Lunch for about $1.50

Because I often struggle to think of easy, easy lunches which are cost effective (WHICH ARE NOT SANDWICHES), I thought I would note one lunch option which I quite enjoyed recently. Cost effective, delicious, on the go, and yummy! I'll break it down for you:

Step 1: Bake a potato--sweet or regular, the night before you need it for lunch. (Or cook one extra at dinner, or the morning of if you're daring).

Step 2: Put a slit through the potato now so that you don't need a knife at lunch time. Pack baked potato in cute, handy-dandy dish.

Step 3: At lunch time, stop at local Wendy's and buy a small chili. Ask for sour cream on the side if you wish.

Step 4: Smother baked potato with chili and sour cream.

Step 5: Eat and smile. Eat and smile.

You can always make the chili at home if you want, but sometimes you just can't. You know?

Image Courtesy of http://www.jennyslunchline.com/rcadmin/cartpics/377-1.jpg

Kitchen Sink Chili

Does anyone out there not like chili? Okay, there are a few of you. And you have my special permission to skip over this post (Oh don't, your call...), but if you do enjoy the rich tomatoey flavor of chili, and the buttery bread which you may dip into it, take note!

This one is a keeper.

I have posted about chili before (see here), and that recipe is still a great standby for me. It takes less ingredients and only about an hour from start to finish. It's very forgiving.

But for tonight's dinner I pull another recipe from theBite Me files, (Cookbook by Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat). Just wait until you see what lies behind it's rich flavor! I'll give you a hint...it rhymes with BOGO.

Can you guess??

The rich flavors are enhanced by many spices including cumin, chili powder (of course!), oregano, cayenne, Aaaaaaaaand....

Cocoa powder. If you can believe it. The cocoa gives the chili, not a chocolately taste, but a deepened rich flavor.

It's meaty (if you want--vegetarian works too!), vegetab-ly(?) and delicous, and I had a simple time preparing it. You can do it over the stove top if you prefer, or if you're like me and don't have time to spare, the slow cooker works perfectly fine! (Just remember to pre-cook your meat and onions.)

Serve with caesar salad, a ciabatta loaf, cheddar cheese, and red wine.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

2 c sliced white mushrooms

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 c canned chopped green chili peppers, drained

1 (28oz/796ml) can diced tomatoes with juice

2 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 c mild salsa

1 c vegetable broth

1/2 c cous cous (optional)

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Shredded Montery Jack or cheddar cheese, for topping

Directions:

1. This recipe can be cooked either in a large soup pot over medium heat, or in a slow cooker on high.

2. For a meat version (optional), brown ground beef prior to placing into the slow cooker. Also brown the onions in a small amount of canola oil. Add to the slow cooker/pot and season with chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

2. Next add the red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, minced garlic and chopped green chili peppers. (If using a pot, cook approx. 5 minutes before going on to the next step, stirring occasionally). Stir in diced tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, salsa, vegetable broth, couscous, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat/allow to simmer in slow cooker. On the stove reduce heat to low, and in the s-cooker, to medium. Simmer gently covered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn and serve in bowls, topped with shredded cheese.

Edamame, Avocado, and Cranberry with Rice

This is pretty one. (Like, I wouldn't be surprised if you were scurrying to find your camera to take a picture of this picture.)

No seriously. When you mix the cranberry sauce into the rice, it turns pink, and with accents of green throughout...it's technically art.

SO going to the highest bidder-- the recipe!

Going Once.

Once.

Once!

Okay fine. I will just give it to you. You have convinced me! That, and the title of this post doesn't exactly hide the ingredients from you; nor does the full colour photo.

My friend Genevieve is one of the healthiest people I know and she inspired this recipe. She pulled this yummy vegetarian protein dish out of her purse the other day at the coffee shop and I was (in line buying sugar I didn't need...) like, woah! What is that!?

Cooked brown rice, eaten cold or hot, topped with edamame and avocado. She introduced me to edamame, or soy beans; you can buy them at the grocery store in the frozen section for only a few dollars. They are high in protein and pretty yummy.

In my version, I added homemade cranberry sauce, which added a nice sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 c. prepared brown rice

1/4 c. edamame (from fresh or frozen)

2 Tbsp. homemade cranberry sauce

1/2 an avocado

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Top cooked brown rice with edamame that has been prepared according to the package directions, large scoops of avocado, cranberry sauce, and salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Quick and Delicious (but Forgiving) Chili

Chili has become one of my favourite foods to cook. It is fast, delicious, filling, easy on the pocket book, and best of all, it feeds a crowd! You would be surprised at how many people just show up unexpectedly when I make it. Go figure!

