chipotle sweet potato burgers

STOP. THE. PRESSES.

I'm sure I was getting some pretty weird looks in the lunchroom today because I was audibly moaning between every bite of my Chipotle Sweet Potato Burger and staring at it in awe. Seriously the best thing I've eaten in quite a while (and those Black Bean & Avocado Enchiladas were pretty spectacular... not to mention the Philly Cheesesteaks).

So here's the cool thing about these burgers - the patty itself is vegan and gluten free. I happened to put them on wheat buns and slather some mayo on the bun, but you could easily use veganaise or wrap this puppy up in a gluten free tortilla. Either way, the burger itself is gonna blow your little taste bud brains.

Non-meat burgers come in a lot of textures... This burger is rather soft and moist compared to most because I didn't use any flour or eggs as a binder. Because of that, you want to be careful while handling them so they don't fall apart on you. It's worth it, I promise.

I tested two cooking methods (I knew you'd want to know). I fried two of them up in a skillet with a little oil and I baked the other two after coating them with non-stick spray. Each method had pros and cons. The skillet was tasty, obvi, because it was cooked in oil. But, because it cooked quickly, it was more moist and therefore softer and more likely to fall apart. The baked patties only browned on the under side, were a bit drier, and therefore more solid. Both tasted great. I'll stick to the skillet method because it's faster and, well, oil=yum.

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(not) Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Guess what? I had one more container of Multi-Purpose Shredded Beef in my freezer and one more trick up my sleeve.

(please excuse my chewing, I'm eating one of these as I type... and it's sooo good.)

Why is it a (not) Philly Cheesesteak? Well, because it's really just a Philly Cheesesteak-esque sandwich made with slow cooked beef rather than thinly sliced steak. Different technique, but insanely delicious all the same.

This is by far one of the fastest and easiest recipes that I made with the Multi-Purposed Shredded Beef. All it takes is a quick re-heat of the beef, a super fast saute of the onions and bell peppers, and then a quick melt of the cheese in the oven and you'll be in cheesesteak heaven! Now I definitely need to restock my freezer with shredded beef.

I did much better with my produce prices for this one. Green bell peppers were on sale 2/$1 and I got a big 'ol 3 lb. bag of onions for only $1.29 (score!). I used two bell peppers and two onions and it was probably more than enough for four sandwiches. You might be able to get away with using one of each, or two bells and one onion (or vice versa).

Any way you slice it (har har har), I think you're gonna love this one!

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banh mi bowls

Oh the mighty banh mi. It's one of my favorite foods in the entire world. It's truly the perfect sandwich. If you're unfamiliar with banh mi (Vietnamese submarine sandwich), check out this excellent little write up Viet World Kitchen for a little history and explanation as to why they're so freaking amazing.

This is (obviously) not a traditional banh mi recipe. I was feelin' a little creative, so I decided to try putting all of the flavors of banh mi into a bowl... because I love anything in "bowl" form. Of course, if you wanted, you could just stuff all of these ingredients into a baguette (or even better yet, a Vietnamese baguette) and make a real banh mi. I have a picture of that version at the end of the post.

Banh mi can be filled with any sort of meat (cold cuts, char siu, liver pate, chicken, meatballs, whatever), but I decided to use the yummy meatballs that are in my Teriyaki Meatball Bowls. I made a couple small changes to the meatballs to account for the fact that they're not drenched in teriyaki sauce, but you could drench them in teriyaki sauce and still put them on the banh mi!

Also, I didn't have any daikon (radish), so I added some onion to my pickled carrots. I know, I know... not traditional, but "tastes good" trumps "traditional" in my book.

You'll want to add some sort of sauce to the bowls for moisture, but I didn't add that into the price because A) I don't know what kind you want to use and B) I don't know how much you'll want to use. Here are some suggestions: sriracha, soy sauce, sriracha-mayo, or teriyaki sauce. If you are making an actual banh mi sandwich, make sure to slather the bread with mayo and a sprinkle of soy sauce because that's just how it's done.

Okay, let's go already!

