Tuesday Tastiness #22 - Italian Rice Bake

Did you miss Tuesday Tastiness last week? I have been battling a headache for a week now and am finally beginning to feel better. I used to have headaches on a regular basis and am so thankful that I don't suffer with them as I used to. This week has reminded me of that! It is very unusual for me to keep one for several days since I have changed our family's eating habits and I can't really put my finger on the reason for this one except that it might be hormonal. I'm at "that age", you know. But I'm feeling better now and on the upswing and can actually look at the computer screen for more than a couple of minutes without having to go curl up in my recliner in pain. I am very thankful for that today!

So on to this week's recipe!

This week's recipe is an Italian adaptation of the Mexican Skillet I posted a while back. Many of my recipes are very basic and similar in content which is a wonderful way to stretch those grocery funds when you are working with a limited budget. I can get by with the "basics" and create some very good meals out of similar ingredients. If you prefer pasta in your Italian meals, you could adapt this recipe to use pasta rather than rice. But I like the nutrition that rice brings to the dish, so I don't use the pasta.

My kids and one of their friends enjoyed this dish and gave it a hearty recommendation. I hope your family enjoys it, too!

Italian Rice Bake

1 lb. hamburger (I use grass-fed/finished when possible)

3 c. cooked brown rice (Cook 1 cup rice in 2 cups water)

4 cups (2 cans) diced tomatoes (fresh, canned, or frozen from your garden)

2 slices onion

1 t. garlic powder

1 T. salt (I use Real Salt)

2 t. Italian seasoning

3 cups cooked white beans (great northern or navy)

1/2 lb. grated cheese (or less if your family doesn't love it as much as mine)

Brown the hamburger. Cook the rice. (Hint: Cooked rice freezes very well. Make up a large batch and freeze in 1 or 2 cup portions to have available when needed.)

My children don't like chunky tomatoes or onions, so I put the tomatoes and onion in the blender and blend until smooth.

Stir all ingredients together, except cheese. Put into a 9 x 13 pan and cover with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until bubbly.

Enjoy!!

This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family


Real Food Wednesday at Kelly The Kitchen Kop

Tuesday Tastiness #21 - Sausage Gravy

As promised, today I will post my recipe for the delicious gravy I make with last week's recipe for beef sausage.

I love to make homemade gravy. For a long, long time I bought the package of white gravy mix and added water. I decided it had too many ingredients that I didn't want going into our bodies, so I quit making gravy at all. Then I discovered that you can make delicious gravy with real, whole foods. And we are eating it again! This is a very basic recipe that many whole foodies use as a base for all sorts of good things. Let's get started!

Homemade Sausage Gravy

1/3 cup flour (I use a mixture of unbleached and whole wheat)

1/3 cup butter or coconut oil (real butter or good quality coconut oil)

3 1/4 cups milk (I use raw milk when available)

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

Pinch of Italian seasoning (optional)

1/4 pound homemade beef sausage

Melt butter and add flour. Stir or whisk until smooth and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and cook til thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Add seasonings and sausage and heat through.

Serve over biscuits or toast.

Delicious!

This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family

Tuesday Tastiness #20 - Beef Sausage

Welcome to this week's Tuesday Tastiness! I'm so glad you have joined me once again!

Today I thought I would let you know how I make beef sausage. If you have ever read the ingredients on a package of sausage, you know all the undesirable fillers that are there! The packages of the healthier versions are usually cost-prohibitive. So I love this idea! I found the recipe on allrecipes.com and follow it fairly closely to the original recipe posted (except I use beef instead of ground turkey and adjust the ingredients that give it heat).

Homemade Beef Sausage

2 pounds hamburger meat (I use grass-fed/finished when able)

3/4 t ground ginger

1 1/2 t salt (I use Real Salt)

1 t dried sage

1/4 t cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

3/4 t ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

There are two different ways to make this sausage:

1. You can make sausage patties by mixing all the ingredients together with your hands, form into patties, and cook in a pan or on a griddle, on both sides, till browned.

2. You can crumble the meat in a pan, add the rest of the ingredients and stir till browned. If you like to drain your meat, cook the meat first, drain, then add the other ingredients and warm through.

