This is one of my make up as I go along kind of dishes that usually winds up with me fretting over whether or not it will be any good. Sometimes these kinds of meals go very very wrong, more often I am left with a meal that is just “okay”, and every so often I come up with something I just know we’ll be eating over and over again.

This recipe falls into that last category. The meat is tender and succulent, the beans are so rich and flavorful, the sauce is simply so good I am beyond words to explain how very delicious it is. The meat is the most expensive part of this dish (it cost me about $9) but that can easily be trimmed a bit by cutting back (a bit) on the amount of meat in the dish, by waiting for a sale, or by playing around with different cut and types of meat as your budget allows.

It was enjoyed by all five of us and very filling.

12 servings

Ingredients:

1 40.5 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
5 cloves garlic, sliced lengthwise into 1/4′s
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt, divided

18 oz white button mushrooms, sliced very thin

1.5 lb sirloin strip steak, cut into thin strips

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth (fat free low sodium)

2 tsp cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme

Directions:

Take two half-size disposable aluminum pans* and line the bottom of each with half of the beans.

Saute onions and in oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute for another 5 minutes or so until garlic is beginning to soften.

Add half of the mushrooms, sprinkling with 1/8 tsp salt, and cook until reduced in volume by about a third.

Add remaining mushrooms, sprinkling with remaining salt, and cook until reduced in volume by a third.

Add meat, and all seasonings, and cook until meat is “seared” on outside, but not fully cooked through.

Remove meat mixture from pan (leaving juices behind) with a slotted spoon and divide between the two pans, spreading on top of the beans.

Add crushed tomatoes and broth to pan and heat through, stirring well to fully incorporate all of the pan juices.

Ladle over meat mixture, spreading to fully cover.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serving:

Meant to be served over our corn and pea studded garlic rice.

It would be equally delicious over plain rice, egg noodles, or even baked potatoes.

Accolan announced upon his first taste test that he would happily eat it just as it is with a bowl and spoon.  In this instance I bet a slice of whole wheat challah bread would be a wonderful accompaniment.

It would also be delicious I am sure with our cheesy corn pancakes, for those who calories are less of a concern.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 259.9
Total Fat 12.6 g
Saturated Fat 4.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.8 g
Cholesterol 38.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.4 g
Dietary Fiber 7.0 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Protein 17.6 g
_{estimate via Recipe calculator via Sparkpeople.com}

Yes yes I know the fat content in this dish is less than stellar, but the saturated fat content is low, it is high in protein and rich in fiber. Sometimes its okay to indulge.

Enjoy!

Jia

* I wash and reuse disposable pans a few times and then put them into the recycling bin. I use them because they are a great way for me to store food in the fridge easily that doesn’t always involve putting those meals into plastic storage containers.

This came about as a variation of a chickpea salad we fell in love with last summer.  I wanted something that didn’t have the fresh ingredients so that it would keep a little longer in the ‘fridge and handle sitting in my lunch-bag a little better.  I also wanted something that was really high in protein so I would be satisfied with less, and not risk a blood sugar dip after eating it.  I think we have a winner.

10 large servings

Ingredients:

1 31 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 11 oz can corn, drained

6 oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into ribbons

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp granulated garlic
1 Tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1.4 tsp mustard powder

Directions:

Place beans and born in a large bowl.

Using a balloon whisk, in a second bowl mix oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Blend well, until fully emulsified.

Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir well to combine.

Add sun dried tomatoes, and mix well to incorporate.

Serving:

This is best made at least several hours, if not the day before you plan to serve it.

It is a wonderful side dish for traditional grilled fare (hamburgers, hot dogs, etc) or with empanadas. But, it works equally well as a light nosh!

Nutritional Information:

Calories 228.9
Total Fat 6.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.3 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 35.6 g
Dietary Fiber 7.9 g
Sugars 2.1 g
Protein 8.6 g

_{estimate via Recipe calculator via Sparkpeople.com}

_{bear in mind that unless you are sopping up every last drop of dressing much of the fat is left behind in your bowl}

If you stock up on your canned goods during sales (especially loss leader type) and at wholesale stores like Sam’s Club this is a really cheap dish to make.  Not only is it great to have on hand for your own family, but it is so pretty that it makes a lovely dish to bring to a picnic, party, or potluck.

