rosemary crackers

"Why are crackers so 'spensive?" (read that with attitude)

That's what runs through my head every time I wander down the cracker aisle. I rarely buy crackers, but when you're entertaining and you've got four or five different dips, they're kind of required. Sure, you can have pita wedges, vegetables, or pretzels, but nothing beats a cracker.

I'm really excited about this recipe. Not because they're the best cracker that I've ever had (admittedly, they're not), but because it's a really fun project and there are so many ways to alter and expand the recipe. I seriously can't wait to try more!

These crackers did turn out pretty tasty (I polished them off in just a couple days, thanks in part to a yummy batch of hummus). They had just the right amount of crunch without being too hard. I didn't taste the rosemary or cracked pepper as much as I'd like, though, and next time I'll also add a sprinkle of salt to the top of the crackers before baking. That being said, I definitely think you should try making your own crackers. It was surprisingly easy and definitely fun! ...I'm going to try a whole wheat olive oil version next!

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sriracha caramel corn

Okay, this one was kind of a candy making FAIL, but I'm still posting it because even in its failed state it was so good that I couldn't stop munching on it.

Why was it a candy fail? Because my caramel re-crystalized. Instead of being a glossy, glass-like coating, it turned a little grainy and dull. Does it taste bad? No way. Do I know what caused this? Probably. Apparently, if there are any grains of unmelted sugar left anywhere (like on the spoon that I used to stir with), it can set off a chain reaction that causes re-crystalization throughout all of the candy. That's exactly how they make rock candy, in fact, and that's probably what happened here. I burned my finger and was so happy eating the crystalized caramel corn that it wasn't even worth it to make a second batch! So, I'll leave the experimenting up to you. I had no crystalization when I made my previous batch of caramel corn.

Speaking of that previous batch of caramel corn, I used the same exact technique and the same recipe minus some salt and plus some sriracha. Super easy. Oh, and I didn't use any nuts, but I bet they would be AWESOME in this.

The flavor is totally unique. It's sweet (obviously), salty (a little more so than expected), spicy, and garlicky. If you're unsure of whether or not you'd like something that combines sweet and garlicky, you might want to skip this one. It took me a second to warm up to it, but in the end I thought it was addictive. I can definitely say that not everyone will agree. Sriracha-heads, though, probably will.

So here it is!! SRIRACHA CARAMEL CORN!

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blueberry mug muffin

The idea for this awesome little recipe came courtesy of Annie, who wrote to tell me that every since she tried The "One" Chocolate Mug Cake, she's been trying all sorts of mug cakes! Her favorite? Mug pancakes! Annie uses pre-made pancake mix and blueberries to make single serving pancakes! Genius!

I didn't have any pancake mix on hand so I set out to just make my own. While I was playing chemist in the kitchen, the term "mug muffin" popped into my head and made me giggle so much that I decided I had to use that name for the recipe. ...and I guess it's a little more like a blueberry muffin than a pancake anyway, although I did top it with maple syrup.

I also decided that I need to start calling people "mug muffin," but I can't decide if it's going to be used as a term of endearment or an insult. Feel free to weigh-in in the comments below. I could use the help.

Anyway, mug muffins, let's get to it!

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chai spiced scones

Last night I was hit with a sweet tooth. It doesn't happen often, so I was completely unprepared. This morning I took action.

I like to make things like scones to keep in the freezer for that occasional sweet tooth. It's not as sweet as a cookie, but just sweet enough to calm those little sugar devils in my brain. I decided to go a step further and make "mini" scones, so that when the craving hits. An ounce of prevention is worth... 5 lbs. on the scale? No, that isn't right. Anyway.

I freaking love chai spices. They're aromatic, warm, and heady. The exact mix of spices varies from recipe to recipe, so I used just four of the most common spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. IMHO the cardamom is what makes this taste like chai compared to say, a pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have cardamom it will still be delicious, no doubt, but maybe slightly less chai like.

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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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choco-coconut granola

Hmm... I'm not doing a very good job convincing you that I'm not a chocolate person, am I. Well, this granola is the shiznit, even for a non-chocolate person like myself.

Granola uses sugar and oil to bind everything together, so it's fairly caloric by nature. Because of that, I didn't need to add any extra sugar or fat to turn my regular granola recipe into a chocolaty delight. I decided to cut my imminent snacking rampage short by making a small batch... because if I have granola in my vicinity, I can't stop. If regular granola is highly addictive, this chocolate granola is even more so. Be warned: it's dangerously delicious.

It's super chocolaty, not too sweet, and has lots of yummy coconut and almonds in it. And did you see my price? Yeah, how much is that teensy-weensy bag of chocolate granola cereal at the store? $5? Ha! Knowledge is power. Use it wisely.

Remember how your Chocolate Pebbles and Coco Puffs cereal used to turn your milk into chocolate milk when you were a kid? This granola does that, too. Value added!

Want a low sugar, low fat granola-essque breakfast? Try muesli! It's one of my favorites!

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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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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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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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"the one" chocolate mug cake

There comes a time in every girl's life when she needs a chocolate mug cake.

