Veggie, Rice & Cheese Supreme

I'm always surprised by how much my family likes this meal. I'm equally surprised by how filling and satisfying it is! Also SUPER fast!

2-1/2 cups water
1 cup brown rice (It's easy to modify this recipe for other types of rice.)
1 tsp oil (I use olive oil.)
1 small zucchini, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small yellow squash, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack is best, but I've used cheddar and mozza, too.)

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice, lower heat and cover. Simmer until rice is done, about 25 minutes. When the rice has 5 minutes of cooking time remaining, pour olive oil into a nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. Add zucchini, yellow squash and garlic to the pan. Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice on top of vegetables, cover with lid, turn heat to low and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir veggies and rice together and top with cheese. Replace lid for about 1 minute until cheese is melted.

This is also a good recipe to use for leftover rice, and it's super quick! Just start by cooking the veggies as directed, then add your leftover rice and continue with the recipe. It probably takes no more than 10 minutes!

Pasta e Fagoli, Peasant Style

16 oz. pasta of your choice
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. tomato sauce
8 oz. water
15oz. can beans of your choice (or equivalent of cooked beans)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

Put the water on the burner for the pasta, then start the rest of the process while you bring the water to a boil. Saute garlic in olive oil until just starting to turn golden. Add tomato sauce and water. Simmer until the water comes to a boil. When pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and start the timer so you remember to only cook it to all dente. Add the beans to the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. Heat through until pasta is done. When pasta is finished cooking, drain it and toss the tomato-bean mixture with the pasta. Add some chopped parsley, if desired. Serve in bowls with Parmesan cheese for passing. Good with hot Italian bread and a green salad.

Hummus and Veggie Wrap

4 six-inch tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup each chopped tomato, cucumber, and green onion
1/2 cup each grated carrot and zucchini
1 cup hummus

Spread 1/4 cup hummus over each tortilla. Sprinkle with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, zucchini, and green onion. Fold bottom of tortilla up about 1-1/2 inches. Roll sides tightly toward center. Wrap each bundle in parchment or wax paper.

Mexican Style Bean Salad

A truly frugal salad, filling enough to be the main dish for a lunch. Even cheaper when you use beans you have cooked from dried!

1 can (or 19oz.) black or kidney beans
1 can (or 19oz.) romano beans or chickpeas
1 cup cooked corn kernels
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Drain and rinse beans and place in a bowl. Add corn, onion, and red pepper.

1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over bean mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro; toss to coat.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

1 10oz. package chopped frozen spinach
1 bunch green onions, chopped (or use one regular yellow onion)
4 eggs
1 16oz. container cottage cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crouton crumbs, or regular bread crumbs

Cook spinach according to package directions and squeeze to remove liquid. I like to use cheesecloth to do this to make sure it’s well-drained. Combine with other ingredients, reserving the crumbs for the top. Pour into a 10-inch pie plate. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour at 325*F, adding the crumbs the last 15 minutes.

This dish can actually be made ahead of time and frozen before you place it in the oven. Just take it out in time to thaw and continue with the recipe as usual!

Serve with:
Fresh bread or buns
Raw veggie platter or tossed salad
Fresh fruit or juice

Minestrone Soup

This soup tastes like good restaurant fare to me. I double this recipe every time I make it. 

14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth (or just use approximately that amount of homemade broth – either veggie or chicken)
14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-1/4 cups water
15 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I frequently substitute my own cooked red kidney beans and the soup is just as good)
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 of a 9 oz. package frozen green beans (I just use about 1 cup)
2 oz. spaghetti or linguine, broken up
2 Tbsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese

In pot, mix broth, undrained tomatoes, onion, cabbage, tomato juice, carrot, celery, basil, garlic powder, and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in beans, zucchini, and spaghetti. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 10-15 minutes more or till vegetables and pasta are tender. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Happy Apple Salsa

1 Tbsp jam
1 apple, diced
1 Tbsp finely diced celery
1 Tbsp finely diced carrot
1 Tbsp raisins
1 tsp lemon juice

Put jam in microwave for 10 seconds. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour warmed jam over mixture and mix well.

Serve with Cinnamon Baked Pita Chips and milk or yogurt.

Veggie Chili

1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 cup each chopped sweet green and red pepper
3/4 cup each chopped celery and chopped carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1-1/2 cups quartered mushrooms (optional)
1 cup cubed zucchini
28oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
19oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or your own cooked black beans)
19oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or your own cooked chickpeas)
1-1/2 cups frozen corn (or 12oz can, undrained)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp each dried oregano and basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Spray large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray or a bit of olive oil. Add onions, peppers, celery, carrots, garlic and chili powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms, if using, and zucchini. Cook and stir for 4 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Alternatively, you can just dump all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook for several hours on low. It still tastes great!

