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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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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sweet potato & kale salad

I was in dire need of some vegetables this week, so I made a BIG delicious salad. This salad is super hearty, thanks to the kale and roasted sweet potato. You can eat it as a side salad, or have a bigger portion for a light meal (maybe add a roll or slice of good bread).

I love the flavors of this salad. A tangy champagne dressing contrasts perfectly with creamy sweet potato. Raw sunflower seeds add just a touch of nuttiness and dried cranberries add a pop of sweet-tart flavor. It's just great! If you don't like kale, this would also be great over baby greens or spinach, although both tend to be more expensive than kale (at least in my area).

I used champagne dressing because its flavor is light an unobtrusive, yet it's super tangy. I predressed the kale because as the dressing soaks in it will help soften the tough kale. I found that predressing the kale with just a 1/4 cup of dressing was plenty for the entire salad even after adding the other ingredients. Depending on the size of your bunch of kale, you might not even need that much. If you are using other greens, I wouldn't suggest adding the dressing until just before serving as most greens can't stand up to dressing the way kale can.

Enjoy!

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nature's candy

I'm calling this one "Nature's Candy" because my first thought upon tasting it was, "OMG, WHO NEEDS CANDY WHEN THIS EXISTS?!" ... Yep, I thought it in all caps and everything.

This recipe comes to you courtesy of Rachelle, who wrote to tell me that this has become her go-to side dish and even her 3 year old loves it! I was immediately intrigued by the cinnamon/basil combo and I just happened to have some extra apples that I bought on sale. All of the stars were aligned...

All I can say is that it completely blew me away. I fully expected to have to sprinkle a little salt or sugar on after baking, but it needed absolutely nothing. When is the last time you made a recipe that didn't require even a little pinch of salt? The apples are incredibly sweet after roasting and the subtle creaminess of the sweet potato perfectly compliments them.

It's sweet enough to eat as a snack, but subtle enough to eat as a side dish to a regular meal. I think it would be awesome with any number of roasted meats, Herb Roasted Pork Loin in particular. So, I hope you'll try this one! I don't think you'll be sorry! :D

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kale & pasta salad

The moment I saw this recipe over at Kalyn's Kitchen, I knew I had to make it and share it with all of you. It fits the Budget Bytes formula to a "T". Take a few expensive/flavorful ingredients (olives, tomatoes & feta) and bulk them out with inexpensive ingredients (kale & pasta) to bring the cost per serving down. It works every time!

I made a few changes to the original (check the original recipe out too, because it looks awesome) to fit my budget and what I had on hand. I made a basic red wine vinaigrette instead of a pesto dressing, used sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh, and left the kale pretty much raw. Oh, and I didn't use whole wheat pasta, but only because I wanted these little "flower" shaped ones that reminded me of the curly kale leaves :)

If you don't want the kale to be raw, you can simply pour the boiling water and pasta right on top of the kale in the colander when you drain it. The hot water will wilt the kale in the process. Two birds with one stone!

Or, say you don't like kale. You can totally do this salad with regular green leaf lettuce, but you won't want that to wilt at all, so make sure your pasta is sufficiently drained and cooled before you combine the two.

Anyway, this salad was a hit in my book. Loved it so much that I almost choked to death on a kale leaf while scarfing it down. True story.

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jalapeno popper mac & cheese

Can I single handedly undo all of the healthy things I accomplished with the Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos? Challenge accepted. (I know, it's like I have split food personalities sometimes.)

This is a super ooey-gooey white cheese mac with spicy jalapenos and zesty green chiles. I could have made it more "popper" like by topping it with some buttered bread crumbs and baking it in the oven, but I'm a little impatient when it comes to mac and cheese. If I just finished cooking it on the stove top, I really don't want to wait another half hour for it to come out of the oven (am I right?). I also contemplated topping it with bits of crisp bacon, but again that would have delayed my enjoyment of this creamy delight. But those are both tasty options if you've got time to spare.

