splash of red wine vinegar add zing. All that marvelous flavor grabs a hold of the pasta and rides right into your happy mouth. Your very, very happy mouth.

Want to take it a step further? Try adding either spinach, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, or goat cheese. They all go marvelously with portabella mushrooms.

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loaded sweet potatoes

I had a really hard time deciding what to load these potatoes up with because there were just so many options. So, look forward to more versions of stuffed sweet potatoes in the future!

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite produce items because they're yummy, nutritious, don't go bad quickly, relatively inexpensive, and can be cooked about a trazillion different ways. This time I paired them with some sauteed spinach, sweet-tart cranberries, and crunchy walnuts. It's so simple, yet oh so good!

This recipe is vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan by substituting the butter with coconut oil. Sweet potatoes and coconut oil (and coconut milk) go really, really well together.

I made three because I knew that's about how much I'd eat over the next couple of days, but this recipe could easily be scaled up or down to make any number. You don't really need to measure the ingredients, just wing it.

Oh yeah, one more thing... these are pretty big, so I'd consider this the main dish. Maybe add a warm roll, a small salad, or a cup of soup and call it a day. It's practically a meal on its own!

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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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slow cooker jerk chicken

The slow cooker wins again! This incredibly easy recipe boasts big flavor and very, very little work. Just mix up a fragrant spice rub in your blender, slather it over the chicken, and then let the slow cooker do the rest. You will want to pop the chicken in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes at the end to get that nice, charred, crispy skin that is just not achievable in a slow cooker, but still... SO little effort!

Cooking the chicken in the slow cooker makes it juicy and fall-off-the-bone tender. I don't advocate cooking this on low because even on high it takes a while for the chicken to reach safe temperatures. So, plan this dish for a day when you'll be home and can get back to it after four hours.

This did make a LOT of chicken, but the recipe can easily be halved to fit smaller slow cooker or to feed a smaller crowd. My slow cooker is somewhere around 6 quarts and so a whole cut up chicken fit nicely. If you have a smaller slow cooker, you can buy a 2 pound pack of chicken thighs, drumsticks, or even a couple of breasts and just halve the spice rub. It's that simple.

Jerk chicken is famous for it's spicy heat, but you can eliminate the serrano pepper and still have some freaking delicious chicken. To make it extra spicy, add the serrano to the spices in the blender. For medium spicy, add the serrano sliced up to the slow cooker like I did. And for mild, just skip it all together!

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tuna noodle casserole with olives & spinach

I'll be honest, I really wasn't sure I was going to post this recipe because it ended up being a lot more "involved" than I expected. But, after eating it for lunch and then wanting more once I got home from work, I figured all of the work and dirty dishes were worth it!

This recipe for Grown-Up Tuna Noodle Casserole landed in my mailbox courtesy of Thekitchn.com the other day and it looked so yummy that I thought I'd give it a shot. The only tuna noodle casserole that I've ever had was super creamy, rich, and gooey. I'm pretty sure there were a few cans of "cream of" soup in there. This casserole is not that. It uses a real, homemade white sauce (bechamel) and real mushrooms instead of the canned stuff. It's creamy, but not so much that it sits like a rock in the bottom of your stomach. I used The Kitchn recipe as a guide, but kinda winged it from there.

I had some leftover ingredients that I wanted to use up, so I tossed in some frozen spinach and kalamata olives. They're completely optional, but I love how they work in this dish. The spinach adds veggie goodness and balances the heaviness, while the kalamata olives add a pop of saltiness. The Kitchn version uses capers instead of olives, but for the same effect.

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salsa chicken casserole

I'm still all about these easy, one dish dinners. This one is very similar to the ultra popular Taco Chicken Bowls, but it's made in the oven and takes about an hour, as opposed to eight in a slow cooker. The directions go something like this: dump, stir, cover, cook, eat, be happy.

One little jar of salsa adds so much flavor to this dish that I almost feel like it's cheating and the little bit of cheddar on top really made it rich and satisfying. Next time I might even try a little dollop of sour cream! Either way, this recipe was a no brainer to make and a definite tummy pleaser!

I used a couple Budget Bytes tricks to make it more affordable. As usual, I used reconstituted bouillon for the broth instead of canned chicken broth. I've also been buying big 2lb. bags of shredded cheese and then dividing them into four freezer bags (2 cups each, the same size as normal bags of shredded cheese) and this really saves me a lot. Then there's the chicken. I still only buy my chicken breasts on sale. I can usually get them for $1.99/lb. (sometimes less!) if I really keep an eye out. I know not everyone will be able to find this deal, but it's worth mentioning and looking out for!

