Name Your Dish

What is your favorite, must-have-at-Thanksgiving dinner dish?



At the Meadows Thanksgiving event, the most asked for side to Dirk's famous smoked turkey, is loaded mashed potatoes, followed by Erin's to-die-for stuffing, and Katie's new asked-for-often recipe, cheesecake squares (minus the nuts).     This year we get to sample Abbi's grandmother's corn casserole.   Can't wait!

So?  Tell us.  What is your favorite Thanksgiving food or side-dish?

Beans, Glorious Beans!

White Bean Hummus



1 pkg cooked  (or can) white beans

2 cloves garlic

one sprig fresh rosemary (about 1 T.)

2 t. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

a few shakes hot sauce



Place all ingredients into food processor and whirl until smooth. Add a couple teaspoons water, if necessary, to make smooth.



Serve with vegetable stick or pita chips (pita bread quartered and baked in oven until crisp)



Mexican Black Bean Dip



1 pkg cooked and thawed (or 1 can) black beans, rinsed
1/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup cilantro leaves ( or more, I love cilantro)
1 Tbs. lime juice
l clove garlic

Drain and rinse the black beans. Combine the black beans, salsa, cilantro leaves, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Blend until smooth.



Serve with tortilla chips or vegetable sticks.



Bean Flautas (1 pkg beans makes about 5-6 flautas)



1-2 pkgs cooked and thawed (or 1-2 cans) pinto beans

2 t. chili powder (or to taste)

1 t. cumin (or to taste)

salt, hot sauce to taste

tortillas

non-stick spray



Place beans in skillet and mash with potato masher until mostly blended.  Heat through.



Place 2-3 Tbs. beans on softened corn or flour tortillas.  Roll tortilla.  Place on baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Spray flauta with non-stick spray.



Bake at 350 degrees until flautas are lightly browned and crisp



Serve with salsa (or salsa mixed with Ranch dressing, as my boys do).  This is one of my teen sons' favorite lunches.



Find a few other favorite beans recipes here.



Hope you enjoy trying these good-for-you, low-fat, high fiber recipes.





Robin

If You Don't Know Beans About Beans

Beans get a bad rap.  But did you know they are a great source of protein, are high in fiber, and low in calories. 



If you cook your own from dried, they will cost you about ½ as much as the canned varieties!  (and have you ever checked out the sodium content in those cans??!! Whew!)



It's easy to do.



Purchase a pound package of dried beans (on the same aisle as the rice and pasta in most grocery stores).  Choose from white, red, pinto, black and many other varieties.



Rinse in a colander and place in a large pot.  Completely cover with water.  Leave over night to soak.  The next morning, bring the temperature of the water to almost boiling, and turn down to a low simmer.  Now, cook for 4-6 hours, or until soft.  (1 lb. dried = approx. 10 cups cooked.)



That's it!



You can even soak them overnight in the crockpot and cook all the next day. Season them now, or later.





At this point they are ready to be used in recipes or stored in the freezer.





I usually place 2 cups in a zip-lock freezer bag, seal, and lay flat in the freezer.



Currently, my freezer has red beans, white beans, black beans and a new supply of pintos.  To use them, I lay the frozen bag into the microwave and heat until thawed. Then, use as you would for canned beans.



Tomorrow, I'll share a few recipes:



White Bean Hummus

Mexican Black Bean Dip

Bean Flautas



C'mon...use your bean and start eating more beans!



 

Do you like beans?  Do you use them in any recipes?  Do share!





Robin

Double-Dog Dare: 30 Meals in 30 Days

Last year I had a free subscription to Cookie magazine. It's technically for parents, but the articles are really cool and artsy, so I read it. One story in particular spoke to me, especially since Andrew's daughters have become increasingly interested in cooking and "weird" foods. The article opens like this:

"I started making a list on the train home from work one night last fall. I was sitting there, racking my brain, in a mild panic, trying to decide what to cook for dinner that night. Here's what came to mind: nothing.

So I pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down all the meals I could make for my husband and two kids that didn't involve the toaster oven, or customizing plate after plate, or Gitmo-style negotiations before every microscopic bite ("If you don't try that pork/pea/basmati grain, no dessert! Okay. I'm counting to three...!"). The exercise didn't take very long. I stared in disbelief at the sad, sorry lot that was my culinary repertoire:

The sad, sorry lot:
Breaded chicken cutlets
Hamburgers
Pizza
Sautéed shrimp

Four meals. How was this possible? How had my mammoth archive of prekid dinners devolved into this grim little lineup?"

