fresh ginger: a lesson learned

so, i'm too cheap to buy fresh herbs (except garlic of course, oh and i grew my own basil). there, i said it. sad, i know. but when you've got two kids and your hubby isn't quite done with school it's a mentality you must embrace. well, hubby's done with school and i keep hearing people rave about fresh ginger and what a difference it makes in your food. so i decided to give it a go now that i'm among the working, adult class (not that my food budget is different, but i gladly spend the entire thing every month instead of trying to scrimp every last penny... you should see my food storage!). good news is, it really isn't that expensive either! WOW!!! i can't believe what i've been missing out on all this time. fresh ginger really does make a huge flavor difference in my food. lesson learned.

this is one of my favorite fresh ginger dishes we've eaten lately. my bff made it for us when we visited them (and disneyland!) in california last month. she got it from her friend. it's pretty high ranking on the favorite food list right now. soooo good, easy and quick!

thai peanut chicken wraps
6-8 big wraps

sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons olive oil (next time i'll try no oil here, i don't think it needs it)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

6-8 eight to ten inch flour tortillas (yummy on wheat!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (or a bit more fresh garlic instead and add some salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast meat, in chunks or slices
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups packaged broccoli slaw ($1.68 at my wal-mart, my bff gets it at trader joes)
3/4 medium raw red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1. for peanut sauce: combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. set aside.
2. wrap tortillas in foil. bake in 350 degree oven about 10 minutes ot until heated and softened. meanwhile, combine garlic salt, pepper and chicken.
3. in a large skillet, heat the 1 teaspoon olive oil. cook and stir seasoned chicken in hot oil over medium-hight heat until cooked through. remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. add broccoli, onion and ginger to skillet. cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. remove from heat.
4. to assemble, top tortilla with chicken and vegetable mixture. spread each tortilla with about 1 tablespoon + peanut sauce. roll up each tortilla, securing with a wooden toothpick. serve immediately with remaining sauce.

always say never

i know, the saying is "never say never", but i'd argue that you should "always say never" to cooking with certain food items. and here's why:

• heavy cream - it's just plain bad for you. all possible nutritional benefits are outweighed by its bad-for-you-ness. it is extremely high in cholesterol and saturated fat. yikes. even if you love a recipe using heavy cream, try a substitute - milk, ricotta cheese to make pasta creamy, cool whip on your pie. i promise. it's worth it.
  
• bacon - it's not in the meat group. it finds it's position in the food guide pyramid right at the top - in the "fats, oils and sweets" category. so, i guess that would qualify bacon as a "fat"? do you really need any more convincing? if you have to, use turkey bacon... and only do it once a year.
• shortening - again, it's high in saturated fat and cholesterol. not to mention, if i were to imagine the consistency of liquid fat, shortening would be it. yuck.
  
• vegetable oil - not made of vegetables. read more about my opinion on this here. choose something better. you can do it. i believe in you. this isn't as hard as you'd think. my husband just realized last week we don't have vegetable oil and we've been married for almost 4 years.
  
• butter in excess - i love cookies. i even love to put butter on my toast. but drenching anything in butter is bad. popcorn. pasta. potatoes. rolls. even vegetables. break the habit.
  
• soda - drinking soda is the best way to gain weight, become dehydrated, loose bone mass, rot and discolor your teeth. does this sound like a good idea? do a test for me. for one week drink water in place of soda and let me know how you feel. you'll be surprised. (and yes, i drink it on special occasions. i'm not crazy!)
  
• fried food - another confession - i love french fries almost as much as i love my husband. sorry hubby. :) but i will never, ever, ever, fry anything in my home. ever. and i don't order fried anything else at restaurants. you can bake, grill, sautee lots of things. no more frying. i even make baked french fries at home to kill my cravings. they are delicious!

that's not a long a demanding list, right? just a few minor changes and you can "always say never" to these icky ingredients/foods, too.

here's a great recipe to try. baked, not fried, chicken parmesan and it was the most delicious chicken parmesan i've ever eaten. visit meghan's blog, you're gonna bake it after all, for this and other great recipes. (and the panko bread crumbs in this recipes are perfect. totally worth it. try an asian market - way cheaper than the progresso brand version at the grocery store.)

perfect shredded chicken

i've always had problems making shredded chicken. no matter what i've tried (with a few crockpotting exceptions) it is always dry and dry chicken isn't good in much of anything. then i found this cool trick for mexican shredded chicken (here) and have since adapted it to be able to use it in anything! give it a try if you have trouble with shredded chicken too.

perfect shredded chicken

(can double/triple as needed)

1 chicken breast, cut into 3 pieces

enough chicken broth to just barely cover the breasts in a pan

whatever seasonings you'd like (whatever goes with your meal! - garlic, onions, bay leaf, soy sauce, chili powder, etc, etc, etc.)

