I'm really excited about this month's Double Green Tip!! This one is not only good for your earth and your wallet, but your health. :) (thus, the "triple" green part- it's good for life!) Today I wanna talk about lunchmeat. First off, "brownbagging" your lunches for school or work are such a no-brainer money+earth saver that it's hardly worth mentioning. We've all heard it a thousand times. But, as I look through the lunchmeat options at the store, I find myself disappointed. They're all more or less high-sodium (except the rare low-salt honey-ham, which the hubby hates... figures.). The pre-packaged kind wastes $$ and kills freshness with the plastic packaging, and the fresh sliced deli kind is more expensive and still highly processed. And the price, regardless of sales, really isn't that great. Unless you like bologna. (ugh!- I ate WAY too many fried bologna sandwiches as a kid!)
So, I decided to do something different.I bought a whole turkey- a 6 lb Butterball. The average sodium content for an uncooked whole turkey is usually around 250 mg a serving (source: Butterball.com). Compared to the average packaged turkey that has about 775, that's fantastic (source: Livestrong.com)! WAY better for your heart and arteries! And here's my personal favorite part- a small frozen turkey averages about $1-$1.50 a lb, while lunch meat averages $3 a lb!! and if you cook it at home and store it in re-usable containers, you are cutting down on packaging that hurts Mother Earth.
I'll admit, it seems a bit overwhelming to cook a whole turkey (especially when you're a new housewife like me!). However, by simply following the thawing and cooking times on the package, seasoning it (inside and out) with "No-Salt" and sodium-free cajun seasoning, and "tenting" it with foil once it was out of the oven (to increase moisture), it turned out perfect! After it was cooked, I let it cool down for a good bit (30-45 minutes), then peeled the skin off and carved it. Freeze portions of the meat in containers, and you've got delicious, healthy, cheap lunchmeat for a month! And heck, if you want to save even more money, you could do this with a whole frozen chicken, which averages at or below $1 a pound!
How do you save money on your lunches? Let me know!
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
Jess
Friday, August 19, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Eggplant Craze!
So, if I haven't mentioned it before, my husband has very slight pre-hypertension (runs in the fam), which fuels a lot of my motivation to cook healthier. Turns out eggplant is a very heart-healthy veggie- which means I'm trying it out. I've had it cooked for me by my Ukrainian aunt before, and it was delicious, so I went in expecting good things. I have no idea why this veggie is feared by children! It's soft, mild, and smooth going down. and much less intimidating to cook than one would think. I got this (super easy!) recipe from Spicy Foods by Stendhal, which is a great resource for flavorful ethnic cuisine. This is a Middle Eastern dish. I adapted the recipe only slightly, to streamline preparation.
Dinner of the Week
Iman Junior
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, with skin on, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 can diced no-salt tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c fresh cilantro (or substitute 3-4 T dried cilantro and fresh spinach)
Salt
Pepper (fresh-ground adds a good kick to this dish, buts it's not completely necessary. A mix of white and black pepper is also a yummy rendition.)
crushed red pepper
several Tbsps olive oil
1/4 c boiling water
Method:
In a very large cast-iron skillet, layer the eggplant, tomatoes, and onions, sprinkling a little salt, generous pepper, and some of the herbs/greens between layers. Top with red pepper and garlic. Pour boiling water and a good drizzle of oil over top. Bring to a simmer with a tight lid or foil seal on skillet, and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, until oil forms a kind of gravy. Serve over rice as a main dish, or with crackers as a spread for an appetizer.
I hope you enjoy my venture into Mediterranean Cuisine! What's your favorite cuisine? Do you have any good eggplant recipes to share? Please feel free to comment or email me with answers! And keep checking back for this month's Double Green Tip, I intend to post it later this week. :)
Dinner of the Week
Iman Junior
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, with skin on, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 can diced no-salt tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c fresh cilantro (or substitute 3-4 T dried cilantro and fresh spinach)
Salt
Pepper (fresh-ground adds a good kick to this dish, buts it's not completely necessary. A mix of white and black pepper is also a yummy rendition.)
crushed red pepper
several Tbsps olive oil
1/4 c boiling water
Method:
In a very large cast-iron skillet, layer the eggplant, tomatoes, and onions, sprinkling a little salt, generous pepper, and some of the herbs/greens between layers. Top with red pepper and garlic. Pour boiling water and a good drizzle of oil over top. Bring to a simmer with a tight lid or foil seal on skillet, and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, until oil forms a kind of gravy. Serve over rice as a main dish, or with crackers as a spread for an appetizer.
