Indian Chickpea Rice Casserole

I love Indian food (India not Native American).  This recipe was in a discarded magazine that I was using in my craft room.  When I saw it I thought 'got to save this and try it'.  It's easy, economical and tastes great--unless you hate Indian food.  People either love it or hate it in my experience.  If you love it or are not sure, give this one a try.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 2 tsp mustard seed
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• one onion diced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2.25 cups broth--chicken or vegetable if you're vegan
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 can chickpeas drained
• 1 carrot shredded
• 1/3 cup currants 
• fresh cilantro and roasted cashews for garish

Method:

In a non-stick skillet heat the oil and add mustard and cumin seed.  When mustard seed pops add the onion, ginger, and carrot and saute until onion is tender.  To this add the broth, rice, chickpeas and currants.  Pour into a covered casserole dish and bake covered at 350 degrees until the rice is tender and broth is absorbed.

When serving sprinkle each portion with cashews and cilantro.

My Changes

I used coconut milk in place of the broth (the kind you find in the refrigerated case with the regular milk--it was 50 calories for one cup--I needed to use it up) and added chicken bouillon powder for flavor and to add some salt since the recipe didn't have salt.  And I didn't have currants so I replaced them with golden raisins.  As well, I dumped it all into my rice cooker instead of baking in the oven.  The rice cooker turns off automatically when the liquid is absorbed.

Also, while I love and prefer basmati rice until I can buy it at an Indian grocery I refuse to pay $5 for a pound of rice, so I used converted rice, the store brand.  It was very good and didn't get gummy as some plain rice tends to do.  Jasmine rice would probably work well and it is less expensive than basmati.

Serving suggestions:

I served this with plain yogurt--for protein--garlic naan (Indian bread), mango chutney and sliced fresh tomatoes from the garden. Don't forget to garnish the casserole servings with the cashews-- and cilantro if you're a fan of it.  I love it, husband hates it.

I will definitely make this again.  Beans and rice unlike you've never eaten them but really yummy.

Clever......

I'm a penny pincher from way back when. When my husband went to college in his late twenties and we had our two kids in private school to boot, money was tight. My motto was "use it up, wear it out, make it do, and do without". In light of today's economy that's pretty good advice still.


Being thrifty, I've always cut the ends off of a tube of toothpaste or hand/body lotion. Why? There's a lot of product down there that you just can't get out no matter how hard you squeeze. To access the toothpaste just stick your toothbrush down into the cut off tube. There's enough toothpaste for one person for another week or possibly two. Obviously you don't share this--open a new one for the rest of the family and when it gets down low, relegate it for your personal use once again.


Now for the clever trick. I hit on it with a tube of lotion from Bath and Body. Take a pair of scissors and cut off the upper portion of the tube--cutting off enough so you can reach the contents at the tube opening end with ease. You'll discover there is a lot of lotion down there. The problem though is keeping the exposed lotion from drying out. I'd been setting the tube in a plastic bag. Not handy and not attractive. But today I hit gold.


I saved the top of the tube that I'd cut off, scraping out the little bit of remaining lotion in the top half. Then I thought--hmmm..wonder if this would slip over the bottom half of the tube? Nope... they were the same size at that intersection. But genius--LOL--prevailed. I gently squeezed together and pressed one outside corner of the lower portion of the tube back onto itself, making the opening narrower, which allowed the upper cut off part to slide right over the lower part...and then---when the folded back part retracted----it caused the top to fit snugly over the bottom. VOILA!!...container sealed. This looks so much better than a baggie and is handier to use. I haven't tried this technique on the toothpaste tube , but it just might work on that too.

If you've always just chucked a tube of lotion when you couldn't squeeze out any more, you'll be surprised at how much remains. Give it a go--you've got nothing to lose and pennies to save.

Money Saving Menu Idea

In a previous post I published a partial list of foods that are fairly inexpensive and provide some good nutrition. I've been using those items as a foundation for my grocery shopping. I like to keep those foods on hand. If towards days end I'm coming up short in the fruit/veg department, I can pour myself a serving of orange juice and eat a 1/2 c cup of applesauce and I've added '2' to the count.

Yes, I know it's better to eat an orange and an apple, but those aren't always in season and when they are they often aren't very tasty and still have a pretty hefty price. And...how many times have I just skipped the orange and apple because I don't want to prep it. I've had more low count fruit and veg days because of that thinking, so I decided I'd be better off to eat the 2nd best choice than skipping it totally. My daddy had a saying--"when you can't do the first best thing, do the next best thing". All too often our circumstances don't align with our wishes and we can kick against that, say 'oh well', throw up our hands in despair and do nothing..or we can do the next best thing, keep a merry heart, and be all the better for it.