Serve with: Tostadas and cheese, or fresh bread and butter, or garlic bread

Super Nachos

12 large baked tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup refried beans
2 Tbsp chunky salsa

Arrange chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over chips. Spoon 1 tsp. beans over each chip; top with 1/2 tsp. salsa. Heat in the oven at 350* until cheese has melted. Makes 2 servings.

Variation: Don’t measure anything. Just spread a layer of chips to cover the baking sheet. Then sprinkle desired amount of cheese over top. Then put “blobs” of refried beans over everything. Heat in the oven as above, but save the salsa on the side for dipping.

For a real gourmet treat, replace the beans, or add cooked ground beef with taco seasoning (I make my own instead of buying the packages at the store) and serve with sour cream and/or guacamole. Make a big meal of it by having shredded lettuce, chopped cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, chopped peppers, green onions, etc. on the side. You can make individual taco salads on your plates. Make it a buffet meal!

Refried Beans

This makes a huge amount of beans. Freeze portions in ziplock bags. 

5-1/2 cups (or 2 lbs.) dry pinto or black beans
3-1/2 quarts water, as needed
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt, to taste

Cook dry beans. Melt butter in frying pan. Add oil and onion and garlic and saute. Placed cooked beans, reserving bean liquid, in mixing bowl; add onion, garlic and remaining ingredients. Blend beans with electric mixer or by hand with potato masher or ricer, adding amount of reserved bean liquid until beans are the consistency desired.

Serve with: Grated cheddar cheese, Broccoli, and Tossed Salad with Taco Chips OR
Sliced hard-boiled eggs, Rice, Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Use for: burritos, tostadas, Super Nachos, or as a side dish

Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 Tbsp melted butter
4-1/2 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs
paprika

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter over very low heat; whisk in flour until smooth; cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, about 1 minute; remove from heat; gradually blend in milk with wire whisk; return to heat, stirring constantly until thickened; blend in salt and cheese until cheese is melted. Combine cooked macaroni and cheese sauce in lightly greased making dish. Bake uncovered at 350*F for 30 minutes topping during the last 10 minutes with buttered bread crumbs. Garnish with paprika.

Serve with:
Broccoli
Tossed Salad with Russian Dressing

Honey Lentils

8 cups water
1-1/4 cups uncooked lentils, washed
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup honey

Bring water to a boil, add lentils; cook at low boil until tender (30-60 minutes). Drain lentils and combine the rest of the ingredients in a casserole dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350*F.

Serve with: Rice and Mandarin Broccoli.

Indian Rice

This is an absolutely fabulous rice recipe from my mom’s dear neighbor. I fell in love with it the first time I had it. It does require a lot of spices, so in that sense, it might not look like a frugal meal.  However, if you can find the spices in bulk, or at an ethnic food market, you can probably get a small stash for fairly cheap and be able to make this many times for very little extra expense. 

2 large onions
salt to taste
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 cinnamon stick, or ground cinnamon to taste
2 large tomatoes, or tomato paste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 clove cardamom
2 cloves
1 Tbsp fresh ginger
1/2 cup peas
1-1/2 cups rice (basmati is best)
4-1/2 cups water

Saute onion in olive oil in big pot. Add tomatoes and saute a few minutes. Add rest of spices. Make a smooth paste. Then add water and peas. Boil until rice is done. You might have to add a bit more water.

Serve with: Yogurt Onion Sauce

Honey Baked Squash

A lighter main dish, appropriate for vegetarians, and as economical as it can get!

2 lbs. squash
2 Tbsp melted butter, divided
2 Tbsp honey
Nutmeg

Wash and seed the squash. Cut into 3″-4″ pieces. Set skin side down in baking pan and drizzle 1 Tbsp of melted butter evenly over top of pieces. Cover. Bake at 350*F for 45-60 minutes until fork tender. Blend together the remaining 1 Tbsp butter and the honey. Pierce squash pieces in several places with a fork and drizzle honey-butter mixture evenly over them. Sprinkle with nutmeg to serve.

Serve with: Green Beans, Waldorf Salad, and fresh bread with jam

Fried Rice

A very economical and quick meal, particularly when you use cooked rice leftover from another meal. Get creative and use any veggies you have on hand rather than just sticking to the ones listed in the recipe. This is a very versatile dish. 

