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Cooking on a Budget: Recipes and Tips

Whether you have to eat gluten free or lactose free or simply want to eat healthier, it doesn't have to cost a fortune. On the following pages you'll find recipes, tips, advice, and food reviews to help you feed your family great meals without spending a fortune.

Kentucky Pimento Cheese: Budget-Friendly, Easy, and Delicious!

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Pimento Cheese Makings

Pimento Cheese, Fixing to Happen

Okay, so why do I call this Kentucky Pimento Cheese?? Well…

  1. It’s Pimento Cheese
  2. I live in Kentucky

Mystery solved! Actually, I thought the words Pimento Cheese looked kind of lonely and wanted to give them a friend.

This is my go-to recipe for pimento cheese because it’s easy, simple, and (most importantly) delicious. It’s creamy and a little sweet (thanks for all you do for me, cream cheese). You can add a little jalapeno and/or cayenne pepper (just a little, don’t get crazy with it) to it if you’d like to balance the sweetness, but as a true southerner, sweetness floats my boat, so I take him as he is.

A few quick notes…

  • Make this your own by adding more cheese if you like, as much salt and pepper as you prefer, and adjusting the mayo to fit your personal tastes.
  • It’s always a great idea (with any food, actually) to shred your own cheese rather than buying it shredded. It simply tastes a lot better. A LOT better.

Kentucky Pimento Cheese on Bread


Easy Salisbury Steak with Ground Beef

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Salisbury Steaks with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Salisbury Steak with Gravy and Mashed Potatoes

While the recipe, here, is gluten-free, making it traditionally (with all the gluten your heart desires.) is as simple as using regular bread crumbs and non gluten-free gravy.

A few quick tips:

  • Salisbury Steak with Gravy should be illegal to make without mashed potatoes, so whatever you do, serve it with mashed potatoes. I personally also like green beans as a side.
  • See the delicious little (crispier on the bottom) bits around the edges in the photo above? Making your patties a little thin at the edges allows this yumminess to happen.
  • If you don’t have any Montreal Steak Seasoning (Amazon link) on hand… why would you NOT??!!…  simply use a combination of onion powder and garlic powder. I’ve done this before and it’s fantastic.

The BEST Gluten-Free Gravy Mixes

Pioneer Brand Gluten-Free Brown Gravy Mix is one of the things I NEVER allow myself to run out of. It is quick and easy to make and tastes fantastic. I also keep Pioneer Brand Country Gravy Mix on hand at all times. You wouldn’t believe how great it is on mashed potatoes, hashbrowns, or bread. Sometimes I add crumbled sausage and it’s the best sausage gravy imaginable. The two links go to Amazon where they’re available but they’re also pretty easy to find in stores. I’ve found them at Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Meijer.

Pioneer Brand also makes amazing… and I mean amazing… gravy mixes that aren’t gluten-free. They’re simply an extraordinary brand and you can’t go wrong ordering anything they have. Just be sure (if you have to eat gluten-free) to only buy their gluten-free products.

Salisbury Steaks with Gravy

Salisbury Steak with Gravy


The Many Benefits of Eating Local

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Local

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Local

Every now and then, on each of my blogs, I will take an old post (or review) and give it new life – bringing it into the present day, when relevant. Since eating healthy and supporting our local communities could not POSSIBLY be more relevant to our present day, I’m revamping a review of a book I was sent a few years ago (It is, of course, still available on Amazon… in fact, the last time I checked the paperback book was under $5!)

Rather than a cookbook, which I typically review on the food blog, this book is more of a live longer, be healthier, help your community, and protect the environment type of book. If that’s your cup of tea (and how could it not be?!), this ambitious and fascinating book is for you.

After reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Local (Amazon link) my first thought was, “I wish this were required reading for everybody. Everywhere.”  Of course, I  have on idea how one would go about enforcing the reading assignment, but I think someone should give it a try.

Seriously, when is supporting local farmers NOT a wonderful idea?  When is eating healthier foods NOT a wonderful idea?

As I said, I am revisiting some books, recipes, and articles and placing them in the spotlight thanks to the Pandemic. I get as tired as anyone when people try to imply that only unfit people with pre-existing conditions can get COVID or its variants. Poppycock!

Do people who are out of shape, overweight, or have pre-existing conditions have a harder time with the virus than others. Well, obviously. Sorry to be so blunt, but sometimes common sense comes into play. Yes, even fit and otherwise healthy people can be knocked off their feet with this (or any) virus. However, study after study has proven that those who are overweight or have pre-existing conditions tend to be hit harder.

