Okay, so technically I didn’t “stir fry” anything here, but this is what you make at home to mimmic stir fry when you don’t have the proper equipment. This was really more of a...
Quick Recipes
So I broke down the other day and bought a rotisserie chicken. I feel a little guilty because it was out of budget, but on the other hand I’m not so upset that rotisserie...
I don’t think I can accurately articulate how delicious and fresh this Nam Sod is. Imagine a fresh and zesty ginger and lime dressing that has a little bit of spicy heat, and a...
As this past week came to a close, I still needed one more quick recipe to fill out our menu. I had already used up all but $7 of my $40 weekly grocery budget,...
This is a busy time of year, maybe even the busiest. Between shopping, holiday parties, and visiting family, no one really wants to spend a ton of time in the kitchen. Sooo, this week...
During my “off” week just after Thanksgiving, I picked up a pork loin and gave it the Chili Rubbed Pork treatment in my slow cooker. It made a TON of pulled pork, so I...
Broccoli is a great all-purpose side dish, but when it’s not seasoned properly it can be kind of boring. When it comes to vegetables, broccoli included, you can never go wrong with a healthy...
Stovetop popcorn is, was, and will always be one of my favorite budget-friendly snacks. It takes only minutes to make, can be flavored with hundreds of different ingredients, both sweet and savory, and it...
This Sesame Glazed Salmon with Green Beans is another one of those “faster than take-out” dishes. It’s incredibly simple, plus OMG it looks spectacular. Right? Look how fancy! If you’re looking for a “date night” dish,...
One of the reasons I love pizza so much is because you can literally put just about anything on a pizza. Case in point, this Eggs Florentine Breakfast Pizza. This pizza masterpiece is the...
This Garlic Parmesan Polenta was actually going to be part of a separate recipe, until I realized just how versatile it is on its own. Once I realized how many different ways the fried...
It’s kind of silly how excited I get when I come up with ways to use my leftover ingredients. This week when I peeked into my fridge I noticed that I still had a lot...
Dessert during the September Challenge? Heck yeah! Especially if it’s a Caramelized Banana and Peanut Butter “Quesadilla!” I’ve been buying bananas because they’re one of the cheapest produce items available to me, but sometimes...
Okay, this one is a bit of a splurge, especially considering my tight September Challenge budget, but after last week’s meat heavy menu I was craving bright fresh flavors. This Parsley Pesto Pasta is...
One of my favorite dinners from my childhood was a big bowl of rice, black beans, salsa, and cheese, or what I call “Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls.” Looking back I don’t know if that...
One of the things I’ve learned about eating on a budget is that simple recipes win. The fewer ingredients you need, the fewer ingredients you need to buy, and that generally helps keep that...
Cornbread is a highly underrated side dish. You can whip up this deliciously sweet and moist homemade cornbread recipe with just a few pantry staples, and it makes a perfect side dish for breakfast,...
Today I had this insane craving for cold and crunchy vegetables all wrapped up inside a fluffy pita (it’s weird how specific my cravings are sometimes). So I threw together this super simple Roasted...
I’m a firm believer that side dishes should be kept simple. I like my main dish to be the star of the show, and who wants to make dinner more any more complicated than...
There’s nothing that says “summer” like ooey, gooey s’mores cooked over an open campfire. But for city and apartment dwellers, that summer treat might just be an ancient childhood memory. Until now. Say hello...
Oops, do I make too many taco dishes? NOT POSSIBLE. Okay really, I’m sorry if you’re not as into tacos as I am, but I just can’t help it. Today I was craving the...
If you’re not on the “overnight oats” train, it might be time to hop on. Overnight oats are an amazing way to eat oats cold, which is perfect for the summer. And the tropical...
I still had a few carrots in my fridge and half of a rotisserie chicken, so I decided to mix them up into a delicious chicken Caesar salad and stuff them into a wrap....
The “cold and crunchy” summer food cravings continue for me. So, this week I reached into my vault (text files that I created 15 years ago when I first moved out on own) and...
The other day I needed something really fast and easy for lunch and I was craving Swiss cheese (weird, right?). Well, my solution to that problem was this: sauté up some mushrooms and garlic,...
