Category Archives: Comfort food

Breakfast, Comfort food, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe Review: Overnight Oatmeal from Oh She Glows

March 26, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

We all know by now that eating breakfast is a good idea. It gets your metabolism going, and should help keep you from eating everything in sight by 11am. Now, in an ideal world we would all love cooking, be world-class chefs, have a kitchen and pantry stocked with nutritious foods, be able to dedicate an hour every morning to whipping up filling, healthy delicacies, and have a personal dish-washer and house cleaner afterwards.

This is not how the real world works.

Many of you are decidedly *not* morning people, and the thought of heating up a frying pan or dicing veggies before three cups of coffee is repulsive. Many of you have children, and the idea that you will have more than ten free seconds to yourself is laughable. And many just don’t enjoy cooking, don’t want to wake up 20 minutes early to make time to cook, or for whatever reason just don’t want to cook a hot breakfast.

That is totally fine. I have a solution that is far healthier and easier on your wallet than running through a drive through and wasting $8 on a carb-heavy bagel, fatty cream cheese, and overpriced coffee that will just leave you with a mid-morning slump.

At the risk of giving away the secret, I’ll tell you: oatmeal.

Ok, cat’s out of the bag. For those of you who just thought “ugh, I refuse to eat gruel for breakfast”, stay with me.

Oats are a powerhouse food, containing the highest amounts of beta-glucan, a beneficial type of fiber, in any known grain. Beta glucan helps slow digestion, and lowers levels of the ‘bad’ cholesterol. This fiber also helps you feel full longer, by eating fewer calories. They also contain a bundle of trace minerals our bodies need for all sorts of functions.

The FDA claims oats can help lower risk of heart disease, and many publications back up that claim. The only caution against oats is that, although they do not contain gluten, they are often grown in the same fields or near other crops such as wheat or barley. Thus those who truly are gluten-intolerant should be cautious.

Anywhoodles, in order to up your oat consumption without feeling like the little kid from Charles Dickens eating his gruel, there are so many things you can do to spruce up a bowl of oatmeal. And making it yourself at home can also save you tons of money and loads of added calories, sweeteners, preservatives, thickeners, etc. over pre-packaged microwave oatmeal options.

The time-saving factor comes in when you try the recommendation of “Oh She Glows” blogger: overnight oatmeal.

Anyone who has tried using real, raw oats rather than the “instant” or “minute” stuff knows, it takes a looooooong time to cook. So by soaking the oats overnight in the refrigerator, problem solved! The oats are soft and ready to go, you just need to give it a quick blast of heat, then add toppings as desired.

My first go, I followed the recipe exactly. Since then, I’ve experimented with oodles of different toppings. I’ll tell you my current fave at the end of the post!

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
1-2 tbsp chia seeds
1/3-1/2 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup almond/soy milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp ground flax seed
Optional: cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, sea salt, nuts/seeds/dried fruit

Step 1: Mash your banana into a glass bowl. Add the oats, flax, and chia. Sprinkle on whatever spices you’re using: I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Step 2: Add the milk and water, and put it in the fridge overnight.

Step 3: Now, while you sleep, the oats and chia are soaking up the moisture and getting nice and soft.

Step 4: In the morning, add any other toppings you didn’t want to get too mushy, like dried fruits, nuts, or honey.

I added about 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder, dried prunes, and chopped up almonds for a chocolate-banana feel and a little crunch.

This is my oatmeal in the refrigerator, working its magic.

All toppings added and mixed, ready to heat!

Step 5: Just pop your bowl in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or an oven set to 350 for 8-10 minutes, and enjoy!

Since I’ve tried every nut, fruit, and spice I could get my hands on, my favorite combo so far is:

1/3 c oats
1 tsp chia seeds
4-5 dried prunes
4-5 dried dates
1 tbsp golden raisins
1 tbsp almond butter
Sprinkle of cinnamon

The dates have such a unique flavor, and the combination of dried fruits lends such a sweetness to the finished product. The almond butter gives it a nice burst of flavor too. I cut back on chia and got rid of the flax, because the original recipe was a little too… chewy for my taste. After all, people use flax or chia and water as an egg substitute, so they do make a bit of a gel-like texture.

Your ideal bowl may be something different, mix it up depending on your tastes, what you have available, and any allergies/sensitivities. But this is a quick, super easy, and economical way to start any day off right!

Comfort food, Healthy, Informative, Main Dishes

How to health-ify pizza

March 8, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love pizza? Chewy dough, crispy crust, tangy sauce, myriad toppings. I adore pizza in all its many forms. Deep dish, thin crust, stuffed crust, veggie, pockets, rolls.

The problem is that chain pizza is really not healthy. We all know this. Mountains of cheese, grease that literally drips from each slice, fatty processed meats as the most popular toppings, and dough made with bleached white flour.

However, most people do not want to make a cauliflower crust, with ground flax and chia seed, all-veggie pizza with no sauce and kale.

There must be some middle ground.

Turns out there is! Good news, you can have you pie and eat it too. (Pizza pie that is) If you really have a craving, go ahead and order that $5 hot and ready. But every little step you take to healthify it will contribute to your long-term overall health.

Simply start with the addition of 1 cup of vegetables to your meal every day, and your body will thank you. It’s easier than you think!

Besides adding good stuff, you can also cut down on the not-so-good stuff. Try one step each time, and see which suit your tastes. Over time, your taste buds will become used to less and less fat and salt, and will come to appreciate new flavors.

Here are some tips:

Ask for half the amount of cheese, or no cheese at all
Opt for vegetable toppings like mushroom, onion, and spinach rather than bacon, sausage, or pepperoni
Make pizza at home with store-bought or preferably from scratch dough and fresh vegetables (a great way to clean the fridge!)
Just have one slice, and add a bowl of soup or salad to the meal
Buy a plain pizza (which will save you money too) and top with your own grilled vegetables at home
- Topping ideas: wilted spinach, steamed kale, red bell peppers, sliced onions, banana peppers, microwaved sweet potato slices, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, squash, tomatoes

Do you have any ideas of your own on how to health-ify pizza?

Comfort food, Crock pot, Healthy, Main Dishes, Slow cooker, Sneaky Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian

Three Bean Vegan Chili

February 24, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 2 Comments

Chili is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods. It couldn’t be easier to put together, just throw all the ingredients in a crock pot and let it do the heavy lifting while you go to work, school, travel, write, hike, shop, whatever you do all day. Then come home to a hot, delicious, healthy meal that makes the whole house smell divine.

This is seriously the most perfect cold-weather dinner of all time.

White Bean Chicken Chili is definitely on my top ten for Crock Pot meals, but since I’ve been on a bit of a vegan kick lately, I wanted to make a chili with no meat or animal products that was equally delicious and satisfying. And that’s exactly what I did, and you can too!

Don’t tell those you serve that it’s vegan, and they likely won’t even know.

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes (with green chilis if you want kick)
1 small can tomato paste
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can white cannellini beans
4 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin powder

Step 1: Open all the cans, and pour directly into the crock pot. Leave the tomato juice, but if you want to drain and rinse the beans to cut down on extra sodium, you totally can.

Step 2: Cook in crock pot on low 6-8 hours, or high 2-4 hours. That’s it! Other addition you could make: chickpeas, really any other type of bean, crushed garlic, diced onion, carrots, celery, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomato juice, tomato sauce, hot sauce…

I made a batch of corn bread using Jiffy mix and a can of corn to serve with the chili. Yes, the carnivore had to add a handful of cheese, but progress is progress. Baby steps.

Since this makes a crap-ton of chili, some ideas to use up the remainder include chili cheese dogs, chili mac n cheese, and topping baked potatoes with a scoop for a filling meal or snack.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:9]

Comfort food, Healthy, Snacks

Stovetop Popcorn

February 3, 2015 BudgetEpicurean 2 Comments

As a certified popcorn addict, I can tell you that this stuff is like crack, only a hundred million times better and healthier. Bagged microwave popcorn can’t hold a candle to this. Just try it once, and you are likely hooked for life. Fair warning.

Popcorn is also a healthy snack option. As a whole grain, it is after all just a kernel of corn, it delivers about 2 g fiber per 3 cups popped, and contains more antioxidants than some kinds of vegetables. You do have to watch the amount of extras though, have a light hand with the oil or use an air popper, and don’t drown the popcorn in salt (like I do) if you’re watching your sodium.

You will need a large metal pot that you are okay with becoming “the popcorn pot”. I kid you not, my mother and I both have one, and popcorn is the only thing allowed to be cooked in this pot. It is that special, people.

To watch the video on my stovetop popcorn step-by-step how to, click HERE or scroll to the bottom of the page.

Ingredients:

Step 1: Put the oil, kernels, and salt in the popcorn pot. Swirl it around so that the kernels are evenly distributed in a thin layer.

Step 2: Put the stove to medium heat, and try hard to wait patiently. When you begin to hear the “plink” of corn popping, you can occasionally swirl the pot around to keep popped kernels from burning and mix it all up.

Once you don’t hear any popping for a count of 5-10, your popcorn is ready! Be careful when you remove the lid, there will be steam. Pour into a large bowl and dive in. Best piping hot from the stove.