1. combine chicken, broth and seasonings into a non-stick pan. bring to a boil; turn down and simmer, uncovered, until your chicken is done in the middle.

2. turn off stove, but leave on hot burner. cover with a tight lid and let it sit for 7 minutes (or longer if you have time).

3. you can shred it right then or leave it in pieces to shred later. either way, store the chicken in the broth in your fridge.

use it for any recipe that calls for shredded chicken and adjust your spices for whatever type of taste you'd like.

and here's a yummy recipe to try. i made these salads last week and they were awesome. i thought the bbq sauce was too zingy, until i put it on the salad and then it was perfect! the zing gave it that perfect salad dressing tang. mmmm..... enjoy!

priscilla from priscilla bakes posted a similar salad last week and i laughed when i saw it, knowing i was going to post this. her's looks great too!!!

barbeque chicken salad

bbq sauce (from "cooking with the crazy lady")

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. store in the refrigerator.

romaine lettuce, chopped

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (according to above)

canned (drained) or frozen (cooked and chilled) corn

black beans (rinsed and drained)

tomatoes, chopped

your favorite low-fat ranch dressing

shredded cheese, fresh cilantro and crumbled tortilla chips (optional)

anything else you'd like on here (hearts of palm sounded good to me!)

1. make bbq sauce and chicken (both above). coat shredded chicken with bbq sauce.

2. top a bed of lettuce with bbq chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, your extras and ranch dressing. drizzle a little bit of extra bbq sauce over the top.

adventures in tofu

so i decided to be an adult. i've always been a bit afraid of tofu, but you can't really say you don't like it unless you've tried it, right? well, i found it on sale really cheap and now i've tried it.

the result: two skinny bovine thumbs down! yuck! i even marinated it ahead and it was still slimy and gooey and icky. it may look pretty yummy below, but don't let it fool you.

do you like tofu? if so, what is your trick?

new years resolutions

if your holiday season went anything like mine, you ate like a crazy person for the last 8 weeks and feel like eating nothing but veggie soup for the next 8. don't get me wrong - the food was wonderful and it was more than worth it, but i'm not particularly fond of waking up with a stomach ache or not being hungry for 1 meal a day (or any snacks in between) because i've gorged myself on the other 2. yikes.

so here we find ourselves in a new year once again, making resolutions for healthier eating and even for weight loss. we can definitely go overboard in these goals, leaving us stymied to accomplish them at all. when making your resolutions for healthier eating or losing weight, here are some principles to go by:

• be realistic. if you eat dessert every night, it may be hard for you to eliminate all sugar from your 2009 diet. instead, give yourself 2 nights a week you can eat dessert and try to make healthier desserts so you don't feel so bad about it.
• make small changes that matter. for example - make a goal that you will no longer buy white bread, only wheat. if you don't have white bread around you certainly can't eat it and your waistline will thank you. other good ideas here - no more fried foods, eat better snacks, use egg whites instead of whole eggs whenever possible, etc.
• be accountable. have a buddy (a friend, spouse, etc.) to report back to or to report progress to - or even to vent to when you'd really rather eat fried chicken than a salad.
• don't eliminate anything you love. this is a good way to stop your goal before it starts. if you love it, you're going to splurge and eat it at some point. i, for example, could never go on a no-carb diet. i love anything with carbs - bread, pasta, rice, cake.... mmm. no atkins for me.
• exercise. this is the most important change you can make in 2009. your overall quality of life will improve if you do. you will feel better, have more energy, stave off depression and burn calories all at the same time. it feels good to exercise because you know you're keeping your body healthy and you won't be decrepit by the time you're 50, but you also have more eating flexibility if you do. my dad, who loves to cook bacon fried rice, eat ice cream and cookies but is also an avid biker, has a simple equation he uses: calories eaten - calories burned = fat on body.
• reward yourself. if you've been doing great and you're really craving those fried, rolled tacos at the greasy mexican food joint around the corner - reward yourself!! just don't do it too often and don't let it send your eating into a downward spiral. you may even want to set a limit for how often you reward yourself as part of your goal. and have 3 rolled tacos instead of 5. :)

and this should make you feel better. i made 4 of the 6 pies for Christmas eve dinner. yes - even the skinny bovine loses control during the holidays.

making "healthy" desserts

i realize "healthy dessert" is an oxy moron, but there are some things you can do to make your desserts lots healthier than they start out. here are a few quick tricks, some of which i've discussed before and some of which may be new!

