QUICK CORN AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

I love the flavors of lime and salsa in this soup.  This is one of my personal favorites and budget-friendly, too!

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil

2 15.5 ounce cans, drained and rinsed, or 3 1/2 cups black beans

1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth

1 cup salsa or picante sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Saute onion in oil in a medium saucepan until tender.  Mash one cup of the beans in a small bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer gently for a few minutes to blend flavors.  Makes 4 generous servings.
 

PEAR MUFFINS

I do love muffins.  They are quick to make and guilt-free treats, if made with the healthiest ingredients.  This is another recipe I came up with to use the abundant pears from our tree, but pears are relatively inexpensive to buy when they are in season.  I don't peel the pears, but you can if you wish.

 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ or wheat bran

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnnamon

1/8 teaspoon each ground allspice, nutmeg, and cloves

2 egg whites or one whole egg

1 cup fat free milk, soy, or almond milk

1/4 cup honey or agave

1/4 cup unsweetened apple or pear sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla or pure orange extract (opt.)

2 medium pears, cored and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk together remaining (wet) ingredients, except pears.  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Fold in pears.  Bake in oiled muffin tins 20 minutes, or until muffins test done.  Makes about 15 standard sized muffins.

HERBED LENTILS

Lentils cook quickly so they are handy to use when you are needing a quick meal.  Worcestershire sauce is lower in sodium than soy sauce and adds a lot of flavor.  It was my husband's idea to put it in because it makes the lentils taste more "meaty."  If you prefer, you can always substitute chicken or beef broth for vegetable broth.

1 cup each:  Chopped sweet red or green peppers,  

sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped celery, and chopped onion

 1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons minced fresh sage, or 1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage

2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram, or 2 teaspoons dried leaf marjoram

2 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup uncooked lentils

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

In a large skillet, saute peppers, mushrooms, celery, and onion until almost tender.  Add garlic, sage, and marjoram and saute one more minute.  Stir in broth, lentils, and Worcestershire.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.  Stir in diced tomatoes and parsley.  Heat through.  Serve with cornbread or over cooked brown rice.  Makes 6 servings.

SIMPLE SOUTHWEST SPINACH AND PINTO SALAD

As part of our new eating plan, we try to eat at least 1 cup of cooked dried beans per day.  I came up with this recipe as a way to add beans to a salad that can be served as a main course or side.  Budget-friendly tip:  If grape or cherry tomatoes are too pricy, of course it's always okay to substitute chopped fresh tomatoes.

5-6 cups fresh spinach leaves

1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes

1/2 large green pepper, diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons light natural Ranch dressing

3 tablespoons salsa

1 tablespoon light natural mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce

      

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir together dressing ingredients.  Pour over veggie/bean mixture and toss to coat.  Divide evenly between salad plates or bowls.  Makes 4 side dish or 2 main dish servings.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Oatmeal raisin cookies are one of my favorites, so I experimented to come up with a healthy version, and we happened to like the first try!  If you don't like raisins, use other dried fruit.  I've found that if we store them in the freezer, we aren't tempted to eat them as frequently.  We try to limit ourselves to a couple each day.  This is a budget-friendly recipe.

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (opt.)

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

1/4 cup agave or honey

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons canola or other oil

1 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (opt.)

In a mixing bowl, stir together oats, flour, baking powder, soda, salt if desired, and spices.  In another bowl, whisk together egg whites or egg, agave or honey, applesauce, oil, molasses, and vanilla.  Stir into dry ingredients until well mixed.  Fold in raisins and walnuts.  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto oiled baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes, or until firm.  Makes about 3 dozen.

VEGGIE AND BEAN BURGERS

My husband is in his happy place when we have these because he says it feels like he is eating a hamburger, especially when we add our favorite hamburger toppings!  This recipe is a combination of several of my favorite veggie burger recipes.  They freeze nicely and I can pull them out and warm them up as needed.  I like making my own, rather than buying the somewhat pricy ready-made frozen ones, which makes this recipe budget-friendly!

   2  15.5 ounce cans, drained and rinsed,  or 3 1/2 cups cooked red or kidney beans

3 cups 2 or more raw veggies, coarsely cut up (Examples:  peppers, mushrooms, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, etc.)

1 medium onion, cut up

4-6 cloves garlic, cut up

5 egg whites or 3 whole eggs

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (opt.)

1 cup old-fashioned (whole) oats or bread crumbs

 

In a food processor, finely chop beans, veggies, onion, and garlic.  In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients, except oatmeal or bread crumbs.  Stir in bean and veggie mixture until mixed well, then stir in oatmeal or breadcrumbs.  Make 12 equal balls and flatten onto oiled baking sheet(s).  Bake at 375 degrees 12-14 minutes on each side.  Serve on buns with your choice of toppings.  Makes 12 burgers. 

GREEK STYLE GREEN BEANS

This is an old recipe that I only tweaked a little bit so it has fewer calories and less salt than the original.  Lemon juice is actually a good substitute for salt.  For best taste quality, use fresh green beans.  

1 pound fresh green beans

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt (opt.)

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

Wash and stem beans.  Leave beans whole or cut into 1-inch pieces.  Cook in boiling water 8-10 minutes, or until desired tenderness.  Mix remaining ingredients  together and toss with beans.  Makes about 4 servings.   

GOOD GRANOLA

This budget-friendly recipe has gone through many revisions over the years to make it a healthy food choice, the latest being replacing brown sugar with agave nectar.  Agave has 1.4 times the sweetness of sugar, so you can use less and save calories.  This recipe makes a lot and keeps well for several weeks.  We use it as a topping for fruit or cereal.

14 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup wheat germ or wheat bran

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

3/4 cup unsweetened flake coconut

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup agave or honey

1 1/4 cup water

2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-2 teaspoons salt (opt.)

Combine first 5  ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine remaining ingredients in a smaller bowl and add to ingredients in the larger bowl.  Stir well.  Bake on 2-3 large oiled baking sheets for 45 minutes to one hour at 300 degrees, or until dry and golden, stirring after 30 minutes.  Makes a little over a gallon, or about 50 1/3-cup servings.

SLOW COOKER PEAR OR APPLE BUTTER 

This year we had a tree full of pears and no apples, so I decided to make pear butter in place of our usual batch of apple butter.  Slow cooking pear or apple butter fills the house with a wonderful smell!  It's a terrific topping for waffles, pancakes, or to spread on toast, etc.  I've found that it doesn't need any sugar if ripe pears or sweet apples are used.  I like to freeze it in small jars.  

Pears need to be picked before they are fully ripe, and when they are still a tad green and just beginning to turn yellow.  Put them in paper bags with an apple, roll up the top of the bag, and they should ripen in a few days.  The apple helps jump start the ripening process.  Don't let them get over-ripe and mushy.

 

 

 

  six or more pounds ripe pears or apples

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cloves

FOR PEAR BUTTER:  Wash, halve, and core pears.  I use a handy tool I picked up at a kitchen supply store to core them:  See above left.  (The tool also works nicely to seed cucumbers and summer squash.)  It is not necessary to peel them unless you want to.  Cut pear halves in two and place in a food processor. Process until pureed.  Pour into a large (5-6 quart) slow cooker).  Repeat until the pureed pears are about 2 inches from the top of the cooker.  Stir in cinnamon and cloves.  Cover and cook on high, stirring and scraping around the top every 30-45 minutes, until the mixture starts to bubble.  Uncover and continue to cook and stir until the mixture is reduced by about half and the pear butter thickens.  This takes about about 7-10 hours.  Cool and freeze.   Makes 2 1/2-3 quarts.

FOR APPLE BUTTER:  Peel, core, and slice apples.  An apple corer/peeler/slicer saves a lot of time.  Place sliced apples in a 5-6 quart slow cooker, up to about 2 inches from the top.  Sprinkle cinnamon and cloves over the top and stir.  Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or until apples are tender and bubbling.  Uncover and cook and stir until mixture is reduced by about half and apple butter is thickened.  This takes about 6-10 hours.   Cool and freeze.  Makes about 2 1/2 quarts.  

100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

I use the dough recipe for whole wheat thin buns which was my last posting (September 3, 2012) to make whole wheat bread.  Some types and/or brands of whole wheat flour work better for bread making than others.  I found a brand that has given me consistent results, pictured below, at our local Walmart.  This one happens to be hard white spring wheat flour.  White whole wheat flour has the same fiber and nutritional value as darker flour.  It's just ground from a different type of wheat and  lighter in color.                                                                                                 

                     

One recipe whole wheat bun dough:  See my last posting--September 3, 2012.

   

Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  For 8-inch bread pans, with a rolling pin, roll each portion into an 18 X 8 inch rectangle (see above right) on a lightly floured surface.  Starting at 8-inch end, tightly roll up each rectangle, jelly roll style, into a loaf.  Pinch ends shut and pinch to seal bottom of loaf. Place in oiled pans.  Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes-1 hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Makes 2 loaves.                              

WHOLE WHEAT THIN BUNS

This recipe is not only more budget-friendly, but is also a tastier alternative to store- bought whole grain thin sandwich buns.  They are very simple to make, especially if you use the dough setting on your bread machine. Gluten is available in the baking section of your supermarket and gives whole grain bread a softer and less crumbly texture.  Pictured above is a veggie burger served on one of the buns.

1 1/2 cups warm fat free milk, soy, or almond milk

1/4 cup canola or olive oil

2 tablespoons honey or agave

1 teaspoons salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons wheat gluten (opt.)

1 tablespoon yeast

sesame seeds (opt.)

FOR 2-POUND BREAD MACHINE:  Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given.  Choose dough setting. After 5 minutes, add a couple more tablespoons of  flour or milk if dough seems either too dry or too sticky.  When dough is finished, * divide into 12-15 equal portions on a lightly floured surface.  Form each piece into a ball and flatten to about 1/2 inch thickness on oiled baking sheets.  Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of each bun, if desired.  Let rise about 30 minutes, or until doubled.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

TO MAKE BY HAND:  Heat milk, oil, honey or agave, and salt to 120-130 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the  flour and yeast.  Add warm liquid mixture and beat until smooth.  Add gluten and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. (Mix by hand if you don't have a heavy-duty mixer.)  Turn onto a  floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Place in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled, about one hour.  Punch dough down and continue as above from *.  

Makes 12 large or 15 small buns. 

PEACH COBBLER

I like to make fruit desserts because much of the sweetness comes from the fruit.  The peaches I bought were organic, so I didn't bother to peel them.  I developed this recipe as a treat for my husband's birthday, and he loved it!

FILLING:

1/4 cup water 

3 tablespoons agave or honey

2 teaspoons cornstarch

5 cups sliced fresh peaches

TOPPING:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon each, cinnamon and nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon  salt

1/4 cup cold Smart Balance, Earth Balance, or butter

1 tablespoon agave or honey

1/2 cup fat free milk

For the filling, in a 2-quart saucepan mix together the water, agave or honey, and cornstarch.  Stir in the peaches.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens.  Pour in an oiled 9-inch square pan.  For the topping combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a bowl.  Cut in Smart Balance or butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.  Stir in agave or honey and milk.  Drop by spoonfuls onto hot peach mixture.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Makes about 9 servings.