35 com

indian spiced oats
w/ coconut milk
$2.80 recipe / $0.70 serving

I've been off the steel-cut oats bandwagon for a while because I've been addicted to my little breakfast egg quesadillas (I'll post that soon because they're too good to keep to myself). But, this week I got a hankering for the almighty oats. I didn't realize how I missed their chewy goodness until now! Anyway, this little Indian pilaf inspired oat mixture turned out FANTASTIC. The spices, sweet raisins, crunchy almonds and super creamy coconut milk balance each other perfectly. This breakfast will make you feel like the Maharaja while only costing you $0.70!

Indian Spiced Oats
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11 com

baba ganoush
$3.07 recipe / $0.77 serving

I'm going to admit right now that I have never made Baba Ganoush before today so if you have any suggestions or recipe variations, please share!

If you have never heard of Baba Ganoush, today is your lucky day. Baba Ganoush is a roasted eggplant dip that is common in Mediterranean cuisine. If you like hummus, you may very well like Baba Ganoush because it is very similar. So similar, in fact, that I like to describe it as hummus made with roasted eggplant rather than chickpeas or garbanzo beans. It has all of the usual ingredients: tahini (sesame paste, think peanut butter but made with sesame seeds instead of peanuts), lemon juice and garlic. Although I love garlic, the breath that fresh garlic leaves behind can be a little too strong for even me. So, for this recipe, I used roasted garlic instead of fresh. Roasted garlic is still strong and will give you breath but the odor is more like an "8" on a scale of ten rather than "15" like fresh garlic is.

Anyway... it turned out great and I ate a boat load of it today for lunch with some whole wheat pita ($0.21 per pita pocket)! Even though it was a simple appetizer-like lunch, I'm still full over five hours later.

Baba Ganoush
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3 com

thai peanut rice pilaf
$2.86 recipe / $0.48 serving

Today as I was sitting in immunology class I found myself wondering not about lymphocytes and antigens but what I could do with my left over Thai Peanut Sauce. Then the light bulb went off and I raced home to throw together one of the best rice pilafs that I've ever tasted. I used jasmine rice for extra aroma and flavor (and because I had exactly enough left over waiting to be used in my cupboard). The little bits of sweet red pepper and sweet peas offer just the right balance to the peanut sauce's spicy heat. Thanks to the protein packed peanut sauce, the starchy rice and crunchy veggies, this pilaf makes for a very satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs side dish!

Thai Peanut Rice Pilaf
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7 com

greek pizza
$9.03 recipe / $2.26 serving

I love pizza... so many flavors and textures, the possibilities are endless. This week I made a Greek pizza (or at least that's what I'm calling it) that uses olive oil and spices instead of a red sauce. On the seasoned crust I piled on mozzarella cheese and six additional toppings (spinach, goat cheese, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, artichoke hearts and pepperoni). A six topping pizza like this would cost $16.99 at the pizzaria where I bought the dough but I made it for almost half that cost! I set the serving size at 2 slices (or 1/4 of the whole pie) but I found it to be really filling and if it were served with a side or two one slice would definitely be enough. The pepperoni are optional (this would make a great vegetarian pizza) but I happened to have some left over and you know how I like to use up leftovers...

Greek Pizza
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2 com

roasted garlic & caramelized onions
$0.35 garlic / $1.27 onions

These two recipes are for "ingredients" that I'll be using in this week's recipes. Both roasted garlic and caramelized onions are extremely versatile (and delicious) so it's a good idea to know how to make them. I would suggest roasting garlic at the same time as something that you already plan on roasting because running a whole oven for just a bulb or two of garlic seems like a waste. Caramelize onions are time consuming but require little effort so make large batches and freeze the leftovers so they are ready to use at any time. I made one bulb of garlic here and caramelized three onions (although you'll probably only use one onion worth at a time).