After making her list, the author made a pact with herself to get more creative in the kitchen and expose her kids to new things. I know this is an issue many parents can relate to. It seems that so many of us (especially us self-proclaimed BUSY folks) struggle to break out of culinary ruts sometimes...or we don't know how our families will respond if we attempt to do so.

For those of you with picky eaters in your house (whether it's your kids or your spouse!), I encourage you...no, I DARE YOU, to do a similar experiment in your household, maybe even making it a game if you must.

Read the full article here (make sure you see all of it...it's a few pages, including tips and suggested menus) and get 30-days' worth of recipes here.

Bon Appétit!

Are there picky eaters in your household? What's your favorite "weird" food? Are you going to accept my dare? :)

ABBI

Biggest Loser Cookbook

I don't know about you guys but I love watching The Biggest Loser. When I saw they came out with a new cookbook that was all about being budget friendly, I couldn't wait to get it from the library. It shows us how we CAN stop using the excuse that it costs too much to eat healthy. Here is a sneak peek at one of the recipes I tried this week.  It's really good...like Potatoes O'Brien.

Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

1 lb. Sweet Potatoes, cubed
1/2 c. Green pepper, chopped
3/4 c. Onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Garlic
1 1/2 tsp. Olive oil
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Mix ingredients and arrange in single layer on pan. Bake 20 min, turn and bake 20-25 more min.

Makes 4 Servings

Calories 125
Fat 2g
Fiber 4g

2 points per serving







Ali

Tweaking Tricks for Baking

Use these tweaking tricks to help you squeeze out the fat and calories in your baking and in turn help you squeeze into your cute jeans.  ;-)



Most basic baking recipes call for dry ingredients, wet ingredients, fat ingredients, and sweet ingredients.



For dry ingredients such as flour you can pretty much substitute any whole grain type flour and/or whole grain cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat) or mix and match.  I use a scant less than it calls for when baking with whole grains to keep my baked goods moist.



For the wet ingredients you can make any substitute of skim, lowfat, reduced fat, etc. in place of whole fats.  (in place of whole milk, sour cream, yogurt, etc.)



For fat ingredients you can substitute no-sugar added applesauce cup for cup with little or no change in taste for any oil, margarine or butter that the recipe calls for.  I use a bit more applesauce to oil to help with the moistness.  For things where the flavor would be appropriate bananas, pumpkin, and plain non-fat yogurt can be substituted for the fat.



To tweak the sweet ingredients choose from these lower calorie and/or healthy substitutes :

Splenda

Molasses

Honey

Sunette

Sugar-free maple syrup

Go here for specific details on using these substitutes in your baking.



So to take this recipe I just randomly looked up, check out how I would tweak it in the parenthesis that follow each ingredient:



To Die For Blueberry Muffins





1 -1/2 c. all-purpose flour (slightly less of a mixture of whole wheat flour, little wheat germ, little oat bran)

3/4 c. white sugar (splenda, or other tweaks from above)

1/2 t. salt

 2 t. baking powder

 1/3 c. vegetable oil (applesauce or banana - or a little of both)

 1 egg

1/3 c. milk (skim)

1 c. fresh blueberries



I'm going to bake these at 375 (25 degrees less than it calls for) and check them way earlier than the original baking time (about 12 minutes) all to keep moist.  Using high fiber and sugar substitutes makes things drier and causes things to cook faster so I work real hard to keep my baked goods moist.



So, find a recipe or use one of those favorites you've had to put away because it is too fattening and get to experimenting.  Now you can enjoy those baked goods a little more often since you have some new baking tricks up your sleeve.

 



Erin

Cake for Dinner!

Oh yes, we have cake for dinner at least twice a month.  What, you say?  Has Erin finally fallen off the wagon of healthy eating?  No worries!  These cakes are loaded with fiber, vegetables and are  well-rounded in nutrition to allow you the pleasure of cake for dinner.



For meat based cakes I use about 1 lb. of raw meat with some shredded or chopped veggies (done in the food processor).  For veggie based,  about 3 - 4 cups veggies.

           

You use two add-ins:

 1.  Dump in a handful of oatmeal or a slice or two of double-the-fiber bread in the food processor along with the veggies and/or meat.  Or add whole grain flour to the mix until you reach desired consistency.



2.  Mix with a couple of eggs

You want to scoop out a large dollop on griddle or skillet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Flatten to about a ½" and lightly fry on each side.  (About 3 min. each side - or 'til cooked through, as in the case of meat).

