I think it’s safe to say that every diet-friendly cookbook idea known to man has been written. Just looking at Amazon I saw “Thug Cookbook”, “The Disney Princess Cookbook”, “Giada’s Feel Good Food” and “Simply Skinny.” There are so many cookbooks out there claiming to have a variety of recipes that will make you feel your best and will be super easy to cook and cheap to buy. But in my humble opinion there are only two words you need to know to eat well, eat fast and eat cheap.
Mexican food.
I mean really. So many veggies. So many whole food options. So many spices. And they respect the power of guac and cheese, which I can always get on board with.
I plan on moving out of my parents’ house sometime in the next month (fingers crossed!) and I know between rent, the cost of living in downtown Chicago, and my admitted love of Trader Joe’s and fitness studios it’s going to be a tight squeeze on my wallet. And since I’ve never been a huge pasta person I need a cheap go-to option.
Mexican food can be the healthiest food or the most unhealthy choice. Why yes, I do love me some nachos and a margarita the size of a small child. But I also love burrito bowls, shrimp fajitas and would swim in a pool of black beans. All wonderfully healthy options. Not to mention that when I’m making Mexican food I’m almost always downing it in red pepper flakes, an addition that has been proven to shake up your metabolism. Which is a healthy living tip I’ve always taken extremely seriously because my metabolism might be kicking now but if my love of food doesn’t die down sometime in the next decade there might be troubled waters ahead.
So now that the move-out date is approaching, I’ve started my experiments. And since I’ve been in the midst of a desperate attempt to veggiefy my life, I threw the contents of my fridge into a cast iron skillet and hoped for the best. My prayers were answered and I was left with a kick ass fritatta.
South of the Border Frittata
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/2 block sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 bag store-bought spinach, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Cajun seasoning (or just paprika)
- Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
- Salt/pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat
- When oil is hot, add onion and pepper to the pan. Let cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and chopped spinach.
- Add spices and salt/pepper to taste (personal preference is key here!)
- Turn heat to low until the spinach wilts. Stir in salsa.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the ten eggs and almond milk. Salt and pepper.
- Turn heat back to medium and pour the egg mixture over the cooked veggies in the skillet.
- Stir constantly until the veggies are all evenly distributed and the egg begins to set. Add the cheddar cheese to the mix just before it hits the oven.
- Place skillet in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes (mine took 14 but ovens vary)
- Serve with salsa, black beans or avocado toast. Or all of it. No judgment.
Questions:
- What’s your favorite cultural food?
- If you had to pick one dish that is your go-to cheap, healthy and fast choice, what would it be?
i had a big lunch 
I”M SO EXCITED that you are going to be moving back!!! Don’t worry, I’m a cheap date, and I love all kinds of food. And lurve me some eggs.
I’m emailing you tonight about a date night (hint: it’s next Thursday night so I hope you can make it!) But otherwise we’ll finally get to be real life friends woooooo!
Scott loves frittatas- I will have to make this for him soon! And moving out can be scary and definitely expensive, but also very exciting!!!
He would love it! To “man it up” I’d add chorizo or some kind of chicken sausage and I bet it would be even more amazing!
Thug cookbook hahahh dying. Also–YAY for moving out. It’ll be a change for sure (and your wallet WILL hate you for a time), but I think it’ll be so much fun.
It’s totally worth it – even if my wallet suffers just a little 😉
I love me a good frittata! I had Mexican the other night and it’s so freaking good, I could eat it every day.
Same! I don’t think I’d ever get bored!
Frittatas are awesome – I have them all the time – love some broccoli in mine, nice and chunky!
Mexican food hasn’t really taken off in a big scale in the UK (even chipotle is only in London) but a New Mexican has just opened up in glasgow and is supposed to be really good! So we are heading there on Friday night for dinner! Hello margaritas! 🙂
Wooo can’t wait to see how it goes! Take pics! I’m interested to see the style of Mexican food there. I had it in Paris and it was definitely different. Great but you could see the difference!
I’m not super into Mexican food, but I love love love Mediterranean food, which also tends to be pretty healthy, as long as you make decent choices with it. Although I do also love me some pasta…
You should definitely share some of your favorite Mediterranean recipes. And by recipes I mean what you throw together after you’re done with your crazy schedule haha
Ahhh yeah! Sounds good! Would be great for a brunch w friends!!
It would be perfect! Is in inappropriate to then serve margaritas with brunch? lol
Mimosas are my go to…but yeah, ritas why not?
Awww yum! Will this burn if I leave it in the slow cooker on low overnight?
It’s actually cooked in a cast iron skillet, not the crockpot. So definitely don’t leave it in the oven all night! Haha
Congrats on making the move from your parents’ soon! I’m still getting there…ha. 😉 But hey, I’m just thankful they still allow me to live here while I continue to try to find a great career so I can FINALLY move out. Anyways, as for the frittata, you have now reminded me it’s about high time I make a good frittata because I haven’t in so long! I’d say my favorite go-to, easy and healthy meal is potato nachos. I think Slim Sanity has the recipe on her website. Basically it’s layered baked sweet potato slices (I prefer sweet potato to regular potato, but it’s your own choice) with nacho fixings on top and baked. Perfecto!