• make friends with your dessert. this may seem like a strange part of this list, but one of the best ways to make dessert healthier is to eat less of it! duh! get your fix in and then give lots away to your friends and neighbors. they'll appreciate it and you'll be glad you didn't get sick on your cookie dough. (i did this last week, so i would know. it was soooo yummy though... i just needed to make the cookies and get them out the door faster.
• never use oil. if a recipe calls for oil, use applesauce or yogurt instead. 1:1 ratio works great.
• avoid recipes with lots of butter. you may often be able to find a recipe that is similar that uses oil instead of butter and then you can substitute it.
• sneak in some non-white flour. it drives my husband crazy when he knows i do this, but if he doesn't know, he often loves is and then i tell him what i did! ha! i like to use part wheat or part oat flour (put some oats in your blender for this!). i made this apple cake from elise's simplyrecipes.com a few weeks back with part wheat flour and it was fabulous!
• add wheat germ or flax seed in place of some of the flour. these are extra, super healthy for you and a little bit goes a long way. i wouldn't substitute more than 1/4 to 1/3 of the flour for these.
• cut back the sugar. this doesn't always work, but some recipes call for way too much sugar and it tastes better with less. just taste your batter to make sure you didn't take too much out. honey is expensive, but you can also use some honey instead of sugar - it's better for you!
• use fat free ingredients, even if you're usually opposed. baking is a great time to use fat free cream cheese, sour cream, milk, etc. because however much you think they taste different, it's hard to taste the difference when they're baked into things.
• make recipes that include a fruit or veggie. i love apple cake, carrot cake and zucchini bread. mmmm....

the applesauce for oil substitution will work in any recipe. try the flour and sugar ones. if it isn't yummy in one recipe try it in another!

i wanted to use some of the homemade baby food my daughter is no longer eating so i decided to create these carrot cake bars. (have no fear, you can simply steam some carrots and run them through your blender with some water. 4 oz is about 4 ice cube sized blocks). they have no white flour, no oil or butter, lots of carrots and even the un-frosting has no butter and has less than a cup of powdered sugar instead of like 4-5 cups like normal frosting. i brought them to a church thing and people couldn't believe what wasn't in them. you can see how good they were from the picture. :)

no-guilt carrot cake bars with cream cheese un-frosting

makes 1 jelly roll pan-full

3/4 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups applesauce
3 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oat flour
1 cup wheat flour
½ cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 (4 ounce) jar carrot baby food (or homemade baby food, see note above)
1 cup shredded carrots (or more if you'd like!)
½ cup un sweetened shredded coconut (optional), soaked in water for 20 minutes

1. cream sugar, brown sugar and applesauce. add vanilla and eggs and cream again.

2. add oat flour, wheat flour, wheat germ, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. mix until combined. add carrot baby food and mix again until combined.

3. stir in shredded carrots and coconut.

4. bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes in a jelly roll pan. done when toothpick comes out clean.

cream cheese un-frosting

whip 1 block 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened). then add 4 tablespoons milk and ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and whip until combined. spread over carrot cake bars.

change up your grains

whole grains are an important part of a healthy diet and they are usually cheaper than the meat or veggie part of the meal so they are good "padding" for the cost of the meal too. i try to use some sort of grain in every dinner i cook. it is easy to get bored if you use the same grains in the same ways all of the time so here are some grain ideas from my kitchen:

• brown rice - chewy and delicious and much healthier than white. it tastes better as a side dish with heartier meals. it's harder to cook than white, but here's the perfect ratio: 2 1/2 cups water to 1 cup brown rice - combine, salt water, bring to boil, turn down to low and simmer covered for 40-45 minutes (until water is gone). i like brown rice with black beans in enchiladas or on a mexican-sytle salad, too.
• white rice - not as good for you as brown, but way yummier with asian cuisine like curry.
• pasta - whole wheat is best, but its expensive, so make your choice here! pour your favorite sauce over it, bake it, put it in soup, make a cold salad out of it. mmm...
• potatoes - i love red, but they are, again, more expensive, but ohhh so yummy! i buy whatever is cheapest usually. do a baked potato bar, make soup, mash them, turn them into oven fries or chop and bake them coated with a tiny bit of olive oil and a package of onion soup mix - that is one of my favorites!
• bread - i love bread. i would be an atkins diet failure for sure. i like to do homemade wheat (or 1/2 white 1/2 wheat) rolls or breadsticks or use it as part of the main course and make pizza or calzones.
• tortillas - again, go whole wheat. my husband rebels against whole wheat so we alternate white and wheat at our house. we love corn tortillas too. love these under a cafe rio style salad or in a mexi-casserole, make as a quesadilla, taco, enchiladas, burritos (try breakfast burritos for dinner some time!), etc, etc, etc. when i'm out of town my husband eats them with peanut butter and jelly.
• quinoa - actually not one of my favorites, but it is a fun one to use once in a while if you're bored!
• cous cous - a fun and different alternative to the typical grains. it's really yummy and makes a great side dish on a plate with meats and veggies. see a recipe below to try. i usually buy it in the bulk section of the whole foods market.

here's a yummy dinner i made last week. i love parmesan crusted chicken and this one was perfect.

parmesan crusted balsamic chicken and tomato florentine couscous

1 chicken breast and 1 1/2 cups couscous (about 3 servings - double all if you need more!)

