pedestrienne

I really needed this cookbook when I was learning how to buy food and cook for myself in college. But it is still useful now. I made the Huevos Rancheros Bowls, Cheddar Beer Quick Bread, Cilantro-Lime dressing (it ruled), Cumin, Lime & Chickpea Salad, Calico Beans, Firecracker Cauliflower, Cumin-Lime Sweet Potato Sticks, and Turkey Florentine Meatballs. It may be obvious from this cross-section of recipes, the book has a lot of basic recipes with some americanized ethnic stuff thrown in, so, nothing that blew my mind, but a lot of stuff that reminded me of what I can offer myself to eat every week besides quesadillas.

Everything is flavorful and easy to make, and each recipe gives you a rating for how expensive it is and if you can freeze it. There are a good number of veggie options and a great focus on beans, rice and lentils, but there is a small meat section too. Ten years+ out from living on my own for the first time, I feel pretty confident about budgeting and cooking, so I did fiddle around with the recipes to make them either last longer, use more fresh ingredients, or just fit more to my taste, but I didn't do a lot, and I will definitely be making that dressing again.