Sunday, July 27, 2014

Foods: Budget Bytes Edition

Oh hello there, blog.  It's been a while.  It's also been a grand old while since I went on about different foods I've made lately.  While I am always picking things from here and there on the wide world of the interwebs, lately I have been stuck on Budget Bytes--also known as the source of the most best burritos in the world.  What's so great about this website?  Let me list some ways:

The recipes are simple, with simple ingredients, but they add up to great flavors.  Having Boo Boo at my heels makes me appreciate a fast recipe more than ever, which these usually are, and of course the lower cost is appealing as well.  I like that she takes good, helpful photos rather than twenty pictures of the same plate of food.  I like that she cuts to the chase and basically just talks about the food, rather than her life story.  Speaking of cutting to the chase, here is a very long list of what I've tried so far:

Chorizo Sweet Potato Skillet
Delicious, filling, simple.  Next time I'm going to add some diced tomatoes and maybe some mushrooms, but it's good as is.

Chicken Yakisoba
Easy and tasty!  Maybe my carrots were large, but I would scale back the veg slightly next time.

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta
I love pasta, and this is a good one.  I like that the sauce is creamy and cheesy but not heavy at all.

Dragon Noodles
I've made this a few times and mine NEVER looks that pretty (maybe because I can never find that kind of noodle...I use the ramen-esque kind).  But it is good and spicy all the same.  I like making Asian things for dinner because it gives me an excuse to have Drewbles make sticky rice.

Italian Wonderpot
Did I mention I like pasta?  I like wonderpots so much, it's just magical how they turn out.  DON'T WORRY, there's more than one on this list.

Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Crustless Quiche
You know what's great about this?  It's a quiche but you don't have to make a crust!  I've made this several times, I highly recommend it.

Oven Fajitas
Is this the easiest way to make fajitas?  I think so.  Side note: one thing I like about BB is that chopping ingredients is part of the instructions, rather than the ingredient list.  I feel like that gives a more accurate representation of the work required, you know?

Oven Roasted Greek Stuffed Pitas
Is this the easiest way to make pitas?  I think so.

Beef and Pineapple Enchiladas
An unusual combination that works!  One caveat: I didn't LOVE the enchilada sauce recipe.  

Easy Southwest Mac and Cheese
This is the only recipe in this list that I didn't love and knew I wouldn't make again.  It was just kind of bland, but DON'T WORRY, there's more mac and cheese options.

Chicken & Lime Soup
I LOVE THIS SOUP.  Love it.  It's so good, I can just keep eating it and eating it and eating it some more.  One of the very best soups I've ever had, no joke.  If you anticipate leftovers, I'd cilantro on a bowl-by-bowl basis to keep it fresh and green.

Salsa Poached Eggs & Grits 
A cross between shakshuka and, you know, grits.  So, a winning combination.

One Pot Sausage and Mushroom Pasta
I'm not a huge sausage fan, but this was a winner.

Spinach and Artichoke Wonderpot 
Wonderpot strikes again!  The sauce was still a bit thin in the end, but I liked the flavors a lot, better than the traditional Wonderpot.

Spicy Tomato and Shrimp Pasta 
SO good.  I made this more for Drewbles than myself, because he loves shrimp, but it was a big hit for both of us.  And it's so simple!  Seriously, there's no reason to not make this...unless you hate shrimp.  I GUESS.

Zesty Tomato and Artichoke Pasta
You know, I honestly can't remember if I actually made this or not.

Spinach Tortellini Soup
I love a tortellini soup!

Miracle Mac and Cheese
I don't think I need to rehash my pickiness for homemade macaroni and cheese, so I'll just say that this is, hands down, my favorite recipe for homemade mac and cheese.  Just watch the pot carefully so it doesn't boil over!  Oh man, so tasty.

Tomato Herb Soup
A perfectly good tomato soup, but it can't match my favorite.

Spinach Feta Grilled Cheese 
I've never met a grilled cheese I didn't like. 

I *think* that's every single item I've made, but you never know.  And the best part is that there are so many other things to try!  And try again!  Maybe I'll start with the chicken and lime soup...

4 comments:

  1. Ahh, this sounds like just the food blog for me. You are always my inspiration!

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  2. I'm always nervous about trying a new recipe since I'm only cooking for myself. What if I hate it and end up with tons and tons of leftovers?

    When I saw your post about the burritos a few months ago, I waited to fix them for my sister and parents when I went to visit in June, and they have definitely been repeated since then! That filling is delicious. I may have just eaten the filling with chips for dinner a few times. :)

    Anyway, thanks for turning me on to this website. I'll definitely have to try some of these dishes. That chicken and lime soup sounds amazing!

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    1. Yeah, I know what you mean. Even with two of us sometimes we wind up with tons of leftovers and even if we like it we're tired of eating it by the time it's gone. Lately I've tried more to halve recipes if possible or freeze leftovers for later.

      But the real point is yayyyyyyy, I'm glad you tried to the burritos! They are just the best.

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