Cheap, Quick, Healthy Cooking Cheats for Crazy-busy Parents

Mealtimes present a dilemma for me: I want the kids to enjoy hot, hearty, healthy meals, but I generally lack adequate time to cook. If you're a crazy-busy parent who values nutritious meals, you need shortcuts to "get-er-done" fast. Here are cooking cheats from a veteran mom of four and Omi to 13! Tailor recipe sizes to family need. These meals are easy on the budget as well. 

* 2-for-1 meals: Cook once, eat twice (or three times!) Make big meals that you can nibble on all week. A popular one is stuffed chicken breasts (or pork loin). 

Multitasking Chicken Casserole. Cover coated baking dish with thin-sliced chicken or pork. Sprinkle with rosemary. Mix bread cubes, chopped onion and celery, melted butter, sage, garlic, marjoram and black pepper. Or cheat and use boxed stuffing mix and add chopped celery and onion. Spread over meat. Layer more cutlets over stuffing. Add a can of green beans and pour a can of cream soup (with rinse water) over all and bake. Reheat and serve as many times as you can! This works great with Thanksgiving leftovers. 

Multi-Purpose Pasta Bake. Make spaghetti and meatballs one night. Then pour sauce, meatballs over pasta, top with shredded cheese and bake, for night two. 

* Soupcon supper: In a saucepan, add one can each tuna, chicken noodle soup, mushroom soup and peas or beans (rinse each can and add water). Press slices of bread in muffin tin slots and toast for 10 minutes to make bread "bowls." Fill with soup. This was my grandmother's washday recipe. Soupcon means "a small amount" in French and can be said "soup can!" My kids absolutely love this cute meal in minutes.

* Precut fruit and vegetables: I used to think it was lazy and wasteful to use pre-cut foods. That was before I had four kids and started homeschooling. Now I welcome time-savers. To cut costs, buy pre-cut produce when they're reduced for clearance. Use in order of expiration date.

* Bagged salad supper. Get one of those salad kits when they are cheap. Add crumbled bacon, or canned chicken cubes and extra cheese. If you have going-bad veggies, quick chop and add in. 

* Salad sandwiches. If there's leftover salad supper, make sandwiches the next night. Fill croissants or bagels. 

* Once-a-week cooking: In individual pans, cook rice, pasta and potatoes. Place in Ziploc bags or use food sealer. Fry hamburger, chicken (or turkey) breast cubes and/or pork cubes in the same pans (saves dishes). Fill Ziploc bags. Refrigerate and mix and match. Buy frozen peas, beans, broccoli and cauliflower. Each night, grab one package starch, one meat and one bag vegetables. Throw in oven stove top, with water, can of cream soup and seasonings, as desired. You'll get two weeks or more worth of meals and an endless variety of entrees. Our meal choice is chicken tetrazzini: pasta, chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, mushroom soup, Parmesan cheese, diced onions and black olives.

* Super speedy stir-fry suppers: Use frozen fish, shrimp and vegetables to save time. For fried rice stir-fry, mix cooked rice, fish, peas and carrots and eggs. Fry. For egg foo yung, mix eggs, pea pods, chopped bell peppers, chopped onions, fresh cut Asian vegetables or coleslaw with cabbage and carrots, canned Asian vegetables (water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts) and fish if desired. Make quick gravy with soy sauce, corn starch and water. Serve over rice or chow mien noodles. Our favorite is stir-fry curry. Cook fresh-cut oriental vegetables and diced chicken breasts with oil and Thai curry spice. Add half plain Greek yogurt and honey for a sweeter curry.

Using these cooking cheats, I can have supper on the table in 15 minutes.

"Jerusalem: A Cookbook" Celebrates Diversity, Shares Passions

Preface: When I wrote this piece, the Palestine-Israel War was but a far-off thunder. Now more than ever, we need collaborative efforts like "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" to lead us to peace. 

