Beefy Shells and Cheese

     My posts have become fewer and farther between as the blog goes on. I have found that I have posted all of my regularly used recipes, and I only get to post those new adventures that I try...which is not very many during this time of year. We have been so busy with summer things, and I have recently starting babysitting a three month old a few nights a week. With a 17 month old and a three month old, I don't get much time to experiment...I'm lucky if we get a meat and a side or two.
     I've been reading The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook as my nighttime reading after Miss E goes to bed, and I have found some fantastic inexpensive recipes that I want to try. I wish I had bought it instead of borrowing it from the library. She does have a website that I haven't check out yet.
     This recipe is one that I have actually made before. It's one of those that tastes really great and every time I make it I think, "This should be a regular dish", but then life goes on and I come across it again every couple of months. I really do like it, and though it starts with a box of processed shells and cheese, the added black beans and carrots make it healthier. I've been sneaking in a lot more veggies lately since Miss E has decided to be more picky about eating them.

1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 pkg (12 oz) shells and cheese dinner mix
2 c water
1-1/4 c salsa
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 carrot, shredded
1-2 tsp chili powder (to taste)
1/8 tsp salt

• Brown meat. Drain. 
• Add shells and water to skillet with meat. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender. Drain water.
• Stir in salsa, beans, carrots, chili powder, salt and contents of cheese sauce packet. 
• Remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.

posted at

Meatfree Monday: Fettuccine Alfredo with Veggies

     I'm trying not to get stuck in a pasta or bean rut regarding these meatfree dishes. It just seems like every recipe that has no meat is based around one of those ingredients. Bear with me as I continue the search. I've been pleased with the addition of Meatfree Monday on our pocketbook. I'm also impressed that I don't seem to miss the meat on the days we don't have it. I've always considered myself rather carnivorous.

     This fettuccine was so flavorful! At the end of dinner, J said, "Was that our meatfree dish of the week?" He didn't even miss it! His only complaint was the addition of lima beans. I'll have to puree those next time, I suppose. Ha! In addition to the lima beans, the pasta contains broccoli and cauliflower to really kick up the vegetables. My formerly not-so-picky two year old has recently decided she won't eat anything but peanut butter and jelly, so at least I can trick her into eating something healthy for a couple of bites!

Estimated cost: about $3.50

pasta $1, vegetables $1.50, other $1



adapted from Joy Bauer

12 oz whole wheat noodles

2 Tbl butter

2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbl whole wheat flour

1 cup milk

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup pureed cauliflower

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

frozen (or fresh) broccoli and/or lima beans

• Boil pasta. Save about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.


• Heat butter in saucepan. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. 


• Add flour and cook about 4 minutes until paste forms. 


• Whisk in milk and stir until it starts to thicken. 


• Stir in the cheeses, cauliflower, parmesan chese, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix until smooth.


• Add in drained pasta and broccoli. Heat until broccoli is just tender. Add reserved pasta cooking water if needed. 

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.




Roasted Zucchini Pasta by Ezra Pound Cake

. Granola Banana Sticks from Taste of Home

Taco Salad

     Two salads in one week here at Penny Pinching Provisions! Although, this one doesn't really seem like a salad. It does have lettuce, but the addition of tortilla chips makes it seem more like nachos. Any way you look at it, it's delicious.
     My favorite part of this taco salad is the dressing. Basically, it's like a Mexican style bruschetta, and it really makes the dish.
You could definitely make this for less by getting less expensive meat or leaving out the meat and using only beans. I've been trying to get at least 90% lean meat when possible.
Estimated cost:  $5.50
spinach $0.25, lean ground beef $2.50, black beans $0.75, multi-grain chips $1, others $1

meat:
1 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbl taco seasoning (or 1 pkt or 2 clove garlic +1 Tbl chili powder +1/4 tsp red pepper)
1/3 cup water

dressing:
4 tomatoes, diced (from garden-yum!)
2 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

salad:
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
multi-grain tortilla chips

• Cook beef. Add garlic and beans and cook for 2 more minutes. Add seasoning (and water if needed) and stir until well combined and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 
• Mix the dressing.
• Divide the spinach among dinner plates. Top with beef mixture, and sprinkle with cheese. Spoon dressing over each salad and serve with chips on the side or crumbled on top.