Cheese is an optional add-in and can even be added on top after flipping (this is what we do here on part of the batch of cakes since cheese is usually not an indulgence I allow myself, but all my guys love.)



Our favorite cakes are zucchini (just shredded zucchini w/ a little onion mixed with the egg and flour), confetti veggie cakes (pictured) (shredded potato, carrots, squash, onion, peppers - whatever else I have on hand! with egg and flour), tuna cakes (canned, drained tuna with various veggies, bread crumbs and eggs), and turkey cakes (ground turkey, various veggies, bread crumbs and eggs).  (The turkey ones are great on the grill as well! - Form into patties as you would a hamburger).

Have you ever made cakes for dinner?  I think your kids would like the sound of it at least!  They may even ask for syrup on them like our little Will!  ;-)







Erin

Sow Your Oats

Do you eat breakfast?  Shame on you if you don’t!  Don’t get me started on the benefits of starting your day off right!  If there were a pill that was super cheap, fought cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and cholesterol you’d probably jump right on it right?  Well, you don’t have to take a pill, you just have to eat oatmeal - and you could do this everyday for months and not even have to eat the same flavor!

Dad and Mom Meadows eat oatmeal E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y!  I love to give them a hard time about it (especially because they only eat it two different ways) but I’ve seen the benefits in their health when they started this daily regime.  Plus, I can’t say anything because I eat oatmeal for breakfast at least half the time.  Oatmeal can be pretty bland though and I get really bored if I don’t mix up the flavors.  Well, over the years I have tried many different ways to make this yummy-health-in-a-bowl and I thought I would share some of the ideas.

For your base, mix:

 ½ cup dried old-fashioned oats (not instant - not as healthy!  And no packaged pre-mixed oatmeal!)

1-cup milk (variations: soy milk, chocolate soy milk, water + 1/3 c. dry milk)

Flavor Variations:

Fruit

mix ½ cup fruit of choice (frozen or fresh chopped apples, peaches, pears, bananas, pineapple, mango, applesauce, berries, canned pumpkin, whatever sounds good!)

Spices

1 t. appropriate spice (cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, ginger, all spice, almond or vanilla extract)

Sweetener

1 teaspoon,  more or less of Splenda or favorite sweetener (sometimes the fruit is sweet enough!)

Other Variations:

Add 1 T. peanut butter, small handful of favorite nuts; use sugar-free maple syrup or sugar-free coffee syrup in place of both seasoning and sweetener (the variations here are countless!)  For super healthy additions add 1 T. ground flax seed (like Dad and Mom) or 2 T. wheat germ.

Microwave for 5 minutes on half power (stirring once or twice to keep from spilling over).

You can even make baked oatmeal

Try any type of fruit in place of the pineapple

And if you love those easy packets (that are filled with tons of chemicals) you can make your own here

So make sure and get you some power food and start your day off right!

Do you eat breakfast?   What do you have?

Erin

Chocolate and Chicken....Yum!

As promised, two recipes from the Hungry Girl Cookbook.

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes



2 cups moist-style chocolate cake mix (half of an 18.25-oz. box)

Two 25-calorie packets diet hot cocoa mix

1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

2 tbsp. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1/8 tsp. salt



Place chocolate chips and the contents of both cocoa packets in a tall glass. Add 12 ounces of boiling water, and stir until chips and cocoa mix have dissolved. Place glass in the freezer to chill for 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once cocoa has chilled, give it a stir, and mix with all other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whip batter with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray, or line it with baking cups. Evenly spoon batter (which will be thin, but don't worry, your cupcakes will puff up!) into the pan. Place pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Cupcakes will look shiny when done. MAKES 12 SERVINGS 

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

Calories: 108

Fat: 2.5g

Carbs: 19g

Fiber: 1g

POINTS® value 2*

 

Kickin' Chicken Pot Pie 

8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into bite-sized pieces



3 cups  Mixed Vegetables



1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Soup, 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery



3 servings Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls (unprepared)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute chicken pieces for several minutes in a pan spritzed with nonstick cooking spray, until chicken is light brown/cooked but still tender; set aside. Heat frozen veggies in microwave according to package. Mix chicken, vegetables and soup together and put in a 9" round baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place dish in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly (stir about halfway through). While dish is cooking, unroll 3 crescent rolls. Combine pieces together with hands to make one large ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out into a circle to cover top of dish. Add dough to the top of the dish and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 4.