Most days now, when grocery shopping, I grab one of those shrink wrapped packages of kielbasa--it's a sausage, a bit spicy, pretty high in fat but full of flavor. I offset the negatives by using it sparingly and get a big flavor boost.

You can use it many different ways, but one of my favorites is to pair it with cabbage and peas. I slice or dice a small portion of it, and along with some diced onions, fry it up in a skillet. When that's browned nicely and the sausage has released its fat I add in some cut cabbage and continue to cook, adding pepper and a little salt if needed--remember the sausage is salty. When the cabbage is half way done, I throw in some frozen green peas--in this dish I prefer frozen to canned. When the cabbage and peas are tender, I like to serve this with some rye bread or cornbread and some additional protein in the form of dairy--say maybe a side of cottage cheese, a glass of milk, or some yogurt with fruit. If there's applesauce in your pantry, it goes nicely too.

Granted the above is not gourmet food, but it is substantial and pretty healthy, and it won't strain your pocketbook.

A second way I use the kielbasa is in canned beans--like pinto beans. Again dice a small portion and fry up with some onion, then add a couple of cans of beans. Though cooking dried beans is cheaper, it does have to be planned ahead, so using the canned is quicker and not a budget killer. Cornbread is good with this too--in fact it's almost a necessity if you're from the South.

The world wide web is a cooks best friend when it comes to finding budget mindful recipes, so as time allows take advantage.

HOW TO COOK A WOLF

When my husband was in school and we were struggling financially we didn't use credit cards and paid cash. We always had 'enough', by the grace of God. But there weren't a lot of extras. I never bought soda, for example, and we didn't get cable TV until 1993, and then only the basic broadcast stations for $10 a month because our rabbit ears wouldn't pick up the signal at our new house.

I read everything I could get my hands on--from the library because it was free--to help me save money on groceries. One of them was a book by the same title as this post. I don't recall the author, but the title came from the idea of things being so bad, that the wolf was at the door about to bring the house down.

I can't recall anything specific from the book, but so many people are falling on hard times I thought I'd share a few things. Here at our house I've cut back, since husband got a huge pay cut, and likely will lose his job and even if he doesn't it looks like his company will end up bankrupt soon.

For starters, here is a partial grocery list of foods that deliver significant protein and carbs without significant cost.

THE LIST

eggs

peanut butter

cottage cheese

canned wild Alaskan salmon

cheese

ground turkey

milk

plain yogurt

potatoes

cabbage

carrots

baby spinach

iceberg lettuce

unsweetened applesauce

100% orange juice

canned legumes

canned green beans

canned beets

oatmeal

tea bags

This list isn't all inclusive, but most of these foods will supply good amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals-- plus anti-oxidants--for not a lot of money. Throw in some staples like flour, sugar--which eaten is moderation is a lot cheaper than artificial sweeteners or honey, agave and the like--and you can whip up some quick breads or cookies. It's one thing if you can afford the more expensive and possibly healthier options..but if you can't, there's no sense in concerning yourself over it---so much of our health is wrapped up in our genetic predisposition. And taking a walk, which is free, probably could offset a lot of the bad stuff .

Iceberg lettuce makes this list because it's cheap and it lasts a long time in the crisper drawer. To boost the nutrients I add the baby spinach and some grated carrots. I find that the spinach and iceberg last a lot longer than the prepackaged salad mixes and cost less too. And with the fresh spinach, if it does begin to wilt, you can steam it, add some salt, pepper, a little oil and vinegar and it makes a good side.

Wash only the amount of iceberg you need for the meal. Buy the spinach pre-washed and ready to eat. I find the spinach keeps 7-10 days once opened if I keep it in the original bag. Open the bag from the bottom too and use the leaves at the bottom first since it's been weighted down by the contents of the package while in the display case. Then fold the top down 2-3 times and clip shut.

As your budget allows, scout out the produce department for the seasonal buys on fruit and veg. And don't forget to check out the frozen foods for those items. Shop the outside of your grocery and by pass most of the inside aisles.

For a couple of years I've purchased only organic milk, but have quit that too. Kroger's store brand milk does not have the added growth hormone and is around $3.30 a gallon compared to $6 a gallon for organic.

