Budget Bytes: February 2010

stuffed poblano peppers
$6.18 recipe / $1.03 serving

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 the idea). Anyway, I needed something quick an easy to make today that would feed me for the rest of the week. Stuffed poblano peppers fit the bill. Well, they weren't exactly quick (thanks to the rice and pepper roasting process) but a lot of that time was "passive cooking" so I was able to take care of other business at the same time.

I decided to do a vegetarian stuffed poblano but if you have extra chorizo, other sausage or chicken waiting in your freezer, by all means cook it, chop it and add it into the mix! My peppers contained seasoned rice, black beans, salsa and cheese. It is a classic combo that I can't ever seem to get enough of. Stuffing it into smokey and slightly spicy poblano peppers just made it extra special. I love these stuffed peppers because they are a cute little self contained meal that is easy to reheat and devour whenever I'm hungry. Normally I would put a dollop of sour cream right on top too but I gotta watch the saturated fat to keep my cholesterol in check so... you know.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

9 com

parmesan kale pasta
$3.69 recipe / $0.62 serving

I saw this recipe a few months back in Bon Apetit and it only briefly grabbed my attention. It wasn't until I saw it AGAIN on Mehan's Kitchen that I thought, "I have to make this immediately!" Maybe I was just craving greens or maybe Bon Apetit needs to hire Mehan to do their food photography... either way, I am glad I tried the recipe out. I loved Mehan's idea for adding sausage to the recipe but I opted out this time because my diet this past week has been particularly meat heavy. Next time, though, sausage it is! Also, I forgot to buy a yellow onion at the store and although they taste quite different, I used half of the red onion that was in my fridge. It was still delicious and it added a splash of color!

The recipe turned out pretty tasty, it reminded me a little of the lemon parsley pasta I made a while back but with more greens. I will be making this again because I really enjoyed the flavors but next time I will make two changes. 1) I will be using bowtie pasta because I find it really hard to stir chunks of stuff (like kale) into thin spaghetti. The spaghetti tends to clump together and all of the other ingredients migrate to the outside of the bowl. 2) I will definitely use two bunches of kale because I would like the kale to pasta ratio to be a bit more even. Then, maybe then, this dish will be perfect.

Parmesan Kale Pasta

5 com

fun with frozen espresso
$0.75 per shot

I know I haven't talked about coffee much but I'll just admit to you now that I'm an addict. I have loved coffee since I was a young girl and after working as a barista for a couple of years post-highschool, I learned to love a well brewed shot of espresso. With espresso drinks starting at $3 (and going way way up from there) at most cafes, I had long ago resigned myself to only enjoying my plain 'ol homemade coffee (french pressed, of course).

Until last week, that is. I had the absolute pleasure of trying Jazzybird Coffee's Gourmet Frozen Espresso Shots. A box of 8 shots retails for $5.99 making each shot only $0.75... a far cry from the $3-$5 that you'd shell out just to have a teenager in a headset hand you the same thing. I'll be honest, I was skeptical about how good they could be but as soon as I peeled back the foil on the first shot, I was hit with the mouth watering aroma of good espresso.

Yes, espresso drinks made with these little frozen shots are still more expensive than my regular cup of joe but I think they fit the Budget Bytes model for a few reasons. First, you'll be making the same drinks at home for 1/3 the cost (or less) as in a cafe. Second, they are FROZEN which means that you can save them for special occasions or days when you want to treat yourself and they'll still be good! And lastly, they are versatile! I made a few different goodies this weekend using the shots... because espresso is a more concentrated brew than regular coffee, it is a great way to add coffee flavor to recipes without adding tons of liquid! Check out the items below to see how I used my Jazzybird Espresso!

Iced or Hot Latte

Total Cost: $1.09

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 shot	Jazzybird Frozen Espresso	$0.75
1 cup	milk	$0.34
TOTAL		$1.09

ICED LATTE: Thaw/melt your espresso shot according to the directions. Fill a glass with ice and pour the shot and milk over top.

HOT LATTE: Heat a cup of milk in the microwave until very hot (your preference). Stir in the frozen shot until it has melted. (If you have a milk frother, I'm jealous because that's the only thing that could have made this better).

