Parmesan Pasta

The hubs & I have been trying to cut down our grocery budget lately.  Some things have been a success, some have not.  This one, however, I really enjoyed.  I've heard it before but never tried it, but it's it's definitely going to be fairly common around here from now on!

I found this through Favorite Meals for $5 or Less.  It's been several years since this topic started so some prices have risen, but it's still a good place to go for inspiration on the cheap.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta
• Butter (to personal preference, probably 1/2 cup or less)
• Parmesan cheese (the grated kind to put on pizza) (again, to personal preference, maybe 1/4 cup?)
• Veggies (optional)

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Stir in butter (can melt if desired).
3. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

My notes

• The plain butter & cheese mix is surprisingly good, and keeps the cost down.  However, some complaints were made in the link about these meals being unhealthy (mainly because it uses a lot of pre-made/pre-mixed things or were low on veggies).  So I steamed some broccoli and roasted some tomatoes to add in there.
• You could also shake things up with seasonings, I know we added garlic powder but I think some Italian seasoning could also be good.  
• The main point- this is a great cheap dinner but can easily be adapted to increase nutritional content.  Honestly I prefer this over Alfredo sauces so who knows what I'll be doing with this simple, plain base in the future.

Roasted Green Beans

These were absolutely DELICIOUS!  Seriously, the husband & I eat these eat these cold like fries just as easily as we eat them warm straight out of the oven.  That is...on the rare occasion that any are leftover :)

Roasted Green Beans

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh green beans (or a bag of frozen fancy green beans)
• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• Zest from one lemon (save the juice for later)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Grab a jelly roll pan and dump green beans on the pan. 
3. Sprinkle seasonings, lemon zest, and garlic over the green beans. 
4. Drizzle the olive oil over the green beans and then toss with your hands until they are all coated with the seasonings and zest. 
5. Spread out in a single layer and slide your cookie sheet into the oven. Roast fresh green beans for 20–25 minutes and roast frozen green beans for an additional 10–15 minutes. 
6. When they are done, pull from the oven and put them on a serving platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top (from the lemon you zested) and serve.

My Changes

• I use garlic powder (or garlic salt and no regular salt) instead of minced garlic.
• No idea what a jelly roll pan is, I just use a plain ole' cookie sheet or my big lasagna pan (which can fit tons of these yummy things, thankfully).

Broccoli Bites

I hate to say it, but these were an epic fail.  I don't even know why.

Broccoli Bites

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained of liquid 
• 1 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. With your hands, form small patties and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes, turning the patties after the first 15 minutes.

My changes:

• I followed this recipe almost exactly, other than using plain breadcrumbs rather than Italian (but I added Italian seasoning).  It was just really dry and tasteless.  Maybe more egg for moisture and some additional seasonings?

Hassleback Potatoes

I personally really enjoyed these...B said he preferred traditional baked potatoes.  He was probably just in a baked potato mood and not feeling like trying new things.  I'll try them again soon :)

Hassleback Potatoes

Ingredients:

• medium sized potatoes (about 1 per person)
• 1 clove fresh garlic, very thinly sliced
• butter
• coarse salt (sea or kosher)
• pepper
• sour cream (optional)
• dill (optional)
• fresh chives (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay each potato on its flattest side. With a potato peeler, peel the skin off the tops of each potato, but leave the bottoms of the skins in tact.
2. Take a sharp knife, and very carefully cut thin slices all along the tops of the potatoes, about two thirds to three quarters of the way down. Be careful not to slice all the way to the bottom. Slide a garlic slice or two into a couple of the slits of each potato.
3. Place potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Dab the tops of the potatoes with butter and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
4. Bake for 1 hour, or until the tops are golden and crispy. Dollop with sour cream, and garnish with dill, chives, and more Italian seasoning.
    

My changes:

• If there was any problem with this, it was that it wasn't quite flavorful enough without the extra additions at the end.  I don't think I tried it with the dill, because I was looking more for a traditional flavor.  I think next time I would just add more butter and garlic to the potatoes as they cook.  It definitely wouldn't be hard to fix that tiny problem.

Summer Lasagna

So, I really want to give this recipe rave reviews.  I do.  And it was absolutely delicious.  I mean...it's literally all I can do right now to not go get a second helping because it was THAT good.  But there were some issues in the presentation, and I have to address those.

Summer Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 lasagne noodles, broken into thirds, cooked and drained
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup torn basil leaves

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to the package.
2. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, and olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Refridgerate.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high and add garlic and tomatoes.  Cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to bowl.
4. Add zucchini to skillet (with more oil if needed).  Season with salt & pepper to taste; cook until tender.  Transfer to (yet another) bowl.
5. Scatter a few tomatoes over four plates.  Top with one noodle, a spoonful of ricotta mixture, zucchini and more tomatoes.  Repeat layering twice, ending with noodle & then tomatoes.  Drizzle a little more olive oil on top.  Garnish with basil and serve.

My Changes

• This really was an amazing delicious combination of flavors.  However, it was awkward to put together.  It didn't stay layered because everything was so slippery with the olive oil.  Not a huge deal, but it was especially weird once I realized that it was supposed to be presented plate by plate.  There's only 2 of us here and leftovers are basically guaranteed.  So when I went to put the rest up, I was confused on how to do it.  I ended up just putting all of the tomatoes in a dish, then noodles, then the ricotta mixture, then the zucchini.  I'll try to update after my husband comes home & gets his share of it to let you know how that worked.
• I used only 24 oz of tomatoes (I know, LESS than the recipe called, it's a miracle).  I'm sorry, cherry tomatoes are kind of expensive :-/ Anyway, it worked.  But I may have just added a lot of them to my individual portion...
• I didn't have fresh basil, but I decided to use dried in the ricotta cheese mixture and it worked perfectly.
• Here's what I really think would work best to make this recipe as practical as it is delicious- change out the "lasagna" for shells.  Put the ricotta mixture in shells, and then serve the tomatoes & zucchini mixed on the sides.  It would be easier to maneuver, store, and serve while still keeping the integrity of the dish.

 

Lemon Spaghetti

Lemon Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 poundspaghetti
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juic
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup basil, minced
• 1 cup slow roasted tomatoes 
  

Directions

1. Gently heat olive oil until warm.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic; let steep for about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Boil a large pot of water. Season very generously with salt. Cook pasta until tender but still a little firm to the bite, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
3. Add lemon juice to garlic-pepper oil and whisk to combine. 
4. Toss with hot pasta, parmesan cheese, and basil. 
5. Add pasta water 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. 
6. Add slow roasted tomatoes and toss gently. 
7. Garnish with lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and basil. Enjoy!

My Changes

• I used chili powder instead of red pepper flakes.
• I forgot to add the pasta water.  Whoops!
• I didn't slow roast the tomatoes, just regular roasted them (instructions are in the link above but basically- cut cherry tomatoes in half, drizzled with olive oil, basil, & salt, then baked at 400 F for 20 minutes).
• I didn't use lemon zest, and I only used about 1/2 cup of lemon juice (again, MUST BUY A JUICER).  My husband thought this was still too lemon-y, I loved it.
• Must use more tomatoes.
• I only used 6 oz of Parmesan cheese (rather than 8)-  that's what size tub it comes in at my grocery store (yes I use pre-shredded) so I deal with it.
• Altogether, at first I wasn't sure about this pasta but after a few days (loooove leftovers in this house) I really enjoy this.  It's pasta, but lighter and with a twist.  My husband doesn't enjoy it (although apparently he likes it better cold...the man is strange), so just be prepared that it's definitely different and may not be a crowd pleaser if there are some traditionalists in your house.

Mexican 6 Layer Dip

I'm going to link to several recipes in this post, because I used a basic recipe for dip (which can be found here).  But instead of using that avocado layer, I combined two recipes for guacamole (which can be found here and here).  So the setup here will be a little different.  I'll explain what I did for the guacamole, and then for the dip.

Guacamole

  

Ingredients:

• 3 Avocados (peel & pit)
• Juice of one lime
• 1/4 red onion (chopped)
• Small handful minced cilantro
• 1 small clove of garlic
• Salt & pepper to taste

 Directions: 

1. Peel & pit the avocados (I use a spoon to take the pit out, which is the hardest part IMO; then I slip the spoon under the avocado & scoop it right out- so easy).  Place avocados in a bowl and mash- I started just mashing with a spoon and then switched to a potato masher, worked like a charm.
2. Chop the red onion (you could add more, but my husband isn't crazy about red onions so I used a minimal amount), add to bowl and mix.
3. Juice the lime, add to bowl and mix.
4. Chop the garlic, add to bowl, and mix.
5. Chop the cilantro, add to bowl, and mix (you may want to add slowly & taste as you go alone if using fresh cilantro- it's much stronger than dried...but in a good way).
6. Add salt & pepper to taste.

6 Layer Dip

 

Ingredients: 

•  16 oz refried/black beans
• Homemade guacamole
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 pack taco seasoning
• 3 tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup sliced olives
• 16 oz shredded cheese
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Chop the tomatoes & olives (if so desired)
2. Mix the sour cream & taco seasoning.
3.  Spread beans in the bottom of a large dish.
4. Add  guacamole.
5. Add sour cream/taco seasoning mix.
6. Add cheese.
7. Add tomatoes.
8. Add olives.
9. Serve with tortilla chips & enjoy!

My changes: 

• As mentioned, I used the above guacamole mixture instead of just mashing the avocados- it was AMAZING!  On it's on I thought it was okay, but mixed with the rest of the ingredients Oh. My. God. (said in the voice of Janice from F*R*I*E*N*D*S).
• The original recipe is for a 7 layer dip, but one of those layers is onions.  Since I already had red onions in my guacamole, I decided to skip this layer.
• While this was a great vegetarian recipe (even my husband, who is the ultimate "I am man, I eat meat" kind of guy, loved it), you could easily add a meat layer with ground beef or shredded chicken.  
• This recipe was SO easy to prepare, AND I didn't have to turn on my oven or even microwave (a big plus in the summer).  It's surprisingly filling & delicious- I'm sure I'll be making it again soon. 
• One thing- have a HUGE bag of tortilla chips.  The delicious salty chips with the cool, smooth taste from the guacamole & sour cream...my mouth is watering... 

Corn, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad

These corn/veggie "salads" are perfect for summer.  Seriously.  I don't really enjoy corn typically, but I'm trying to stretch my boundaries and eat more like a grown-up instead of a picky 2 year old.  And this is totally delicious and makes a wonderful side dish.  I served it with the Garlic & Shrimp Crostini but I think it would also be great for BBQing or grilling out.

Corn, Tomato, & Cilantro Salad

Ingredients

• 3 ears corn
• 2 Roma tomatoes. chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• salt & pepper to taste
• Lemon-herb seasoning

Directions

1. Remove husks & silk from corn.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
2. Let cool, then remove corn from husks & place in serving bowl.
3. Add all other ingredients to the bowl with corn.
4. Mix well and serve (chill if preferred).

My Changes

• The original recipe had a special way to do the corn...I did it the simple way.  You can click the link if you're interested.
• I used a bell pepper instead of a jalapeno, because we don't like those.
• I also used dried cilantro seasoning, because my store has been out of fresh.
• Next time instead of butter I might use olive oil.  Just feel like it will go better, and this was just a *tad* too sweet with the corn & butter.  
• I will definitely add more tomatoes.  The flavors here were amazing but the corn was definitely the star and as an avid lover of tomatoes, I think more of a balance would be preferable.
• I couldn't find lemon-herb seasoning, only lemon-pepper, so that's what I used.

CAT Salad

Okay, this may sound bad.  But it is Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad...which is a very long name to keep typing.  I served it with Tuna Burgers and it paired nicely.

CAT Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pint grape tomatoes (I used chopped Roma tomatoes because that's what I had)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 ears of fresh sweet corn
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp vegetable olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Dash of cayenne chili pepper

Directions

Dressing 

1. Mix the lime juice, oil, honey, salt, pepper, garlic, and c. pepper and whisk to combine.

Salad

1. Remove the husks from corn and grill for 15 minutes/microwave for 5 minutes.  Cut corn off of cob and into bowl.
2. Cut tomatoes in half (if using grape) or chop (if using Roma/regular), dice the avocado, and chop cilantro.
3. Mix together and top with dressing.  Let sit 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle.

My Changes

• I forgot to add the cilantro.  I felt like a little something more was needed, and perhaps that was it.
  
• This was more on the sweet side for me, so I may add more salt/pepper/chili pepper next time.
• The upside is- this is SUPER easy to prepare and I will definitely be making it again.

Vegetable Tian

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1 large sweet yellow onion cut in half and sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 russet potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 3 large Roma tomatoes
• Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Dried thyme, to taste (I omitted because...I don't like thyme)
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. 
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
4. Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. 
5. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. 
6. Season with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme, to taste. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.
7. Cover with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
8. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncover for 25-30 more minutes.

My Changes

• First off, any changes I made are minor because this was delicious and a perfect veggie side IMO.
  
• My potatoes were way bigger than the rest of my vegetables, so mine wasn't quite as pretty as the website listed above.  Just something to think about.
• It was a bit hard to get everything in a perfect circle the way it appears in the picture above.  So mine didn't end up in a perfect one layer spiral...but that didn't affect the taste that I could tell.
• The onion/garlic mixture at the bottom of the dish didn't make it any easier to get everything lined up properly, so I might try sprinkling on top or in between the layers next time just to see what happens.
  
• I did not measure my olive oil, just kind of eye balled it.  This was good at first, but the next day when I heated up the leftovers they were a tiny bit soggy.  So definitely use the recommended amount.