As part of the experimental menu plan that I made for this past week, we tried the Butter Beans for dinner tonight. WOW! I mean, seriously, since my family doesn't really like beans that much I was expecting myself to be the only one eating these. While my 3yo didn't prefer them, everyone else ate them up! And not only did they eat them, they *liked* the Butter Beans. My dd normally dislikes lima beans, but she liked these. Anyway, here's the recipe.
Ingredients:
One bag dried lima beans, $1 (less at Walmart)
1/2 stick margarine, $.25
salt, $.05
pepper, $.o5
Total Cost: $1.35 (and this makes quite a lot, we have leftovers)
Soak the beans overnight, or you can do the quick soak according to the directions on the bag. Simmer over medium heat for an hour or so. Add the margarine, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat until the beans are soft.
This recipe seems to be fairly foolproof. I soaked them for about 20 hours instead of just overnight. Then, I cooked them for an hour, put the whole pot in the fridge, left it there for a day, took it back out, added the margarine, salt, and pepper, and cooked until the beans were done. The were so delicious! Now, don't ask me why I went through all of that, but it just had to do with my busy schedule.
My inspiration for making this dish came from the Hillbilly Housewife.
Head on over to Saturday Stirrings at It Coulda' Been Worse to get many more yummy recipes.
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Tuscan White Bean Soup
1 lb. small white beans, $.65
3 Tbsp. olive oil (or whatever kind you have), $.50
2 onions chopped (I used one), $1
1 cup finely chopped carrots, $1
2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (I didn't have so I left this out)
3 cloves minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar because that's what I had on hand, you could also substitute garlic powder), $.50
10 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used boullion and water), $.25
pepper and parmesan cheese for garnish, optional (we didn't use)
Total cost: $3.90
Wash and soak beans as directed on package.
In a large soup pot, heat oil and saute onions and carrots (and rosemary if using) until soft. Stir in garlic, beans, and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until beans are tender (mine took a couple of hours).
Transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Then return it with the rest of the soup and stir.
We ate this with homemade bread and it was wonderful.
3 Tbsp. olive oil (or whatever kind you have), $.50
2 onions chopped (I used one), $1
1 cup finely chopped carrots, $1
2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (I didn't have so I left this out)
3 cloves minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar because that's what I had on hand, you could also substitute garlic powder), $.50
10 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used boullion and water), $.25
pepper and parmesan cheese for garnish, optional (we didn't use)
Total cost: $3.90
Wash and soak beans as directed on package.
In a large soup pot, heat oil and saute onions and carrots (and rosemary if using) until soft. Stir in garlic, beans, and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until beans are tender (mine took a couple of hours).
Transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Then return it with the rest of the soup and stir.
We ate this with homemade bread and it was wonderful.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday Stirrings: Healthy Banana Muffins
Read more great recipes for Saturday Stirrings over at It Coulda' Been Worse. Personally, after only looking for a minute, want to try the 3 Minute Slow Cooker Pot Roast and the Apple Dumplings. This week, I have for you, Healthy Banana Muffins.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup mashed banana (I usually just use 2 bananas from the freezer - I freeze them for this purpose when they start getting too ripe), $.50
1/3 cup brown sugar, $.25
2/3 cup orange or apple juice, $.25
1/3 cup oil, $.50
2 cups whole wheat flour, $.50
1 teaspoon baking powder, $.25
1 teaspoon salt, $.10
Total Cost: 2.35
Heat overn to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin (or use paper liners). Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. Next, mix them together, but do not over stir. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Note: I usually double this recipe. The muffins can be frozen if they are not going to be eaten within a day or 2.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup mashed banana (I usually just use 2 bananas from the freezer - I freeze them for this purpose when they start getting too ripe), $.50
1/3 cup brown sugar, $.25
2/3 cup orange or apple juice, $.25
1/3 cup oil, $.50
2 cups whole wheat flour, $.50
1 teaspoon baking powder, $.25
1 teaspoon salt, $.10
Total Cost: 2.35
Heat overn to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin (or use paper liners). Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. Next, mix them together, but do not over stir. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Note: I usually double this recipe. The muffins can be frozen if they are not going to be eaten within a day or 2.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Saving Milk Money
Today, Works For Me Wednesday is being hosted over at Don't Try This At Home because Shannon is in Africa!
(Of course, I'm not envious. The bloggers in Africa are wading through all that poverty, garbage, and sewage. And they are smelling the smells. I, however, am sitting on my couch, in my warm house, blogging away. But, people, I AM envious. What an experience that must be. I long to journey out of North America one day. And no, Hawaii doesn't count.)
Okay, back to Works For Me Wednesday. I was going to talk about saving money on milk.
First, check around for the best prices. I buy milk at Safeway, where they always have 2 gallons for $6. Walmart has good prices as well. I'd tell you how much I pay there, but it's been so long since I've shopped at Walmart I don't know the price.
Second, I use powdered milk for all cooking and baking purposes. No one knows the difference. I am an extremely busy mom, but seriously it only takes a few seconds to put some water into a mixing cup and stir in some milk powder. Easy, easy, easy. I buy a large box of powdered milk at Walmart for cheap and it lasts forever.
Third, if you really want to save on milk, buy whole milk. Divide the gallon in half. Add 1/2 gallon of reconstituted dry milk to each 1/2 gallon of whole milk and mix it up. Put the 2 gallons into the refrigerator to chill. Wait and see if your family notices.
Fourth, if your family drinks soy milk, find Costco. The Kirkland soy milk is the best and least expensive I've found. Walmart had good prices, too, if you don't have a Costco membership. If you really want to save money you could buy and start using one of these. Or you could make your own soy milk completely from scratch if you have lots of time on your hands.
Fifth, and last, if you are offering your family a varitety healthy foods, water is the healthiest beverage you can consume. Period. And it can be a whole lot less expensive. Water doesn't taste very good on cereal, though.
(Milk from a cow is not necessary to growing human bodies, contrary to what dairy farmers would like us all to believe. Google it if you wish, I don't want to get into a debate. Our family drinks milk and uses it in recipes because it is part of our culture and what we are used to doing, not for health reasons. I would love to switch over to soy milk completely, but it is too expensive for us at this time.)
How much milk money can you save?
(Of course, I'm not envious. The bloggers in Africa are wading through all that poverty, garbage, and sewage. And they are smelling the smells. I, however, am sitting on my couch, in my warm house, blogging away. But, people, I AM envious. What an experience that must be. I long to journey out of North America one day. And no, Hawaii doesn't count.)
Okay, back to Works For Me Wednesday. I was going to talk about saving money on milk.
First, check around for the best prices. I buy milk at Safeway, where they always have 2 gallons for $6. Walmart has good prices as well. I'd tell you how much I pay there, but it's been so long since I've shopped at Walmart I don't know the price.
Second, I use powdered milk for all cooking and baking purposes. No one knows the difference. I am an extremely busy mom, but seriously it only takes a few seconds to put some water into a mixing cup and stir in some milk powder. Easy, easy, easy. I buy a large box of powdered milk at Walmart for cheap and it lasts forever.
Third, if you really want to save on milk, buy whole milk. Divide the gallon in half. Add 1/2 gallon of reconstituted dry milk to each 1/2 gallon of whole milk and mix it up. Put the 2 gallons into the refrigerator to chill. Wait and see if your family notices.
Fourth, if your family drinks soy milk, find Costco. The Kirkland soy milk is the best and least expensive I've found. Walmart had good prices, too, if you don't have a Costco membership. If you really want to save money you could buy and start using one of these. Or you could make your own soy milk completely from scratch if you have lots of time on your hands.
Fifth, and last, if you are offering your family a varitety healthy foods, water is the healthiest beverage you can consume. Period. And it can be a whole lot less expensive. Water doesn't taste very good on cereal, though.
(Milk from a cow is not necessary to growing human bodies, contrary to what dairy farmers would like us all to believe. Google it if you wish, I don't want to get into a debate. Our family drinks milk and uses it in recipes because it is part of our culture and what we are used to doing, not for health reasons. I would love to switch over to soy milk completely, but it is too expensive for us at this time.)
How much milk money can you save?
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Olive and Corn Casserole
This is a long time recipe of my mom's. It seems to be a favorite put-together-at-the-last-minute recipe of hers. My kids adore it.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Ground Beef, $1
Package pasta, $1 (we usually use penne or spirals)
Can of pasta sauce, $1
Can olives, $1
1 cup or can of corn, $1
optional, grated cheddar cheese $1-2
Total cost: $5-7
Brown the ground beef. You may add some onion if desired. Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions. When beef is cooked through, add the sauce, corn, and olives and heat through. When pasta is cooked, mix in with the sauce mixture. You may eat as is, or put in an oven safe dish and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Put in the oven at 350 until cheese is melted. Alternately, if adding the cheese you could just use a large fry pan to cook the beef and sauce mixture, then stir in pasta, sprinkle cheese on it right in the fry pan and cook until melted. My mom likes to put it in the oven, but I am much more simplistic and go for the easiest possible way.
For all you vegetarians, leave out the beef! It is yummy that way as well, and costs less.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Ground Beef, $1
Package pasta, $1 (we usually use penne or spirals)
Can of pasta sauce, $1
Can olives, $1
1 cup or can of corn, $1
optional, grated cheddar cheese $1-2
Total cost: $5-7
Brown the ground beef. You may add some onion if desired. Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions. When beef is cooked through, add the sauce, corn, and olives and heat through. When pasta is cooked, mix in with the sauce mixture. You may eat as is, or put in an oven safe dish and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Put in the oven at 350 until cheese is melted. Alternately, if adding the cheese you could just use a large fry pan to cook the beef and sauce mixture, then stir in pasta, sprinkle cheese on it right in the fry pan and cook until melted. My mom likes to put it in the oven, but I am much more simplistic and go for the easiest possible way.
For all you vegetarians, leave out the beef! It is yummy that way as well, and costs less.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Bubble Pizza
Ingredients:
2 cans refrigerated biscuits, $1
1 & 1/2 cups or so spaghetti sauce, $.75
1 & 1/2 cups grated mozzarella, cheddar, or jack cheese, $2
optional: typical pizza toppings such as pepperoni, chicken, olives, mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc.
Total Cost: $3.75 without optional ingredients.
Spray a rectangular baking dish with oil spray. Layer the biscuit dough around the bottom of pan. You may cut the biscuits into fourths first, or just use them whole. Next, cover with the sauce. Third, sprinkle cheese over this. Bake at 350 for 20-30 mintutes until the biscuits are done.
Notes: This is great as is without the optional ingredients. My 3 kids all like it. We serve it with a fruit or vegetable on the side.
2 cans refrigerated biscuits, $1
1 & 1/2 cups or so spaghetti sauce, $.75
1 & 1/2 cups grated mozzarella, cheddar, or jack cheese, $2
optional: typical pizza toppings such as pepperoni, chicken, olives, mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc.
Total Cost: $3.75 without optional ingredients.
Spray a rectangular baking dish with oil spray. Layer the biscuit dough around the bottom of pan. You may cut the biscuits into fourths first, or just use them whole. Next, cover with the sauce. Third, sprinkle cheese over this. Bake at 350 for 20-30 mintutes until the biscuits are done.
Notes: This is great as is without the optional ingredients. My 3 kids all like it. We serve it with a fruit or vegetable on the side.
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