Category Archives: Healthy

Breakfast, Comfort food, Healthy, Less than 5, Vegetarian

Peach Oatmeal with Kefir

March 20, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Some of you reading this may be thinking “what in the heck is kefir“?, and, “How do you pronounce that?”, or maybe, “Oatmeal is awful boring goop.”

Well, I have heard it pronounced both “kef-eer” and “keef-er” and I don’t have a strong opinion on which is correct. If anyone knows for sure feel free to comment below. But call it whatever you want, what it is a superfood that has many proven health benefits of kefir supported by research. It is essentially fermented milk.

Now, before you go all “ewww, fermented stuff is gross!” hear me out. This is a drink which has been around for many many years, used by different herding cultures and passed down through the ages. Many peoples mostly lived on milk from their herds as they were nomadic, and they would store milk in leather pouches for days at a time. This would gradually ferment into a sour, thicker, yogurt-like liquid that they could store even longer. These people were known for their health and vigor. “Elie Metchnikoff, a Nobel-prize winning biologist at the Pasteur Institute, first suggested that lactobacilli might counteract the putrefactive effects of gastrointestinal metabolism in 1908. ” (source)

The fermented milk would contain chunks of symbiotic cultures of various lactobacilli (a type of bacteria), yeasts, and other microorganisms which are useful for healthy digestion. For those with a scientific curiosity: “Microorganisms present in the grains include lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lb delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lb helveticus, Lb casei subsp. pseudoplantarum and Lb brevis, a variety of yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces, Torulopsis, and Saccharomyces, acetic acid bacteria among others. ” (source)

Kefir has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It’s been used in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, and allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, candidiasis, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease. It may also help restore a better balance to the gut flora, alleviating conditions such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating. Many lactos-intolerant people also find they are able to drink kefir without difficulty, as the fermentation breaks down much of the problematic sugars in the milk. If you’re interested, feel free to read about the differences between kefir and yogurt .

In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Among these small health benefits are: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D, and many amino acids. In particular, tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves due to this and other salts important for a healthy nervous system.

So now that I’ve hopefully convinced you to give kefir a chance, how do you get it into your diet? Well, of course one option is to just eat/ drink it as if it were yogurt, as a snack or part of a meal. You can also use it like milk and pour over cereals for breakfast. You can whip it up into a smoothie just as you would with water or milk. Or you can try this delicious recipe to make Kefir Oatmeal!

Ingredients:

1/2 can of peaches (in juice or water, not syrup, or home canned)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp – 1/4 cup kefir
Optional: Sprinkle of cinnamon

Step 1: Pour the oats and water into a bowl with the peaches, and microwave on high about 3 minutes. You can also cook this in a slow cooker on low overnight, or simmer on the stove top for 5-7 minutes. Feel free to use any type of fruit you have and like here, frozen berries work well, as do bananas, pears, cherries, or apples.

Step 2: Sprinkle on some cinnamon if using, stir well. Let the oatmeal sit and soak for a few minutes. When it is cooled enough that you can put your finger in it and not get burned, add the kefir and mix it in. (You don’t want to boil alive all the healthy micro organisms we just talked about!)

You can also make this at night, and let it sit at room temperature, covered, overnight for some extra fermentation. You will get great digestive benefits from both the whole grain oats and fiber as well as the beneficial bacteria. Add more or less kefir to your own tastes based on how sour you like it. If you absolutely must, you can add in some maple syrup or honey, but I like it just plain as is. Enjoy!

Beverage, Breakfast, Healthy, Informative, Less than 5

Green Tea Matcha Latte

March 15, 2016 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

Now, I know matcha powder has been around in culinary circles for a long time, being used in everything from baked goods to ice cream to beverages. And it has been around long before that in Japan as a highly antioxidant-rich drink of choice. Matcha goes back many centuries in China and Japan, where it was first made as dehydrated and crushed bricks of tea leaves for storage and travel. Zen Bhuddists drank this tea in a ceremony prior to afternoon meditations, and found it enabled them greater clarity and sustained energy unlike anything before.