This isn’t just true of the Coronavirus. It’s true for any disease from influenza to cancer. When we stay as healthy and near our ideal weight as possible, we don’t just make ourselves healthier today, we give ourselves more of a fighting chance when something ugly knocks on our door.

If your imagination is as crazy as mine, think of it in terms of a zombie attack. Picture 240 zombies strolling through town with nothing but eating brains on their mind. As if right out of a movie, cars, buses, planes, helicopters. all forms of transpiration no longer work. Heck even all the bicycles have disappeared.

Who are the people who will stand the best chance of getting away and finding someplace to seek refuge?

The healthiest and most fit. Common sense, whether we’re talking about zombies, viruses, or just about any ugliness you can think of.

If the pandemic has taught us anything… and I like to think it has… it’s this:

  • We have got to be prepared for anything that comes our way. This means mentally, physically, and (although I fail particularly miserably with this one) financially. Please don’t ask me to start saving money, I’d stand a better chance in a room with the 240 zombies.
  • We need to look out for one another.
  • We should always do our part to keep our community strong.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Local (Amazon link) is here to help us check each box.

Product Description

Supporting local farmers has really grown on people-and here’s the guide to doing it right.

There are so many great reasons to shop for and eat locally grown or raised foods, including freshness, taste, energy conservation, and supporting small business owners. That is why tens of thousands have made the switch to local foods. Now families and communities are enthusiastically supporting farmer’s markets, artisan dairy farmers, cheese makers, family farms, local vineyards, and local livestock. Food expert and nutritionist Diane A. Welland explains what local eating is and isn’t and how anyone can move toward a more sustainable way of eating. It covers: Types of foods considered local; what is in season when; Storing foods; Money saving tips.

• A practical approach for a challenging endeavor.

• Includes a complete overview of local eating across all 50 states.

Front to back, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Local (Amazon link) is an education in wholesome eating. You’ll learn things you never knew you didn’t even know! (Say that three times fast…. but not in front of you cat. They can be so condescending.)  You’ll find ways to feed your family healthier meals, and yes, to do so on a budget.

From the Back Cover:

You want to eat healthy, fresh foods, and at the same time, be good to the environment.  But it’s a challenge to know what is available, when itis available, and where you can get it locally.

You can find your favorite foods – and discover new favorites – without headaches and a tank of gas.  The next best thing to a personal tour through your local farmers’ market, this helpful guide gives you:

  • A primer on why eating close to the land not only rewards you with incredible food, but also supports your community and your planet.
  • A look at heirloom vegetables, seasonal fruits, fresh meats, and dairy products, and other local food near you.
  • Tips for shopping local at food festivals, CSAs, U-picks, and even supermarkets, plus advice on food foraging.
  • Suggestions for making the most of your harvest, including 25 regional recipes highlighting local specialties.

Favorite Regional Recipes include Wild Blueberry Muffins, Pennsylvania Dutch Chow-Chow, New York State Apple Pie, Maryland Crab Cakes, Southwestern Stuffed Jalapenos, California Avocado-Almond Salad, Texas Chili, and many more.

I’ll leave you with an excerpt from this outstanding book. It’s from a section titled, Fresh Food Tastes Better… which is a delicious fact:

Local foods, because they’re ripened on the plant rather than in storage, develop high levels of aromatic compounds that help give the food its characteristic taste and heightened flavor.  This is most noticeable in fruits, where the intoxicating scent of fresh-picked strawberries or peaches can signal the start of the season even before you pop one into your mouth.

Another reason why local food tastes better has to do with the timing.  The longer a food travels, the more flavor and aroma compounds it loses during transit. Because produce is often brought to market within 24 hours of being picked and is at the peak of freshness and ripeness, this isn’t an issue for local farmers.  It may, however, be a big concern for food traveling from California to New York.

Finally, local produce tastes better because it is better, inherently. Over the years, supermarket produce varieties have been chosen for their ability to be shipped long distances and withstand harvesting equipment, bulk handling, and processing.  They’re bred for sturdiness, stability, and looks, not taste.  As a result, we’ve gained the ability to have peaches in the dead of winter and apples in April, but at what cost?  Bite into any of these off-season fruits, and you’re likely to find a dry, mealy texture with only a hit of its natural flavor.

