A basic staple of cooking re-fried beans. I hemmed and hawed if I wanted to post this recipe because it’s so basic and also because I used to buy re-fried bean (gasp!) instead of making them but since moving to Estonia that is no longer an option so now I make my own. They’re super easy to make and delicious so if you don’t have access to canned ones, give it a go.
Category: budget
Recipe: Chicken with Snow Peas
This is actually a really easy to make meal. It isn’t exactly like take out but it’s also not completely healthy either so it fills that need for take out without having to do too much work and unlike a lot of Chinese-American food it isn’t fried so it’s not too terrible as long as you’re not worried about salt content. You can easily switch out snow peas for broccoli/other vegetables or add them in this one dish, just make sure to par-boil or soften them in the microwave beforehand so it all cooks together.
Recipe: Pub Pretzels
Unlike my other pretzel recipes for softer type pretzels, these come out with the hard tack shell of the outside and the just soft inside like you’d see in a pub. They’re perfect for dipping, game night, or serving as a fun side with a thick soup.
Recipe: Basic Cheese Sauce
Super easy and basic cheese sauce that produces a really delicious and non-Velveeta semi-liquid for all your cheese sauce purposes. Good for casseroles, vegetables, mac and cheese, and even my preferred usage: nachos!
Recipe: Arancini
So these little balls of goodness are absolutely delicious. The recipe makes enough that you could easily make them for a party where they’d be a crazy center piece and probably everyone would be impressed by them but I have to say they’re a ton of work. While most recipes call for already made risotto, the part where you make the risotto is the least work by far. Even with ready-made risotto you’re looking at a battering and breading process and then frying. To me that always produces delicious results, a ton of dishes, and exhaustion. So make these if you like getting at least 4 bowls and 2 pans dirty and you have the energy of a 6 year old at a birthday party.
Recipe: Dum Aloo
Surprisingly simple and really filling Dum Aloo is basically simmered and spiced potatoes. I like to chop small potatoes in to bite sized pieces because my mouth is small (and they cook quicker that way) but generally they’re cooked whole.
Recipe: Coconut Lentils
These creamy coconut lentils are a total treat. They have a really nice color to them and you can easily change up what vegetables you use depending what you have on hand or what is in season to make a filling meal.
Recipe: Homemade Taco Spice Mix
An all purpose spice blend that I use for tacos and burritos to spice things up.
Recipe: Homemade Spaghettios with Meatballs
This is a delicious change from soup and a nice throwback to a lot of peoples childhoods. I haven’t had Spaghettios in probably over a decade and I’ve never eaten the one with meatballs but I can almost assure you this one is way more delicious than the one in a can and honestly, very easy to make! You can sub in any type of meatballs or leave them out for a vegetarian version.
Recipe: Daigaku Imo (Candied Sweet Potatoes)
An easy and lightly sweet side dish if you want to make sweet potatoes just a little more fun. You can see in the picture I really got the edges a bit too dark but actually they still tasted really good like that. Just be more observant and you should be fine.