Perhaps it's one of those days where you just want to curl up on the couch all day and watch bad Lifetime movies about stolen babies (ladies, you know what I'm talking about). Or maybe you just ran four miles for the first time in your entire life and unless you counteract it immediately with a dessert, the universe will be thrown out of balance and implode, and the entire 2012 apocalypse will be all your fault. Or maybe it's your birthday and everyone forgot so there was no cake. Okay, sorry, that last one was kind of depressing. Anyway, my point is, sometimes you just need a bite of cake to make things right. Just a bite.

I was never a fan of mug cakes because all of the versions I've tried have turned out rubbery and just not at all delightful. Until I found this recipe, which for me is "the one." This is why I like it:

• It's not very sweet. (If you want it sweeter, add more sugar or some chocolate chips.)
• It's small. Other recipes I've tried have just been too big and they make me feel like I just over indulged. This one is just a few, rich, delightful bites.
• There is no egg. I find that eggs make mug cakes rubbery or spongey and they also mean that you can't scale the recipe in size. If you want a small cake, you can't just split an egg in half, right?
• There are a lot of variations. Add chocolate chips, use nutella, jam, or caramel sauce in place of the peanut butter, vegan-ize it by using soy milk in place of cow's milk... lots of options.

Don't be tempted to leave out the peanut butter (or jam, or whatever you drop in the center) because it helps keep the cake moist and rich. It simply wouldn't be the same without it.

So, shout out to Jessie at Made From Scratch for experimenting with mug cakes until finding this perfect mix. You just saved the universe from imploding!

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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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loaded baked potato fries

WARNING: This recipe is completely indulgent. Procede at your own risk. ;D

So, I saw this recipe for Baked Chili Cheese Fries over at BakedBree.com, and I knew I had to make some. They were every bit as incredible as I had hoped! These fries are restaurant quality, ooey-gooey goodness! They're already not as guilt-inducing as a restaurant appetizer because they're not fried, and, if you wanted, you could use 2% cheese and lite sour cream. Actually, the seasoning used on the fries is SO GOOD, that they're quite addictive even without all of the gooey toppings!

I changed the recipe up a bit to match what I had on hand, but I made sure to keep a few key ingredients. The little bit of worcestershire sauce adds an amazing hint of "steak fry" flavor and I would have never thought to use it. Amazing. The chili powder and garlic powder are key players, but I decided to use smoked paprika instead of plain for an extra kick. And lastly, the cornstarch adds a bit of extra crispness that I've not been able to achieve with oven fries before. Genius.


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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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cinnamon pecan granola

Ahhhh... vacation was GOOD! But I couldn't wait to get back into the kitchen ;D I've been craving granola for weeks, so I decided to whip up a batch as soon as a I had a few free minutes to do so.

What I love about granola is that it's so customizable. I made cinnamon pecan flavor (with raisins) but you can use whatever nuts (or no nuts) and whatever fruit (or no fruit) that you want. I can't wait to start experimenting with more flavor combinations (cherry vanilla, ginger with bits of crystalized ginger). I used some ground flaxseed but you could certainly sub that for some wheat germ or oat bran... very customizable!

A lot of people are steer clear of granola because it is quite energy dense (aka high in calories), but the very ingredients that give it so many calories are the ingredients that also give it that classic crunchy texture. I used 1/4 cup each of brown sugar, honey, and oil. My granola was still pretty crumbly with a few clumps. If you like a super crunchy, clumpy granola, increase those three ingredients to 1/3 cup each. If you're tempted to reduce them further than I did, I suggest you just make a batch of muesli instead. It has practically the same ingredients minus the sugar and oil and is still one of my favorite breakfast items.

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smoothie packs & my favorite smoothie

I've got another quickie for you tonight. It's more of an idea than a recipe. I'm sure a lot of you Budget Byters already stock your freezers with these handy smoothie packs, but I wanted to share the tip for those who may be new to the kitchen. Not only does this make smoothies faster and easier to make, but they're a fraction, a small fraction, of what you'll pay at your local smoothie counter.

So, the formula is easy. Three one pound bags of frozen fruit of your choice, and four bananas. Divide the frozen fruit up into 8 bags, and place half of a peeled banana in each bag as well. Seal them up tight and toss them into the freezer. When you're ready to make your delicious smoothie, place the frozen fruit in the blender, add milk (or soy or almond milk), and whatever else you want and press go! No more hauling ten ingredients out of the freezer every time you want to make one smoothie. Just grab one bag and add a liquid. Sure, I also add spinach, cinnamon, and ground flax seed, but it's still way easier to have the fruit divided up. And it only takes about 5 minutes to make all 8 packs.

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apple flax muffins

I'm really not one to use all sorts of fancy "health food" ingredients but strangely enough, I enjoy the flavor and texture of things like bran and flax meal. So, when I spotted a box of flax meal at the store for less than $3, I grabbed it. I love to sprinkle the stuff on my oatmeal or in my yogurt.

On the back of the box I found this recipe for apple flax muffins. I thought it looked interesting and it kind of reminded me of the morning glory muffins that I made and loved so much... except even healthier.