This mac n cheese whips up really fast and doesn't require a roux based cheese sauce, which can be tricky for new cooks (or just those new to cheese sauces). It's super rich, so I estimated a serving to be just a cup. That's all I needed before the cheese sensors in my brain quieted down and drifted into a satiated slumber.

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oven baked potato skins

Well, it's party season (Christmas, New Years, FOOTBALL), so I thought I'd throw some party food at ya.

I love potato skins because the topping variations are endless.

I made the classic bacon-cheddar-sour cream-green onion version here, but I can't stop thinking about how a little drizzle of BBQ sauce would be on this or if you replaced the bacon with some BBQ pulled pork or chicken. YES.

Anyway, they're pretty easy. This is a small batch, so if you're having a party make sure to double it. Although I might be able to eat a whole plate, I set the serving size at about 3 because that's when I started to feel stuffed. They're deceptively filling!

So, happy party season and make yourself some tater skins!

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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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roasted root vegetables

You may have heard me talk about how much I love roasting vegetables in the oven... if you haven't, I'm sure you will in the future. Often. Because it's the BEST.

Roasting vegetables transforms bitter and boring veggies into sweet, rich morsels of goodness. They're super delicious and super healthy, and we all want that, right? Oh, did I mention how easy it is? Just chop 'em up, toss with oil and some herbs and spices, and let them do their own thing in the oven while you prep the rest of your meal.

There are a million and two (or maybe three) ways to make roasted vegetables and I made this special Wintery version with all root vegetables to go along side my pork tenderloin. The roasted root vegetables were a perfect flavor match and made for a beautifully colorful companion to the pork. This was my type of meal! YUM!

Of course, prices and volume will vary depending on what vegetables you buy. I bought a big 'ol Super Mario Bros. style turnip, which was surprisingly expensive, but added a nice flavor contrast. You could also try parsnips, rutabagas, or any other root vegetable that might be available to you.

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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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artichoke stuffing

Man can not live on bread alone...

But this girl sure could live on stuffing alone.

I apologize for my lack of Thanksgiving themed recipes this year. Time has flown by and if it weren't for the Christmas decorations in every store, I'd just as soon think it was still March. But there is one thing that I can't let slip by and that's the chance to make some really rocking stuffing/dressing. I LOVE STUFFING.

Last years Turkey & Stuffing Casserole is probably the best stuffing I've ever had, but this artichoke version comes in a very, VERY close second... and that's probably only because it doesn't have the luxury of turkey drippings cooked into it.

This is a bare bones stuffing with a lot of possibilities for add-ins. You could add mushrooms, sweet italian sausage, walnuts, golden raisins, or bacon. Of course, those ingredients will significantly add to the cost per serving, so keep that in mind. But guess what? Bare bones still tastes really, REALLY good.

So, enjoy and have a very awesome Thanksgiving Day!

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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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tangy tomato pasta

If you're in the need of a super quick and easy side dish, this might be the one for you.

I wanted something really fast and easy tonight so I turned to my pantry. I had some pasta, some tomato paste, and I knew I had some feta in the fridge. Easy. I'll just mix up a batch of my (not) sun dried tomato sauce, toss some pasta in it, crumble on a little feta for extra oomph, and I'll be good to go!

I halved the olive oil from the original (not) sun dried tomato sauce, which helped it stick to the pasta better. If you have some fresh herbs (parsley or basil), add it in for color and a pop of freshness. If you need something a little more hearty, try adding in some sauteed and sliced Italian sausage links. Pair this with some garlic bread and maybe some roasted broccoli and you've got a nice, light dinner!

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spinach pie

Mmmmm... I LOVE spinach pie. Whenever I eat at Greek restaurants, I always make sure to order some spanikopita. I love the flakey crust and the rich, warm, spinach filled interior. Popeye totally knew what was up.

This spinach pie isn't really Greek flavored, but I love it all the same. There are many, many ways to make a spinach pie and this weekend I was most interested in finding the fastest, easiest route to this spinach heaven.