Espresso Simple Syrup

Total Cost: $0.93

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 shot	Jazzybird Frozen Espresso	$0.75
1 cup	granulated sugar	$0.18
TOTAL		$0.93

STEP 1: In a small sauce pan, dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 3/4 cup water over medium heat. When all of the sugar has dissolved, stir in one shot of espresso. Cool and keep refrigerated until use.

If you're a cocktail drinker, you know the vast array of usages for simple syrup. You can mix this with any liquor to yield a sweet, espresso flavored drink. I like the idea of combining it with vanilla flavored vodka and topping it off with soda water for a rich, sweet espresso cocktail minus all of the cream (most coffee flavored liquors/cocktails seem to be cream based).

This syrup would also be fantastic poured over vanilla ice cream or drizzled into some pound cake THEN topped with some vanilla ice cream... okay, I need to stop.

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes

Total Cost: $5.22 / $0.29 per cupcake (18 total)

INGREDIENTS		COST
3 shots	Jazzybird Frozen Espresso	$2.25
1 box	chocolate cake mix	$0.88
3 large	eggs	$0.45
1/2 cup	cooking oil	$0.28
1 can	vanilla frosting	$1.36
TOTAL		$5.22

STEP 1: Prepare the cupcake mix according to the directions on the box (combine mix, eggs, oil and water). Stir in three thawed espresso shots.

STEP 2: Fill cupcake pan with the batter, bake according to the directions on the box (20 min at 350). When cupcakes have cooled, top with vanilla frosting. Garnish with cocoa powder and coffee beans if desired!

I had so many recipe ideas swimming around in my head for these nifty little shots but unfortunately I could only squeeze a few in this weekend. If you have any other ideas, let me know! I can't wait to try out more!

13 com

roast beef quesadillas
$9.37 recipe / $2.43 serving

As promised, here is a great "second use" for your leftover beef pot roast. I hate to admit it, but I think that I actually like these quesadillas more than I liked the pot roast! The quesadillas came out a little pricey (well, pricier than my usual meals) due to a few expensive ingredients: beef, red bell peppers and cheese. Over all it is still a budget byting recipe because A) it utilizes leftovers and B) it is still half (at least) the cost of what you would pay if you bought this at a restaurant.

If you didn't make any pot roast this recipe would also be great with some chopped up (and well seasoned) grilled chicken. I would suggest using either a cajun seasoning or fajita seasoning for your chicken. Not only will I be eating the rest of my pot roast this way but I will probably also earmark some of the chicken in my freezer to make these again later!

Special Note: I used about 1/3 of my total cooked pot roast for four of these quesadillas. To calculate the cost of that meat, I added the cost all of the pot roast ingredients MINUS the vegetables (carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onions) and divided it by three. It's not the most accurate calculation but it is the closest estimate possible.

Roast Beef Quesadillas

12 com

mediterranean white bean salad
$5.90 recipe / $0.93 serving

After eating the cooked down, well melded flavors and textures of my pot roast all week, my palate desperately needed something fresh and bright. I wanted green, I wanted tang, I wanted fresh. I had a couple of cans of butter beans in my cabinet that I had bought with the intention of making a quick Italian garlic and parsley dish with but I soon had a much, MUCH better use for them. This Mediterranean style bean dish is very similar to tabbouleh (one of my all-time favorite salads) but uses white beans instead of bulgar wheat and the herbs and spices have been simplified. I used large butter beans for this recipe but any white bean will work (cannellini or even garbanzo). The salad turned out so freaking good that I ate almost half of it immediately after taking the pictures (I made a half batch). If you're looking for a main dish, this salad would also make an excellent bed for a piece of grilled chicken or fish!

Mediterranean White Bean Salad

9 com

pot roast dinner
$18.09 full dinner / $2.26 serving

As I expressed in my post about Pulled Pork, I adore slow cooked meat. I have been waiting all winter long for the chance to make a big juicy Beef Pot Roast. Well, this week (thanks to Mardi Gras break), I got the chance to do some extra cooking, including a Pot Roast! Because this dish comes equip with vegetables that cook along side of the meat, I decided to go ahead and make this post for an entire dinner, not just the roast itself. The Pot Roast Dinner includes the roast, veggies, rice and gravy; everything you need for a belly warming winter meal. This will make 8 large servings so if you're by yourself stay tuned. I will have some "second uses" for the meat posted hopefully within a week.

