Elise
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Slo Coast Cooking's "Eat Well For Less" New Year Challenge
by Elise Griffith
Every New Year brings fresh goals for most folks. It's a bit like starting with a freshly painted, empty room. You get to decide which pieces of furniture and decorative embellishments you'd like to keep, what you'd rather dispose of. Millions of Americans vow every January 1st that they're going to eat better in the coming year. After the holidays, most of us are determined to save money. What if your goals are actually possible long-term in 2012?
Over the holidays, I noticed an Olive Garden Restaurant is going in by the new Target store in San Luis Obispo. My mother simply loves the endless soup, salad and breadstick meal they offer. Soup and salad are nutritious; they're also a great way to get your "five a day" from the vegetable and fruit portion of a healthy diet. The following chunky, hearty and delicious soup is low in fat (or fat free), high in fiber, and power packed with five vegetable servings per bowl. If you're diabetic — as my husband is — you can eat as many bowls as you'd like while still keeping your numbers in check.
Note: One large pot will feed a family for a few days at less than $5.00!
Crazy Good Cabbage Soup
- 6 cups (minimum) chicken or vegetable broth – I used homemade chicken broth
- 1 large, sweet onion, halved and sliced thin
- 3-4 cups sliced, fresh celery
- 4 large, unpeeled carrots, sliced thin
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- Salt, pepper and fresh or dried herbs of your choice
- 1 small to medium head of green cabbage, cored, quartered and sliced thin
- 2 cups cooked or canned, drained white beans if desired [optional]
In a large pot over medium heat, bring broth, onion, celery and carrots to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes (or until carrots are tender). Add the entire contents of two cans of diced tomatoes, seasonings, herbs and thinly sliced cabbage. Stir well to combine, cover and bring the soup back to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer soup at a low boil for 5-10 minutes (or until cabbage is tender) and stir in white beans if desired before serving. The soup is great with thick slices of fresh, French bread and fruit.
A brand new year is the perfect time to try new things… like making your own healthier, delicious restaurant-worthy meals incorporating dried lentils to extend pricier, low fat ground beef or ground turkey. It might sound crazy, but those lentils add fiber and nutrients (for as little as 88 cents per pound), while not affecting the flavor of the following classic recipes:
Better for You Beefy Ground Meat Base
- 2-3 pounds lean ground beef (no more than 80/20 lean to fat ratio) or ground turkey
- 1 envelope French Onion Soup mix or 2-3 beef bouillon cubes*
- 1 cup dry brown lentils
- 4 cups very hot water*
*as an alternative, substitute soup mix or bouillon cubes and water with 4 cups of homemade beef stock
Top of Stove Method: break up and brown ground meat in a large, nonstick pot over medium heat. Drain and rinse browned ground beef in a colander; do not drain browned ground turkey. Return ground beef to pot. Add French Onion Soup mix or beef bouillon cubes, dry lentils and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat reduce to low, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally (about 35-45 minutes). Cool and refrigerate before separating into 2 cup portions.
Crock Pot Method: break up and brown ground meat in a large, deep, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drain and rinse browned ground beef in a colander; do not drain browned ground turkey. Transfer meat to your crock pot. Add French Onion Soup mix or bouillon cubes, dry lentils and water. Set your crock pot to low and cook until all liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally (4-6 hours). Cool completely before separating into 2 cup portions.
How does that recipe save money and time? It saves money by extending your ground meat without sacrificing protein. The recipe also saves time throughout the week, because you have pre-cooked portions of a tasty base for any number of quick meals. 2 cup portions are freezable in quart sized, zip top storage bags or freezer containers.
Better for You Spaghetti with Beefy Sauce: stir 2 cups of your base recipe into 1 (23.5 to 26.5 ounce) jar or can of spaghetti sauce; 3-4 cups of homemade sauce also works. Add sliced, fresh mushrooms if desired, and serve over 1 (16 ounce) package of cooked pasta to serve 4 with enough left over for 1 lunch.
Better for You Beefy Enchiladas: combine 2 cups of your base recipe with 1 cup homemade or bottled salsa and ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese; spoon the mixture into the center of corn or wheat tortillas, roll and arrange the enchiladas (seam side down) in a baking dish that's been prepared with canola oil spray. Sprinkle an additional ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top, cover baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Recipe makes enough for 4-5 entrees.
From where I cook… eating healthier meals doesn't have to be costly or boring. Our location is perfect for growing most herbs and many vegetables. You don't have to own a large plot of land; one rosemary bush will supply you, your neighbors, co-workers, family and friends with an ample supply year after year. As I discovered in 2011, one potted tomato plant will pump out several gallons of small, flavorful fruits for canning, drying or freezing. Thyme and oregano are ideal plants for hanging baskets. Oregon sugar peas can be planted in a small space as early as February on our strip of coastline, and root vegetables can be grown in deep pots from starts or seed. Start planning your kitchen garden now to grow your own organic harvests! And don't forget legumes to add low cost, nonfat, high fiber protein to your diet.
Next month I'll share how to make your own chocolate candies in time for Valentine's Day!
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