Stretching Our Budget

I mentioned in my previous post how I am learning new ways to stretch my budget from watching talk shows.

Oprah had Cristina Ferrare on her show. She showed how by cooking 2 chickens, you can make three or more dinners, which means more meals for less money. These dinners could even be frozen after cooking, so it turns into not only a budget savings, but a time saver as well.

My son hates leftovers, but with these recipes, he won't realize I am using leftovers. These recipes looked so easy and delicious and I know I will be trying them myself. These are worth sharing.

So... you start by making 2 roasted chickens and use the leftovers for other dishes.

Roasted Chicken:
2 chickens , 4 1/2 to 5 pounds each
6 lemons
A poultry mix of fresh herbs: Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano work well
Marinade for one chicken:
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup juice from fresh lemon (don't discard lemon rinds)
To make marinade: Place all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Whisk with a wire whisk until ingredients are incorporated well—the marinade should have a smooth and creamy consistency.

To make roasted chicken: Preheat oven to 425°.Clean chickens well and pat dry. Place each chicken in its own baking dish.Stuff cavities with lemon rinds and fresh herbs. A poultry mix is fine, usually consisting of rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and oregano.Pour marinade over chicken. Add cracked pepper and remaining herbs to the top of each chicken.

Place an oven thermometer in each chicken and cover with aluminum foil. Place on the lower rack of the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then remove the aluminum foil. Baste with a basting bulb. Keep basting often, ever 15 minutes until the thermometer reads 180°.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients
16 ounce bottle or can enchilada sauce
6 low-fat or fat-free tortillas
1 jar salsa
2 cans refried beans
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded sharp Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup kalamata olives , pitted
1 jalapeño , chopped and seeded
Roasted Chicken
Heat oven to 400°.

Pour the can of enchilada sauce into a pie dish. Dip tortillas in the sauce to soften them. On a cutting board, gently spread refried beans on one side of each tortilla. Add enough diced Roasted Chicken to cover the beans. Sprinkle with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Add olives, chopped jalapeño and salsa (optional).

Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Blend the sour cream into the remaining enchilada sauce in the pie dish. Pour over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese.

Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.


Chicken Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust
Filling:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium Onion , chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped Roasted Chicken
1/2 cup frozen sweet petite peas
1 potato , diced and boiled
1 1/2 cup chopped, cooked carrots
1/2 tsp. salt
Cracked pepper
Dash of Tabasco® sauce

Crust:
3/4 cup white or yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. canola oil

To make filling: Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and unsalted butter together. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add in flour until blended. Slowly stir in 2 cups of heated chicken stock, whisking well. Cook mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas, potato, carrots, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray and cook until heated and thickened. Spread evently into an ovenproof dish.

To make crust: In a bowl, stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir milk, egg and canola oil until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Spoon the batter evenly on the filling. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes.

Pesto with Farfalle Pasta with Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh basil leaves
4 cups Italian parsley springs
4 large cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt

Roasted Chicken Salad:
1 cup diced Roasted Chicken
1 cucumber , peeled, seeded and diced
2 cups mixed greens
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
1/2 lemon , juiced
Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/2 pound farfalle pasta
Handful pomegranate seeds

To prepare the pesto: Chop basil, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Slowly add olive oil and keep chopping. Add salt.

To prepare the chicken mixture and final dish: Place Roasted Chicken, cucumber, pine nuts, 1 Tbsp. of pesto and olives in a bowl and mix together. Cook pasta until al dente. Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to the pasta and mix well. Top off with 2 cups of mixed greens and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Add the chicken mixture to pasta and toss. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and pomegranate seeds

ENJOY! and let me know if you try these recipes.

If you have other budget saving tips, please do share.

Source: oprah.com

Time Just Flies By...

I can't believe it's been 5 or 6 days since my last post. Time is just flying by. Having been busy with Christmas, friends and just my life...time hasn't allowed for my regular posting. Have you all been busy with Christmas approaching?

All my Christmas shopping is done and today I wrapped every single present...whew...it took hours, I can now get back to a regular schedule.

