Bowties and Broccoli

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz. pasta $1.00
• 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets $1.69
• 3 Tbsp butter $0.30
• 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan $0.31
• Salt to taste $0.05
• Freshly cracked pepper to taste $0.10
• Pinch crushed red pepper (optional) $0.05

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil until the pasta is al dente (7-10 minutes). Add the frozen broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water, turn off the heat, and let sit for 1-2 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender-crisp. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
2. Transfer the pasta and broccoli back to the pot (with the heat off) or to a bowl and add the butter. Toss until the butter has melted and coated everything. Add the Parmesan, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and red pepper flakes, then toss to coat again. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.

Step by Step Photos

It always amazes me how just a couple of ingredients can make such a satisfying meal. This really is SO simple and SO good. I keep these ingredients stocked and eat this often. This is all I need for about six servings (not all of the butter, Parm, and pepper were used for six servings).

If you’re making one serving at a time, you can either estimate 1/6th of the bag of pasta, or check the back to see if it gives a volume of dry pasta for the serving size. The measurement will change depending on the shape of the pasta, but for this bowtie shape 1/6th of the bag is roughly 3/4 cup. So that helps me keep serving sizes in check.

First bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil the pasta just until it’s tender (7-10 minutes). Once tender, add the frozen broccoli (estimate an equal volume to the pasta) directly to the pot and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a minute or two, or just until the broccoli is slightly tender, but has a bit of crunch left and is still bright green. If you prefer your broccoli a lot softer, you can leave the heat on for a minute or so and let it continue to boil, but I prefer mine to still have some tooth.

Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.

Transfer the drained pasta and broccoli to a bowl, or back to the cooking pot (with the heat off). Add 1/2 Tbsp butter for each serving you’re preparing, then toss until the butter melts and coats everything.

Once everything is coated in melted butter, sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan for each serving, plus salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (if desired). 

Toss briefly again so that everything is coated in Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Easy, enjoyable, and just over 50 cents per bowl! 

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/09/bowties-and-broccoli/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Spinach & Mushroom Frittata (healthier version of quiche)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ brown onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
8 button mushrooms (100g), sliced
150g baby spinach leaves
4 eggs
2 egg whites
60 ml milk
Salt and pepper

Directions:

     1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 20cm round ovenproof quiche/flan dish with cooking spray.
     2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Stir in the spinach and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
     3. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool.
     4. Heat the remaining oil in the frypan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes or until softened, then remove from the heat.
     5. Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess moisture, add to the mushrooms and mix to combine. Spread the spinach and mushroom mix evenly over the base of the prepared dish.
     6. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thoroughly combined. Add the milk, some salt and pepper and whisk again to combine. Pour egg mixture evenly over the spinach and mushroom mixture.
     7. Bake for about 35 minutes or until puffed and golden and the quiche no longer jiggles. Cut into wedges and serve with a mixed green salad.

Peanut Butter S’mores Pots

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 3 graham crackers 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 1 Tbsp sugar 
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter (optional) 
• 3 Tbsp milk chocolate chips 
• 10 large marshmallows 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place three whole graham crackers (rectangles, not the square half) and place them in a zip top bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the graham crackers into crumbs.
2. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Once melted, stir in the sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Stir the mixture until it looks like damp, coarse sand. Divide the mixture between two 8oz. ramekins and use the back of a spoon to pack the mixture into a solid layer.
3. Drop about 1 Tbsp of peanut butter onto each graham cracker crust, followed by a sprinkle of chocolate chips (1 to 1.5 Tbsp for each ramekin). Arrange the marshmallows in a single layer in the ramekin. Use enough marshmallows so that they are touching each other, but not packed in tight. They will spread as they melt.
4. Bake the s'mores pots for 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffy and light golden brown. Serve hot (use a pot holder or wrap the ramekin in a towel because it will be hot!).

Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start the graham cracker crust by crushing three whole graham cracker rectangles. A zip top bag helps make this job a little less messy. Crush them until they are fine crumbs.

