Chalupa Soup

I made this soup today and I really love it! It has a great zesty Mexican flavor and is mild.

Chalupa Soup

1 lb. dried pinto beans
1/2 lb. eye of round steak, cut in bite sized pieces
vegetable oil spray
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 cup grated Mexican style 4 cheese
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
corn tortillas, torn into bite sized pieces
salt & pepper to taste

Wash beans and soak for 8-12 hours. Discard soaking water. Coat skillet with vegetable oil spray. Lightly brown steak over high heat. Cover beans with water, add steak, onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin. Simmer till beans are tender. Add cheese, stirring till melted. Add drained tomatoes and bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes. Place tortillas in serving bowl and add soup to bowl and serve. Enjoy!

calories: 310 for 1 cup of soup with 1 5 1/2-inch tortilla

NOTE: This soup wasn't as zesty tasting the next day. It might help to add the cheese whenever it is served and/or to spice up leftover servings with Tabasco.

Easy Vegetarian "Meat Pie"

I made some Italian Lentils a few days ago. I accidentally put them in the freezer! Tonight I defrosted it, fried some & stuffed it in a pita. It reminds me of meat pie. Very tastey! In case you would like to try it here are both recipes.

Easy Vegetarian Italian "Meat Pie"

leftover That's Italian! Lentils Florentine
Tabasco (about 5 drops per patty)
Parmesan cheese, about 1 Tbsp. per patty
vegetable oil spray
whole wheat pita bread

Cut a 3-4 inch opening at the tops of pitas. Toast if preferred or just warm in the microwave. Add Tabasco & Parmesan cheese to lentils, stirring well. Make into large patties. Spray a skillet with vegetable oil spray. Fry patties over medium heat for about 5 minutes or so, cooking on both sides. Patties are still soft after cooked. Place patties in pitas. If you squish the pita a little bit, you'll get some of the filling in each bite. Serve and enjoy!

You might want to make some of these patties to keep in your freezer, ready to be defrosted and fried for a quick tastey meal.


That's Italian! Lentils Florentine

1 cup lentils, washed
1 medium onion, peeled & microwaved whole
3 cloves garlic pressed
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
6 oz. can organic tomato paste
about 1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
a few drops of Tabasco
Parmesan cheese
black pepper, liberally

Cover lentils with water, add pressed garlic & oregano. Bring to a simmer. Add more water as often as necessary, but be careful to avoid making it soupy. Cut cooked onion in strips and add to lentils. When lentils are almost done (lentils cook quickly), add defrosted spinach. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Tabasco, pepper, olive oil and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

I Need Some Veggies!

I saw a rainbow and lots of hazey pale pink clouds as I was leaving at 6:30am to go swimming. I had a wonderful swim and my new snorkel worked well. The last time I got a new snorkel it happened to be a defective snorkel. I wish the lap pool would be open tomorrow but I think it's going to be closed for a few days. They closed it today because of a visibility problem. The life guard said she noticed I couldn't see where I was going (when I wasn't in the lap lane). The pool was also closed for the same reason very recently.

I had an afternoon appointment. Then I went to the library. I was so tired when I got home. Since I ate something I'm getting renergized. I'm hoping to have lots of vegetables for lunch tomorrow. My mom is cooking green beans and I might cook some squash, purple hull peas & ??? Now what else do I want to cook? I remember my mom cooking meals with lots of wonderful vegetables from our garden, when I was growing up.


Lentil Salad

I bought a poblano pepper and cooked it in some lentils with garlic and cumin till al dente. The lentils absorbed all the cooking liquid. For salad add olive oil mayo & malt vinegar (about half & half) + a little spicey brown mustard with plenty of black pepper. I love this lentil salad! It should have a delicious tangy taste.

Vanilla Honey Sponge Cake

I've really been enjoying baking lately. I just love to be in my kitchen whipping up something with my electric mixer (which I got very inexpensively at Target)! About a week ago I was at my mom's house and I said "don't I have an angel food cake pan with feet here?" Mom found it for me. This morning my mom and sister and I had this Vanilla Honey Sponge cake with our coffee before our Bible study & prayer meeting. This cake is good. It has a light delicate taste and texture. To me, it's kind of rich tasting even though it contains no shortening. It's low in calories though (see nutrition info after recipe). Unmolding the cake presented some difficulty, but we just sliced the cake in the pan to serve it. My mom said to use some vegetable oil spray and that this is o.k. even though the pan has to be inverted to cool. I'd recommend avoiding though, as much as possible, spraying the sides of the pan with the vegetable oil or instead just lightly greasing the bottom of the pan with oil. You can also find angel food cake pans that separate into two pieces-- which is really nice for unmolding the cake and clean up.