parmesan crusted balsamic chicken
pound 1 chicken breast (or cut into thin peices) and marinate all day in:
1/4 cup italian dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon oil

for coating, mix the following ingredients in a bowl:
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (chop smaller if you have the fresh, grated kind so it will stick to the chicken easier)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
black pepper to your liking

simply pull the chicken out of the marinade and coat each side with the parmesan mixture.

bake at 350 in a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish for 15-20 minutes (may vary depending on the thickness of your chicken!)

tomato florentine couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 cups (or more, to your liking) fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 roma large tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

bring broth to a boil. add couscous and spinach, stir then turn off heat and set lid in place. let stand 5 minutes. add dried herbs, tomatoes and onion and toss with fork.

have a happy turkey day everyone! i'm making my dad's stuffing this year. it's fabulous. i'm drooling just thinking about it! what is everyone else's favorite thanksgiving food?

snack time

i'm sure i'm not the only bovine who is getting hungry between meals so let's talk about snacks. there are definitely good and bad things to snack on, so what is the difference:

bad snacks:

• anything full of bad carbs - this can be store-bought granola bars, cereals, chips, etc., etc., etc.
• anything with lots of sugar - as much as we love it, we all know that snacking on leftover dessert from sunday night is a bad idea
• anything full of bad fat - anything fried like chips and anything with lots of butter like almost all crackers (sadly this includes our favorites like ritz, chicken in a biscuit, etc. even saltines aren't very good! ahhh!)

good snacks:

• fruit - keep lots of it around. shoot for 2-3 a day. it isn't hard - eat a banana with or after breakfast and an apple after lunch. don't want it plain? put a little bit of peanut butter on your apple and you may change your mind. this is still better than snacking on the apple cake you made last night (i made one last night... i'm trying to remind myself of this too...). a glass of orange juice is even a pretty decent snack
• veggies (with some fat free/low-fat salad dressing if you don't like to eat them plain)
• homemade granola bars (i'll post mine some time)
• yogurt - healthy and a great way to sneak in a serving of dairy
• nuts (sometimes they are expensive, but if you watch for sales these are good snacks!)
• hard boiled eggs (read more on eggs)
• whole-grain, low-sugar cereals (by the handful - i'm not talking about a bowl of cereal). i like to munch on my daughter's cheerios on occasion.
• and a good snack i've discovered will often quell my insatiable sweet tooth... muffins and quick breads made (made with no oil or butter and packed with good flour, fruits and veggies and with some added nutrition through wheat germ and flax seed)

you're probably noticing a trend - things are generally more healthy and less expensive when you make them yourself! this is something that we all know, but sometimes it's good to get a refresher!

i created these yummy snack loaved the other day for a number of reasons. 1 - i had brown bananas i didn't want to waste! :) 2 - i wanted a little bit of a sweet snack with no oil, butter or white flour in it. 3 - traditional sized loaves seem to get dry on the outside while the inside is waiting to cook, so these snack loaves are moist all the way through. yum. and 4 - a piece of a normal sized-loaf is often too much if i just need a tiny snack to hold me over.

my husband definitely prefers bread like this with white flour in it but he loved this one! it's light, moist and pretty good on the healthy snack scale! hope your health-resistant husband likes it too!

cinnamon banana snack loaf

2 snack loaves

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 smaller bananas for me!)
*1 cup oat flour (stick some oats in the blender)
*1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup warm water
*for an extra healthy touch decrease oat flour and wheat flour to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 cup each of wheat germ and milled flax seed

1. beat together sugar and applesauce. add vanilla and eggs and beat well.
2. stir in bananas and mix well again.
3. add all dry ingredients and combine until moist throughout.
4. add water and mix again until combined.
5. pour equal amounts into 2 large, greased loaf pans and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees (check frequently!). (the "snack loaves" will fill about 1/2 of a large loaf pan, but you could make small loaves if you have the pans.)

don't let me catch you with this in your kitchen!

each of you raise your right hand and say - "after reading this post, i promise the skinny bovine that i will rid myself of any and all vegetable oil in my kitchen! yuck!!!"

you promised, now here are the reasons why:

• it has no redeeming nutrional value. it is terrible for you. we all know oil has fat, but vegetable oil has all of the wrong kind of fat.
• you can use olive oil instead for cooking. despite the extra cost, your arteries will thank you later.
• you can use substitutes in baking too. does your brownie, cake or muffin recipe call for 1 cup of oil? be honest with yourself - that is gross. use yogurt or applesauce instead. and yes, your baked goods will still turn out moist and delicious!! if you're one of those who can "taste" applesauce and are opposed to it in baked goods, try yogurt and you won't taste it! i usually use plain, non-fat yogurt, but you could also use vanilla yogurt and use a bit less sugar in your recipe.