Although I will be baking this coming weekend. My family looks forward to the assortment of cookies I bake. I guess I started a tradition without realizing it. If I fail to make a certain cookie, I hear...where's this or that. My son certainly lets me hear it if I don't make these peppermint cream candies. A cinch to make, but last year I forgot and he couldn't believe I didn't make them. Soooo, there I was on Christmas eve making the candy.

I have a new man in my life and he's already told me that he loves chocolate chips. You can be sure I'll be including those on baking day!

Do you have a favorite cookie or one that just wouldn't be Christmas without them? If you'd like to share a favorite recipe, please do. I'm always looking for new and delicious cookies to make.

You can get 100's of cookie recipes from northpole.com. Click Here and be directed right to Mrs. Claus kitchen. No kiddin...there's hundreds of recipes on this site.
Enjoy!

Food for Thought

There aren't many foods I don't like, but I am not a fan of mushrooms. If they are hidden within a sauce, I can manage eating them, but otherwise, I'd rather not.

BUT, I know that researchers have said that mushrooms are a source for powerful new health products.

In Asia, they use the mushroom to fight disease. They have been used against cancers of the stomach, esophagus and lungs. Medical research shows mushrooms help with tumors and heart disease by lowering bad cholesterol. Also, I read that they help the immune system and can prevent the common cold, flu and some infections.

A physician in a northern California clinical practice, Dr. Isaac Eliaz is using mushrooms to help build his patients' immunity. He uses MycoPhyto Plus Complex which contains six medicinal mushrooms grown on immune-enhancing herbs.

The experts say there are over 140,000 types of mushrooms on Earth, but only 10 percent are studied and known.

Well, I guess I may try pizza with mushrooms or Chicken Marsala to reap the benefits of mushrooms.

Here's a great recipe from Rachel Ray:
Chicken Marvalasala and Papardelle with Rosemary Gravy Serves 4

This meal lives up to it's name – it's simply marvelous (and it tastes like it must have come from a fancy restaurant)! Rachel Ray

Take Care of Your Bones: Take Calcium

When I was 14 yrs old, I had scoliosis surgery (curvature of the spine) and 5 yrs ago, I had another surgery which fused one of my disks. Due to the previous issues with my spine and now that I'm getting older, I have to take extra care of my bones/spine. I certainly don't want to develop osteoporosis or be affected with low bone density.

Osteoporosis is a condition that features loss of the normal density of bone and fragile bone.
According to Health Reports an estimated 10 million Americans over the age of 50 years old have osteoporosis. In addition 33 million people, mostly women, are afflicted with low bone density, placing them at an increased risk for developing this condition. At menopause, bone loss can range from 4% to 8%

Magnesium is an important supplement to add to your diet.Magnesium suppresses the hormone that tells your body to pull calcium from the bones, and stimulates the hormone that tells the body to put calcium in your bones.

A diet rich with calcium not only can help build strong bones and teeth, but also may help prevent osteoporosis, reduce the risk of colon cancer, control blood pressure, ease PMS and calm your nerves

The National Osteoporosis Foundation's daily recommendation of calcium is 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams each day.

Here's what you need at every age and stage of your life:
Ages 1 to 10: 800 to 1200 mg
Ages 11 to 24: 1200 to 1500 mg
Women 25 to 50: 1000 mg (pregnant & breastfeeding women should check with their doctor)

Men age 25 to 65: 1000 mg
Postmenopausal Women: 1000 mg if on hormone replacement therapy
1500 mg if not on HRT
Men over 65: 1500 mg

Health and Diet / True or false: The calcium content of low-fat dairy products is equal to regular, fat dairy products? True!
They both have the same amount of calcium, but the fat content is different. To cut down on the fat and not the calcium, choose 1 percent or fat free milk (or other low-fat dairy foods). Calcium is crucial for healthy bones and to ward off the effects of osteoporosis. Both men and women are susceptible.

Best calcium rich foods:
Nonfat milk, Ricotta cheese, yogurt, calcium-fortified soymilk, tofu, spinach, sardines, swiss chees, legumes, almonds

See 14 Calcium Rich Recipes from Better Homes & Garden


Don't fall behind with taking your calcium. Take Care of Your Bones!

Source: http://www.ediets.com/