Click on the link for very helpful information on folding ingredients into egg whites:

http://www.ochef.com/241.htm


Vanilla Honey Sponge Cake

5 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 C unbleached all purpose flour, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup honey
1-2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine flour and salt, mixing well. Separate eggs. Beat yolks for about 5 minutes. Beat egg whites just until soft peaks form. Add vanilla. Drizzle in honey while beating. Continue to beat for 1-2 minutes, just until stiff peaks form; avoid overbeating. Fold in flour 1/4th at a time. Fold in beaten yolks. Lightly grease the bottom of an angel food cake pan. Pour in cake batter. Bake in 325F pre-heated oven for 1.25 hours or until done. Your cake may cook more quickly, so it's a good idea to check for doneness after it's cooked for 45 minutes. Carefully invert cake pan, on a bottle or on the cake pan's "feet", for cooling. Serve & enjoy!

NOTE: Freeze any cake that won't be eaten in a day.

Nutrition info:
5 eggs------------400 calories
1 C flour---------400 calories
1/2 C honey----480 calories
______________________
1 cake------------1,280 calories
1/12 cake--------128 calories

Rutabega

I cooked one of my favorite foods a different & healthier way today. It's rutabega! I usually eat rutabega that's been cooked with ham. In fact once I tried cooking it without ham and I couldn't even eat until I added ham to it. I decided cook a small rutabega in the microwave and season it with cumin. I like it a lot!

Here's my recipe:

Half a small rutabega (you'll probably need a hammer or something to use like a hammer to do this). Peel the rutabega and cut in about 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a small microwave safe cooking dish. Add water to about to about 1 1/2 inches from the top of the dish (or almost cover the rutabega with water). Loosely cover and microwave for about 7-10 minutes, stirring about every two minutes for even cooking. Add more water if needed. Sprinkle with cumin when served. Add salt and/or pepper if needed.

EDIT: I discovered that I didn't like these rutabegas nearly as well when I ate left overs.

A Great Perspective Makes Healthy Eating Fun

Today it really seems as if I have my normal stamina again. I've been wanting to return to my usual daily activities, ever since about a week and a half ago, when my physician prescribed a new medication. I even walked for a mile this evening after I made a quick trip to the grocery store. I just prepared and ate a good healthy supper-- wild salmon sandwich (recipe included) and asparagus which I bought on sale today, with frozen honey meringue for dessert.

I had never cooked merigue before. I have been interested in making meringue as a topping for pies or banana pudding, because it's fat free instead of having artery clogging fat like whipped toppings. Even if the whipped topping product says it's fat free, you can still see fat on the ingredient list, and whipped topping is something that I like a lot of. So several days ago I decided to just try my honey meringue recipe, to see how it would turn out. I discovered that it's nice for satisfying my sweet tooth after a meal. I need to adjust the recipe because 4 egg whites to 1/3 cup of honey is overly sweet. The meringue fell partially when it was in the oven and also when I froze it.

I only had a limited amount of success controlling my eating yesterday. For supper yesterday I ate at a Chinese buffet. I did fair at setting some healthy limits but got a brownie later at Books A Million! I seem to be so susceptible to this lately. I've decided that a good strategy would be to quickly walk out of Books A Million the next time this happens.

I've found that diligence in praying about self control in eating is really important. During my walk this evening, God gave me a really good new perspective, regarding making decisions to eat healthier. Choosing & eating healthy foods (instead of foods that contribute to health problems) can seem as as enjoyable as taking walks that are refreshing and good for your health-- if you have the right perspective.


Habanero Salmon Sandwiches

I purchase frozen wild salmon at Walmart, which I think is economical since it's about $4.00/lb. I've noticed that the most recent salmon I've bought seems to be a different kind of salmon because it's not as pink. It tastes kind of different from regular wild salmon but it makes a great sandwich. I would say this recipe is mild to medium hot.

For each 4 oz. salmon fillet, combine about 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil & about 5 drops Tabasco Habanero sauce on a plate. Mix the hot sauce into the oil with a fork. Coat each fillet. Sprinkle liberally with True Lemon (crystallized lemon). Cook in a low to medium hot skillet for about 5-8 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily and the inside of the fish appears lighter. Serve on light wheat buns.