My mom made baklava fairly often when I was growing up and ever since watching her wrestle with those finicky phyllo dough sheets, I've never wanted to go near them. So, for this recipe I chose puff pastry. It's much thicker and way more forgiving than phyllo, but you still get a nice flakey crust. Puff pastry is definitely not inexpensive, but most of the other ingredients in this recipe are, so the overall cost per serving remains low. Puff pastry can be found in the freezer section, usually near frozen fruit and other ready to eat desserts. For this recipe I only used one sheet out of the box. The other sheet can be wrapped tightly and re-frozen for later use.

You can make spinach pies in a square, or as individually folded rectangles, but I like this easy "fold over" pie dish method. No cutting the dough, simply roll it out, fill it, and fold it over top to make the top crust. Super easy.

I stuck to a basic cheese and spinach filling, but this recipe is just asking for a million variations. Add some feta cheese for a Greek flare, green onions or other fresh herbs for a fresher flavor, or you can even try adding something tangy like sun dried tomatoes. Of course, more ingredients mean higher cost, so try to use ingredients that you have laying around waiting to be used up.

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dragon noodles

Ooooh lawdie. This is my new favorite quick fix! It takes about 15 minutes, is totally rich, flavorful, and SUPER SPICY. Like, "burn a hole through your stomach" spicy. Call me crazy, but sometimes I want that. No, I crave that.

So, this one goes out to all of you heat seekers!

The simple sauce for this recipe uses only pantry staples and perfectly balances sweet, salty, and spicy. The richness of the butter helps smooth everything out, cilantro adds a fresh note, and the green onions lend a savory back note. It all just works and it happens to be incredibly simple. That's what I'm talkin' about.

I made a small two serving batch because I just wanted something quick and easy. You could easily scale this up, if needed. If you want a heartier dish, try using two eggs rather than just one. Also, I used two tablespoons of butter, which made for a very rich and delicious sauce, but I suspect that it would still be amazing if you cut the butter in half.

If you can't find the same noodles that I used, don't fret. You could make this with ramen type noodles or even regular linguine. The noodles are just the vehicle for all of the other yummy ingredients!

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baked zucchini fries

Okay, I know that every food blogger and their mother has posted a recipe like this, but there's a reason for that...

THEY'RE REALLY GOOD.

These baked zucchini fries have been on my "to cook" list for almost the entire three years that I've been blogging, and my only regret is that I didn't try them sooner. They're tasty, light, and totally addicting! I would be completely content eating them plain, but I just happened to have made a fresh batch of slow cooker marinara, so I used that as a dipping sauce. Besides, I'm the type of person that will use any excuse to eat marinara sauce, and these zucchini fries are probably the most healthy vehicle you could find (aside from just eating it plain like a soup... which I may or may not have done).

I used panko bread crumbs because I like their light, airy texture and because I can buy them quite inexpensively from the bulk bins at Whole Foods. If you don't have them available to you at a decent price, you can certainly use regular bread crumbs instead.

One thing you should know is that these fries will not stay crispy after refrigeration or upon reheating... but that's not to say that they aren't still totally delicious! I've been enjoying mine all week regardless of their texture.

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jewel pasta

I LOVE simple pasta dishes. They're quick, easy, and just plain satisfying (see tuna & red pepper pasta). After all, why make things more complicated than they have to be?

I called this "jewel" pasta because the little bits of dried fruit turn into glistening, semi-transparent jewel-like nuggets after being sauteed in butter - so totally pretty. Fruit and pasta might sound weird, but they provide just a hint of sweetness to this otherwise savory dish. The recipe starts with a classic pasta backbone of garlic, butter, and parmesan and then adds nuts for texture and the fruit for sweetness. I added parsley because I love the color pop, but that's optional.

