Sweet Potato Enchiladas

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/ strikes again! Check these out- amazing! Especially for all my vegetarian friends out there- so so good! I need to find a new website but these are so good! Click here for the pictures. The only change we made was adding cayenne pepper for some kick! But man were they yummy!

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

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!

honey mustard chicken strips

honey mustard chicken strips

Again from:
http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com

Click here to get the play by play with pictures.

This one was really good. Hope you enjoy it! We served it with a tortilla, lettuce, and tomato. It was yummy.

Total Recipe cost: $6.02
Servings Per Recipe: 4 (3-4 strips each)
Cost per serving: $1.51
Prep time: 30 min. Marinate time: 30 min. Cook time: 30 min. Total: 1 hr. 30 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 lg.	chicken breasts	$2.48
1 cup	mayonnaise	$1.69
1/3 cup	honey	$0.79
1/4 cup	mustard (any variety)	$0.27
1/4 tsp	garlic powder	$0.02
1/4 tsp	paprika	$0.02
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
2 cups	panko bread crumbs	$0.70
TOTAL		$6.02

STEP 1: In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, garlic powder, paprika, and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir until everything is evenly combined then taste and season with salt to your liking. Divide the sauce into two portions. Half will be the marinade and half will be the dipping sauce - it MUST stay separate. Keep the sauce refrigerated until ready to use.

STEP 2: Trim the chicken breasts of excess fat and slice diagonally into 1/2 inch thick strips. You should get about 14-16 strips total. Place the sliced chicken in a bag or bowl with half of the honey mustard sauce and stir to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or over night.

STEP 3: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a dredging station by lining a large baking sheet with foil and then placing two wire cooling racks on top. The wire racks keep the strips lifted as they bake so that the bottoms will crisp too. Coat the wire racks with non-stick spray. Pour the panko crumbs into a wide, shallow bowl.

STEP 4: One by one, coat the chicken strips with panko crumbs. Do not wipe off excess honey mustard sauce before coating with panko, the sauce helps it adhere. Place the strips on the wire rack as you bread them. Continue until all of the strips are coated with panko crumbs. Discard the leftover honey mustard sauce that the chicken was marinating in.

STEP 5: Bake the chicken strips in the oven until the crumbs have turned golden brown (about 30 minutes).
To Fry: Alternatively, heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the surface of the oil looks wavy. Fry a few strips at a time on each side until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain on a plate covered with paper towels.

STEP 6: Serve warm with the reserved half of the honey mustard sauce.

White Pizza

Hey All,

So Adam and I decided to make pizza today. So I got out my handy bread maker to make the dough then added lots of goodness. I used half for the first pizza and the other half for the second.

Dough:

3/4 cup water (80 degrees Fahrenheit)

1 Tbsp Oil

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp dry milk

2 1/4 cups bread flour

1 tsp Active Dry Yeast

Sauce

1 tsp garlic minced

1 tbsp butter

heat up for 15-20 seconds to melt butter

1/4 cup or so of Olive Oil

salt and pepper

I did this to taste so use at your own risk :). I also brushed it on the crust instead of pouring it.

Toppings:

We did:

roasted red pepper

white onion

chicken (precooked with salt, pepper, basil, olive oil)

feta cheese

fresh mozzarella

bake at 425 degrees farenheit for 20 minutes or so- until edges are brown.

(The picture shows some already eaten because I forgot to take one before :) ).

We did a second one but that was basic- red and green pepper, pepperoni, onion, fresh and shredded mozzarella, and canned pasta sauce.

Happy cooking!

broccoli shells n' cheese

This was really yummy. I did add a lot of hot sauce and some more parmesan to make sure it had flavor. I kept tasting until I liked it. But check this one out! Yum! And Asher loved it! :)

I took this one directly so click here to get the play by play with pictures.

broccoli shells n' cheese

$6.05 recipe / $1.01 serving

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 life right about now.

Of course, there is the issue of guilt surrounding eating large quantities of cheese so I added some good ol' broccoli to rationalize it all. ha. right. If you don't want broccoli, just leave it out, make everything else as directed and you'll have a good classic mac n' cheese.

Making a cheese sauce can be a little bit intimidating at first but give it a shot. Once you get the hang of it, it's super easy. The thickening action of the roux is kinda like magic, very mysterious but you gotta learn to trust it. It will thicken.

I like to use medium to sharp cheddar for my mac and cheese because I feel like cheese sauce needs that extra punch of flavor. I also ended up adding a little parmesan (another strong cheese) because after tasting the sauce I wanted it evencheesier! I despise a bland macaroni and cheese.

Then there is the hot sauce. I add just a little to add flavor but not really any heat. The hot sauce is completely optional. Many people add dry mustard which has a similar effect on the flavor. It just gives it a little zing. In the end, the cheese sauce is all about tasting and adjusting. And really, who's complaining about repeatedly tasting cheese sauce? No one.





Total Recipe cost: $6.05
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $1.01
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 30 min. Total: 40 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
8 oz.	pasta	$0.55
1 lg. crown	broccoli	$1.69
1/2 med	onion	$0.18
3 Tbsp	butter	$0.12
3 Tbsp	all-purpose flour	$0.03
2.5 cups	milk	$0.65
8 oz. (2 cups)	sharp cheddar, shredded	$2.49
1/4 cup	grated parmesan	$0.24
1 tsp	hot sauce (optional)	$0.05
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$6.05

STEP 1: Get a large pot of salted water on to boil. Rinse the broccoli well and cut it into small florets.