On the other hand, local foods are just the opposite.  Small farmers care most about taste, quality, and diversity of crops.  Raised according to the natural seasons, local produce is picked at the peak of flavor and ripeness and quickly transported for a quick sale.  -The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Local, page 20

The author explains the local food movement, how near or far is considered local, what is and is not organic, how eating local is best for your health, how eating local builds a stronger community, how eating local helps our planet. You’ll get a complete education on produce as well as meats, dairy foods, and eggs.  There’s also a lot of great advice about freezing and preserving fresh local delicacies so you won’t have to even look at the produce in the stores during the winter months.

This is a wonderful and timely book and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Read more about The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Local (Amazon link) and grab your own copy while it’s so uncommonly cheap! (See… I can make good financial decisions. Sometimes. Okay, once a year. Maybe.)

The Best Honey Mustard Salad Dressing… Easy and So Much Better Than Store-Bought

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Honey Mustard Dressing and Salad

Honey Mustard Dressing

I am an absolute salad fanatic and feel there is no hope for me to be anything else. When we go to restaurants (when there isn’t a global pandemic, of course), I give one extra points for a great salad. If they bring out a salad that obviously came from a bag, it doesn’t much matter what else they do to try to impress me, they’ve already lost me.

And salad bars…..  holy cats do I ever love those?!

Tossing modesty aside, though, none of them can beat the salads I make at home. There are several reasons, I suppose, but one is I get crazy creative and experiment, not only with different vegetables, but also different greens (and combinations of greens), cheeses, seeds, herbs, and other fun additions like real bacon bits, baby corn, dried cranberries, etc.

Another special touch that turns an average salad into a delicious experience is a great salad dressing.

I prefer to make the salad dressings we use for several reasons:

  1. Since the pandemic, I find that the more things I can make at home, the fewer things we run out of and have to go get. I always have the staples on hand for my favorite dressings (French, Honey Mustard, Ranch, and Vinaigrette), so having my favorites in a rotation simplifies my life and keeps me out of stores!
  2. You can control the amount of sugar and/or salt in your dressings. Some of us like things a little less sweet than others or a little less salty. When you make the dressings, yourself, you have full control over what’s added.
  3. I love the idea of avoiding additives.
  4. I have to eat gluten-free (health reasons) and anything I can make, myself, gives me more peace of mind.
  5. Most importantly…. they simply taste A LOT better. Even if there weren’t a 1, 2, 3, and 4 above – I’d still make my own salad dressings for reason 5 alone. I mean, come on… taste trumps everything else!

The easy recipe, below, is in my opinion the absolute best honey mustard dressing recipe you’ll find. This is my go-to dressing for grilled chicken salads and I also love it on a great chef salad.

Obviously, adjust the amount of honey to suit your own tastes – Dijon mustard too, as far as that goes. However, I would suggest starting with this combination first – this way you can tell if you, personally, want less (or more… I won’t judge!) honey.

Colonel Popper’s Popcorn Maker: Healthy (but Delicious) Snacking Made Possible

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Colonel Popper Microwave Popcorn Maker

Colonel Popper’s Popcorn Maker

I have a foodie confession to make. I am a snacker. What’s more, I am a snacker who is uncommonly passionate about her snacking. When I stop and think about it (which I’m doing now, for better or worse), I do very few things without a snack within reach.

  • Watching a baseball, football, or basketball game on tv
  • Watching an old movie on TCM
  • Posting on one of my blogs
  • Cooking supper
  • Working a puzzle
  • Reading
  • Sitting outside, listening to the birds
  • Working in my flower beds
  • Gossiping with my daughters
  • Swearing to my husband that we don’t gossip

Yep… everything has to have a snack close by.

Popcorn

I have popcorn in front of me at the moment – made with my new obsession: Colonel Popper’s Popcorn Maker.

We’ve already established that I’m a snacker of the highest order, so it’s obviously very important to me that my snacks be as healthy and low-calorie as possible. Otherwise I’d be in a world of trouble.

Fortunately my favorite “go to” snack is popcorn and now, with this ingenious little popcorn maker, it’s healthier than ever.

Colonel Popper’s Silicone Popcorn Maker is super durable, safe, and eco-friendly. You can eat fresh microwave popcorn right out of the colorful popcorn bowl. I can say from experience – you’ll never want to pop popcorn without a Colonel Popper again.

