A few weeks ago, my friend Jenni sent me a link to this amazing looking Bean and Bacon Soup by Taste and Tell. I had actually run across the photo on Pinterest a couple days...
Vegetable Recipes
Over 250 budget-friendly vegetable recipes to make the best use out of your summer produce, or the frozen vegetables in your freezer. Side dish recipes, salads, sautéed vegetables, roasted vegetables and more. We’ve got all the best vegetable recipe ideas on the web! (Pictured: Oven Roasted Broccoli)
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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...
Let’s talk about greens for a minute. Hearty greens, like mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, and sure, kale too. These are some of the few vegetables that actually benefit from what would normally...
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...
You know you’re on to something good when you’re cooking vegetables, but it smells like there’s a pizza in the oven. And for some reason, this Smoky Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower smelled exactly like pizza. I guess...
My freezer is lookin’ a little bare these days, so it’s time to start making some stuff that I can freeze portions of for nights when I just want to pop something in the...
Tacos are one of my favorite summer quick dinner fixes. They don’t have to be complicated and they’re not too heavy. Fresh toppings keep the meal light and summery, and allow for personalization. And...
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...
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...
I really wanted to call these “OMG! They’re Crunchy!” Fries, but that doesn’t work very well for SEO purposes. My point is, I’m happy to have finally made some oven fries that are crispy and crunchy....
It’s been far too long since I’ve had fresh green beans. Like, maybe since last summer and that, my friends, is a tragedy. I love a fresh, still slightly crunchy green bean. The flavor is...
If you’ve been a follower of this blog for a while, you may already know that I’m obsessed with roasted vegetables. Oven roasting vegetables makes their flavor sweeter and deeper, transforming them into something really...
I’ve been craving nachos ever since the Super Bowl. Seeing every single blog and food website feature nachos during the weeks leading up to the big game made them impossible to resist, so I finally gave in...
I ‘ve been making so many “one pot” or “skillet” meals lately that I’ve barely made any traditional side dishes. I get a lot of questions about side dishes, though, so I’ve decided to...
Have you ever checked out Food52.com? They have really simple, elegant recipes and I love browsing through their beautiful photographs. The other day while perusing through their stuff I saw this recipe for One Pot...
I love frittatas because they’re simple, filling, and have a bazillion different ingredient possibilities. They’re one of those great “sweep the kitchen” recipes that you can add just about any leftover to. And, although...
I get a lot of emails from readers with recipe suggestions and I love them all, but don’t get the opportunity to make many of them. Every once in a while, though, an email...
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...
For the entire month of September, I’ll be participating in the SNAP Challenge and attempting to eat on $4.50 per day. Read more here. Whew. I meant to post this days ago, but this week...
So I made this awesome Blackened Tilapia a while back, but didn’t use all the seasoning. The leftover seasoning had been sitting on my counter in a little Ziploc container staring at me ever...
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...
You may be looking at that picture and thinking, “But where is the falafel?” Well, it’s not a salad with falafel, it’s a salad made out of falafel ingredients. Falafel Salad, get it? You see, I was...
Okay, so it’s not really alfredo because it doesn’t even have any cream, but it’s close enough that I’m going to call it that. This fake-out alfredo is a little lighter and doesn’t hit your...
I don’t want to rub it in your faces, but here in New Orleans SPRING IS HERE! That means that I want a lot of bright, vibrant flavors. These roasted potatoes with parsley pesto...
Can I talk about anchovies for a second without you running away screaming? K, good. Anchovies have a reputation in the United States as being this stinky pizza topping that nobody really likes, but...
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’m having fun finding new ways to use my homemade chili seasoning and potatoes were the first item on my list. I mean, tender roasted potatoes coated with savory chili spices? YES PLEASE.
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...
I’m working on a big side project right now and it has required me to buy a lot of extra groceries. You know how I hate to see food go to waste, so I took...
Are you ready to blow everybody’s mind at Thanksgiving this year? This insanely easy, but super posh side dish is the perfect way to say “Yeah, I own side dishes.” No more marshmallow sweet potatoes or...
So, it finally got cold here. Like, I actually had to wear a sweater when I left the house the other day! :o That made me crave chili. Warm, hearty chili… But of course, I...
I had some split pea soup from the hospital cafeteria the other day and while it was satisfying, something about it just didn’t taste genuine. So, I thought it was time to make some...
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...
