Tortilla-less Tortilla Soup

This recipe is part of a Cook-a-thon my friends and I have started doing every two weeks.  We make mass quantities of food and split the cost of the ingredients.  So far, we have managed to keep things to $1 per serving.  We used a lot of canned/frozen ingredients- but you can substitute fresh.  Frozen just tends to be cheaper.  Pureed white beans are substituted for the thickening agent (the usual tortillas).  The recipe below makes at least 24 BIG servings, so you might want to make less- unless you like leftovers.

You Will Need:
3 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag (about 3 cups) frozen corn
1 bag (about 3 cups) frozen mirepoix (celery, carrots, onions)
2 can white beans
3 cans Rotel
3 jars of your favorite salsa
1 whole cooked chicken, shredded, skin and bones removed
2 boxes of chicken stock
2-3 bell peppers, diced
Chili Powder, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Cumin, Cajun Seasoning, red pepper- as desired
Cheese and guacamole (or avocado)- optional

Directions:
Place everything but the white beans and chicken stock in a large pot.  Puree the white beans with 1 cup of the chicken stock and add to the pot.  Add the puree to the mixture.  Simmer on the stove until warm.  Add chicken broth to reach your desired constancy.  Taste and add seasonings as needed.  This will depend on the salsa you used.  I added 2 TBSP of Chili powder, and Cajun Seasoning.  You will most likely need less garlic and cumin.  If you use low sodium chicken broth, you will probably need to add 1-2 tsp of salt and pepper.  Serve with cheese and guacamole.

That's what's for dinner!

Steak and Eggs

Last week I posted about one of my favorite healthy breakfasts- Turkey, egg whites and rice.  This week, I am going to post about my husband's.  This is also similar to one of the meals we used to purchase at My Fit Foods.  Again, if you've got the budget and you don't have the time to cook, I highly recommend their food.  The minute I start working full time again, I will drive my butt to the closest store and stock up.  It is just so easy to eat healthy! Anyway...after I mastered my favorite breakfast, my husband asked me to try his.  Honestly, I have never tried the original (and I didn't try this one- I am not a fan of steak), so I can't really tell you how it tastes- but he loved it.  He said it was just like the original, except half the price.

You Will Need:
3 baby red potatoes
1 package stew meat (or whatever steak you want- we are just poor)
3 eggs
3/4 cup egg whites
mini crock pot*
potato masher
salt and pepper
Tex Joy steak seasoning (or whatever you have)
cooking spray

*You do not have to use a crock pot, but since I am trying to make this as low fat as possible while cooking with tough cuts of meat, it is highly recommended.  If you don't have a crock pot, I would use a baking dish, covered with aluminum foil in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Directions:
Dice the potatoes (skin on) and place in the bottom of a small crock pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Add 1/4 cup water to the crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook on high for 2 hours.  After two hours, add the stew meat to the crock pot.  I ended up cutting my stew meat in to smaller, bite size pieces- but that's just because the original was in small pieces.  It is really up to you.  Sprinkle the steak with the steak seasoning.  Cover, and cook on low for 2 more hours.  While the steak is cooking, scramble your eggs and egg whites.  Do not over cook the eggs.  In fact, it is best to under cook them.  They will cook a little more when you re-heat the meal.  Divide the eggs into 3 storage containers.  Place the cooked steak on top of the eggs.

You should now be left with a crock pot half full of potatoes, a little water and steak drippings.  Don't drain the liquid off!  If you used stew meat, there shouldn't have been a lot of fat, and we have yet to add any to the potatoes.  The starchy cooking water and steak juices will make the potatoes smooth and creamy- not to mention make them taste delicious.  Using your potato masher, mash the potatoes directly in the crock pot.

Note, if your potatoes don't seem soft, just let them cook a little longer (sometimes they just take longer- I don't know why).  The whole point of this meal is to prepare breakfasts a head of time, so I hope you aren't waiting to eat it now. :)  If your potatoes are ready, a few mashes and a quick stir should be all it takes for delicious mashed potatoes.  Add your mashed potatoes to the storage containers.  Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.  They will last about a week.  When you are ready to eat, microwave each dish for a minute and a half on high.

