Trying to be a great cook can be a little discouraging if you are not aware of some easy recipes that actually present and taste like gourmet food. There is a lot you can do with a few ingredients; using food that is simple and fresh will go a long way when it comes to eating on a budget and making food that you will actually like the taste of. I’ve compiled here three relatively easy recipes that I like to make for dinner often because of their rich tastes and short preparation time.
3 Budget Meals: Pasta with homemade pesto
This one is really simple to make because boiling pasta is about the easiest thing you can do in a kitchen, aside from chopping fruits and vegetables. Another great aspect of this dish is the fact that I can guarantee that the most expensive thing you will have to buy is the fresh basil, which will probably total around four to five dollars, depending on where you live or if you have access to your own homegrown herbs. The rest of the ingredients are cheap, and chances are you probably already have them in your pantry. You want to boil a pot of pasta. While that is going, you’ll use a blender or food processor to pulverize and make a pesto sauce out of fresh basil leaves, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic cloves. The ratios you use are up to personal taste because some people like their pesto spicier or runnier than others. But, once it’s mixed, just pour it over your pasta, and sprinkle with mozzarella for a creamy texture!
Baked chicken breasts with rice
I love to make chicken for the main reason that if you buy boneless, skinless chicken, the only task remaining for you is to season it and stick it in the oven! It’s so much simpler to make than grilling steaks or preparing burgers, for example. I like to start with a package or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, place them on a flat pan, coat them in olive oil, then sprinkle salt, minced garlic, dry basil, and turmeric on each side. I then stick them in the oven at around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and flip them when the tops start to get opaque and bubbly. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 185 degrees Fahrenheit before eating. Serve with rice, and you’re good to go!
Seared prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with fresh mozzarella slices
This is my favorite dish because it has the richest flavors and is so easy to make. Start with a package of asparagus stalks, cut off the purple rind at the bottom, and rinse them thoroughly. Then, take a package of prosciutto slices, and wrap each stalk of asparagus individually. It’s okay if they don’t stick perfectly. Next, place the wrapped stalks in an ungreased skillet on medium-high heat and turn occasionally until the meat has crisped and the asparagus is bright green and somewhat moist. This dish is pretty salty, so I like to complement the flavor of the prosciutto with slices of a mild, fresh mozzarella on the side.