I love to cook, and it particular to experiment with different ethnic foods. I like to recreate the dishes we sample from different cuisines. I try to tie in not just the ingredients and cooking styles themselves, but the entire milieu in which they developed. Here's a great cookbook for exploring the varied cultures in Jerusalem, written by men from two sides of the city: Jewish and Muslim. This book would make a great Christmas or Hanukkah gift.   

We've tried New Orleans creole, Louisiana Cajun, Polish, Russian, Indian, African, Jamaican, South American and others across the globe. My own favorite styles are Indian and Mediterranean. I follow the Mediterranean Diet. Knowing that, my youngest son mentioned a cookbook he'd heard about on NPR. The book "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" celebrates religiously and culturally diverse city of Jerusalem through food. I'd forgotten his suggestion until, perusing new books at Barnes & Noble, I happened on it. When I said how intrigued I was, Jake quipped, "That's the one I was telling you about!"

 

The "Jerusalem Cookbook" authors, both natives that city, are agemates. But they came from opposite poles of the religious (and geographic) Jerusalem map. Yotam Ottolenghi (author of "Plenty" and restauranteur of Ottolenghi fame) is from the Jewish west side while Sami Tamimi, is an Arab from eastern Jerusalem. Not only do Ottolenghi and Tamimi share recipes and historical information from their own backgrounds, they include cultural tidbits from the myriad of heritages represented in this most "flavorful" city. Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, Coptic and Armenian Christians, eastern Orthodox, Muslims and many more call this ancient and pivotal city home. From these many traditions, "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" combines different elements into one wonderful feast.

As a teacher, I always plug for the educational. Beyond a cookbook, "Jerusalem" is a comprehensive, stand-alone social studies unit. The pictures are eloquent and evocative. Along with recipes, "Jerusalem" gives local bioscopes, is jam-packed with historical, anthropological, traditional and cultural detail. And it is relatable and even funny sometimes. I recommend any teacher of world history or world religions invest in a copy.

"Jerusalem: A Cookbook" touches a nerve with me on a deeper level. I have my own faith, but love to explore the faith backgrounds of others. I'm concerned when our differing ideologies interfere with our treatment of each other. I look for initiatives that promote common ground and social justice. I love how "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" focuses on shared passions not divisive differences. The "Jerusalem" cookbook doesn't homogenize because the city doesn't either. It turns diversity into a one big party! It blends similarities into a tasty multicultural salad where each flavor is identifiable and honored. And what better medium to share of ourselves than food?

How to Make Vegan Veggie Burgers for Lent and Weight Loss

Cookouts are great for anyone who isn't on a vegan diet, fasting from meat,  trying to  lose weight or eating gluten-free. Veggie burgers make great alternative protein sources, but they're pricey. $6 for 9 ounces of veggie burger is pretty steep. How about whipping up some delicious veggie burgers from scratch? They're so good that even the omnivores will be demanding seconds. Here are some optional ingredients. 

Beans: The basis of most veggie burgers is beans. Select vegetarian refried beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, turtle beans (aka black beans) or lentils. If you use dry beans, cook until very tender. Mash the beans into a nice soft paste.

Avocado, Egg or tofu: As with meatloaf, a veggie burger may contain egg to hold the burger together. You can substitute tofu to create a solid burger for your vegan or egg allergic diners. 

Grain: Grain also holds the burger together and provides a complex carbohydrates. Couscous is a quick cooking grain that you can add to your veggie burgers. Cooked brown or basmati rice can be blended into your burger. Oat bran, coconut, or almond flour work well also. My favorite is gram or besam (chickpea flour). All of these but couscous are gluten-free. You can add mashed avocado as a binder, too. 

Nuts and seeds. Make veggie burgers from ground walnuts, almonds, peanuts or pecans. I like to use up mixed nuts in my veggie burgers. Favorite seeds are sesame, chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. 