A basic fruit and nut trail mix is what you want to use here. Nothing with chocolate or those little sesame cracker type things, just straight dried fruit and nuts. Sesame seeds or pepitas are okay to have in the mix too. Basic trail mixes like this are usually pretty inexpensive. I picked one up at Target but upon inspecting the bag, I noticed that it was pretty much ALL fruit. So, I also bought a small tin of mixed nuts and just combined the two (and added the prices together for the cost break down). Bulk bins are a also a great place to find inexpensive trail mix.

P.S. Stirring small pieces of food into pasta is extremely difficult and I don't know why I keep trying to do it. If you've never tried, the pasta tends to clump into a ball with all of your other ingredients falling behind. To eliminate this problem, you can make this dish with a different pasta shape, like maybe orzo.


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creamy garden vegetable pasta salad

It's HOT outside. Seriously so. I can still handle eating hot food up until about the 90 degree mark, but when it's in the upper 90's ever day and as steamy as a Roman bath house, I barely want to eat, let alone eat something hot.

So, yesterday I whipped up this delicious vegetable pasta salad. I knew I was in serious need of some veggies, so I made this pasta salad really heavy on vegetables and just used the pasta to kind of fill it out. I wanted something creamy to really satisfy my hunger, but I used my secret mix of ingredients to make a nearly guilt-free ranch-esque dressing. It turned out perfect - totally satisfying but secretly light and fresh.

I used light mayo (only Hellman's or Blue Plate will do, IMHO) and low fat buttermilk for the dressing. In a lot of recipes you can simply replace buttermilk with milk and vinegar or lemon juice, but I wouldn't suggest that here. In this recipe the buttermilk is not only used for its acidity, but also its unique flavor and thickness. Using regular milk with either lemon juice or vinegar mixed in does not have the creamy thickness or flavor of buttermilk. Another option would be to use a mix of plain yogurt and mayonnaise. It will still be lacking that classic buttermilk flavor, but at least it will be thick. ...but you've gotta try the buttermilk if you can, it's awesome!

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roasted corn salad

I used to hate corn. I thought it was kind of boring... Until I made this oven roasted corn last year and learned that corn could be sweet, succulent, totally juicy, and DELICIOUS! So now, every summer when corn goes on sale 3 for a dollar, I'm allll over that.

I made this super simple roasted corn salad the other day to go along with my pulled pork and it was just fabulous. The simplicity of it allows the corn's sweetness to really shine through. You can eat this salad straight (as I have been doing), stuff it into a taco or burrito, or even top a traditional salad with it. It's good no matter how you eat it!

I splurged on cherry tomatoes for this salad because they're bite sized, visually appealing, and most importantly, they're extra sweet. Of course, they're also about half the cost of the salad. So, if you want to cut the cost, you can go for a less expensive tomato, like a roma tomato, and just cut it into chunks.

Oh, and if you live in a normal temperature place (i.e. NOT Louisiana), it might be more appropriate to roast your corn on a grill outside. I chose to use the oven because lighting something on fire and standing near it when the temperature outside is already near 100 degrees and 100% humidity is just crazy talk. I'll stay inside and use my oven, thanks. Either way, roast the corn in the husks to hold in the moisture and flavor!

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sweet potato corn cakes with garlic dipping sauce

I've been dying to post this all week because they're SOOO good and I just know that you'll love them as much as I do... and if you don't, I might be forced to ask myself what is wrong with you.

These are "every bite is better than the last one" good. They're so good that they make you wonder why other food even exists when flavors this bright and vibrant are possible.

...and thats what I was thinking when eating the reheated leftovers a minute ago. So, can you imagine how good they were fresh? Probably not. It's unimaginable. You have to experience it.

Anyway, enough gushing. Onto the important stuff.

First - This recipe makes a HUGE batch, so feel free to half it. I wouldn't suggest trying to half a raw egg, instead just add more than half breadcrumbs (probably 3/4 cup) to make up for the extra moisture.

Second - These are fried. You'll just have to accept that. I tried to bake some and they were horrid. Dry, poor texture, just not good. If you're brave enough to try baking them yourself and actually have success, please share your technique... because I just couldn't make it work.

Third - I demand that you to try these.

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