Category Archives: Main Dishes

Breads, Informative, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Side dishes, Vegetarian

Easy homemade corn tortillas

January 8, 2017 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2017, and all the adventures that await! I hope you will take some chances, try new things, and enjoy this year even more than the last one. To start off, let’s try something that sounds more intimidating that it really is, making your own homemade corn tortillas.

So, remember how I said that I had bought this thing called Maseca to make my Chorizo Tamale Pie? I read on the bag that it can make hundreds of tortillas, and of course I had to try it! The recipe is so crazy simple, I almost didn’t believe it would work. Just the flour, water, and oil? No way!

Maseca is a kind of dehydrated corn flour, so that all you do is add water. That must be how you need a very tiny amount of it to make a very large amount of tortillas!

I would recommend trying this with a small batch at first, until you get the hang of how much water or oil you need to create the tortilla texture you want. You can make your tortillas larger, to make big ol burritos, or tiny to make hand tacos. That is the beauty of making your own.

Well, that and eating every other one hot off the griddle cause they’re so darn tasty!

Ingredients (makes about a dozen small tortillas, or 4-5 large):

1 cup maseca
~1 cup warm water
1 big tablespoon shortening

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the maseca and half the water. Mix well, using your hands is the best way. Add the shortening and mix it throughout. Add water until it reaches a doughy consistency, where it is not crumbly nor sticky.

Step 2: Pinch off a ball about the size of a golf ball, and roll it flat using your hands or a rolling pin. Spray a pan with cooking oil, and fry over medium heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Step 3: Flip to make sure both sides are cooked, and remove to a plate to keep warm. You can use a wet paper towel or cloth over the tortillas to keep them soft.

These are delicious as is, right off the hot pan. Or you can store them up to a week in the refrigerator, for use as delicious tacos or tostadas! I made some chicken tacos, and ate the rest plain right off the stove. You can add a sprinkle of salt to the dough if it is too plain for your liking.

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Dips and Sauces, Finances, Healthy, Main Dishes

Sweet & Spicy Asian Beef Bowl

January 4, 2017 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Do you love Asian inspired foods, but think they are too difficult to make? Do you find yourself reaching for the take-out menu every time you crave something sweet, spicy, and salty?

No more!

This Asian inspired sweet and spicy rice bowl can be on your table before the delivery guy even shows up! And for barely the cost of a tip you can have dinner for the whole family.

With several pantry staples (nothing crazy, exotic, or over the top expensive here) you can create a complex sauce that would be great on beef, turkey, chicken, pork, or tofu.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey, beef, or tofu
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 c soy sauce
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp brown sugar
Optional: sprinkle of cayenne, fresh diced hot pepper

Step 1: In a frying pan, combine all ingredients and cook, covered, until fully browned. Break up the meat into small pieces.

Step 2: Take the lid off, and continue to simmer until the sauce cooks down and thickens a bit. You can also add 1/2 tbsp cornstarch or flour if you’d like it thicker.

Step 3: Serve over rice or noodles, optional garnishes include green onion, sesame seeds, fresh chopped lettuce, etc.

This makes a great meal prep meal too, as you can pack it up with a side of whatever veg you like, and it reheats like a dream. This goes great with peppers & onions, green beans, broccoli, or my personal favorite, edamame. You may think microwaved lettuce would be weird, but I promise, in this bowl it just works.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:79]

Appetizers, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Pasta, Side dishes, Slow cooker, Soups, Vegetarian

Easy 10 minute minestrone

December 11, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

This recipe is a super simple one! If all you want is a hot, fresh bowl of soup that tastes great and is also quite healthy, you have come to the right place. You can easily make this in a slow cooker on low all day, or boil it on the stove to have dinner in 10 minutes, your choice.

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 pound small pasta
1 potato, chopped small
1 carrot, chopped small

Step 1: Place all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil. Boil for 8-10 minutes, and serve! It is essentially ready when the potato and carrots and pasta are soft enough to eat.

Casseroles, Comfort food, Main Dishes

Baked Tamale Pie

November 27, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Let me tell you a story. So I love finding new things to cook that save me money, and I’m always willing to try something new. Ethnic cooking of all kind intrigues me (as evidenced by my attempts at Ethiopian lentils, greens, and chicken). So when I find something that is steeply discounted, ethnic cooking, and I’ve never tried, it’s like a moth to a flame.

