*Feed your family high quality, nutritional food challenge*

[CEDmom]

My DH loves chicken pot pie and other creamed chicken dishes, so I make risotto to quench his cravings. Tonight we had risotto with chicken and fresh peas. More carbs than I like to eat for dinner, but it's nice and creamy without all the fat. It's fairly inexpensive too.

You're in luck, the new issue of Cooking Light magazine has chicken potpie on the cover . I haven't tried it but it looks good.

Chicken and Root Vegetable Potpie

In the magazine's early days, we shied away from indulgent ingredients like puff pastry. Now, though, we understand that these items can fit into a healthful diet. This dish registers at just 30 percent calories from fat--root vegetables help balance the fat from the flaky topping. You can also bake in individual (10-ounce) ramekins or crocks for the same amount of time.

Ingredients
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled celeriac (celery root)
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices parsnip
1 (10-ounce) package frozen pearl onions
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces), divided
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed


Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Bring broth to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add peas and next 5 ingredients (through onions) to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes. Add chicken; cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.

Increase heat to medium. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place all but 1 tablespoon flour in a medium bowl; gradually add milk to bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broth; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken mixture, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon flour on a work surface; roll dough into a 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Place dough over chicken mixture, pressing to seal at edges of dish. Cut small slits into dough to allow steam to escape; coat dough lightly with cooking spray. Place dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly.

Yield
8 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 388(30% from fat); FAT 13g (sat 2g,mono 3g,poly 7.1g); PROTEIN 21.9g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 115mg; SODIUM 790mg; FIBER 4.4g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.7g

 

[meandtheguys2]

One meal we love and can be prepared in a variety of ways, crockpot, oven, cast iron dutch oven over very hot coals while camping, is Mango Chicken

2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken (or not)
2 cups of pureed mango or one large jar of mango sauce (from Trader Joe's)
1 heaping teaspoon of curry powder
1 cup of golden raisins
1/2 cup of slivered almonds

Put chicken in whatever you will be cooking it in
Mix curry, raisins, almonds and mango sauce together and pour over chicken

Oven method: cook 2 hours at 375 (cover with foil for 1.5 hours then remove foil)

Crockpot: on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 (depends on how hot your crockpot gets)

Dutch oven over hot coals: at least 2 hours but watch the heat, stir often especially if you have to add more wood to the fire.

Serve over jasmine rice or couscous, a salad and steamed veggie of choice. You will have a lot of leftovers for many lunches-- I make this every few months and freeze several lunch portions.

For the kids, I sometimes make up a small batch for them without the curry.

I am trying this today! Made it to TJ's on the weekend to buy the sauce. Including gas, the meal will cost me about $65!

 

[canwegosoon]

Today is going to be a BIG challange since DH wants to go out all day...eating out (I don't like it any more)...but we have had several very healthy days-so one bad one will not be too bad.

Tomorrow I want to so something with a chinese stirfry
B/S Chicken, peapods, pineapple, mushrooms, I think I even have water chestnuts, peppers(home grown), and onion or scallions. I would love to serve this over veggies instead of rice...anyone have any ideas?

Also I need something great for cucumbers(but not in a creamy sauce)

 

[OKWAnneMarie]

This should have not been on the budget board to begin with.
I would rather eat what I want in my price range then gag on cardboard for dinner to live 3 years younger anyway.

What?

 

[LadyShiva]

I made up a black bean jambalaya last night. Since I didn't rely on a recipe and I'm living at high altitude, I am just going to list the ingredients and you can tweak it to suit you.

2 cups (about a pound) of dried black beans, rehydrated.
bay leaves
cumin to taste
low sodium chicken broth (water would work just fine) to cook the beans in
pre-cooked chicken (you could also do chicken breasts and cook them while cooking the beans)
rice (whatever kind you prefer; I prefer wild but the heathens I live with prefer white )
Cajun seasoning to taste
Garlic to taste
Sausage: cut up or whole, your preference

I just boiled the beans for a while, then when the beans started turning grainy (as in, about half cooked), threw in the rice and everything else. I left it on a small boil and kept checking it to see if it needed more water added. Because I live in Denver (lower heat to boil, and water loves to cook off), I had to add about 2 cups of water every 15 minutes or so.

I served this with whole wheat garlic bread and corn. Kiddo and I sprinkled cheese in our beans. Not possible for DH.

There's lots of places to tweak this recipe to suit your tastes and pantry. The black beans, rice, and corn act as a complete protein, so keep those in the equation and feel free to change everything else. Add tomatoes if you like, or okra. Change the beans to dark red kidneys and you have red beans and rice for Monday night. Change the meat to fit whatever you have available, though I would adjust the time you're cooking the meat accordingly.

This recipe tends to need a big pot like a dutch oven or a thick-walled spaghetti pot.

Brandie

 

[WDWMagicGirlie]

I LOVE this thread. I have always eaten healthy, but it is a chore to eat on a budget. Your recipes all sound great!

 

[jax677]

I have always thought that canning would save on the budget, but didn't know how hard it was. I thought someone said they did this. Can I get some simple help? Thanks.

Also, do you save on this or is it just better tasting food.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I bought some of that Barilla Plus on sale this week and we had it for dinner tonight. It got rave reviews all around, and as someone who had pasta at least 5 times a week growing up, I couldn't taste any difference between it and regular pasta. I don't see us using it all the time--too pricey when it's not on sale--but I will buy it occasionally. Especially since both my girls (12 and 4) aren't big meat eaters, and I worry about their protein intake.

 

[TheBeadPirate]

I have always thought that canning would save on the budget, but didn't know how hard it was. I thought someone said they did this. Can I get some simple help? Thanks.

Also, do you save on this or is it just better tasting food.