Serving Size: 1/4th pie (approx. 7 oz.)



Calories: 210



Fat: 6g 

Carbs: 24g



Fiber: 2.5g



 *4 Points





Ali

Spiced Wine and Europe!

Hot Spiced Wine Recipe

Okay, so I don't really have a "recipe" for this drink but here is what I am using

Apple cider
Red wine
Cloves
Cinnamon sticks
Apples (granny smith)
Sugar

I've looked up a few recipes to see what proportions to use but I don't
like measuring things so by eye I will add half to two thirds cider and
half to one third red wine to a crockpot, I will probably heat about
two cups of the cider on the stove to dissolve the sugar in before
adding it to the mix, about 1 1/2 cups of sugar. One or two sliced apples in
the crockpot add a nice flavor and are tasty to chew on when it soaks up
all the juice! Cinnamon sticks and cloves to taste. I have seen some
recipes use brandy in it as well, so we will see what we have around
when I am making it.  :)

Can't wait!





Katie

Alexander and Katie's Christmas Trip Itinerary:

December 25:  Fly out of Will Rogers Airport in OKC late afternoon.

December 26:  Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany in the evening.  Take the train from the Frankfurt Airport to Zurich. Meet up with a friend in Zurich.  My (Alexander) cousin and her family live in Winkel, which is a suburb of Zurich.  We will be taking advantage of their hospitality during our stay in Switzerland.

December 27 - January 3: Hang out with family and explore Switzerland.  Possibly catch a train to Paris for the New Year's Eve/New Year's celebration.

January 3:  Take the train or bus to Austria.

January 4:  Take in an early morning mass in the Hapsburg Palace with the Vienna Boys Choir and then meet up with more friends in the afternoon.

January 4-7:  Explore Austria.

January 7:  Leave for Bratislava, Slovakia.  Spend the day exploring Bratislava.

January 8:  Travel to Prague, in the Czech Republic.  

January 8-10: Explore Prague.

January 10-11:  Travel back to Frankfurt and fly home from the Frankfurt airport.

January 11: Arrive back in OKC late in the evening.

Some of this is tentative.  Most of our plans for time spent exploring is pretty open ended. :)

Alexander

Fun Cooking with Kids

One thing we like to include in our activity time is cooking.  My kitchen is a place I spend a lot of my time so I enjoy including my kids in the process.  It’s been real fun finding food things they can make that go along with what we are learning in their schooling.  We have some all time favorites that I wanted to share.

Who didn’t love “ants on a log” growing up (or was that just a homeschool thing)?  We like extra long “logs” with lots of “ants”.

Pretzels and mini marshmallows make great math manipulatives for counting, addition, subtraction, etc.  or for forming shapes and objects.  Cheerios, raisins, and M & M’s work good for some of this too.

Make-your-own pizzas provide lots of creating fun!  After decorating we top with cheese.  When it melts you can still see the cute faces underneath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cutting and piecing together corn tortillas and then baking them make a great addition to whatever unit studies you are doing.  They are a great healthy snack too!  Check out our bats we made when we were studying about bats right before Halloween.

Another favorite is shaping or cutting out sugar cookie shapes and decorating them with icing.  I make a batch of icing and put in separate little dishes and add food coloring to make different colors.  They use paint brushes to decorate.  We will be doing these for Christmas cookies next week.

What kind of things do you like to make with your kids in the kitchen?   

Erin

Russian Tea

One of the first really cold days this fall one of my classmates came
to school with a hot thermos of Russian Tea. She let me have a sip and
of course I asked for the recipe.

I made the tea as a before/after Thanksgiving meal treat. It was a hit!

Russian Tea

2 family sized tea bags
4 oranges
4 lemons
peppermint sticks (as much as you like)
1 cup of sugar

Brew the tea bags according to package. Juice the oranges and lemons;
add to tea. Simmer on stove, add sugar (I used splenda so you don't
have to use as much) and peppermint sticks. Stir while sugar and
peppermint dissolve. Serve hot with an extra peppermint stick.

Everyone really enjoyed it and it is great for this cold weather we'll
be having.

**Watch for my special Christmas drink, hot red wine cider!







Katie

Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) Stew

This is a great way to use up your turkey leftovers!

(around 6 servings)

1 can fat free evaporated milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds chicken meat
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups onions
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 1/4 cups frozen green peas, thawed
3 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a small bowl stir together evaporated milk and flour until smooth. Place chicken,  potatoes, onions, carrots and peas in pot. Pour in milk mixture and broth. Season with salt, pepper, Cook until potatoes are tender.