Enjoy!

Jia

This recipe was shared at Monday Mania at Healthy Home Economist, Mouthwatering Monday at A Southern Fairytale, Homemaker Monday over at Homemaking Haven, Made by You Monday over at Skip to my Lou, Motivate Me Monday over at Keeping it Simple, This Weeks Cravings at Mom’s Crazy Cooking, Hearth And Soul Hop at A Moderate Life, Tuesdays At The Table at All Of The Small Stuff, Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades Of Green, Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple, Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty And Bedlam

Update 3/29: Sephoni ate a bowl of this for dinner tonight.  To make a little more of a complete meal for her I added some diced cheddar cheese and a whole tomato to her bowl.  Mixed it up into the bean salad and she ate it up happily.  As tonight was a Taekwondo night I was thrilled to give her something fast and healthy to eat.

This is a semi-homemade dish which is inspired by the casseroles my mom made when I was growing up. This recipe starts with a few boxes of pre-fab Mac-n-Cheese (which I buy very infrequently), to which I add more pasta, real cheese, and “mix ins” (which vary based on what I have on hand).

It fits in to our frugal lifestyle because:

• it avoids canned condensed soup and uses a mushroom milk mixture made from scratch
• it uses staples that are easily bought on sale (dried pasta and pre-fab Mac-N-Cheese)
• it makes use of leftovers

Ingredients:

12 oz mushrooms, diced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp oil
2 cups skim milk
1 Tbsp butter, unsalted

3 7.25 oz boxes of macaroni and cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni
2 cups skim milk
8 Tbsp butter, unsalted
16 oz shredded cheddar
16 oz bag frozen peas
6 cups diced cooked ham

1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Saute mushrooms in oil, with salt and thyme until reduced and allow most of exuded water to cook off. Add butter and flour and whisk to blend and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add milk and cook until starting to thicken, set aside.

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and pour into a large mixing bowl with butter. Mix well to coat and to allow butter to melt.

Add cheese powder inserts from prefab macaroni and cheese and mix well to incorporate. Add peas, ham, and mushroom mixture. Mix well.

Add milk as needed to allow mixture to still be stir-able. Add shredded cheddar and seasonings. Stir.

Spoon mixture into aluminum pans and cover with tin foil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about an hour.

Serving:

It makes enough to fill 2 half-tray sized aluminum pans that I buy at my local Sam’s Club. It’s a nice dish for a family dinner or even to bring to a potluck.

Generally we eat this “as is”, but you can stretch it a little further by serving an additional vegetable on the side – a tossed salad, carrots, cauliflower.

It can also be eaten as a side dish with anything from baked chicken to hot dogs.

Variations:

The ham can be replaced with other leftover meat you have on hand – roast beef, chicken, turkey, etc.

You can substitute drained canned tuna.

You can even brown a pound or two of ground beef, drain off the excess grease, and add it to the mix.

Comments:

This isn’t the healthiest meal in my repertoire. But it is a great comfort food, is relatively cheap to prepare (assuming the ingredients are purchased on sale), and a great way to use up leftover Ham after serving it for a holiday dinner.

This is not an ooey gooey macaroni and cheese dish. It has a lighter cheese taste and is creamier than you might expect.

Enjoy!

Jia



image thanks to honeybelle3

This week I defrosted some white bean roasted garlic soup and made batches of vegetarian taco filling, pea and corn studded jasmine rice*, an as yet unnamed mix of beef and beans and mushrooms*, chickpea & black bean salad, and a huge batch of Zuppa de Pesce (which fed us twice)**.

This last dish was not exactly frugal in the strictest sense.  The raw ingredients cost me roughly $25.  The time?  Let’s not think too much about that.

• 3 pounds of littleneck clams – $10
• 2 pounds of cleaned mussels – $6
• 2 lbs pasta – $0.90
• homemade sauce – $7
• homemade breadsticks – $1

But, we were able to eat our fill for dinner not once but, twice.  And, there are enough leftovers for probably both girls to have it again for lunch tomorrow.  Considering 2 pizzas costs about $30 with tax and delivery I call it a bargain.