I’m still on a vegetable binge, wanting to eat every vegetable in sight. More specifically, I want cold, crunchy, crispy vegetables. A light summer slaw sounded like the perfect fix. This awesome Apple Cabbage...
#FancyFriday Okay, so this Plum Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing is a little fancy for me, but after overdosing on pasta and pizza over the past week or so, I needed a salad BAD....
This one goes out to all of you “one pot pasta” lovers out there. …And I know there are a lot of you! Allow me to introduce to you this amazing One Pot Roasted...
I’m an equal opportunity pizza lover. I love fancy hand tossed pizza as much as I love a $3 frozen pizza. I love thick pizza crust, thin and crispy pizza crust, and everything in...
Shopping for produce can be a bit tricky in the United States. Some items are priced by the pound while others are priced per item, and if you happen to confuse the two, you can wind...
I looove ricotta cheese. It’s flavor is light and fresh flavor, making it great for warm weather dishes. So when I saw ricotta on sale at the store, I jumped at the chance to...
Ooooh we’re gettin’ fancy over here! This week I splurged on a fresh herb other than my usual parsley or cilantro (the cheap ones) so I could make this fabulous Minty Pea Salad. I paid a hefty...
Ahhh, tomato soup. It’s one of the few hot soups that’s light enough to eat during the summer months (it may only be April, but we’ve definitely hit summer weather here in New Orleans). I’m...
So I’ve been really into potatoes lately. They’re just so cheap and you can do so many different things with them! Mashed potatoes in particular are great because they go with just about any meal...
Pork chops, meet blackberry sage pan sauce. Pan sauce, meet pork chops. I just know you two will get along beautifully and live a long, happy life as blackberry sage pork chops (until I eat you, anyway)....
Discovering that you can cook grains in other liquids besides water was one of my favorite “ah-ha” moments in cooking. Using broths, juices, or other flavorful liquids to cook dry grains adds more flavor than...
Earlier this week I made a big batch of sunny and fresh Cumin Lime Coleslaw, but I didn’t intend to just eat coleslaw all week. So, I used the coleslaw to top these super...
I can feel it, y’all! I can feel the summer coming! And in its honor, I wanted to make something refreshing, crisp, and crunchy. Hello, Cumin Lime Coleslaw! Seriously, though. Ever since the weather...
Do you ever get tired of plain old red sauce? …Yeah, no, I don’t either. But if for some reason you did want to try something new, this quick and creamy pumpkin sauce is a great...
I’ve had a couple cans of green chiles in my pantry that need to be used up, so I decided to toss them into my favorite breakfast—a tortilla, egg, and cheese quesadilla. I also...
I’ve been making so many “one pot” recipes lately that I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve made a good ol’ side dish. Well, I had a bag of orzo sitting in my...
Ever since I discovered how delicious pasta is when cooked in broth instead of water, I’ve been experimenting with all sorts of different ways to play up this simple trick. By simply changing up the...
Remember that head of purple cabbage from week one of the SNAP Challenge? Well, to my surprise, it still hadn’t gone rotten. Sure, it was a little discolored on the open/cut surface, but I...
This is one of my favorite quick, savory breakfasts and I’ve made about a hundred versions of it. It’s going to seem gross or weird to a lot of you, but I LOVE it....
PASTA. When I get stressed, I crave pasta. Cheesy or creamy pasta. So, when I saw this recipe for Sour Cream and Jalapeño Chicken Enchilada Pasta, my stomach was all like, “FEED ME, NOW.” But,...
If you think a salad can’t fill you up, think again. This awesomely crunchy and flavorful salad has chicken, almonds, and lots of fiberlicious kale and celery to keep your belly full. And flavor?...
I’m continuing my quest to use up items in my pantry and freezer, which led to this delicious Blacked Tilapia. A while back I bought a bag of 12 individually wrapped tilapia filets for...
I used to really dislike corn, but I think that’s because I never had it prepared in a decent way. Ever since learning to roast corn in my oven, I’ve kind of fallen in...
Have you ever noticed that the fewer ingredients a recipe has, the more elegant it seems? Lucky for me, that also usually means it’s pretty easy and, depending on the ingredients you choose, very inexpensive. This super...