*This is a great recipe to make the day after you have the deli chicken because you can shred up the leftovers and use in this stew.*

This is a real crowd pleaser, my girls even liked it. My husband also liked it so much he requested me to make it he called it that chicken pot pie soup that you made last week!

Ali

Deli Chicken

This is super easy crockpot recipe. It tastes just like those deli chickens you can buy in the store.

1 whole chicken
Lawry's season salt
Foil

Take your foil and wad into balls and place in the bottom of your crockpot. Clean chicken and place breast side up. Season with salt. Cook on high(won't turn out on low) 4-6 hours.

Enjoy your meal!

Next I'll show you a recipe that I make using the leftover chicken.

What's your favorite way to cook chicken?

Do you use your crock-pot?

Ali

Let's (Egg) Roll!

Don't be intimidated by this recipe.  You can do it!

Vegetable Egg Rolls

Serves 8
WW points 1

1 head Chinese (nappa) cabbage
2 meduim carrots, shredded
2 garlic cloves minced
2 meduim scallions chopped
1 Tbsp ginger root minced or 1/2 tsp dried
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
8 average egg roll wrappers
4 sprays olive oil spray or enough to coat egg rolls

Preheat oven 350. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray

Place cabbage in a microwave dish and cover. Microwave on  high until wilted, about 4 minutes; drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add carrots, garlic, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch, and oil; mix well.

Arrange egg roll wrappers on a clean dry surface. Spoon mixture diagonally onto each wrapper.

Fold over one corner to cover filling.

Fold up both corners.

Moisten edges of remaining flap with water and roll up wrapper jellyroll style until sealed.

Transfer egg rolls to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

*Ali's notes*
Make up the mixture the morning before and then all you have to do is fill them and bake them right before dinner.

Make a double batch and freeze half of them, makes a great snack or lunch.

Pair this with a stir-fry for a complete meal.

Look for egg roll wrappers in the produce section of your grocery store.

Do you like egg rolls?  Have you ever made them?







Ali

Mexican Bean and Corn (Etc) Salad

This is my new favorite summer salad recipe.

It makes a great side dish for grilled-anything, it is a good salsa for pita chips or tortilla chips, and it is great on top of salad greens (that’s what my lunch is a few days each week!) Oh, and Dirk likes it too. Yay!

It’s also allowed in this challenge. (Check it out).

Here goes:

1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans(drained and rinsed)
1 can yellow corn (drained)
1 can white hominy(optional)(drained)

Add some chopped tomato, onion (red looks great), plenty of cilantro, and peppers (any color, any type. I even used jarred jalapenos the other day). Any amount---your choice

Add about 2-3 Tbs. lime juice, lemon juice, or even the brine from some jarred jalapenos, ½-1 t. cumin, 2 t. Splenda, and a couple shots hot sauce. Grind in some fresh black pepper. Put all in a covered container, and shake it until it’s mixed. Serve now or chill for later.

(About means: taste and add a little bit more of whatever you think might be needed ; )

Also, try any type of beans (garbanzo, pinto, black-eyed peas, navy, etc)

NOW! For my favorite ingredient in this salad--- JICAMA! Jicama (pronounced hee-kah-mah…isn’t that fun to say?) looks like a turnip with a brown skin on it. It has a texture like a crisp pear but has NO taste….until you add it to something. Then, it takes on the flavor of whatever it’s mixed it with. So, I add a small, peeled, cubed jicama to this salad. It gives it a great crunchiness! Jicama keeps for a long time in the refrigerator. Oh, and the best news…1 cup of jicama has a whopping 45 calories! ; )

Let me know if you try the salad. Think you’ll like it as much as I do? ; ) Have you ever tried jicama?

Do you have a favorite summertime food, or salad? Do share!

Friday Finds

Check out some good blog series written this week:

Cindy Beall A Life of Generosity (good thoughts--read the whole series)

Anna Meadows Little Things I’ve Learned Living in a Big Family (written from a home educated graduate’s perspective)

Great posts to check out:

Scott Williams: Church Diversity (are we being intentional when we teach our kids about diversity, or are we teaching them anything at all?