Five things you’re going to love about Colonel Popper:

  1. Such an inexpensive snack! Use any popcorn kernels – which are about as cheap as it gets.
  2. BPA Free Silicone Microwave Popcorn Popper makes up to 14 cups of popcorn, plenty for your kids and family.
  3. MUCH healthier than microwavable popcorn you buy in stores. Who wants those harmful chemicals around their family? I certainly don’t.
  4. Easy and convenient. You simply pour the desired amount of kernels into the bowl, add butter/oil or (my personal favorite) ghee, and “pop” it into the microwave. After you remove the perfectly popped popcorn, add a little salt or other additions that float your boat (M&Ms, Parmesan, etc.)
  5. Easy to store. The bowl collapses, when not in use, to a height of 2 inches – freeing up counter space and minimizing cabinet space. Perfect for college dorm rooms or even an RV Camper with portable microwave.
  6. Dishwasher Safe – these words are always like choir music to my ears. You can either hand-wash your Colonel Popper or use your dishwasher.
  7. Available in eight gorgeous colors. You can match your personality, style, or favorite team colors. Truth be told, the Colonel Popper is so inexpensive, you can grab several different colors. Some of the colors are transparent and others are solid. Be sure to take a close look at each – and good luck choosing. They’re all beautiful!
  8. Makes a great gift idea – fun, original, and highly useful.

The Colonel Popper’s Silicone Popcorn Maker  comes with a handy guide that tells you everything you need to know to pop perfect popcorn time after time. You’ll want to hang onto this guide by either storing it right with the popper or keeping it in a drawer.

When you add the kernels to the popper, be sure it’s in the “up” position, as opposed to the collapsed position. It’s at this point you can add either oil, butter, or (my personal favorite, by far) ghee – my favorite ghee is the best ghee available, Ancient Organics Ghee. I fell in love with ghee on popcorn about a year ago and haven’t seen fit to eat it any other way since!

Topped off with a little salt (I love Rachael Ray’s Pink Himalayan Salt) and you have a fun, delicious, and guilt-free snack for any occasion.

Click through any of the links to learn more about this ingenious little popcorn maker and… trust me… even if you do buy several for fun gift-giving, you will want a Colonel Popper’s Silicone Popcorn Maker for yourself.

Colonel Popper Microwave Popcorn Maker 2


The Beauty of Buddha Bowls (Perfect for Meatless Mondays)

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Buddha Bowl

A Favorite Buddha Bowl

As someone who can’t eat bread (well, I can if they’re gluten-free, but usually they’re less than spectacular), I have fallen in love with “bowls” – simply putting food a bowl with various vegetables as costars, no need for pieces of bread, thank you very much. Sloppy Joes were no longer piled onto buns but were, rather, layered into bowls with onions, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and (when I’m feeling carb-tastic) fried potatoes.

Somewhere along the way “bowls” have become a really big deal nationwide – not just in my own kitchen.

One of the biggest stars in the world of bowls right now is the simple, humble, and outrageously delicious Buddha Bowl.

I’ve heard “Buddha bowls” also referred to as glory or hippie bowls, but I like the name Buddha Bowl best. It just seems to fit. Sometimes they’re also called protein bowls.

Buddha Bowls are healthy, beautiful, VERY filling dishes that are made up of your choice of vegetables, beans, and a healthy grain (rice, quinoa…). The vegetables can be roasted, boiled, sautéed, or even raw. My personal preference is to have a combination of both cooked and raw. I’m not sure why, but it’s absolute perfection.

When I first made Buddha Bowls for my husband and I, I told him beforehand, “If you get hungry later, I’ll make you some bacon and eggs…” I honestly wasn’t sure how filling they’d be. Suffice to say, not an egg was cracked and the bacon was undisturbed. When we slowly got up from the table, we both agreed… they’re VERY filling!

While I didn’t do it in the meal pictured here, topping your Buddha Bowl with pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or chia seeds ups the looks as well as the nutrition and taste.

Some of my favorite ingredients for Buddha Bowls:

Avocados

Obviously this will fall under the “uncooked vegetables” category. Simply (but carefully) cut your avocado(s) into wedges, drizzle with lime juice, and lightly salt. Please never cut the avocado while holding it in your hand. Put him on the cooking board and never put your hand or fingers (or any part of your anatomy!) near the blade of your knife. Better yet, find a safe avocado cutting tool on Amazon. You’ll make me feel a lot less stressed if you do!