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chunky beef stew

As I was sitting at work last night all hungry and tired, I read an email from Ashlee, a reader who had recently had some out of this world beef stew. She was writing to ask if I had a recipe, which I didn't, but her description of the beef stew that she had tasted made my mouth water, so I knew I had to make some ASAP.

This beef stew knocked my socks off. Okay, so maybe I was really hungry and really in the mood for red meat, but it is still undeniably good. Not to mention, it was seriously easy to make.

I'm a firm believer that any time beef and tomatoes come together, red wine should join the party, but I made this stew sans red wine just to make sure that it would still be delicious for those who didn't want to use wine. I have to say, it was surprisingly good even without the wine, but if you want to use wine, just sub one cup of the beef broth with whatever red wine you have on hand.

My pot made about 8 cups, which could be anywhere from 6-8 servings. In the south we put anything with any sort of gravy over rice, so I suggest stretching this beef stew even further by serving it over some inexpensive rice. You'll get 8 big servings that way.

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creamy spinach & sausage pasta

I saw this recipe over at Kevin & Amanda the other day and immediately knew that I wanted to make it. Of course, I made some changes to fit the ingredients I had on hand and my personal preferences. The bones of the recipe, though, are perfect. It's a one skillet meal, it cooks in about 30 minutes, and it's got everything I want (pasta, meat, vegetables, and cheese). That's a winner in my book.

I nixed the heavy cream in the original recipe because I figured that between the cheese and sausage, there'd be plenty of fat/creaminess going on, and I was right. The end result was rich, but not so much so that you'll get a belly ache. I also added fresh spinach because I have a HUGE bag in my fridge just waiting to be used up. Plus, I felt that the recipe needed a little green.

Some other vegetable options for this recipe are bell peppers or broccoli. Both go great with smoked sausage. If you want to add bell peppers, cut them into thin strips and saute them with the onions in the beginning. If you want to add broccoli, cut it into very small florets and add it with the pasta so that it can simmer a little bit and soften. There are so many different ways you can take this recipe... I'm excited to hear what you come up with!

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vegetable pot pie

I've wanted to make this for a LONG time and in this cold, bleak weather it was just calling my name!

I deviated slightly from a traditional pot pie recipe in that I topped the pie with a big biscuit rather than using a pie crust. I liked the idea of having a fluffy biscuit to soak up the flavorful filling. It didn't disappoint.

The ingredient list is long for this recipe because I used mostly fresh vegetables. If you want to cut down on prep time, you can certainly use a bag of mixed frozen vegetables. I won't look down on you. Frozen vegetables are my best friend. I probably would have used them too, but I knew I was going to need carrots and celery for some other recipes this week, so I went ahead and bought them.

If you wanted to make this into a chicken pot pie, it would be super simple. Just get a rotisserie chicken, pick the meat off, and mix it in. Or cut up a chicken breast into small pieces, saute it up really quick in a skillet, and then add it in. Very easy.

Once you get through the chopping, this recipe is a breeze!

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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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chicken in peanut sauce

2013 is going to be GREAT, I can feel it!

This is the first recipe of the year and I already know that it's going to go on next year's "best of" list! It's SO good and SO easy. Peanut and coconut combine to make an incredibly luxurious and creamy sauce for the chicken, which is then sassed up with just a little soy sauce, brown sugar, lime, and sriracha! If you don't have sriracha, you can just add a pinch of red pepper flakes... or just leave it out for a mild version.

Of course this "luxurious" sauce is a little high on the fat content, so make sure to serve this up with a side of some yummy vegetables, like this Crunchy Asian Salad. And, if you can find it, serve it over brown jasmine rice for some added fiber.

Enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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soy dijon pork tenderloin

This is kind of an accidental fancy pants recipe, but sometimes you need to pull out your fancy pants and show them off. So, here's a good reason to.

I usually opt for pork loin rather than pork tenderloin because it's bigger and about half the cost per pound. This time, though, the store only had tenderloin, so I had to go with that. I can't say that I'm disappointed though, because this tenderloin is so incredibly tender and juicy that my meal was pure heaven... and it will continue to be as I eat the rest for lunch over the weekend. You can make this with a regular pork loin, although you'll likely have to cook it longer in the oven to achieve doneness.

Cost aside, the preparation of this tenderloin is super easy. The marinade has only a few ingredients and cooking takes minimal effort. Had I been on top of my game I would have used some of the marinade to make the pan sauce, but I was a bit distracted and threw it away. Therefore, I had to add new ingredients to make the pan sauce. Pan sauces are pretty easy and malleable, so you can just kind of wing it or just skip it all together. I only made it because I planned to serve my pork over a bed of baby greens and I wanted the sauce as a sort of dressing. Anywho.

Make this. It's super-flavalicious, easy, and still a fraction of the price of a restaurant meal, even if more expensive than my usual!

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caramelized onion & mushroom white pizza

This recipe was a true labor of love. Sometimes food just taste better when you know you've put a lot of time into it.

It's not that this recipe was at all difficult, it just takes time. Between the fermenting dough and caramelized onions, you need to plan ahead for this one. But most of the time is spent letting the ingredients do their own thing while you go paint your toe nails, do your laundry, or watch Law & Order. So, don't be scared off by the length of it.

This pizza is truly awesome with it's garlicky cream sauce, sweet caramelized onions, and earthy sauteed mushrooms. Everything just goes together. And after calculating the cost, I have to say I was quite surprised. I expected the total to be twice as much and to have to explain that I was simply trying to use up a bag of onions that have been sitting on my counter for a couple weeks and a half pound of mushrooms that were starting to get wrinkly in my fridge. I guess I don't have to make excuses after all! It's an all around winner!

So, plan ahead to have a pizza night this Friday and mix up your dough the night before... you WON'T be disappointed!

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ranch chops

Are you team "fry" or team "bake"?

I'm team "it's all good." Sometimes I go for the fry because it creates unparalleled texture, but sometimes I go for the bake because I'm just not in the mood for oiliness and the smell of fried food kinda makes my stomach turn.

I tried these chops both ways, and although my cooking technique may have left a little bit to be desired, the flavor was SO OMG GOOD that all texture shortcomings were forgiven. I mean, these were the juiciest, most flavorful pork chops that I've ever eaten. Hands down.

I fried the first two chops briefly on each side to get a nice golden crispness, but then finished them in the oven because they were thick and they needed to be cooked through. They were nice and juicy, but maybe a tad oily for my liking. The second two chops I baked from start to finish, but had to give them a few minutes under the broiler because they were so moist that the crumbs didn't brown even after AN HOUR. Some of the bread crumbs never did achieve golden brown crispness, but it was all good because the flavor was so amazing that my stomach kept saying "GIMMEEEE!"

True story. My stomach really said that.

So, you might want to experiment with baking/frying techniques to get them just right for you, but the marinade and breading are 100% delicious. If you're an experienced pork chop cooker (which I admittedly am not), feel free to share you tips in the comments below! We'll all be very thankful!

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chicken enchilada pasta

This is a super easy, quick fix for dinner. I made the basic version with just chicken, pasta, sauce, and cheese, but you could get really creative with the add-ins. Try black beans, corn, green chiles, or anything else that usually goes good in enchiladas. I'm sure you could even make this into a delicious vegetable enchilada pasta, too! Saute up some squash and other veggies instead of the chicken and you're good to go!

I used homemade enchilada sauce, which only takes a few minutes to make, tastes better, and costs much less than store bought. Of course, you could always use canned instead, but at least check out the recipe because it's super easy. You could also use shredded rotisserie chicken for this if you don't have chicken breasts.

I got a couple of good deals that also helped keep the price of the recipe low. 1) This is chicken that I had in my freezer from when it was on sale for less than $2 per pound. 2) The pasta was on sale $1/lb. Both of those ingredients are things you can stock up on when they're on sale and then save for later. Always keep your eyes open for deals like that when you're in the store because taking advantage of them will save you a lot in the long run. You just have to remember to actually use it later ;)

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vegan red lentil stew

It's soooo cold here! (read: below 75 degrees) So, I've been really into soups lately, if you can't tell.

Earlier this week I got an email from Lindsay with a red lentil soup recipe that she had found on Bodyrock.tv (link may be NSFW) and it looked scrumptious! Seeing that I had a big bag of red lentils in my cupboard, I had to make it.

I made a few changes to amp up the flavor a bit and I have to say it turned out really, really well. Serve it with some hearty bread (or pita like in the pictures) to make sure that you have complete proteins. Legumes + grains = all of the amino acids that you need.

Make sure you get red lentils and not brown or green for this recipe. Red lentils break down very quickly when cooked which is what makes this stew thick and hearty! Even though I probably over paid for these red lentils, can you believe how inexpensive this is? I mean, WOW.

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