Lentil Love

If you've got carrots, celery and onions in your fridge, you're well on your way to making one of my latest culinary endeavors: lentils. Somewhere along the way, it seems lentils have gotten a bad rap. But trust me - if done the right way, they're downright delicious. Not to mention inexpensive, pretty healthy ( I think) and oddly, people seem to find it rather fancy. Sounds fit for a "Bon Vivant on a Budget" to me.

Here's a recipe for lentils with pork belly from my new Cooking Channel fave, Laura Calder. Watching her show "French Food at Home" makes me extremely happy and dream of spending my days in her pretty blue-tiled kitchen, making tarte tatin and coq au vin in a flowered dress. Doesn't she look happy?!

On Stock

What's setting your cooking apart from a restaurant's could be as simple as stock. Homemade stock, that is. And the best thing about it? You'll be saving money, as stock - I'm talking chicken in this case - requires just a few inexpensive ingredients and some you'd otherwise be throwing away.

I'd been shying away from making stock and storing bones from roasted chickens away in the freezer. But one lazy Sunday I decided to try my hand. And I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is and the results. It's simple: just roughly chop whatever root vegetables you have and drop them in a big pot with the chicken bones and some herbs. Season and cover with water. Let it bubble away for about three hours, strain, skim fat off the top and serve or store. That's it - really!

If you're an avid recipe follower, here's a good one for Jamie Oliver's chicken stock. Some other ideas: In addition to freezing chicken bones until you're ready to make stock, you can also freeze your stock in containers until ready to use. So next time your soup, risotto, braised meat or other dish calls for stock, I hope you'll drop the box and try making it yourself. Let me know how it works for you!

Homemade vs. Store Bought

If you're a fan of Food Network's Ina Garten ("Barefoot Contessa"), you've probably heard her talk about the importance of using "good" olive oil and cheese or how homemade stocks can lift a soup from good to amazing. But most of us don't live in a gorgeous home in The Hamptons with a big, blooming herb garden and a pink-loving male florist for a friend. So for those of us who enjoy eating well and cooking but have a limited budget, what's best: homemade or store bought?

It's a deceptively tough issue to address. If you're looking at it solely from a taste and quality perspective, it's simple - homemade trumps all. But what about cost? I've always thought that making staples from scratch was more cost effective than buying from the grocery store. But after tinkering a bit with an ice cream maker, I've found that's not always the case. With all the dairy and add-ins that go into homemade ice cream, it's often cheaper to purchase your favorite flavors.

As it turns out, I'm not the only one who has been ruminating on the subject (phew!). Check out this article from Slate by Jennifer Reese, in which she breaks down the cost of six different homemade recipes versus the generic, storebought equivalent. She considers factors like ingredient cost and energy use, but leaves out time because she takes it "as a given that everyone knows better than to quit their job—any job—to take up cracker-baking."

Reese's findings are pretty interesting. In a nutshell, she found that the answer depends on the item. Cost-wise, homemade yogurt won by $0.75 per quart, while homemade cream cheese was was about double the price of a generic brand.

Summer Salad

Leafy greens, move over. This colorful, crunchy-fresh salad could easily kick your butt.

I discovered Aida Mollencamp's corn, tomato and avocado salad while hurriedly scanning the Food Network site for a July Fourth side. I had initially told a friend that I would bring potato salad, but woke up the next morning resolving to concoct a classier, healthier dish.

And just like that, this beautiful, couldn't-be-fresher-salad was created. Well, there certainly was some prep involved, but it was as easy as it gets. With a little chopping and mixing, you'll have a salad fit for entertaining.

Here's why it's fit for a Bon Vivant on a Budget:

-It incorporates several fresh, healthy and varied ingredients (corn, avocado, tomato).

-The lime-cilantro vinaigrette is easy and affordable yet lends a sophisticated note to the mix.

-And best of all, it's littered with bites of fresh mozzarella -- enough said there.

Special thanks to my good friend and grandlittle sorority-sister Heather for helping me with this one. I hope this dish will help you as it did me whenever you're assigned salad duty for a pot luck. Your friends and your wallet will be equally impressed.

Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Adapted from Aida's Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad in Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 lime Salt and pepper

For the salad:
4 ears corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
1 carton grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
1 medium avocado, diced

Directions:

Whisk together chopped cilantro, olive oil and the zest and juice of the lime to make the vinaigrette dressing.

Prep the rest of the fresh ingredients and add to a large bowl. Pour on vinaigrette and toss to combine.

