Category Archives: Lunch/Dinner

Top 5 Favorites

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As the semester comes to a close, so does my time here at Frugal Food.  I think that this blog was a really fun semester project and who knows..maybe I’ll keep going with it!  I posted a total of 22 different recipes and it can be hard to remember all of them, and I must say that I have a few favorites.  So, here’s to my top 5 favorites on Frugal Food!

1. Caprese Panini

-This panini was one of my first posts during the semester and it’s still one of my go to’s.  You can never go wrong with a panini, especially one that has pesto and mozzarella.

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2. Chicken Avocado Burrito Wrap

Avocado, cheese and chicken.  Need I say more?  This wrap is super easy to make and is a great lunch.

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3. Bell Pepper Egg-In-A-Hole

This dish is good for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Simply delicious and a unique take on the classic egg-in-a-hole.

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4. Banana Bread

Banana bread will always have my heart.  If you are a victim of forgetting to eat your bananas before they go overly ripe…make the banana bread.  I like to add chocolate chips for something a little extra.

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5. Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

This was the other post I made this week and it completely has me understanding the overnight oats craze.  They’re nutritious, fast, easy and soooooo good.  There’s so many different recipes to try.  The possibilities for breakfast are endless.

And that’s a wrap. I hope that these posts were a good reference and inspired some cool ideas.

Happy Cooking!

A Mighty Bowl of Goodness

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So, I’ve been really trying to figure out how to incorporate veggies into my meals more.  I don’t know about you..but I am not a fan.  But, there’s no escaping it!  Veggies provide lots of essential vitamins and minerals, and freezer veggies are respectively priced.  Anyways, I needed a solid dinner to fill me up and I put some odds and ends together.  I ended up making a pretty good bowl of veggies, protein and carbs, and the best part is that it actually tasted good!  Due to my distain for greens, I’m going to assume that if I like it then anybody would.

Overall Price:

Ingredients: $3.50

-1/2 a sweet potato (.50 cents)

-1/2 cup of bell pepper (.50 cents)

-1/2 cup of broccoli cutlets (.50 cents)

-1/2 cup of rice (.30 cents)

-3 strips of chicken ($1.50)

-1 tablespoon of olive oil (.20 cents)

Directions:

1. Prepare/cut up the sweet potato, bell pepper, broccoli and chicken and preheat oven to 425 degrees

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2. Put mixture onto pan and cover with olive oil and put it oven for 20 minutes

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3. While the veggies and chicken and cooking, prepare rice by mixing with 1 cup of water and microwave it for 5 minutes

4. Mix veggies, chicken and rice together and enjoy!

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Overall Thoughts:

This dinner was very filling and GOOD.  All the flavors mixed together for a great overall meal that I can make again!  I’m thinking next time to add some seasoning or sauce.  I’ve also found an appreciation for sweet potatoes.

Chicken Avocado Burrito Wrap

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I’m all about avocados this week!  There was a sale at Walmart..it was too good to pass up.  It’s just a normal Saturday consisting of homework and trying to keep up with ridiculous amounts of reading.  Anyways, I needed to take a lunch break and decided to try this yummy wrap.  It only takes ten minutes to make and I mean..avocado..chicken..burrito.  What’s not to love?

Overall Cost: $5

Ingredients:

-1/2 an avocado

-1 tortilla

-1 cup of mexican blend cheese

-1 cup of shredded chicken

Directions:

1. Combine cheese, chicken and avocado

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2. Apply to tortilla

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3. Grease pan and cook wrap for 2 minutes each side at a medium heat

4. Enjoy!

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Overall thoughts:  Oh my goodness, this burrito was so yummy that I want to make it again tomorrow.  It’s fast, easy to make and has a nice overall nutrition value.  If you’re one for spices, cilantro might be a nice addition to the flavor.  I am considering making a bunch of these and freezing them for later use.  If you didn’t already know: the freezer is your friend.

Zucchini Pizza Boats

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Alright, on this fine Tuesday I did something I have never dared to do..use veggies to make a pizza.  I found this recipe on Pinterest that is very intriguing to say the least: zucchini pizza boats.  Think a regular pizza but flour dough substituted with zucchini.  Personally, I was skeptical, but if I like zucchini bread then what about and why not zucchini pizza?  It was a must try.  And substituting carbs for a veggie..you know what that means.  Yup, a pizza that is easy on the waistline.

