Eating healthy on a budget can sometimes seem like a oxymoron but it is very much possible with a little extra food work and research on your part as a consumer. While it is very convenient to go to one grocery store to get every ingredient on your list in most cases you will spend more than you need to. As a chef shopping and ordering produce, meats and even dry goods is a everyday event. Finding the best prices when you are buying hundreds of pounds of items is always a priority and that has always spilled over to my private life of shopping for home. Here are my top tips for getting the best value on healthy foods on a budget!

This recipe has been a canapé and appetizer I have been making since I was just 14 years old. My mentor Chef Scott Brandon taught me this recipe and it is always a giant hit! The bean spread can be put on crackers, endive leaves, crostini or any other crisp vehicle you choose. If you have some left over you can make some amazing ravioli or stuffed potsticker. The sky is the limit on this filling!

Dinner parties can be the most enjoyable experience or a stressful one all depending on how prepared you are. Being a chef for many years and hosting some of the biggest dinner parties you can imagine I have some tips that will help no matter if you are throwing a dinner party for a couple of friends or the whole neighborhood

A holiday tradition in my home growing up was making little danish stuffed doughnuts called Aeblekivers with my German grandmother. The smell of these yeast doughnuts are intoxicating and are so delicious warm out of the pan. Stuff with whatever jam or jelly you would like!

Everyone has had a Thanksgiving meal that didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Maybe you tried to defrost the turkey that morning? Or started the turkey too late and pulled it too early so it’s under cooked? The issue probably wasn’t that you don’t know how to cook it’s that you don’t know how to plan and manage your time! All great chefs rely on lists and timelines to execute large dinner parties and you should too.

This has always been one of my favorite vegan dishes to make for potlucks as it’s a great plant-based dish everyone will like. Being from Southern California ceviche is a dish that makes me think of sitting outside in the heat and enjoying a nice cooling dish. Hearts of palm is a very sustainable product and has a great salinity like fish. Enjoy this dish with crispy tortilla chips, sliced cucumber, sliced jicama, or just by itself! Feel free to add other veggies or spice up with your favorite hot sauce. This is a very versatile dish, and many items can be substituted.