All posts by BudgetEpicurean

Long-time student turned young adult with varied interests, mostly food and frugality. Pursuing wealth so I can help others pursue health.

Fish, Healthy, Main Dishes, Pasta

Seafood Linguini Bonanza

January 12, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

If you are already a lover of seafood, oh boy do you need this recipe in your life! If you are unsure, trying to incorporate more seafood into your diet, or have someone who does not like seafood and you want to convince them, you also need this recipe in your life!

Seafood is super for your health, mussels & clams provide some of the highest sources of zinc and certain other minerals of all protein sources, is quite high in protein yet low in calories, and a source of omega-3 fatty acids. You should of course educate yourself as to the source of your seafood, and you can read more on the nutrition facts here or here.

Well, isn’t seafood expensive? you may ask. I can’t afford to eat that stuff. you may think.

False.

Let me explain.

The components of this recipe include: mussels, shrimp, and white fish (in this case, catfish). All of these ingredients came out of my freezer (since I am doing my January restricted budget/eat from the pantry challenge), and all together cost about $6. Here’s the secret: always shop sales!

The catfish nuggets I grabbed when they were manager’s special, meaning they had to be sold that day, or else, for less than $2. Just pop it in the freezer, now you have fresh fish whenever you want it. The mussels were on sale, close to $6 for a 2 pound bag, and I used one pound. The other pound is in the freezer waiting for the next recipe. And the shrimp? Also on sale, under $2 for a 12 oz bag.

The other ingredients include fresh onions & garlic & dill, all to be had for a buck or two. Whole wheat pasta, 0.88 on sale. Olive oil, salt, these I always have on hand. And a secret ingredient, stuffed cherry peppers! These were left in the refrigerator and I didn’t want them to spoil, so into the pasta they went! And I must say, it was a wonderful addition, the peppers added just a touch of bite.

Ingredients:

1 pound linguine pasta
1 pound mussels
12 oz shrimp
1.5 pound white fish, such as catfish or tilapia
5-6 hot peppers
2-4 cloves of garlic
2-3 green onions
2-3 stems of dill (optional)
2 tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 small white onion
Salt & Pepper

Step 1: Either steam the mussels by heating, covered, until they all open, or freeze them and then thaw in the frying pan, this causes them to open. Cook mussels for 7-10 minutes. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and the shrimp, cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the white fish, cook until easily flaked with a fork.

Step 2: Remove the seafood to a plate and keep warm. Add peppers, garlic, and onion, and cook until softened. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and simmer the pasta 8-10 minutes, until al dente.

Step 3: Add the cooked, drained pasta to the pan, along with the rest of the olive oil, vinegar, and the seafood. Mix well to coat the pasta in the seafood juice and oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Dice up the fresh dill (or other herbs) & sprinkle on top.

You could also use parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary. Feel free to substitute other types of shellfish or seafood such as cooked lobster meat, crab, clams, or scallops. Whatever is on sale! 😉

Administrative, Finances, Informative, Main Dishes, Review

Pantry eating challenge – week 1

January 10, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

So for the New Year, I decided to try a cook-from-the-pantry challenge. See this article for full details, but pretty much the plan is to cook mostly from what is already in my house (fridge, freezer, pantry) and $20 per week for fresh produce & dairy.

How’s it going so far?

Pretty darn well, actually. I’ll try to keep posting updates every Sunday on how the previous week went, and at the end summarize the whole month. But for the first week, things are going along as normal. Here’s the week’s menu:

Jan 1 – Pork roast & sauerkraut (leftover from day before, and it’s good luck on New Years Day!)
Jan 2 – Chicken & rice soup
Jan 3 – Chicken quarters & rice & broccoli
Jan 4 – BBQ spare ribs & baked potatoes
Jan 5 – Crock Pot Turkey Chili
Jan 6 – Seafood linguine (recipe coming Tuesday!)
Jan 7 – Pork chops w/apple chutney, mashed sweet potato, and cranberry sauce
Jan 8 – Spinach stuffed chicken rolls, rice, salad

You get one bonus day because Jan didn’t start on a Monday. 🙂

For breakfast, I have had smoothies using frozen fruit & fresh, wheat English muffins (from the freezer) with almond butter & jam, and cereal (cold and hot). Lunches are most often leftovers from one of the dinner meals, and one day this week I had a caprese sandwich for lunch out with some coworkers.

Oh, how am I doing with not shopping? That part is a little harder… as you may know, I’m a sucker for a good sale, and have no qualms snagging them and stocking up when I find it. Well, that’s a no-no this month, I have to make a strict list of only fresh veg and fruits we want or need, and stick to it. For me, this is the toughest part of the challenge so far. So, what did I buy this week?

Dairy		Fruit/Veg
Kefir (2)	5.92	Bananas (5)	0.96
Org. milk 1/2 gal	3.5	Spinach (12 oz)	1.49
Heavy cream	1.69	Kiwi (4)	1.49
		Asparagus (1 lb)	2.69
		Romaine (3)	1.99
		Avocado (2)	1.98
TOTAL	$23.30	Raspberries	1.59

Yup, I went over budget by a little more than 3 dollars… but honestly that’s still pretty good, given on average I spend $100 per week on groceries.

The cream was so I could make our own coffee creamer, (we are trying to get away from packaged, processed chemicals as much as possible) and organic, grass-fed milk is way more expensive than factory milk. But it is a choice we are making, to be healthier all around. The same goes for adding kefir to our diets, to get more gut-healthy probiotics.

The fruits will mostly be eaten as snacks and in lunches, and added to smoothies. The spinach & romaine will be salads to go with things from the freezer & pantry, and compliment any frozen veg. I already have. The fiancee eats a banana per day for breakfast, and both the asparagus & raspberries were on sale, how could I not buy them?!

Well, that’s it for this week, stay tuned for next week!

How about you guys, ever done a no-spend or low-spend challenge? Do you think you have more food in the house than you think you do? Could you go a month without grocery shopping as usual?

Dessert, Holidays, Less than 5

Birthday Dirt Cake

January 7, 2016 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

As a kid, I was always given the choice of what cake to have for my birthday. Sometimes I’d pick chocolate, sometimes white cake, sometimes pie. And then I discovered dirt cake.

Dirt cake is aptly named, because it looks like dirt. It is essentially just chocolate pudding topped with crushed Oreo cookies. But the combination looks very much like mud and dirt, especially when the finishing touch is added: gummy worms. Trust me, kids love it! Kids of all ages. 🙂

Give it a try and see how easy to make it is. I had it as a young kid, and late into my 20s I still request it.

Ingredients:

2 packs chocolate pudding (or homemade)
12 or so Oreo-style cookies
Optional: gummy worms

Step 1: Make the pudding according to directions (or if you’re ambitious, make it from scratch) and chill.

Step 2: Put the cookies in a sealable plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin or your fist.

Step 3: Top the pudding with the crushed cookies. If you wish, add gummy worms, or other candies to decorate. Enjoy!

Administrative, Finances, Informative

How to Clean & Organize Your Freezer

January 5, 2016 BudgetEpicurean 2 Comments

Though at the time I did not time this clean-out purposely, it will be a huge help as I complete my January pantry-clean-out challenge! (Read the full details of the challenge here).

Anyone who has a large freezer knows that it can be hard to keep it organized. The freezer tends to accumulate random bits of meats and beans, half-cans of items, extras of meals we prepared previously, and somehow have forgotten it exists. Even if you already use a freezer to help prevent food waste, if you don’t know what is inside and it ends up freezer burned and in the trash 8 months later, that defeats your goal in the first place.