I’ll reveal my initial reaction in my overall thoughts!  But, anyways to say the least this recipe is relatively easy and only requires 4 ingredients (a fifth is optional).  It is also dirt cheap to make for one person.

Overall cost: $3.50

Ingredients:

-1 zucchini (.75 cents)

-1 cup of marinara sauce (.75 cents)

-1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese ($1)

-1/2 cup of pepperoni  ($1)

-olive oil and other spices (not necessary but optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Cut zucchini in half horizontally

3. If wanting to use olive oil or spices like garlic, mix them together and spread on zucchini halves

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4. Distribute marinara sauce, shredded cheese and meat

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5. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes

6. Enjoy!

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Overall Thoughts:

LOVE THIS.  It’s a win win situation: cheap, healthy and absolutely delicious.  The pictures really don’t do justice at all.  The zucchini makes for a nice, crunchy texture.  BEWARE..although these are very good, they are also very messy.  Keep those napkins close.  But, all in all a guilt-free pizza.  What’s not to love?

Happy cooking!

 

Chicken Noodle Soup

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Unfortunately, over the weekend I caught what is going around on campus.  It seems to be a pretty nasty cold: fatigue, cough, sore throat and LOTS of congestion.  I really tried to fight and nip it in the bud with Emergen-C and fluids, but here I am, miserable with three exams to look forward to.  And just like the cliche, I am finding comfort in some chicken noodle soup, specifically my mom’s.  But, I decided to tweek my mom’s recipe into a five dollar version and see what happens.

This recipe is simple, fast and soothing, something any sick person can appreciate.  This recipe is also a bang for your buck because it makes a few servings.  With that being said: the freezer is your friend.

Overall Cost: $4.85

Ingredients:

-1 can of chicken broth ($1.00)

-1/4 cup of carrot (.60 cents)

-1/4 cup of celery (.75 cents)

-1/2 cup of shredded chicken ($1.50)

-1/4 cup of uncooked egg noodles ($1.00)

-Seasoning (opt.)

Instructions:

1. Cut celery and carrots in medium sized slices and shred chicken into reasonable portion

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2. Heat broth and vegetables at a medium heat into a boil

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3. Gradually stir chicken and egg noodles into the mixture

4. Cook for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally

5. Enjoy!

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Overall Thoughts:  This soup definitely does the job in terms of helping a sick girl out.  While making my way to Walmart, I did realize there are several different kinds of chicken broth with varying prices.  I recommend getting the small can of Swanson.  It’s low price and has 3 servings.  Also, when shredding the chicken, don’t be afraid to have larger portions!  I shredded the pieces a little too small and you can’t even see the chicken in the soup.  It’s in there..promise.

Also, egg noodles are cheap, amazing and I love them.

Caprese Panini

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So, just like any average Friday afternoon I was spending my time on Pinterest when I really should be studying for a Chemistry exam.  I know, I know..I really shouldn’t be doing that.  But, IF I hadn’t been doing so, I would not have stumbled across this AMAZING recipe.  The best part was that I had all of the ingredients for it. Score.

After a stressful week, I rewarded myself with a Caprese panini.  Trust me it tastes a lot like Caprese, but it’s in sandwich form so it’s ten times better.  If you’ve never had Caprese then you absolutely have to try this recipe and if you truly have no idea what I am talking about..

“Caprese: A simple Italian dish consisting of slices of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil while seasoned with salt and olive oil”

At a serving perspective, this dish runs pretty cheap.  But, I do understand that not every person has a jar of pesto laying around.  If you where to go to Walmart or another grocery store to get all of these ingredients, you’re looking at about 7 dollars in expenses.  Still pretty acceptable.

Overall Price: $5

Ingredients:

-2 slices of any kind of bread (thicker slices preferably)

-1 tomato (.50 cents)

-1 table spoon of pesto sauce (.20 cents)

-2 slices of mozzarella cheese ($1.00 dollar)

-2 table spoons of balsamic vinegar (.50 cents)

-butter

Instructions:

1. Cut tomato into medium sized slices and put in bowl of balsamic vinegar to sit for a few minutes  (the picture wasn’t really appealing..)

 

2. Butter both sides of bread thoroughly and layer the sandwich with pesto, a slice of mozzarella, the soaked tomato slices and another slice of mozzarella

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3. Heat skillet pan to a medium heat and cook each side of the sandwich for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.

 

4. Enjoy!

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Overall Thoughts:  I could eat this panini for any meal of the day.