Summer Salad

     Sometimes it is so hot, I don't feel like cooking a big, heavy meal. Sometimes, I don't feel like cooking anything at all. Last week I made this salad, and it was just perfect for a hot summer evening. Not only is it beautiful, but it's also healthy, light, and satisfying. We served this with a pumpernickel dinner roll.
     My husband was less than thrilled when I told him we were having salad for dinner, but he really enjoyed it. He couldn't believe how well the strawberries and bacon complimented each other. He even liked the dressing, and he is usually strictly a blue cheese guy.
     If you want to have this again for lunch the next day, I recommend storing everything separately. The salad may get mushy if you keep in all in one container.
Estimated cost:  $4
 Spinach $1.20, bacon $0.75, Mandarins $0.40, Strawberries $0.75, Other $1

serves 2-3
6 cups baby spinach (or whatever leaves you like)
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 cup diced red onion
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbl red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper

• Mix the salad: spinach, bacon, mandarins, strawberries, and onion.
• Mix the dressing: oil, vinegar, garlic, and pepper. 
• Pour dressing over salad.
• Serve with a dinner roll.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

     If you have been following for a while, you know we really love our pancakes and waffles. We eat them every Friday morning. Lately, since my husband got a new job, I make huge batches and freeze the extras so that he can let me sleep in eat them before he goes to work. For an on-the-go breakfast, Heat a frozen pancake in the microwave and top with peanut butter. Fold up like a taco, and get on your way.
     Usually, I just make plain pancakes, but I went all out last week and added mini-chocolate chips. I hate when you bite into a chocolate chip pancake and all you taste is chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate! I just don't want to eat something that sweet and rich for breakfast. Mini chocolate chips were the perfect compromise. You still taste the chocolate, but it's note overpowering the whole pancake.
     In addition to the chocolate chips, this particular recipe includes oatmeal. This makes me feel less guilty about serving pancakes to my two year old every Friday! They are super filling and mostly healthy.
     If you want to freeze them....Cool completely and layer wax paper between each pancake in a resealable freezer bag.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 Tbl brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

• Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
• In a different bowl, mix the milk, oatmeal, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the eggs and then add the flour mixture a little at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. 
• Coat a griddle (or skillet) with spray. pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. 
• When the edges are cooked and little bubbles form in the middle, flip the pancake over. Cook until golden. 
• Serve with syrup or peanut butter. 

Check out these other pancake recipes on my blog:
Cinnamon Chip Pancakes
Blueberry Cheesecake Pancakes
Best Ever Pancakes
OOPs Pancakes
Cornmeal Pancakes
Blueberry Pancakes

Basil Burgers with Sun-Dried Tomato Mayonnaise

     It's burger week here at Penny Pinching Provisions...well, at least it might seem that way. I have a backup of recipes to post, so I thought since I have a couple of burgers I would post them all this week. Everyone loves burgers for their summer cookouts, right?
     This summer, I have really gotten into using lean meats. Not just ground turkey, but lean ground turkey...and lean ground beef too. Not only is it healthier, but it tastes better too! You wouldn't believe the difference in taste and the amount of fat the drips off these things.
     This basil burger was surprisingly good. I wasn't sure how I would feel about basil and beef together. I think one time I tried a meatloaf with Italian seasoning and it was so gross. It could have been a bad recipe...or it could be something I just don't like.  This changed my mind though. We had fresh basil from our garden which made it even better! Next time, I might actually follow the directions and put the cheese in the patties before grilling them! They were good when added after, but I didn't read closely enough to see that it should have already been done. OOPs! Either way, you should definitely include these on your next cookout menu.
     I've always wanted to try homemade hamburger buns, but I haven't got around to it yet. These are store bought, but you can obviously use whatever you like. Sometimes, we just use toast....We are penny-pinchers after all.