I’m a little avocado obsessed, so when I went to a little Latin American Restaurant last year, La Macarena Pupuseria, and the waiter claimed they had the best guacamole ever, I took the bait—hook, line,...
I gotta give a big shout out to Neil, whose tweet inspired me to try again with a recipe that I completely failed with the first time around. Neil tweeted about an amazing vegetable...
I was craving pizza this morning, HARD. So, I thought it was a good time to share my favorite quick fix for pizza cravings. This is what I make when I’m dying for pizza,...
Guess what time it is? Comfort-food-o’clock! And what makes better comfort food than a rich creamy pasta dish, like this One Pot Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff? This is yet another “better than the box” meal. It’s...
Hooray for quick skillet dinners! This one is so fantastically easy that it kind of feels like cheating. Between the Italian sausage and marinara sauce, the dish has all of the seasoning built in,...
Every once in a while I get a very specific craving for a burger. Not just the patty itself, but the bun, tomato, and the whole deal. I wanted to do something a little...
Oh man, this pizza didn’t stand a chance in my house. It was gone in a flash… almost as fast as it was to make it. This super easy pizza has all the creamy...
When I finished cooking these Curried Chickpeas with Spinach I took a look at my notepad to make sure I had written down all the ingredients. I looked it over a good three or...
Hindsight is 20/20. As I sat there hungrily devouring one of these BBQ Bean Sliders, beans were falling out of the bun and BBQ sauce was getting all over my hands and face. That’s when...
I didn’t find out about National Kale Day until after the fact, but seeing pictures of delicious kale recipes all day made me really crave kale bad. What’s the fastest, easiest fix? Garlic Parmesan Kale...
My love for quesadillas is right up there with pizza. They’re like brothers from a different mother. Both combine melty cheese, crispy bread, and whatever other creative combination of ingredients you can think of....
Because I add spinach to everything. No, but really, spinach is a natural with a grilled cheese. Plus, thanks to all of those Popeye cartoons when you were a kid, it makes you feel...
I’ve been a little under the weather this weekend, so you know what that means? COMFORT FOOD! Fast and easy comfort food… Because I’d really like to crawl back under my blanket and get...
Easy wins again! I’m on day 6 of an 8 day work week, so that means two things: I’m tired and I’m hungry. Quick skillet pasta dishes like this Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta are perfect...
oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! This Spicy Shrimp Tomato Pasta has me excited. I’m not a person that goes crazy over anything that has shrimp in it, but this Spicy Shrimp Tomato Pasta...
My love for pizza runs deep. I like pizza in any form. From gourmet to frozen and deep dish to thin & crispy, I love it ALL. I really enjoy making my own pizza...
I got an email from Megan last week asking if I could recreate her favorite frozen noodle bowls from Costco. There isn’t a Costco in New Orleans (yet), so I wasn’t familiar with that...
Okay… some of you are going to think this is the grossest thing you’ve ever seen, while others will think it’s the best idea ever. I’m in the second camp. This quick microwave hummus breakfast...
THIS is the salad of the summer. This Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad is so fast, so easy, and SO refreshing! I just love it. Bring it to a potluck, eat it as a cold refreshing...
If you’ve never had gazpacho before, it’s basically a soup for people who, like me, would like nothing more than to eat salsa with a spoon. Okay, maybe that’s just my definition of it,...
Last weekend I got an email from Robyn with a link to this really cool recipe over at Apron Strings. I love cooking pasta and rice in liquids other than water, so this idea...
I love single serving desserts. They keep you from over indulging because there are no leftovers and they can be whipped up on the fly. I also love quesadillas, with their crispy outside and...
Ahhh, it’s everything I love in one place: eggs, salsa, cheese, chips, and cilantro. Oh, and black beans, too! Just feed me this every day for the rest of my life and I’ll be...
THANK YOU, dear Anonymous, who left a comment on the (not) Sun Dried Tomato Sauce recipe last night about adding artichoke hearts and making a “pantry meal” out of the sauce! I wasn’t sure...
The idea for this awesome little recipe came courtesy of Annie, who wrote to tell me that every since she tried The “One” Chocolate Mug Cake, she’s been trying all sorts of mug cakes!...
I was really craving some chicken salad this week, so I set out to find a new twist on the old classic. I knew I wanted cranberries, so I took quick inventory of my...
