Well, that was quick! I feel like I say this every other month, but January really did fly. Anyway, my boyfriend, Nathan, and I have specific financial goals this year, so we started using Mint to help us budget and better track expenses and savings.

One of the goals — more like a challenge, really — for this month was to reduce the amount of money we spend on food, which includes ordering take-out just once. This isn’t that hard when you love to cook as much as I do; however, I did give in by trying Chipotle’s new cauliflower rice (it wasn’t really worth it).

After enjoying our one take-out meal from Yardley’s Indian Garden, I began to add cooking lunch and dinner into my new routine. So depending on my work schedule, some weeks I’ve meal prepped some proteins and carbs, and others have been a cooking-every-day kind of week.

Some of the meals we’ve indulged in include air-fried potato wedges, sautéed veggies and fried eggs; healthier and lighter turkey bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches; sticky sesame chicken and veggies with garlic-ginger rice; my eternal favorite empanadas; and more. I have to admit I’ve been on a make-it-look-like-take-out kick — ha!

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Further, I’ve recently obsessed over everything Half Baked Harvest-related, so for dinner we tried a couple of those recipes and … well, we’re glad we did. The biggest hits have been the easy 25-Minute Kung Pao Chicken (this recipe taught me how to make my own hoisin sauce), and the Indian Coconut Butter Cauliflower — I had some leftovers over quinoa and sautéed portobello mushrooms this week, and it’s just as good, if not better, two days after. It was creamy, light and packed with flavor and heat.

Instagram @yasserscorner

Instagram @yasserscorner

This week, I meal prepped some ground turkey, shredded chicken, quinoa and roasted veggies so we have different options for quick and seamless meals. Last night, I made some spicy chicken lettuce wraps with cucumber wedges that were — in Gen Z lingo — fire and am planning on using the turkey and quinoa to stuff some bell peppers.

I’m proud of us for having been smart about impulse food shopping this month; we’ve been able to enjoy these meals while adhering to our budget. So committed in fact, I managed to have both my mom and my aunt cook me some of my favorite childhood dishes during my latest visit to the city (all in the name of staying on budget, I swear!). It was glorious!

— Yasser Ogando, production & advertising coordinator

Instagram @yasserscorner

Instagram @yasserscorner

Instagram @yasserscorner

Instagram @yasserscorner

Instagram @yasserscorner

Instagram @yasserscorner