Well, I switched around some ingredients, made a couple of substitutions and came up with a version all my own. Flax seed contains a bunch of good fat so it wasn't necessary for any extra oil to be added to the batter. The texture of the batter is definitely different (a little stiff/gooey) and I almost thought the recipe was going to be a flop, but while they were in the oven magic happened. They puffed up and turned into delicious, light, yet hearty muffins!

After they cooled, I zipped them up tight in a freezer bag and popped them into the freezer. Now I can pull out one muffin at a time, thaw it in the microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy the yummy muffin goodness whenever I want!

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spicy pickled carrots

So, back when I lived in Baton Rouge, there was a Mexican restaurant (Ninfa's) that kept jars of pickled carrots and other vegetables on the tables as an appetizer. Practically every time I went there I would ruin my appetite on those pickles before I even had a chance to order an entree. So, when I saw this post on The Homesick Texan, I got very, very, very excited.

I made a pared down version based on what I had available and they were AWESOME. I've been eating them non-stop since... and I just realized (while tallying the cost) that I completely forgot to add the garlic! So, next time they'll probably be even better. I want to add other hearty vegetables too, like cauliflower! Yum!

The pickles really taste best the next day, after they've had a chance to soak in the brine. They'll keep for about a month in the fridge!

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seven layer dip

Often times, I'm at complete mercy to my cravings. Last weekend I was craving seven layer dip like a junkie. I just had to have it. Since I wasn't planning on having a party any time soon, I had to figure out a way to turn this classic party food into every day food.

I took a closer look at each of the seven layers and figured out what I could do to make them healthier or at least less snacky or junk food-like. So, here is what I did:

• I made the refried beans from scratch. Low salt, no fat, and WAY more flavor than the canned stuff.
• I roasted some fresh corn in the oven. This requires virtually no work and has so much juicy flavor that my mouth waters just thinking about it.
• Rather than buying a jar of supermarket salsa, I whipped up some fresh pico de gallo. Fresh pico is my new love... so much punchy, fresh, summer flavor! Plus, all it requires is some quick chopping.
• The grocery store didn't have any good avocados so I had to purchase some pre-made guacamole. I checked the ingredients because I'm convinced that a lot of pre-made guacs are nothing more than sour cream with green food coloring... this one was legit. It only had real, live, guac ingredients! Score.
• I chose light sour cream because I find it to be just as tasty as full fat. That being said, I'd never buy fat free sour cream because I find it disgusting. There is a very fine, but important line between the two.
• Lastly, I sprinkled on just a little cheese. I could have used reduced fat cheese here but I didn't feel like there was enough to warrant it.

Many seven layer dips also have black olives but I skipped them because I've found them to be quite pricy lately.

I've been eating this dip with Mission tortilla strips because they're awesome and for some reason they're always much less expensive than actual tortilla chips. Go figure. You could also scoop this into a tortilla for a soft burrito or top some rice with it. And just like that, you have a great vegetarian meal where there was once a guilt-inducing super bowl snack.


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pizzadillas

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. I've been BUSY lately. So, when I finally got a day off, I wanted something quick, delicious, and satisfying. I had not been meeting my quesadilla quota lately but I was kinda craving pizza... so I decided to have both!

These pizzadillas would be a really fun snack for a kids party. Put the ingredients, or "toppings", out and let the kids build their own pizzadillas. Then just crisp them up in the skillet, slice them, and let the kids dip the wedges in the sauce! I have to admit... I feel kind of giddy like a kid when I'm eating them too :P

I chose "supreme" like toppings but you could do anything. Make it vegetarian, greek, pepperoni-lovers, cheap, expensive, whatever. Keep the toppings prepped and in resealable containers in the fridge and then just build the pizzadillas fresh each time. They only take about 5-7 minutes in the skillet!

Also, the "toppings" make excellent toppings for salads, so if they're already prepped in your fridge...

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microwave tortilla chips

Last night in my quest for a late night snack I stumbled upon something completely magical and I just had to share it with you. I have a feeling that all of the college students out there will especially like this one...

The back story...
I'm the type of person that can't buy chips or crackers because I'll just sit down and eat the entire box or bag at once and then the next morning I'll have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe because nothing will fit anymore. So, I just don't buy them. I save money on the snacks and the new clothes that I don't have to buy as a consequence. Anyway, last night I needed a snack (read: Sriracha and something to serve as the vessel to eat it on) but I had nothing. Usually, I'll make some popcorn for that salty crunch (and dip it in Sriracha) but I was out of vegetable oil and it just doesn't pop the same in olive oil. Then it hit me, I had some whole wheat tortillas! If you bake tortillas, they turn into chips! But, it was late and I didn't feel like heating up the entire oven just to have some chips. Then I remembered seeing online somewhere that you can make potato chips in the microwave. Soooo, I gave it a shot with tortillas. Success!!

Last night, I made these without spray oil and without any seasoning and they were still fantastic. The tortilla stuck to the plate a little so I added the non-stick spray today. The non-stick spray also helps adhere the seasoning. So, if you want it completely fat free, it can be made without oil, just be aware of the sticking issue.


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