EDIT: Recently the frozen salmon I've bought at Walmart is a good quality chum salmon, pre-portioned for 4-8 servings. I like to add more Tabasco than is in the recipe, because you don't taste the spicyness of the Tabasco nearly as much in a sandwich.

Meatloaf, Exercise & Bible Study

I swam today. I was gung ho yesterday and both swam and went for a walk. We've been having nice weather and I'm loving the extra hour of daylight now! Besides getting a new swimsuit, I recently got some new walking shoes. My past three pairs of walking shoes were given to my by my mom, and they were already broken in. This must have sort of spoiled my feet, because my ankles are quite ouchy since trying to break in my new walking shoes. I can't wait until this "ouchy"ness is gone and it seems to be a little better.

I've been busy working on my Ephesians Bible study which I like. It's taking a lot of determination and good time management for the homework part. This is the first Precept Bible study I've really participated in. Covering the Precept Study selected Bible book text, from a lot of different angles, keeps you immersed in the scripture you're studying, and really seems to help it sink into your mind, even if it's scripture you're familiar with.

I made a good tofu and ground turkey meatloaf this weekend. I love meatloaf! I thought the texture and taste was a lot like regular meatloaf. It had a mild but good flavor. My mom said it was good but she'd prefer it with more meat and less tofu. Here is the recipe if you're interested. This recipe is kind of random, since I decided to put a little of my piquant homemade BBQ sauce in it. Instead of the BBQ sauce you may want to try adding some Italian tomato paste, more Worcestershire sauce, or dry soup mix.

Ground Turkey & Tofu Meatloaf

1 tube ground turkey (I think approximately 1 lb.)
14 oz. extra-firm tofu in water, prefrozen & thawed
1/3 cup instant milk
about 3/4 cup water
1 egg
2-3 tbsp. of my piquant homemade BBQ sauce
3/4 cup rolled oats
8 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 small-medium onion, microwaved whole
vegetable oil spray

Slice tofu into 6 large cubes and try to squeeze all the water out of the tofu. Place tofu in a large bowl and crumble it. Add ground turkey and mix well. Blenderize water, instant milk, egg, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, onion and garlic. Add to tofu and meat mixture. Mix well. Add rolled oats (just enough for the right consistency). Place in a pan which has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Shape meatloaf (about 2 1/2-3 inches thick, for quicker cooking). Bake uncovered in 350F preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until done.

Casserole of Baked Beans, Potatoes & Beef

A few months ago I found some casseroles made with pork n' beans or baked beans, ground beef & potatoes which sure sounded good. I thought something like this might be good to help me curb my recent fast food cravings. I've haven't eaten any fast food recently. Go me!

I love Angus ground beef, which is on sale, and I decided to extend the wonderful Angus beef flavor with tofu, which also makes it low fat and economical. Tofu absorbs flavors really well and often tastes like meat, depending on how it's prepared.

This makes a large casserole, but you could half the recipe. I cooked this with canned no added salt tomato sauce & navy beans because I really watch sodium in my diet. I tried to give it that great baked bean flavor though. I like this recipe a lot! It's a pretty involved recipe but fun and it would be great for times when you're bored and want
something to do.

Casserole of Baked Beans, Potatoes & Beef

1 lb. ground chuck, browned and drained of fat (try Angus beef when you can find it on sale)
14 oz. extra-firm tofu, prefrozen, defrosted, squeezed dry & crumbled
1 slice cooked bacon, crumbled
3 lbs. russet potatoes in jackets, microwaved & sliced in 3/4 - 1 inch rounds
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 15 oz. cans navy beans, bean broth reserved
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 onion, peeled and microwaved whole
1/2 green bell pepper, cut in strips and microwaved
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1 Tbsp. spicey brown mustard
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 dash Tabasco
about 1 Tbsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. or so paprika
dried parsley, generously
dried mustard, sparingly
salt to taste
vegetable oil spray

Add to blender tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper & bacon, blending after each ingredient added. Pour into a large pot sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Add reserved bean broth, 1 cup of water, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, molasses, brown mustard, dry mustard, spices and parsley. Simmer slowly for 5-10 minutes. Add beef and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add tofu and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste ( I usually like a lot of pepper but this didn't even taste like it needed pepper). Remove from heating element and cover with lid.

Spray a large rectangular pan (about 11 x 15 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches deep) with vegetable oil spray. Add olive oil to coat pan. Line pan with potato rounds. Sprinkle lightly with salt and dried parsley.

