all things food
Parsnips don’t get much love, and we think that should change. Perhaps this recipe will convince you to give them a try!
Why we love them as fries: They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, cook really fast, and have the texture of a sweet p…
Parsnips don’t get much love, and we think that should change. Perhaps this recipe will convince you to give them a try!
Why we love them as fries: They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, cook really fast, and have the texture of a sweet potato fry with the taste of a potato-carrot hybrid (so good, right?). And when tossed in a bit of oil, salt, and our go-to vibrant curry powder, the flavors are perfectly balanced.
We used to eat these really delicious meat pies when we were growing up. I’m not sure exactly what was in them, but I do know that the mix had ground beef seasoned with curry powder, tender cubed potatoes, and sweet peas. It was so simple, hearty, filling, and one of my absolute favorite things […]
The post Curried Ground Beef with Peas and Potatoes appeared first on Budget Bytes.
We used to eat these really delicious meat pies when we were growing up. I’m not sure exactly what was in them, but I do know that the mix had ground beef seasoned with curry powder, tender cubed potatoes, and sweet peas. It was so simple, hearty, filling, and one of my absolute favorite things to eat. But these days I’m a busy person, so when I got the craving for those tasty meat pies I just whipped up the curried ground beef filling and ate it in a bowl instead of fiddling with dough and stuffing it into hand pies. It was still totally satisfying and way easier. There are a few different ways you can serve this curried ground beef, so keep reading to see some options!
Originally posted 10-10-2012, updated 9-4-2021.
Since the spices and aromatics are going in the skillet before the beef, you won’t want to have to drain off any fat after browning the ground beef, or else you’ll lose some of the flavor. For that reason, you’ll want to use a lower fat ground beef, maybe 10-15% max. Having some fat is good for flavor, but you don’t want it pooling in the bottom of the skillet.
Curry powder blends can vary a LOT from brand to brand, so it’s important to choose one that you’re familiar with and that you know you like. The kind I happen to be using today is 365 brand curry powder, but I’ve also enjoyed Sharwood’s brand in the past. You can use a mild curry powder, or spicy if you prefer. If you’d like to try making your own homemade curry powder, here is a great recipe for homemade curry powder from Spice it Up.
This dish is quite filling on its own since it contains meat, potatoes, and vegetables, but I like to add a little bread on the side. I love serving naan with this curried ground beef so I can scoop up some of the beef mixture with the piece of naan and get everything in one bite (just like those meat pies I used to eat, but open-faced!). You could also serve the curried beef over a bed of rice for a little extra inexpensive filler.
Yes! This mixture is so flexible. If you want to incorporate a few extra vegetables, consider adding a diced onion, sliced carrots, and maybe even broccoli. If you want to swap out the potatoes for a lower carb option, you can use small cauliflower florets.
Start by mincing four cloves of garlic and grating about 1 teaspoon fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to a skillet with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Sauté the garlic and ginger over medium heat for one to two minutes.
Next, add 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat for about one more minute to toast the spices.
Add one pound of ground beef to the skillet and continue sautéing until it is cooked through.
While the beef is browning, peel and cube one russet potato into ½-inch pieces. My potato was about ¾ lb. total, but it’s flexible so you can add a little more or less if you have it.
Once the beef is browned, add the cubed potato and one cup beef broth. Stir to combine.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the skillet simmer for about 10 minutes, with the lid in place, stirring occasionally. After ten minutes the potatoes should be nice and tender. Remove the lid and let it simmer a few more minutes, or until most of the broth is evaporated.
Add one cup of frozen peas to the skillet and stir to combine, then allow the peas to heat through.
Give the curried beef with peas and potatoes a taste and add salt to your liking (I added about ½ teaspoon).
Top with sliced green onions and enjoy!
The post Curried Ground Beef with Peas and Potatoes appeared first on Budget Bytes.
This Curry Chickpea Salad is a fast and easy no-cook lunch that’s perfect for summer. Light, fresh, filling, tangy, and flavorful!
The post Curry Chickpea Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Y’all know I love chickpeas. They’re easy to prepare, versatile, cheap, and full of fiber and other goodies! Chickpea salads have become one of my favorite easy preparations for chickpeas, especially now that it’s mid-summer and a million degrees out. Today I made a light and tangy Curry Chickpea Salad, that you can eat as a wrap, stuffed into a pita, or piled on top of a fresh green salad. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and makes a super tasty lunch!