Let it sit at least 15 minutes to let the flavors seep in. Can be refrigerated up to four hours covered before serving.

Miami Spa Month

Speaking of deals, I have a great one for you. Miami Spa Month is back through July and the deals are more than enough to make a girly girl squeal.

Miami Spa Month is a month-long event put on by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor's Bureau that finagles a $99 special out of the best spas in Miami--including zen inducers at the Ritz Carlton, the Four Seasons and the Fontainebleau. Although the $99 price tag doesn't include tax or gratuity, it's still a darn good deal compared to how much these spas normally charge.

What's more, you can choose from a wide variety of treatments. Luxuries that caught my eye included the "Head in the Clouds" facial and scalp treatment at the Mondrian South Beach and the organic coconut-lemon exfoliation at the Mandarin. And at The Palms Spa on Collins Ave., you'll get an 80-minute spa manicure and pedicure with any spa-month treatment you choose. Talk about a sweet deal!

After greedily pouring over the offerings, I'm decided to opt for the 55-minute custom organic and one-hour integrative massage at Emena Spa in the Design District. And I did my research: those two treatments normally cost $95 each! And I'll be shelling out a less-likely-to-break-the-bank $99. Sign me up!

For all the Miami Spa Month offerings, check out the 30 participating spas page--even hot spots like the Delano and Canyon Ranch, Miami's self-proclaimed largest spa, are in.

Spring Green Risotto

Let's start off with a little myth dispelling: risotto is not hard to make. It's true that making a good risotto can be rather labor-intensive, but the deliciousness it yields is well worth all the stirring.

And it's budget-friendly too. I was inspired to make this dish after seeing the Barefoot Contessa rave about it on Food Network. A rice-based, vegetable-packed recipe like this Spring Green Risotto can easily stand-in for a full meal. And this recipe is so good, you can easily use it to entertain--no side dishes neccessary.

My taste-test panel consisted of my parents and my boyfriend, all of whom loved it. Mind you, the latter can be rather picky (as in no seeded vegetables, please). Although I worked up an unexpected sweat while I continuously stirred the risotto and added chicken broth, it was worth it. Plus, if you're like me, you'll find that a more involved recipe yields greater satisfaction. The risotto came out extra creamy (thanks to the ricotta) with a noticeable lemony taste. And don't forget the deliciously green asparagus and peas, which lent beautiful color to the dish. Topped with parmesan, it's a recipe that's going into my keeper file.

Spring Green Risotto

Adapted from Ina Garten's Spring Green Risotto

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped leeks (2 leeks)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 to 5 cups chicken stock
1 pound thin asparagus (look for it on sale or buy it frozen)
10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus some for garnish (optional)

Directions:

I've found it's always best to do your prep work first. We can leave that chopping while doing ten other things to Rachael Ray. Snap the dry ends of the asparagus and slice in to one to one-and-a-half-inch diagonals. That's it if you're using frozen asparagus. If not, blanch them for five minutes in salted boiling water, drain and cool in a bowl of ice water. Then all you have to do is chop the leeks and you're ready to cook.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for 5 to 7 minutes until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed.

Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and ricotta together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the ricotta mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

Make this and trust me, you won't regret it.

Don't Knock It Because It's Cheap

Budget has risen from four-letter word status to a revered goal. And as a member of the so-called over-indulged generation, I'm hear to embrace it.

From what I've gathered through talking to other recent college graduates, the most common thoughts on our futures involve question marks. Where will we be in ten years? How will I make a living? Essentially, what's next?

This uncertainly is even more obvious with the suffering economy, which is affecting everyone from your closest friend to a stranger in an elevator. But don't worry, I'm not here to focus on the negatives. I'm as sick as you of hearing "tough economic times" in every other sentence.

We (the young and the nearly broke) may not have the same job security that others in our place had just a few years ago. And we may be living on relatively meager means. Or we might simply have to forego a night out to save some money. But that doesn't mean that you have to live off of pizza and ramen noodles.

I believe that you can live a good life, regardless of what your budget may be. With a little planning, some experimentation and a good attitude, it's within reach to live the life of what will inevitably be the new bon vivant--someone who lives well--on less money. That is the challenge I plan to address in this blog. Although some of the tips I share may be exclusive to Miami, the city I currently call home, there will inevitably be many recipes, deals and all-around lifestyle tips that will be universally applicable. Whether it's cooking a gourmet meal on a budget or snagging discount tickets, I hope you will follow along as I share ways to live well for less.