Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are an excellent source of cheap protein.  Pair them with basil from your garden and sweet grape tomatoes when in-season, and you’ve got a frugal salad that’s also really healthy.  I found these tomatoes at my ALDI store for just $.79 this week (view more recently posted Grocery Bargains).  You could also easily add rotini to this to make it a pasta salad.

Frugal Tips:  To save money, buy dried chickpeas and soak overnight.  Beans can even be soaked and frozen for later.

Thanks for the inspiration, Green Lite Bites!

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I love Greek food.  Not only is it packed with flavor, it’s usually pretty healthy.  This easy Greek Salad with Couscous salad is no exception.  Don’t have couscous?  Substitute orzo pasta, quinoa or bulgur.  I find that the couscous is a frugal way to extend the salad and give it more texture.

Frugal Tip:  If jarred Kalamata olives are too expensive, check the grocery store deli.  You may be able to buy them by the pound for less.

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Everything is better with bacon, isn’t it?  This bacon blue cheese potato salad is creamy, flavorful and tangy.  If you like bacon and blue cheese, you’ll love it.  It goes perfectly with a burger straight off the grill.  Bring on summer!

Frugal Tips:  Look for blue cheese at stores like ALDI, Sam’s Club and Costco to save money.

Boil potatoes with the skin on until fork-tender (about 12-13 minutes). Meanwhile, add the other ingredients in a large bowl. After potatoes have cooled, dice them and add to dressing ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight.

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Spanish rice is the perfect side to serve with any Tex-Mex dish.  Bacon and chicken stock add tons of flavor to this classic.

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This copycat version of the creamy Parmesan dressing from Carrabba’s Italian Grill is my new favorite. Not only is it delicious, it’s incredibly easy to make.

Frugal Tips:  This recipe only calls for a little bit of buttermilk, so don’t let the leftovers go to waste.  Did you know you could freeze buttermilk?  Here are some great ideas to use up buttermilk after making this dressing.

See how simple the ingredient list is?  Much of this is in your refrigerator already.

Mix the dressing well.

Serve with romaine and croutons.

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It’s not often my family asks, “Why didn’t you make MORE?” when it comes to veggies.  I made a whole head of this Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower last night and it was devoured within minutes.  I should have doubled my batch!  I didn’t even have enough left over to get a good photo of it for you.

Frugal Tips:  I get my produce at ALDI.  It seems as if every week there are some buys that are just too good to pass up.  Be sure to follow the ALDI Grocery Stores Weekly Ads  posted over in the Mommysavers Grocery Bargains Forum.  It’s where members get together and talk about what they’ve found recently at ALDI.

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I originally posted this Barley Mushroom Risotto recipe on Mommysavers.com.  Now that it’s fall, it’s the perfect time to make it again!  I love the earthiness of mushrooms and sage as well as the nuttiness of the Parmesan cheese.  Barley makes for a great for a change of pace from traditional rice risotto, and doesn’t cost a lot.

Frugal Tip:  Grains are extremely frugal — and healthy, too!  Instead of serving the same grains over and over again, experiment with different options like quinoa, barley, other varieties of rice, and different pasta shapes.  The variety will prevent you from experiencing frugal fatigue!

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Homemade pesto is something I’ve been making a few years in a row now, and it’s an excellent way to use up the rest of the fresh basil in your garden before a hard frost.  Freeze what you don’t use in ice cube trays to enjoy in the middle of the winter.

How to Use Your Homemade Pesto:

• As a pasta sauce
• Add a little homemade pesto to mayo for a sandwich spread
• Top salmon or chicken with pesto before grilling
• Add to mashed potatoes
• As a baked potato topper
• On homemade pizza as a sauce
• In artisan breads
• Make pesto butter as an appetizer spread

Frugal Tips:  Even though fresh Parmesan is somewhat expensive, it’s worth it.  A little bit goes a long way.  You may also experience sticker shock if you’re purchasing pine nuts for the first time.  If you have walnuts at home, they are a good substitute.  Some even prefer the taste of walnut pesto to pine nut pesto.

Thanks to the Mommysavers Forum members for the inspiration behind this basil pesto recipe

The post Basic Homemade Pesto Recipe + How to Freeze and Enjoy All Year appeared first on Frugal Bites.

If you’re currently buying the boxes of Near East Parmesan Couscous…. why?  Parmesan couscous is easy to make, frugal, and only takes a few minutes.  Not only that, you can have fun experimenting with fun add-ins and tweaking the flavor.  After you get the basics down, you can create a copycat couscous of just about any of the flavored box mixes you typically buy.

Frugal Tip:  Couscous is usually located near the rice and grains in most supermarkets.  If you have a hard time finding couscous, you can purchase it on Amazon.com or Vitacost.  Plus, when you register for a new Vitacost account you’ll receive a code valid for $10 off a $10 order.

Source:  Inspired by the Mommysavers Parmesan Couscous recipe

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Living in Southern Minnesota, finding good sushi isn’t easy.  Luckily, finding the ingredients to make good sushi isn’t that hard.  Lately, I’ve recently been teaching myself to roll my own.  My first attempt was not bad, but not great.  Thanks to my friends at Mommysavers and their advice on how to make sushi rolls at home I quickly determined that my main mistake was layering on too much rice.  My second go-round (pictured here) was much more successful.  This time, I only added ONE cup of the sushi rice (instead of one and a half) to the Nori paper, which made all the difference.  You can make sushi at home too, with minimal practice.  All you need is a sushi kit (which are pretty  cheap on Amazon), good sushi rice, and a little patience.

How to Make Sushi Rolls

After the sushi rice has cooled and is ready to go, tear off a piece of plastic wrap and place it on your sushi mat as shown below.  Next, place the sheet of Nori on the plastic wrap.  Spread one cup sushi rice on top of the Nori, using your sushi paddle or your wet fingers to press it down evenly.  You’ll want an even, thin layer of rice.  If it’s too thick, it will be hard to roll tightly without the ingredients squirting out all over the place.

At this point, you can either flip the nori over so that the rice side is down (and on the outside of the roll) or leave it the way it is.  I flipped it over so the rice would be on the outside of my California rolls.  If desired, shake a little sesame seed or poppy seed on the rice.

For Califormia rolls, place your avocado, cucumber, and imitation crab inside.  For a Philadelphia roll, substitute the crab for smoked salmon and include a strip of cream cheese.  Experimenting with ingredients is the fun part!   Let your own taste be your guide; there are no right or wrong ingredients.  Starting on one end, use your mat to roll your sushi, pressing down as you go to create a compact roll.  With a sharp knife (it helps to wet it slightly) cut in six pieces.  Enjoy!

Frugal Tips:  Supplies to make sushi rolls can often be found at ethnic grocery stores for much less than at specialty stores.  Also, check Amazon for the best prices on your sushi mat and paddle and other tools.

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