One day, I was at the grocery store, enjoying my trip through the discount sections. If you don’t know what that is, find out immediately! Most grocery stores have sections in the back where they deeply discount things that are out of season, almost ready to spoil, or dented or scratched. As long as you don’t care about aesthetics (you’re not gonna eat the can, you’re gonna eat the tomatoes inside) and are prepared to use it pretty soon, this is a gold mine of cheap groceries.

So I’m looking through the discounted canned goods, and a bag catches my eye. It’s green and yellow, and says “Maseca”. My small experience with Mexican cuisine tells me it has something to do with tamales, so since it was like a dollar, and the bag said it could make something like 150 corn tacos from one bag, I had to try it! Turns out, it is like a dried masa, which is corn flour used to make corn tortillas. I know homemade corn tortillas will happen someday soon now!

To my delight, in the frozen section, chorizo was also on sale this week! I picked up a package, and knew I also had some black beans at home in my pantry. (Always buy canned goods on sale that you use often, and keep them on hand for when inspiration strikes!).

When I read up on how to make tamales, it sounded a bit too intimidating to buy corn husks and try this on my own. So instead I decided to make some kind of Mexican chili type thing. I didn’t want corn tortillas at the moment, so how to use the maseca?

Ah ha! As a crust and topping! Like a Mexican pie. Then I can have all the flavors of tamales, but without all the work. Brilliant.

Ingredients:

1/2 – 1 pound chorizo sausage
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
2 cups masa (1 cup maseca, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp crisco)
1/2 cup diced veg: tomato, onion, bell peppers, hot peppers if that’s your thing
Shredded cheddar cheese

Step 1: If you already have masa, you can skip this step. But to make masa from maseca, just mix together 1 cup maseca, 1 cup water, and 1-2 tbsp Crisco or lard to make a thick batter. This is also the dough used to make corn tortillas if you want to do that.

Step 2: In a large pan, fry your chorizo until browned. Drain if there is a lot of fat in yours. Add the beans and any veggies you’re using, and heat until the peppers are soft and tomatoes release their juices.

Step 3: Line a 8×8 or 9×9 oven-safe pan with the maseca dough, pressing it into the sides and corners. Pour the cooked meat and beans into the lining and spread it evenly. Heat your oven to 325.

Step 4: If using, sprinkle on a layer of shredded cheddar.

Step 5: Cover the pie with another layer of the dough.

Take a little ball of dough, flatten it with your hands, and smush it together on top. This is also the way you make the tortillas, by flattening it and moving the dough between your hands.

Smush it all in there, pressing with your fingers to make sure the top layer of dough is smooth.

Step 6: Bake in the oven at 325 for 45 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the dough is cooked throughout.

Cut it into squares. Mmmm look at all that flavorful deliciousness!

Top with whatever you like, I used sour cream, tomatillo salsa, and more bell peppers. You can also use hot sauce, more cheese, whatever makes your taste buds say “Ole!”. Enjoy!

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Casseroles, Comfort food, Crock pot, Finances, Healthy, Informative, Main Dishes, Side dishes, Slow cooker

One Week of Meals from One Pork Roast

November 20, 2016 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

Do you ever wish you had more time? Do you feel like you spend too much time at the grocery store, or in the kitchen, or waiting for delivery? Does you bank account look emptier because of all the ordering out you do? Do you want an easy way to make a week’s worth of homemade meals, for less than $100, with minimal prep and cook time from one grocery trip?

I thought so. Here is your answer!

This post is created to show you how to get a week’s worth of dinners (with some leftovers for lunches too) from a single 4 pound pork roast. All recipes easily feed 2 adults, with many recipes making much more food for leftovers and re-make meals.

By planning ahead to use one main dish all throughout the week, you can get creative and ensure that none of your food dollars get wasted by literally throwing them away. You will save time throughout the week by not having to go to the grocery store to pick up “just one or two things” and not having to worry what to make for dinner, it’s already planned out. And you can eat healthy, whole food, home cooked meals all week long!

Here is the list of recipes you will be making if you follow this plan:

As far as cooking equipment, you will need at least a frying pan, and preferably a slow cooker. You can slow cook the pork in the oven, and make the casserole in the oven as well, but that requires slightly more hands-on time from you. The full grocery list can be found at the bottom of the post, and you can go to individual recipes by clicking on the links throughout.