Zucchini “Noodles”

Zucchini noodles (made, of course, by spiralizing zucchinis) are nutritious and delicious, but if we’re being totally honest, when it comes to Buddha Bowls… well….I love them for their looks! I toss mine in raw, with just a splash of salt and a little lemon juice. You could, of course, cook them briefly but I like the texture of uncooked zucchini noodles.

If you don’t have a spiralizer, be sure to check produce sections. Many stores are now selling zucchini noodles.

Rice, Brown Rice, Quinoa, or Cauliflower Rice

The pictures shown have cauliflower rice but I’m just as crazy about the other grains named above. If you’ve never cooked with quinoa before, you honestly have to. It’s delicious and FUN. And who isn’t up for a little more FUN in the kitchen?!

If you aren’t keen on the idea of ricing your own cauliflower (even though it is easy peasy in a food processor – simply place chunks into the food processor and process until the cauliflower is the consistency of rice), check grocery stores. I’ve seen Cauliflower Rice sold in the produce sections of Meijer and Kroger. Cauliflower rice cooks easier than the others, which makes it an easier as well as healthier option.

Carrots

I like for my carrots to have a bit of bite to them, so I just boil them until they’re “fork tender.” As with most vegetables, I keep a fork right beside the stove. When the fork can pierce the vegetable without any resistance, I know we’re good to go. Overcooking vegetables leads to smooshieness, which is never good to the taste or eyes.

Roasted Radishes

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Cut radishes into halves. 
  3. Toss radishes in olive oil (about 1 TBS per bunch).
  4. Spread radishes onto prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Be sure they aren’t touching one another. 
  5. Roast (tossing every 5 minutes) for 15 to 20 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli

I use the same approach for broccoli as I do for radishes when roasting. In fact, I often roast them together.


Cucumbers

Raw… never cooked. I mean, why would you???

Squash

I had used up all of my crookneck squash for a meal the night before (fried, along with green tomatoes – it doesn’t get any more Southern or delicious), so there was no squash in the meal shown here. It is, ironically, one of my favorite Buddha Bowl guests, however. I love the color as much as the taste.

Spaghetti Squash is also fantastic in these bowls. My oldest daughter, Emily, and I could eat spaghetti squash 7 days a week. Whatever it is that it’s got, we’re wild about it!

Corn

Whether it’s boiled, roasted on the cob, then scraped off or roasted frozen corn (SO EASY), like squash, corn adds great color and taste as well as texture to your Buddha Bowl.

Etc…

Chickpeas (raw, heated, or roasted), beets, shredded cabbage, black-eyed peas, black beans, wax beans, green peas (I like to use frozen peas for bowls and salads. I keep them in the freezer until right before I begin the meal. As we’ve established, however, I am uncommonly here for the crunch, so use your own preference as your guide.) The options are almost endless.

One tip, though, when using uncooked canned beans – drain them well and allow them to sit in the container before tossing them into the bowls. Same goes for cooked beans. Drain really, really well so they don’t bring their bath water with them!

As with most things, when it comes to cooking, it’s all about personalizing your meals to your family’s needs and likes. Make the bowls your own by adding your favorite vegetables and combinations. I read where a woman ALWAYS (not usually… ALWAYS) pairs frozen peas and beets in her Buddha Bowls. Me? I’d never go down that particular road… but it’s her vehicle, she’s free to drive it where she chooses.

When I first saw her pics, I thought, “Ummm…. not… sure… about… that…” but then I thought about it and I realized that she was to be commended. She was adding her own twist, creativity, and personality to her bowls and THAT is the whole idea.

One final tip: When it comes to planning your meals – whether they’re casseroles, salads, soups, side dishes, or bowls – do a little research into the health benefits of vegetables. Each one wields its own superpowers. If you combine several different “powers,” you’ll have yourself an especially powerful meal!

Buddha Bowl

Recipe: Oven-Baked Omelet with Broccoli, Asparagus, and Tons of Cheese….

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Oven Baked Omelet with Broccoli and Asparagus

Oven Baked Omelet with Broccoli and Asparagus

Two of my husband’s favorite foods are omelets and asparagus, so combining the two always makes me feel kind of like my favorite superhero, Hawk Girl. If only I had the uniform…  never mind, it’d be too traumatic for the cats.

