Curried beef and rice

Curried beef and rice

1 1/2 cups water
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup regular brown rice
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked beef
1 cup frozen peas
1 fresh medium tomato, chopped

Step one:
In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together the water, onion, bouillon granules, curry powder, and garlic.  Heat to boiling, then stir in rice.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Step 2:
Stir beef, peas, and tomato into rice mixture.  Cover and simmer about 10 minutes more or until rice and peas are tender.  

Makes 4 servings

Per serving:  313 calories, 7 grams total fat; 53 mg cholesterol; 337 mg sodium; 40 grams carbs; 23 grams protein

Red Beans and Rice

I can't believe I didn't put this recipe on this blog before, since it's a real standby when we're making an effort to eat properly.  As I look through this blog, I realize there are very few items that would fit into a low-carb diet.  Cliff and I aren't low-carb people!  I'm trying to get back on the straight and narrow, since Cliff nudged me in the right direction.  

2 cups water
2/3 cup dried kidney beans
1 slice bacon, cut up
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup regular rice
1/2 tsp salt

Heat water and beans to boiling in 3-quart saucepan.  Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat.  Cover and let stand one hour.

Add enough water to beans to cover if necessary.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (do not boil or beans will burst).

Drain beans, reserving liquid.  Cook bacon in skillet until crisp; add bell pepper and onion.  Cook and stir until onion is tender.  Add enough water to bean liquid to measure 1 1/3 cups.  Add bean liquid and remaining ingredients to beans in 3-quart saucepan.  Heat to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes (do not lift cover or stir).  Remove from heat.  Fluff with fork; cover and let steam 5 to 10 minutes.

4 1-cup servings, 320 calories each.  8 grams protein.

From:  Betty Crocker's Eat and Lose Weight

MEXICAN RICE AND BEAN BAKE

From Betty Crocker's New Eat and Lose Weight

makes 6 servings

two cups brown or cooked rice
1 egg
1 1/2 picante sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can pinto beans

Heat oven to 350.  Spray square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches, with cooking spray.  Mix rice, egg, 1/2 cup of picante sauce, 1/2 cup of cheese, and the chili powder.  Press in bottom of dish.

Mix beans and remaining 1 cup picante sauce; spoon over rice mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

1 serving:
calories 195
calories from fat 35
fat g 4
saturated fat g  2
sodium, mg  440
carbs, g  35
dietary fiber, g  8
protein, g 13

Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole (Better Homes and Gardens)

This is what we had for dinner today; it makes six servings, so we'll have it again tomorrow.  We absolutely do not have seconds; it's a house rule.  Today I heated a can of spinach and made a small tomato and lettuce salad to go with it.  We really try to push the vegetables around here.  

TEX-MEX CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

prep time: 20 minutes     Bake:  25 minutes      Oven:  425     Stand:  5 minutes        Makes:  6 servings

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sweet pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 6.9-ounce package chicken-flavored rice and vermicelli mix (In other words, Ricearoni, but I use Walmart's brand)

14 ounces chicken broth (1 can, if you're using canned)

2 cups water

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup chopped, seeded tomato (2 medium)  Lacking fresh tomatoes, I rinsed and drained a pint of home-canned tomatoes and chopped them.  Works fine.

1 4-ounce can of diced green chile peppers, drained

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed 

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (my own addition)  

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.  In a saucepan cook onion and pepper in hot oil over medium heat until tender.  Stir in rice and vermicelli mix (including seasonings packet); cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Stir in broth and water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes (liquid will not be fully absorbed).

2.  Transfer the rice mixture to a large bowl.  Stir in chicken, tomato, chile peppers, chili powder, basil, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

Transfer to a 2-quart casserole.  

3.  Bake, covered, in a 425 degree oven about 25 minutes or until heated through.  Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  

MAKE-AHEAD DIRECTIONS:  Prepare as above through step 2.  Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in a 425 degree oven about 40 minutes or until heated through.  Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.  Let stand for  5 minutes.  You can also freeze this, but allow more cooking time.

Better Homes and Gardens chili

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS CHILI

(low fat)

12 ounces ground beef or turkey

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green sweet pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 ½ ounce can tomatoes

1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon pepper

cayenne pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan cook ground meat, onion, sweet pepper and garlic till meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in undreained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Makes about five cups (4 main-dish servings).

Nurtrition facts per serving: 308 cal, 11 g total fat (4 g sat fat), 53 mg chol, 755 mg sodium, 31 grams carbo, 9 g fiber, 26 g protein

daily values: 17% vit A, 66% vit. C, 6% calcium, 29% iron  

If you do as I do and use salt-free beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce, the sodium count will be lower than what is shown.  Better Homes and Gardens cookbook rates this as "low-fat".    I always make a double batch and freeze some.  Chili freezes beautifully.

Our hamburger stew

I've never had a recipe for this, but sometimes people will ask for the recipe.  I'm making it today, so I wrote things down as I cooked.  The lady who first told me about hamburger stew didn't use tomatoes or okra.  I wouldn't even be making this today if I'd realized there's no cabbage in the house; cabbage absolutely makes it, but I'm sure we'll suffer through.  Like any vegetable soup, it's adaptable and you really don't need a recipe.  This is one way of making a pound of hamburger feed eight people (or two people for three days).  We really like cayenne pepper; you might want to use less, or none at all.  

HAMBURGER STEW  

1 pound ground beef
2 medium stalks of celery
one large onion
2 cloves minced garlic
Brown all these together until the meat is browned and the vegetables are soft.  Then add:  


1 quart (2 cans) tomatoes
1 quart water
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
3 or 4 large carrots
about 3 pounds of potatoes


cook until potatoes and carrots are almost done, then add:  
3/4 cup quick barley
2 cups okra, fresh or frozen  


Cook another 10 or 15 minutes and it should be ready.  You can substitue rice or pasta for the barley (give the rice 20 minutes cooking time in the soup).  I'm cooking garbanzo beans for the freezer today, and I may throw a cup of those in.  


On Sparkpeople.com, if you are a member (it's free) you can type in all the ingredients to a home-made recipe like this and find out the calories and nutrients per serving.  Here's what I came up with:


For a two-cup serving:  Calories, 279; total fat, 12.3 g; sat. fat, 5.0 g; mono-saturated fat, 5.5 g; cholesterol, 43.8 mg; sodium, 473.4 mg; potassium, 892.5 mg; total carbohydrates, 29.4 grams; dietary fiber, 4.9 grams; sugars, 3.8 grams; protein, 13.9 grams.  Just click on the picture below to see other nutrients; you won't find many meals that are this loaded with good things.  

barley-vegetable medley

BARLEY-VEGETABLE MEDLEY

1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup quick-cooking barley

1/2 cup onion

1/2 cup sweet pepper

1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot

2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules 

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 large tomato, chopped

1.  Bring 1 1/2 cup water to boiling.  Stir in corn, barley, inion, sweet pepper, carrot, bouillon granules, basil, thyme, oregano and pepper.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer about 10minutes or till barley is tender, stirring occasionally.  Drain barley mixture.  Stir in tomato.  Cook and stir about one minute more or till heated through.  Makes 6 side-dish servings.

100 calories, 1 g total fat, 306 mg sodium, 22 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 4 g protein

42% vit. A, 22% vit C, 1% calcium, 7% iron