ROASTED GARLIC

Roasted Garlic
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8 com

quick migas
$3.40 recipe / $0.57 serving

I know, I know, this is not traditional migas but this is my super quick and still super delicious version of migas. If you've never heard of migas then I'm glad you are here reading this today. Migas is a wonderful dish made of scrambled eggs, strips of fried tortillas and a medley of sauteed vegetables (onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes etc.). I first heard of migas while browsing through the Pioneer Woman's blog (she's awesome, btw) and she has a wonderful not-quick recipe for migas. Then, after I had almost forgotten about migas, I got a note from one of my readers suggesting I make migas. Well, I sure am glad that I got that reminder because not only was this migas absolutely delightful, it was also super inexpensive! SCORE!

The reason this is a "quick" version is migas is that I used salsa instead of chopping and sauteing veggies and I used Mission Tortilla Strips instead of frying tortillas and cutting them into strips. Mission Tortilla Strips are much thicker than regular tortilla chips (and almost half the price) which you need in order for them to stand up to all of the moisture in this dish.

I made a big 6 serving batch here but I would suggest only making the amount that you are going to eat immediately because it tends to get dried out during the refrigeration/reheating process. Luckily, this recipe just as easy and quick to make one serving (or two or three) at a time as it is for six.

Quick Migas
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Total Recipe cost: $3.40
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $0.57
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 10 min. Total: 15 min.

INGREDIENTS COST
6 large eggs $0.90
1/4 cup milk $0.08
1 cup salsa $0.86
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese $0.42
5 oz. thick tortrilla strips $0.64
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped $0.17
1 Tbsp butter $0.05
3 chopped green onions $0.23
to taste salt and pepper $0.05
TOTAL   $3.40


STEP 1: Saute the green onions in 1 Tbsp of butter over medium heat until they are soft (2-3 minutes). While the onions are cooking, whisk together the eggs and milk.

STEP 2: Once the onions are soft, pour the egg mixture over top and let it cook (without stirring) until the edges are "set" (this means cooked/turned solid... see photos below). Once the edges are set, use your spatula to pull the edges in toward the center of the pan, letting the unset/liquid egg flow back onto the surface of the pan. Repeat this process until almost all of the egg mixture is set/cooked. Move on to the next step when the egg mixture is still moist and glistening but is mostly cooked. If you cook it until it is dry at this step, your end product will be over cooked and super dry. Yuck.

STEP 3: Pour the salsa on the eggs and gently fold in (be careful not to over stir, you'll end up with pellet like scrambled eggs). Add the tortilla strips and gently fold in. The tortilla strips will soften and reduce in volume as they are mixed in so don't worry if your pan seems to be over flowing at first!

STEP 4: Sprinkle the top of your migas with shredded cheese and freshly chopped cilantro. Serve while it is still hot and moist!

Step By Step Photos

saute green onions
Saute the green onions in 1 Tbsp of butter (I used 2 Tbsp of butter but soon realized that it was way more than needed so 1 Tbsp is listed in the recipe)

cook eggs
Pour in the egg/milk mixture and let cook until the edges are set. See the white-ish color that the edges get when they have cooked?

pull egg in toward center
Using your spatula, pull the cooked edges in toward the center and let the uncooked egg flow back in it's place. Once the new uncooked egg has set on the edges, repeat the process. Keep doing this until you get...

mostly cooked eggs
...eggs that look like this! These eggs are mostly cooked (see the moist glistening top layer?) and now it is time to move on to the next step.

add salsa and tortilla strips
Add the salsa and gently fold it in (do not over stir) then add the tortilla strips and fold in. Top the mixture with shredded cheese and fresh chopped cilantro!

Quick Migas

NOTE: If you want to make this one serving at a time just whisk together one egg with 1 tsp of milk and saute one green onion in 1 tsp of butter. The amount of salsa, tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro are completely flexible so add however much you want!

To make this recipe a little bit healthier, you can reduce the amount of tortilla strips, use low-fat cheese, saute more veggies and use egg whites or an egg substitute. I wouldn't suggest using baked tortilla chips because they don't seem like they would be strong enough to hold up to the liquid but if you're feeling adventurous, give it a try!