Add beans to beef mixture. Adjust seasonings. Pour bean mixture over potatoes and bake in 350 F oven for 30-40 minutes. It's okay if there's a little juice in the pan that hasn't absorbed into the casserole yet. Cover with foil after removing from oven (or before if top of casserole dries out or browns too quickly). Serve (tell everyone it's better if they cut up their potatoes) & enjoy!

Creative Frugal Recipes

I like making up my own recipes. Here are some of my favorite frugal recipes. They're mostly dishes of beans or lentils deliciously combined with tastey vegetables. I've gotten compliments from family members on these recipes, except for the "Very Veggie Lentils" which they haven't sampled yet.

Frugal creative cooking is fun!

Creamy Pumpkin Kale Soup

I give this recipe five stars! It was requested for Thanksgiving too.

1 C beans (15 beans mix)
1 large bunch of kale
1 can of pumpkin
1 onion
1 can evaporated milk
vegetable oil spray
salt and pepper to taste

Wash beans and soak for 8 hours. Discard soaking water. Cover beans with water and boil until tender (about 1 hour). Set aside beans, reserving bean broth.
Wash and de-stem kale. Spray a large pot with vegetable oil spray. Add kale and 1/2 inch of water. Cover and cook over medium high heat just until tender, stirring often and adding more water as needed. Set aside kale to cool, reserving the vegetable broth.
Peel onion and leave whole. Spray a small microwave safe cooking dish with vegetable oil. Add onion, cover loosely and microwave on high for 5 - 10 minutes. Allow to cool some then cut onion in half.

Add evaporated milk to blender. Add onion and blend till smooth.
Set aside half of onion/evaporated milk mixture (leaving the other half in the blender). Add half of kale to blender. Blend until finely chopped. Repeat with remaining kale and onion/evaporated milk mixture.

Add kale mixture to a large pot. Add bean broth and vegetable broth from the kale. Add pumpkin, stirring well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Add beans and simmer for 2 minutes.
For the best flavor prepare a day ahead.


Hearty Pottage

2 qt. homemade chicken or turkey broth
1/2 lb. dried black-eyed peas (no presoaking needed)
1 medium sweet potato, microwaved till done
1 large onion, microwaved till done
5-6 green onions, cut in 2-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
6 oz. tomato paste
1 small head of cabbage, cut in 1/2-inch slices
1/2 green bell pepper, in small 1-inch long strips, sauteed
3 large mushrooms, in 1/2-inch cubes, sauteed
4 drops of Tabasco
coarsely ground black pepper
Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning (to lightly season)
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
vegetable oil spray

Wash and drain black-eyed peas. Add 1 qt. homemade broth to a sauce pan. Add peas and partially cook (for about 15-20 minutes). Add 2 cups of homemade broth to blender. Slice microwaved sweet potato in eighths and puree with the broth. Add to black-eyed peas. Add another 2 cups of homemade broth to blender. Coarsely chop microwaved onion and puree with the broth. Add to black-eyed peas. Add tomato paste and mix thoroughly.
Spray a large pot with vegetable oil spray. Add cabbage and 1/2 cup of water. Partially cook cabbage over medium heat, being careful to add additional water, a little at a time, as needed.
Add black-eyed pea mixture, green onions, garlic, black pepper and about 4-6 shakes of Cavender's Greek seasoning. Simmer until cabbage and black-eyed peas are done. Stir in green bell pepper, mushrooms and Tabasco and cook about one more minute. Stir in olive oil.


Very Veggie Lentils

1 lb. lentils
2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
2 plum tomatoes, cut in chunks
10 green onions, sliced
8 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (add more if needed)
2 small carrots very thinly sliced
salt
coarsely ground black pepper

Wash and sort lentils. Add water to about 1/2-1 inch above lentils and add garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer about 7-10 minutes. When the lentils begin to get tender, add tomato and alternately add about half of the green onions, carrots, and spinach gradually. Turn off heat and gradually add remaining green onions, carrots, and spinach. Stir till spinach wilted. Most of the water will have absorbed into the lentils. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt lightly and add a small amount of coarsely ground black pepper.
The lentils have a great nutlike taste and all the veggies in it really taste terrific.


Italian Lentils a la Bleu

This is a very hearty dish with lively Italian flavor!

