HELP!! Healthy but cheap recipes needed (meat and vegetarian please)!!

[StaceyinLA]

Okay, I'm going to try and reduce my food bill further. Can you guys give me your cheapest healthy recipes (vegetarian ones welcome because dd & I are eating no meat, but meat ones wanted as well for dh & other kids).

 

Our budget is already fairly low, but hubby seems to think we can get it lower. I'm just not sure how healthy I can keep our meals (I try to buy as much organic as I can) if I drop the budget much more...

[melissel]

My two favorites:

 

http://blog.earthlingshandbook.org/2007/12/03/honey-baked-lentils.aspx

 

I make this with chunked up sweet potatoes and carrots in it, but you could also use pretty much any squash you want.

 

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Baked Oatmeal

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup applesauce (or veggie oil)

3/4 cup sweetner of your choice (sugar, Splenda, whatever)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 cups regular oats

1/2 cup raisins

1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (I personally use the brown sugar splenda)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

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DIRECTIONS:

Beat together applesauce and sweetener of choice. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, baking powder, oatmeal. Beat well then stir in raisins. Pour into a lightly grease pie pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight.

 

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven until firm, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

 

For this one, I use maple syrup as the sweetener, so I use less. I also omit the topping and chop or grate green apples into the batter. It's not wet--it's almost like oatmeal pie, but it crumbles apart when you squash it a bit. We drizzle on milk (and maybe maple syrup) on top before eating. I often make a double batch and we eat it as breakfast, dinner, snacks, dessert, etc.!

 

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Oh, this too. It's from another board I frequent, and it's so yummy:

 

1 large potato for each person

1 - 2 onions

2 - 3 carrots (or other veggies)

4 oz sharp cheese of your choice

salt and pepper

 

scrub or peel potatos and veggies and chop into small pieces. Put in a frying pan with 1/2 in. of water and let simmer with a lid until tender. Empty into a bowl. Fry onion in pan until almost cooked, add potatos and carrots back into pan and fry until slightly browned. Add cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted and well mixed.

 

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And here is a link to a thread on a frugal living board I like where people submitted "$2" meal ideas. There was some debate over whether or not they're TRULY $2 meals, LOL! But either way, it's a good source for inexpensive ideas, and most are whole foods-based (because it's that kind of site).

 

HTH!

[mcconnellboys]

Give me clues, what sorts of meats do they like? And what sorts of vegis do you like? And what types of seasonings (African, Indian, Cajun, BBQ, what?)....

 

I can think of lots of stew type options (that can also be done in a crock pot, making them easy to manage during the course of the day). If you cook the meat and vegis separately (or at least some of them), then you could put everything over plain rice before serving and everyone could have a similar meal; meatless for some and with meat for others. We do this lots of time for chili and spaghetti, as I have some who like meat in there and some who don't....

 

Regena

[Claire]

Here's a link to one of my family's favorite recipes, Black Bean Tortilla Casserole. Other family favorites are a Potato Soup with bell peppers (we have this every week and no one complains) and Hamburger Soup. I will post my version of the recipes in a little while.

[Gamom3]

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained, rinsed and dried(this helps with the moisture)

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3 dashes of hot sauce

1/4 cup salsa (which ever you like..I like the kind from Sams that is sold in the refrigerated area, it is very chunky and spicy)

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 to 1/2 cup flour

1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed saltines

 

 

1. Place dried beans in a large bowl, mash with a fork and sit aside.

2. mix garlic, onion, hot sauce, salsa, cumin, corn, oil, and chili powder in

a food processor

3. stir beans and the mix(above) well

4. Add flour and crushed saltines..I added 1/4 of a cup

5. Stir to blend ingredients

6. Form in to 4 or 5 patties... these will be sticky so place on saran wrap.

7. To cook, spray pan with Pam and sauté on medium heat until browned, repeat on other side.

8. I serve these on toasted burger buns with pepperjack cheese..MMMM

 

I got this recipe off of Recipe Zaar and altered it.

Here is the original

http://www.recipezaar.com/111462

 

I also purchased the store brand black beans about $50 a can, you could buy the dried beans.