There are a million and two recipes for pot roast out there. I debated for a day or so whether or not to do this from scratch or buy a seasoning packet. In the end, I decided to go from scratch. After looking at a good 20 recipes or so, I decided to go with this one from The Crepes of Wrath. Of course, I made a few minor adjustments but the basics are the same. I reduced the amount of broth from 4 cups to 3 to make the flavors of the spices more pronounced, I added about 6 cloves of garlic (I just can't go without garlic) and I used mushrooms because what sounds better than mushrooms that have been cooking and soaking in beefy broth all day? Nothing. Oh, and I also used brown sugar instead of honey because honey is stupid expensive.

Pot Roast Dinner

12 com

rice pancakes
$0.42 recipe / $0.21 serving

I made some pot roast yesterday and a bunch of rice to soak up the delicious gravy. I always seem to make too much rice and even though it's as cheap as dirt, I feel bad throwing the leftovers away. These tasty little rice pancakes are something that my mom used to make for us growing up when there was leftover rice from dinner the night before (my mom = the original budget byter!). The recipe I have listed here makes four pancakes (two servings) but it is easily doubled or tripled to fit the amount of leftover rice (or hungry mouths) that you have. If you are multiplying the recipe just make sure that your rice to egg ratio doesn't exceed 1.5 cups rice for each egg. The egg is the binder, the key to keeping the pancakes in one piece. Also, two pancakes doesn't seem like a lot but these are much more dense and filling than regular pancakes. I used a mix of brown and white rice so the extra fiber made them extra extra filling.

The cost listed here is for the pancakes only... This post was not pre-planned so I do not have the cost of syrup (I used some that was already in the fridge, thanks roomie!). Pancake syrup can be purchased fairly inexpensively so I would imagine that a serving would cost $0.15-$0.25. and of course butter is optional.

Rice Pancakes

15 com

roasted chickpeas
$0.80 recipe / $0.40 serving

Move over popcorn, I have a new love! I am seriously kicking myself right now for only buying one can of chickpeas today. I most definitely should have bought two because this recipe was everything I wanted it to be and these crunchy tasty little morsels are disappearing right before my eyes. I had been seeing recipes all over the net the past few weeks for roasted chickpeas and I knew I had to try them. After looking at a few, my favorite was this one from One Perfect Bite (a pretty cool blog that always has something interesting that I want to try!). I live in Louisiana so I had some of cajun spice on hand (okay, maybe not "some", more like 4 bottles) but if you don't have any, this recipe would be FANTASTIC with regular chili powder and a little salt instead. I was really excited to have the salty/spicy mixed with the brown sugar but I have to admit I couldn't taste any sweetness. So, next time I think I'll double the brown sugar and see what happens!

Roasted Chickpeas

29 com

chili garlic breakfast quesadilla
$0.61 each

A while back I posted my delicious Egg Florentine Quesadillas and many of you seemed to enjoy them just as much as I did. Although they are wonderful, I don't always have creamed spinach in my fridge (and not for lack of wanting) so the recipe has since morphed into these delicious Chili Garlic Breakfast Quesadillas. They sill have spinach (fresh rather than creamed) and instead of red pepper flakes I smear a bit of garlic chili paste onto the tortilla. Anyway, you can make one of these in about 10 minutes and they're very portable... not to mention delicious. These quesadillas have been my breakfast for WEEKS (well, when I'm not eating my Indian Spiced Oats, that is).

Chili Garlic Breakfast Quesadillas

2 com

loaded nachos
$15.41 recipe / $1.93

Oh nachos, the mother of all comfort food! I know, I know, they're so unhealthy, blah blah blah. Well, one of the reasons nachos are so fabulous is that they are extremely versatile. Make them as healthy or unhealthy as you want depending on what you choose to put on them (I will list some healthier options at the end of the post). Usually, I shoot for a mix of healthy and unhealthy and just make sure to keep my serving sizes in check (just as important for your budget as your waistline) but, after a particularly strenuous week, I just went all this time.

I also love nachos because they are super quick to make and once I buy all of the goods, I can eat nachos (or taco salads) for a good week. Since everyone puts different types and amounts of toppings on their nachos, I just put the full price for each of the components that I used. The total cost for the ingredients was $15.41 and you can easily make 8 or more servings out of all of it. Just remember one thing: when building your plate of loaded nachos only use half as much of each topping as you think you'll need because your mountain of nachos will quickly get much bigger than anticipated! I learned this lesson last night when I suddenly had a plate full of nachos that was big enough to feed three people. Ooops.