Powdered tea was made in very small batches, such that the expense meant only royalty could enjoy it. However, a new harvesting method soon enabled more efficient processing, and as the price became more affordable matcha became available to the public. By the 16th century, all levels of people took part it drinking tea and tea ceremonies to some extent. To learn more about how to make the perfect cup of matcha green tea, and for a brand review and comparison, check out this site.

Many claim matcha is a great replacement for coffee because it is so high in antioxidants, yet still packs quite a punch, as one teaspoon of matcha contains 70 mg of caffeine (approximately the equivalent of a half a cup of coffee, which typically contains about 160 mg). If you make or order a “koika” or “thick tea” this is made with twice the amount of matcha powder, and thus twice the caffeine content. A high quality matcha powder will be bright green, and smell earthy and complex. This is a fun drink to serve up for St. Patrick’s Day, or the day after when caffeine is maybe needed…

This recipe is a very simple one, which you could easily make at home, bleary eyed first thing in the morning. Which is great, because that is when I made it! I chose to use vanilla flavored milk, you could also use a vanilla bean or vanilla flavoring, or try something else like mint leaves or peppermint extract. Or you can leave your latte plain and savor the complex flavors of the matcha. I also used one medjool date as my sweetener, try agave nectar or pure maple syrup for something different.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon quality matcha powder
1 medjool date, pitted
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup almond or soy milk
Optional: use flavored milk, or add the seeds from one vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla flavoring

Step 1: Put the water in a small sauce pan with the cut up, pitted date and bring to a boil. This just softens the date in order to make it blend more easily. Pour the hot water into the blender and blend on high for 30-45 seconds.

Step 2: Add the milk to the sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add the teaspoon of matcha to the blender.

Step 3: Add the hot milk, and blend together for 30-60 seconds to make it nice and frothy. You can of course whisk it instead, purists use a bamboo whisk, but I am far too lazy for that. 😉

Step 4: Pour into a mug, and enjoy! The blender makes a light, bubbly layer on top, and enables the incorporation of the date. It would be much harder to crush it up yourself, so if you are using a whisk you should probably use a different, liquid sweetener. This is best enjoyed immediately, still steaming from the stove.

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Casseroles, Comfort food, Healthy, Holidays, Informative, Main Dishes

Irish Colcannon

March 13, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Happy <nearly> St. Patrick’s Day! Can you even believe it is already almost time! For me it seems like the year is flying by, as it usually does. The East Coast had a glimpse of spring and all its sunny, 60-degree glory, followed by chilly weather again. Those daydreams of warm soil, hot sunshine, and tiny green buds and leaves poking up bravely into the world are becoming closer and closer to real.

Whether you make this tonight, or use leftover potatoes and cabbage later, this is a delicious and filling meal that everyone will love, regardless of heritage.

Ingredients:

1 head of red or green cabbage
1.5-2 pounds potatoes
1 pound ground beef
1/2 stick butter (or 1/4 cup oil of choice)
1/2 cup milk (or water, or stock)
Salt & Pepper
Optional: 1/2 an onion, diced; garlic salt

Step 1: Dice the potatoes into cubes, you can use any kind. I leave the skins on because that is where the majority of the nutrients and minerals are found, but you could peel them. Cut out the hard core of the cabbage, and shred the head or cut into thin strips.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the potatoes. Simmer for at least 25-30 minutes, until soft when poked with a fork.

Step 3: In a large covered pot, add the cut up cabbage with a few tbsp water or stock (or wine, or vinegar) and heat over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, until cabbage becomes soft and translucent. If using onions, add at this time too.

Step 4: In a large pan, brown the ground beef (or chicken, or turkey, or pork). Drain off the excess fats. You can use the same pan if you remove the cabbage. Add the cooked softened cabbage back in.

Step 5: Drain the potatoes, and mash it up to your desired consistency, whether totally smooth or with chunks. Add the butter and milk (or other liquids) and mix well.

