Fine dining on a less-than-fine budget

Thursday, September 12, 2013 | Stamp in My Passport| |

Thursday, September 12, 2013

I need you to help me brainstorm. I'm working on a project with a friend for our college newspaper's website. Basically we are going to be the next Julia Child, Ina Garten and Pioneer Woman combined. Just you wait, Food Network.

So our idea is to recreate favorite restaurant dishes at home that are doable for a college student's budget and culinary skill level. The best part is we're also going to film videos tutorials to go along with the recipes, proving that anyone (and I mean anyone) can fix these meals.

I've realized that I spend most of my money going out to eat and at the end of the month I have little to show for it. So why not bring the restaurant to my dining room?

Here's where you come in. What recipes do you have/seen/want to try that are knock-offs or inspired by your favorite dining out establishments? Bonus points if your knock-offs also knock off some cals. See what I did there?

So far I've found: 
Pei Wei/ PF Changs - Lettuce wraps
Olive Garden - Chicken gnocchi soup + salad
Outback - Alice Springs Chicken
Disney - Pineapple whip
Starbucks - Frappucino 

Keep the ideas coming.

3 comments:

Charlotte said...

I've made pineapple fried rice at home and it tastes just as good as takeout (and hopefully a little healthier when I'm controlling how much soy/sodium goes into it)!

Megan said...

OMG pineapple whip yessssssss. I want to see that recipe on the blog!

Lix Hewett said...

I make my own iced caramel macchiato. And my tiramisu is partly inspired by No Reservations, the movie.