In a medium bow, melt 2 Tbsp of butter, then stir in 1 Tbsp sugar and the graham cracker crumbs. Stir until the mixture resembles wet, coarse sand.

Divide the graham cracker crust mixture between two 8oz. ramekins. Use the back of a spoon to press the crust into a solid layer.

Add about 1 Tbsp peanut butter to each ramekin and a sprinkle of milk chocolate chips (1 to 1.5 Tbsp chips). I didn’t think spreading the peanut butter would be very successful, so I just added it in little drops. 

Finally, add a layer of large marshmallows to the top of each ramekin. Use enough marshmallows so they are touching, but not totally packed in there. They will spread as they melt. I used five for each ramekin. Also, I like to put my ramekins on a baking sheet (or pizza pan in this case) to make them easier to move in and out of the oven.

Bake the pots for 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffed up and light golden brown. If you want extra browning, you can pop them under the broiler for a QUICK minute, but watch them carefully.

Serve the pots immediately so everything is still all melty and gooey. The marshmallows will deflate as they cool down. Be careful, though, the ramekins are hot so either use a pot holder or wrap them in a kitchen towel when you handle them.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/07/peanut-butter-smores-pots/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Crustless Quiche

Ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms $1.99
• ½ tsp minced garlic $0.06
• as needed non-stick spray $0.02
• 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach $1.09
• 4 large eggs $0.83
• 1 cup milk $0.39
• 2 oz. feta cheese $0.87
• ¼ cup grated parmesan $0.39
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella $0.50
• to taste salt & pepper $0.05

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave. Empty the box into a colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.
2. Quickly rinse the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray, add the minced garlic, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet (5-7 minutes).
3. Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms and crumbled feta.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, parmesan, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. (This step can be completed while the mushrooms are cooking) Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, and feta.
5. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown on top and the center is solid. Every oven is different but this should take between 45 minutes and an hour. Slice and serve!

Step By Step Photos

The key to preventing a soggy quiche is to reduce the moisture in your vegetables. This is why the spinach is squeezed dry and the mushrooms get cooked before adding to the quiche. I start by draining the spinach in a colander and then squeeze the rest of the moisture out before adding it to the dish.

Next, move onto the mushrooms. Sometimes pre-sliced mushrooms are the same price as whole, but not this time around.

So I washed and sliced my own. I usually cut them in half first (to get a flat surface) and then slice them.

Mushrooms are like sponges that are secretly holding a lot of water, so you need to saute them before adding them to your quiche. I just placed them in a skillet coated with non-stick spray (and a little garlic for flavor) and then sprinkled them with salt and pepper. Just a touch. The salt will help draw out the moisture.

Turn the heat onto medium or medium high and saute them (cook while occasionally stirring) until the water cooks out. This picture is about half way through the process. You’ll notice that the bottom of the skillet is covered with water that has seeped out of the mushrooms. Just keep cooking past this point until most of that water has evaporated off and the bottom of the skillet is relatively dry. This should take about 5-7 minutes, depending on how hot your skillet is. You can prepare the custard (egg and milk mixture) while you’re waiting for the mushrooms to finish.

Coat the inside of a 9 inch pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and place it in the bottom of the dish along with the cooked mushrooms and feta cheese… in no particular order.

To make the custard, begin by whisking together four eggs until they are fairly smooth and uniform in texture.

Next whisk in the milk and parmesan cheese… and a little more pepper or any other herbs that you might like.

Pour the custard mixture over the vegetables in the pie dish. Oh, and the quiche is much easier to get in and out of the oven if it’s on a baking dish, so I put it on there before pouring in the liquidy custard mixture.

Sprinkle on more cheese (mozzarella in this case) if you want… again, I probably went overboard on the cheese but boy, was it tasty ;)

Bake the quiche in a preheated 350 degree oven until it is golden brown on top and the center is no longer liquid. This will take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven. Just start checking it at 45 minutes. You’ll notice as it cooks that it begins to puff up a bit. It will deflate once it comes out of the oven but the “puff” is a good way to tell which areas are cooked and which are still liquid.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/11/spinach-mushroom-feta-crustless-quiche/