From Healthy Cooking Magazine- July 2011
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup boiling water
1 cup mayo (I like the Olive oil mayo)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tsp Italian seasonings
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 lbs lean ground beef (90% lean)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
Additional fresh basil, opt.

• Combine tomatoes and water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes and drain. In a food processor, combine mayo and tomatoes. Chill until serving.
• Combine worcestershire, basil, Italian seasoning, garlic, pepper, and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 12 thin patties. Place 2 Tbl cheese on six patties, and top with remaining patties. Press edges firmly to seal.
• Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and coat grill rack. Grill burgers, covered over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear. 
• Serve on buns with mayonnaise mixture and additional basil leaves if desired.

Meatfree Monday: Sloppy Joes with Lentils

     Lentils has been a scary word in our house. The first time we had them, we tried this recipe that I assume was supposed to be a variation of baked beans. It was terrible. I'm not sure if I didn't do it right, or if it was a bad recipe. Either way, it gave lentils a bad name here. I had half a bag sitting around for a while, then I started mixing it into things like chili and other dishes with a lot of texture.
     Last week, I saw a recipe for Tacos made with lentils and I started wondering if lentils could replace meat in other recipes as well. I thought I would give it a try with Sloppy Joes. It turned out great! These sloppy joes really did taste like the "real thing." The texture was slightly more bumpy, but overall I would make these again. Lentils are so good for you, so it's worth the texture tradeoff.

1cup lentils
1 Tbl vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire
1-1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped banana pepper or pepperoncini
8 oz tomato sauce
1 (12oz) bottle  Chili Sauce
1/4 tsp chili powder
Hot dog buns (or other buns/bread)

• Boil 1 cup lentils in about 3 cups of water until soft. I boiled them for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine vinegar, worcestershire, and honey.
• Drain lentils if needed. Add onion, bell pepper, pepperoncini, tomato sauce, chili sauce, red pepper, chili powder, and vinegar mixture. Stir to blend.
• Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer 20 minutes or until thickened. 
• Serve on toasted buns.

This week's featured recipes...
Don't forget to grab my "I was featured" button if you are one of the following:

Taco Lentils by Creatively Domestic

Black Bean Burgers at Hezzi-D's

Penne with Creamy Zucchini and Basil Sauce at Eats Well with Others

Meatfree Monday #6:Pesto Pasta

     This is similar to my previously posted Basil Pesto Spaghetti, but this pesto is made with mainly spinach rather than mainly basil. I probably like the basil pesto a little better, but this spinach version is much more nutritious!
     You will notice in my photo that there is a picture of the spinach in the pan...my family won't eat the pasta if I just mixed it with that mixture. After I cooked it and it looked so pretty, I had to puree my pesto to add it to the pasta. It's not as appealing, but my family ate it. Feel free to skip the pureeing step if you can!

I need to start remembering to document the costs of the meals in case some of you are interested. This is, after all, a journey to good food on a budget.
Cost? about $3.75
1 box whole wheat spaghetti $0.49 great sale (normal price $1)
bag of Spinach $2.18
basil---from my garden
walnuts, olive oil, minced garlic, seasonings--already on hand, so I'll just add $1

1 box whole wheat spaghetti
4 Tbl olive oil
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 clove garlic, minced
8 cups torn baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped basil (fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook for a couple minutes. Add the garlic, spinach , and basil. Cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese to serve.

Other Meatfree ideas I've found this week...

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.

Squash and Chickpea Tortilla Soup by the Vintage Wife

Grilled Pizza from Frugal Farmhouse

Mexican Quinoa and Beans with Pico de Gallo by Closet Cooking