Ive hears of that healthy nacho alternative! I should really try it. I love sweet potatoes, loveeee nachos, so i bet id go gaga for those!
That is so exciting you are moving to the city! Trust me I know what you mean about budgeting. I have been good recently, ever since going back to school, eating in more often than going out. I don’t mind spending more on groceries if I know I am going to eat it all and not waste it. It is much better than paying $30 for an ok meal. I eat a lot of eggs for meals (poached) because it is cheap, fast, and can be incorporated into a lot of different meals.
But I LOVE MEXICAN!! This frittata looks delicious.
I think I really need to get better at eating at home more. Going out to dinner (and by dinner I mean lunch, happy hour, coffee, etc. haha) is one of my favorite things! But you’re right – it’d be better to spend my money on quality groceries and making good meals instead of spending $30 on an okay meal. Eggs are the BEST!
Making frittatas are so budget friendly. I also love Mexican. It can be an in expensive dinner and if you make the right choices, very healthy like you said. Cooking at home is always the cheaper and healthier way to go usually.
Cooking at home is a crazy money-saver. Gotta get that thru my brain and stop going out to eat at any opportunity!
I’m back!!!!!! A. I love Mexican food it is so cheap and that’s so true it can be so unhealthy or extremely healthy haha (go for the corn tortillas yummmm). B. frittatas are delicious I had some this morning and that recipe looks amazing!!
Woooooo i missed you here! If we ever have a girls brunch ill be bringing this, no worries 🙂
Note to self: Must add ‘Thug Cookbook’ to my Christmas list. Your blog is great. I tried to think of a more creative way to say that, but it is best stated simply: I like to read this. Good luck with your move! I’ve never been to Chicago but I lived in Manhattan, and I feel your pain when it comes to the expense of freedom! When I’m living on the cheap I often head in the direction of Mexican– good, cheap staples like rice and beans are so easily spruced up with fresh veggies, herbs an spices, and a squeeze of lime juice. Also: cheese dip. When I’m living on the cheap, I spend some time once a month or so on a few soups and other things I can make cheaply in large batches and save for later )since not only am I often forced to be frugal, but I am also often a touch lazy+hungry). -alex
Wow thanks for those kind words, Alex! I’m excited to check your blog out too 🙂 Soup or chili (anything in the crockpot, really) is another great healthy/cheap idea to make when I’m trying to be frugal – and it’ll be perfect now that the colder months are coming
I’m a Mexican food fan as well. I just made a big Mexican salad for dinner last night actually, and it had lots of black beans and avocado in it! Best of luck to you in moving out – very exciting!
Avocado is the cherry on top of the salad sundae (did that make sense? haha). It’s one of the most perfect foods, and a great addition to almost any meal. Love the creaminess it adds to salads!
This looks amazing! We’ve been eating lots of Mexican food this week. Tex Mex is my favorite. And if the question is queso? The answer in always yes 🙂
Hahaha queso is one of those words that literally (yes, literally) makes my ears perk up. and guac. God I just love it all
Looks way good! My hub has some type of magic where he can turn ANY left overs/veggies into an amazing meal. Looks like you can too!!
Haha well I think the reason I jumped on sharing this with you guys is that usually my fritattas fall flat in the flavor department – but this one was seriously out of this world good. So at least THIS experiment was a success! He sounds like the perfect hubby to have though haha what a skill!
OMG I want it. This is one of those times when I really wish my child would eat eggs. Nevermind. I’ll just eat the whole thing myself.
I hope that’s something she outgrows! Eggs are way too good to go a whole lifetime without eating. But truthfully even one frittata is only 10 eggs so I can easily finish it by myself in 3 days or so haha no help necessary
SHAWARMA = GO TO FAST & CHEAP FOOD I ADORE!!!!! If you have not tried it, DO IT – RIGHT NOW, I don’t care if you’re full from dinner or your after dinner snack! LOL!
No joke someone JUST told me about Shawarma yesterday! Must try asap!
YEA I DID! BAH HA HA HA HA AH!!!!!
Yay for moving out – so excited for you! I also LOVE frittatas!
theglowwithin.com
They’re ALMOST as decadent as quiche 😉 but just a little more realistic to make in a home kitchen
How exciting, moving out! Congrats 🙂 MEXICAN FOOD IS DELICIOUS, can’t argue with you there, BUT I am a plain jane and my go to healthy meal would probably be grilled chicken…with some greens and quinoa BUT quinoa ain’t cheap, SIGH I spend more money on food that I do clothes. priorities 😛
Hahaha I promise you you’re not the only one on this page who spends more money on food than clothes. If you feel good it doesn’t really matter what you’re wearing, right? 🙂
I love love love Mexican food! You are so right that it is so easy to make it healthy! I am a huge pasta person so I would definitely survive on that.
Pasta is delicious but a normal portion just doesnt fill me up! So then i end up overdoing it. Whoops