I’m one of the few people who actually enjoys making traditional, skillet omelets (the secret is using an 8-inch non-stick skillet and a spatula that isn’t too big or too floppy OXO makes an ingenious Omelet Flipper, Amazon link). The only drawback is, if you’re feeding more than one person at the time, it’s really tricky to time two omelets to be served at the same time. That’s why I love the occasional Oven Omelet. It’s still delicious and can be packed with even more vegetables and cheese than a skillet omelet (unless you don’t mind it when it splits its seams). It’s also a ridiculously easy and inexpensive meal – who doesn’t need that in their life?

Best of all, no one has to eat a cold omelet.

Oven-Baked Omelet with Broccoli and Asparagus

6 eggs
1⁄2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese (I almost always use Monterrey Jack and Cheddar but it’d be almost impossible to go wrong with your cheese selection)
1⁄2 cup chopped broccoli
1⁄4 cup chopped asparagus
1 tablespoon onion (sweet or green are my go-tos)
salt and pepper

  1. Combine eggs and milk, then whip them with a whisk or fork.
  2. Add in rest of ingredients. Moment of honesty – I generally add more than 1 cup of cheese. Probably more like 1-1/4 cups, but use your own judgment.
  3. Pour into pie dish.
  4. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

You could also, of course, add bacon, ham, red bell pepper (one of my favorites)… whatever makes you smile.

Oven Baked Omelet with Broccoli and Asparagus

Oven Baked Omelet with Broccoli and Asparagus

Fast & Easy Summer Meal: Meatless Tostadas

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Tostadas with Refried Beans and Tomatoes

Given the fact that I have a food blog and talk about food without even taking a breath, you probably already know that I love to cook. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I stare in blank amazement when people say they don’t enjoy cooking.

Having said that, on the hottest days (and nights) of summer, I appreciate a quick, easy, and no oven required meal. These tostadas are so quick and easy to pull together and there are endless options to “make them your own.” They’re also great for eating on a budget – especially if you make them meatless.

The Toppings Are Your Call:

  • Refried Beans or Ground Beef w/Taco Seasoning
  • Cilantro
  • Shredded Cheddar
  • Mexican Crumbling Cheese
  • Green Onions
  • Shallots
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Jalapeno Peppers
  • Chiles
  • Tomatoes
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Sour Cream
  • Salsa
  • Salsa Verde
  • Black Olives
  • Lime Juice
  • Roasted Corn
  • Roasted Red Peppers
  • Etc…

The NON-Recipe for Refried Beans Tostadas

Guerrero Tostadas

There’s No Need to Even Heat These Tostadas

It all starts with the base: the Tostada shells.  I love the Guerrero Tostadas pictured above. They’re delicious and ridiculously inexpensive. That’s a combination I don’t take lightly.

Line a baking sheet (or several) with the number of tostadas you’ll be serving. There’s no need to heat the shells at all for tostadas.

Refried Beans: I use canned refried beans and am pretty darn brand-loyal. I buy Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans almost exclusively. For 10 tostadas, I used two cans. Now you can use refried beans straight from the can for this recipe or to serve as is.  However, I love to add a little water (couple of tablespoons) to the beans when I first add them to the skillet, along with about 1/2 tsp of cumin and a splash of hot sauce. In full disclosure, I add cumin to more things than not. In this particular dish, I also added 1/2 cup of sour cream to the beans. It makes them creamier and dreamier.

Cook the beans on low, stirring frequently. Season with a little salt.

Tostadas with Refried Beans and Tomatoes

Make Some with Avocado and Some Without: Just In Case Someone Isn’t a Fan

When the beans are nice and hot, plop them evenly among the tostada shells, spreading them to the edges. Top the hot beans with shredded cheddar cheese so it’ll melt irresistibly into them.

Now this is where you can really get cute. Add whatever floats your boat at this point. Cilantro, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, scallions, shallots… you do you!

I add different toppings just about every time I make tostadas but the cast of characters almost always includes cilantro, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and avocado.

You’ll want to put the sour cream on top, if for no other reason than it looks cool. Finally, the thing that really seals the deal? Squeeze a little lime juice over the whole shebang.

I’m not sure why, exactly, but lime juice simply makes every single Mexican dish you can think of even better.

 

Avocado on Tostadas

Ideas for Side Dishes:

  • Rice
  • Tossed Salad
  • Chips and Salsa
  • Corn
  • Fried Potatoes


Creamy Salsa Dip: Perfect for New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day or Anytime…

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Creamy Salsa Dip
When I was sent the recipe for Creamy Salsa Dip –  created by Chef Anthony Stewart from Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa  – I rounded up the ingredients immediately. I knew this was something I had to make immediately.