4 cups cooled cooked rice
2 Tbsp sesame oil (or vegetable oil)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup scrambled eggs (You can substitute the eggs for any other leftover meat or poultry.)
1/4 cup soy sauce

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until hot. Add carrot and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and starting to get browned bits. Add garlic and eggs, stirring well and breaking up the eggs into very small pieces. Immediately add rice, stirring well to coat with oil. At this point, you can also add any other vegetables or leftover cooked meat that you’d like to use. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring about 3-4 minutes so that some of the rice gets browned bits. Drizzle soy sauce evenly over rice in pan; stir well. Cook for a few more minutes. Serve with additional soy sauce on the side, if desired.

Easy Lasagna

8 oz. package lasagna noodles
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
approximately 3 cups pasta sauce

Cook pasta. Layer noodles, cheeses and sauces alternately in 9×13 pan, two layers of each, beginning with noodles and ending with sauce. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350*F to heat sauce and melt cheese. Alternatively, you can use whatever pasta you want, it just won’t be as neat and tidy as lasagna. Also, you can add chopped peppers, onions, sliced mushrooms, or chopped spinach, if you so desire.

Serve with: Broccoli or Green Beans, Tossed Salad

Curry Coconut Chickpeas

Olive Oil
2 cups napa cabbage, sliced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 cup coconut milk (You can make this by using equal parts water and dry unsweetened shredded coconut. Simmer for several minutes, then place in a blender, puree, then strain in cheesecloth and squeeze out the liquid, which is your coconut milk.)
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp curry powder
1-1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch black pepper (fresh ground is best)
2 Tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional, but really adds a lot!)

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and saute until cabbage shrinks down a bit. Add onion and pepper and saute for 2-4 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp coconut milk along with garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Saute for 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, chickpeas, salt and pepper. Heat until warm. Add fresh basil and serve.

Serve with: Fresh fruit and granola bars
or
Fruit Gelatin and muffins, biscuits, or bread

Chili

I don’t use an actual recipe for chili. My chili is different every time. My method is simple and flexible. You can play around with it and add or subtract things to suit your tastes and it will be a delicious meal every time. You can have a meatless chili that is every bit as satisfying as one with ground beef.

Here’s the method I use:
I fill my crockpot with whatever beans I feel like using. I always buy dried beans, so it depends on what beans I’ve already cooked using my Dry Bean Cooking Method. I often have various kinds in the freezer. Occasionally, I might have a stock of some canned beans, so I’d toss some of those in, too.

My favorite combination of beans is:
1 can red kidney beans (or about 2 cups)
1 or 2 cans black beans (or 2-4 cups)
1 can chickpeas (or 2 cups)
2 cans beans in tomato sauce (or 3 cups white beans with a small can of tomato sauce)

Then, I always add the following:
1 very large chopped onion (sometimes, I even do more)
at least 3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
LOTS of chili powder – probably 3-4 Tbsp.
salt, to taste
And I vary the rest of the ingredients using any combination of the following:
red pepper, chopped
yellow pepper, chopped
green pepper, chopped
celery, chopped (only 1 or 2 ribs)
frozen corn (adds a nice touch) about 2 cups
zucchini (1 medium) diced
carrots (1 or 2 large) diced
1 lb. cooked ground beef (This is definitely not a necessary addition, but it does make the chili a little heartier, and sometimes it helps to bulk it up and make it last for more meals.)

To complete the chili, I add JUST enough tomato sauce or canned diced tomatoes to make it moist. It doesn’t need to be soupy. As you cook it, it will become more “liquidy”. I prefer to use tomato sauce instead of canned tomatoes, simply because my kids are not fond of cooked tomato chunks. I sometimes add a dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes, but not too much. And sometimes a bit of salsa for something different.

Cook it on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours. This chili is even better the next day!

Serve with:
Cornbread
Raw veggies or a salad

Baked Beans

The recipe I’ve included here is a good one and it is the one I use most often. It is healthier than the recipes that have sugar and pork in them. However, it is not quite the same as what we’re used to. I still love the Hillbilly Housewife’s baked bean recipe. 

3 cups (1-1/2 lbs.) dry great northern or white beans
6-9 cups water, as needed
1 large onion, chopped
1 14oz. cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt, to taste

Cook dry beans. It should make about 6-7 cups. Drain the beans and combine in a baking dish with all the rest of the ingredients. Cover tightly and bake at 300*F for 3-4 hours until beans are of desired consistency. You can also do this in a slow cooker, cooking on low. This dish freezes well, as long as you leave enough liquid in with the beans.

Serve with: Salad or other fresh greens, cornbread or whole wheat bread or buns, and Apples & Onions

Summer Bean Salad

3 cups edamame
2-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a microwaveable dish. Heat on high in microwave for 4-5 minutes. Also good cold.