i've been on a muffin kick lately - or i guess i should say my husband is on one. my freezer is full of muffins he can take to school with him to snack on. so, here's a yummy one to try - its one of my favorites because it sneaks in a few veggies too!

zucchini carrot muffins

24 muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oat flour (put oats in the blender and voila! oat flour!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup white sugar (or brown or 1/2 brown, 1/2 white - whatever you prefer!)
3/4 cup honey (if honey is a budget buster right now, use more brown sugar instead)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. lightly grease 24 muffin cups.
2. In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. in a separate bowl, beat together eggs, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla. mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture. fold in the zucchini and carrots. scoop into the prepared muffin cups.
3. bake 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

zucchini carrot muffins modified from "zucchini yogurt multigrain muffins" from allrecipes.com

feeling green: more on eating meatless

after i posted about reasons to eat meatless, someone from the meatless monday campaign left a comment and reminded me of another good reason to eat meatless -it reduces your carbon footprint. she sent a great article so here it is if you want to read more! i'm convinced and want to do my part, so we started today with our own meatless monday! the meatless monday website has great recipes, too. we tried the great northern white chili and it was mmm, mmm, good!

great northern white chili

from meatlessmonday.com

8 servings

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 (15-ounce) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

1 (14-ounce) can white sweet corn, drained

1. coat a large pot with nonstick cooking spray, then sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Stir frequently so vegetables don't stick.

2. empty one can of the great northern beans into a food processoror blender and process with one cup of the vegetable broth until smooth.

3. add everything to the pot: the pureed bean mixture, the second can of great northern beans,the garbanzo beans, the remaining 3 cups of vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, green chiles, and corn.

4. bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes.

i added a bit more of each spice and garnished with sour cream and fresh salsa. i also made some mini quesadillas with corn tortillas and cheese to dip in it. mmm....

easy fresh salsa ala skinny bovine:

1 large roma tomato

1 small jalapeno pepper

1 thin slice onion

1 small clove garlic (optional)

cilantro to liking (or none if you happen to be out, like me tonight!!)

a few squirts of lime juice

salt to taste

put all ingredients in a small electric food chopper/processor/blender. turn on and off until ingredients are chopped and mixed, but not pureed.

go fancy: the art of recipe modification

i used to find myself getting discouraged because i'd see fancy meals that looked soooo delicious in magazines, online or even in restaurants that were just too fancy for me to make for any number of reasons. then i started dappling in the art of recipe modification and realized - "i can cook fancy, exotic things too!". the consequence is that now i'm not capable of following a recipe exactly (which is sometimes good and sometimes...), but here are some basic reasons the skinny bovine modifies recipes and how i work around them (if this post is too long for your taste, skip down to the "total savings for all 6 servings" near the bottom and you may be convinced it is worth your time!):

• the ingredient is too expensive. this obviously happens a lot on my budget. some examples are fancy cheeses, nuts, fresh herbs, etc.
• the ingredient is obscure or strange. do you ever read a recipe and think - "what the heck is that and where would i even buy it?"
• the ingredient is the most unhealthy thing you could possibly eat. that might be extreme, but you know what i mean. example - a whole cup of oil in a cake recipe. barf. how young do you want to die?
• you don't like the ingredient.

work arounds:

• leave it out: you obviously can't leave out a main ingredient or something that will drastically change the taste of a recipe, but there are many things you can leave out. example: my banana nut muffins are still fabulous without the expensive nuts.
• cut it down: if there is something expensive, maybe just use a tiny bit of it. if it is something unhealthy, see if you can use less - it is often just as good with less! example: almost every recipe calls for more oil than is actually needed. cut it way down or you can often leave it out (see example below).
• search out a substitute: so brie cheese or fresh herbs won't fit in your budget either? you want to make a pasta sauce with cooking wine but you don't buy wine? a cake recipe call for 1 cup of oil (barf)? use google or a cookbook in your kitchen to find a substitute. example: chicken broth is a good sub for some kinds of wine in recipes. sub applesauce or plain yogurt for oil. (see an herb example below.)
• use a different ingredient than the undesirable one and then use extra of something else (spices, another ingredient, etc.) to compensate. this takes a little bit of practice, but try it and you'll be surprised how creative you are! (i did this with the spaghetti squash and red sauce - added more of the veggies i like and left out the ones i don't. i also do it in the example below.)

my sweet friend jenny brought me dinner right after i had my daughter and what she brought was sooooo yummy i just had to get the recipe. i was slightly disappointed when i saw all of the fancy ingredients, but have since modified this fancy, exotic recipe to be totally doable, even for a healthy-eating, money saving skinny bovine. it illustrates all of the above modifiying techniques also, so it helps illustrate my point! it also uses some of that coriander i told you to buy when i posted creamy herbed chicken and homemade mashed potatoes!

rachel ray's "moroccan chili and 10,000 grains of sand"

6 servings

(places where i made changes are purple - see list of changes and reasons below)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground lamb
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth
a handful golden raisins
4 apricots, chopped
1 1/2 cups couscous
3 to 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
a handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped
a handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
8 pita breads, cut into wedges for scooping

skinny bovine's "moroccan chili and 10,000 grains of sand"
6 servings

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder + a bit more
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin + a little more
1 tablespoon ground coriander + a bit more
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon + an extra dash
1/2 teaspoon paprika + a little bit
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 teaspoon dried parsley
a handful fresh spinach leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
8 pita breads, cut into wedges for scooping (made from recipe here)

looks the same as rachel ray's, eh?