If it's important to you to spend the extra on organic milk or similar, then cut corners somewhere else.

I take all these 'hard times' as a challenge and make a game out of it. But then, I guess maybe I'm an odd duck. I get a huge thrill out of not spending or spending little--getting the biggest bang for my buck is a 'high' for me.

If you're experiencing tough times, try to make it a learning experience and gain wisdom. Remember-- a merry heart doeth good like a medicine. So, work at keeping a merry heart amidst your difficulties and you'll be better off for it.

Skillet Full of Yummy-ness

Just when I was wondering what I'd fix for supper tonight I came across this recipe for Easy Thai Supper on one of my favorite blogs: Pleasantview Schoolhouse. Having stockpiled several cans of coconut milk it was perfect because I've been thinking I need to use some of it before it expires.

I didn't have any ground sirloin nor did I have tamari, jasmine rice or peanuts. But I did have ground turkey, soy sauce, regular rice and cashews. I can't imagine it being any tastier than it turned out.

My own tweaks were to add some powdered chicken broth to the water and some finely sliced raw celery on top of each serving for some crunch. To give it eye appeal I sliced the carrots on the diagonal. And clean up was easy since it was cooked in one pan.

Husband especially liked it. I will be making it again and since it uses so many pantry items that I keep on hand, and because I always have some ground turkey in my freezer it will be served often.

Note: I buy the small cans of coconut milk (they look like the 6 ounce tomato paste cans) which is the perfect size for half of this recipe. When they are not available I use half of the larger can and freeze the other half. It will keep several months in the freezer. I thaw it in the microwave on about 50% power and give it a good stir --to reincorporate the fat which separates from the liquid-- before adding it in.

A steaming cup of hot green tea goes nicely with this dish.

Autumn Soup: Cheap, Tasty, Nourishing, Fast

Have you heard of Stone Soup? I always thought that was such a good story. And the resulting soup was simple and quite humble. That's what I feel about my Autumn Soup. It's a humble soup and that alone makes it, I think, taste better. In fact, by volume, water is probably the largest single ingredient in Autumn Soup.

My Autumn Soup, as I've named it because of its color, was inspired by a native American dish I ate recently at an Indian Pow Wow. My husband's grandmother was Cherokee so we have an interest in such.

At the Pow Wow the dish was served with Indian fry bread. I used to make fry bread when "fat" was not an issue. Not wanting to bother with it I served our soup with Delimex Chicken Taquitos (I read about these on Back to the Fridge--let me warn you--they could be addicting--I thought they were incredible taste wise) and some home made guacamole for dipping. Avocados are a good fat-- a 2 T. serving won't do much damage--and I had a very ripe avocado that needed using.

Here are the soup ingredients:

• diced onion (approx. 1/4 cup)
• diced green bell pepper (approx. 1/4 cup)
• diced jalapeno pepper (to taste--I used a tablespoon)
• 8 ounces of ground turkey, chicken or pork
• 4 small, 3 medium or 2 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• lots of water, plus chicken bouillon for flavor if you like (I did)
• salt and pepper to taste
• chili seasoning powder to taste
• cumin powder to taste

Method:

Using non-stick spray or one tablespoon of oil saute the onions and peppers. When softened add the ground meat and break up, frying until well browned. This is important--it gives it more flavor when the meat is well browned. It may take some time because the meat will yield a lot of water and will need to dry up before it begins to brown--so be patient.

When the meat is brown add the can of tomatoes (don't drain), the potatoes and the corn...and at least enough water to cover . Adjust the amount of water--if you want it thick, use less, thinner, use more--for a humble soup you must use more--thickness, I think, indicates, opulence--and Autumn Soup is a humble soup. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are nice and tender and the spices have had a chance to cook into the meat and veg.

After dipping it up into our serving bowls we added some hot sauce to spice it up more.

The night we ate this I had a couple of bananas that needed eating and not wanting to make banana bread I came up with this--there's no real recipe, just a method:

I sliced two bananas; sprinkled them with cinnamon, then tossed them with a heaping half cup of fat free Cool Whip. When this was mixed together, I sprinkled the top with some flax meal. Then I melted a tablespoon of peanut butter in the microwave and drizzled it over the top. My husband, who is not a big fan of bananas scarfed this down. I enjoyed it too.

If you don't keep flax meal on hand you could sprinkle it with a crumbled cookie or cake...it doesn't take much--I used a heaping teaspoon of flax meal to give you an idea.

Again I warn you--if you get the Delimex chicken taquitos watch out!! I was totally surprised at how good they tasted. So often frozen foods are just o.k. These were more than o.k. Use portion control and you'll be fine.

Note: Delimex products are available at Kroger's and Walmart in my area. If you go to their website they give a full listing. I purchased mine at Walmart in the freezer section. However they weren't with the frozen Mexican foods, but in a case with bulk frozen prepared foods, like egg rolls and precooked chicken tenders. You may have to hunt to find them. They will definitely be part of any future party fare we serve.

DO THE MATH

I've recounted on my blog how I gained 20 pounds in 10 weeks. My husband had a job transfer and we were living in a motel during the work week, then driving home on the weekend. My routine totally changed and I was getting no exercise. My calorie needs at that weight and acitivity level were, I'd say, 1500 calories a day.

Because we were in a motel and had no way to cook we were eating all of our food out. To save money I was eating fast food during the day while my husband worked. Lets do the math.

Right next to the motel was a gas station with great cappucino---the gas station kind, not the real deal. I'd get a medium---it was only 10 cents more than a large! No nutritional info was available but I'd guess it was about 200 calories.

Next, breakfast at Mickey D's which was right across the street. It inculded a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscut (430), a small orange juice (140--I need my vitamin C!), a small milk (100---calcium!!) for a grand total of 670 for breakfast--870 for the day...and it's only 9:00 a.m.!!

Lunch would again find me at McD's...you can't beat the $.99 cent menu when you are watching your spending (and we were dealing with double living expenses, plus fuel both ways---500 miles round trip).

Lunch was a Quarter Pounder (410--I needed my protein! and didn't want to spend $4.00+ on a salad), a small order of fries (230), a yogurt parfait snack (160---again, calcium and some fruit!) and a diet Coke. Calorie tally: 800/1670 for the day!

Since I was spending my day exploring the area, and hubby didn't get off work until 7pm, I'd have a late afternoon snack...maybe ice cream from the Marble Slab Creamery---hey...I know I was counting my pennies and a $4.00+ treat didn't fit---but I needed it to give me a mental boost...we hadn't wanted to move this time, so anything that would "cheer" me was embraced. That "little" indulgence was approximately 400-600 calories. Now the calorie tally is 2070/2270 for the day.

And finally--supper time. We'd both be wiped out, so didn't give a lot of thought to our meal..just got what sounded good, was quick and convenient. I don't recall what our evening meals were, but you can bet they cost me at least 500 calories. Tally for the day calorie wise: at least 2570 or higher.

Time to do more math. I stated my calorie need was 1500, but I was eating 2500+...that's 1000 calories a day above my need. Times that by 7 days and you come up with an excess 7000 calories a week. Since it takes an excess of 3500 calories to increase fat by one pound, and I was twice that, I was eating to the tune of a 2 pound increase every week!

This was my situation for 10 weeks.....hence ( more math here) 10 weeks x 2 pounds weight gained per week= 20 pounds gained in 10 weeks!!!

At the time I just couldn't figure out why I was gaining weight. I was sure I had a thyroid problem. But since I've started monitoring my food intake by counting calories it's been pretty easy to see I was overeating. Mystery solved. Case closed.

If you have gained weight, or are gaining...do some math. It may shed some light on the situation.
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Silly me: all that money I "saved" at McD's and the like....I ended up spending, plus more, to buy new clothes because the 20 pounds made me so fat I couldn't fit into anything. The "penny wise, pound foolish" principle applies here, eh?

Stewardship

I’m frugal by nature. Even before I became a Christian, I felt it was wrong to be wasteful . In 1970 I made a decision to follow Christ and thereafter I realized that my inherent frugality was innate because I found in the Holy Writ in the letter to the Romans that God’s law is written on the heart of mankind and in the Bible God instructs us to be good stewards of the earth.

A couple of practices my frugality has led me to are as follows.

How often I wash my sheets...

• My rule of thumb was to wash them once a week, every 7 days. But I got to thinking…we shower at night, go to bed clean. If I switched to washing the sheets every 10 days, I’d reduce the number of loads washed and dry from 52 to 36.5, which I think is a considerable savings.

How often I get my hair cut....