Eaten Migas
Yummmmmmmmmm!
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7 com

thai peanut noodles
$4.30 recipe / $0.54 serving

One of the simplest ways to enjoy Thai Peanut Sauce is over a pile of hearty pasta. I wasn't able to make it to the store that sold soba noodles (buckwheat pasta) so I used 100% whole wheat. It's not quite the same but delicious in it's own right. I fancied up the dish by adding a few sesame seeds and fresh green onion. The peanut sauce was already so nutty and flavorful that the sesame didn't end up making *that* big of a difference but the green onions added a nice freshness that I wouldn't want to go without. This is a great side dish or if you just want something quick and filling for dinner!

Thai Peanut Noodles
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Total Recipe cost: $4.30
Servings Per Recipe: 8 (2 oz. pasta, 1/4 cup sauce)
Cost per serving: $0.54
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 5 min. Total: 15 min.

INGREDIENTS COST
1 lb. whole wheat linguine or soba $1.48
1 recipe thai peanut sauce $1.75
1/2 oz. sesame seeds (optional) $0.49
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced $0.58
TOTAL   $4.30


STEP 1: Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box (boil for 10 minutes or until al dente). Meanwhile, slice the green onions.

STEP 2: Drain the pasta in a colander and then toss with Thai Peanut Sauce, sesame seeds and green onions while still warm. Eat and enjoy!

Thai Peanut Noodles

NOTE: I ate leftovers of this today for lunch and found that it soaks up all of the sauce while refrigerated and ends up being a little dry. For that reason, I would suggest only mixing enough cooked pasta and sauce for what you will eat right then. Store the rest of the cooked pasta in a container then combine with sauce just prior to reheating. Easy, delicious and filling!
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153 com

coconut chicken w/ sweet chili dipping sauce
$6.91 recipe / $1.15 serving

I've been wanting to cook this coconut chicken for a LONG time and my anticipation was definitely justified by the end result. The shredded coconut mixed with panko bread crumbs gives a light, crunchy crust and adding a little bit of coconut milk to the egg wash ensures an even stronger coconut flavor. If you don't have coconut milk on hand, it can be made without but it definitely makes a difference. You might be tempted to skip the sweet chili dipping sauce but it really brings a lot of flavor to the table so get some if you can! If you prefer a healthier version, I have seen recipes that bake the breaded chicken instead of frying it. I've never tried it but I bet it's still tasty! If you bake yours instead of frying, let me know how it turns out (in the comments section so everyone can see)!

Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce
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3 com

asian salad with peanut dressing
$6.02 recipe / $1.00 serving

I gotta get my veggies and coming up with new ways to do so can be challenging. Since I made the Thai Peanut Sauce today, I thought I would throw together a salad and use the peanut sauce as a dressing. I encountered a couple hurdles when buying the veggies for the salad because it's winter, nothing is in season and everything was really expensive. I wanted to buy some nappa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots and other veggies and just build my salad from scratch but then, I happened upon a bag mix of ice berg with red cabbage and carrots that was only $1.50 for 6 cups. Well, the bagged mix won the battle because the nappa cabbage alone was $0.98 per pound and each head had to be at least 3 lbs. Anyway, if you don't agree with the bagged salad mix decision, feel free to make it with whatever you want, that's just worked for me this time around.

Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing
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Total Recipe cost: $6.02
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $1.00
Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 0 min. Total: 20 min.

INGREDIENTS COST
6 cups salad mix (ice berg, carrots, red cabbage) $1.50
1 medium cucumber $0.76
1 medium red bell pepper $1.50
1/4 bunch green onions $0.29
1 package ramen noodles $0.22
1 recipe thai peanut sauce $0.05
TOTAL   $6.02


STEP 1: Rinse off the bell pepper, cucumber and green onions. Chop all of them into small pieces (I did small sticks for the pepper and cucumber, regular slices for the onion).

STEP 2: Before opening the package of ramen noodles, break it up into small pieces in the bag. After opening, either discard the flavor packet or keep it for another time.