I usually make a big batch using the second choice, and freeze in bags with 1/2 pound each, because I like to add a bit of the sausage to scrambled eggs and white gravy for a delicious meal of "breakfast for supper".
Next week, look forward to my recipe of wonderful, healthy gravy!

And enjoy your sausage!

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This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

Ultimate Recipe Swap at Thursdays at Life As Mom
 

Tuesday Twister at GNOWFGLINS
 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family

Tuesday Tastiness #19 - Easy Fruit-Sweetened Berry Crisp

This is my adaptation of a recipe a friend of mine gave me when she was on the Daniel Fast at the beginning of this year. I am not sure if this recipe is on a Daniel Fast website or not, but I think it is. The reason it is a Daniel Fast recipe is that it has no added sugar (only sugar from the fruits) and uses dairy-free margarine or butter. Of course, you know I will only suggest real butter. :o)

I thought it would be a great recipe to share this week since I gave my recipe for granola last week. What timing!

And it tastes wonderful!

Easy Fruit-Sweetened Berry Crisp

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries

1/2 cup apricot preserves (fruit-only type like Smuckers Simply Fruit, etc.) (I am thinking any type of preserves would work if you don't want to use apricot)

1 1/2 cups granola

Butter

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix berries and preserves. Place berry mixture in a greased 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 dish.

Sprinkle granola evenly over the top of the berries and scatter dots of butter on top of granola (or melt the butter and pour it over).

Bake for about 25 minutes or until granola is a little browned and berries are bubbly. Serves 4-6.

Enjoy!!

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This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker
 

Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom
 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family
 

Tuesday Twister

Tuesday Tastiness #18 - Granola

It had been a while since I made granola and this week I decided it had just been too long. I made up a batch and am thoroughly enjoying it! I love this recipe because the only sweetener used is a natural one - honey.


As I have started my health food journey along the lines of Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, this recipe is one of those controversial ones that she would not approve of. She believes in soaking grains to neutralize the effects of the phytic acids in grains and, although it seems to make sense to me, I have also read opposing arguments and, honestly, I AM JUST SO CONFUSED. So for now, I do my best. Maybe someday I'll soak. For soaked granola recipes, go here, or here. For more information on soaking grains, go here or here. And for all the information you ever wanted to know about the pros AND cons of soaking, go here.

Now that I have you thoroughly confused along with me, here's the recipe:

Granola

4 cups rolled oats (I DO use the rolled oats rather than the quick ones. I DO believe the less the processing, the more nutrition)

1/2 cup butter (I DO use real butter) (I have also used a combination of butter and coconut oil)

1/2 cup honey (I have a local supplier and love it!)

1 T cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut ( I buy from the HFS or food coop, not the kind with added sugar on the grocery store shelves)

1/2 cup pecans, almonds or other nuts

Also: Raisins, sunflower seeds, any dried fruit, anything else that sounds good - just throw it in

Melt honey and butter together and pour over all ingredients. (Some say to add the dried fruit after baking. I just add it all in together at the beginning.) Bake on a cookie sheet (I cover with parchment paper) at 350 for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Continue to bake until golden brown and crispy. (Do not overbake! Tastes burnt and icky! Not good!) Cool on cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!!

I attribute this recipe to an old friend, Tina, at Taste of Health. I could not find her website this morning, so if any of my friends who also know her can direct me to it again, I will be happy to post it here to give her credit. She credits Breadbeckers as her original source, but she modified it to suit her tastes. But I think since she posted this a few years ago, she has gone vegan and raw, so I don't know if she cares whether she gets credit for it or not at this point. lol

This post linked to:


Food on Fridays
 

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family

Tuesday Tastiness #17 - Mexican Skillet

This week's recipe is one that I consider a healthy, made-from-scratch "hamburger helper". Delicious and easy!

Since I wasn't on top of things this evening, here is the "after" picture. See how much we love it?!