You can then dress up your popcorn (not that it needs it, I can eat my weight in this stuff) with a whole slew of toppings. Try adding spices like Cajun spice mix, nuts or dried fruits, topping with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, or tossing with some candies and melted chocolate (very cute as a Christmas gift in a tin).

Comfort food, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Split Pea, Lentil, & Potato Soup

January 18, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

As the weather turns foul and temperatures drop, I find myself craving thick, hearty, hot soups. There is nothing quite so cozy as sitting on the couch in slippers and PJs with a steaming bowl of goodness while the wind blows, and perhaps the snow falls.

One of my all-time favorite soup bases is the humble potato. Potatoes are so delicious and go well with just about anything, with no super-strong flavor of their own. I’ve previously shared my addictive Loaded Baked Potato Soup and copycat Zuppa Toscana recipes, both of which are sure to please.

One night, with three baked potatoes in my refrigerator and a small bag of split peas in the pantry I’d picked up on a whim, I decided to make the ultimate cold weather comfort soup.

I didn’t want just split pea soup, mostly because I didn’t have a lot of them and I also didn’t have a ham bone. All the recipes say use a ham bone.

So potatoes were the chosen base. I put on a pot of water, and threw them in first. Then I dumped my little bag of peas in, and it still seemed to need something. One more thing.

I looked over on my counter, where I keep several jars (just like these square glass stackable jars) of bulk ingredients that I buy whenever I’m at sprouts and feel adventurous. I especially love pretty colored things. And there it was, the perfect missing ingredient.

Orange Lentils.

You can of course use brown or green lentils as well. With some kale from the fridge and other spices, this turned into a thick, hearty, dreamy soup.

And as a bonus, it is accidentally vegan! But trust me when I say it is so completely delicious. You may crave it all winter long. You’ve been warned.

Ingredients:

3 small baked potatoes
2/3 cup green split peas
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup torn kale
1 tbsp dried onion
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp garlic salt

Step 1: In a sauce pot, throw in diced baked potato, peas, and lentils. Cover with water, plus about 1 inch. If your potatoes aren’t cooked yet, boil those for 15 minutes before adding the other legumes.

Step 2: After boiling about 10-15 minutes, add in the kale and seasonings. Stir well, and continue to simmer another 10 minutes or so. The longer you simmer the soup, the more the ingredients will fall apart.

If you don’t like chunks, you can certainly use an immersion blender or a regular blender in batches to create a puree. But I liked the slightly chunky potato and the still-detectable little peas and lentils.

This soup is so incredible, I ended up having it three meals in a row.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:4]

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Comfort food, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

Red Beans & Rice

January 8, 2015 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

A long-standing frugal classic, Red Beans & Rice is claimed to have originated in Louisianna. History says that this dish was typical of Monday nights, because Monday was wash day. Laundry was once a very time and labor intensive task, with water to boil, hand-scrubbing each piece of clothing, wringing it out, and hanging it to dry on a line.

This meant little to no time to also cook a complicated meal. Since Sundays were traditionally a ham, the leftover ham bone would be simmered with the beans slowly all day. With the trifecta of veggies (celery, onion, and bell pepper) and some seasonings (garlic, sage, thyme, and/or bay leaf) it is then served over white rice for a simple, cheap, yet hearty meal.

Sometimes sausage is added into the beans, or at the end of cooking, and sometimes pork chops are cooked on the side. Though usually cooked using a ham bone, sausage, and/or bacon grease for flavoring, it is very easy to make vegetarian or vegan. I used some of my home-canned beans for this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked beans or 1 1/2 cup dry
1/4 red onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1/4 bell pepper
2 sticks celery
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 bay leaves
Green onion
Optional: black pepper and/or hot sauce
Optional: 1/2 cup sliced sausage or ham

Step 1: Chop the onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper very small. Put in a pan with the olive oil, and cook on medium heat 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: If you want to use sausage or ham, now is the time you can add it to the pan and cook it until no longer pink. If you want it to be vegetarian, feel free to not include sausage.

Step 3: Either using canned beans, or pre-soaked and cooked beans, add to the pot with the veggies. Add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1-2 hours.

Step 4: Add the bay leaves and 1 tsp black pepper to the pot. Simmer another hour.

Step 5: This is optional, but will make your beans much creamier. Take out 1/4 to half the beans, and put into a blender with some cooking liquid. (You can do this before you add them to the pot so you are sure to not include any sausage bits).

Step 6: Add the blended beans back into the pot. This thickens the liquid considerably. Mix well and heat through.

Step 7: Remove the bay leaves, cook up a batch of white rice, and serve with some chopped green onion or chives on top.

This meal is super hearty and will fill you up for hours. It also costs just a few cents per serving, especially if you can your own beans and grow your own green onion.

Comfort food, Holidays, Informative

Creative Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

November 30, 2014 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Since Thanksgiving was already a few days ago, you readers may be tired of turkey sandwiches by now. Or perhaps you went to a potluck and didn’t get saddled with 10 pounds of leftovers, but want to take advantage of steeply discounted holiday foods at the store. Either way, this list of leftover options is sure to help empty that fridge to make room for more culinary masterpieces!

First of all, Peter at Feed Your Soul 2 has already made a handy list for his Friday Five collection all about Thanksgiving Leftovers. And if you’d like a super simple casserole recipe to use up all the leftovers in one delicious swoop, try Jeanette’s Layered Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole.

The Turkey

The golden centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, the turkey is a classic. And with the deals offered this time of year (0.50 per pound, what?!) you can’t pass that up. Even if you just scooped up an extra on sale and now it’s in your freezer, these recipes are great for using up that extra fowl.

From Gina’s Skinny Recipes, we start our day with a Turkey & Sweet Potato Frittata. You know I’m a huge fan of frittatas for their adaptability and ease. See the ham section.

If you shred up the turkey meat, you can easily replace chicken for this south-of-the-border Meat & Cheese Enchiladas

Likewise, just replace the shredded chicken with shredded turkey in this White Bean Chicken Chili for a new twist

From Southern Living, try some Turkey Tostadas with Cranberry Chipotle Sauce for a double whammy

For a long list of 16 more amazing turkey recipes from around the food blog-o-sphere, check out This List Here.

The Ham

A classic for a reason, Scalloped Ham & Potatoes is a delightful comfort food great for using up both ham and extra potatoes that didn’t get mashed.

As the turkey frittata above mentioned, I love putting anything into scrambled eggs, like this Ham & Greens Frittata

Your Home Based Mom has a great list of tried and true recipes her family loves for using leftover ham

On a chilly winter day, try this comfort food classic of Ham & Potato Soup from All She Cooks. You might even be able to sneak in some leftover mashed potatoes to score a double

The Potatoes

For adorable, portable snacks little ones and grown-ups alike will love, make these Cheesy Mashed Potato Puffs from The Kitchn

This is a simply brilliant recipe from the One Ingredient Chef: Vegan Lentil & Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Try whipping up a loaf of easier-than-you-think Sweet Potato Bread

Potatoes are a great base for latkes, and you could use any other filler in there, including turkey meat. Or switch it up from fowl and pork and try my Salmon Latkes

Stuffing/Dressing

Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, made by hand or from a Stove-Top box, Thanksgiving is incomplete without the starchy side dish. If you have a bowl or three in your fridge, try some of the recipes below to revamp your bread bits.

While there are ten great leftover recipes in this post by Trisha, the Stuffing Waffles are by far the most intriguing to me!

Pull off a dinner-party worthy main dish with little effort with my Stuffing-Stuffed Pork Chops

Try this triple-threat of Turkey, Mashed Potato & Stuffing Patties from the Pocket Change Gourmet

Half Hour Meals has a great list of 7 ways to use stuffing ranging from stuffed mushrooms to meatloaf

Cranberry sauce

There are tons of ideas out there, I’ve been seeing lots of versions of the Cranberry-Grilled Cheese this year. Here’s a great list of 9 different cranberry ideas, I particularly like mixing it into plain cream cheese as a different and delicious bagel topping!

Brittany Angell has a gigantic list of 35 Ways to Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce with a plethora of ideas that might inspire you to use cranberry sauce year-round

Green Bean Casserole

Kevin here put together this Green Bean Casserole Pasta on the fly, but it is brilliant and the cream sauce just kind of works. Must try.

Similarly Greta puts leftover roasted Brussels sprouts in pasta and claims even kids will eat it!

Chef Pete brings us a Turkey, Green Bean & Stuffing Strudel, as well as a “Thanksgiving Cosmo” drink recipe for excess Cranberry Sauce

Of course, if you are tired of cooking at this point and just can’t summon the energy to re-purpose those leftovers, the classic Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich will do.

Keep in mind that many of these freeze well, so if you just can’t face the gallon of cranberry sauce or two pounds of turkey breast, stick it in a freezer safe plastic bag or container and wait out the holidays. Perhaps a cranberry brownie will sound better in February, or by Easter you can use up those ham chunks.

Hope all my readers had a delicious and thankful Thanksgiving this year!

What do you do with leftovers?

Comfort food, Main Dishes, Sneaky Healthy

Blender chili

November 23, 2014 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

I know, the title of the post has you doubtful already. But stick with me, this will be the healthiest chili your husband/kids/friends/you ever ate without knowing it!

One of my all-time favorite ways to sneak healthy veggies into foods without detection is by juicing or blending them. This removes the physical give-away chunks that usually trigger the “ew” factor. You can get people to eat all kinds of yummies if they don’t know it’s there! I won’t tell if you don’t.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or turkey (omit for vegetarians)
1 can diced tomato
2 cans kidney beans (or any kind)
2 large carrots
2 sticks celery
1 cup leafy greens; spinach or kale
1-2 cans tomato sauce
2 tbsp garlic salt
6 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp black pepper
Sriracha to taste

Step 1: In a large pan, cut up the celery and carrots. Cover with water, and bring to a boil. You will blend these once cooked.

Step 2: Brown the ground beef or turkey if using. Drain the excess fat.

Step 3: Once the carrots are soft when poked with a fork (9-15 minutes) strain and add the carrots, celery, leafy greens, and one can of beans to a blender. Blend on high until completely liquid. This preserves the vitamins as well as fiber content from your veggies while masking the flavors. Add more water if needed while blending.

Step 4: Add the other whole can of beans to the meat, along with the diced tomatoes (best with green chilies for extra heat!) and the tomato sauce.

Step 5: Add in the veggie-licious paste and mix well. Sprinkle on the spices, mix, and taste test. Add more of whatever is needed to please the palate.

And there you have it! Super nutrient-packed chili that will still taste great and stick to your ribs. Delicious served with hot fresh cornbread, or over spaghetti like cincinnati chili.

Comfort food, Dessert

Easy Apple Crumble

November 6, 2014 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts! Apples are in abundance in the fall, but readily available all year round. So there is no excuse not to make this often.

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds apples
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup oats
1 stick butter
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp nutmeg

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, and half the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Step 2: Melt the butter, and mix that in to form a crumbly dough.

Step 3: Slice up all the apples. You can peel them first, or leave the peel on. I like leaving the peel on for extra nutrients and texture.

Step 4: Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon & nutmeg and a little sugar over the apple slices. Layer them in a sprayed pie pan or 8×8 pan.

Step 5: Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until top is nicely browned and apples are soft and bubbly.

This makes your whole house smell amazing, and it just delicious! Make one today for yourself, your family, friends, a dinner party… and watch everyone fall all over themselves telling you how delicious it was and asking for the recipe.

It is also even better served hot with ice cream on top!

Share some apple-cinnamon love this holiday season. Enjoy!

Comfort food, Crock pot, Finances, Healthy, Main Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Stuffed Bell Peppers – SNAP meal

September 25, 2014 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

This is the first dinner I cooked during my week of the SNAP Challenge. I love stuffed bell peppers, and I usually make them with ground beef. Though I have had some success with vegetarian stuffed peppers in the past.

Given the already high and rising cost of meat, I knew I’d have to take a vegetarian route to keep these in budget. Swapping in lentils for the beef keeps this recipe high in protein content, and lowers the fat, while keeping the core tastes and hunger-crushing properties of the meal intact.

Ingredients:

2 green bell peppers (use any color)
1/2 cup rice
1/3 cup lentils
1 small can tomato sauce
Garlic salt

Step 1: If you have a rice cooker, you can cook the lentils and rice together in it. If not, simmer the rice and lentils in a sauce pot with 2 1/2 cups water for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Mix the cooked rice and lentils with the can of tomato sauce.

Step 3: Cut the top off the pepper and pull out the seeds. Stuff the mixture inside, adding as much garlic salt as you like.

Step 4: Bake the peppers in an oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until soft. Alternatively you could microwave each pepper, covered, for 8-10 minutes to soften. Another option is to put the stuffed peppers in a crock pot on low for 1-2 hours.

Serve as a meal, or with a baked potato or salad on the side.

I ended up eating one pepper for dinner, and the other for lunch the next day. They are quite filling, and delicious! Pretty healthy for you as well. Vegan, vegetarian, and you can make it gluten-free if you substitute in quinoa or another gluten-free grain for the rice.

For approximately $0.84 per serving, you can’t do much better!

**UPDATE: All SNAP Meal Recipes listed below:

Budget Epicurean

Category Archives: Comfort food

Recipe Review: Overnight Oatmeal from Oh She Glows

How to health-ify pizza

Three Bean Vegan Chili

Stovetop Popcorn

Split Pea, Lentil, & Potato Soup

Red Beans & Rice

Creative Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Blender chili

Easy Apple Crumble

Stuffed Bell Peppers – SNAP meal

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