I saw this recipe over at Kevin & Amanda the other day and immediately knew that I wanted to make it. Of course, I made some changes to fit the ingredients I had on...
Last night I was hit with a sweet tooth. It doesn’t happen often, so I was completely unprepared. This morning I took action. I like to make things like scones to keep in the...
Can I single handedly undo all of the healthy things I accomplished with the Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos? Challenge accepted. (I know, it’s like I have split food personalities sometimes.) But how can...
Shhhhhh…. They’re VEGAN! I decided to experiment a little more with vegan food in 2013. Now, before you get your panties all in a bundle, hear me out. I’m an omnivore and probably always...
2013 is going to be GREAT, I can feel it! This is the first recipe of the year and I already know that it’s going to go on next year’s “best of” list! It’s...
I’ve been loving “quick fixes” lately because I’m cooking triple time in preparation for the cookbook. So, at the end of the day the last thing I want is something elaborate, time consuming, and...
This is a super easy, quick fix for dinner. I made the basic version with just chicken, pasta, sauce, and cheese, but you could get really creative with the add-ins. Try black beans, corn,...
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite ingredients. They’re inexpensive, packed full of nutrients, and, most importantly, DELICIOUS. So, when my coworker told me about seeing someone make sweet potato grits on a chef...
This recipe comes courtesy of my dear friend, Ashley. She was looking for something to cook for dinner one night and decided to type the ingredients she had on hand into google (I think...
I made an impulse buy the other day… one of those little packets of Mexican hot cocoa mix. I constantly crave hot cocoa this time of year so I thought I’d give this Mexican...
Every now and again I get a pretty strong craving for canned tuna, but there are two problems with that: 1) canned tuna has gotten quite expensive and 2) All that mayo can be...
Quesadillas might be one of my favorite foods. That and pizza. Why? Because you can put just about anything inside and the outer crispy tortilla shell somehow makes everything a million times better. For...
If you’re in the need of a super quick and easy side dish, this might be the one for you. I wanted something really fast and easy tonight so I turned to my pantry....
Aaaannnd WE’RE BACK! Yesss! I have electricity again! :D Life is good. For my first recipe after over a week of hiatus, I wanted to start with something super fast and easy. I had...
Oh WOW. These Dragon Noodles are my new favorite quick fix! They only take about 15 minutes to make, they’re totally rich, flavorful, and SUPER SPICY. Like, “burn a hole through your stomach” spicy. Call...
Okay, I know that practically every food blogger and their mother has posted a recipe Baked Zucchini Fries, but there’s a reason for that… THEY’RE REALLY GOOD. These baked zucchini fries have been on...
I was definitely slow to get on the curry bandwagon. In fact, I distinctly remember not liking curry spices for the first 20 years of my life. Luckily, people grow and change over time...
I’m in love. The dressing alone on this Apple Dijon Kale Salad was enough to make me swoon. It’s just a very simple Dijon vinaigrette, but it’s so good that I kept dipping my...
I had an email from a reader (sorry, can’t find the email to fetch your name!) a while back requesting that I try to make a raita similar to the one she had at...
There comes a time in every girl’s life when she needs a chocolate mug cake. Perhaps it’s one of those days where you just want to curl up on the couch all day and...
It’s a MIRACLE. Macaroni and cheese that is smooth, creamy, and gooey, is made in one pot, with only a few ingredients, and is every bit as easy as the blue box. I’m serious....
I LOVE quesadillas. Crispy on the outside, all warm and melty on the inside… Oh so good. While I don’t think I can top my favorite black bean quesadillas, these mediterranean quesadillas are an...
I may have stumbled upon the most refreshing drink on the planet. …well, one of the most refreshing drinks, anyway. If you’ve never heard of a lassi, it’s a drink made with yogurt, spices,...
As much as I love eggs, I never make egg salad. I guess it just always seemed a little too heavy, ooey, and gooey. This egg salad, on the other hand, is light, fresh,...
Who doesn’t love pesto, right? It’s rich, flavorful, and it can turn something completely boring (like pasta) into something spectacular. The only problem is that it’s full of expensive ingredients (fresh herbs, pine nuts,...