Last week’s forays into empanadas and muffins were enjoyed, but not repeated.  Why?

The empanadas are very time consuming and I don’t see myself making them in bulk again until I have a chest freezer.

The muffins I enjoyed but I need to find a way to increase their protein content without adversely affecting their fat content while at the same time lowering their sugar content without resorting to artificial sweeteners.

And finally, the scale has not budged.  So, this week will find me going in another direction insofar as what I eat during the day at work.

I really need to stop cooking.  Or, more accurately, I need to figure out an easier way to feed this family of mine than spending the bulk of my weekend (every blessed weekend) tied to the kitchen. I’d like to have a weekend to spend to catch up on all the de-cluttering and other household tasks (like the bloody taxes) that need doing. I’d like to have a weekend that includes family outings.  I’d like to be able to spend a day curled up with a good book.

Not only do I lack the time and energy to cook all this food, but we really don’t sit down as a family more than 2 or 3 nights a week.  Tae Kwon Do nights are grab-and-go nights as the girls need to eat early so they don’t work out on a full stomach.  And as of 2 weeks ago we’ve joined the YMCA.  While, we are not quite up to the 3 times a week we really need to be doing to see any significant results (back pain, arthritis, and migraines can derail even the best laid plans) we have managed to get there a total of 5 times since joining.   A great step forward on our journey toward regaining our health but, another reason why more of our meals are going to need to be of the grab and go variety.

What are your family’s favorite fast, frugal, and healthy meals?

Blessings

Jia

* recipes coming over the course of the upcoming week

** no recipe yet, will transcribe the next time we eat it

image thanks to tyt112

As part of our attempt to lose weight, I decided to make muffins as a grab-and-go breakfast that I can take with me to work.  I made the first batch last weekend, and they were tasty, but I knew that they could be even better.  This time around I increased the amount of banana, and used only egg whites and came up with a great recipe that came together for very little out of pocket that manages to satisfy my dietary needs and my sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
5 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 large ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed to a pulp
4 egg whites, beaten until frothy
1 cup skim milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 cups shredded raw carrot (about 1 pound, peeled)
2 cups, diced apple (3 small apples, peeled & cored)
1 cup raisins

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. I find that mixing with clean dry hands works wonderfully, allowing me to break up all the clumps of brown sugar and get everything mixed up well.

In a second bowl combine banana, milk, egg and vanilla.

Add fruit & vegetables, along with wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Keep stirring until all the flour is incorporated. It will seem like you have too much flour, but trust me and keep mixing, it will all pull together. You may have to put some oomph into it though.

Line muffin pans with paper liners and fill almost to the top.

Baking

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. For my oven, that meant 22 minutes.

Serving:

We eat these “as is.” Two of them take the place of breakfast for me. Of course you can smear them with butter or cream cheese (or even top them with cream cheese frosting) for an extra special treat.

Variations:

This is an adaptation of a recipe found here. My main tweaks were to substitute mashed banana for the oil, egg whites for the whole egg, and chopped apple for the pineapple.

You can easily make other changes:

• replace some or all of the raisins with nuts
• replace half or all of the carrots with shredded zucchini
• replace some or all of the raisins with chocolate chips
• replace the apples with drained and diced canned fruit
• replace the raisins with other dried fruit (diced dried apricots would be lovely)
• replace the milk with non-dairy milk (almond, soy, coconut)
• you can replace the sugar with Splenda if you cannot tolerate sugar

Nutritional Information:
Calories 133.8
Total Fat 0.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 32.7 g
Dietary Fiber 2.6 g
Sugars 17.8 g
Protein 3.5 g
_{estimate via Recipe calculator via Sparkpeople.com}

These are moist and rich tasting (despite being virtually fat free) and a wonderful way to sneak fruits and vegetables into the diet of a picky child or adult. And while they do cost a bit more than picking up a boxed cake mix on sale, they are so much better for you.

Enjoy!

Jia

This post was shared at Hearth & Soul with A Moderate Life, Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff, Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades of Green, Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple, Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, Slightly Indulgant Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free, Works For me Wednesday at We Are That Family, Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Full Plate Thursdays at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Frugal Food Thursday at Frugal Follies, Simple Lives Thursday at A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa