All posts by BudgetEpicurean

Vegetarian

Stuffed eggplant

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So I’ve been reading lately about how healthy eggplant is for you. Then it went on sale at my favorite produce store, so I had to buy one. The only question was what to do with it. I had tried eggplant before and wasn’t particularly fond of it diced up in casserole-type dishes. So I decided to stuff it, because what isn’t made better by a meat mush and cheese baked inside?
 
Ingredients:
1 eggplant
olive oil
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Italian seasonings
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
 

Step 1: Brown the ground turkey over medium heat and drain.

 Step 2: Dice the veggies and core the eggplant. Cook the veggies in the same pan as the turkey until tender, ~5 minutes.

 Step 3: Mix the cooked veggies, egg, turkey, and bread crumbs.

 Step 4: Divide the mix between the eggplant halves and stuff. Sprinkle italian seasonings over top and bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until nicely browned and eggplant is soft when poked with a fork.

 Also, to make it vegetarian you can just omit the ground turkey.

YUM!
Appetizers, Comfort food, Sneaky Healthy

Potato Skins

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A game-day classic, potato skins are always a hit. A friend was having a football party, I had a 5 pound bag of potatoes, guess what I made! They are very simple, though time-consuming.
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Ingredients:
6-12 potatoes, washed and cut in half
Butter/margerine
Sea salt
1/2 pound bacon or turkey bacon
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Green onion/chives

Step 1: Rub potatoes with oil, and poke holes in them with a fork. Microwave potatoes on high for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Cut potatoes in half, cover outside and insidewith butter and sea salt. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Hollow out the potatoes. Flip upside down, bake for another 20 minutes. You can use the scooped-out part for mashed potatoes, soup, or just eat them because they’re warm and salty and delicious.

Step 4: Flip back over, brush with more butter and bake a final 20 minutes. You’re now ready to top them.

Step 5: Cook the bacon on both sides until brown. Drain on paper towels and break/cut into small pieces. Sprinkle a healthy tbsp into each potato skin. Cover with cheese, a dollop of sour cream, salsa and/or green onion.

Made in your own home and not deep-fried, these are healthier for you than if you ordered them from a bar or restaurant. Leave off the bacon for a vegetarian treat.

Vegan, Vegetarian

Loaded Tostadas

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A simple, endlessly customizable meal, tostadas are one of my favorite mexican foods! There is almost no end to what you could top tostadas with, and they can be extremely budget-friendly. Depending completely on what you top them with, they can be very healthy or extremely not so!

Ingredients:
1 tostada shell (or make your own by baking a corn tortilla for 5 minutes at 350)
1/4 cup taco meat (cooked ground beef + taco seasoning)
2 tbsp shredded colby or cheddar cheese
3 tbsp salsa
1/2 avocado, sliced

Step 1: Cook the beef and drain fat. Add taco seasoning and water, cook until water is gone. 
Step 2: In a pan or microwave, heat the beans.
Step 3: Assemble tostada, beans on the bottom followed by meat, cheese, salsa and avocado.

Other toppings I love: shredded lettuce, sour cream, black beans, peppers & onion. You could easily make this vegetarian or vegan too, by leaving off the meat and/or cheese.

What’s your favorite mexican food topping?

 

Main Dishes

Mediterranean Chicken & Couscous

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I got this recipe from somewhere because I had some green olives in my fridge and no idea what to do with them. I don’t like them much, but this recipe sounded crazy enough to try, and boy did it turn out fantastic! The ingredients don’t sound like they should go together, but seriously try it!
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Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half
~5 prunes, diced
~6 green olives, cut in 1/4
1/4 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup couscous
garlic salt
black pepper

Step 1: Cut the chicken and place in a frying pan with 1/4 cup stock. Cook about 10 minutes per side, until golden brown. Meanwhile heat 1 cup stock to boiling in microwave and pour over couscous. Let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Step 2: Dice up the prunes and olives. Add to the chicken and cook another 5 minutes or so. Add more stock if it boils off. Toss in cashews and any spices.

Step 3: Serve 1 half of chicken over 1/2 cup cooked couscous. Honestly, the mixture of salty and sweet and nutty is fantastic, and I think couscous is the perfect grain but you could use rice or noodles or mashed potatoes too.

Healthy

Spiced pork roast & oven-roasted vegetables

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This is a satisfying, hearty meal that takes so little effort! I’d been craving pork, and roasted veggies is just the best side dish for anything! I had spontaneously decided to try brussel sprouts because they were on sale. Guess what? They are delicious! Trust me, just try it and you will be amazed you ever lived without them.
Pork rub:
1 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp dried onion
2-3 pound pork roast
5-10 cloves fresh garlic
Vegetables
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
2 cups brussels sprouts
2 stalks celery, in 1″ chunks
3 carrots, in 1″ chunks
1 large potato, diced
1 whole red onion & 1 whole white onion, sliced thin
~1/2 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

 Step 1: Cut slices into pork roast and insert one garlic clove into each. Mix spices together, rub over pork roast. Let sit in refrigerator an hour – overnight.

Step 2: Cut all veggies. Mix well in olive oil to coat, sprinkle on seasonings. Spread in a 9×13 baking pan and roast at 350 for about one hour. Cover to keep broccoli & cauliflower from scorching.

Step 3: Bake pork at 350 for at least 1 hour, covered, or until no longer pink. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes.

Step 4: The pork should be fork-tender and slightly spicy, while the veggies are crispy-soft and slightly sweet. Enjoy the amazing flavors & textures! Leftover pork can be shredded and covered in BBQ sauce for sandwiches the next day.

Pasta

Chicken & veggie alfredo

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This is just something I came up with on the fly, I was hungry and needed something quick which didn’t take much time to make. My usual on the fly recipe is meat + carb + veggies. When I checked the pantry, I found pasta and alfredo sauce, which I love. Then I had a chicken breast in the freezer as well as frozen spinach. I added some shredded carrot, which turned out to be a great addition as it looked like cheddar cheese but way healthier!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound rotini pasta
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 carrots, shredded
1 chicken breast
1/2 bag frozen spinach

Step 1: Begin boiling the water, and thaw the chicken in the microwave 2 minutes on each side.
Step 2: Boil the pasta 7-8 minutes. Cut the chicken into 1 inch thick pieces and put in a frying pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add any desired spices to the chicken, and cook about 5 minutes on both sides, until browned and chicken is no longer pink.
Step 3: While chicken is cooking, shred the carrots.
Step 4: Drain the pasta. Add the spinach, carrots and cooked chicken. Mix well and ensure it is heated through and the spinach is thawed. Add the alfredo sauce and enjoy!

This was deliciously creamy and fulfilling!
Healthy, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Easy Freezer Mexican Soup

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I was hungry for something hot and spicy, and tortilla soup was the first thing that came to mind. I had recently purchased a red beans & rice mix on sale for 78 cents, and realized I had all the rest of the the ingredients in my fridge or freezer, making for a ridiculously fast and easy meal. 
Ingredients:
2 chicken drumsticks
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 packet red beans & rice
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tri-pepper and onion mix
1 cup salsa
1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder
Step 1: Add about 4 cups water and all ingredients to a large pot and heat to boiling. Simmer on low for 40-60 minutes. 

 Step 2: Take the drumsticks out and tear the meat off the bone. Return the meat to the pot.

You can use thighs, breasts, or whatever meat you want, or omit the meat entirely. Browned ground beef would probably also be delicious. You can also top with shredded cheddar or sour cream. It is filling, slightly spicy, and has great flavor. Careful, because it does make quite a bit!

Casseroles, Comfort food

Tuna Noodle Casserole

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Simple and filling, tuna noodle casserole has been a mainstay throughout my childhood. With very few ingredients, it is a great fall-back weeknight dinner for when I don’t feel like cooking something extravagant. And it also is a great dorm food, believe it or not. I used to make a super-poor version as an undergrad student all the time! You can use a microwave and a pack of Ramen noodles to make delicious tuna noodle casserole. Just heat the noodles in the microwave for 5 minutes, let cool a bit and drain. Add a can of drained tuna and a can of cream of mushroom, mix it up and enjoy! If you get the soup on sale it can cost less than a dollar. This is the grown-up version, bulked up with extra veggies and baked to a crispy finish!

Ingredients:
1/2 pack egg noodles
2 cans tuna, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peas & carrots
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Garlic salt

Step 1: Open & drain the tuna, mix it in a bowl with the cream of mushroom soup.

Step 2: Boil the noodles for ~8 minutes. Add the diced celery in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain the noodles and celery.

Step 3: Mix the noodles into the tuna mush, and add the peas & carrots.

Step 4: Spray an 8×8 casserole dish and pour the mixture into it. Add the 1/2 cup milk and let it sink in.

Step 5: Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and garlic salt on top.

Step 6: Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Makes roughly 4 1 1/2 cup servings. Warm and homey, this is a great easy dinner. You can add whatever veggies you feel like, or dried onion and other spices.

Breads, Breakfast, Healthy

Applesauce oatmeal breakfast muffins

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Most mornings I enjoy waking up early enough to make myself a big warm breakfast. But some days I’m just too tired to wake up early. So over the weekend I decided to make myself some muffins that I can freeze and reheat any time. I found a recipe for Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins, and changed it a bit. I added nuts and dried fruit to add a little crunch and flavor. This recipe made 18 muffins, and I would probably eat 2 at a time because they were small. But at just over 50 calories each, that’s an indulgence I don’t have to feel guilty about!

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashion rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup non-fat milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. sugar
1 oz chopped mixed nuts
3 diced dried prunes

Step 1: Mix the milk, oats, egg whites and applesauce. Spray a muffin tin and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

 Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, fruit and nuts of choice.

 Step 3: Mix the wet & dry ingredients, and spoon into the muffin tins.

 Step 4: Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, until dry all the way through and brown on top.

Step 5: Cool and enjoy! Adding 1 cup sugar or brown sugar would likely make them taste even better, but would add more calories.

Breads, Breakfast, Eggs, Less than 5

Grilled ham, egg & cheese

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I wanted something different for breakfast one morning, and had a craving for grilled cheese. Eggs are highly recommended as a breakfast food to keep you full longer, so I figured I’d put an egg on it too. Something seemed to be missing, and when I realized I had sliced ham in my freezer the perfect breakfast had taken shape!

At less than 10 minutes to make, this hot, melty breakfast sandwich is perfect any day of the week.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pieces bread
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 slice ham
  • 1 slice cheese

Step 1: Butter one side of both pieces of bread and begin heating a small frying pan on medium.

Step 2: Crack the egg, you can beat it if you like scrambled or leave the yolk if you like it messier. Spray the pan and pour in the egg. Let cook until nearly solid, then flip and cook 1 minute on the other side.

Step 3: Put one slice of bread butter-side down in the pan, the egg on top of the bread, ham and cheese on top of the egg. Top with the other bread slice, butter-side up.

Step 4: Cook for ~2 minutes, until bread is brown and toasty. Flip with a spatula, and cook on the other side until golden brown. Slice diagonally and enjoy!

 

If I had the ingredients, I would probably add tomato or avocado too, just to see what it was like. This was melty, cheesy, hot and delicious!