I am a dip fanatic and anything that calls for both sour cream AND green onions is something I have to have in my life.

This creamy and delicious dip has a lot going on for it. For one thing, most of us already have the ingredients on hand. I only had to grab fresh sour cream because Christmas Day had confiscated every container I owned.

I also love that it’s inexpensive to make – as in very inexpensive. Post-Christmas shopping, we could all use that, right?!

The best thing about the dip, however, is the taste. It is outrageously delicious. I served mine with Glutino Crackers and Veggie Chips. When I break it out for football on TV later, I’ll serve vegetables with it.

After I made one batch and tasted it… I made another right away. It’s THAT yummy.

Creamy Salsa Dip and Glutino Crackers
Creamy Salsa Dip

Creamy Salsa Dip by Chef Anthony Stewart

  • 1/2 cup yogurt (plain, nonfat)
  • 4 tablespoons sour cream (reduced-fat)
  • 1/4 cup green onions finely chopped (white and light green parts only)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 2/3 cup salsa ( (non chunky varieties)
Instructions
  1. Mix by hand all ingredients, except for 1 tablespoon of green onions (which will be used as garnish topping).

Thanks so much to  Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa for passing this delicious recipe along to my readers (and me!)

Creamy Salsa Dip and Veggie Chips

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget: It’s Possible, if Not Always Easy

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I’m sure you’re as familiar with the high cost of groceries as I am. Each trip to the grocery store leaves me staring at prices, waiting for the punchline. Seriously? $5 for a tub of Crisco? Shouldn’t that come with a whole chicken or a pan to fry it in?

Since I’m not the proud owner of a money tree, I’ve always had to operate within a set budget when it comes to grocery shopping. I’ll let you in on a secret – if I didn’t have a budget for grocery shopping, I’d make a perfect fool of myself. I LOVE grocery shopping, cooking, eating… the whole shebang.. and I tend to get very carried away when planning meals, snacks, and desserts.

It’s been this way since I can remember, but it has been even more of a problem since I became a food blogger. Now, I want to cook all the things, test all the things, and enjoy all the things! Sadly, all the things cost money.  Some more so than others.

A set budget reigns me in, thereby ensuring that we are still able to have water, electricity, and silly things like that.

Oddly, enough, before I had to start eating gluten free, I honestly had no idea what a high grocery bill was. Everything is more expensive when you have to buy gluten free – it’s just something that we all come to expect. A part of the gluten free life, if you will.

It can also be pretty expensive to eat healthy. Grass fed beef, butter from cows who’ve been feeding on grass, organic vegetables and fruit, salmon, shrimp… the list goes on – right along with the dollar signs.

Below, I wanted to share a beautiful infographic with you – it has healthy eating on a budget on its mind, too. But before we get to the infographic, I’ll give you a few tricks I’ve picked up over the years – they’re applicable for saving money when you’re trying to eat healthy AND for when you have to eat gluten free.

  1. Check your grocery store’s circular and, if possible, plan your meals around what’s on sale that week. If there’s a great deal on chicken – chicken it is. Is cauliflower (finally!) on sale? Work in cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or roasted cauliflower.
  2. Never allow leftovers to go to waste. If you have leftover chicken, use it for chicken tacos. Leftover ham? Omelets! Leftovers also come in handy when it comes to stews, salads, soups, and casseroles.
  3. When you get in the swing of using leftovers, you’ll find it helpful to always keeping taco shells, tomato juice, eggs, and broths on hand.
  4. Keep an eye on coupons in the Sunday paper. They aren’t always that great, but every now and then, you can find some real beauts.
  5. Check brands’ websites for coupons.
  6. If there’s a brand you use frequently (for me a few would be Bob’s Red Mill, Amy’s Kitchen, CedarLane, McCormick Spices….), subscribe to their website’s newsletter, if one is available. In addition to great recipes, they also include the occasional coupon.
  7. If Kroger has “some” things cheaper and Meijer’s has “some” things cheaper, take the extra time and hit both stores. Not only do I often divide my grocery shopping between two stores, I often throw Wal-Mart and Target into the mix as well. I will, literally, go the extra mile for a bargain.

Now, for the infographic…..

Clever Ways to Eat Healthy on a Tight Budget

Infographic Source: Positive Health Wellness