[Ottakee]

Black Bean/Corn Tacos

 

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can diced tomotoes (drain a little juice off but not all)

1 packet taco seasoning mix

1 cup cooked rice (optional)

 

Mix and heat through. Put on flour tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.

[Laura Corin]

A cup of lentils (red lentils are nice, but it works with any lentils), around two cups of water, one to two teaspoons each of ground cumin and coriander (depending on your taste for spices), a tablespoon or two of tomato puree and a chopped onion.

 

Cook in the slow cooker until very soft. Near the end, when the lentils are soft, add some chicken/veggy bouillon essence (powder) and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over brown rice and accompany with a buttered green veggy. Serves around three people.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[StaceyinLA]

what we have right now is mostly venison, with a little beef as well. We have tons of ground meat, a few packs of stew (which I'd like to use sparingly because it's limited), some backstrap and sausage.

 

In addition, I have a bit of chicken, some tilapia (which I will eat), shrimp (which I have NO problem creating meals with - dh got these on a fishing trip for $2/lb and we froze them) and a couple of other odds and ends.

 

I do a LOT of Mexican stuff already (though I do appreciate the recipes). It's cheap to cook, flavorful, and we like it a lot. I do enjoy curries (Thai and Indian, but I cook mostly Thai ones), though dh isn't HUGE on them. I love to cook a lot of ethnic foods, but I don't want to get into having to buy a bunch of different spices and stuff that I might not use often because the goal here is to save. We also enjoy lots of pasta dishes.

 

Maybe what I'm looking for is a miracle. I feel like I have a great repertoire of meals, and I think our budget is low. I'm just trying to see if I can tweak it anywhere.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Dry beans are pretty inexpensive. So are things like barley and rice. Use meat more as seasoning than as the main ingredient (maybe along with the beans). Make chili without the meat (but brown some meat for your carnivores on the side) then mix some of the meat into their portions.

[Tina]

Here's an article on eating healthy and organic for $7 a day, with a week's menu

http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100153740&page=4

 

If you search the forums at this site:

mothering.com , there are some wonderful, very long threads on eating cheaply, freezer meals and much more!

[8filltheheart]

I asked the same question a couple of weeks ago. Here is the link to the replies. I have made several of the soups and they are absolutely delicious! My older kids didn't think they liked soup that much ;) but I had a good chuckle when I went to the grocery store the other day with them and they started asking about putting ingredients in for ones they wanted me to make! :)

 

There ought to be a WTM cookbook.....there are some very good cooks on this board! :)

 

http://67.202.21.157/forums/showthread.php?t=745

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Bourbon St. Red Beans and Rice

 

1 small onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. oregano leaves

1/2 t dried sage

1-2 bay leaves

2-3 cans of Kidney Beans (not drained)

liquid smoke (3-5 drops) - do not subsitute anything, you MUST have liquid smoke.

 

Saute chopped veggies in olive oil or chicken stock (I used boullion cube and water:eek:) until softened. Add spices and beans.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Add liquid smoke and serve over rice with Jiffy cornbread and salad.

 

Black Bean Soup

 

1 cup onions, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 can of Rotel Tomatoes with Peppers

2-3 cans of black beans (do not drain)

1/4 cup of cooking sherry - must have this ingredient.

 

Saute chopped veggies. Add tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 20 minutes and then add cooking sherry and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve with Jiffy cornbread and salad.

[Stacey in MA]

My crock pot chili is very mild, so that even kiddos will eat it. It's more like a sloppy joe, I suppose. You could eliminte the ground beef completely, or substitute it with ground turkey (I've done this, and like it even better!)....

 

Crockpot Chili (in a 6qt pot)

2-3lbs ground beef, browned and drained ($6-$9)

1 28oz can diced tomatoes ($1)

1 28oz can black beans ($1)

1 28oz can kidney beans ($1)

2 14oz cans tomato sauce ($1.50)

1 can tomato paste (??)