Vegetables: What would a veggie burger be without veggies? Choose your favorites. Mine are shredded carrots (vitamin A), green and purple cabbage, Portobello mushrooms, sweet or  Vidalia onions (selenium), broccoli, green (red, yellow, orange) pepper, cilantro, celery, radish (daikon and regular), garlic, watercress, cauliflower, alfalfa and spicy (clover, radish, broccoli) sprouts

 

Salsa. No time to chop or dice? Blend in a good natural salsa like Newman's Own (Artichoke-Lime is my favorite) or Muir Glen.

Spices and seasonings: Bragg's Liquid Amino ( healthy salt substitute), pepper, smoked paprika, ginger, cumin, turmeric, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, dill. 

Sub water for lemon or lime juice and blend all ingredients. Fry in light olive oil or avocado oil. 

 

Here are some regional veggie burger variations:

German: Add a touch of sauerkraut, apple, caraway seed and onion to your veggie burger base.

Mediterranean: add pesto, tomato and mushroom into your burger base.

Southwestern: add salsa, corn, colored peppers, cumin and cilantro to your bean base.

Central African: blend beans with ripe plantain or bananas.

Middle eastern: blend in couscous, chickpeas, tahini, besam, cumin, eggplant and garlic. Serve with homemade hummus. 

Creole: garlic, onion, paprika and Tabasco sauce will make your veggie burger dance.

Polynesian: Add molasses, pineapple, pepper, onion, ginger, lime juice and sugar to your veggie burger.

Thai: Blend in peanut butter, liquid amino or soy sauce, ginger, bok choy, water chestnuts, mandarin oranges and brown sugar.

Shape the mixture into patties. Grill or griddle in a small amount of olive or avocado oil. Think "outside the hamburger" and have some fun with these delicious oh-so-healthy veggie burger options! Eating like this was part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss drugs or surgery. 

One-Pot Fish Tacos Casserole Recipe, Quick and Easy

I'm a penny-pincher, DIYer, health conscious, planet preserver. The kitchen is one of my favorite places combine those passions. Because home cooking saves money and reduces food waste by repurposing leftovers in tasty new meals. I call my recipes leftovers use-ups. These recipes also focus on food swaps to eat better and even lose weight. Creating diet food swap recipes is part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss surgery or diet drugs. 

I save money by cleaning out the fridge before shopping (funny how those kids can open six packages of shredded cheese and never finish one? Or the hubs starts three onions, leaves half behind and never can find them!) So once a week I go through, purge the refrigerator of flotsam and jetsam and make a meal of the leftovers. Today's leftover use-up recipe is fish tacos. I make them as taco casserole because it saves dishes and messy clean up. You can make regular tacos as casserole too. It's great way to repurpose ground turkey, chicken or beef. 

Leftover Use-up: One-Pot Fish Taco Casserole Recipe

We love fish tacos [;id and are eating more seafood as a way to live healthier. My husband and I are following the Mediterranean Diet, which emphasizes seafood and fresh produce. During Lent, fish and veggies are all we eat. I keep lots of fresh vegetables on hand; to keep them from spoiling, I tweak recipes to add in veggies.

Most of the fish tacos recipes I've found have multiple steps and use lots of dishes: I feed six to nine people at a time, so I need one-pot, step-saver recipes. Since I'm cleaning the refrigerator and using up foods as I go, I write my recipes so that they are adaptable. Don't have something on hand? Don't make a special trip to the store. That wastes time and gas money. Improvise (I'll give you tips and substitutions) or omit it. I've also included tips for dieters on watching sodium and cholesterol.

Fish taco casserole recipe

* Place frozen, fresh or leftover cooked fish in a 9x13 baking dish. Tilapia, pollock, swai, whitefish, cod, catfish or salmon work best; Walmart has been selling large bags of frozen fish fillets reasonably priced. I used the whole 4-pound bag of frozen tilapia fillets, plus any individual pieces "swimming" around in the freezer. You don't have to use this much fish, but know that it does cook down. There is no need to thaw frozen fish ahead of time.

* "Baste" with leftover mayonnaise (any variety). Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly (about two teaspoons per fillet). For diet food swaps, use low-fat varieties or substitute with olive oil.