Mexican Skillet

1 lb. hamburger (I use grass-fed/finished when possible)

Onion, diced small, to taste (1/2 cup or so)*

1 16 oz. can tomatoes (I use fresh or frozen from the garden when I have them)*

1 can Rotel (I use mild)*

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

6 cups cooked rice (I use long-grain brown rice, organic when possible) (Cook 2 cups dry rice in 4 cups water for approximately 6 cups cooked rice)

1 or 2 T salt (I use Real Salt)

1 T cumin

1 T garlic powder

1 T chili powder

1/2 lb. grated cheese (or less if you don't like a lot. We like a lot!)

Brown hamburger with onion in 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add all other ingredients except cheese and simmer 10 minutes or so. Sprinkle cheese over top, cover, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*If you don't like "chunky", you can put tomatoes, Rotel, and onion in a blender and blend until smooth. This works well for kids!

This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family

Tuesday Tastiness #16 - Simple Winter Salad

Today's recipe is a simple one. When making salads in the summer, I love using fresh summer veggies - tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers from the garden or farmers market. But in the winter, I love to use vegetables that are more hardy and associated with the colder months.

Simple Winter Salad

Romaine Lettuce

Fresh baby spinach leaves

Carrots (I buy regular carrots, not baby carrots, since they are cheaper and I can buy organic for only pennies more than non-organic at Walmart)

Red cabbage

See how simple that is! I just tear the lettuce and spinach into bite-size pieces, slice a carrot (I don't even peel it when I buy organic carrots), and chop up part of a head of red cabbage. Toss it all together and top with my homemade ranch dressing. I usually fill a large serving bowl and have the salad available for two or three days that way. Since there are no veggies in it that break down quickly (like tomatoes in the summer) it will last very well for a few days in the fridge. These particular vegetables are reasonably-priced during the winter months, too, so it is a very cost-effective AND healthy way to eat salad during the winter.

Enjoy!!

This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge
 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly The Kitchen Kop
 

Works For Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer

Tuesday Tastiness #15 - A Word from God

Today will be an unusual Tuesday Tastiness. We are going to Taste and See that the Lord is GOOD!

I want to encourage you today with an entry from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It is a wonderful devotional that I love to read and gain beautiful encouragement from. It is written as if God is speaking directly to the reader. Although I got to spend an enjoyable hour and a half or so today in the car with a good friend, my nerves have been on edge and feel a bit frayed this evening. As I was reading through the devotional to catch up on a few entries to help calm those frayed nerves, I came across the February 27 entry that says:

Keep your eyes on Me! Waves of adversity are washing over you, and you feel tempted to give up. As your circumstances consume more and more of your attention, you are losing sight of Me. Yet I am with you always, holding you by your right hand. I am fully aware of your situation, and I will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear.
Your gravest danger is worrying about tomorrow. If you try to carry tomorrow's burdens today, you will stagger under the load and eventually fall flat. You must discipline yourself to live within the boundaries of today. It is in the present moment that I walk close to you, helping you carry your burdens. Keep your focus on My Presence in the present.

Isn't that just awesome!!!! It has really helped me put circumstances back into proper focus and place my attention on the Source tonight. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.

This post linked to:


Works For Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer

Tuesday Tastiness #14 - Sloppy Joes

Well, I am yet again posting Tuesday Tastiness on a Wednesday morning. I have become bogged down in the homeschool planner prep - trying to get more pages created and all put together and on the market soon! It is definitely the time of year that homeschool moms begin thinking about the next school year and I hope to have a new product for sale that will help their next school year run more smoothly! And I still have to create a website...and...convert to pdf...and...oh, I can't think about it right now.

The day-to-day duties just seem to get away from us when we're busy on a project, don't they? But this morning, I have washed and dried a load of towels, washed a sink full of dishes, put on stock pots of beef and chicken bone broth, and put some red beans in a bowl to soak. I'm finally ready to settle down with my laptop and type. I love to type. :o)

So...Tuesday Tastiness.

