Chili- Vegetarian

Chili is one of those things that can be made a million different ways.  

1. Start with a bunch of cans of tomato sauce or to be healthier crushed tomatoes and pureed tomatoes.  Basically it doesn't matter what you use, whatever your preference is.  The key is in fixing the sauce up.  Taste it!  If it tastes a bit bitter, slowly add small amounts of sugar (maybe 1/2 T at a time) until it tastes better.  Also, add a bit of Italian seasoning (not the kind with salt added but one with just herbs), chili powder (which should smell like chili), chopped dried onion, and garlic powder.  Keep adding chili powder until it tastes like chili but be careful, too much and it will be HOT!  We like to get our spices on one of those bulk spice racks or at a Mennonite or Amish bulk food store- usually these are better tasting and a lot cheaper!  

2. Once you have your sauce, mix in whatever kind of beans you like, frozen mixed vegetables, diced tomatoes, veggie 'meat,' and mushrooms if you would like.  

3.  Simmer until it is done.  Yummm... 

Baked Beans- 101 ideas

I love baked beans.  I usually buy off brand but when it comes to baked beans, I think Bush's are the best for flavor!  We began experimenting with baked beans when we were camping and now have a lot of ideas which we make at home and when away.  Basically you mix a large can (we use 28 oz) of baked beans with many different things in whatever combination you like:

- potatoes

- corn

- polish sausage

- A variety of beans and some veggie 'meat'- this is really tasty!  

- Sweet potatoes

- diced tomatoes (always a good add in with any of the above)

If you are really daring, you can make a mixture and pour it over cabbage, spinach, cabbage and apples, or whatever you would like.  

Black Eye Pea and Corn Soup

Black Eye Pea and Corn Soup over a baked potato

1 10.5oz can    Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Regular Can Diced Tomatoes

1 Regular Can Whole Kernel Corn

1 Regular Can Black Eye Peas

Mix together these four things.  Simmer and spice to taste (red and black pepper, onion flakes, garlic powder).  You can also add a grain to this mix if you would like or serve it over potatoes.

Curried Beans and Rice

This is so simple it doesn't even really need a recipe.  

1 Cup- assorted dry beans

1 10.5oz Can- Cream of Celery or Cream of Chicken Soup

Curry

Brown Rice

Wash beans.  Cook beans in water until soft (you can do this real fast with a pressure cooker).  When the beans are done, do not drain.  Simply add the cream of celery or cream of chicken soup and curry to taste.  You can also add some frozen vegetables for a bit more excitement.  Serve over brown rice, or white rice if you don't like the sticky-ness of brown rice.  Done!  

V8 Soup

What do you do with a large can of V8?  How about make soup?  

Simply pour the jug or can of V8 into a pot.  Add whatever you would like- I suggest noodles, vegetables, veggie ground 'meat', beans, and some spices (onion, garlic powder, red pepper, black pepper).  

You can cook noodles right in the vegetable juice.  They will soak up some of the water and make the soup a bit thicker, or you can add more water to make the soup thinner.  

That is it, wallah!  A quick, easy, healthy soup that is also a vegetarian dish.    

Curried Salmon and Rice

What do you do with a can of Salmon in the closet when you don't particularily enjoy salmon?  Curry it!  Curry covers up almost anything.  Or maybe you love curry and salmon, why not try this?  

1 Can   Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Can Whole Kernel Corn (undrained)

1/2 Can (or more if you would like)   Salmon - Drained and De-Boned/De-Yuckified

1/4 Cup Walnuts

2 Cups Frozen Green Beans

Prepared Brown or White Rice

A curry you love

Mix the cream of chicken soup as instructed on the can.  Add the undrained whole kernel corn.  Add curry to taste.  Add Salmon, green beans, and walnuts.  Cook until green beans are cooked.  Serve over brown rice (or if you don't like the sticky-ness of brown rice, use white rice).  Makes about 4 servings.  

Whole Wheat and Low Fat Corn Bread- And it still tastes good!

Corn bread is so good, but it is high in fat.  This recipe was created in order to have good corn bread that is better for you!  Really, it is tasty and has lower sugar and oil.  

Mix together:

1.5 Cups         Cornmeal

3/4 Cup         Wheat Flour

1/4 Cup          Sugar

1/2 t               Salt

1 T                  Baking Powder

In a separate bowl, mix together these wet ingredients:

2 T                  Oil

1 1/4 Cups     Milk

Dash Vinegar

1 Egg

Mix the wet into the dry.  Put into a greased 8 x 8 pan.  Once they are all mixed together bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.  If you like it a bit more moist, until the toothpick comes out almost clean.  

Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

A while ago I grew to like those 33 cent white pizza dough pouches you can buy at most grocery stores.  The crust takes about 15 minutes total to make.  The problem was that it wasn't very healthy.  So... I decided to create a recipe for a whole wheat version (or as much wheat as I could stand).  This is hearty!  

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (Quick)

1/2 Cup             Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 Cup             Bread Flour (you could use All Purpose Flour)

1 Cup                 All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon   Baking powder

1 Tablespoon   Ground flax (optional)

1 Tablespoon   Granulated sugar

1 teaspoon       Baking soda

1 teaspoon       Quick rise yeast

1 teaspoon       Canola or Olive oil

2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons hot water

Turn oven to 350 F.

Put hot water, yeast, and oil into a bowl and mix around.

In a separate bowl put all of the dry ingredients and mix them together.  

Pour the water mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until it is combined.  This dough should be sticky but not wet.  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  In the mean time, cover a cookie sheet with a thin layer of corn meal.  After the 5 minutes are up, uncover the dough, sprinkle a bit of flour on it, and remove from the bowl and place onto the cookie sheet on top of the corn meal.  The dough will be pretty sticky.  Use flour as necessary to keep your fingers from sticking to the dough and spread it out into whatever pizza shape you want.  When you are finished, let this dough sit for 10 minutes.  In the mean time you can get your pizza toppings ready.  When it has sat for 10 minutes, put in the oven and cook for about 13 minutes.  Take the crust out, put your toppings on, and continue cooking the pizza until the toppings are cooked and melted however you prefer.  Enjoy your home made pizza!  

The First Recipe- Carrot Pumpkin Soup

Welcome to my blog.  I hope to be posting recipes for meals that I have made up on this blog.  My wife and I try to eat healthy and are, well, cheap.  We also don't eat a lot of meat.  We like to claim to be white-meat-i-tarians.  

I have found that when you are trying to eat cheap and healthy you end up eating a lot of soup.  Sometimes things also get pretty unique, but still good.

We have found that a food processor can really help in making good, healthy, hearty, cheap meals.  You will need one for this first recipe.

Today I would like to share with you one our favorite soups.  We like to call it Carrot Pumpkin Soup.  This is what you do:

1.  In a larger pot cook 5 carrots, 1 apple and a bunch of pumpkin (or use two 15 oz cans of pumpkin)

2.  When it is all cooked, let it cool for 15 minutes, then food process it.  Now you have a soup base which you can freeze and save for later.

3.  When you are ready to make your soup, mix in a can of cream of chicken soup (we like to use the low sodium kind).  If you are using the whole pot of soup base, mix in two of the normal sized cans.  Make sure to also add either water or milk until your soup is to a consistency you like. 

4.  Now add whatever you would like.  Noodles, dumplings, vegetables, chicken.  Whatever you are in the mood for that day.  We have even made chili with this base- yes, I know, unique!  but, it wasn't bad.  I would probably not do it again though.  Stick with the noodles, dumplings, vegetables, and meat.