There are so many different types of curry powder out there and they all have a unique flavor. I haven’t yet met a curry powder that I don’t like, so I can’t suggest one over another, but I’ve tried a few different brands such as Sharwoods, 365, Spice Islands, and Simply Organic. If you want to try making your own curry powder at home, here is a great recipe for curry powder from Hari Ghotra, along with a ton of great info about curry powder, its origins, and ways it can be used.
As I mentioned in the intro, there are a few different ways to eat this Curry Chickpea Salad. I stuffed it into a pita with some lettuce for the photos here, but I’ve also wrapped it up in a tortilla to make a wrap sandwich. You can also scoop it on top of a green salad, or smash up the chickpeas and dip into it with crackers or vegetables.
I didn’t smash the chickpeas this time, but I often do to create a different texture in the salad. It really just depends on what texture you prefer or how you plan to serve it.
Chickpea salads are fun because you can add all sorts of other ingredients to make it fancy, if you have them. I think a grated carrot or diced red bell pepper would add a nice texture and the sweetness would work well with the curry flavor. Finely diced celery would also add a nice crunch, as would some slivered almonds. A few raisins would add a fun pop of sweetness. And lastly, if you can’t do red onion, sliced green onion would be a nice mild option to use in their place.
Love chickpea salads? Try my Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad, Pesto Chickpea Salad, or Sriracha Chickpea Salad Wraps.
First, make the yogurt curry dressing. Stir together ⅓ cup plain yogurt, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1.5 tsp curry powder, and ⅛ tsp salt. You can use regular-style or Greek-style yogurt, keeping in mind that Greek yogurt will make a very thick dressing.
Rinse and drain one 15oz. can of chickpeas. Finely dice ¼ cup red onion and chop about ¼ cup cilantro. If you want the onions to have a softer flavor, you can slice them first and soak in cold water for about 5 minutes before finely chopping.
Pour the prepared dressing over the ingredients in the bowl.
Stir until everything is combined, give it a taste, and then adjust the salt or other ingredients to your liking. At this point, you can either leave the chickpeas whole or smash them up a bit. It’s up to you!
Today I left my chickpeas whole, but if I were going to serve them with crackers for scooping I’d probably mash them up a bit so the chickpeas don’t roll off the crackers. :) Enjoy your quick, cold, no-cook lunch!
The post Curry Chickpea Salad appeared first on Budget Bytes.
These curry roasted vegetable bowls are colorful, full of vibrant flavors, and the leftovers pack up well for your weekly meal prep!
The post Curry Roasted Vegetable Bowls appeared first on Budget Bytes.
My absolute favorite meal “formula” is roasted vegetables (with or without meat) over a bowl of grains, with a delicious drizzle of sauce. I come back to this type of meal over and over again because the formula is easy to prepare, meal preps well, and there are endless flavor possibilities. This week’s version was Curry Roasted Vegetable Bowls with a Lemon Tahini Dressing drizzle. It’s simple, colorful, flavorful, filling, and will leave you looking forward to the leftovers. :)
Since curry powder is responsible for all of the seasoning in the bowls, let’s take a minute to chat about it. If you’ve never had curry powder, it’s a warm blend of spices that are pre-ground and blended to mimic the fresh spices used in Indian cuisine. This blend usually includes cumin, turmeric, coriander, and other spices. Every curry powder blend is unique, so you may need to experiment with different brands or recipes to find one that suits your palate. If you’d like to try making your own curry powder, try this recipe for homemade curry powder from Spice it Upp.
I kept my curry roasted vegetable bowls simple because I like simplicity, but you can add more to make them a little more fancy, if you’d like. I think a light sprinkle of raisins would add an incredible pop of sweetness to contrast the savory curry powder and tahini dressing.
Slivered almonds would offer an amazing crunch to these bowls without competing with the already strong flavors.
If you want to add some meat, rotisserie chicken would be great, as would some Yogurt Marinated Chicken.
This recipe is super flexible. You can swap out the vegetables for anything you like. Try broccoli, sweet potatoes, asparagus, sweet bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, or whatever vegetable you like.
The same goes for the “bed” for these bowls. If you don’t like brown rice you can swap it out with white rice, couscous, quinoa, your favorite grain, or even salad greens.
