Tag Archives: budget

Arugula Pesto

Recipes, Sides, , , , , , , , , ,

Arugula pesto is an easy, affordable, and peppery spin on traditional pesto, which is typically made with basil. Walnuts are used instead of pine nuts, which are more affordable but still provide a nice texture and flavor, but you can use pine nuts if you’d like. You can also replace some of the arugula with fresh basil. Use this pesto on pasta, sandwiches, wraps, eggs, and more.

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Arugula Pesto

Course Side Dish
Keyword easy, gluten-free, plant-based, sauce, spring, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts
  • zest and juice of 1/2 lemon about 1 tablespoon juice or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. You can add more olive oil, salt or lemon juice to reach desired consistency and flavor.

Shelter-in-Pasta

Entree, Recipes, , , ,
spaghetti, roasted cabbage, and white beans

This simple, budget recipe can be adapted to your taste or to whatever ingredients you have on hand. It was created using kitchen staples during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

A few recommended ingredients to keep on hand include pasta, beans, garlic, and olive oil. Some fresh vegetables actually last a long time (several weeks or longer) when stored properly, including cabbage, onions, winter squash, and carrots. Cabbage doesn’t have to be bland or boring – this recipe creates roasted ribbons of cabbage to mix into pasta for extra flavor. For fans of roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted cabbage has a similar flavor but is easier to make and typically more affordable!

spaghetti, roasted cabbage, and white beans
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Shelter-in-Pasta

This simple, affordable meal can be made from kitchen staples that don't spoil quickly. It is plant-based and can be adapted to your taste.

Course Main Course
Keyword Beans, cabbage, pasta, plant-based, vegan, whole grain
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti or other long noodle
  • 1/2 head cabbage, savoy or green sliced into 1/4 inch slices
  • 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained or 1 3/4 cups cooked white beans
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or butter (or vegan butter)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush cabbage slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning once, until edges are browned.

  2. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside.

  3. In a skillet, heat remaining olive oil (or butter) over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add white beans and stir until heated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Once cabbage is cooked, cut out the stem pieces so that the cabbage forms ribbons. Toss with cooked pasta and bean mixture.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to customize this recipe. Ideas include:

  • Add other proteins, such as grilled chicken
  • Add cheese, such as parmesan
  • Add other spices or herbs, such as parsley
  • Add other vegetables, such as onion, mushrooms, or tomatoes

Roasted Carrots

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Roasted Carrots - Low carb, gluten free, paleo. Follow Guess Who's Cooking on Twitter @guesswhoscookin. guesswhoscooking.com

Serves: 4

Time: 25-40 minutes

 

Ingredients

1-2 pounds carrots (don’t need to peel if organic)

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (about 1 tablespoon)

Salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If carrots still have stalks, cut most of it off and discard (or use to make pesto, or compost!). Peel the carrots, or you can leave the outer skin on if they are organic. Place carrots on a baking sheet (and parchment paper if you’d like), then drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake for 25-40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the carrots, stirring once or twice. When they are done, they should be light golden brown all over and the carrots should be fork tender.

Roasted Carrots - Low carb, gluten free, paleo. Follow Guess Who's Cooking on Twitter @guesswhoscookin. guesswhoscooking.com

I found these skinny carrots at the farmer’s market. In my opinion, they are much tastier than the ones sold in grocery stores, plus they cook more quickly, and are very fresh!