A regular freezer deep clean is a great way to keep in mind what you have, what you need, and how much space is still left. I have a bad habit of majorly stocking up on good sales, so that my freezer tends to always have very little space. This creates a jenga-effect, and also obscures my view of what is towards the back or the bottom. By cleaning it out & re-organizing at least every 6 months, I pull the things in the back towards the front, and remind myself of what needs cooked soon.

Step 1: The first step in cleaning out a freezer, whether standing or chest, is to pull out everything. Just make a big pile on the floor. I promise, in the few minutes it is out of the freezer everything will not thaw.

Step 2: Take this pile of food, and begin to organize it. For example, I put all meats on one side of the freezer, and all frozen veggies and fruits on the other side. You could categorize by the shape of the package, by ready-to-cook meals versus ingredients, whatever makes sense for you.

Step 3: Now look at your nice, empty freezer. Are there random puddles of frozen icky stuff? Are there a few loose peas rolling around? Now is the time to bust out the cleaning solution and a few rags, and scrub it up nice and clean. Starting fresh always feels great!

Step 4: Return everything back to the freezer, nicely organized. You can, if you have the time, write down all the contents prior to putting them back. Whether on paper or in a note on your phone or an email to yourself, having a list of everything can be SO helpful when you are meal planning later. Whether you do or don’t write it down, the final step is to put all the food back into the freezer in a more organized way.

And now sit back, relax, and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment!

These same steps can be applied to the refrigerator and the pantry as well. It is so helpful to go through this process once or twice a year at least, to keep fresh in your mind what types of foods and how much you have on hand. This way you can take advantage of sales as they happen, and keep your savings by using up the items you buy.

Going forward, it is helpful to have a permanent organization system. This will be different for each person/household/family based on what you eat and how often. Maybe you can keep a written notebook, where you cross out items as you use them each week. Or you could try a dry-erase board, where you add or remove items as you use them and re-stock. Or if you’re the digital type, you could have an online document that keeps a running list. Use whatever works for your style.

Do you have any freezer organizing tips or tricks? Please feel free to share in the comments!

Administrative, Holidays, Informative

Welcome to 2016!

January 3, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Happy New Year dear readers!

Time goes by so quickly, does it not? Now is the time to reflect back on 2015, and look ahead to 2016. What good things happened last year? What do you want more of in your life this year? Now is the time to assess what worked and what didn’t, and what changes need to be made to make your life more of what you want it to be.

As you reflect on the past 365 days, assess all the areas of your life: health, finances, and relationships.

HEALTH

Health can include your general fitness level, your diet, how often and what types of exercise you do, your visits to any doctors or dentists. Do you see a general practitioner for a once yearly physical exam? Do you see a dentist for cleanings every 6 months?

Take an honest look at your diet, your snacks, “grazing”, portion sizes. No one will know but you so there’s no reason to not be honest. How closely does your current diet over the past year reflect your ideal eating habits?

What steps can you take to improve this year?

FINANCES

Finances should cover how much you make from your main job and/or business, income from other side jobs or seasonal jobs, income from investments, as well as outgoing money.

How much do you spend per year, per month? What do you spend your money on? Can you lower any fixed expenses, negotiate a better payment on your cell phone, rent, utilities, or a better bank rate if your credit improved? Can you take on a side job, baby sit, start a blog?

I recommend hitting the library and taking out finance books, or reading finance blogs. There is a HUGE wealth of information out there to help, no matter what your situation. Whatever the problem, credit card debt, school loan payments, default, bankruptcy, divorce, or just general money management, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

RELATIONSHIPS

As for relationships, this spans everything from work to friends to family to spirituality. And most importantly, your relationship with yourself.

If you have family members with whom you do not have a good relationship, ask yourself why. What can you do to mend those relationships? Do you need to forgive, or ask for forgiveness? Do you need to show compassion or interest?

Are you happy with your current friends? If not, think of ways to bring the kind of people you want to be around into your life. Maybe you could join a book club or sports group, or hang out in libraries or take a dance lesson.

Do you love yourself? Do you know what makes you happy, and take the time to do those things? When you are fulfilled and happy and joyful, you are more able to give and love others.