I hope you enjoy my venture into Mediterranean Cuisine! What's your favorite cuisine? Do you have any good eggplant recipes to share? Please feel free to comment or email me with answers! And keep checking back for this month's Double Green Tip, I intend to post it later this week. :)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
of new jobs and processed peas
I'm so sorry for having abandoned you for the past few weeks. You see, I just started a new job as the afterschool coordinator at a daycare. I love it, but it's tiring, and while working there, I've been eating the same processed lunches the kids get and thinking a lot less about food. But luckily, when the kids start school, my presence won't be required when they serve processed peas and "steak nuggets" (what?!) for lunch. yay!
But while I've neglected writing, I have thought about you a lot! and I promise to catch you up on the fantastic homemade granola and crockpot chicken soup that happened last week. :)
Soup first.
In an effort to save money, I decided to buy a whole baking hen rather than boneless skinless breasts, and cook and separate it myself. Doing so really does save a lot of money. Rather than spend $8ish on a few pounds of chicken breasts that would last about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks (if I'm lucky), I spent $5ish on slightly more poundage, and got free healthy chicken broth to boot! I got the idea from blog I recently started stalking, The Cheapskate Cook.
Ingredients:
1 baking hen, thawed, gizzards removed
1/2 an onion, chopped
1-2 c raw/fresh frozen veggies like carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, etc. (chopped)
1 bay leaf (optional- I didn't use one because I didn't have it on hand, and it was still great.)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1-2 T each of your favorite herbs/spices. I used rosemary, basil, oregano, and black pepper.
a sprinkling of salt (added at the end)
water
After removing the gizzards (not difficult at all once the chicken is thawed) and rinsing it, place 1/2 of the onion, herbs, and spices inside the chest cavity. Place the chicken in the crockpot. Surround with the rest of the ingredients. Pour water slowly into the crockpot until an inch or two below the edge.
Turn it on low for about 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Add salt.
You're done!
Once the chicken's cooked, turn off the crockpot and allow it to cool. If you want, you can pull out some of the veggies and meat for a quick and easy dinner (I did!). You get the most out of your chicken if you debone it (save the bones for more broth if you want- they can be used twice); put the meat, bones, and broth each in their own freezer bag and you have makings for lots of healthy chicken-based meals on hand!
and to make soup:
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c water
1 c shredded chicken
1/2 c fresh frozen carrots and peas
1/2 t rosemary
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 c orzo
Method:
Toss everything but the chicken in a pot and bring it to a slow boil. Add the chicken and boil for just a few minutes so it gets hot, but not flavorless. Enjoy!!
See now, wasn't that easy? The granola was too :) I got the base recipe from a blog called Smitten Kitchen. The best part? It's truly healthy granola, so you can eat dessert for breakfast and not feel guilty. :)
So now for the first .... (imagine me tapping out a drumroll on my keyboard...) Dessert of the Month!!!
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
1 2/3 c rolled oats (NOT the quick-cook kind)
1/2 to 3/4 sugar (granulated, artificial, or brown, it's up to you. So far, I've used granulated and it's good.)
1/3 c oat flour (easily made by placing rolled oats in a food processor or blender till they're in very small bits)
1/2 t salt alternative (optional)
1/4 t ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 c Dried fruit, nuts, candy, or cereal. (So far, I've experimented with chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, Rice Krispies, and dried blueberries, and they're all fantastic.)
1/3 c peanut or other nut butter (I recommend crunchy!)
1 t vanilla (optional)
7 t melted butter or oil (use olive oil or canola butter if you want to be healthier)
1/3 c sweet syrup (i.e. honey, maple, corn, or agave syrup)
1 T water
2 T ground or whole flax seeds (optional)
Method
Line a baking pan longways with parchment paper so that it covers only the center (not the sides), but come up over the edges at the ends. Grease or butter the paper and pan. Stir together dry ingredients. Place all liquid ingredients in a microwaveable container and zap them for a couple of minutes on medium power. Stir the liquids until the peanut butter melts into the rest. Slowly drizzle into the dry mixture while gently stirring and tossing. Press the mixture into the pan. Pack it as densely as you can. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (until golden brown all over top). Allow the granola to cool COMPLETELY, and for best results chill overnight in the fridge. Don't get impatient and cut them warm like I did with my first batch. Unless you want yummy granola in a non-bar form in your cereal for the next week. ;) Once they're cool, use the parchment paper to carefully lift the granola out of the pan onto a large cutting board. Cut it into squares with a long carving knife or butcher knife. For ultimate freshness, wrap them individually in saran wrap and store them in a ziplock or tupperware container in the fridge.