* Drizzle with fresh squeezed lime or lemon or use lime or lemon juice (lime tastes the best). Use about 1/2 teaspoon per fish fillet. Lime juice makes a great salt substitute and works great for hypertensive diners following the DASH diet or other low-sodium diet.

* Season with ground cumin, thyme, smoked paprika, minced or onion powder, black pepper, minced or garlic powder and celery salt. Add hot pepper if desired.  Add fresh or dried cilantro (a great way to use fresh or bottled herbs).

* Use up leftover shredded or sliced cheese by sprinkling over the top. Got a few hunks of cheese laying around? Slice and layer over fish. The tastiest kind is pepper jack. Omit cheese if you are serving diners on a low-sodium or low- cholesterol diet, though. Use less on one portion for these working on weight loss. 

* Crush leftover fresh or stale tortilla chips. You can also use leftover corn tortilla shells (no need to fry them as they will get nice and tender while baking). You can substitute leftover corn too. 

  

* Pour leftover salsa or pico de gallo over casserole. You can also use up fresh or canned tomatoes chili peppers, green peppers and onions instead of salsa. If you like your tacos with a kick, add fresh or canned jalapenos. Mix and match to use up all leftovers (omit salsa for low-sodium diners).

* Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees until fish is tender and flaky.

* Garnish with loads of fresh cilantro, shredded carrots, chopped onions and tomatoes and bell peppers, leftover shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw mix. 

*Serve alone or with jasmine rice. Or fill taco shells. 

Caution: this dish is so fragrant and delicious that even avowed fish haters will demand seconds. 

Recipes to Celebrate Hindu Diwali

Diwali is the Hindu 'festival of lights'. Diwali (Deepavali) is celebrated for five days and includes much feasting. Sweets are an important part of the Diwali festival. Neighbors exchanges sweets and treats. Here is a compilation of best Diwali recipes. Other religions that observe Diwali, also called Divali and Deepavali are Jainism and Sikhism. All those who celebrate Diwali insist that the festival isn't complete without the feasting, especially with sweets or 'Mithai', so here are sources of Diwali recipes. Reading about these treats makes me wish to visit Bali and maybe get invited to participate in a Diwali festival! 

Diwali begins at Dhanteras. The Hindu "festival of lights" ushers in the Hindu new year. It continues through October 25 with the official Diwali (Deepavali) observed October 23 and 24 this year. It ends in the celebration of Bhai Dooj. Amid puja (worship) of the goddess Lakshmi, retelling the story of Rama and Sita (the central figures of Diwali) and lighting the ceremonial diya (lamps), the festival is about also about food. After all, the term festival comes from feast!

At the heart of Diwali, are sweets called mithai. It's a sign of respect for Hindus to exchange goodies. So be a good neighbor, even if you're not Hindu, Jain or Sikh (other faiths that observe Diwali). Make and share some mithai round. Here are Diwali sweets recipes. Be sure to try the gulab jamun; it's worth breaking any diet for. Michiganders, to find local Diwali festivals and sample these confections, visit MiIndia.

• Diwali Festival has dozens of special Diwali recipes. Common ingredients are ghee (claried butter or butter oil), coconut, almond, raisins, Maida, graham flour and dried or crystallized fruits.

• I Love India has a huge assortment of recipes for Indian foods and Diwali mithai alphabetized to help you find what you are seeking more easily. Check out the paneer. It's mouth-watering.

• Bold Sky has a list of best Diwali recipes (entrees, appetizers and sweets) with images of the different dishes. Tikka masala, butter chicken, curry and paneer call for an Indian seasoning blend called garam masala. You can it get it cheap at Walmart, under $3 a bottle.

• Sulekha has loads of printable Diwali recipes and links to Indian and Hindu blogs that may be useful. The carrot halwa (pudding) is delicious and super-healthy. Or try the kheer (rice pudding). But beware--it's highly addictive.