Today I thought I'd post a homemade recipe for sloppy joes. I really enjoy this recipe and love serving it to my family. I know that it is not TOTALLY healthy, but I love the taste and do believe that it is definitely better for us than the cans or jars of sloppy joe sauce that you can buy. There is really not a whole lot more prep than opening a ready-to-heat can of sauce, except for chopping a little onion.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef (I use grass-fed/finished when I'm able)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 of an 8 oz. can tomato sauce (I must tell you sometime how I buy organic tomato sauce for a price not much higher than the GV brand at Walmart) (And since I usually double this recipe for my ravenous family, I use a whole 8 oz. can)

3 T. barbecue sauce (anyone have a healthy recommendation?)

1 T. mustard

1 1/2 t. worcestershire sauce (anyone have a healthy recommendation?)

1/2 t. celery seed (I love this ingredient in this recipe! It really adds a good flavor)

Pepper, to taste

Cook ground beef and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns with all the accompaniments of your choice. I usually buy whole wheat buns (will figure out how to make them someday) and serve with slaw, beans, oven-fried potatoes, sliced tomatoes, etc.

Very tasty!

This post linked to:

The Grocery Cart Challenge

 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family

 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop 

Tuesday Tastiness #13 - A Nice Pot of Beans

 

I love cooking beans. They are an economical way to feed my family either by making them the main dish or by using them to supplement and stretch the meat portion of the meal. Today I'll give you some idea of the savings of cooking up your own beans over buying cans of beans as well as basic cooking instructions if you are new to the whole bean thing. At the end I'll post my favorite way to cook a large pot of pinto beans. I like to freeze in 2-cup or 4-cup portions (for ease of comparing to how they are sold in cans at the store) so they are available for using when I need them.

First, the cost comparisons. I round amounts because I don't relish thinking too hard. A 2-pound bag of dry beans costs approximately $2. It will make approximately 16 cups of cooked beans, which is approximately equivalent to 8 cans (2 cups per can), which would make the cost approximately 25 cents per 2 cups (equal to one can). Compare that to approximately 75 cents to $1 per can in the grocery store and the savings can really add up if you cook a lot of beans! Of course, you have to factor in the amount of heat used on the stove and the small amount you may spend on freezer bags or containers, so you can decide for yourself if it is worth the effort for you. I believe it is worth the effort for me because I can buy bags of organic beans from Azure Standard for a very similar price to the bags of non-organic beans in Walmart, and I enjoy knowing that my final product is cooked in the types of pots I am comfortable with and I can use my own preferred salt and other seasonings. I like being in control. But that is another issue.

When I plan to cook a pot of beans, I actually start a few days early. There really is very little preparation, but it does require training yourself to think ahead rather than deciding at 5 o'clock in the evening what you might be cooking for supper that night (especially if it involves some beans). I sort through the beans to make sure I get rid of any dirt clumps that may be in the bag with them. Then rinse in a colander. I place them in a bowl with warm water and a tablespoon or two of vinegar (you can also use whey or lemon juice) to soak for 12-48 hours. When it is time to cook, pour off the soaking water, cover with fresh cooking water, and be sure to skim off the foam that is created as the beans are beginning to boil. Simmer, covered, till soft, usually 2-4 hours, depending on the type of beans. Add more water and stir as necessary. There are all kinds of websites and books that explain why all the early prep is helpful, but Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon explains it this way:

"Such care in preparation ensures that legumes [beans] will be thoroughly digestible, and all the nutrients they provide well assimilated because such careful preparation neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and breaks down difficult-to-digest complex sugars."

As far as seasoning goes, I usually don't season while cooking a large amount of beans. I cook in water, cool, then freeze. And then season them after I thaw them depending on what I intend to use them for at that time.

Okay - finally - my favorite way to cook pinto beans. This is a very versatile recipe and can be used in many recipes or simply as a main dish served with corn muffins, oven-fried potatoes, sliced tomatoes and spinach. Yes, spinach. My mother always cooked spinach and fried potatoes with her pinto beans, so therefore...so do I.