The first thing you’re going to need to do is assess your pantry and freezer situation. If you have plenty of Italian dressing, some frozen mixed veggies, noodles, and plenty of spices, you’re already halfway there on this week’s grocery list. Then make your list of what you still need to make the recipes, and head to the store.

You will need to pick up a nice pork loin roast, or other pork roast. I recommend 3-5 pounds for 2 adults for one week’s worth of meals. You can adjust to larger or smaller sizes if feeding a larger crowd, or just one, or if you wish to double recipes or omit certain recipes this week.

Once you have your pork roast, use a sharp knife to cut 2-4 pork chops off the end. You can also ask your butcher to do so if you go to a regular grocery store. These pork chops can be frozen for later depending on when you want to make the Italian Pork Chops.

Once you have your chops cut, take about 1 pound off the remaining roast. This will be diced up into cubes. You can also freeze these chunks for later, depending on when you want to make the Pork Lo Mein Stir Fry.

As for the remainder of the roast, put that guy into your crock pot. This is gonna become one delicious, fall-apart pot of BBQ Pulled Pork. If you’re game, add a sliced onion and a can of beer, then cook on low for 8-10 hours or high at least 4 hours.

Shred the pork roast with two forks. I recommend removing half of the meat to a container in the refrigerator, and adding 1 cup BBQ sauce to the rest and cooking another hour on low.

Now you have about a pound each of plain pulled pork and BBQ pulled pork! Plus 2-4 chops, and a pound of diced pork in the freezer. And that’s after less than an hour total of hands-on prep time.

Now you can use the shredded plain or BBQ pork for:

Pulled Pork Burritoes (above) or Quesadillas:

And slow cooker pork and rice and broccoli casserole:

And the diced pork chunks for a delicious homemade lo mein:

And the best part is, you can choose when to make these recipes and in what order, because the pork chops, diced pork, and shredded cooked pork all freeze very well. You can turn these into breakfast and lunch too, pulled pork omelettes are great, as are BBQ pulled pork sandwiches on nice thick buns. Enjoy!

Full Grocery List

1 4-5 pound pork roast
1 cup Italian dressing
1 can diced tomatoes
Frozen or fresh vegetables of your choice
1 cup BBQ sauce (or more, to taste)
1 package tortillas
~1 cup white or brown rice
1 can beans (black or pinto)
1 package lo mein noodles
Soy sauce
Shredded cheese
Fresh or frozen broccoli
1 cup milk (optional)
Burrito toppings – sour cream, guac, salsa, etc.

And seriously, that’s it! I guarantee you can buy all of these items for under $100 (at least everywhere I’ve lived from Colorado to Connecticut).

Also, if you’ve read this far and you’re curious, I also have a post explaining all the cuts of a pig. So next time you go to the store, you can know the difference between a rump roast, shoulder roast, and a loin. 🙂

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Comfort food, Crock pot, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Slow cooker

Pulled Pork Burritoes

November 13, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Burritos are a staple in my house, I’d say we have them at least once a week if not more often. They are just so simple to put together, yet always delicious and hit the spot. You can use basically any meat you have, just add rice and beans to bulk it up, and whatever toppings you prefer.

These burritos use pulled pork, with or without BBQ sauce, of which you should have plenty if you’re doing One Week of Meals from One Pork Roast. I would recommend the BBQ, but it is not required. And of course, always customize to your preferences.

Ingredients:

1 large tortilla
1/2-1/4 cup pulled pork
1/4 can pinto beans
1/2 an avocado
1/4 cup cooked rice
Sprinkle of shredded cheddar

Step 1: Put the pork loin in a slow cooker with about 1/2 cup of liquid. You can use beer, cola, or stock. Cook on low for about 8 hours, it won’t hurt to go a little shorter or longer. Shred the meat with 2 forks. If you want BBQ pulled pork, add 1-2 cups sauce and cook another hour.

Step 2: Layer all your ingredients in the tortilla. Make sure there’s a good distribution so that once you roll it up, you get a little of everything in each bite!