• KidsGen is a great site for kid-friendly Diwali recipes. Click around for printable Diwali rangoli crafts and greeting cards. Social studies teacher, use this website for a Diwali celebrations.

Shubh Deepavali!

Catholic Easter Lamb Cake Recipes

As a German Catholic homeschool family, Easter for us is about the Paschal Lamb of God, and His passion, death and resurrection. The Catholic Lenten season takes Catholic faithful on a journey to the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday. Here are Easter brunch recipes featuring Lamb of God cakes. Make these lamb cake recipes as a centerpiece for your Easter brunch table. The Easter Lamb of God cakes are an ancient Catholic tradition. Our youngest son's godparents are Croatian and they brought us an Easter Lamb of God cake. 3D lamb cake recipes are usually made with a quick release 2-piece set such as the Nordic Ware or Wilton Stand Up Lamb Cake Pan set. If you don't have one of those, you can improvise with these lamb cake dessert recipes.

Godmother's lamb cake recipe featured a luscious cream cheese pound cake is perfect for Easter brunch. I've name it Osterlamm Gottes which is German for Easter Lamb of God. Also, in keeping with Polish Catholic Swieconka tradition, several items from Easter brunch or dinner should be brought to church on Holy Saturday for the Swieconka Blessing of the Easter Baskets. Items include eggs, butter, cheese and meat. You might bring ingredients from Easter Lamb of God cakes.

Easter brunch recipes for Lamb of God cakes.

Ingredients:
one 8-ounce package cream cheese

one and 1/2 cups butter

three cups raw sugar (Sucanat, Florida Crystals)

six large eggs (room temperature)

three cups unbleached white flour

one teaspoon almond flavoring

fresh sliced strawberries

whipped topping

coconut

green food coloring

Optional: white chocolate or white almond bark, cream cheese frosting, white mini marshmallows, jelly beans

Easter brunch recipes for Lamb of God cakes directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray stand-up lamb cake pan set with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour.

Cream butter and cream cheese. Blend in sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat until creamy. Add almond flavoring and blend.

Add flour all at once; blend until smooth.

Use Nordic Ware lamb cake pan set (available from Amazon). Fill one half of pan with batter, almost to over-flowing. Snap the top half in place; secure with clip or use household wire (to prevent the halves from separating. Bake extra batter in greased spring form or regular cake pan. Bake on middle rack for one hour and ten-twenty minutes. Top half may be removed for the last ten minutes. Carefully release pan lock after an hour to check cake. Cook on wire baking rack.

If you don't have a standup lamb cake pan set, use a bread or loaf pan. Trim cake down to oval for lamb's body. Bake one cupcake for the lamb's head. Add extra frosting or curls of white chocolate almond bark to sides of head for ears. Fill in with pink frosting for center of ears or place pink jelly beans in center. You can also bake a sheet cake, use free printable  Easter lamb patterns from Super Worksheets, trace on cake and cut out. Then decorate as you would the standup lamb cake.

When cake is hot, drizzle with thin icing made with warm water, powdered sugar, salt and almond flavoring. Sprinkle with coconut (for lamb's fleece). Or frost and cover with white mini marshmallows. You could also frost and decorate with shaved white chocolate almond bark for curly lamb's wool. Use black frosting or black jelly beans for lamb nose, feet and ears. Use black or brown decorator frosting to draw face.

To make this lamb cake into Easter Lamb of God cakes, draw a small cross near lamb's body with brown frosting. You can design a cross from Popsicle craft sticks painted brown. You can also attach two fudge stick cookies. Arrange eco-friendly Easter grass or green tinted coconut around the base of the lamb. Add a few Whoppers bird's egg candies, jelly beans or foil-wrapped chocolate eggs. Use as an Easter brunch centerpiece.

Free Printable Holiday Food Safety and Cooking Guide: Recipes, Games, Activities

The holidays can be a time for sharing and family bonding. The holiday season also poses certain safety and health risks. Health risks are associated with some holiday foods. Here is a free Holiday Food Safety Success Kit with free printable games, health and holiday activities. Read more...