The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Pizza Edition

There's a restaurant a few towns over from where I went to college.  Actually, I'm not even one hundred percent sure I can call it a restaurant - it was basically a couple of tables in a man's living room.  There were no menus, no prices, he cooked in his personal kitchen right next to the living room where we ate.  The place doesn't even have a name - it's listed under just the letter "T" in the local phonebook, and you need to call a few hours ahead of time to see if the owner will be around and up for having company for dinner.

I'll admit I was skeptical the first time we went after a recommendation from one of our professors, but I was absolutely blown away by the food we were served.  The owner asked what we were in the mood for, if we had any allergies or dietary restrictions, took stock of the ingredients he had on hand, and decided to make us pizza.  And let me tell you, pizza has never been the same for me again.

His crust was whole-wheat and homemade - soft and chewy, just the right thickness, and cooked to perfection.  His sauce was seasoned unbelievably well - a little sweet, a little salty, and downright addictive.  He used spinach and mozzarella cheese - both fresh and colorful, but the walnuts are what really made the pizza.  I know what you're thinking, I thought it too, but the man knows what he's doing.  Walnuts chopped up and sprinkled on the pizza add a nice crunch and really help to bring out the flavors of all the other ingredients.  It's unexpected, but delicious, and I don't know why more pizza joints haven't picked up on it.  I'm obsessed, clearly, but who could blame me?  If Shakespeare was still around, I bet he'd write sonnets about that pizza.

Although I unfortunately haven't had the chance to return to that restaurant in a few years now, I do my best to recreate that pizza in my own kitchen.  Although I'm not sure it'll ever really compare, it's still pretty darn good.  And guess what we're having for dinner tonight?

Roasted Veggie Couscous Salad

Hi everyone!

We have a graduation party this weekend for a friend of the family and offered to bring a salad. There are bound to be plenty of salads there, though, and we clearly want ours to be the best! It was important to me that we don't bring a salad that everyone else will bring. We wanted something colorful, unique, and above all else...cheap! After all, we don't call ourselves two rich gals!  So, we decided to bring the fabulous Roasted Veggie Couscous Salad, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Here is what you'll need:

2 cups of couscous
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
1 yellow pepper
1 large tomato
1 cup of frozen peas
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of thyme
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon of pepper

Cut your zucchini, pepper and eggplant into small chucks. Put them into a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and cover them with the garlic power, salt, pepper, and thyme. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, get your couscous going. Put the couscous in a pot and cook according to the directions on the package.  I like to add in a sprinkle of thyme at this point too, to help add flavor to the couscous. About 5 minutes before the couscous is done, throw in the frozen peas and cook them together.

Once the couscous and peas are done, stir in the tomato and the roasted veggies. This salad is awesome both warm and cold. We usually have it with dinner while it is warm and then eat it cold the rest of the week, it makes a lot!

We're looking forward to experimenting with different summer veggies, let us know what you use and how it turns out! 

Broke Burgers - Veggie Style

Hi everyone!

Today we bring you one of our favorite recipes...veggie burgers!! Stop right there meat-eaters - don't close the page before I tell you how delicious these burgers actually are! Amanda is a vegetarian and we were looking for a cheaper alternative to the Morningstar Farms or Boca burgers that she likes. These burgers taste amazing! They have wonderful spices that really add a smokey and delicious flavor, and lots of beans for a hearty taste. I will tell you, though, these do not taste like hamburgers. They are a different flavor and different consistency. Please go in with an open mind and think of it as trying something entirely new.  Even if you're not a 'veg head' like Amanda, you will have no problem falling in love with these awesome veggie burgers!

Here is what you'll need:

1 can of black beans
1 can of chick peas
1 can of white beans
1 cup of olives
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of peppers and onions (we tend to use the mixed bag from the freezer section)
3 eggs
1 cup of uncooked oatmeal
3/4 cup of bread crumbs

Spices:
Salt
Pepper
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Season Salt
Oregano
Red Pepper Flakes

In a food processor, chop up the the peppers, onions and olives. Put them in a skillet and and sprinkle them with garlic powder. Cook until the peppers are tender. Put them in a large bowl an set aside.

In a food processor, puree the beans. You want them to be a mix between a paste and chopped beans. Add them to the bowl.

Now you will add a plethora of spices, we added about a tablespoon of the onion power, season salt, chili powder, and cumin and about a half tablespoon of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. You want to heavily season, these are beans we're starting with and we want them to taste like delicious, smokey burgers! Feel free to add more or less of each spice depending on your taste buds.

Next add the oatmeal, eggs and bread crumbs. We like to get in there with our hands to mix together all of the flavors and ingredients. You will get your hands dirty anyway when you form the burgers.

We got about ten burgers and 12 meatballs from this recipe. You can make them as thick or thin as you want to yield more or less burgers.  (We figure these burgers come out to cost less than 40 cents a piece, which is much cheaper than the approximate $1 each Morningstar Farms version!)

Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a skillet and cook the burgers over a medium heat. Flip them after about 5 minutes. The burgers should be crispy on both sides.  Enjoy!

Tell us what you think in the comments section!

Jello Pretzel Salad

Hi everyone!

Tonight we bring you an awesome 'salad'. I use the word salad loosely, as it's really a dessert. This recipe is tasty and very pretty! You can use any flavor of Jello and any frozen fruit that you like. We usually use strawberries.

Here's what you need:

First Layer
2 cups of pretzels, crushed
3 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup of melted butter

Second Layer
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip

Third Layer
1 large or 2 small packages of Jello
3 cups of boiling water
1 1/2 to 2 cups of frozen fruit, chopped

Here's what to do:

First layer - Mix the ingredients and press the mixture into a 9" x 13" pan. Bake the layer at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes (the pretzels were look the same before and after). Let that layer cool.

Second Layer - Blend the cream cheese and sugar, then fold in the cool whip. Once combined, spread over the pretzel layer. Make sure to go all the way to the edges so that the jello layer doesn't leak through to the rest of the salad.  We also recommend you lick the bowl!

Third Layer - Dissolve the jello into the boiling water and add in the frozen fruit. Stir until the fruit thaws (about 2 minutes). Pour over the cool whip layer and use a spoon to make sure the fruit is evenly spread out.  Cover in saran wrap.

Chill in the fridge for at least four hours or until the jello layer is firm.

We would love to know what flavor jello and type of frozen fruit you use...comment below!

Tangy Potato Salad

Shelle and I decided we must celebrate the first weekend in June with a buffet of our favorite summer foods, and I definitely made sure my favorite potato salad was included.  My mom has made this salad for as long as I can remember, and it wouldn't be summer without it!

Here's what you'll need:

3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 cup green olives, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1/4 cup yellow mustard
a dash of black pepper

Boil the potatoes until they're soft, but not mushy.  You should be able to easily stick a fork into a piece and pick it up without it falling apart.  It took us about 10 minutes to get to this point once the water was at a full boil.

Drain the potatoes and stir in the chopped olives and eggs.

In a separate bowl, make the dressing.  Stir together the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise and the mustard, and then add a dash of black pepper.  Feel free to taste it now and make sure it's exactly how you like it.  Pour the dressing over the potatoes, olives, and eggs,stir, and you're pretty much ready to go!

My mom likes to eat it warm, but I prefer to make it ahead and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour before we dig in.  It keeps well, so I always make a lot and have leftovers for lunch all week!

What are you eating to kick-off June?  Let us know in the comments below!

Frugal Friday Tip: Banana "Ice Cream"

As two broke gals, Shelle and I try to save money wherever we can.  Although that's certainly easier said than done, one of the ways we've been able to save the most is by only buying the food that we're sure we'll use.  Overall, I'd call our efforts a success, but sometimes those pesky bananas throw us off.  They may be green in the store, and brown by the time we get them home; under-ripe one day and totally overripe the next!  What's a broke gal to do?

Let's just say we've eaten a lot of banana bread.

As good as our banana bread is (and we're not kidding, we'll share the recipe sometime), it gets old after awhile.  And now that it's June, sometimes we just don't want to turn on the oven.  Sometimes something light and cold does just the trick.  And we have just the thing for you!

Thanks to Pinterest, we recently discovered userealbutter.com's recipe for an ice cream-like dish made out of bananas!  We highly recommend you check out the post here:

http://userealbutter.com/2010/08/12/single-ingredient-ice-cream-recipe/

It certainly didn't disappoint!  We made a peanut butter flavored "ice cream" with chopped up peanut butter cups folded in, and a nutella flavored "ice cream" with chocolate chips folded in.  Yum!

I think we've found a new way to use up bananas and we won't go even more broke spending all our money at ice cream stands!

 

'Nacho' Average Taco Dip

Hi Guys and Gals!

Amanda was in the mood for some tacos, so today I am blogging our Six Layer Taco Dip. It is absolutely yummy and your friends and family will love it. We love it because it's so easy and it's a great way to use up some left overs!! 

This taco dip would be a great alternative to a pasta or potato salad for a summer outing. It is light and flavorful. This recipe makes enough for an 8 by 8 baking dish, we like to dress it up with a nice pie plate.

Here's what you need:

3 teaspoons of taco seasoning

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 brick of cream cheese 

3/4 cup of salsa

1 cup of lettuce, shredded

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of sliced olives

* These are rough measurements, you may need more or less depending on your dish and your taste buds. 

In a small bowl, mix together the taco seasoning, cream cheese and sour cream. 

Spread the mixture into the bottom of your serving dish.

Add the layers on top of each other. Here's the order:

Cream cheese mixture

Salsa

Lettuce

Tomato

Cheese

Olives

Put the finished dip in the fridge for a few hours to chill. 

Dig in!