Step 6: Add the mashed potatoes to the pot with cabbage and ground beef and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

That’s all there is to it! Three classic mainstays of Irish cooking, cabbage, potatoes, and meat, together in one happy marriage. Serve with gravy if desired. If you are clever about cooking order, you can make this all in one pot too. This makes a huge amount, so be sure you have plenty of people to share it with or will eat it over time. You can of course halve or quarter the recipe as needed.

Comfort food, Healthy, Informative, Main Dishes, Side dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mixed Winter Vegetables

February 23, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Towards the end of February, it seems like nothing will ever grow again, and a juicy summer tomato is but a dream. Most Americans just go to the supermarket and buy whatever exotic fruits or produce they are craving with no regards to whence it came, how many miles it has traveled, or how the nutrients have been degraded by early harvest and long travel time between dirt and plate.

I strongly encourage those yearning for the warmer days of spring where every corner bursts with greenery to make use of the oft-neglected seasonal produce. Try searching Local Harvest for farmers markets near you. Root crops store so well, while cold-tolerant crops are appearing in local markets. If you are lucky you may even have farmers with greenhouses or cold hoops that grow tender baby greens and lettuces.

Many people cannot name 5 produce items that are in season any time of the year other than mid-summer, and maybe not even then. During the coldest, bleakest times of winter it is especially hard to think of produce actually being able to withstand the harsh temperatures. But in New England, there are tons of vegetables that you can find for mere pennies at the local markets, including: carrots, fingerling potatoes, beets (red and gold), rutabaga, squash, parsnips, turnips, radishes, leeks, onions, Brussels sprouts, baby micro-greens, spinach, kale, collards, and mushrooms.

This recipe makes a large meal for one, or side dish for two. Feel free to mix up the vegetable content based on what you have available right now and what you like. But if you are wary of these produce types, just try one and see how you like it. You never know when you may fall in love with the sweetness of a golden beet, the carrot-like texture of parsnips, or the nuances of various radish strains.

Ingredients:

1 parsnip
1 leek
1 carrot
2 garlic cloves
2 green onion
1 small potato
3-4 small beets
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

Step 1: Cut the tops and bottoms off of your produce, and dice into chunks or slices. Add the olive oil & lemon to a frying pan, and add all the vegetables. Cover tightly, and steam 5-10 minutes. Stir up the veggies, cover, and steam another 10 minutes or so. You want the heat low enough that it will slowly caramelize the sugars in the vegetables, not burn them.

Step 2: Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Either serve alone or on the side with a meat and salad. I enjoyed mine with some roasted chicken, baby greens, and homemade sauerkraut on top. It is so simple, yet so wonderfully tasty!

Breads, Breakfast, Eggs, Healthy, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

Mediterranean Breakfast Sandwich

February 18, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

…

Though this sandwich does involve eggs, I hesitate to call it a “breakfast sandwich” because it would taste amazing any time of day. Like my other recipes with Mediterranean in the title (such as my Mediterranean Meatloaf Muffins, Stuffed Mushroom Caps, Cashew Chicken, Vegetable Panini, or Chicken & Couscous), this recipe uses lots of healthy veggies, mostly bell peppers and avocado. You could easily substitute or add in eggplants, zucchini, any type of olives, greens, or caramelized onions too.

Recipe makes 2 large sandwiches. You can also turn these into wraps, or serve in a lettuce leaf, if you are avoiding carbs.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1/2 jar roasted red bell peppers
1 fresh avocado
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
4 slices wheat bread
2 slices cheese

Step 1: In a frying pan, heat the olive oil to sizzling. Crack the eggs in, and fry 2-3 minutes, until whites are cooked.

Step 2: Flip the egg once all the whites have cooked. Take the roasted peppers and add those to the pan. The longer you cook the egg, the more solid and less runny the yolks become.

Step 3: Once the eggs are cooked and peppers are heated through, place one egg and 1-2 pieces of pepper onto each of 2 slices of bread.