Simple bowl meals like this hold up in the refrigerator for about four days, with the dressing kept on the side. Your mileage may vary depending on the freshness of your ingredients and the conditions within your fridge. I’ll link my favorite meal prep containers for meals like this in the recipe below.
Start the brown rice first, since it takes the longest to cook. Add 1 cup brown rice to a sauce pot with 2 cups water. Place a lid on top and turn the heat onto high. Bring the water up to a full boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the rice simmer for 45 minutes (no stirring). After 45 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest with the lid on for five more minutes.
While the rice is cooking, start on the roasted vegetables. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Chop one head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Peel and slice three carrots. Slice one red onion into ¼-inch wide slices. Place all of the vegetables onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp curry powder, and ½ tsp salt to the prepared vegetables. Toss the vegetables until they are evenly coated in oil and spices.
Transfer the prepared vegetables to the preheated 400ºF oven. Roast for 20 minutes then give them a good stir. Return the stirred vegetables to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
After roasting for 35 minutes total, add 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw). Toss them together with the roasted vegetables and return them to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
While the vegetables are in the oven, prepare the lemon tahini dressing. Combine ⅓ cup tahini, ⅓ cup water, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp cayenne, and ¼ tsp salt in a blender.
Blend the ingredients until smooth, then set the dressing aside.
Give the final roasted vegetables a taste and adjust the salt, if needed.
To build your curry roasted vegetable bowls, add about ¾ cup brown rice to each bowl or container then top with ¼ of the roasted vegetable mix. Drizzle with the lemon tahini dressing just before serving!
The post Curry Roasted Vegetable Bowls appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Cabbage may just be our favorite vegetable to roast because it gets crispy, caramelized, slightly sweet, and pairs well with just about any seasoning! Once roasted, it’s perfect for adding to bowls, salads, and soups, or just enjoying as a side.
It al…
Cabbage may just be our favorite vegetable to roast because it gets crispy, caramelized, slightly sweet, and pairs well with just about any seasoning! Once roasted, it’s perfect for adding to bowls, salads, and soups, or just enjoying as a side.
It also couldn’t be easier — just 3 ingredients, 1 pan, and 25 minutes required. Let us show you our tried-and-true method for perfect roasted cabbage every time!
Perfect Roasted Cabbage (Quick & Easy!) from Minimalist Baker →
Serve up these healthy Indian Butter Chickpeas for dinner tonight. This 30-minute dish is similar to a butter chicken, but without the chicken. Here is a vegetarian chickpea curry that pairs well with naan bread (to lather up all the sauce)!
Mushroom Curry is an incredible Indian curry made with mushrooms, onions, garlic, and warm spices. Serve this creamy and delicious vegan curry dish over a bed of rice. Grab a fork and dive in!
Pineapple Curry is a creamy and flavorful vegetarian curry that makes an incredible dinner paired with rice. This 25-minute curry is one of my favorite go-to curry recipes! Full of onions, garlic, pineapple, and a handful of warm spices, kids…
Learn our go-to technique for perfect roasted carrots that are tender with caramelized crispy edges (every time)! Just 1 pan and 4 ingredients required. Perfect for the holidays and beyond! Let us show you how it’s done!
The beauty of these carro…
Learn our go-to technique for perfect roasted carrots that are tender with caramelized crispy edges (every time)! Just 1 pan and 4 ingredients required. Perfect for the holidays and beyond! Let us show you how it’s done!
The beauty of these carrots is their versatility.
The basic recipe includes salt and pepper, which add plenty of flavor and go with just about anything. But they can also be seasoned depending on what else you’re making.
Perfect Roasted Carrots (Quick & Easy) from Minimalist Baker →
It’s that time of the year for winter squash (!!), one of our favorites being butternut.
In this step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to peel, cut, season, and roast butternut squash to perfection every time! It’s easier than you think. We also incl…
It’s that time of the year for winter squash (!!), one of our favorites being butternut.
In this step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to peel, cut, season, and roast butternut squash to perfection every time! It’s easier than you think. We also include notes for cooking with less oil, what seasonings complement the flavors best, and how to put it to use! Let us show you how it’s done.
How to Roast Butternut Squash
This 30-minute recipe starts with peeling and cubing the squash so that it cooks quickly and gives each bite a nice roast-y flavor!