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.

Beverage, Dessert, Holidays, Less than 5

Pumpkin Cheesecake Shots

December 8, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

With Thanksgiving past, and Christmas looming, the flavors of fall still linger and mix with the onset of winter. Pumpkins and gourds are in abundance. Ginger and cinnamon scents fill the air as cookies bake, while the crunch of fallen leaves give way to pine scented boughs and trees.

And pumpkin spice flavored <insert anything here> is still king.

While you are rushing about grocery shopping, house cleaning, gift buying and wrapping, you may need a few moments to yourself amidst the chaos. Especially if you will be hosting or staying with family (for multiple days), an adult beverage is always welcome.

With the ubiquitous pumpkin spice creamer, plus just a dash of two other players, you can whip up an amazingly delicious sugar-bomb of holiday spirit! Careful, this stuff is so good, it’s easy to lose track of how many you’ve had!

This recipe makes enough for 4 shots, or 1 large glass over ice. Feel free to whip them up as needed, or make a large container full and keep it in the fridge. You know… just in case…

Ingredients:

1 shot cake flavored vodka
1 shot Khalua
2 ounces pumpkin spice creamer

Combine all ingredients in a glass over ice and mix. Strain into shot glasses, or drink as a beverage.

I just made up a double batch, and keep it in the refrigerator in the mason jar the creamer was in originally.

I make my own flavored coffee creamer occasionally; you can follow this recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet, or if you’re vegan try this one from Girl Makes Food.

Appetizers, Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Holidays, Vegetarian

Christmas Tree Appetizer Tray

December 6, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

With the holiday season come holiday parties. From friends to family reunions, cocktail hours and work gatherings, the holidays are rife with opportunity to eat things we normally wouldn’t, shouldn’t, and far more of them. You could choose to just eat yourself into a coma every week and deal with the consequences later. You could live a puritanical existence for the next few weeks, exercising iron will over all sweets and tasty delights. Or…

You could choose better options. You could nudge family, friends, and co-workers in a healthier direction. You could provide healthy yet delicious treats, so you know you will always have something healthful to enjoy at any get-together.

I know which option I choose each year.

Would you like to know the answer to one of life’s biggest questions? How can you be both happy and healthy all the time? The key to health and happiness, is moderation. Go ahead and indulge in the things that truly bring you joy, like the cookies you look forward to all year, spiral-sliced holiday ham, or your aunt’s amazing casserole. But know that means you must cut back in other areas. Don’t have every appetizer offered, three cups of eggnog, seconds and thirds at dinner, followed by an entire angel food cake roll.

And by bringing healthier options to any party or gathering, you virtually guarantee yourself at least one option that will be “safe” and you can indulge as much as you like. You are also giving everyone else at the party a healthy option they may not have considered previously.

This is an appetizer tray my mother had made for a party last year. You will notice that it not only looks very appealing, with its holiday themed tree shape, but it also has a whole cornucopia of options from broccoli to cheeses, to olives and grape tomatoes. This would be awesome to serve with a healthful dip on the side such as Black Bean Hummus, Lean Green Guacamole, or Radish, Onion & Herb cream cheese dip.

How to create an appetizer tree:

1 large head broccoli
1 can black olives
1 small jar green olives
Assorted cheese cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Handful of pretzel sticks
Any other dipping veggies, cut into cubes or sticks

Step 1: Dice all your veggies into bite size pieces, and cube the cheeses. Drain the olives.

Step 2: In a large pan or on a serving platter, arrange the cheese and vegetables in layers, including at least 2 large layers of broccoli for the green color. Finish with a handful of pretzels on the bottom for the tree trunk.

You could get very creative with this, for example by including “ornaments” on the tree by using different colors of vegetables or fruits, or making different shapes. You could use cauliflower, red bell peppers and tomatoes to create a santa hat shape, or other types of finger foods arranged to look like wrapped gifts. Let your imagination run wild, and watch as the crowd gobbles up healthy nibbles happily!

Comfort food, Crock pot, Fish, Main Dishes, Slow cooker, Soups

Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder

December 3, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

One of the things I was most excited about when moving to New England was of course the seafood! The beautiful thing about being near the sea is the abundance of affordable and fresh seafood. From salmon to crab to scallops to, of course, lobster, Connecticut is a playground for those who are pescatarian.