My 2016 Resolution?

I have decided I will challenge myself to not buy any pantry staples for the month of January. At first, I thought about trying to live solely from what I already have in the house, but then after discussing with Mister Epicurean, I realized we need certain staples that basically must be bought fresh. Mostly yogurts (which he goes through about 7-10 per week), milk/creamer, and fresh veggies. I can rely heavily on frozen and canned produce this month, but I do like having fresh salads and adding things like avocado to burritos.

Therefore, the challenge this month would be to meal plan and cook out of my freezer & pantry, and to have only $20 per week of “fresh” foods budget. Our average food budget monthly is $400, so to cut that down to 1/5 is pretty great! Of course, that $400 usually includes “stock up” purchases, such as when canned beans were on sale last week for $0.49, and I bought a case.

This challenge has several purposes:

Help clear out space in the freezer & pantry
Evaluate what I buy too much of, or not enough of
Challenge my creativity in making meals
Save us significant money on groceries

By doing a pantry-clear-out challenge, it will help me to realize I have a lot more food hiding in plain sight that I thought. We all have those half-boxes of pasta, a can of corn shoved behind something else, some spices or condiments bought for a recipe but never used, or used once. Now is the time to reach back into all the dark corners of the cupboards, and down to the bottom of the freezer, and see what can be used.

This month will also help me to see what I have stocked up on far too much, and what we use more often than I thought that I could consider stocking more of. For example, if I think I have more than enough canned tomatoes, and we run out by week 2, I will know that going forward. Or if I count 20 boxes of pasta to begin with, and at the end of the month we still have 19, then I should probably stop buying so much pasta when it’s on sale.

The final two points go together well, in that creativity saves you money. Like I mentioned earlier, the half-used ingredients? Figure out a way to combine them into one meal, and you have not only saved food from being throw out (which creates waste, takes calories out of the food system in a way that helps no one, and is basically like setting dollars on fire), but you also have created an almost-free meal. If you never used those ingredients, they would be wasted. Instead, you have eaten again for the same amount of money you already spent & had in the house.

So, this is the challenge, which started on Jan 1st. No stocking up, no matter how good the sale, and only $20 per week maximum towards fresh dairy & produce. I won’t even be buying any meat, I will be using what I have in the freezer. Good thing I just recently cleaned it out & reorganized.

Wish me luck!

How about you, any goals for 2016? Any Resolutions for this year? Feel free to share your goals & progress!

Administrative, Holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy New Years!

December 22, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Wow! 2015 has really flown by. I believe I speak for the majority of the north east if not the USA when I say; how in the heck is it nearly Christmas! Totally snuck up this year. The spring-like weather, while totally amazing, don’t get me wrong, I love 50/60s in December, has us all in a kerfluffle over it not feeling… well… Christmas-y. Those who now or have always lived in warmer climates may not agree, but to those of us who are used to white Christmases, it is not quite the same feeling when it’s dreary & raining…

Also it seems like this year has had a higher than usual number of negative events. Almost every person I talk to has had an illness, a job loss, or a death in the family. People have not even decorated, grocery shopped, or bought gifts yet, let alone wrap them!

Amidst my own personal battle with what turns out to be an atypical sinus infection and a job transition, I have at the least accomplished gift-buying, but sadly neglected my writing. What seems like years (though in reality has been just over two weeks) of sore throats, incessant coughing, complete lack of sleep, and stuffy nose was caused by rude little bacteria, not the virus I suspected. Though prudent in my desire to not abuse antibiotics, turns out in this case I needed it! I am slowly on the mend, but about to get even busier. So forgive me, but I will be taking a break from the blog for the holidays.

As such, please enjoy this lovely anthology of holiday articles past!

General Christmas/Holiday articles:

Christmas Cooking & Baking:

Gift Ideas & DIYs:

You will find plenty of last-minute, frugal, and/or DIY gift ideas for everyone from your artistic aunt to your rugged hunter cousin, recipe and cookie ideas to delight and nourish the family and friends, and plenty of history and reflections to ponder in your few precious moments of down-time.