1 lb. lentils
5.5 oz. package green onions, in 1/2 to 1-inch slices (about 1 1/2 - 2 bunches)
about 1 C frozen cut leaf spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
Tomato paste with garlic, basil, and oregano
coarsely ground pepper
Bleu Cheese, crumbled
Wash and sort lentils. Add just enough water to cover lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes. Add 2/3rds of green onions. Add frozen spinach and olive oil. Simmer, stirring frequently, until lentils are al dente, adding reserved green onions during the last minute or two of cooking time. Add Balsamic vinegar and add pepper to taste
Serve with tomato paste and bleu cheese.


Bean and Bowtie Casserole

This is kind of a dressy spin on beans.

1 lb. dried beans (15 kinds of beans)(reserve 2 3/4 C of bean broth)
1/2 lb. bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
3/4 - 1 C shredded colby jack cheese (or your favorite)
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, minced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 clove of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
2 drops of Tabasco, or to taste
plain yogurt or sour cream

Soak beans 8 hrs. Drain and boil until the navy beans (the small white beans) are al dente. Drain beans reserving bean broth. Cool beans and pasta. Salt and pepper beans, to taste. Add pasta and beans to a large bowl, mix well.
Cool and strain bean broth. Add 2 3/4 C of broth to blender. Turn blender on low and gradually add flour, then add tomato sauce. Pour broth-tomato mixture into a greased sauce pan. Add garlic and Tobasco.
Cook broth mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously, until bubbly. Add bacon and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Add onion and green pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour sauce over bean and pasta mixture. Mix well.
Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake in 350 F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly, and serve.
Makes 6 large servings or 8 or more medium servings.
This is great with a with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.


Mexican Black Beans

I love the black beans at Cuco's Mexican restaurant. I found ideas for my recipe at Epicurious.com, which has recipes from Gourmet, and Bon Appetit! magazines. The beans will cook down a lot.

3 lbs. black beans
1 quart Organic Swanson's chicken broth
1 1/2 heads of garlic, pressed
juice of 2 limes
1 Tablespoon or more ground cumin
2 to 3 teaspoons or more cayenne
1 or more jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
salt to taste
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
plain non-fat yogurt or sour cream

Soak beans 8 hrs. or overnight. Discard soaking water. Add chicken broth. Add enough water to cover beans well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hrs, adding more water as needed. Add olive oil, lime juice, cumin, cayenne, garlic, jalapeno, and salt while cooking over medium heat. Simmer, stirring often until too thick to simmer--about 1-2 hrs, adjusting seasonings as needed (this splatters-- so to get it to thicken more, you may prefer to bake it in the oven during the final cooking stage). To each serving add shredded Monterey Jack cheese and top with about 1 tablespoon of yogurt or sour cream, and slightly swirl it into the beans.

Three Bean Salad
This salad is unique because it has three different kinds of dried beans.
1/2 lb. small red beans
1/2 lb. navy beans
1/2 lb. garbanzo beans
light mayo
apple cider vinegar
spicey brown mustard
salt to taste
coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

Wash beans. In separate pots, cover beans with several inches of water and soak for about 8 hrs. Discard soaking water. Then add more water and simmer beans until al dente. Drain and cool on plates. Salt lightly.When beans are cooled, add 1/4 cup of each type of bean to each serving bowl, add bean salad dressing and blend. Add plenty of coarsely ground black pepper and salt to taste.

Bean Salad Dressing
3 - 4 parts light mayo
1 part apple cider vinegar
scant amount of spicey brown mustard
(Shur-Fine and Kroger's are good brands of brown mustard)


Spinach Dip Stuffed Pitas

These sandwiches are really tasty and super healthy-- a great way for sandwich lovers to eat more veggies. They are quick and easy to prepare too.
Fat free yogurt cheese (with several layers of cheesecloth, strain yogurt for an hour or so to make cheese)
frozen chopped spinach
onion, chopped
mushrooms, chopped coarsely
onion powder
McCormicks Season-All OR Greek seasoning
sliced avocado
whole wheat pitas
extra virgin olive oil
OPTIONAL Tabasco

Microwave frozen spinach just until hot. Squeeze out moisture well. Let cool. Add spinach to yogurt cheese. Add a little onion powder and Season All or Greek seasoning, and a few drops of Tabasco, if desired. Stir in onion, mushrooms and any of the optional ingredients you choose. Halve pitas, toast (if preferred) and drizzle insides of pitas with olive oil. Stuff pitas with spinach mixture and avocados. Enjoy!