Whoever discovered beans gets a big fat medal of appreciation from yours truly. They’re just incredible. Incredible and cheap. And so is this Slow Cooker White Bean Soup. This soup is thick, warm, comforting,...
I caught a few minutes of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn the other night and was reminded of how much I love stories like that and The Grapes of Wrath. They really make me...
Happy Fourth of July! I know most of you are out having burgers and beer (and I’m about to myself), but I had this Ham & Potato Frittata recipe waiting in the queue, so...
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...
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...
You know how I love kale. You know how I love lentils. You know how I love sweet potatoes. This salad has them all together in one bowl! Yes! It has everything you need...
Roasted red peppers are one of my favorite things on earth. They’re sweet, smokey, and full of flavor. I like to blend them into hummus, toss them onto pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and more. The...
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,...
As soon as the weather warms up, I get really into salads. I like the fact that they’re cold (or at least warm or room temp) and they provide a lot of texture and...
Baked potatoes are amazing, right? They’re yummy, filling, super inexpensive, and a blank slate for whatever flavors you want to add. The only problem is that they take forever to cook and I never...
Sometimes, when I’m suffering from a creativity block, all I need to do is take a stroll through the freezer aisle. Yesterday, as I was perusing the freezer goods, I saw a frozen dinner...
STOP. THE. PRESSES. I’m sure I was getting some pretty weird looks in the lunchroom today because I was audibly moaning between every bite of my Chipotle Sweet Potato Burger and staring at it...
I’m crazy about BBQ sauce, so the first thing I wanted to make with my Multi-Purpose Shredded Beef was something drenched in that sweet, tangy sauce. Sure, I could have just piled the BBQ...
I’m calling this one “Nature’s Candy” because my first thought upon tasting it was, “OMG, WHO NEEDS CANDY WHEN THIS EXISTS?!” … Yep, I thought it in all caps and everything. This recipe comes...
It’s soooo cold here! (read: below 75 degrees) So, I’ve been really into soups lately, if you can’t tell. Earlier this week I got an email from Lindsay with a red lentil soup recipe...
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...
So, I broke down last week and bought a burrito from the hospital cafeteria for lunch. It was SO good, but at $5.50 for the least expensive option, I knew I could do better....
Do you want evidence that this recipe is good? How about the fact that I’ve been eating it for lunch AND dinner for the past three days straight, and I still wanted a piece...
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’ve been dying to post this all week because these Sweet Potato Corn Cakes are SOOO good and I just know that you’ll love them as much as I do… and if you don’t,...
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...
That’s “keen-wah tab-ooh-lay.” Don’t let the name scare you away from this incredibly simple and refreshing salad! I’ve been obsessed with tabbouleh since I first tried it as a child. It’s full of texture...
It’s crisp, it’s crunchy, it has an amazing, tangy, homemade dressing, and it goes perfectly along side your lentil tacos ;D Honestly, this recipe started out with me craving a crunchy salad, but it...
I’ve hesitated to make potato soup for quite some time because all I could think about is how creamy and carby it must be. Surely it’s not good for me to eat that every...
Okay, I might just have to make egg rolls all the time. They were so much easier than expected! And, because I decided to bake mine, they’re pretty freakin’ healthy. And, wow, super inexepensive!...
Cauliflower was on sale! YAY! It’s a rare occasion when the price of cauliflower is what I consider to be reasonable, so when it happens, I take advantage. Roasting cauliflower is, IMHO, one of...
Taking advantage of seasonal produce is definitely one of the most important principles of budget byting. I mean, anytime you can get produce for under $1 per lb, you’ve just gotta do it! Butternut...
This Corn and Cheddar Pudding is a little indulgent with the cream, cheese, and eggs… but every now and then I think you’re allowed. It’s all about moderation, right? Right. Corn pudding is another one...
So, back when I lived in Baton Rouge, there was a Mexican restaurant (Ninfa’s) that kept jars of pickled carrots and other vegetables on the tables as an appetizer. Practically every time I went...
Why can’t vegetables be plentiful and yummy all year long? I don’t know, but I intend to enjoy them while they’re around. This Summer Vegetable Tian is the perfect easy side to showcase the medley...
Sambal might be my new favorite sauce. There are a million different kinds, some sweet, some salty, some vinegary, but almost all are spicy. I recently bought a small jar of sambal oelek made...
This Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup is a keeper! It’s super quick to make and insanely delicious—my favorite combination. It’s light enough to act as a starter or side for your meal, or you can pair...
I know it sounds weird, hummus on a pizza? Well, back in the day when I was slingin’ pizzas at Whole Foods, we made a special vegan pizza using hummus as a replacement for...
I’m SO EXCITED about this one… this is one of those recipes that turned out so good that I couldn’t keep out of it while I was shooting photos. I kept stuffing in mouthfuls...
Stuffed zucchini are a popular dish in the Mediterranean region. I’ve wanted to make some for a while but this post on Green Light Bites really motivated me. Stuffed zucchini are usually filled with...
Spring rolls are all about texture. The rice paper wrapper is so unique, almost skin like; a little sticky, quite stretchy and just really cool. Inside the stretchy wrapper you’ve got rice vermicelli, lettuce,...
I got a request from Nelson (a BB reader) last week to make some homemade mac n’ cheese and what a fantastic idea it was. I really need some mac n’ cheese in my...
Oh boy, I love me some collard greens. Love ’em so much that I want to experience them ever way there is. During a recent not-so-coherent-after-gym run to the grocery store, I bought a...
Last week, when I made my Lasagna Roll Ups, I had a tough time deciding what sides to go with them. A salad is classic, but I also needed something with more substance. I definitely...
Here’s another quickie (but a goodie) for ya. I know chipotle is a super food trend right now but can you blame it? I mean, it’s smokey and spicy and just GOOD! I came...
Singapore noodles. They didn’t originate in Singapore (theory is they’re Cantonese) and they were popularized by Chinese restaurants in Europe. How is that for a hodgepodge history? Well, I’m going to blame this one...
In effort to use up some of the things stored in my freezer and pantry, I took a quick survey of what I had available. I had a left over ham hock from making...
If you’ve made a batch of Collard Greens and you just can’t get enough, here’s just one more way you can eat them. Plus, nothing makes you feel like a nutritional super star more...
Today I learned to love the ham hock. They used to scare me. Well, scare me and fascinate me all at the same time. I remember seeing them in the grocery store as a...
Why serve plain white rice with your meal when you can sneak in some veggies and a ton of flavor? I was originally going to make this dish a coconut (not) fried rice but...
Peach season is finally here! If you follow Budget Bytes on facebook then you know that I’ve been looking for a new, spectacular peach recipe to top last year’s Balsamic Glazed Peache Sundae. A...
One of my goals this summer was to make tomato soup from scratch… and by scratch I mean whole tomatoes, not canned. Tomato soup made from fresh tomatoes is a completely different beast from...
So, I’m about to pack up all of my things and move to a new apartment in a new city. I thought I’d just cook up something simple and classic this weekend to cut...
I’m calling this one Vegetable NOT Fried Rice because it’s like fried rice but not (in case that wasn’t obvious). I love fried rice but it is usually so insanely oily and I’m just not...
I had been looking for a reason to make creamed spinach again and this week’s Rosemary Garlic Beef Stew gave me the opportunity. Creamed spinach is the perfect side dish to the beef stew...
IT’S ASPARAGUS SEASON! I’m not even joking when I say that I wait ALL year long for asparagus season to come around. I love their flavor and texture but because they cost around $4/lb....
DING! DING! DING! We have a WINNER! (that means I really really like this recipe) Avocados have a wonderfully unique flavor and texture and are for that reason one of my favorite fruits (it...
Whew, what a week… after having out of town visitors for the past four days, I am finally getting back into my routine (school, blog, sleep… school, blog, sleep… school, blog… well, you get...
I swear, sometimes all I want to eat is bread (or chips) and some sort of dip. For a while I was crazy about hummus, but even with all the flavor possibilities there I...
As I ate my Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad this week it dawned on me- this salad would make a KILLER enchilada filling! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to make them until...
This recipe was inspired by a dish that I saw at Whole Foods Market. I don’t have their recipe so I made this up based on what I thought theirs was. It turned out...
I had a hankering for some balsamic marinated mushrooms the other day but after searching for recipes, I decided to try a batch of regular marinated mushrooms before trying the balsamic variety. There were...
After being treated to a wonderful Italian dinner at a local restaurant last week, I was inspired to finally try to make my own marinara sauce. I’ll admit, usually I’m too lazy and I’d...
It’s no secret that I don’t like seeing food go to waste. So, when I had a partial bag of potatoes left sitting on my countertop this week, I started looking for a way...
This recipe is a hybrid recipe from both Whole Foods Market and Epicurious. I like this version of potato salad because it tastes much lighter due to the use of sour cream in the...