SOOOO GOOD!!
I hope that tides you over till next time. And if that takes a little over a week, I apologize... My hubby's laptop has to get sent away and fixed, and I don't have one of my own right now 'cause I drowned the last one, so internet access is gonna be a little scarce at our house. :(
But while I've neglected writing, I have thought about you a lot! and I promise to catch you up on the fantastic homemade granola and crockpot chicken soup that happened last week. :)
Soup first.
In an effort to save money, I decided to buy a whole baking hen rather than boneless skinless breasts, and cook and separate it myself. Doing so really does save a lot of money. Rather than spend $8ish on a few pounds of chicken breasts that would last about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks (if I'm lucky), I spent $5ish on slightly more poundage, and got free healthy chicken broth to boot! I got the idea from blog I recently started stalking, The Cheapskate Cook.
Ingredients:
1 baking hen, thawed, gizzards removed
1/2 an onion, chopped
1-2 c raw/fresh frozen veggies like carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, etc. (chopped)
1 bay leaf (optional- I didn't use one because I didn't have it on hand, and it was still great.)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1-2 T each of your favorite herbs/spices. I used rosemary, basil, oregano, and black pepper.
a sprinkling of salt (added at the end)
water
After removing the gizzards (not difficult at all once the chicken is thawed) and rinsing it, place 1/2 of the onion, herbs, and spices inside the chest cavity. Place the chicken in the crockpot. Surround with the rest of the ingredients. Pour water slowly into the crockpot until an inch or two below the edge.
Turn it on low for about 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Add salt.
You're done!
Once the chicken's cooked, turn off the crockpot and allow it to cool. If you want, you can pull out some of the veggies and meat for a quick and easy dinner (I did!). You get the most out of your chicken if you debone it (save the bones for more broth if you want- they can be used twice); put the meat, bones, and broth each in their own freezer bag and you have makings for lots of healthy chicken-based meals on hand!
and to make soup:
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c water
1 c shredded chicken
1/2 c fresh frozen carrots and peas
1/2 t rosemary
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 c orzo
Method:
Toss everything but the chicken in a pot and bring it to a slow boil. Add the chicken and boil for just a few minutes so it gets hot, but not flavorless. Enjoy!!
See now, wasn't that easy? The granola was too :) I got the base recipe from a blog called Smitten Kitchen. The best part? It's truly healthy granola, so you can eat dessert for breakfast and not feel guilty. :)
So now for the first .... (imagine me tapping out a drumroll on my keyboard...) Dessert of the Month!!!
Homemade Granola Bars
Ingredients
1 2/3 c rolled oats (NOT the quick-cook kind)
1/2 to 3/4 sugar (granulated, artificial, or brown, it's up to you. So far, I've used granulated and it's good.)
1/3 c oat flour (easily made by placing rolled oats in a food processor or blender till they're in very small bits)
1/2 t salt alternative (optional)
1/4 t ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 c Dried fruit, nuts, candy, or cereal. (So far, I've experimented with chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, Rice Krispies, and dried blueberries, and they're all fantastic.)
1/3 c peanut or other nut butter (I recommend crunchy!)
1 t vanilla (optional)
7 t melted butter or oil (use olive oil or canola butter if you want to be healthier)
1/3 c sweet syrup (i.e. honey, maple, corn, or agave syrup)
1 T water
2 T ground or whole flax seeds (optional)
Method
Line a baking pan longways with parchment paper so that it covers only the center (not the sides), but come up over the edges at the ends. Grease or butter the paper and pan. Stir together dry ingredients. Place all liquid ingredients in a microwaveable container and zap them for a couple of minutes on medium power. Stir the liquids until the peanut butter melts into the rest. Slowly drizzle into the dry mixture while gently stirring and tossing. Press the mixture into the pan. Pack it as densely as you can. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (until golden brown all over top). Allow the granola to cool COMPLETELY, and for best results chill overnight in the fridge. Don't get impatient and cut them warm like I did with my first batch. Unless you want yummy granola in a non-bar form in your cereal for the next week. ;) Once they're cool, use the parchment paper to carefully lift the granola out of the pan onto a large cutting board. Cut it into squares with a long carving knife or butcher knife. For ultimate freshness, wrap them individually in saran wrap and store them in a ziplock or tupperware container in the fridge.
SOOOO GOOD!!
I hope that tides you over till next time. And if that takes a little over a week, I apologize... My hubby's laptop has to get sent away and fixed, and I don't have one of my own right now 'cause I drowned the last one, so internet access is gonna be a little scarce at our house. :(
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