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.