Broccoli Rice Casserole

I was reminded of a recipe for "Mac-n-Cheese-like" cauliflower, and butternut squash "mac-n-cheese" and decided to put the two concepts together and use up some broccoli that I'd had a while. It turned out really well, even the boys ate it up. I basically added the rice so I could call it something besides "veggie cheese-like stuff" and to make sure it was filling enough.


Butternut Sauced Broccoli Casserole
Sauce:
Steam about two-three cups of butternut squash chunks for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile saute a chopped onion until starting to brown.

Mash the squash in a large mixing bowl, add one 6-oz container of plain Greek yogurt (make sure it is the real, strained kind, no ingredients other than skim milk and culture), the onion, favorite spices (I used Penzey's Foxpoint mix and fresh ground pepper), a handful of grated sharp cheddar and a Tb Parmesan, and enough milk or chicken broth to make it "saucy"

"cheese" sauce, mostly butternut squash

Vegetables:
Pre-cook in your steamer a couple of yukon gold or other potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks, adding broccoli and cauliflower after the first two minutes of steaming and cook 5-7 minutes more. I only had a little cauliflower left and used two+  broccoli "crowns".
Stir into the sauce.
I added about cup of cooked brown rice, you could add twice that easily, or use white rice, or skip it. The potatoes add "satiety" factor - you could use more potatoes if no rice. If you like vegetables "al dente" don't cook them as long, but they won't get much more cooking later, you will mostly be heating it all up.

Top with panko or wholewheat bread crumbs with a little butter and Parmesan stirred in.

Cover and cook at 325 about 30 minutes, take the top off the last 8 minutes, broil a minute or two if the top hasn't browned a bit.

broccoli-rice casserole - or squash-sauced vegetables if you don't have to attract kids

It went fast.
The yogurt gives it a nice flavor - you might be able to skip the cheddar altogether - -but then you can't say it's a "cheese" sauce if asked by squash-hating children!

Make $18 an hour cooking dinner; cheaper and healthier soups

I was asked to help teach a class in budgeting about the same time I got a recipe I had requested that looked rather more expensive than my usual thing. So I did a lot of research and pricing (even found a site with how many teaspoons in an ounce of various spices so I could estimate costs using my spice shelf) then used three versions as an example of how we can adjust our spending in more ways than we might think. Each recipe includes actual prices I have gotten, either this week or things in my storage.

Here's the recipe I got with notes from the sender, (it's really tasty and very easy, a handy recipe)

Southwest Chicken Soup                       

1 Chicken (I used Costco rotisserie chicken)   $5.99

64 oz. Chicken broth (any brand will do) $4.00

1 Package Near East Brand Rice Pilaf, Spanish Rice Flavor $2.19

                (I have used other brands, but this one is the best)

1 – 12 oz. container Salsa (I prefer fresh or refrigerated, but bottled will work). I like mild. $3.45

1 – 16 oz. pkg. frozen sweet corn (white or yellow) $2.39

Debone chicken, tear into chunks. Add broth, heat. Also use the juices from the rotisserie container. Add Rice, flavoring packet, and salsa. Cook until rice is done. Add corn, heat through. This soup can get quite thick, especially if you make it the day before – you might want a little more broth.

Serve with: sour cream, cilantro, cheese, tortilla chips. Could add chopped green onions, or even avocado slices.

to make enchilada casserole-. Sometimes the broth just disappears. Then I add black beans to the mixture. Layer it with corn tortillas and cheese. Bake it at 350 for about 40 minutes. Then top it off with fresh tomato chunks, green onions and olives.

