Inflation. Shrinkflation. Gas prices. Interest rates. The weekly trip to the grocery store costs a lot more than it did a year ago and hard-working families are bearing the brunt of it. I have been trying to get creative with meatless meals since the price of meat is so high. We planted lots of vegetables and even a couple of fruit trees. I’m doing my best to stretch a buck. I figure I can’t be the only one. Maybe some of y’all are also struggling with the rising cost of food. I’ve come up with a list of family friendly recipes that are easy to make, healthy and taste delicious.
Healthy Mexican Rice (serves 6)
Ingredients:
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, or 1 small can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 small yellow onion, root end trimmed and quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups long-grain brown rice (do not rinse!)
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (scale back or omit if sensitive to spice)
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Red pepper flakes, optional, for extra heat
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges, for serving
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and blend until smooth. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out 2 cups of the tomato mixture and discard the rest.
- Warm the olive oil over medium heat until simmering. Add the rice and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, tomato mixture, tomato paste, and salt. Stir to combine, then increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover the pot with the lid and carefully transfer it to the oven. Bake until the liquid is absorbed (the rice will look dry when you take off the lid, but don’t worry) and the rice is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
- Stir in the cilantro and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary (I often add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon). If you’d like spicier rice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and stir again. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
SHORTCUT: You can replace the blended tomato/onion/garlic mixture with 2 cups mild red salsa (opt for regular salsa, as opposed to thick and chunky). You may need to reduce the amount of salt if you go this route.
PROTEIN BOOSTER: After the rice is done cooking, you can stir in one or two cans of rinsed and well-drained black beans.
FREEZE THE LEFTOVERS: You can freeze the leftovers in a large freezer bag (be sure to let it cool completely before bagging). When you want more, just break off a piece or two, heat it slowly and it’s good to go.
Carb-free Zucchini Lasagna (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic knots, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (16-ounce) jar of spaghetti sauce (Rao’s Tomato Basil is my go-to)
- 1 pound ground meat (like beef, pork, or dark-meat chicken)
- seasonings (salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning), to taste
- 1/3 cup shredded cheeses (a combo of gouda, mozzarella, and parmesan works well)
- basil, to garnish
- Optional: add some spinach (I add spinach to almost everything! I like to mix it in the meat layer)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven is coming to temperature, prep the veggies.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, then drizzle in olive oil. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and tomato. Cook until caramelized and softened.
- Heat another pan, and brown your meat of choice. Season it to taste. Combine the vegetables with the meat, and simmer on low with the spaghetti sauce. Season to your liking.
- Add a spoonful of the sauce to the bottom of a small, square casserole dish creating a base for layering. Then add the sliced zucchini noodles, meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, allowing the cheese to get bubbly good with a slight crust on top.
- Garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
Vegetarian Enchilada Bake (Serves 1-2)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet red pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 cup salsa
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 3 corn tortillas (6 inches)
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream, optional
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, sauté zucchini and pepper in oil until pepper is crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the corn, beans, salt and cumin; sauté 2-3 minutes longer. Stir in salsa and cilantro.
- Place a tortilla in the bottom of a 1-1/2-qt. round baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread with 2/3 cup vegetable mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.
- Bake, uncovered, until heated through and cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with sour cream.
Chicken Zucchini Linguine (serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
- 1lb chicken breast filets, halved horizontally
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1lb zucchini noodles
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1/3 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp fresh dill leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 5oz bag baby spinach, to serve
- Parmesan, finely grated (garnish)
Instructions:
- Spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Season the chicken well and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
- Heat oil in the pan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the zucchini noodles and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add the light cream and chicken stock. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the zucchini noodles are just tender but not soft.
- Slice the chicken and toss through the sauce along with the dill and chives. Divide among serving bowls. Sprinkle with the spinach and parmesan, to serve. (I prefer to cook the spinach but the original recipe calls for it to be used as a garnish)
Cheese Tortellini with Tomatoes and Corn (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 3-1/3 cups fresh or frozen corn (about 16 ounces)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Sprinkle with Feta Cheese (optional)
Instructions:
In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook tortellini according to package directions, adding corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain; transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat.
What’s your favorite low cost healthy dish? Drop it in the comments.