Keri Austin : Cars with Overbearing Christmas Wreaths (A great perspective on waiting)

Crossroads Movement
– my new blogging friend, JW, from the Washington DC area. Some great words on “marks” – (you’ve just got to read it)

------------------------------------------------------

We had Black Beans and Brown Rice for dinner last night! Yum! Check out this healthy, high-fiber recipe:

A few modifications: I used a pound of dry beans and simmered them for several hours. (easy, if you’re home.) I always rinse the canned ones---the finished appearance is better. Try one can for each two servings. Add water to desired consistency.

I didn’t measure the vegetables---just put them in the food processor and chopped them up and added them to the beans about an hour before we ate. The peppers were not jalapenos!

I didn’t add any oil or red pepper.

I added a package of turkey kielbasa, sliced, in place of the ham.

We ate this over brown rice, which I cooked and served separately. Add hot sauce as desired. Even my teen boys and three grands that were here liked it.

Next week: Things I learned from my husband

Well, it’s October, and already officially fall, but we’re still experiencing some very warm days. Soon, the temperatures will begin to drop and cooler weather is a time that we begin enjoying soup!

Here is a recipe that’s easy and can be prepared quickly. Also, it’s easy to keep ingredients on hand. I sometimes call it “Can Soup”. We make it often, (with variations) in the fall and winter. Keep these ingredients ready in your pantry to make a quick, high-fiber meal for your family on a cool fall evening.


Taco Soup

1 can Ranch Beans
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 can corn
1 can white or yellow hominy (optional)
1 can Rotel tomatoes or enchilada sauce
1 zip-lock pre-cooked ground beef (or about 3 cups browned/drained ground beef)
water as needed for the consistency you want

Warm up and serve over brown rice or with tortilla chips.

Variations:

Any beans will work
The hominy adds a nice “meaty” texture—try it!
Any canned tomatoes or tomato sauce will work in place of the Rotel or enchilada sauce.. Add chili powder and cumin 2:1 to season.
Chicken would be good in this, too. Or try it meatless!

Add more cans to increase the volume according to the servings you need to make.

Let me know what you think!

What's for Dinner (Part 4 of 4)

Better Than Drive-Thru

Instead of driving through McDonald’s or explaining to your husband why your family needs to eat out, why not have a few really quick recipes that can be made in only minutes. Or, plan ahead and get out your crock-pot!

Here are a couple of mine:

Border Bowl (sorry Taco Bell)

Place in order in large microwave-proof bowl

1 can beans (Ranch, black, kidney, or refried)
1 pkg. pre-cooked ground beef
season with 1 tsp chili power, ½ t. cumin, sprinkle with salt or garlic salt
1 can corn, drained
2-4 cups cooked brown rice (use Minute Rice if you’re in a hurry. Add the same seasoning as above to your rice as it cooks)
grated cheese (I like Colby or Mexican)

Cover your dish with plastic wrap and microwave until hot – usually about 8-10 minutes. While it is warming, prepare lettuce, as you would for a salad, or even slice a head of iceberg. Set your table with a bowl of tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, dressing of choice, jalapenos, guacamole. You get the idea.

When serving, some of my family prefers making soft tacos from the Border Bowl. Others of us prefer mostly salad using salsa as our dressing.

This recipe is requested by my family often. If this would be too much food for your family, leave off the corn, or use less rice.

Another easy one:
Chicken Stroganoff

Chicken breasts or boneless thighs, enough to feed your family
2 cans fat-free cream soup (chicken, celery, mushroom or a combination)
1-16oz carton low fat sour cream
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Pre-cook your chicken (I use bone-in breasts. The cost is cheaper and the skin comes off easily before cooking and the bones are easy to remove after cooking. I do this in a covered, non-stick skillet with just a small amount of water added) When the chicken is just cooked through, remove from skillet and set aside to cool if you are removing bones. Shred chicken when cool.

Add your cream soup to the same skillet with the dry onion soup mix. Heat the mixture adding just enough water to make a nice thick gravy consistency. Add the chicken and stir in the sour cream. Keep your heat low so the sour cream doesn’t separate. Heat through and serve over brown rice, mashed potatoes, or grits. Yum!

There’s always Spaghetti. Use one of those frozen zip-locks of cooked hamburger, open up a can or two of spaghetti sauce (add onion, bell pepper, garlic, carrots, etc. finely chopped in your food processor—your kids will never know!). Cook some pasta (try the whole grain version—it tastes just the same but adds extra fiber to your meal), open up a bag of salad mix or make one of your own, and, voila, almost-instant dinner!

Save time and money by having a plan!

Have any really quick recipes to share?