Step 3: The best way to roll is to flip 2 opposing sides in just about 2 inches. Fold the corners over on both sides. Then take one open end and roll it towards the other, scooping the fillings under. Roll it tight, and enjoy!

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Comfort food, Healthy, Main Dishes, Pasta

Pork Lo Mein Stir Fry

November 6, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

If there’s one food I’m pretty sure I could eat every single day forever, it would be Chinese food. There is so much variety; you can have pork, chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu. Almost every vegetable tastes better fried in a wok with soy sauce on it. And seriously, rice is amazing. Put anything on top of it and it’s better than it was alone. Or you can have noodles instead. Or both!

Speaking of noodles, Chinese lo mein is always so delicious, do you ever wonder why? (Besides the week’s worth of salt and addictive MSG) I think it’s the slurping you get to do, one noodle at a time or swirl a big batch around a fork and shove it all in. But it is so easy to make at home! You don’t have to buy special noodles either, plain spaghetti will do in a pinch.

This recipe uses diced pork, and is very flexible. You can use ground meat instead, or use a different type. You can also sub in tofu for the vegetarian crowd. And for the vegetables, I used zucchini, onion, and green bell pepper, but you can add whatever you happen to like and have at home. Try edamame, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, or more exotic things like baby corn, sprouts, or bamboo.

Ingredients:

1 cup diced pork meat
1 1/2 cup chopped veggies of choice
1 pound noodles
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 tbsp fish sauce (if you have it)
2-3 tbsp lemon or lime juice, or rice vinegar
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch if you want a thicker sauce
Optional to serve: hot pepper, sriracha, lime wedges, diced fresh herbs, crushed peanuts or cashews

Step 1: In a hot frying pan, melt the butter or olive oil and cook the pork until browned on all sides. In a separate pan, boil the noodles per directions on package, and drain.

Step 2: Remove the pork to a plate and add the vegetables. Stir fry on medium high heat until cooked throughout and beginning to brown, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 3: Add the soy sauce, fish sauce if using, lemon or lime, and any other spices you want (Sriracha lovers?). Mix well to coat the veggies, add the pork back to the pan. Add the cornstarch and mix well if you want a thicker sauce.

Step 4: Serve over the noodles with your desired toppings!

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Comfort food, Main Dishes, Slow cooker

BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadillas

October 30, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

It’s no secret that I love my slow cooker. We’ve been through a lot together, at least 4 houses, half a decade, and many many delicious home cooked meals. And hopefully many more to come! One of my favorite meals for totally hands-off cooking that tastes magical is slow cooker pulled pork. A roast, an onion, some beer or broth and a little bit of time, and you have a delicious pot of meat that falls apart and tastes like you spent hours perfecting it.

As if barbeque pulled pork couldn’t get any better, here is another way to use that meaty, juicy goodness. I love a classic BBQ pulled pork sandwich on a thick bun with heaps of shredded cheese, but you can only have so many in one week. So after you’ve made a big tasty roast, save some for later, for this in particular! Makes one huge quesadilla, enough for 2.

Ingredients:

2 flour tortillas
1/2 cup pulled pork
4 tbsp cooked rice
2 slices tomato (or 2 tbsp salsa)
1/2 avocado
4 tbsp pinto or black beans
Cooking spray
Shredded mixed cheese
Optional: sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Step 1: Grease a large frying pan and heat it to medium high. Lay out one tortilla, and layer on the pork, rice, beans, tomato, avocado, and some cheese. Cover with the other tortilla.

Step 2: Depending on the size of your pan, either transfer the whole tortilla, or cut into halves or quarters. Cook in the pan about 3-4 minutes, until brown and crispy. Carefully flip, and cook on the other side.

Step 3: Transfer to a plate, serve with sour cream or greek yogurt, more cheese and salsa.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:63]

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Casseroles, Comfort food, Finances, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Side dishes, Slow cooker, Sneaky Healthy

Slow Cooker Pork and Broccoli Rice Casserole

October 23, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Sometimes, you just can’t. Can’t even. Can’t even think about running to the store, slaving over a hot stove, balancing a meal or a checkbook.

But your tummy is growling, your spouse is complaining, your kids are whining, your friends are coming over for dinner.

Enter the slow cooker.

It is a savior for anyone rushed for time (and who isn’t??) or tight on cash (can I get an AMEN!) or doesn’t love to cook (can’t say I feel it all the time, but there are days…) or lives alone, or feeds a family of ten, or… you get my point. I flipping love the things.