1. make pita bread and let rise.
2. heat skillet, add meat. season the meat with salt and pepper, to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika. cook until browned.
3. add the bay leaf, onions, bell pepper and garlic to the pan. cook until onions are soft, 8 minutes. 4. add lemon juice and zest, worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. stir and reduce heat to simmer.
5. bring butter and stock to a boil in a pot with tight fitting lid. add couscous, stir then turn off heat and set lid in place. let stand 5 minutes. add spinach and dried herbs and toss with fork.
6. cook pita bread and cut into wedges.
7. pile chili in bowls, top with "sand" and serve with pita wedges for scooping.


changes:

• eliminated olive oil - there is enough grease in the meat that you don't need it and you're eliminating 28 grams of fat and 240 calories by leaving it out!
• substituted 2 lbs ground lamb for 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey - who has ground lamb? and this makes it 36 grams of fat and 765 calories in 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey instead of 123 grams of fat and 1772 calories in 2 lbs ground lamb.
• added a little bit more of each spice - ground turkey absorbs flavor and usually needs more. (read more.)
• left out half the butter (just 1 tablespoon instead of 2) - saving 11 grams of fat and 100 calories.
• left out apricots and raisins - i don't like apricots or raisins and they are just something else that adds cost to the meal.
• left out pine nuts and mint - i once paid about $2 for 2 tablespoons of pine nuts. never again. these would obviously be a yummy addition, but the recipe is still wonderful without them! also, 3 tablespoons of pine nuts has 174 calories and 18 grams of fat)
• substituted fresh parsley for 1 teaspoon dried - way cheaper!
• added spinach - this way it is still pretty like if you used the fresh herbs and besides, you added a veggie! (read more on adding veggies)

total savings for all 6 servings:

• fat grams eliminated: 144 (olive oil, turkey, butter, pine nuts)
• calories eliminated: 1521 (olive oil, turkey, butter, pine nuts)
• money saved: $12 (about $4 on turkey, $4 on fresh herbs, $1 on fruit, $3 on pine nuts)

okay - that is totally amazing!!!!!!!!! i don't usually obsessively break it down like that, but i'm even shocked now. that is real healthy and budgeted savings!

hope this post was as fun for you to read as it was for me to create! now, go to it - go mess with a recipe! take something out, add something yummy, make it better and make it your own!

why eat meatless?

i am by no means a vegetarian, but do love to eat meatless, or at least make a dinner with no meat every now and then. as meat is a traditional part of american meals, you may face understandable skepticism or even protest from say, your meatier half, when placing a meatless dish on your dinner table. thanks to my friend stacey for asking me to post about this! here are a few skinny-bovine worthy arguments with which to combat this protest:

• "eating meatless (at least occasionally) is cheaper than eating with meat." if you are married to an accountant like i am (or any other form of stingy, money-saving, male) this argument can definitely hold weight.
• "eating meatless is really healthy." you can choose better calories by replacing a meat with a protein-rich non-meat or eliminate an unnecessary carb load by replacing it with a veggie.
• "saving calories with less meat means more room for dessert." enough said.
• "we can be more adventurous in our food choices by eating meatless." some of my favorite meatless recipes are curries, indian dishes, etc. these types of fun recipes keep me from getting bored cooking and my husband from getting bored eating. don't be afraid to try new things!

and of course if i'm going to try and convince you to eat meatless, i'd better give you a fun, meatless recipe. i made this one last night and was pleasantly surprised at how yummy it turned out... all of the veggies in the sauce were fabulous!! besides, it was really fun to make noodles out of squash. i felt so professional. thanks again, stacey, for passing it along!

spaghetti squash with red sauce

6 servings

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1. cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. place squash, cut side down, on a microwave-safe plate. microwave, uncovered, on high for 14-16 minutes or until tender.

2. meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté tomatoes, mushrooms, green pepper, carrot, onion, garlic, italian seasoning and pepper in oil for 6-8 minutes or until tender. add tomato sauce; heat through.