Step 4: On two other slices of bread, add the cheese slice and half of the avocado. Press the two halves of each sandwich together.

Step 5: If you need to, add 1 more tbsp olive oil. Put the sandwiches into the pan, and cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides, until nice and browned and the cheese is melty.

Slice the sandwiches in half, and enjoy!

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Finances, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Salads, Side dishes, Vegetarian

Mandarin-Cherry Tuna Salad

February 16, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

For a quick, healthy lunch, tuna salad is always a go-to. Pretty much all you need is a can or pouch of tuna and some lemon juice, but there are infinite ways you can spruce it up.

For example:

Add a chopped hard boiled egg
Toss in diced celery
Shred up some carrots
Add chunks of apple
Spoon in a few tbsp of relish
Hot sauce!

And many more options, as creative as your mind can dream up. This particular recipe came about because the baby oranges were on sale, and we needed to use some up before they dried out and became inedible. Oranges go great with tuna, but I wanted just a little bit more to round out the flavor. Dried cherries were just the thing. Feel free to use raisins or cranberries if that is what you have.

Ingredients:

1 can or pouch of tuna, drained
1 small orange (or 1/2 can mandarin orange slices)
1 tbsp dried cherries (or cranberries or raisins)
1 tbsp mayo or miracle whip
1 tsp lemon juice or cider vinegar
1-2 cups chopped greens, or a wrap, or 2 slices of bread

Step 1: Open and drain a can of tuna, mix in a bowl with the mayo and lemon juice. Add in the cherries.

Step 2: Either wrap it up, make it into a sandwich, or serve it over a salad, topped with the orange slices. Season to taste and enjoy!

Healthy, Salads, Side dishes, Vegetarian

Napa Cabbage & Roasted Beet Slaw

February 14, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

…
Happy Valentine’s Day dear readers!

Hopefully you have someone or many someones close to you to celebrate with this weekend. Valentine’s Day of course causes some polarizing feelings, based on what your relationship status is it seems. But there are more types of love than romantic love. Try taking today to celebrate all your loved ones, including your family, your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, and even random strangers. Everyone could use a hug or a smile or a kind word.

For Valentine’s Day recipes to impress, try:

If you want to try impressing your loved one(s) with a home-cooked meal but feel daunted, try searching my “less than 5” section for recipes that take less than 5 minutes, less than 5 ingredients, or less than 5 dollars to make.

This recipe is a light, easy slaw using ingredients that are around in February: cabbage, carrots, and beets. Dried cherries or cranberries and honey sweeten it up, while apple cider vinegar & lemon juice gives it pucker power. And the beets give it a lovely pink color!

Ingredients:

1/4 large cabbage
1 large carrot
2 medium beets
1 tbsp dried cherries or cranberries
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Step 1: Cut the tops off the beets, place in an oven-safe sprayed pan and roast at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until tender when pricked with a fork. Dice or shred the cabbage into small strips. You will need about 3-4 cups, but can halve or double the recipe as needed.

Step 2: Julienne the carrots or shred them. (Julienne means essentially cut into very thin strips like matchsticks). When the beets are soft, let cool enough to handle and then cut them into thin strips as well.

Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, beets, and dried cherries or cranberries.

Step 4: In a smaller bowl, combine the oil, honey, lemon, and vinegar and whisk until well combined.

Step 5: Pour the liquid over the vegetables in the bowl. Add some salt & pepper to taste.

Step 6: Mix everything well to coat, and refrigerator for 1 hour up to 2 weeks.

The liquid mixed with the beets turns a nice red-pink color. This slaw is super healthy, and tastes great on its own or slathered onto sandwiches or hot dogs. You can also pickle it by adding slightly more vinegar to cover in a bowl or jar, and leaving it out at room temperature for 4-7 days. Then put on a lid and put it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

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Have a healthy, happy Valentine’s Day!