2 com

apple crisp
$3.41 recipe / $0.57 serving

It's not too often that I make sweets (the last one was lemon ricotta cookies back in january) so I didn't feel guilty about giving into my craving for warm apple crisp topped with cold vanilla ice cream! The problem came when I started researching apple crisp recipes. There are SO many out there (probably because the dessert is as old as time) that I had trouble deciding which way to go. In the end I decided to go with the basic, tried and true recipe from my Joy of Cooking Cookbook (altered to make a smaller batch). This is the first time that I have made apple crisp so I figured I would stick with the basics and experiment next time. If you're an apple crisp pro, try some of the variations that I saw like adding crushed up ginger snaps or cinnamon graham crackers to the topping or pouring dulce de leche in with the apples (YUM). Let me know how it turns out!

10 com

baked ziti
$9.59 recipe / $0.80 serving

I was in the mood for a good hearty pasta dish this week so I decided to make yet another variation on the Italian pasta, marinara and cheese combo: Baked Ziti. I always feel a little guilty when eating just pasta sauce and cheese so I tried to squeeze in a few extra vegetables by adding sauteed mushrooms and spinach to the mix. If you don't like mushrooms and spinach, feel free to skip those steps and just make it straight pasta, sauce and cheese. Also, if you're the carnivorous type, try browning a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage and adding it to the sauce for a super hearty baked ziti.

One important thing to note: this recipe makes A LOT. I filled a huge 9x13 inch casserole dish all the way up to the top. When it was all cooked and cooled, I cut it into 12 big 'ol thick blocks which I know I'm not going to be able to eat within the week. So, if you're cooking for just yourself or maybe one or two other people, cut this recipe in half. OR, you can split the mix into two casserole dishes, bake one and freeze the other. Then you can thaw and bake the second one later.

Baked Ziti

4 com

roasted butternut squash salad
$3.72 recipe / $0.62 serving

This simple yet scrumptious salad is a favorite from our local Whole Foods Market. The prepared foods department there makes it all through the fall and winter and demand for it never wavers. The reason this salad is so popular is because it combines just the right flavors and textures into an insanely healthy and delicious package. The salad combines savory and almost creamy roasted butternut squash with tart and chewy dried cranberries. Lastly you have crisp and mild fresh baby spinach to bring it all together. The salad is great served cold or even warmed just slightly. The spinach will wilt a little when it is warmed but the heat will bring out a whole new flavor profile. This is one of those side dishes that you'll hapily snack on throughout the week!

Marinated Mushrooms

12 com

balsamic oven fries
$3.49 recipe / $0.58 serving

As a side dish to my Cranberry and Walnut Stuffed Pork Loin last week, I made up some thick cut french fries... well, oven fries because I don't have a deep fryer and my conscious is happier with baked fries anyway. Oven baked fries still come out crispy and you can add any sort of flavoring to them before they go in (garlic, chili, parmesan... ANYTHING). For some reason I was craving "fish and chips" last week so I decided to douse my oven fries with balsamic vinegar when they came out of the oven. They were spectacular but if you don't like balsamic vinegar, just eat them plain or dipped in your favorite sauce. The key here is that they're cheap, versatile and yummy!

Balsamic Oven Fries

8 com

cranberry & walnut stuffed
pork loin
$7.56 recipe / $0.95 serving

Stuffing meat is fantastic. Not only does it add extra flavor and texture but it takes advantage of Budget Byting Principle #2: use ingredients wisely. That means taking an expensive ingredient (the pork) and combining it with a less expensive ingredient (the stuffing) to bring the cost per serving down.

The second trick that I used to make this recipe so cost efficient was the fact that I snatched up this huge 27 oz. pork loin when it was on sale ($4 off!!) and stored it in my freezer 'till I was ready to use it. Normally, $8.99 for a pork loin is just too expensive for my taste but slash it by almost half and I'm game!

Lastly, even though dried cranberries and walnuts are by themselves expensive ingredients, if you use them sparingly to just add a little bit of "oomph" to the stuffing, they won't do too much damage to your bottom line.

Cranberry & Walnut Stuffed Pork Loin