1 bag of frozen corn kernals ($2)

1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce (if it seems too dry; $1 or $2)

chili power to taste

garlic powder to taste

 

So that's about $12 or $14 for a whole large crock pot full! (At home, we get at least 2 full dinners from this, plus a couple of snacks or lunches). If you eliminate the meat and make it vegetarian, it would be all the cheaper.... Another "trick" I do with this, is make it with whatever meat we have leftover. So, If I cook a turkey breast one night, I might do this chili the next day with chopped turkey breast meat in it instead of the purchased ground beef or ground turkey.

 

The canned beans and tomatoes tend to be a little salty, so I don't usually add any extra salt.

 

Also, I just read a recent article explaining how beans help lower cholesterol! (Most beans, but especially pintos! I will start using those next time...)

 

Hope that sounds interesting! Good luck - Stacey in MA

[StaceyinLA]

Unfortunately, I don't have a family of bean fans. I already use beans a couple nights/week and most of my kids won't touch the meals. I have a great bean/taco soup that I make. I have the black bean/ro-tel thing that was shared on here that I make, red beans/rice, white beans/rice, a bean/taco casserole that I make that's yummy, vegetarian chili, and a couple more bean dishes that I make fairly regularly. I just don't know that I can add any more beans into our diet (though I will try some of these recipes in place of mine).

 

What about pastas? Anyone got some cheap, good pasta recipes? Any other good recipes that don't necessarily call for beans?

[TCoppock]

We tend to add other vegetables to ours but this is the original recipe we base it on. It is super easy.

 

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

 

1 green pepper, sliced

 

 

1 small onion, sliced

 

 

1-1/2 cups water

 

 

2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked

 

 

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

 

 

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese

 

 

SPRAY large skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook and stir on medium-high heat 5 min. Add peppers and onions; cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

ADD water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in pasta, making sure pasta is covered with water; cover. Simmer 15 min. or until pasta is tender.

STIR in sauce. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking 5 min. or until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

[Rachel]

Rotel Chicken

1-2 cups cooked chicken (I shred from a whole chicken.....this is good for left over chicken from another dish)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups cooked rice

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Combine together and bake for 20 minutes to heat through at 350 degrees

[mcconnellboys]

Ideas:

 

The obvious first. Of course you know that you can do chicken, shrimp, sausage, and/or venison in jambalaya and gumbo. Ground beef makes for dirty rice. I'm sure you have better recipes than I for these things.

 

Other ground beef standbys for me include tacos, sloppy joes, spaghetti and meatballs (or meat sauce). If I have really good ground meat, then I make hamburger steaks from them, with various mushroom gravy, or other sauces. We also do hamburgers using spices or worchestershire sauce, etc. to spice them up. You can make your own sloppy joe type sauce. If you want a recipe for that, I can provide at least one.

 

Stews:

 

African Chicken (from Desperation Dinners)

 

I like this and you can certainly vary it in many ways. They pour their stew over couscous, but rice works just as well.

 

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about one pound)

2 tsp. olive oil

1 large onion, for one cup sliced

10 baby carrots or half cup sliced

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 can stewed tomatoes

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)

black pepper to taste

1 tsp honey

1 cup frozen zucchini or yellow squash (I often use fresh or leave out)

1 cup frozen red, yellow or green bell pepper stir fry mix (I use some fresh or leave out)

1 small can chickpeas

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

 

Thaw chicken, if frozen. Heat oil in dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Peel and slice onion, slice and add carrots. Stir occasionally. Slice the chicken into 1/2 inch wide strips. Cut the longest strips in half. Add the chicken and garlic to the pot, cover, raise the heat to high and cook 2 minutes. Uncover, stir well, immediately add stewed tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, honey, zucchini, and bell peppers. Stir again. Cover and boil 10 minutes to fully cook chicken, stirring occasionally. Drain chickpeas and stir in, along with raisins. Cook one more minute to heat and combine flavors, then serve over rice or couscous.