The cheapest chewy artisan bread added $2.99. This makes a total of $21.89

(Optional additions - though of course you probably wouldn't use entire containers) could add up to $8.85, making it a casserole could add $8.15

Second is a version I would more likely make at my house: (Budget) Southwest Chicken Soup 
also easy, delicious, could be just as fast if you use previously made & frozen stock

Remains of a rotisserie chicken bought on sale and used for previous dinner (figure 1/4 meat left from $4.99 chicken, $1.25) 

2 bouillon cubes ($.09)

onion, half chopped and half used in simmering broth $.37

1 jar sale salsa (got some yesterday for $1) or canned diced tomatoes with green chilis

rice (white - $.08 for amount equal to packaged, or half box of instant brown rice for healthier soup - $.80) 

can corn or Mexicorn  (got lucky, a 50 cent sale) 

can black beans, rinsed and drained ($.69, more sales)

favorite spices (approx. 3 tsp. about $.30)

Cover the chicken carcass with water (include juices from package) and simmer with boullion and half onion, some leafy celery ends if you have them on hand. After about 30-40 minutes, strain. Brown the other half onion (chopped) and add broth, meat off chicken, salsa or diced tomatoes, rice, corn, beans. I like to use Penzey's Adobo seasoning, cumin, ancho powder. Simmer til rice is cooked.

serve sprinkled with saved tortilla chip crumbs (freeze) and a little bit of grated cheese. (.30)

Sale French bread saved in freezer $1.29

Total $6.62 with white rice, $7.34 with brown. 

And if you want to really save and use food storage items and have twice as much soup and bread...............

(Economy) Southwest Black Bean Soup instructions at link

black beans bought in bulk - $.67 lb

turkey carcass free (well, you were going to toss it, weren't you?)

onion, carrot, celery leaves for broth total about $.52

chopped onion, minced garlic, $.20

spices $.30

can of chopped tomatoes with green chilis (sale) $.87

squirt of lime juice .05

carrots, sale can corn, about .50 each

three corn tortillas torn up (saved in freezer) about .20

Homemade French Bread .60 (two loaves)

total $4.18

Think of it this way, you can save about $18 cooking the cheaper way, and the total work time is only about an hour more so you earned $18 an hour and ate healthy food with plenty for another dinner.

 

super-simple breakfast - cheap and healthy

Hot and Ready  Breakfast    

thermos-cooked grains

We've gotten interested in steel-cut oats (I was pleased that local stores have generic ones so I don't have to go 45 minutes to bulk food stores). And my husband likes cracked and whole wheat. All of these are a bit of a pain to cook. Unless you take the easy way out -

In the evening:
put any combination of whole or cracked/cut grain (I used 1 cup steel-cut oats and 1/2 cup whole wheat this time) into a good-quality thermos container with a sprinkle of salt. Pour in twice as much water as grain, heated to boiling in the microwave, and put on the lid. In the morning it's hot and cooked.

I found that cracked wheat seems to need less water and steel-cut oats a little more, whole wheat was perfect 2/1 (twice the water as grain) You can experiment to find the consistency you like best. You can make as much as your thermos holds and refrigerate the excess to zap (microwave reheat) the next day. You can add a little honey or other additions at night or in the morning.Craisins are good!

Mexiqinoa casserole

Yummy - Quinoa, black beans, vegetables, and Mexican flavors, very healthy too.

Yum! only two of us eating and it's already half-gone.

Make sure your quinoa is well-rinsed unless it is precleaned, some recipes suggest soaking it overnight for more digestibility - don't know if it really makes any difference. Everything but the cheese is an "eat all you want" healthy food, and there's lots of protein here.

1 1/4 cups quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1 large chopped onion
your choice of vegetables such as:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped in small cubes
1 generous cup frozen sweet corn (or fresh)
about 2 cups shredded cabbage
chopped cilantro to taste (I used about half a small bunch without stems)
(celery, carrots, broccoli, squash, peppers, dried tomato or tomatoes with chilis, etc as desired - you can see mine would look better with more green)
Black beans - 1 can rinsed and drained OR 1 can Bush's Grillin Mesquite beans (drained), OR 2 cups cooked black beans (could add lime juice)
handful or two of mild grated cheese - Mexican blend or cheddar jack, etc.
two cloves garlic or equivalent
about 1 tsp ground cumin (or toasted and crushed cumin seeds)

Saute the onion in olive oil, when it's turning golden add corn to "toast", after a few minutes you can add any other vegetables you want to start softening or add flavor to, and the garlic. Cover and leave on low burner while you get everything else ready. Meanwhile heat vegetable bouillon with 2 1/2 cup water (can include liquid from canned tomatoes with chilis) in microwave til boiling.
In large covered casserole dish, place cabbage, beans, cilantro, spices, onion-veg mixture, and any other veg, and the rinsed quinoa. Pour hot broth over and stir well. Cover and cook at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour. Add cheese on top and leave uncovered the last few minutes (you can turn on the broiler briefly, if needed, for looks).
Let sit about 5 minutes before serving to reabsorb some of the juices.

Nice with some green veg or salad, could put tortilla chip bits or toasted tortilla strips on top under the cheese as some crunch would be a good addition.. Or sprinkle with cheese and more chopped cilantro after taking out of oven - pretty!

Hot Day Dinner with Pasta and Easy Variations

grilled peppers black bean and guac  sandwiches along with a bowl of super easy  Summer Pasta - Chop up a couple of good garden tomatoes, put in a bowl along with 8 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2" cubes (or use "mozzarella pearls") and a handful of fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons. While the flavors soak in and blend, cook up a small batch of whole wheat rotini (or other favorite pasta) and drain, stir into other ingredients and serve.

This time I made the beans this way:
I had a margarine container of excess previously soaked beans in the freezer. I pulled them out and put them in a saucepan with 1/2 onion finely chopped, grated carrot, handful of slaw mix cabbage, plus two cups veggie broth, some Penzey's adobo seasoning, ground Ancho pepper, and cumin, plus a dash of lime juice. Simmer an hour or more and smash up if it hasn't gotten mushy on its own.

OR just open a can or two of seasoned black beans, rinse and drain and smash up.

We had some fruit to round it out - melon would have been best but we ate them all already.

My pizza-loving, anti-bean son ate these sandwiches and asked to finish the leftovers the next day -

Favorite Splurge Lunch

Just thought I'd share, even though it's not particularly cheap -- not too bad on healthy and fast, very chewy, delicious, and satisfying.

Take a ciabatta roll (that's the pricey part) cut in half (these are the big square kind) and cover with chopped real garden tomato. If you are feeding someone not into veg you can stir a crumbled pre-cooked bacon slice in and jump to the cheese. Otherwise, if you have it on hand, cover with ribboned spinach

 and sliced mushrooms, then lay on a deli slice of muenster cheese over each (cheapest at Aldi). Put in the toaster oven at 350 for ten minutes. YUM! Just as good as going out for pizza, in my book. With built-in portion control and no leaving the house in hot weather.

Healthy and Happy Chipotle Dinner

If you want something fairly easy, very popular, and flexible to different tastes (what? your kids don't all like the same things?), here's a great and filling meal. We call it Chipotle after the local food place that puts whatever you like inside a big tortilla.

One pan is a half-recipe of Lime Cilantro Rice made with one can of black beans, onion, grated carrot and maybe celery. One is fahita mix - chicken, green peppers and onions seasoned with your favorites (fajita seasoning, or ancho pepper, cumin, cilantro, etc), the third is a very quick sautee of a little onion, zucchini and yellow squash, fresh mushrooms and tomato.
Serve with whole wheat tortillas, grated cheese and shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, guacamole if you have it, whatever else you have on hand that you like on or in Mexican-type dishes.

Everyone can put whatever they want in, on, or alongside. This also works with taco meat and shells or tortilla chips, etc. The beans and rice help make it filling, the veggies are a really tasty addition (from a local restaurant "vegetarian fajita" dish).
Here's a "quesadilla" lunch made with leftover rice and veg the next day.

If it still seems like too much work (like today when the temperatures are just crazy high) - opt for super-fast taco salad.

In a Pinch fast Cheeseburger Mac

not so gourmet, cheap, or healthy, but not bad either. This is for when time (and possibly brainpower) is really short, there's not much in the fridge, and kids are hungry and need something fast that they will eat.

Start a pan of water boiling for pasta, put browned hamburger (from the freezer) and a large can or jarful of spaghetti sauce to warm in another pan. When macaroni is cooked, drain it and return to the pot, pour the hot meaty sauce sauce over it, stir in a large handful of grated sharp cheddar and sprinkle more on top. Put the lid on for a minute to melt. Hopefully you have some frozen  peas on hand  (put in a pan with a little boiling water, put on lid and turn off - they just need to get hot), and/or a bagged salad - or cabbage to cut in wedges, serve with some whole wheat bread and butter, maybe sliced or canned fruit - pretty fast, kid-friendly and no brainwork involved.

Really Quick and Easy Summer Soup

This is simply a set of instructions for infinitely variable soup that is quick and yummy and healthy - based on Lunchbox Vegetable Soup (From Sunset 30 Minutes or Less cookbook). I call it Summer Soup because you don't need long simmering like you might enjoy in winter.
Today we made it with leftover pork broth and meat scraps from Sunday's crockpot dinner and used basil fettuccine, usually I make it meatless or occasionally with remains of a rotisserie chicken that's pretty picked over (simmer a little while to get your broth and pick off any meat left while the rest simmers).


large chopped onion, (I precook in a small bit of butter or olive oil so its well done - even richer flavor comes from using a little bit of bacon grease you've frozen)
4 large carrots (about 1 lb. total) peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced or chopped

6 cups Knorr Vegeterian vegetable bouillon or other favorite broth/stock
1 or 2 cups water
1 can (about 15 oz)  corn, drained or 1 cup frozen corn
1/4 teaspoon pepper
salt
2 cups dried pasta bow ties or other pasta
1 cup frozen tiny peas
1/4 cup chopped parsley(if available)
(we like to add a can of kidney beans, drained - or black-eyed peas for more flavor)

1. Peel carrots and cut crosswise into thin rounds.
2. Melt butter in a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, and corn.  Cook, stirring often, until celery and onion are tender to bite (5 to 6 minutes).
3. Add broth, pepper, and salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon); bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta; return to a boil and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes.
4. Add peas and continue to cook, uncovered, until pasta is just tender to bite (7 to 8 minutes more).  Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings (about 12 cups)

options: baby corn is good but pricey, black-eyed peas have lots of flavor and work well, you can add any veg you have - broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, slaw mix, zucchini or yellow squash (add summer squash later on, it takes about as long as the pasta)

I love to use Penzey's spice and herb blends, like Foxpoint, Paris, Mural of Flavor, etc. Or use Mrs. Dash, etc. The original calls for tarragon but we didn't like it, "spice to taste"! This is a good time to use your summer herb garden - parsley, chives, basil, oregano, savory, all would be good- or freeze dried chives, parsley, etc if its winter or you don't have fresh on hand.

Fast and Easy Angel Hair Pasta with Ham (or corned beef)

This is a great way to use up just a bit of leftover meat when there's not enough ham or corned beef for it to be a main dish. If you can scrape together up a cup or two of bits for flavor, you can make a fast dinner.


Saute a chopped onion in butter or olive oil, when partially cooked  you can also add grated carrot and chopped celery, if you're using corned beef skip celery and add a big handful or two of slaw cabbage shreds.
 Meanwhile, start water boiling and cook pasta.
Add the meat to the simmering onion (and veg) with a little water or broth to help the flavor of the meat get out a bit. Add the cooked, drained pasta and about a cup of fat-free sour cream, stir in a generous cup of rinsed frozen green peas, warm through and then sprinkle with Parmesan or other favorite grated cheese. You can add some reserved pasta water for more moisture or add half a can of cream of chicken soup if you like it "saucier".