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honey mustard chicken salad

I was really craving some chicken salad this week, so I set out to find a new twist on the old classic. I knew I wanted cranberries, so I took quick inventory of my fridge and pantry and came up with this honey-dijon mustard dressing and added celery to bulk the whole thing out and stretch the cost.

Chicken salad is always going to be on the expensive side and the total cost will depend heavily on the price of your chicken. Even if chicken is fairly expensive in your area, I'm willing to bet that making chicken salad yourself will be far less expensive than buying it pre-made from the deli, where it can sometimes top $10/lb.

You can eat this salad on a sandwich, piled onto some spinach leaves, with yummy crackers, or by itself with a fork (like I did once I realized that I had no bread, no pita, no crackers, and no spinach - ha!). However you eat it, it's quick, delicious, and filling!

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italian salami sandwiches

I've wanted to make these sandwiches for well over a year. Seriously, they've been hanging around in the back of my brain waiting for the perfect time. What better time than now? Sandwiches sound like the perfect thing to eat in the days leading up to Christmas and if you cut these into smaller pieces, they're the perfect appetizer or nibbles for a sandwich tray!

I used a half loaf of my homemade focaccia bread for the sandwiches, but if you're in a rush you can use store bought bread. Just be sure to get a nice crusty french loaf, ciabatta, or some other really strong bread. The sandwich needs a sturdy bread to hold up to all of the goodies.

I also had a half jar of pesto left in my fridge, so I dressed the sandwiches with that, but a nice red wine vinaigrette is a great alternative. Just sprinkle a little vinaigrette on the open sides of the bread to keep things moist.

So, before you spend $40 on a sandwich tray, consider making your own. Once you have the ingredients ready the assembly takes only a few short minutes. ...but hey, I know how stressful the holiday season is, so I won't give you the evil eye if you don't make your own ;)

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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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hawaiian ham quesadillas

Quesadillas might be one of my favorite foods. That and pizza. Why? Because you can put just about anything inside and the outer crispy tortilla shell somehow makes everything a million times better.

For this quesadilla I took the classic flavors of a Hawaiian pizza and stuffed into a tortilla for a quick weeknight fix. I added some red pepper flakes because I like things a little spicy, but you could easily leave those out. Other ingredients that would taste yum in this are: red onions (instead of the green), fresh jalapenos (instead of the red pepper flakes), or green peppers.

These little gems are pretty rich and creamy, so I suggest pairing them with something light and full of fiber. This simple black bean salad would be AWESOME with the quesadillas and is pretty fast to whip up.

Enjoy!

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mediterranean quesadillas

I LOVE quesadillas. Crispy on the outside, all warm and melty on the inside... Oh so good. While I don't think I can top my favorite black bean quesadillas, these mediterranean quesadillas are an excellent alternative when I have Tex-mex burnout. ...because when you eat as much chili powder and cumin as I do, burnout does happen.

The trick to making these quesadillas affordable is to choose the filling ingredients based on what is priced good in your local stores. For instance, I really, really wanted those little tangy roasted tomatoes packed in oil, but I couldn't find them for any less than $5. Instead, I was able to find a large jar of roasted red peppers for just $1.89. You can and should play around with the filling components. Some other ideas include: roasted garlic, garbanzo beans, roasted or sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, fresh basil, zucchini, or eggplant.

When I buy an ingredient for a recipe, I prefer to use the whole container to prevent odds and ends that get wasted. With this recipe, I've used small amounts of very flavorful ingredients that also happen to be pricy (feta, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers). Luckily, these ingredients also stay fresh in the refrigerator for greater lengths of time than most fresh ingredients, giving me more time to use them up. Use the extras for salads, frittatas, or sandwiches.

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lemon herb egg salad

As much as I love eggs, I never make egg salad. I guess it just always seemed a little too heavy, ooey, and gooey.

This egg salad, on the other hand, is light, fresh, and summery! The combination of lemon juice and fresh herbs provides tang and a light herbal flavor to contrast the rich eggs and mayonnaise based dressing.

I used thyme because I recently planted some fresh herbs and have been eager to use them. You can use fresh or dried and I actually used a combination of both (because mine are still quite young and I didn't want to use it *all*). If you're not into thyme, you can also try parsley or dill instead. Both will go well with lemon. I suggest fresh parsley if at all possible, but either dry or fresh dill will do.

For an extra lemony punch, use fresh lemon juice and try grating a little of the zest into the dressing. For extra crunch, try adding some chopped up red onion, green onion, celery, or even cucumber.


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hearty black bean quesadillas

Words. Cannot. Describe. ...how insanely good these are!! This is my new favorite recipe, hands down. Hands down.

So, most people go to Whole Foods to explore their beautiful produce, organic meat, and other...well, whole foods. But me? I'm drawn to the junk food and convenience food. I think it's because the selection is so interesting and I feel a lot less guilty eating it. Plus the flavors of their "junk food" are much more aligned with my palate than regular junk food. Anyway, last week I stopped by to stock up on grains and stuff from the bulk aisle and I grabbed a couple frozen quesadillas for a quick splurge dinner. While they were totally delicious, I knew that I could make them better and for far less money. And I did.

I love these quesadillas for three reasons: 1) they're bursting with flavor 2) they're SO EASY to make and 3) they're perfect for the freezer! Students and other busy people take note: this recipe is perfect for you!

I called them "hearty" black bean quesadillas because they are surprisingly filling. I hastily ate two and then promptly felt like my belly was going to explode. This is one of those vegetarian recipes that meat eaters won't feel deprived eating. Promise.

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avocado breakfast pita

I've got a quickie for y'all tonight. It's not a super clever recipe, just my current favorite breakfast sandwich. You see, I pretty much only eat two things for breakfast: some sort of oatmeal, or some sort of egg sandwich. Over the years my egg sandwich combinations have morphed into some really wonderful concoctions (see more here, here, and here). This is the one I'm obsessed with this week. It's fantastic.

It ended up being a little more pricey than I expected, but I think a simple swap from spinach to kale will cut the price down significantly. I bought a small bag of spinach this week so a handful (which I estimate to be about 1/6th of the bag) is over 50 cents. An entire bunch of kale is only 99 cents... so I'm sure you can do the math there. Plus, a couple weeks ago when I had the kale salad in my fridge, I stuffed it onto my egg sandwich a few times and it was delightful.

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chicken 'n apple salad

I made this recipe on a total whim today and I'm SO glad I did. It is so delicious that I want to eat it every day for the rest of my life.

And guess what? It's so easy that I just might be able to.

I wrote the recipe to use two chicken breasts but I didn't realize until it was too late that I only had one chicken breast in my freezer... so please ignore the photos that show only one. Make it with two. It definitely needs two.

It is important to note two things: A) I buy my chicken breasts in bulk, divide them and freeze them in bags of two. That is how I get the insanely low price of less than $2/lb. B) Apples were on sale as well, $0.98/lb. Even if your prices are a bit higher, you'll most likely still come out on top. Have you seen what they charge per pound at the deli for chicken salad? It's a lot... like there's gold dust in there or sumthin.

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sloppy joe's plus

"Plus? What is this "plus" business?" ... I can hear it now. Well, the "plus" is LENTILS! *crowd cheers* Yes, I added lentils to my sloppy joe's for added fiber and to bulk it up a bit without bulking up the price.

I know, the idea of adding lentils to sloppy joe's is going to frighten some of you to death... If you want regular old, American sloppy joe's, just make the recipe as directed but skip adding the lentils in the last step. Without the lentils this is a very good, classic sloppy joe recipe. ...but I gotta tell ya, it's yummy with lentils. They add a nice texture and almost disappear visually (see photos below). Live on the edge, give lentils a shot.

If you don't want to do lentils, you could try stirring in a can of red beans, kidney beans, or even pinto beans.

BTW, this recipe is super quick and easy so it's a real winner for beginners!


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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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balsamic caprese panini

This sandwich is nothing short of fantastic. Caprese salad is simply slices of tomato, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. It's a fresh, summertime classic. I went a step further and sprinkled some balsamic vinegar on the bread to just kick everything up a notch. Oh so good!