STEP 2: The pasta and broccoli will be cooked in the same pot to save on dishes and time. When the water comes to a full boil, add the pasta. Set a timer for 8 minutes then add the broccoli. Cook the pasta and broccoli for two minutes more and then pour everything into a colander to drain. Set them aside until ready to add to the cheese sauce.

STEP 3: While the pasta and broccoli are doing their thing, you can begin the cheese sauce. Finely dice the onion and cook with butter over medium heat until softened (about 2-3 minutes).

STEP 4: Add the flour to the butter and onion. The flour and butter will form a paste like mixture (roux). Using a whisk, stir and cook the roux for 1-2 minutes more taking care not to let it scorch. This slightly cooks the flour preventing the cheese sauce from having an overly flour or paste like flavor.

STEP 5: Add the milk and whisk well to dissolve all of the flour clumps. Add freshly cracked black pepper at this point. Bring the mixture up to a simmer (you may need to raise the heat just slightly). When the sauce reaches a simmer, it will begin to thicken. When it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it's time to add the cheese.

STEP 6: Turn the burner off and whisk in the shredded cheese (and parmesan if using) until it is fully melted in. Give the cheese sauce a taste and add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

STEP 7: Once you have the cheese sauce seasoned to your liking, stir in the cooked and drained pasta and broccoli. Serve hot and gooey!

Have fun all :)

Budget food

So I realize that it has been a really long time but now that it is summer I am really hoping to cook a lot and put more up. Adam recently showed me this amazing blog and I know that many of us out there are budget conscious so I fully intend to take advantage of this website. Check it out

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/

Everything we have tried has been amazing. She breaks everything down with pictures- it's really wonderful. I am going to try the cheesy broccoli pasta I will let you know how it goes and will post it later if I like it!

Hopefully it won't be a few months until I write again :)

Happy cooking!

Strawberry Shortcakes

I also want to try this one. Sorry all- not trying to overwhelm you or anything :) Just wanting to save these for later.
Happy cooking!
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/desserts/strawberry-shortcakes/

Strawberry shortcakes

Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 12 minutes

ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cold butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
5 cups sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 recipe Whipped Cream
directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet; set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl combine egg, sour cream, and milk. Add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until moistened.

2. Drop dough into 8 mounds onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine 4 cups of the strawberries and the 3 tablespoons sugar. Using a potato masher, mash berries slightly; set aside. To serve, split shortcakes in half; fill with strawberry mixture and whipped cream. Top with remaining sliced strawberries.

4. Makes 8 shortcakes

Fresh Strawberry Bars

I am thinking about trying this one for tomorrow. It sounds pretty good :)
We will see!

Fresh Strawberry Bars
Makes: 24 bars
Prep: 25 min.
Bake: 25 min.

ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup strawberry jam
4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered
directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond the edges. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 24 bars

Make Ahead: Wrap the peanut butter base in foil; store at room temperature up to 24 hours. Before serving, top with jam and berries. Or freeze the peanut butter base in a freezer container up to 3 months.

Minted strawberries with white wine

This is for me to remember where it is to try in the future :). We shall see I guess. Came from here:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/desserts/minted-strawberries-with-white-wine/

Minted Strawberries with White Wine

ingredients
6 cups strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 bunches fresh mint (1-1/2 oz.)
2 to 3 cups dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
Fresh mint sprigs
directions
1. Halve large berries; leave hulls on a few berries. Place berries in a large bowl; sprinkle with sugar and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour, stirring once or twice.

2. Remove mint leaves from one bunch of mint. Stack 6 to 8 leaves together; roll the stacked leaves. Slice across the roll to create narrow strips. Repeat with remaining leaves. Add the shredded mint to strawberries just before serving.

3. To serve, evenly divide the minted berries and juices among 8 glasses; pour wine over berries until just covered. Garnish with mint sprigs. Makes 8 servings.

For a nonalcoholic version, use white grape juice instead of wine and reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons.

Chicken Fajita Tostadas

Alright so I hate that I have no time to try new recipes :) Here is one I tried today that was so so good. For all you vegetarians out there- perhaps this with a few more veggies - I think it would be just as good without the chicken.

I did add some seasoning to this recipe. But thanks to http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-fajita-tostadas for this one! So good!

Serves 4

* 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
* 2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
* 1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
* 1 cup prepared fresh salsa
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I cooked it with lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper)
* 4 corn tortillas (6-inch)(all I had was flour and they worked fine too!)
* 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. On foil, combine onions, bell peppers, corn, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add chicken, stir to combine, and continue to roast until warmed through, 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken and vegetable mixture to a serving bowl, discarding foil (reserve sheet).
3. Arrange tortillas on sheet. Dividing evenly, brush with remaining tablespoon oil; top with cheese. Bake until edges are golden and cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes.

This was so good. I might also add some cilantro next time and sour cream. I used the fire roasted salsa for an extra kick! Hopefully it won't take me too long to write again! Happy Cooking!

Lettuce Wrap

Ok- new favorite thing- golden raisins, just sayin - so so good! Here is something we threw together because, lets face it, we did not want to go shopping :)

1 bag of wild and brown rice (steamables with carrots and broccoli)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Almonds
Golden raisins
Flour/corn tortilla/(or dare I say it) lettuce

If you are feeling extra healthy wrap said food in the lettuce and maybe garnish with a little sour cream. Healthy, yummy, simple, and light! Asher enjoyed most (no almonds for him) as well!

Happy Cooking!