Belgian Waffle Makers For Sale

These budget friendly meals are filled with great taste and nutrition. Using just a few ingredients from any supermarket, these simple meals are quick, delicious, and easy on the budget. Dress them up with simple side dishes to make meals in minutes.

Each recipe makes 2 to 3 servings

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- Simple Pasta Toss: Combine a couple of cups of cooked pasta (rotini, farfalle, elbow) with a bag of your favorite frozen vegetable combination (cooked according to package directions). Add a couple of flavor boosters like cubes of cheese, chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts), sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, drained and roughly chopped), lemon or lime zest, cooked beans, or fresh chopped herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, or thyme. Add a dressing like olive oil and vinegar, plain yogurt (alone or mixed with mustard, horseradish, crumbled cooked bacon (regular or vegetarian style), or tamari soy sauce), salsa, oyster sauce, peanut sauce, or your favorite bottled dressing. Mix well and serve this pasta meal with a small tossed salad and warm garlic bread.

- Chicken Salad with Apples and Ginger: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss well to combine: 2 cups cooked chicken (cubed), 1 apple (cored and diced), 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1 tsp grated ginger, and 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream. Serve salad on a bed of baby spinach leaves drizzled with a little low-sodium soy sauce. For a simple side dish, serve warm breadsticks with your favorite spread. Vegetarian Option: Use 1 1/2 cups of store bought baked tofu cut into cubes instead of the chicken.

- Roasted Pepper and Rice Soup: In a soup pot, saute 1 cup of chopped onion in a little olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broccoli (chopped), 1/2 cup carrots (diced), 1/2 cup green beans (cut into 1" lengths), and 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth to the soup pot and heat on medium-high until soup comes just to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender (approximately 10 to 20 minutes). During the last ten minutes of cooking add 1 cup of roasted red peppers (roughly chopped), 3/4 cup of cooked beans (like kidney, garbanzo, cannellini, or pinto beans) and 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice. Just before serving, drizzle in some balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper to taste. Serve this quick soup with crusty bread and your favorite spread. Ingredient Exchange: Use 3/4 cup of cooked and cubed chicken instead of the beans.

- Quick and Cheesy Wraps: Using two to three (8 to 10 inch) soft tortilla shells, place a layer of refried beans on one-half of each tortilla. Top with thin slices of avocado, sliced radishes, diced green bell pepper, salsa, and shredded cheddar cheese. Heat each tortilla in the microwave until the cheese melts. Remove tortilla from oven and top with salad greens, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, and chopped pitted black or green olives and fold the wrap closed. Serve each wrap with a bowl of warm tomato soup topped with chopped fresh cilantro and thin slices of radish.

For more quick meal ideas, like these budget meals, visit Quick Salad Recipes.com for a wide variety of fast recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert. Laura Cokherell, shares simple recipes and menu planners filled with natural foods, using short ingredient lists and simple preparation for busy people everywhere.