 

Brunswick Stew - used to be made with a meat base of squirrel, now commonly made with chicken, but could certainly also be made with venison:

(also from Desperation Dinners)

 

2tsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups cubed, frozen hash brown potatoes

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth (or beef, if using venison, maybe)

1 cup corn kernels

1 can lima beans (or use dried)

1 can black eyed peas (or use dried)

1 can stewed tomatoes (or use fresh)

about a pound of chicken or other meat

1 tblsp bacon bits or crumbled bacon (but you don't need this if using venison)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

 

Heat oil in dutch oven or soup pot over high. Add potatoes and onions. Cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring often. Add chicken broth and scrape brown from bottom of pot. Add corn, lima beans and black eyed peas, then tomatoes and meat. Stir in bacon, if using, and sugar, worchestershire, pepper, basil and thyme, then re-cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium high and continue boiling until meat is cooked through (and beans are done, if using dried).

 

Vegetable Hoppin' John

 

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 tsp minced garlic

2 cans vegetable broth

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 tsp worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cans black eyed peas (or use dried, cooked ahead)

1 package quick cooking brown rice (or use any rice)

1 can Cajun style stewed tomatoes, or use regular and add Cajun spices

 

Heat oil in dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Coarsely chop onion and pepper and add to pot. Stir. Add garlic and broth and raise heat to high. Add bouillon, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and add worchestershire, basil, and black pepper and immediately re-cover. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat to medium and let the rice cook until the broth is mostly absorbed, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and drained peas and stir to mix. Continue to cook, covered, until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes.

 

Indonesian Curried Vegetables

 

2 1/4 cups water

2 1/2 cups quick cooking brown rice (or any rice)

1 tblsp olive oil

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup green bell pepper strips

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups chopped onions

1 tblsp curry powder

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chopped ginger

2 cans diced tomatoes (or use fresh)

3 tblsp peanut butter

 

Bring water to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan. When the water boils, add the rice, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to serve.

 

Heat oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add broccoli and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally. Add pepper, cabbage, carrots and onions. Raise heat to medium high and stir occasionally. Stir in the curry powder, garlic, cumin, and ginger. Stir in the tomatoes (and juice, if using canned). Raise heat to high, cover the pot, and bring the stew to a boil. Uncover the pot and boil, stirring from time to time, for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in peanut butter, blending well. Serve over brown rice.

 

Here's a venison backstrap recipe from the Cotton Country cookbook:

 

Slice meat paper thin, slices better when partially frozen. Salt, pepper, and flour. On a chopping block, hack the meat thoroughly with a knife. Brown meat quickly in butter in a heavy skillet. Take out of the skillet and place on a paper towel to drain. Make a borwn gravy in the skillet and put the meat in the gravy. Cover and simmer 30 minutes to an hour. Bake big, camp size biscuits. Split the biscuits and put on a plate. Serve the venison and gravy over the biscuits.

 

Venison Roast

(using leg or any roast cut)

 

Have meat at room temperature. Pierce the roast and stud it with lemon peel and garlic slivers. Rub well with salt and pepper. Dot with butter and lay bacon strips over the meat. Place in a roasting pan and surround with cut up pieces of vegetables. Put a little water in the bottom of the pan. Roast at 350, 20 minutes per pound for rare; 22 minutes for medium, and you can go from there.... After placing the roast in the oven, make a dark roux, using flour and drippings, if you have them. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup red wine (if you want) slowly, stirring until thickened. Add gravy to the bottom of the roasting pan after about an hour of roasting time has elapsed.

 

Venison Burgers

 

2 1/2 pounds ground venison

1/2 cup minced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

4 tblsp chopped parsley

2/3 cup dry red wine

2 tblsp soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

 

Mix all ingredients and form meat into thick patties. Cook on a grill or broil in an oven, ten minutes on each side. Serve on buns.

 

And the new concoction I'm making for dinner tonight:

 

Brown minced onion in a pan with olive oil. Add hashbrowns, salt and pepper (maybe Tony Chachere's). Diagonally slice Manda's Beef Sausage (or any type sausage) and add to pan. Stir to blend sausage flavors with hashbrowns. Add liberal amounts of shredded cheese (or Velveta would be good, too, if I had any....) Oohlala dinner and breakfast all wrapped up in one (and a use for those darn hashbrowns that have been sittin' in the freezer forever).....

 

Want more?

 

Regena