Easy Ham and Rice
Same recipe but use precooked rice instead of pasta OR add sufficient broth to cook instant brown rice with the sauteed onion, ham, etc. This is especially good with the celery, carrot, and cabbage included and does not need the cheese.

wonderful served with broccoli, green beans or other favorite green veg,  a baked sweet potato (you can do them fast in the microwave just like regular potatoes - or use canned), salad, summer squash in season, etc.

Easy Sausage and Rice

Another sausage dish - because our local store, Schulte's, has great, lean bulk sausage. This is adapted feom what my mom made as "Mock Chicken Casserole" - I'm guessing chicken cost more than sausage at the time. I add more veggies than I used to, and served this with a side of steamed and slightly sauteed veg (directions below).

Sausage and Rice

Chop one large onion and start it sauteing in a very little olive oil. When soft add chopped celery (about three stalks), a grated large carrot. Put a lid on for a couple of minutes to help them cook and then add a couple of big handfuls of shredded cabbage, continuing to cook and stir. If you haven't got previously browned sausage from the freezer, you can brown sausage in the same big pan while doing these vegetables. If you have browned sausage (about 1/2 lb) you can add it to boullion to help get the flavor into the broth. You can add sausage seasoning, favorite spice mixes, or let the sausage be all the flavor you need.
Add 4 cups broth, browned sausage, 2 cups rice, and cover tightly. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

a baked sweet potato is a great side with green beans and a salad, or---
Veggies on the side:
steam chunks of butternut squash, cauliflower and broccoli and fresh green beans. Prepare thick slices halved of yellow and zucchini squash. While veg steam, melt some real butter in smaller frying pan and a few minutes before rice dish is done, heat up to med-high and add summer squashes, mushrooms too if you like, let them brown just a bit then add steamed veggies and stir up with seasonings. You can add leftovers veggies at this point to warm up. Pensey's Foxpoint Seasoning is a really good one for this dish.

Fast and Easy Sausage Cornbread

Not sure how high in the health department, but this is very easy, especially if you have pre-browned sausage in the freezer. You can easily double without doubling the meat but with an added can of drained and rinsed dark red kidney or pinto beans for a large family,

Easy Sausage Cornbread

about half a pound of good bulk sausage, browned and crumbled (buy on sale, brown and freeze in small amounts)
one cheap cornbread/muffin mix
one can "Mexi-corn" or "southwest style corn"
about a cup of grated cheese optional
egg and milk as directed on cornbread package

micro-wave thaw sausage, stir egg into milk, put everything but half the cheese in a mixing bowl and stir together. Put in a Pam-sprayed baking dish dish bigger than 8x8 (the one that's not quite a 9x13, I think its about 8x11) sprinkle with cheese and bake as instructed for cornbread.

Serve with green vegetable like steamed broccoli and salad and/or fruit.

White to Wheat Bread, for introducing whole wheat or just want a good whole wheat recipe

This is a great fine-textured bread that you can start making with all-purpose flour and gradually add more and more whole wheat (freshly ground hard white wheat will give best results) until your kids (or your insides) are enjoying whole wheat bread. It simply makes a little more bread by volume with white flour. I do knead a minute or two longer with all whole wheat.
I always double it and found I got 7 loaves using all white or up to about half wheat.
Now I make 6 loaves almost all whole wheat - I use the smaller loaf pans (8x4) and use a little high-gluten bread flour kneaded in near the end and thus no need for dough enhancers or added gluten. Put it in the freezer as soon as it cools completely for fresh bread all week :)
If your kids are still not sure about whole wheat bread, time it to come out of the oven when they get home from school hungry or toast it with jam-

White-to-Wheat Bread
originally based on "White Bread Plus" from Joy of Cooking

In your mixing bowl:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 pkg yeast (1 Tbsp)
Start mixer on slow, combine 2 1/2 cups hot water and 1/4 cup canola oil and gradually add to dry ingredients, beat to combine.
Add 1 egg (works fine without it too) and 1 more cup flour, beat three more minutes. Add as much more flour as you can stir in, then knead in rest (up to 3-4 cups additional flour). Knead about 10 minutes. Rise in greased bowl about 1 hour, divide into pieces and shape into balls and rest ten minutes. Shape and put into seasoned or sprayed loaf pans and place in cold (or warmed a little in winter) oven for 30 minutes or until double, turn oven to 325 and bake 35 minutes.