STEP 3: To assemble the salad, put 1 cup of salad mix in a bowl, top with a few pieces of red pepper, cucumber, green onions and a couple tablespoons of broken up ramen noodles. Top the salad with 1/4 cup of Thai Peanut Sauce and toss together. Enjoy!

NOTE: If you are eating this salad throughout the week (as I am), store the vegetables individually and separate from the ramen noodles and peanut sauce. When you want a salad, simply combine the veggies, top with the ramen and peanut sauce and you're good to go. This will ensure that your veggies and noodles stay crisp.

salad ingredients
Here are my containers with the salad ingredients. The bagged salad mix is in it's own bag with a clip holding it closed.

I had a hard time deciding which veggies to use in my salad. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them!
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25 com

thai peanut sauce
$1.75 recipe / $0.22 serving

I've been really digging Asian food lately. As I was deciding on my main entree and side dish for this week, I decided to give Thai peanut sauce a shot. I had never made it before so I looked at a good 20 recipes. Some recipes were simple and sweet with only about 4 ingredients, others were long and complex with 10-15 ingredients. I do like to keep things simple but as it turns out, I had a lot of those ingredients anyway. So, why not use them, right? Right. Well, I know a lot of you may not have all of these ingredients on hand so I will list which ingredients are optional or that you could probably get away with not using and still have a decent sauce. Here is the catch: the fewer ingredients you choose to use, the flatter and less complex your sauce will be. If you can, use all of them because this sauce turned out absolutely AMAZING (I wanted to drink it with a straw). Plus it's versatile. I used it as a salad dressing, pasta sauce and a flavoring for rice pilaf.

Thai Peanut Sauce
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Total Recipe cost: $1.75
Servings Per Recipe: 8 (1/4 cup each, 2 cups total)
Cost per serving: $0.22 (for four servings)
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 0 min. Total: 15 min.

INGREDIENTS COST
3/4 cup natural style peanut butter $0.82
1/4 cup coconut milk (optional) $0.16
1/2 lime lime juice $0.17
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled, grated (optional) $0.24
1 clove garlic, minced $0.06
1 tsp sriracha sauce (rooster hot sauce) $0.05
1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.03
1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional) $0.02
1 Tbsp brown sugar $0.03
1/4 bunch cilantro $0.17
1/4 - 1/2 cup water FREE (kinda)
TOTAL   $1.75


STEP 1: Make sure your natural style peanut butter is thoroughly mixed before measuring (you don't want to get all oil or all solids). In a blender or food processor combine all of the ingredients except the sriracha sauce. Begin with only 1/4 cup of water and add more until you get the consistency you want (I used 1/2 cup total). Add the sriracha sauce a little at a time (blending between) until it is to your desired heat (I used about 1/2 tsp).

STEP 2: Enjoy the peanut sauce on salads, pasta or as a dipping sauce!

NOTE: If you do not have sriracha sauce, you can use red pepper flakes. Again, begin with a small amount and add more until it is as hot as you'd like. Remember, when using dried spices, the sauce will get spicier as it refrigerates and the flakes rehydrate.

My recipe calls for 1/4 cup of coconut milk which is only about 1/8th of a can. If you are looking for something to do with the rest of it (because no one likes to throw stuff away, especially delicious coconut milk), you can make some Savory Coconut Rice with the remainder. It is also really tasty when poured over oatmeal with fruit and nuts. If you make smoothies, coconut milk will add a lot of creaminess and a tropical flavor!

When buying fresh ginger, don't be shy about breaking off a small nub from the large roots they have at the grocery store. It is perfectly acceptable. I never use a lot of ginger so I always just break off an inch or two so that I'm not paying for more than I need. Ginger is easily peeled with a regular vegetable peeler and then you can grate it using the smallest side of a cheese grater.
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14 com

sweet potato enchiladas
$3.83 recipe / $0.96 per enchilada

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 today... and I say unfortunately because this stuff is ten times better in enchilada form... something like a Latin carnival of flavor in my mouth! Next time I make this salad, I will surely roll half of it up in tortillas and freeze them so that I can take them out and bake at any time. If you don't have leftover Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad like I did, you can easily cut that recipe in half which should give you enough for about 8 enchiladas. I only made two here but I did the recipe costing for four so that it was a little bit more realistic.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas
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Total Recipe cost: $3.83
Servings Per Recipe: 4 enchiladas
Cost per serving: $0.96 per enchilada
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 30 min. Total: 40 min.

INGREDIENTS COST
2 cups Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad $1.52
4 fajita size flour tortillas $0.32
one 10 oz. can enchilada sauce $1.00
1 cup shredded cheddar $0.99
TOTAL   $3.83


STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish lightly with non-stick spray. Using a fork, slightly mash the Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad.

STEP 2: Lay out your tortillas and divide the mashed up sweet potato mixture evenly between all four (about 1/2 cup each). Sprinkle a little bit (about 2 Tbsp) of shredded cheddar in each tortilla as well. Gently fold the sides of the tortillas in toward the center, one side over the other, until they look like fat cigars.

STEP 3: Pour a little bit of enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Place the rolled enchiladas in the baking dish, seam side down. Top the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce and the rest of the shredded cheese.

STEP 4: Bake the enchiladas at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Step By Step Photos

mashed sweet potato salad
Mash the sweet potato salad with a fork to make it stick together better.

fill tortillas
Fill each tortilla with the mashed sweet potato salad and a little shredded cheese.

rolled enchiladas
Roll the enchiladas up, place in a baking dish and top with enchilada sauce (I've had readers say they've never heard of enchilada sauce, so here it is!).

enchiladas ready to bake
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

finished enchiladas
And when they're done, you'll have these delicious bundles!

NOTE: This dish would freeze really well in an aluminum pan. Roll a bunch of the enchiladas up, place them in the aluminum baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. When you are ready to bake, simply take the dish out, pour on a can of enchilada sauce and bake. you will need to add more baking time since they are frozen or you can thaw the dish in your refrigerator 24 hours prior to cooking.
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24 com

broccoli rice casserole
$4.77 recipe / $0.80 serving

Ahhhh, comfort food. Sometimes you're stressed out, sometimes you're tired, sometimes you're just plain hungry. All of those things make me want comfort food. Well, I must have been experiencing one of those (or all of them?) last week because I was craving some serious warm, melty, cheesiness. I like this recipe because (thanks to multiple modifications) it's not all that bad for you and still every bit as comforting. I use brown rice for extra texture/chewiness, extra fiber and extra tummy filling properties. If you're concerned about "cream of" condensed soup, they are available in all-natural , organic or lite varieties. I love the broccoli flavor so I make sure the casserole is jammed packed full of it. Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables which happens to be one of the MOST healthful. When you stop and think about it, this dish has way more pros than cons so it's a shame that it gets such a bad rap. Reputation aside, it tastes AWESOME... and I've been enjoying it for days.

Broccoli Rice Casserole
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Total Recipe cost: $4.77
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $0.80
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 1 hr. Total: 1 hr. 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS COST
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced $0.23
2 Tbsp olive oil $0.21
1 cup long grain rice $0.30
2 cups chicken broth $0.92
one 14 oz. bag frozen broccoli florets $1.27
one 11 oz. can cream of chicken soup $1.00
3/4 cup shredded cheddar $0.74
1/4 tsp cayenne powder (optional) $0.05
to taste fresh black pepper $0.05
TOTAL   $4.77


STEP 1: Saute the diced onion with 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium pot over medium high/heat. When the onion is soft and translucent, add 1 cup of long grain rice. Continue to cook and stir for 2-3 minutes more or until the rice looks transparent. Sauteing the uncooked rice will slightly toast it and add more flavor. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes (with a lid).

STEP 2: Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Thaw the broccoli florets in the microwave according to the package directions (in a microwave safe dish with an inch of water). Only cook/thaw the broccoli until it is bright green and only slightly tender. You do not want to cook it to the soft/mushy point because it will cook further in the oven once it is mixed into the casserole.

