Welcome to my Broke Betch Cooking series, which is exactly what it sounds like: cooking deliciousness on a budget! Living in NYC is expensive, as is ordering takeout for lunch and dinner every day. Other than Sushi Sundays, which is a long, beloved tradition for me, I try to cook most of my meals at home. Sometimes I’ll go to the grocery store with something specific in mind, but a lot of the time, I end up making something with whatever I can find in the fridge/pantry (I am the leftovers queen). I am a HUGE foodie, and strongly believe that a delicious meal is worth all the time and effort. I’m continuously surprised by how often people will reach out about the pictures of food that I post on Instagram (yes, I am that basic bitch), so I figured I would share my “recipes,” if you will, to spread the wealth! Enjoy!

Mediterranean / Pita Pockets

Many times when I’m at the grocery store, I’ll have a certain type of food in mind (Mediterranean, Mexican, Italian, etc.) while picking out items. You can make a variety of Mediterranean meals with some simple ingredients: pita pockets, salads, wraps, and more!

 Here’s my grocery list:

• Arugula
• Cherry tomatoes
• Falafel (look for Heavenly Yummies in the frozen section)
• Hummus
• Sour cream (if your Falafel is spicy)
• Avocado
• Pita (I sometimes use tortillas)
• Feta
• Red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

I love frozen falafel because it’s SO easy, cheap, lasts a long time, and is super filling so you don’t need a lot of it (I’ll usually only have 3-4 at a time). After crisping those up in the oven, I cut a pita in half (whole-grain pita is really good, and I’ve also been loving sweet onion pita lately) and throw it in the oven for 4-5 minutes to get warm and a tiny bit crispy (if it gets too crispy, it’ll crumble when you bite into it). I then toss my arugula with olive oil, salt/pepper, red pepper flakes, hummus, feta, cherry tomatoes (chopped in half), avocado, and sour cream if the falafel is super spicy. Chopping it up and tossing it in a separate bowl makes it easier to get into the pita and distributes everything nicely. 

That’s it! It’s so easy and takes little to no skill (perfect for an amateur like me). You can also make a wrap with the same ingredients in a tortilla, or a salad with no bread (the olive oil and hummus act as a dressing in this case). I love making these because I get a decent amount of veggies in and it’s sooo yummy!