There are two must haves for this sandwich: a hearty, crusty bread and fresh mozzarella. The bread has to be able to stand up to the vinegar and the mozzarella has to be moist, soft and very fresh tasting like fresh mozz is. You'll find the fresh mozz in the specialty cheese section. It's usually in a ball and packed in liquid and definitely worth splurging on every now and then.

While this sandwich is on the more expensive side of Budget Byte meals, it is still far less than the $8 that this would cost at the local po'boy shop. But, this was kind of a celebratory meal for me so I allowed myself to splurge. Also, if you grow your own basil (which I intend to do very very soon) then you'll cut the price significantly. This sandwich would also be fantastic on some no-knead focaccia, which would also cost far less than the 3 ft long baguette that I bought. Oh well, next time!


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beth's best tuna salad

I think I might have been at least 18 years old before I realized that you could add more to canned tuna than just mayonnaise... and when I did, a whole new world opened up in front of me! So, this recipe goes out to all of you who have never wandered outside of the tuna box.

There are many directions that you can take tuna salad and I like just about every one of them, but I always come back to this basic recipe. I love the addition of lemon juice because it provides just a little bit of tang to cut through the creamy mayo. The celery and walnuts add a variety of texture in every bite and the green onions make everything savory without the harsh bite of yellow onion.

What is your favorite way to prepare tuna salad? I'm always up for trying something new!

p.s. Always check (or calculate) the price per ounce on items like tuna. I noticed that the larger cans were actually more expensive per ounce than buying multiple smaller cans! This is probably due to a supply vs. demand.


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no-knead focaccia

I was in the mood for sandwiches this week so I needed to make some bread. While my honey wheat sandwich bread was fantastic, I wanted something more savory. Then I got the idea, take the no-knead ciabatta and make it into focaccia! It turned out perfect and was so so so easy.

This recipe utilizes an over night fermentation which gives it incredible flavor. So, while the total time for this recipe is almost a whole day, there is probably less than 15 minutes of actual work that needs to be done.

A delicious loaf of bread for just over a dollar and under 15 minutes of work? YES PLEASE!


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greek turkey burgers

I had never really cooked with ground turkey before (okay, maybe once and it wasn't good) but I think I discovered the key. You gotta season it up really really good. I added so many goodies to these turkey burgers that they're almost half way between a veggie burger and turkey burger. Tons of flavor, tons of color, tons of goodness.

I also made a really quick garlic & dill yogurt sauce to go along with the burgers. The sauce was so good that I kept eating it straight with a spoon... I might be making this sauce more often! I'm sure it's delish on all sorts of stuff. Plus, it's super quick and easy. You definitely want to use greek yogurt so that the sauce stays nice and thick. If you have regular yogurt, you can strain it over a coffee filter in the refrigerator for a day to remove some of the liquid leaving you with a nice, thick, greek yogurt substitute.

Oh yeah, I used preminced garlic (in a jar) for this recipe because it has a deep, mellow, flavor that I think goes well in uncooked sauces. Fresh garlic is sharp and spicy and can be a bit overwhelming in some recipes.


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black bean burgers

I love getting recipe suggestions from readers but I like it even more when it just happens to be something that I'm really in the mood for! Last week I got an email from Katie who said she was tired of paying $7 for a veggie burger (w/o sides!) at restaurants. Lucky for Katie, I was seriously craving some sort of massive sandwich or po'boy or burger... so I set out to find some recipes.

Most recipes that I found for black bean burgers were very similar to the falafel that I made (which are seriously one of the BEST things that I've made) so I knew the burgers were going to be good. The concept is simple, black beans mashed together with some vegetables, spices and some sort of binding agent. You can make them with an Indian flare (curry powder), a Mediterranean feel (oregano, sun dried tomatoes and maybe some feta) or just throw together whatever spices you want. I just added a little of this, a little of that and what resulted was a seriously good bean burger! Follow my lead or make it your own!

The buns I purchased were ENORMOUS so I had to make my patties to fit. I was able to make six HUGE patties but, in all honesty, I'll probably only eat half at a time. If I had regular sized buns, I would have made eight smaller patties.


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falafel

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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