STEP 3: Drain off any liquid from the broccoli. Mix in the cream of chicken soup (or you can use cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of anything you'd like). Add the freshly ground black pepper and cayenne powder (if you want a kick).

STEP 4: Once the rice has finished cooking, combine that with the broccoli and soup mixture. Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and transfer the mixture to a casserole dish (I actually just mixed all of the ingredients in that dish to begin with). Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and bake for 30 minute. Serve the hot, warm, gooey casserole and feel all of your troubles melt away!

Step By Step Photos

cook onions
Cook the onions until tender then add the uncooked rice (forgot to take a pic of that part). Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 40 min.

cooked rice
Then it will look like this.

thawed broccoli
Meanwhile thaw/partially cook your frozen broccoli (see directions on the package). Drain off excess water after cooking.

add soup and spices
Add the cream of chicken soup, pepper and cayenne to the broccoli.

mix in rice and cheese
Mix in the cooked rice and 1/2 cup of cheese

bake casserole
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 and get this! mmmm, goooooey.

NOTE: If you prefer fresh broccoli or get it on sale, it is almost as easy to use as the frozen kind. Just cut the florets off. The stem is actually quite tasty and healthful too, it just needs to be peeled, cut smaller and cooked longer because it is tough. Then you can steam the broccoli in the microwave just like you would to thaw the frozen kind. Put it in a dish with about an inch of water, cover it with a microwave safe lid (but don't clamp it down, leave room for the steam to escape a little) and microwave until it is just tender. Proceed with the recipe as usual!
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11 com

roasted poblano and sweet potato salad
$5.96 recipe / $0.76 serving

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 pretty tasty and it's super healthy which (in my opinion) is win-win! Also, this was my first time cooking with poblanos and I have decided that they are my new favorite ingredient. Their flavor is incredible and my house smelled AMAZING while they were roasting. I'm going to have to try a stuffed poblano recipe soon!

Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad
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Total Recipe cost: $5.96
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Cost per serving: $0.76
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 45 min. Total: 1 hr.

INGREDIENTS COST
2 large (about 2.5 lbs.) sweet potatoes $2.43
2 large poblano peppers $0.98
one 14 oz. can black beans $0.78
1 cup frozen corn kernels $0.32
1/4, diced red onion (optional) $0.12
1 medium lime $0.20
3 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
1 bunch cilantro $0.66
2 tsp ground cumin $0.10
1/2 tsp salt $0.05
TOTAL   $5.96


STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees on the broiler setting. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray your poblanos with non-stick spray. Place the baking sheet with the peppers about 4 inches below the broiler coils(this is the second rack level on my oven). Roast the peppers under the broiler for 15 minutes on one side, flip them over then broil for another 5 minutes on the other side. You want the skin on the peppers to be all blistered and blackened. This will give them a nice smokey flavor. Don't worry, you will be peeling away the charred skin.

STEP 2: While the peppers are roasting, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into even chunks about one inch square. Place the chunks in a bowl and toss them together with 3 Tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of cumin, 1/2 tsp of salt and about half a bunch of chopped cilantro leaves. Mix it all up until the sweet potato chunks are well coated. The peppers should be done roasting at this point.

STEP 3: When the peppers come out of the oven, put them into a resealable freezer bag and let them cool. The peppers will steam themselves in the bag as they cool allowing you to easily peel away the skin.

STEP 4: Turn the oven from broil to bake (still on 400 degrees), pour out the bowl of sweet potato chunks onto the baking sheet that was used for the peppers, and roast the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes. Stir the chunks half way through.

STEP 5: Drain and rinse the can of black beans. Thaw one cup of frozen corn kernels. Finely chop 1/4 of a red onion (if desired). Put the beans, corn and onion together in a bowl. When the poblanos have cooled, peel off their skin, open them up to remove the seeds, seed pod and stem then cut the flesh into chunks. Put the chopped poblanos in the bowl with the other vegetables.

STEP 6: When the sweet potatoes are done, let them cool for about 10 minutes. In the mean time, chop the other half of the cilantro, and juice the lime. Mix the sweet potatoes, cilantro and lime together with the rest of the ingredients and serve. This dish can be eaten warm or cold!

Step By Step Photos

fresh poblanos
Coat the poblanos in oil to prepare them for roasting.

roasted poblanos
They will be charred and blistered when done (even more charred than this is okay).

peeled poblanos
After steaming in a ziplock bag, peel away the skin. Remove the seeds and dice the flesh.

prepped sweet potatoes
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, cumin, salt and cilantro. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

roasted sweet potatoes
Combine the roasted sweet potatoes with the poblanos, beans, corn, red onion, lime juice and fresh cilantro.

Roasted Poblano and Sweet Potato Salad

NOTE: It's kind of funny that the sweet potatoes are the most expensive ingredient in this dish. I usually visit the produce market but this week it was so bitterly cold, I was coerced into buying my produce at the grocery store (the produce market is open-air). I'm sure that if I had bought the ingredients at the produce market, I could have made this dish for far less.

While making the salad, it looks like it is going to be a very small amount. To my surprise, it actually made quite a bit. Since I cook for only myself, I will definitely be halving the recipe next time. This recipe can easily be halved, doubled or made into whatever quantity you need!
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7 com

lemon ricotta cookies
$3.53 recipe / $0.12 cookie

I saw these Ricotta Cookies yesterday morning on Tastespotting.com and they looked so scrumptious that I bumped one of my planned recipes in favor of this one. The cookies are great because they are not too sweet, not too rich, they come together very quickly and they are a blank canvas as far as flavor is concerned. You can add lemon, almond, cinnamon... whatever flavor you want. I went with lemon and I haven't been able to stop eating them. They are light, fluffy and perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies
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Total Recipe cost: $3.53
Servings Per Recipe: about 30 cookies
Cost per serving: $0.12 per cookie
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 25 min.

INGREDIENTS COST
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened $0.40
1 cup granulated sugar $0.18
1 large egg $0.15
1 tsp vanilla $0.30
1 cup ricotta cheese $0.92
2 cups all purpose flour $1.08
1 Tbsp baking powder $0.07
1/2 tsp salt $0.05
1 cup powdered sugar $0.18
1 medium lemon $0.20
TOTAL   $3.53


STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Whip together the softened butter and granulated sugar until you get a light fluffy paste. A mixer is best for this but if you don't have one (like me... I know, I should), you can just use a fork and a lot of elbow grease. It won't be easy unless your butter is really soft.

STEP 2: Once the butter and sugar are mixed together, add the egg, vanilla extract and ricotta. Zest the lemon and add in half of the zest, reserving the rest for garnish. Mix until all of those "wet" ingredients are well combined.

STEP 3: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Make sure they are well combined - chunks of baking powder are not delicious.

STEP 4: Mix together the bowl of wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until you have a thick paste like batter. Using a spoon, drop balls of the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet two inches apart. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

STEP 5: In a small bowl prepare the glaze by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar and the juice of the lemon that you previously zested (be careful not to let the seeds drop in). Using a spoon, smear a small amount over top of the baked cookies. ENJOY!

Step By Step Photos

Butter and Sugar
Cream together the butter and sugar until it is a light, slightly fluffy paste.

Eggs, Ricotta, Vanilla
Add in the egg, vanilla and ricotta and mix until it looks like...

Mixed Wet Ingredients
...until they look like this.

Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) until they are well combined.

Finished Batter
Now mix the wet and dry together until you have this thick batter. Drop the batter onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Baked Cookies
They will be nice and golden brown on top when done. Slather some glaze on top and eat 'em up! One at a time please...

Eaten Cookie

NOTE: I used an old coffee scoop to measure my batter when dropping them onto the cookie sheet. I think it was a 2 Tbsp scoop and I got 30 cookies out of it. The batter was so thick that the handle broke off the scoop... The cookies are worth it though. RIP scoop!

Plate of Cookies
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This work by Budget Bytes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License