All posts by BudgetEpicurean

Healthy

Thai chicken peanut curry

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I had been dying to try out my new Thai cookbook since moving to Colorado, and had a craving for it all week. I looked through it yesterday, and found a recipe for Peanut Chicken Curry for which I had all the ingredients but a few. So I went to the store on the way home from class to pick up those things and whipped up a surprisingly easy and oh-so-tasty dinner!
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp diced garlic
2 tbsp curry paste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1/2 small cucumber, peeled and seeded
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
RICE
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup green onion
1 cup rice
1 cup chicken stock
Cilantro, if you can find it. King Soopers didn’t have any. 🙁
 
Step 1: Dice the onion small, cook in a frying pan with 1 tbsp oil for 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk and chicken stock. Simmer 2 minutes.

 Step 2: Dice up the chicken.

 Add diced chicken, garlic and curry paste. Bring to a boil and simmer about 10 minutes.

 Step 3: Cut up pineapple, cucumber and crush peanuts. Meanwhile, boil or microwave the cup of rice in chicken stock.

 Step 4: Once chicken is cooked through, add pineapple, cucumber, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar and peanuts. Simmer 1-2 minutes and serve immediately.

 Step 5: To cooked rice, add lime juice and onions (or cilantro) and fluff.

Cilantro would definitely kick the rice up a notch, but no complaints here! Sure cucumber, chicken and pineapple seems like a weird combo, but it really is delicious! Sweet but complex, the flavor is fantastic! The original recipe calls for fish sauce, lemongrass and lime leaves too, but I don’t think the taste suffers at all by omitting them. Prep took about 15 minutes, cooking took less than 30. Totally worth it!

Breakfast, Eggs

Hearty Mexi-Breakfast Burrito

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One day I planned on walking to class in the morning. It was really cold, and I woke up a little later than I planned. But I was starving, and wanted a good breakfast, so I spent the 10 minutes to whip up this filling delight, wrapped it in foil and took it on the road! It was creamy, hot, tangy, and amazing in every way. Totally worth the short amount of time it takes to make.

Ingredients:
1 flour tortilla
1/4 cup black beans
1/2 avocado
3 tbsp salsa
2 tbsp green onion
2 eggs
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Step 1: Scramble 2 eggs and cook until done. While cooking, heat the beans & tortilla in the microwave for 15 seconds.

 Step 2: Put the egg on the tortilla with the beans, add chopped avocado, onion, salsa and cheddar.Fold up one end, wrap one side and then the other. Make sure it’s nice & tight. Then wrap the burrito in foil and you have a hot breakfast to go!

Breakfast, Eggs, Healthy, Vegetarian

Tomato & green onion omelet

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I had recently made meringues and had the yolks left over. So the next morning I made myself an omelet. Easy and delicious, and keeps me from wasting perfectly good eggs. 
Ingredients: 
1 roma tomato, diced
~2 tsp diced green onion
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
sprinkle cheddar cheese
Step 1: Dice up the tomato & green onion.
Step 2: Whip the eggs, add an ounce of milk if you like.
Step 3: Spray a small frying pan with oil, heat over medium and add the eggs. Season with salt & pepper or seasonings of choice. 

Step 4: As the eggs begin to cook, use a spoon or spatula to push the sides down and mix the middle a little. This helps to move the cooked egg and cook the rest.
Step 5: Once most of the egg has set, add tomato & onion. Once you can shake the pan and the egg isn’t very runny at all, flip the omelet. Cook the other side for a minute or 2, until cooked all the way through.
Step 6: Put onto a plate and sprinkle with cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Dessert

Minty vanilla meringues

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I have been thinking about making meringues for a long time, but thought it took a lot of eggs. One day I just started looking up recipes, and found out it takes as few as 2 egg whites! So I decided to give it a whirl. Turns out meringues are ridiculously easy to make, the hardest part is whipping them for 20 minutes… Then you just leave them alone for a long time. They come out airy and crunchy and just delicious! The best part is, they’re only 20 calories each!
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Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 peppermint candy
 Step 1: Separate the egg whites from the yolks. I saved the yolks for breakfast the next day. 
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Step 2: In a small bowl, beat the egg whites just a minute. Add the lemon juice and slowly add the sugar while beating. Then add the vanilla and salt, and beat for a long long time, until the whites form stiff peaks.

Step 3: Once the whites are well beaten, drop by teaspoons onto a foil-covered pan. If you want minty ones, crush a peppermint candy & sprinkle it on top of the meringues.

Step 4: Bake at 220 for 2 1/2 hours. Don’t peek or open the oven, just trust that they are ok.

Let them totally cool, then remove from the pan. Enjoy!

Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 24
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 20.0
  • Total Fat: 0.0 g
  • Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
  • Sodium: 31.4 mg
  • Total Carbs: 4.8 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
  • Protein: 0.4 g
Comfort food, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

Easy Mashed Potato Pirogi

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As a Hungarian-Slovak-Polish American, pirogi are a critical part of many holidays. And any day of the week really. I had never attempted making them, but since we had recently made FIVE POUNDS of mashed potatoes, I decided to give it a try with the leftovers.

Since the potatoes are not my recipe, I can’t put the mashed potatoes on here, but they were great! I know it involves sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and butter…. Anyways, start with any mashed potatoes as the filling. And the dough is super-easy to make!

Ingredients:

  • 1 16 oz tub of sour cream
  • 3 cups of flour
  • Mashed potatoes (~1 cup)
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 onion, diced

Seriously, it’s that easy!

 Step 1: Mix the flour and sour cream well until it forms a dough. Roll it out on a floured surface.

 Step 2: Using a small cup or other cutter, cut out ~3inch circles of dough. You can re-roll the pieces about 4 times.

mashed potato pierogi

 Step 3: Place ~1 tsp of mashed potatoes in the middle of the circle of dough. Press the sides together to make a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges with a fork.

 Step 4: Drop into boiling water and simmer for about 5 minutes to cook the dough. Drain.

 Step 5: Melt a half stick of butter (or as much as your arteries can handle!) and cook the onions until translucent and slightly browned.

Step 6: Fry the pirogi in the butter & onions about 3 minutes, until yellow-brown on both sides. Enjoy!

They weren’t quite as good as my grandma’s or mom’s, but pretty darn good for a first attempt! And I have the rest of forever to perfect my techniques.

Casseroles, Comfort food

Extra Creamy Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

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So I had bought a small chunk of ham for sandwiches, and still had a few slices left. I wanted to use them up, and I also had some potatoes, of course my first thought was ham & scalloped potatoes! It’s one of my favorite baked dishes, and sounded like a good idea. In order to get my boyfriend to eat it, I added his favorite ingredient: sour cream. To rationalize it to myself as healthy, I added veggies: green onion and corn.
Ingrdients:
2 small potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup flour
1 cup ham, cubed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 container sour cream
1/2 cup corn
1/4 cup sliced green onion
Natures Seasoning, or salt & pepper to taste
Step 1: Peel the potatoes and slice as thinly as possible. Lay half in the bottom of a greased 8×8 dish. Sprinkle the flour and seasoning over them.

 Step 2: Layer on the diced ham. Spread a thin layer of sour cream, sprinkle in some green onion and corn kernels.

 Step 3: Repeat potato, ham, sour cream and veggie layers.

 Step 4: Cover with the rest of the sour cream & cheddar cheese. Pour in the milk.

 Step 5: Cover with aluminum foil, bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

 Step 6: Serve and enjoy!

This is a perfect hot & hearty full meal for cold fall/winter days. Great for after major holidays too, when ham goes on sale!

Salads, Vegetarian

Strawberry, avocado & feta salad

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I am always trying to get more veggies into my diet, and salads are a great way to do so. But no one likes a bowlful of lettuce leaves with just a splash of dressing for flavor. I like to add extras to make my salads more interesting. Since I had just bought a fresh head of lettuce, I used the fruits/veggies I had on hand, and it turned out great!

The lettuce was $1 and I will probably get at least 5 salads from it. The avocado was also $1, as were the strawberries. The feta was left from a while ago (and you can omit the cheese or use whatever kind you like/have) as was the dressing. So for 5 salads worth, the cost per serving is only $0.60! Plus it’s good for you, and a great side to just about anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1 cup torn lettuce leaves
3 large strawberries, quartered
1/4 Haas avocado, diced
1 tbsp feta cheese
1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Simply toss and enjoy!

Crock pot

Garlic pot roast & winter veggies

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Since it’s been cold here in Colorado lately, I’ve been craving your typical cold-weather, stick to your ribs type foods. So I got a nice 1.5 pound beef roast to slow cook all day. It’s a perfect lazy, cold, Sunday meal.

Ingredients:
1.5 pound roast
Garlic cloves
3 large carrots, peeled and cut up
1 large potato, rinsed and diced
1 celery stalk
1 cup beef broth
1/2 onion, cut into quarters or eighths
Salt & pepper (or Nature’s Seasons)

Step 1: Brown the roast on all sides in a frying pan over high heat. It only takes a few minutes per side. It will be nicely browned. Place in the crock pot.

 Step 2: Peel several cloves of garlic. (Don’t do this part if you don’t like garlic, obviously.)

 Step 3: Cut small slits in the roast and stick the cloves inside. Season the roast all over with Nature’s Seasoning or salt & pepper.

 Step 4: Cut up veggies and add to the roast. Pour in beef broth.

 Step 5: Cook on high for at least 4 hours, up to 7 hours. The roast should be cooked through, and fall-apart tender.

 I cut 1/2 inch slabs of beef and a big spoonful of the veggies. Delicious with a piece of bread & Country Crock and a glass of milk. It really hits the spot and makes your tummy happy!

My boyfriend came up with another way to eat this, by taking a piece of buttered bread and topping it with a thick slice of beef and some veggies, then adding a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top. Also a great way to enjoy this fall favorite!

Dessert, Vegetarian

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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I was in the mood for something sweet but that I could rationalize was good for me. My sister’s birthday party was having red velvet cupcakes, so I thought why not make some myself?

And to pretend they’re good for me, I would make carrot cupcakes!

So I found this recipe on Food Network and followed it (mostly) for some of the most delicious cupcakes ever! I cheated and didn’t make my own icing, I used Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting. However, it doesn’t affect the light, moist deliciousness.

 Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon & nutmeg
  • Sprinkle ground ginger
  •  3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • Handful chopped walnuts

Step 1: Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and seasonings in a small bowl.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, eggs, and oil. Add the vanilla, walnuts, carrots, and applesauce and mix well.

 Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well blended.

 Step 4: Spray or line cupcake tin with 12 liners. (It actually made 13).

 Step 5: Bake at 350 for 20-23 minutes, until nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 6: Let cool completely, then frost and enjoy!

These cupcakes were so deliciously moist and light, it is easy to rationalize having 2… or 3…

Casseroles, Healthy

Easy chicken, rice & veggie casserole

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For a day when you want to spend minimal time cooking, but want something hot, filling and delicious. It takes only minutes to prepare, then you just stick it in the oven and forget about it for a while. It is also extremely versatile, since you can use any mixture of frozen or fresh veggies.

Ingredients:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced in 1in cubes
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup jasmine rice (or any kind)
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup salsa
~1/4 cup shredded cheese

Step 1: Dice chicken (and veggies if using fresh, make about 2-3 cups worth).
Step 2: In a greased 9×9 casserole dish, add all ingredients and mix well. Bake, uncovered at 375 for 90 mintues or 400 for 1 hour. Rice & chicken should be fully cooked. If crunchy or chicken is still pink, bake 20 minutes longer.

Super simple, and delicious. I used a mix that included beans, so I’m sure the protein & fiber was a bit higher, but so were the calories. But it’s worth it for 2 tasty dinners plus lunch the next day!
As always, to make it vegetarian don’t use chicken, and for vegan use veggie stock instead of milk and omit the cheese.

Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 3
  • Amount Per Serving: ~1 cup
  • Calories: 280.2
  • Total Fat: 5.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 57.8 mg
  • Sodium: 544.4 mg
  • Total Carbs: 31.4 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g
  • Protein: 27.1 g

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2253930