This recipe is a simple one for New England Clam Chowder, the whitish creamy version. Not the icky, reddish, tomato-based Manhattan style. Did you know that in 1939, a bill was introduced by State Rep. Cleveland Sleepe in Maine to make it illegal to add tomatoes to chowder?! Oh yeah, New England takes its clam chowder seriously.

The recipe here calls for cooking the potatoes and clams most of the day in a slow cooker, then creating a roux and adding it in just before serving. I have added in my own Polish/Slovak flair by switching the cream for sour cream, creating what we call a “zapraska” (used to make Hungarian chicken paprikush soup) to deepen the flavor of the roux and lend a creamier final flavor.

You could instead cook all the ingredients but the sour cream together all day, and then simply add small amounts of hot liquid to the sour cream and flour until thickened and stir it in just before serving. That would be the ultimate hands-off chowder recipe.

Ingredients:

12 oz clams, fresh or frozen, preferably in their own juice
2-3 tbsp olive oil or butter
2 large baking potatoes
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic
2-3 ribs celery
8 oz fish sauce or clam juice
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup flour or cornstarch

Step 1: Dice the potatoes and put into the slow cooker. Add the entire contents of the clams (or fresh and add the clam juice). Add water to cover. (Add more for thinner soup, add just enough to cover potato pieces for thicker soup). Put the slow cooker on “low” for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.

Step 2: Dice the celery, garlic, and onion into small pieces. Add the oil and veggies to a frying pan, and cook for 7-10 minutes, until translucent.

Step 3: Add the flour to the pan with the oil, stir for 2-3 minutes. Then add the fish sauce and a little water from the slow cooker until it forms a thick paste. Mix in the sour cream, and whisk it all together well. This is the roux (pronounced “roo”) you will add to thicken the soup.

Step 4: Add your roux to the slow cooker and mix well. Now your soup is ready to serve! Add more flour and less water to thicken, or add more water to make a thinner soup. Serve with nice hearty rolls and/or a fresh green salad.

Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Pasta

Dried Tomato and Artichoke Pasta

December 1, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Those of you who have been cooking for a long time probably know the feeling of making a dish which to you seems quite simple, yet to someone else who enjoyed the meal with you, it is fancy and magical. I’d like to share a secret: sometimes all it takes is one to two little touches, that don’t take much time or work, to elevate a dish from plain to pizazz!

Oven-dried tomatoes in olive oil and jarred artichokes are examples of such a touch.

Simple things that only cost a few dollars can really jazz up a weeknight meal or make an occasion special. Using pre-canned dried tomatoes and artichokes adds almost literally no prep time (ok, you have to open it…) but makes the final plate look and taste restaurant quality. Other such items are kalamata or pimiento olives, infused oils or vinegars, capers, pine nuts, brined pepper rings, citrus zest, shaved fresh cheeses, or finishing salts.

This dish takes less than 20 minutes start to finish, with no slicing and dicing of mountains of produce or complex kitchen skills besides boiling, straining, and mixing. If you don’t like spinach, use whatever other vegetables you have on hand, or just stick with tomatoes and artichokes alone. I had some broccoli on hand, so I added it in for extra fiber and nutrition, plus it went with the already-there colors.

Whip this meal up to impress dinner guests, say I love you, or just to enjoy a magical moment to yourself any time.

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta
1/2 jar artichoke hearts
2 cups dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
1 cup spinach, optional
1 cup broccoli, optional
2-3 cloves garlic, diced

Step 1: In a large pot, bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Add the pound of pasta. You can use any shape here, but plain straight spaghetti is the classic choice.

Step 2: Boil the pasta for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pan, add the garlic, chopped tomatoes in oil, and artichokes (and any other vegetables you are using, like the broccoli) and saute for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant and the vegetables soften.

Step 3: Strain the pasta, do not rinse, and add the hot noodles into the frying pan. Stir it all together to coat the noodles with the oil from the tomatoes and the juice from artichoke hearts.