• I have very short hair which needs cutting quite often. Every 4 weeks had been my rule…but when I changed the frequency of washing my bed clothes it dawned on me if I switched to getting a hair cut every 5 weeks I’d go from 13 times a year to 10.2 times a year. I pay $37.00 for a hair cut, not including tip, so instead of spending $481 a year for haircuts I spend $370 in a calendar year saving me $111 per year. Currently I’m entertaining the idea of letting my hair grow longer---into a style that will only need a trim every 6 months. And while in that process I’m now going every 6 weeks instead of the fifth week. There is talk at my salon of a price increase too…and mind you I get my hair cut at J.C. Penney’s so I’m not going to a high end salon. And I live in TN which is relatively inexpensive when it comes to the cost of living.

These are just a couple of ideas. I do a lot of other “saving” things---like using micro fiber and water which I’ve found to be superior when it comes to cleaning eliminating the need for almost all household cleansers. I posted about it here.

Basically it is a game to me---I get a bigger kick out of saving then I do spending! I hope my husband appreciates me (smiling).

Ramen Noodles on a Diet

I started avoiding Ramen Noodle Soup back in the initial low fat craze. But liking the convenience of them and how easily they can be "kicked up a notch" I figured out a way to incorporate them into my eating. Note that all information is based on one serving, so increase as needed accordingly.

First, to reduce the total calories per single serving, cut the block of noodles in half. Some brands have already done this for you. Then, you can use the entire amount of water and the full seasoning packet depending on the volume you want and what you add. If you don't want as much broth/volume just use half the water and half the seasoning packet and save it for the other half of the noodles. If you are sensitive to sodium or MSG, you could replace the water and seasoning packet with chicken broth.

Now, comes the add ins. I bring the broth to a boil, put in the add ins and then add the noodles toward the end of cooking time which for the most part is brief. I add the protein after everything is almost finished so it won't get too broken up or fall apart. Here is a list of add ins...use a few or all...

• garlic powder (or fresh if you prefer)
• sliced green onions
• small slivers of red or green bell pepper
• red pepper flakes or black pepper
• frozen peas or peas & carrots
• mushrooms--I keep dried thinly sliced shitake mushrooms in my pantry ...these are very inexpensive at an Oriental grocery. I purchased a huge package for $1.79. If you get the thinly sliced ones no presoaking is necessary...if you buy the whole dried ones you'll need to soak them, and then slice, unless you prefer them whole...which I don't...they are pretty strongly flavored, but supposed to be healthy
• thinly sliced cucumber...I leave very little of the peel if the cuke is waxed
• protein: hard boiled eggs, frozen cooked shrimp, canned salmon, leftover chicken...you get the idea...I often just stir in a beaten raw egg at the end, as you would for egg drop soup, if I don't have any other protein on hand and don't want to take the time to hard boil eggs
• a few drops of dark sesame oil (the kind with the strong taste that flavors your dish)
• a splash of lime juice
• a few drops of fish sauce or soy sauce
• fresh cilantro

You get the idea. What I add depends on what is in the fridge or pantry at the time. I always add the sesame oil, fish sauce, lime juice and cilantro.

I'll leave you with my latest version which I made today and was yummy good.

Pumpkin Spinach Salmon Ramen

Prepare water and seasoning packet. Add shitake mushrooms, cucumber, slivers of red bell pepper, frozen chopped spinach (the loose kind), red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree, 1/2 the noodles from the package,...cook til veg and noodles are tender...sesame oil, lime juice, fish sauce, and cilantro. Poured this over 1/4 cup of canned salmon placed in my serving bowl.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dish...it took minutes to prepare, was fairly healthy and very inexpensive. I'll be using the rest of the can of pumpkin in another soup dish I found online. I'll share that recipe later if it tastes good...it looks delicious in the blog picture. I also use the pumpkin in my oatmeal...got the idea from Kathy at Kathy Calculates Weight Loss.....it was fabulous...I made a single serving in the microwave, using her recipe as a general idea. Not only is pumpkin low fat, high fiber, it is quite low in carbs too...I thought carb wise it would be more like sweet potatoes, but it is not...and it is low calorie.

My Favorite Quick and Easy Meal

Nuke or bake one potato. Slice it open and add some butter, salt and pepper. Top with diced onion and one or two American cheese single slices. Cover with about a half cup of piping hot canned pork 'n beans. Serves 1 .

Meat options include shredded pork BBQ plus some BBQ sauce, diced ham, or diced pepperoni added on top of the pork 'n beans.

This meal is easy on the budget and takes minutes to prepare. It is one of my favorites.

Note: if I am not using the meat option I use 2 slices of cheese so that the protein content is increased.