And don’t forget the most important part of the holiday season: Love! The love of friends and family, the love of community and neighbors, and love for yourself. May your holiday season be restful, rejuvenating, and filled with love and laughter.

Merry Christmas dear readers! See you in 2016!

Finances, Holidays, Informative

Gift Idea: Altoids Survival Tin

December 20, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

With Christmas mere days away, the panic of gift-giving may be setting in. It is unfortunate that a holiday meant to be about love and family and reflection has instead become a race through the mall and price-comparing online… but I digress.

For anyone who has a friend or family member who is “that guy” (or girl), you know the one, super hard to buy for, they have everything they already want, or they don’t really want anything, I have a solution that will make both them and you happy!

The Altoids survival tin.

That’s right folks, a harmless little $1 or $2 tin of mints can be transformed into an actually useful, potentially even lifesaving gift with just a little time and creativity. Based on what you already have laying around your own house, it may even end up being a free gift!

And it will certainly be unique. (Unless your giftee is a hard-core preparedness and/or survival expert, then they probably have a few dozen kits like this, and much fancier. But it is still the thought that counts, and I’m sure they are never mad about extra prepper gear!). You can get kids involved too, they love to come up with fun ideas for tiny, useful items, and tetris things together until they fit. It becomes a game of how much can you stuff into this tiny box!

For these kits, all you need is a small Altoids tin (or any other small, sealable metal tin) and an assortment of survival related items. There are infinite sites around the internet with suggestions and recommendations on what to add to these kits, ranging from meds to tarps to fire starting equipment. Some even show youtube videos on how to turn the tin itself into a knife or saw, which you should only attempt if you are educated on how to use the tools to do so.

It is best to take into consideration the personality of the person you are creating this kit for, and the likely scenarios in which they could need this. It could be a beauty emergency kit for a female friend, in which case you would want to include things like hair bands, bobby pins, safety pins, oil blotting papers, Q tips, and maybe tiny samples of makeup or makeup remover pads. It could be a “Bad Day” emergency kit, and contain things like a mini bottle of wine, pieces of chocolate, and uplifting sayings on pretty paper.

For the preparedness/emergency kit, you want to include things like pain medications, matches and candles, ways to collect or purify water, and items that have multiple uses like string. Keep in mind that even things used to hold together other items, such as electrical or duct tape, string, or rubber bands, can themselves be useful too.

The kits shown above contain:

3 matches taped together with electrical tape
2 small birthday candles
3 feet of string tied with a twist-tie
A toothpick
A safety pin
1 antibacterial moist towelette
2 Band-Aids
200mg ibuprofen tablet
1 ml of bleach in a sealed plastic tube
1 small trash bag (to hold water to add the bleach to, or provide a tiny bit of coverage from rain or sun)
1 stick of gum
1 packet of lettuce seeds
A rubber band to hold it all together

The beauty of this kit is that it is tiny enough to fit into a pocket, so for something as simple as a road trip or a camping trip or going to work in the city, your recipient can know that they have a small advantage should the S hit the F. Happy gifting!

Have you made a survival tin like this before? Do you have other things you would add or take out? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Comfort food, Snacks

Dark Chocolate Cherry Popcorn

December 17, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

If you know me at all, you know I’m a total popcorn addict. Like for reals. A night without it feels weird. I can eat about a dozen cups’ worth and not think anything of it. I prefer stove-top to bagged, but in a pinch it will do. Don’t even talk to me about weird toppings, I want my good old-fashioned salty delight. Until.

Until Christmas rolled around, and I wanted to give my family I’ve been tutoring with for a long time a heartfelt gift. In my list of last-minute gift ideas I included peppermint popcorn, and thought that might be a great idea. But I didn’t have peppermint at the time, and y’all know I’m frugal, so I try to use what I already have.