If desired, sprinkle with garlic salt or whatever herbs you enjoy, or grate some fresh hard cheese on top (like Parmesan or white cheddar).

Administrative, Holidays

Thanksgiving Post Roundup

November 24, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Thursday of this week is the American holiday of Thanksgiving. The Budget Epicurean will be on a short holiday in honor of this tradition. Whether you are at home, or at work wishing you were home, traveling or not leaving your house, here are some holiday favorite articles about Thanksgiving:

And as for the food…

Mom’s special cranberry sauce
Balsamic brussels sprouts
Cranberry orange muffins
Buttery garlic mashed potatoes
Mashed cauliflower potatoes
Cinnamon ginger candied carrots
Brining a pheasant (can use recipe on a turkey)

I am thankful for all my wonderful readers!

Feel free to leave a comment below! What are you cooking this year? What are you thankful for?

Administrative, Healthy, Informative, Main Dishes, Review

Restaurant Review: Wang’s Chinese Food in Cromwell, CT

November 22, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

For those unfamiliar with my system of reviewing food service establishments, I use three areas, with a scale of 1-10. The Budget Epicurean has not been compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions are my own. For reviews, preference will be given to unique, local, family-owned establishments. Food locations will be evaluated based on:

Taste: 1 (wet toast) – 10 (your taste buds have died and gone to heaven)
Atmosphere: 1 (gas station bathroom) – 10 (Buckingham Palace)
Value: 1 (not worth it) – 10 (super duper deal)

Today’s restaurant review is for Wang’s Chinese Restaurant in Cromwell, CT. A small home slash business building tucked just off West Street (Route 372) in between Route 9 and highway 91, I have passed this place countless times on my way to work. And every time I think, hm I should go there sometime. Somehow I just never got around to it… Then I found out a friend of mine just so happens to know the owner, and so we decided to take a trip for lunch.

Upon parking, the first thing I noticed was that it is actually quite larger than I had thought, since the entire left side of the building was a large dining area which can be rented out. When we walked inside, it smelled immediately of those delicious umami smells of soy sauce, bubbling soup, and stir frying vegetables.

There is a fully stocked bar, so you can have traditional sake right alongside a Cosmopolitan if you so desire. There is ample seating for both tables and booths, in a nice dark cherry wood, and white linen table cloths. Some very quiet, soothing music was playing in the background, nonintrusive enough that you forgot it was there.

As soon as you are seated, the waiter immediately brings over a bowl of fried dough pieces and sweet and sour dipping sauce. It is like the Chinese version of chips and salsa. The sweet and sour was so delicious, I could practically drink the stuff, and the dough chips were the perfect level of crispy. Somehow, it all disappeared very quickly…

The next endless part of the experience is the hot tea. Every lunch special (and dinner too) includes bottomless pots of hot tea. I love that, because tea is the best. I’m pretty sure I had at minimum nine cups. Good thing the cups are so small! We also had soup included in our lunch orders, I chose won ton while my friend ordered the egg drop. The soup was so tasty I wolfed it right down, and didn’t even get to take a picture… oops. Sorry, not sorry.

With menu items ranging from $1.50 to nearly $28 for the Peking Duck, there is something for everyone’s budget. Their lunch specials are quite reasonable at $6.50 or $6.95, and includes all you can drink hot tea, soup (won ton or egg drop), egg roll, and entree. Lunch is daily from 11:30 – 3:00.

I ordered the shrimp and broccoli, and funny story, my friend ordered the same thing. She got veggie fried rice, while I stuck with the included pork fried rice, and you can also choose steamed white rice. When the food came out, it smelled absolutely wonderful, and was a very generous portion size. You can see the plate was pretty much overflowing.

The brown sauce was perfect, lightly coating the shrimp and veg but not overpowering. There was a ton of flavor, but I didn’t feel as if I had licked a salt shaker while eating it, which is a good sign. The rice was springy and flavorful as well. The broccoli was steamed just right, soft enough but still with a slight crunch. And the shrimp were gigantic, with 5-6 big pieces per plate.