I used to can when we lived where I had a garden. Now we don't, so I don't. When you grow your own stuff it can be really cost effective and you know exactly what's in your stuff. When you have to buy produce, not so much.

Invest in the Ball Blue Book. I know it sounds bad , but it's put out by Ball canning jars. It has simple instructions and explains everything that goes into canning- cold pack vs hot, ph levels, etc. And it's not too technical. Also gives some great recipes! I got mine on clearance (when I got all my canning supplies) at Target a few years back.

 

[Lyn5]

I want to join in the fun here...we do not eat the healthiest, but I am really trying to improve and have enjoyed reading what everyone else is serving!

Last night we had:
homemade egg noodles that I made with part white flour and part whole wheat (I am trying to incorporate more whole grains into our diets..the eggs are from our laying hens)
spagetti sauce (not homemade, but want to try making my own soon) with ground venison and some ground beef (we grind our own vension and I mixed it 3 or 4 parts to 1 part beef)
fresh corn on the cob
tangerine/lemonade that I made the night before...from our lemon tree and Aunt's tangerine tree.

 

[LisaR]

Too much food tonight. I am still stuffed.

I defrosted pork tenderloin (I marinated it before freezing).

In a roaster, I put diced potatoes, carrots, squash, eggplant, onions and spinach and placed the pork on top.

I made baked apples (not exactly healthy but the kids love them). Peeled, cored, sliced Granny Smith apples with some OJ and brown sugar mixed in.

Cucumber and tomatoes with dressing

And because everyone has been talking about hummus lately, I was craving it so I made that too!

Lisa

 

[LParente]

I'm trying to eat healthier and more inexpensively. I'm also on a mission to clear out my cabinets and freezer! Tonight I made some of the Barilla Plus penne. I browned some seasoned breadcrumbs in olive oil and tossed in some steamed cauliflower. I stirred this into the penne and topped w/ a little parmesan. I'm also doing a crockpot of red beans overnight for rice and beans. Thanks for all the inspiration!

 

[Imzadi]

Fish is great baked in foil packets. Just brush the foil with oil to keep the fish from sticking. Add your favorite veggies thinly sliced (onions, peppers, tomatoes, squash etc) and some seasoning (pepper, a little salt and a little garlic) and an ice cube(to add moisture and create steam). Close the packets up and bake for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I baked a salmon last nite in foil. When I usually marinate the salmon with Ken's Honey Teriyaki marinade, then broil the salmon, it usually comes out on the dry side as the honey tends to dry & burn. (I read this is usual with sweet marinades & glazes.) But baked in the foil, all the liquids stayed in & it was really moist. I accidentally over cooked it, and it was still moist!

BTW, I usually add just a touch more honey or sugar to Ken's Honey Teriyaki marinade as it is a bit too tangy for me.

Hmm, I might try this with my chicken thighs, too. I usually marinate/glaze them with a honey-soy sauce and they tend to burn too, although they taste great a little charred.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Morning everyone

Breakfast:
Blueberry Morning cereal
Strawberries & Yogurt

Snack:
Dried Apricot & Cherrios Necklaces
(I poke a hole in the apricots with a thick plastic straw ahead of time)

Lunch:
Rotisserie Chicken
Steamed Carrots

Snack:
Celery, Cucumbers, Tomatoes & mini Mozzerella balls

Dinner:
Spaghetti & Meatballs

Nothing too healthy! hahaha But nothing that bad either

 

[grlpwrd]

I just want to add that besides the dehydrator, rice cooker, and Foreman grill, another good appliance is the vegetable steamer. It does a great job with steaming fresh vegetables and some can even cook rice and boil eggs. My kids also love using our small toaster oven for making healthy snacks and sometimes even a grilled cheese sandwich. I am also teaching them to cook with it so when they go to college they can make some meals.

The crockpot is also wonderful for making many meals and also for cooking beans and legumes. Even my dh uses it to cook his lentils.

 

[Imzadi]

Here's a super easy Sesame Noodle recipe to make with the Barilla Pasta.

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Sesame Noodles

1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 pound thin spaghetti, cooked to al dente, drained** and cooled
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 scallion, chopped

** I also added 1 tablespoon of the pasta water to the sauce to help make it "move" and adhere to the spaghetti instead of staying in a thick glob.

Whisk peanut butter, soy, cayenne, oil and sesame oil. Add noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle noodles with sesame and scallion to garnish.

Alternately, you can use tahini if you do not have sesame oil. Just cut down on the peanut butter.

 

[weregoingtodw]

Here's a super easy Sesame Noodle recipe to make with the Barilla Pasta.

Mmmmm...... ::drool::

This recipe has been vegetarian approved.

 

[Juliah]

Imzadi,

That sounds great! Thanks.

 

[Crazoo]

I posted a deal on dried organic fruit here: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1564140

 

[canwegosoon]

Tonight was home made "Shake/Bake" Chicken cuttlets(brought in bulk for $1.99 lb) 1.5 LBS for 4. Oven roasted sweet potatoes-4 yams, 3 tsp butter and 2tlb spns of spelnda at the last 1/2 hr. Picked up those frozen lemonades tubes at BJ(24/6.99)

Breakfast was Ceral/LF milk

Lunch was sandwiches

Tomorrow is BLT's for lunch(bacon 1.99lb, tomatoes free, lettuce, and bread)
Dinner is Home made pizza and a salad(Tomatoes/Cucumbers free)

I have found a great site that I am going to try to utilize this fall(and the Hamburger menu I am going to cut with ground turkey which I buy when it is B1G1 and I have a coupon) http://www.menus4moms.com/bulk/index.php I also LOVE the menu planne, because I love going through what I have and make a plan when I am going to use it .