Breakfast, Eggs, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Side dishes, Vegetarian

Eggs in a Green Nest

February 11, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

One of the hardest hurdles when transitioning to healthier eating, at least for the majority of people, is eating leafy greens. We all know that leafy greens are the healthiest things out there. They contain tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They cost us next to zero calories to consume. Greens are full of digestible and indigestible fiber to keep your digestive system strong and healthy.

So why do they taste so bad?

Foods which to us taste bitter have an array of compounds in them that naturally protect the delicate leaves from insects who would love to snack at the salad bar of nature. It is these compounds which tend to be so beneficial for our health. Unfortunately, humans usually dislike the bitter taste at first. Fortunately, you can re-train your taste buds to enjoy bitter, and there are many cooking techniques to make bitter foods more palatable.

Adding small amounts of high quality fat like olive oil, or a sour taste like vinegar or lemon juice, can help temper the bitterness of greens. Sea salt or other salty sources like hard cheeses also helps mask the harsher flavors and draw out the sweeter notes. My recipe for simply sauteed power greens uses these techniques to create a delicious side dish that even most greens-haters can enjoy.

In this simple breakfast recipe, I combine those techniques with fresh eggs for a superstar breakfast that is ready in under 10 minutes, packed with vitamins and nutrients and protein, and will keep you happy and full all morning long. Enjoy over some brown rice or with whole wheat toast for a well rounded meal.

Ingredients:

1-2 fresh organic eggs, if possible
1 large bunch greens (kale, collards, mustard greens, etc) or a mixture of greens to make about 1 – 1 1/2 cups
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp hard, salty cheese such as Parmesan
Optional: 1-2 slices wheat bread or 1/2 cup brown rice

Step 1: Rinse your greens to remove any dirt, and slice into thin strips or shred by hand. Add the oil to the pan, then the greens, and drizzle with lemon juice. Cover with a lid, and steam the greens for 5-7 minutes. Optional: you can add a chopped clove or two of garlic

Step 2: Mix the greens, they should be bright and slightly wilted now. Use a spoon or spatula to make a small indent in the pile of greens, and crack an egg into the hole. Cover again, and steam for another 5-7 minutes. The longer you cook the egg, the more well-done the yolk becomes. 5-7 minutes will leave it slightly runny, as in above photo.

Once the egg is cooked to your desired done-ness, remove to a plate and serve! I sprinkled a little hard cheese over the egg, which gives it the perfect salty balance to the tart & bitter greens. You can also use sea salt for the same effect.

You can easily increase this recipe to feed several more people, simply increase the volume of greens and crack in one to two eggs per person. This is delightful plain with toast, or you could serve with black beans, salsa, hot sauce, relish… whatever floats your culinary boat.

Comfort food, Crock pot, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Slow cooker, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Parsnip, Potato, & Leek Spring Soup

February 9, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

I don’t know about the weather elsewhere, but the weather here in Connecticut seems to be very bi-polar. One day it is in the 50s and sunny, and I am getting cabin fever and want to plant everything in the seed catalog immediately, the next day we get almost a foot of snow dumped on us overnight. What’s going on here?

I am so thankful that CT has some amazing farmers who have hoop houses, green houses, store rooms, and other ways of extending our crazy growing season, so that we are already getting some of the first tender crops of the springtime. Though not quite yet asparagus season, we have access to several root crops (beets, parsnips, onions, potatoes, leeks…), winter squash, eggs & meats, and tender fresh greens (grown inside of course).

Usually I plan the week’s meals before going to the store, but I decided to get crazy this week, and let the market make my meal plan. Whatever was fresh and available, I will form the week’s meals around that. This is one small step on my lifelong journey to be a locavore (to eat whole seasonal foods grown as close to me as possible as often as possible).

A big bag of fresh microgreens, spinach, and head lettuce means tons of fresh salads. Healthy brown eggs means breakfasts, frittatas, and quiches. CT grown oyster mushrooms may be grilled, sauteed, added to soups, or stir fried. The fingerling potatoes will complement just about anything, and the beets too have many many options.