Guru's veggie rice bowl, fast and easy AND healthy and yummy.......

While visiting Provo (Utah)  I enjoyed a restaurant called "Guru's" on Center Street - went back twice already! My favorite was their "vegetarian rice bowl" which comes with brown or white rice. Living pretty far from there I decided to try making it myself, and after the first try realized there might be hints online - which indeed there are. So here's what I learned and what I tried and liked:
This could so easily be make with shrimp or some chicken or used as a side dish, but with the edemame, brown rice, and cheese in the pesto, there is enough protein. (The photo is of leftovers for lunch, so its not quite as pretty as the first night)

Vegetarian Rice Bowl
The ingredient list off the restaurant menu:
"sauteed snow peas, bean sprouts, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, roasted sweet corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, edamame, and your choice of rice in a light cilantro-lime pesto".

Obviously you can use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand. The first time I had broccoli and cauliflower, snap peas instead of snow, had no real tomatoes so we skipped them, forgot artichoke hearts, it would have been great with them! And even though I used an entire bunch of cilantro it wasn't nearly as strong as the restaurant's, (neither was it as greasy - hadn't realized it was a "pesto"), I used some butter and olive oil, not much - and I flavored the brown rice up some. It was still great and made wonderful leftovers for lunches.

My second try was even better, used some fresh greenbeans, broccoli, cauliflower, yellow and zucchini squash, mushrooms, artichoke hearts (just a few), a couple of roma tomatoes, frozen edemame, baby carrots (larger ones cut in half at an angle) and stirred in a "pesto" made as follows:

Lime Cilantro Pesto:
Use a large bunch of cilantro (in Missouri that means buying at least two bunches to equal what you get in one in Utah), either pull leaves off the stems or grab leaf end of the bunch and pull off most of the stems - you need about a cup of packed leaves. Put into a food processor with a few sliced almonds if you like, a goodly amount of garlic (spoonful of prechopped) and a couple of tablespoons lime juice. Process a bit to chop and then drizzle in about three Tbls olive oil (while processing) plus about 1/4 cup parmesan or asiago or cheese blend. (most recipes use more oil, I didn't want to get too greasy).
**(Alternatively, chop the cilantro and add to the vegetables near the end, along with lime juice and a drizzle of oil, use garlic in the sauteing of the veg, sprinkle all with parm)

Vegetables:
I steamed the carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and edemame for five minutes while heating up a large frying pan with 1 Tbsp butter to which I added the zucchini and yellow squash (thick slices cut in half) to "grill" for about two minutes then adding sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts (roughly chopped) just to heat. Dump in the steamed vegetables and stir the pesto through it all.

This is wonderful served over minute brown rice made with vegetable broth and some sauteed onion. Of course, its much more economical to cook regular rice or do your brown rice ahead (http://eatfastandhealthy.blogspot.com/2011/02/fluffy-brown-rice.html)

Next time I will remember the corn! For "grilled sweet corn" you can use frozen corn and give it a little color and extra flavor by putting in the frying pan like the squash. Red pepper would be good, snap or snow peas, bean sprouts, etc. Maybe one day I will remember to buy bean sprouts or get my sprouter jar going.


And I finally started getting photos-- check out:http://eatfastandhealthy.blogspot.com/2011/11/tastier-healthier-broccoli-cheddar-soup.html
I figured it couldn't be harder than getting them onto my calligraphy blog, if I can just remember to take them before eating all the food  
http://letterdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2012/01/preparing-polymer-clay-for-casting.html