3. when squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands (see pic below). place squash on a serving platter and top with sauce. sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

i made a few changes of course - i was saving my fresh tomatoes for something else so i used a can of diced (drained) and i think mushrooms are yucky so i left them out.

here's my suggestion, try something meatless that is fabulous like no-cream pasta primavera or taco soup (vegetarian modification) and then sneak a meat substitute into something and see if your eaters like it (try tasty lentil taco meat in burritos or enchiladas or something!) your sneakiness will pay off! trust me.

click here for all of my meatless favorites!

recipe from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/04/earlyshow/living/recipes/main2883739.shtml

the incredible, edible egg

since i'm nursing a baby, exercising and am a generally insatiably hungry skinny bovine, a quick, protein-rich snack is a must in my day. for me, that protein/energy fix is usually a hard-boiled egg (salted, of course!). here are just a few reasons eggs are skinny bovine-worthy:

• they are good fat, high-quality protein and not as linked to bad cholesterol as researchers used to think. (for more on the health benefits of eggs click here.)
  
• soooo cheap! on average they are less than $0.20 per egg - on sale they're even less!
  
• so many different ways to eat them - hard-boiled, scrambled, over easy, etc, etc, etc. keeps it interesting so you don't get bored of them.
  

make a batch of hard-boiled eggs to try for a quick snack at your house. my mom taught me how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs. here are the steps:

1. arrange eggs in the bottom of a large pot.
   
2. add cold water just above the top of the eggs.
   
3. bring to a boil on the stove and then turn down so it is barely at a rolling boil.
   
4. leave at rolling boil for 15 minutes.
   
5. remove from heat, drain hot water and run cold water over eggs. let eggs sit in the cold water until they are cool.

------

i don't particularly like the usual "breakfast for dinner" scenario, with syrup, orange juice and the like - something hearty is better in my book. that's another fun thing about eggs - they are hearty enough to eat for dinner. when i was a freshman in college my best friend maggi taught me to make "cheesy waffles". she liked to top them with syrup, but i like to put eggs on mine and eat them like a sandwich. so in honor of my maggi, we'll call this recipe "cheesy waffles and eggs" and a bonus of "quick breakfast cobbler".

cheesy waffles and eggs & quick breakfast cobbler

cheesy waffles and eggs
2 eggs - cooked your favorite way
waffle mix, made as per directions
cheese (sharp cheddar is yummiest, but whatever you have will work!)

1. pour waffle batter into waffle iron (the thinner the waffles, the better!). top with cheese as seen in picture below. (top with cheese before you close the waffle iron.)
2. while waffles are cooking, make your eggs as desired.
3. top waffles with eggs. cover in syrup, more cheese, eat with a fork, eat like a sandwich - whatever you'd like!

quick breakfast cobbler (1 piece of fruit serves 2 people as a side dish)
1 ripe peach or nectarine
3 tablespoons oats
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

combine all ingredients. heat in microwave for 1 minute.

the other ground meat: discover ground turkey

to most people ground turkey sounds foreign, scary and just plain wrong when compared to ground beef. i hope to change your mind about that. let me introduce you to a much more flavorful, healthy and delicious alternative that will make all of your favorite ground beef dishes even more delicious.

a few reasons why ground turkey is skinny-bovine worthy:

• unlike ground beef, it is a good source of lean protein with very little fat
• it has a yummy flavor all by itself
• you can use it in almost any recipe in which you would normally use ground beef. try the substitution in one of your favorites (see trick below!)
• it's cheaper than good, extra lean ground beef. macey's in provo grounds their own turkey and it is normally $1.59/lb (good lean ground beef on sale might be $1.99/lb). the jennie-o brand is expensive, so call grocers in your area and find one who grounds their own.
• no greasy after taste. is anyone else disgusted by that gross film in your mouth after you eat ground beef?

an important ground turkey trick:

• when using ground turkey as a substitute for ground beef you'll need to know that ground turkey seasons differently than does ground beef. use more seasonings (in many recipes almost double) when using ground turkey.

it's so good. i promise. just try it. you'll be glad you did. here's a fun recipe to start with!

taco soup (4 large servings)

1 lb ground turkey (still yummy with less meat if you like less or if you want to make it extra cheap!)
½ cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can corn, drained
1 cup water
½ packet western family taco seasoning - more if you like it with more spice! (same taste can be accomplished with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt to taste)

1. spray a skillet with cooking spray. combine onions, garlic, ground turkey, garlic salt and black pepper in skillet. cook until meat browed and onions soft.
2. in large pot cominbe crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, corn, water and taco seasoning. add meat mixture.
3. cook until hot throughout and until beans are hot in center.

fun toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado/guacamole, tortilla chips (not all of these are healthy or cheap, but if you have them laying around they are kind of fun!)

i like to eat mine with cheese quesadillas as shown in the picture! if you’re feeling extra healthy use whole wheat tortillas.

fun modifications:
kid-friendly – use 2 cans tomato soup instead of crushed tomatoes. makes it smooth and creamy!
vegetarian – grill onions and garlic without the meat and add a can of rinsed and drained black beans

this recipe would be easy to throw together and leave in the crockpot all day until you get home as well.