The first dish I decided to make (after a giant fresh greens salad, because I couldn’t wait and helped myself almost as soon as I got home) was a slow cooker soup. I had obtained leeks, parsnips, and fingerling potatoes. Combined with onions I had over-wintered, fresh ground spices, and canned turkey broth (from Thanksgiving!) it would be the perfect thing on a chilly snow-covered day.

Ingredients:

1 large parsnip (or carrot)
1 large leek
3-5 small potatoes
1/2 medium onion
2-3 cups bone broth, vegetable broth, or water
Optional spices: black pepper, fennel, cumin, sea salt, garlic

Step 1: If using fresh whole spices, grind them up in a coffee or spice grinder. In a crock pot or small soup pot, add the broth. Wash the outside of the produce, but leave the skin on. Dice up the potatoes, parsnip, onion, and leek and add to the pot. Add water to cover.

Step 2: Cook in crock pot on “high” for 4 hours or “low” for 6-8 hours, or bring to a boil on the stove, and simmer for 1-2 hours. Serve fresh with a drizzle of olive oil and maybe some thick bread or rolls.

Healthy, Main Dishes, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian

Spring Microgreens Salad with Beet Vinaigrette

February 7, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

As spring slowly begins to win the seasonal fight with winter, tender crops begin to appear in the local markets. Radishes, greens and lettuces, root crops, winter squash, carrots, onion and potatoes both old and new along with greenhouse grown herbs, eggs and meats and dairy, and mushrooms abound. Take advantage of fast-growing baby greens and all the chlorophyll and concentrated nutrients they offer with lots of fresh spring salads!

Basically any meal starts off right with a heap of greens of any kind, topped with various seeds, nuts, vegetables, or proteins of your choice. Choose darker or colorful varieties for the most nutrition, including kale, spinach, sprouts, arugula or rocket, and watercress. You can also whip up your own salad dressing at home in the time it takes to mix & shake, and it will be far tastier, healthier, and cheaper than a plastic bottle full of chemicals.

All you need is a mason jar, an oil, an acidic (vinegar, lemon juice) and flavorings (fresh or dried herbs/garlic/pepper). This recipe is for a beet juice vinaigrette, which has tons of delicious flavor, liver-cleansing benefits, and as a bonus is a lovely pink color! I’ll bet you topping any salad with this will automatically make you smile. For the beet juice, you can either roast and juice fresh beets, or you can use the juice from canned beets, no judgment here.

Ingredients (makes about 2 cups salad dressing):

1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup beet juice
1 heaping tsp miso

Step 1: Put all ingredients into a mason jar or other jar with a lid, and shake it up until emulsified. The miso may take a bit to dissolve, but it’s worth it. It adds a salty depth of flavor and a healthy boost of probiotics. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.

To make this lovely salad yourself:

2 cups fresh mixed baby greens
1/2 can sliced beets
Handful of almonds
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
1 tbsp dried cranberries
3-4 tbsp beet salad dressing

Place the greens on a large plate. Add the beet slices (save juice for the dressing), artichoke hearts, nuts, seeds, and berries. Shake up your vinaigrette and pour over all. Smile, and enjoy!

Feel free to experiment with your salad dressing. Try using lemon juice or lime juice, add chopped fresh herbs like mint, parsley, or cilantro, add crushed fresh garlic or peppercorns, use any kind of vinegar or oil you want. It is so quick and easy, you are bound to find recipes you enjoy, and may never go back to store-bought dressing again!

Have you made your own dressings? What is your favorite recipe?

Budget Epicurean

Category Archives: Healthy

Peach Oatmeal with Kefir

Green Tea Matcha Latte

Irish Colcannon

Mixed Winter Vegetables

Mediterranean Breakfast Sandwich

Mandarin-Cherry Tuna Salad

Napa Cabbage & Roasted Beet Slaw

Eggs in a Green Nest

Parsnip, Potato, & Leek Spring Soup

Spring Microgreens Salad with Beet Vinaigrette

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