The owner came over to say hello while we were there and asked how our meals were. We of course said ‘absolutely wonderful’! My friend introduced me as a new frequent customer, and I have to say, she was right. With a distinctly mom-and-pop feel, attention to detail and attentive staff, very generous portions for a reasonable price, and amazing food that actually tastes like food and not something frozen and microwaved or doused in chemicals, I will definitely be returning here often! I’m glad to have finally given this hidden gem a try, and so should you.

Overall, I’d rate Wang’s Chinese Restaurant:

Taste: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Value: 9

You can read other reviews here:

Taste of Austin Part I (Austin, TX)
Taste of Austin Part II (Austin, TX)
Sue of Siam (Aurora, CO)
Pho Lee (Centennial, CO)
Little Owl Coffee (Denver, CO)
Three Sheets (New Haven, CT)
Sushi Palace (North Haven, CT)
O’Rourke’s Diner (Middletown, CT)

Comfort food, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Soups

Ham and White Bean Soup

November 19, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 2 Comments

As the days grow colder and shorter, sometimes there is nothing quite so amazing as a steaming bowl of soup. Soup is wonderful for so many reasons. You can easily sneak all kinds of healthy veggies and ingredients into soup. Soups are generally very kind to the budget, with frugal ingredients like beans and grains, and the ability to save about-to-expire produce. Soup feels good on a sore throat, and is mostly healthy (if broth based, not fatty/creamy).

And soup just tastes great.

This ham soup starts with a rich & nutritious broth made from the ham bones, but if you don’t have the time (or the bones) you can use pre-made stock as well. You can also substitute in any type of veggie you prefer, though I recommend sticking to about 2 cups of some sort of leafy green, and 1 cup of another harder veg for contrast.

Ingredients:

1 ham bone + 6-8 oz meat
2 large carrots
1/2 bunch kale
1 large can white beans, or 2 small cans
Optional: 2 tbsp chicken bouillon

Step 1: In a crock pot or stock pot, simmer the ham bone in enough water to cover for 8-12 hours, during the day or overnight. Strain the liquid, pull any remaining meat off the bone and shred it, and return it to the pot. Discard the bones.

Step 2: Bring the stock to a boil, and add the kale and carrots. Drain and rinse the beans to get rid of excess sodium and add to the pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until carrots soften.

Step 3: If needed, add in the bouillon. This soup seems simple, but the base is so flavorful from being stewed so long.

I suggest serving this with thick, soft Italian or multi-grain bread, and you may or may not want to shred some cheese over top. I added just a touch of Vermont white cheddar, and it was absolutely scrumptious! Even the fiancee, who just kind of tolerates soups, loved it and had seconds. If you’d like your soup a little thicker, add less water and mash up one of the cans of beans before adding it.

Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Informative, Vegan, Vegetarian

Green Tomato Salsa

November 17, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

When you have lots of green tomatoes and are tired of fried green tomatoes, what else can you do besides wait for them to ripen? You can turn a whole bunch of them into salsa! Red tomatoes shouldn’t have all the fun. Salsa is a classic condiment, and is great on tacos, eggs, in soups, or on chicken or pork. Green tomato salsa has a unique vegetal taste that red tomato salsa can’t match. And once you’ve made a big batch, you could can the rest and have it all year long! Or give them as cute, thrifty, from-the-heart gifts.

This recipe includes no added sugar, you instead get some sweetness from baking apples. If you require your salsa to be sweeter, you can add in a tablespoon or two. I’d recommend apple cider vinegar over white, but you can also use white vinegar. Add hot peppers to your own spice preference level too. Same goes for sea salt, if you want some salt in your salsa. I prefer my salsa as plain and clean as possible so I know what is in it and can adjust the meal as a whole later when I use it.

Ingredients:

10 pounds green tomatoes
2-3 large green apples
1 red onion
1 head garlic
2 green bell peppers
1 hot pepper (serrano, jalapeno…)
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Step 1: This step definitely takes the longest, but is fun. Rinse your tomatoes and other produce, and chop everything into small bite-size pieces. I just did them in rotating batches of lots of tomatoes, then half the onion, then one pepper, etc. until everything was chopped up. Put it all in a big stock pot.