price breakdown:
1 lb ground turkey - $1.59
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes - $0.84
1 15 oz can kidney beans - $0.59
1 15 oz can corn - $0.59
1/2 packet taco seasoning - $0.17
onion, garlic, garlic salt, pepper - $0.25

total (4 large servings) - $4.03

so no more ground beef. your palate and waist line will thank you.

original cow picture from http://nikkislinks.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/eat-more-chicken.jpg modified by me

taco soup recipe inspired by my mother-in-law's taco soup, but recipe is the skinny bovine's

veggies, veggies and more veggies

so we all know that fruits and veggies are healthy for you, but they are often a challenge for we healthy, budgeted eaters. the "5 a day" campaign has drilled into my mind getting 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, but veggies are the hard part of that for me. i just have never loved them, but a few adjustments in my eating and shopping and i've learned to like them. veggies can be a bit more expensive than other things you could buy at the grocery store, but the benefits are more than worth the sacrifices in soda, cookies and granola bars you'll make. make small adjustments in your budget and your tummy will thank you. here are some of the cheaper veggies that i love and sneaky ways to use them so you don't feel like an under-fed health nut! :)

a few cheap veggies to love and ways to use them

spinach - spinach is a "superfood" (read about superfoods here) so it's super good for you. it's the easiest vegetable to use and disguise so that the fact that you may not love spinach won't ruin your meal. toss it in with your regular lettuce in a salad, get gutsy and make a salad of just spinach, put it in your hot pasta sauce or your chicken noodle soup and watch it basically disappear. i've heard it's good disguised in smoothies too, though i've yet to venture that far...

squash - yellow squash and zucchini are my favorites - they're cheap and a single yellow squash or zucchini goes a long way in a recipe! squash can be yummy all by itself as a side dish or you can add it to other recipes to sneak in an extra veggie serving for the day. it is yummy sprinkled with your favorite seasonings and grilled or baked. my husband loves to sprinkle cheese on top too. try slicing it up and putting it in your favorite saucy dish like pasta, curry or soup (add near the end so it doesn't get too mushy - squash cooks fast this way). pan-cook it with meat and other veggies and serve over rice.

green beans - fresh, frozen or in a can, you can always find green beans for cheap. they are great to throw into soups and sauces as well or as a side dish. pan-cook some with a little bit of italian dressing and you've got a tasty, easy and cheap little side dish... and an extra serving of vegetables for the day.

tomatoes - I KNOW, I KNOW! tomatoes are a fruit, but i'm including them in the veggie post because they taste and cook like veggies. another superfood, i once bought 6 romas for 86 cents!! hooray for tomatoes. again, salads, pastas, mexican food - the sky is the limit! canned tomatoes (crushed are my favorite) are a good base for many soups and sauces too.

broccoli - yet another superfood, broccoli is another veggie you can sneak into meals. try putting it in your blender first and then adding it to a sauce if you don't love it. you'll hardly know it's there. my friend lindsay has 2 boys under 4 and she says this is a good way to get kids to eat it too. i love it as a side dish, especially with my mom's cream cheese sauce which is skinny bovine-worthy for taste only (not healthy or particularly cheap) but if you're interested leave a comment with your email address and i'll tell you what's in it.

adjust your budget, your shopping list and your eating habits and push harder to get your "5 a day". and give vegetables a chance. you might like them more than you think you do.

thanks to the following sites for the pictures of spinach, squash, green beans, tomatoes, and broccoli, respectively: http://www.ultimatecoupons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/popeye.jpg, http://www.parkseed.com/product_images/5849.jpg, http://www.busymomsrecipes.com/images/greenbeans.jpg.busymomsrecipes.com/images/greenbeans.jpg, http://www.blendernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/tomatoes.jpg, http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/photos/broccoli.jpg

fall in love with lentils

what are lentils? lentils are a bean that is extremely protein-rich (3rd most protein-rich in the veggie world after soybeans and hemp). what makes them skinny bovine-worthy?

• they are CHEAP!!! a 1 pound bag runs about $1.00 at your local Wal-Mart.
  
• a little bit goes a long way. most recipes use about 1/4 of your 1 pound bag (1 cup). that's 25 cents for the main ingredient in your meal.
• lentils are meaty. because they are so loaded with protein, in many recipes they end up tasting very meaty (but without the greasiness and fattiness that often accompany this quality).
  
• not only are lentils protein-rich, but they are fat-free and are a good source of fiber, too. hooray for healthy beans!

what kinds of deliciousness can you create with this healthy, meaty treat? soups, stews, salads, tacos (see recipe below), even vegetarian meatloaf. the possibilities are endless. so do your budget, and your health, a favor and fall in love with lentils.

***find some great lentil recipes on allrecipes.com
thanks to wikipedia.com for the lentil photo