This recipe is as its name suggests, so quick, and so delicious; which is funny because the first time I decided to venture into the chili world I actually had no idea how to make it. The basic ingredients were understood but in terms of amounts and those secret, what is in here? ingredients, I had no clue.

So, suffice to say, from the tomato base to the spice mix, I just about guessed on everything.

And it actually turned out really well! I have been working on the recipe ever since, playing around with different things, and have found chili to be such a forgiving dish. You don't really need to know how much chili powder to add...just throw some in there, taste it, and chances are it won't be half bad. (Let's be realistic of course!)

Here is the go-to recipe that I use. Feel free to change around the beans or meat, add or subtract flavors, and make it your own. (I have tried different spices like Chinese 5 spice for richness, cayenne for heat, etc.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey (Note: Turkey is much leaner than beef and bonus, in chili you can hardly taste the difference)
1 small can tomato paste
1 c. tomato sauce (amt can be adjusted depending on how thick you like your chili)
1 can kidney beans (not drained)
1 small cooking onion
1 green pepper, diced
1 can tomatoes (or use the regular ones-- the canned ones just have great seasoning already "built in")
1 pre-packaged chili seasoning mix (Or use regular chili powder)
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Sautee onions in a large pot at medium heat until softened. Add your green peppers and (preferably) defrosted ground meat. Cook the meat until it is no longer pink and has been broken into small ground bits.

2. Add chili powder, the entire can of kidney beans (including the liquid- it adds flavor), the can of tomato paste, extra tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, and black pepper. Stir.

3. Simmer chili at low heat for at least 30 minutes and serve with cheese, nacho chips, sour cream, garlic bread, and/or cesar salad.

Note: Chili freezes great, but only freeze the chili after it has come to room temperature.

Photo courtesy of http://lukehoney.typepad.com/the_greasy_spoon/images/2007/10/04/chili_3.jpg

Sarah's Own Chickpea Pasta Recipie

This is officially the week of the Chickpea!

Since publishing my last post (Vegetarian Chick Peas with Peppers on Pasta), the people around me who also have a soft spot for the meaty but delicate, iron-filled beans, have been telling me their favourite ways to use them.

Sarah, a fellow natural-food fan (or at least, is fascinated by the concept- getting around to actually living it out) mentioned this recipe to me. It is her own rendition of a chick pea pasta salad, and of course I had to try it out.

Because the ingredients and amounts are so versatile, (kinda like grandma's cooking: a little bit of this, a pinch of that...) I decided to leave the recipe as such. Play around with the ingredients that you like. Add what ever you think would go well and play around with it. Many recipes are simply starting points.

In case you were wondering...

Do chickpeas have any health benefits?

Chickpeas are indeed very good for you, not least because two to three tablespoons equate to one portion of the daily recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables.

Chickpeas also contain phytoestrogens which are weak plant versions of real oestrogen. There's evidence that these may modulate the body's own production of the hormone in a way that could lower the risk of breast cancer, and protect against osteoporosis.

Ingredients:

Chick peas
Sun dried tomato pesto
White Albacore Tuna
sun dried tomatoes
lemon juice
salt and pepper (to taste)
tri-coloured vegi. fussili

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and leave in the fridge to cool.

2. Combine dressing of pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss in chick peas, sun dried tomatoes, tuna and chilled pasta noodles. And serve.

Vegetarian Chickpea and Peppers on Pasta

I am approaching the end of my school semester (finally!), but one of the things that comes with the territory, is a lack of food. Exams and stress aside, my pantry is slowly being emptied so that I don't waste anything as I head back home for the summer.

But not to worry, this story has a silver lining!

I have been forced to be really creative with the food I make! With only a few random ingredients, what is a person to do? It makes me smile actually because I like a good cooking challenge.

Of the remaining ingredients in my pantry, these were the ones I decided on: one lowly can of chick peas, vegi. fusilli, and Club house Roasted Garlic and Peppers seasoning spice.


They made a really yummy pasta that I will totally make again! The chick peas added an awesome source of protein and the pasta wasn't too heavy; great after workout food. Plus did I mention that I only used HALF the can of chick peas...this dish probably cost all of 1.00 to make.


I made a vegetarian version (because I am trying to eat a few vegetarian meals a week), but you could add chicken if you prefer. Fresh herbs and extra veggies would also be awesome. (Try parsley, or chives!)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Club House Seasoning - Roasted Garlic and Peppers
1 Serving dry vegi fusilli
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Water
1/2 Can chick peas- drained

Directions:

1. Mix Club house seasoning, water, and olive oil and set to the side. (The time it takes to sit re-hydrates the garlic and peppers in the seasoning) After a few minutes, toss with chickpeas and let sit while pasta is cooking.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions

3. Top cooked pasta with seasoned chick peas and serve.