I hope you enjoy! That's what's for breakfast. :)

Healthy Breakfast Copy Cat Recipe

About  6 months ago my husband and I started going to My Fit Foods.  If you don't know what My Fit Foods is, it is a place that makes pre packaged meals that aren't frozen or full of preservatives.  They usually only have about 5 ingredients (plus spices).  You can heat them up in the store, or take them home with you.  They have breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.  We usually bought breakfasts and lunches.  It made getting out the door in the morning so much easier- and they are portion and calorie controlled.  If you have the money, I highly recommend them.  We don't have the money any more, which is why I am writing this blog post. 

One of my favorite breakfasts had egg whites, ground turkey, rice and pico de gallo. The first time it was recommended to me, I was skeptical, but it quickly became my go to meal.  Right after the holidays, I was trying to get back in the swing of healthy eating, I found myself wishing we had room in our budget, but since we don't I decided to just figure it out.  I went to the website, and since they list the ingredients, it seemed simple enough.  What I ended up with wasn't identical- but it was pretty close.  Even better, it cost me half as much.  

You Will Need:

1 package ground turkey (the square package, not the meat log.  I think it is usually about 24 oz.)

2 cups egg whites

1 pouch microwavable rice (I used uncle ben's 90 second white rice)

Pico de gallo

diced bell pepper

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Brown the turkey in a large skillet over medium heat.  Drain off the excess grease, and add the egg whites to the cooked turkey.  Season with salt and pepper and stir until the egg whites are cooked.  My egg whites mostly disappeared into the ground turkey- so this might be a great way to sneak eggs into picky eaters.  While your eggs are cooking, microwave your rice.  Divide your rice into 6 containers and place the turkey mixture on top of the rice.  Alternately, spread the rice in a large baking dish and top evenly with the turkey.  Sprinkle the bell peppers and pico across the turkey mixture.  Add as much as you like, veggies for breakfast are delicious! Sprinkle a small amount of the shredded cheese on top. When you re heat the dish, the cheese will melt so you don't need a lot.  Cover and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat.  It will last for about a week in the refrigerator.  Do not freeze.  Serves 6. 

To reheat: 

Microwave on high for 1 minute 20 seconds.  

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 266

Carbs: 15

Fat: 10

Protein: 25

Fiber: 0 (I think I might try brown rice next time)

Cholesterol: 84

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

OMG.  I got a gluten free baked good to rise.  Not being a chemistry (or baking expert), I am not really sure how it happened...but it happened.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought, "Well...maybe." I didn't hold much hope though since I have yet to make any bread product to rise.  Since this past weekend was my mother's birthday, and she loves cinnamon rolls, it seemed like a perfect chance to try it out.  I was pretty sure they wouldn't be gross...so what did we have to lose?

I've died and gone to cinnamon roll heaven

The original recipe started with a cake mix and then had you add some other ingredients.  Since part of the issue with gluten free bread is the flour to yeast ratio and the water to flour ratio, I was pretty sure I was gonna have to make some changes.  I decided to take the easy way out and mix together a gluten free cake mix and a gluten free bread mix and just cross my fingers.  It worked!!!  I think they taste just like real cinnamon rolls, and even my dad and husband (non gluten free-ers) seemed to like them.  If you aren't gluten free, I would just click on the link above and follow her recipe.  Although maybe you could mix together a regular cake mix and bread mix?

You will need:
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake mix*
1 bag Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix*
2 cups warm water
1 tsp salt
Cinnamon
1-2 cups brown sugar
1 block cream cheese
1-2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp vanilla
1 stick softened butter
milk
extra gluten free flour for rolling out the dough

*I used these brands, so I can't say for sure if other brands would work.

Directions:
Pull the yeast packet out of the bread mix and mix with 2 cups of warm water.  When I say warm, I mean warmer than room temperature, but not hot.  Let it sit for a few minutes.  It will look cloudy, possibly chunky, and you might see the occasional bubble. While you are waiting for the yeast to wake up, in a large bowl, mix the cake mix, bread mix and salt.  Add the yeast water and 2 tsp vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.  The dough will be sticky, but it should pull away from the bowl.  Cover with a tea towel and set in a warm place to rise...for at least 2 hours, although 4 would be even better.  Gluten free bread doesn't contain gluten (wait, what?  Just kidding, you probably knew that) and gluten is the framework for trapping the gas particles that makes bread nice and fluffy.  However, if you use enough yeast and give it long enough it will rise...but seriously, it takes forever.

So after waiting as long as possible (I made the dough before breakfast and rolled it out before dinner), dump the dough out on a lightly floured surface.  My mom has a GIANT cutting board, so I used that, but a counter top works as well.  Since there is no gluten, you don't have to kneed the bread, but we do need to roll it out.  Flour everything (your hands, the rolling pin, the counter) and roll out a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick (although, mine was a little thicker since my cutting board wasn't quite big enough).  You don't want it to stick, so if your dough is still super sticky you might need to work in some extra flour.  Next time I think I might roll it out on parchment paper- I think it might make it easier to roll.

Monster cinnamon rolls.  They keep rising!

Spread the butter on top of your rolled out dough.  Sprinkle well with cinnamon and then top with brown sugar.  I lightly pressed the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough- but I am not sure if that did anything.  Starting with a wide side, gently roll the dough into a log shape, flouring your hands as needed.  Try to roll as tight as possible...but mine was pretty loose and it still worked out fine.  Cut your log in half and then each half in half, etc.  Place the slices in a buttered baking dish, leaving plenty of room around each roll to allow for more rising.  I actually left mine on the counter until they had risen a second time and filled the pan.  Refrigerate over night or bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remember, gluten free bread doesn't brown well, so feel them at 20 minutes to check for doneness.

To make the frosting, mix a softened block of cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla and the powdered sugar.  I don't like sweet frosting, so 1 cup was plenty for me.  Add milk to reach your desired constancy.  Spread frosting on each cinnamon roll, and enjoy!  Serves 24

So many cinnamon rolls...we had to use multiple baking dishes

Hot Buttered Rum

In October, my Husband, Parents and I went to Colonial Williamsburg.  It was freezing cold, pouring down rain and otherwise very "authentic".  We decided to have lunch at one of the Taverns on Duke of Gloucester Street.  Being absolutely frozen and sopping wet, we felt it was time for a warm beverage.  The waitress recommended the Hot Buttered Rum.  What is Hot Buttered Rum? I asked, imagining a mug of warm butter.  I was informed it is mostly hot cider with rum and butter.  We quickly ordered 3 (and diet coke for my dad since he doesn't drink) and waited with anticipation.  Our wait was not in vain.  It was warm, it was sweet (but not too sweet) and it had rum.

You Will Need:
1 gallon apple cider
1 package cinnamon sticks
1 stick of room temperature salted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 bottle spice rum (1 shot per person)

Directions:
Mash the butter and brown sugar together in a small bowl.  It should be the color of dark sand.  I recommend tasting a small amount to get an idea of the sweetness before you add all the suger.  You may either roll the butter into teaspoon size balls (what I do for a party) or just stick the bowl of butter back in the fridge as it is and scoop some out when it is time to serve.
Warm the apple cider with the cinnamon sticks in a large pot or crock pot. When hot, add a shot of spiced rum and a teaspoon of the brown sugar butter into a mug.  Ladle the cider into the mug, stir and enjoy.

New Year's Day Bean Soup

I hope everyone had a very Happy New Year! Did you eat your beans and greens? I am not a huge fan of black eyed peas or cabbage, so we had ham bone soup and a spinach salad. The soup was super easy to make and I had almost everything on hand leftover from the holidays. The only thing I had to buy was a bag of beans and some spinach. This is a great recipe if you are on a budget. The bag of beans as 2.39 (although, I bet you could find it cheaper). Also, I bought a bean soup mix, so that increased the price a little bit. The ham bone came from our Thanksgiving Ham that I had frozen- so as far as I am concerned it was free. The rest of the ingredients were leftovers from Christmas. A few extra carrots, potatoes onions, and stalks of celery may not do much on their own, but when added to soup they feed an army.

You Will Need:
1 bag of soup beans
1 leftover ham bone
carrots, celery, onion- diced
1 tbsp garlic
1 quart chicken broth+ water
2 cups leftover ham
1 cups diced potatoes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper
Directions
Follow the directions on the bag for soaking the beans over night.
In a large stock pot, saute the carrots, celery and onion until tender. In the last 30 seconds add the garlic and rinsed beans. Stir well. Add the ham bone, the quart of chicken broth and enough water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the bone, pick any leftover ham, discard the bone, and return the leftover ham to the pot along with the diced potatoes. Cook 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Taste, and add pepper as needed.