In my cupboard, I had some dried cherries and several bits of different dark chocolate bars.

Bingo. Dark Chocolate Cherry Popcorn.

This was created on a whim, but turned out absolutely splendid! You can of course customize it with other dried fruits or types of chocolate, for example a white chocolate apricot might be tasty, or try adding in some nuts or seeds for extra crunch. It looks adorable in a clear plastic baggie with some colorful ribbon or a bow.

Ingredients:

3 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup dark chocolate
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tbsp. dried cherries
1 oz amaretto liquor (optional)
Sprinkle of salt and sugar

Step 1: Soak the dried cherries in the amaretto 1 hour. This softens them enough so that they aren’t hard and chewy later. If you don’t want to do this step, it is optional.

Step 2: In a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler, add the chocolate and oil. Microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until melted. Or use a double boiler, but do not bring to a boil.

Step 3: Pop your corn on the stove top or in an air popper if you have one.

Step 4: In a large bowl, pour your popcorn and cherries. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate, stirring with a spoon or spatula, to coat all of the popcorn. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and sugar, and you’re done!

Now your homemade snack is ready to be packed into a cute tin and given to someone you care about for Christmas, Valentine’s day, birthdays, or just because. Or you can just eat the whole thing, I won’t judge.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:11]

Healthy, Salads, Side dishes, Sneaky Healthy, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts Salad

December 15, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Ahhh the tiny but mighty Brussels sprout. The divider of nations. The cruciferous ruiner of relationships. You get the idea.

Brussels sprouts tend to be a very polarizing vegetable. For as many veggie lovers that swear by the carmelized candy that is roasted sprouts, there are another 1-2 sad souls who have been turned off by less-than-ideal preparations of boiled, rubbery, or wilty sprouts and swear off these delicate nutrition-packed powerhouses.

Brussels sprouts grow on stalks up to three feet tall, and each bud resembles a miniature cabbage, with a diameter of 1/2 -2 inches. Typically sold in grocery stores removed from the stalk, they can be found in farmers markets and some specialty stores still attached. They also are offered canned or frozen, though I cannot vouch for their nutrient content or flavor in such preparations.

Brussels sprouts are members of the family which includes broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, known as Brassicas. These vegetables are lauded in nutrition circles for their hefty doses of vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and anti-inflammatory and potentially cancer-preventing compounds.

Taken from the website “world’s healthiest foods” (whfoods.com), Brussels sprouts have a whole host of healthful benefits:

“What’s New and Beneficial About Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will use a steaming method when cooking them. The fiber-related components in Brussels sprouts do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they’ve been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it’s easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw Brussels sprouts still have cholesterol-lowering ability — just not as much as steamed Brussels sprouts.
Brussels sprouts may have unique health benefits in the area of DNA protection. A recent study has shown improved stability of DNA inside of our white blood cells after daily consumption of Brussels sprouts in the amount of 1.25 cups. Interestingly, it’s the ability of certain compounds in Brussels sprouts to block the activity of sulphotransferase enzymes that researchers believe to be responsible for these DNA-protective benefits.
For total glucosinolate content, Brussels sprouts are now known to top the list of commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables. Their total glucosinolate content has been shown to be greater than the amount found in mustard greens, turnip greens, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, or broccoli. In Germany, Brussels sprouts account for more glucosinolate intake than any other food except broccoli. Glucosinolates are important phytonutrients for our health because they are the chemical starting points for a variety of cancer-protective substances. All cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates and have great health benefits for this reason. But it’s recent research that’s made us realize how especially valuable Brussels sprouts are in this regard.
The cancer protection we get from Brussels sprouts is largely related to four specific glucosinolates found in this cruciferous vegetable: glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, sinigrin, and gluconasturtiian. Research has shown that Brussels sprouts offer these cancer-preventive components in special combination.
Brussels sprouts have been used to determine the potential impact of cruciferous vegetables on thyroid function. In a recent study, 5 ounces of Brussels sprouts were consumed on a daily basis for 4 consecutive weeks by a small group of healthy adults and not found to have an unwanted impact on their thyroid function. Although follow-up studies are needed, this study puts at least one large stamp of approval on Brussels sprouts as a food that can provide fantastic health benefits without putting the thyroid gland at risk.” READ MORE HERE

For those who are wary of Brussels sprouts, from past experience or a lack of experience, try this salad to introduce them. Finely shaved sprouts are mixed with naturally sweet fruit (apples and raisins) and coated in a mixture of sweet and tangy dressing to produce a side salad, or even main dish, of healthy intent sneakily hiding under the guise of almost-dessert. Everyone can feel good about eating this. Try it at your next picnic, potluck, as a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, or just because it’s Tuesday night.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts, shredded or diced very finely
1 apple, diced very thin
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp raisins

Step 1: Rinse your sprouts, and either use a shredder or a sharp knife to finely dice them, and put in a large bowl.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice, honey, mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Use as high quality an oil as you are able.

Step 3: Very finely dice and slice the apple. The best & quickest way is to rinse the apple, then slice into fourths. Cut out the middle core & seeds and discard. Then lay each quarter on a side, and thinly slice. Slice each of those in half and you should have very thin, bite-sized slivers of apple.

Step 4: Mix the shredded sprouts, apple slivers, and raisins in a bowl. Pour on the liquid dressing mixture, and toss well to coat. You can serve hot, cold, or room temperature. You can serve immediately, or let it sit in the refrigerator up to three days for the flavors to mix.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:47]

Appetizers, Comfort food, Fish, Healthy, Main Dishes

Salmon Latkes

December 13, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

Latkes, the Yiddish word for potato pancakes, have a long history in Jewish tradition. According to history, the tradition is more about the oil used to fry the cakes than the potato pancakes themselves. The Maccabees freed the holiest Temple in Jerusalem from the takeover of King Antiochus. After ridding the temple of all idols, they lit the menorah with a little purified olive oil. It seemed there was enough to last only one day.

But then, a miracle happened. The lamp burned for eight days and nights. Just long enough to press fresh oil.

And thus, olive oil is a sacred tradition during Hannukah, the eight days and nights celebrated in 2015 from Sunday December 6 – Monday December 14. Any food fried in oil can be commemorative of the Miracle of the Oil, in fact donuts are a very popular Hannukah food, as are matzoh and other kinds of fritters.

This recipe takes the classic potato latke and adds in canned salmon for a protein-filled, full meal on its own. They can be served alone, or atop a bed of lettuce, or covered in applesauce, salsa, relish, or any other condiments you like. Feel free to experiment, there are no rules saying you have to use potatoes and potatoes only.

Grate in some onion, carrots, or beets. Try regular flour, chickpea flour, matzoh, or breadcrumbs as the binding agent. Fry them in olive oil, coconut, or even bake them in the oven. But no matter what you do, do make sure to use a high quality oil, share with your loved ones, and be thankful for all you have!

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed potatoes
2 can salmon, drained
2 eggs
1/2 – 1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Step 1: Either make mashed potatoes from scratch, use leftover mashed potatoes from a previous meal, or use boxed/instant potatoes to make approximately 1 cup cooked. Open the canned salmon and drain.

Step 2: Mix the potatoes, salmon, eggs, and seasonings in a bowl. Add breadcrumbs until the mixture is moist but able to stick together. Form into patties, this should make about 4-8 depending on thickness and size.

Step 3: Add 2 tbsp oil to a frying pan and heat to medium. Add the patties, working in batches if you made more than will fit. Leave some room between each latke so they can heat and cook evenly.

Step 4: Fry about 4-6 minutes, then flip. Each side should get a nice golden brown color. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil.

Top however you would like and serve! I covered mine in sriracha and homemade green tomato salsa and it was positively delicious.

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