You can get a tiny 2 or 3 quart slow cooker for single or double cooking. You can get a giant 8 or 10 quart workhorse for crowds and big appetites, you can get multiple crocks in one base for buffet style hands off cooking. I kinda want one of those now… The point is, if you don’t have one you should get one!

This recipe is super simple, a classic favorite I pull out time and again. I used pulled pork here because that is what I built into this week’s meal plan, but you could just as easily use shredded chicken, steak, tofu, etc.

It involves items I nearly always have around the house, including frozen veggies and brown rice. Feel free to use white rice, or wild rice, or even crazy things like quinoa or couscous instead. You can also substitute any other frozen veggie you are partial to if broccoli just doesn’t do it for ya. And if you’re feeling extra crazy and decadent, use milk instead of water, and toss on some shredded cheese at the end, just before serving.

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded cooked pork
1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups milk / water / broth
2 cups frozen broccoli (or veggie of choice)

Optional: shredded cheese

Step 1: Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or more, or high for at least 2 hours (to thaw the veggies). Alternatively, you could put this in a baking pan and bake at 350 for 2 hours (1 if you use fresh and not frozen veg).

What are your favorite slow cooker meals??

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Finances, Healthy, Main Dishes, Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

Quick & Easy “Cheater” Pad Thai + Peanut Sauce

October 2, 2016 BudgetEpicurean 2 Comments

Sometimes you just want something different, but also cheap, and sorta healthy. Oh, and really easy to make. Sounds like so many recipes you know right? If you’re laughing like I was while writing that, you’re in the right place. Finding recipes that hit the “sweet spot” of the trifecta: price, time, health, is a tall order.

Luckily, this recipe is one of them!

Pad Thai is probably the most famous dish outside of Thailand, and for good reason. Thailand is snack in the middle of the indochina peninsula, with a tropical climate and a lot of ocean front property. (Which comes with a lot of hurricanes and water damage, so don’t jump on that time share just yet…) This warm climate and water access combines to create a very healthy ethnic cuisine based around coconut, fish, rice, chilies, tons of spices, and tropical fruits like lemons and limes.

Authentic Pad Thai involves homemade rice noodles, hours of stewing and many ingredients common on the mainland but sometimes difficult to find and/or pricey elsewhere. This recipe is for the “cheater” who loves the flavors of Thai but doesn’t want to shell out for take-out, or spend hours in the kitchen.

You can expand this recipe to include other protein sources like tofu, chicken, or shrimp. You can also add any fresh herbs like mint or cilantro or basil, or change up the vegetables to ones that you like. You can add chilies or Thai chili paste or Sriracha to get to your preferred level of spice.

This recipe is the simplest you can make it, multiply the ingredients by the number of people you want to feed. You can easily cook for one, or for twenty. Take this bare bones recipe, try it once or twice until you’re comfortable, then make it your own! And tell me all about it in the comments.

Ingredients (per person):

1/4 package rice or soba noodles (or linguini)
1/4 small cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1 egg, scrambled or not
1 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 tbsp soy sauce and/or fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice or vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil / coconut oil
Optional: green onion, cilantro, sriracha, chopped cilantro, chilie slices, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts

Step 1: Cook the noodles according to the package, rinse and drain and set aside.

Step 2: Shred the carrot and cabbage, and add to a frying pan with a tbsp olive oil and/or stock. Cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes, until cabbage is wilted and opaque.

Step 3: In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice. Cook the egg as you like, whether you want it scrambled or with the yolk still dippy.

Step 4: Put some noodles on a plate, add a scoop of cooked veggies, and drizzle with the sauce. If you like, add optional toppings, and your egg. Enjoy!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:60]

How do you make this recipe yours?

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Budget Epicurean

Category Archives: Main Dishes

Easy homemade corn tortillas

Sweet & Spicy Asian Beef Bowl

Easy 10 minute minestrone

Baked Tamale Pie

One Week of Meals from One Pork Roast

Pulled Pork Burritoes

Pork Lo Mein Stir Fry

BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Slow Cooker Pork and Broccoli Rice Casserole

Quick & Easy “Cheater” Pad Thai + Peanut Sauce

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