Step 2: Put the heat on medium-high, and add the cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook for at least one hour. You can go do something else while this is cooking down, and could probably do it in a slow cooker as well.

Step 3: If you want certain spices/flavorings (like bay leaves, cumin, sea salt, cilantro, etc) add them here.

Step 4: To use a pressure canner, consult the instructions for your machine. To use water bath canning, same prep work. Sterilize your empty jars by running through a dish washer cycle and/or boiling in plain water 20 minutes.

Step 5: Fill each jar up to 1 – 1/2 inch from the rim. Wipe the rim clean, and place a lid and ring on it, tightening it (but not too tight, you need air to escape). Here I tried the Tattler re-useable jar lids for the first time!

Step 6: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and place the jars inside. Process the jars for about an hour. Adjust for your altitude if above sea level.

Step 7: Remove the jars to a towel, and let them sit, undisturbed, overnight or about 8 hours, to cool. The lids should “pop” tight and will not give or bounce when pressed. Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

Easy Stuffed Peppers

November 15, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Do you love meals that don’t take much work? Do you want to eat healthier? Do you want healthy meal ideas that don’t take much work? You’ve come to the right place!

This is a super simple meal I had at work during my “track every thing I eat week“. It took less than 10 minutes in the morning to put together, then I just let it cook in our small toaster oven at work for an hour. By lunchtime it was hot and ready to go! With no preservative, added fats or sugars, and all fresh produce from my or my neighbor’s garden, it doesn’t get much better.

You can of course use whatever produce you have available to you. Other pepper colors can be sweeter (for example, red bell peppers) and you can stuff just about any vegetable in there. You can also use other grains if you don’t like couscous, for example rice, barley, quinoa, or wheat germ.

Ingredients:

2 small bell peppers
1 large tomato
1/2 small eggplant
6 tbsp couscous
2 garlic cloves
8 tbsp hot water

Step 1: Cut the tops off the peppers and pull out the seeds. Cut in half and lay in an oven-safe container. Chop the eggplant and garlic, and cut the tomato into quarters.

Step 2: Pour 1 1/2 tbsp couscous into the pepper, mix with chopped garlic, and top with eggplant pieces. Add 2 tbsp hot water to each half to get the couscous soaking. If you want to add some ground turkey, go for it. Cover with the tomato slices.

Step 3: In an oven or toaster oven, cook on high (350) for about 1 hour. Add more water to each pepper half as needed.

This is a lovely, hands-off meal, just assemble and let it go. It is light and healthy but packed with flavor.

Comfort food, Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Pasta, Sneaky Healthy, Vegetarian

Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce

November 12, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Pasta sauce is one of my absolute favorite things to pack extra veggies into! Any time you have a sauce, chili, soup, or stew, is an excellent opportunity to be sneaky healthy. By blending things in, no one knows they are there, yet you are giving the people eating the meal extra doses of fiber and vitamins. There’s no reason not to!

The best things for blending in include beans, greens, and carrots. Beans thicken the sauce because of their natural fiber content. Greens may change the color a bit, so keep that in mind. And carrots provide a slight sweetness while not affecting the overall color very much. Keep in mind with carrots, you must cook them first so they soften before trying to blend them in, or juice them.

In this sauce, I went really bold and added some spinach as well as a half bag of frozen carrots and peas I had left from a previous meal. To this I added a full can of stewed tomatoes, and 1/2 cup milk. Simmering everything together makes it soften, and then if you have eaters that won’t tolerate chunks, pop half or all of it into a blender before serving.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen spinach, thawed
1 can stewed diced tomatoes
1/2 bag frozen carrots & peas
1/2 cup milk

Step 1: Thaw the spinach, and squeeze out extra water. Put in a pan with the peas and carrots, and cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until carrots have softened.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes and milk, and cook another few minutes. Puree in a blender. You can further cook it down to thicken the sauce, or serve as is.

I added some crumbled cooked bacon and sprinkled on Parmesan cheese, but if you serve as is this is a perfect vegetarian meal. You can see what I mean about the greens changing the color of the sauce. If that is a problem, just start with very small amounts of greens, maybe just a handful of spinach rather than the whole package.

The fusion of food, fun, frugality, and curiosity.