Paula's Pinto Beans

2 lb dry pinto beans, soaked and cooked

1/2 to 1 onion, sliced or diced however you like it

1 can Rotel (we use mild)

Homemade beef broth from the freezer (I use any excuse to slip some healthy bone broth into my cooking. Use as much as you prefer to use. I usually just add 2 cups or so. It adds flavor and wonderful nutrients to everything you put it in)

2 T salt (I use Real Salt)

1 T chili powder (or Williams Original Chili Seasoning. It claims to have no MSG, but it does have unidentified "spices" so who really knows)

1 T garlic powder

1 T cumin

(If you read my post about how I make taco seasoning, you will see the spices are the same in this recipe).

Simmer for as long as you like to blend the flavors. I usually freeze the leftovers for using in taco meat - or chili if I don't have any red beans cooked up and frozen.

Have fun and Enjoy!

This post linked to:


Food on Fridays at ann kroeker
 

The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

An Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family


Real Food Wednesday at Cheeseslave

Tuesday Tastiness #12 - Homemade Taco Mix

I like to make my taco mix because I know what is in there when I do. I don't like all of the elusive "other spices" in the mixes that are in the grocery store. One of the first changes I made to our diet a few years ago was to cut out as much MSG as possible. And from what I have read, even mixes that claim "no MSG" can have it hidden in the "other spices" under various different names. After giving up MSG by learning to cook from scratch and ditching all the boxed convenience foods and pre-packaged mixes I used to buy, my headaches have all but disappeared. I can't say for certain that it was the MSG because we were making several changes at the same time, but I have read so many things about MSG causing migraines, I can't help but believe that getting rid of it played a big part in my relief!

So.....

Homemade Taco Mix

1 T. chili powder (read the label!)

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. cumin

1-2 t. salt (I use Real Salt)

This makes the equivalent of one packet mix. You can mix up a big batch if you prefer and use 3-4 T. per recipe.

If you have a taco mix you enjoy making, I'd love for you to post it in the comments!

This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 


Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family
 

Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Tuesday Tastiness #11 - Taco Meat

Whenever possible, I buy grass-fed/finished beef. Of course, I pay more than Walmart prices when I do. So I have had to devise a plan to stre-e-e-e-etch those meats as far as they can go.

When I make tacos, I add beans and rice into the meat. I know I could just serve them as a side dish, but knowing my family, they would fill as many shells as they could with that 1 pound of beef, leave the beans and rice on the stove, and exit the table still hungry.

So I got creative...and the family loves it. These tacos are good!

Taco Meat - Frugal-Style

1 lb. hamburger (I use grass-fed/finished)

2 cups cooked pinto beans (mashed or left whole or half/half) (I sometimes make these beans into ranch beans before adding them to the taco meat. Adds good flavor!)

1- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I use brown rice)

8 oz. can tomato sauce

10 t. taco mix (I use homemade)

1/2 cup water

Brown hamburger and add all other ingredients. Simmer 10-15 minutes and eat!

This post linked to:


The Grocery Cart Challenge




Real Food Wednesday at Cheeseslave 

Tuesday Tastiness #10 - Egg Spinach Casserole

I am the master of food clip art and homemade food pics, aren't I? Maybe not. But I should be getting better soon. We can only hope.

I got this recipe from a homeschooling message board a couple of years ago (thanks, Sheryl!) and enjoy making it as a meatless supper once a month or so. You can add bacon or sausage if you wish, but since my purpose for making it is to go meatless and save those dollars, I don't add it in very often.

I make it in an 8 x 8 dish for me, my husband, and oldest son since our other two kids usually just prefer scrambled eggs that night, but you can easily double it for a 9 x 13.

Egg Spinach Casserole

1 10 oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (or whatever cheese you like)

1/2 onion, chopped fine

2 T flour

4 eggs, beaten (Free-range, farm-fresh are best if you have them. Delicious and good for you!)

1 cup milk (You know me by now - raw is my preference when I can get it)

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare frozen spinach as directed on package. Squeeze out moisture very well and allow to cool.
Mix together cheese, onion, and flour.

Beat eggs and milk together. Add salt and pepper.

Combine all ingredients and bake in 8 x 8 casserole dish at 350 for approximately 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted in center.

Simple, easy, and delicious for a quick supper meal. Try it!

This post linked to:



The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
 

Works For Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family



Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop