Resourceful Pantry

Chicken and Noodles

When asked what I should cook for dinner on July 4th this year, my family answered, "chicken and noodles."  While everyone else was grilling I was peeling potatoes.   I think this was a strategic effort to get the family recipe on the family cooking journal. 

Since there is no special secret in my grandmother's recipe (her's is made with roast beef), I thought I would share it here.

You'll need:

1 whole chicken (2 to 3 lbs)

1 16oz  package of Reames frozen noodles (sometimes I make my own, but honestly Reames are good, inexpensive and a lot less work).

1  cups of chicken broth to augment what you get from the whole chicken

1 cup cold water

2 T corn starch

1 tsp. salt

Mashed potatoes to serve on the side

Directions:

Rinse the chicken and put it in a crock pot. Set the crock pot to High for 1 hour, then turn down to Low for about 8 to 10 hours, or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken from the pot and put it on a large pan or cutting board to cool a bit before you debone it.

Pour the juices from the crock pot into a fat separator.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions while you remove the chicken meat from the bones.  Set the bones and skin aside. (Don't discard the bones if you want to make your own stock for next time)

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, pour the chicken broth and juices from the crock pot (using your fat separator to pour only the broth and not the fat).  Add the 1 tsp. of salt. Heat over low heat.

Add the 2 T corn starch to the cold water and stir to dissolve.  Pour into the saucepan with the broth while stirring to prevent clumping.  As the noodles are nearly done, increase the heat to medium while stirring often to prevent burning or scorching.  You want the broth to be like a runny gravy but thicker than water.  Once it is thick enough, turn it down to very low or remove it from heat.

Drain the cooked noodles and add them to the sauce.  Stir to coat the noodles. Add the chicken. 

The picture shows me cooking the broth in a small pan, but I suggest cooking it in the dutch oven (mine had potatoes in it for the small army that came over).

This is from memory so be sure to use your eyeballs and good judgment! 

Pecan Crusted Whiting

This is easy, inexpensive, and tasty!  Consider this as your main entree for your next date night.

If you're tired of salmon but looking for a firm, inexpensive fish, whiting might be a good alternative, especially when it's pecan "crusted."

You'll need pieces of Whiting which are very inexpensive at Walmart, a little flour, a little olive oil, thyme, and pecan pieces.

To prepare, rinse the fish and arrange in a baking pan (the fish should be damp, don't dry them off).  Spray lightly with olive oil and dust very lightly with flour and carefully sprinkle the pecans over the top of the fish.  This is my quick version of a crust.  Sprinkle very lightly with thyme and bake in a 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes.  

While the fish is cooking, I recommend cooking your sides. Fish isn't something you walk away and forget.  It's terrible over cooked or under cooked.

 

Leek and Artichoke Soup for Low Carb Diet

Today I needed something cheesy for lunch since my family is eating leftover macaroni and cheese.

Looking at my pantry I have leeks, artichoke hearts, chicken stock, and a variety of cheeses.  Note that I have made this soup with asparagus instead of artichokes and it is yummy.

Also note that this is not the lowest carb version since I don't have heavy cream.  I used milk instead.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

3 leeks washed and sliced (white and light green part)

1/2 can artichoke hearts (if they are large you should cut them into smaller pieces)

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk

1/4 cup goat cheese

1/4 cup cream cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1. simmer the leeks and artichokes (or asparagus) in the chicken stock until tender 10 - 15 minutes

2. add the milk and reduce heat, cook for 5 minutes just to bring the temperature back up but be careful not to scorch

3. add the cheese and stir, heat an additional 2 minutes

4. serve

This makes 3 bowls of soup.  Of course after smelling this, my family wanted a little soup with their macaroni and cheese so they got a little cup on the side.

Notes on carbs:

If you're in Induction phase you'll need to cut the leeks down to 1 per pot and increase the artichokes since leeks have 11 grams net carbs per. Regardless of the phase, reducing the leeks will reduce the carbs.

If you're in OWL, this will still consume a lot of carbs for the day (15 of the 25).  Given my progress, I think I will need to stay in OWL for another 6 weeks to get ready for the Redman.

Heavy cream instead of milk would also reduce the number of carbs by about 3.5 per serving  

Goat cheese and cream cheese are not the lowest cheeses in carbs, but they are the ones I have most commonly on hand AND they melt quickly in the soup.

46 carbs for the pot = ~15 carbs per bowl

The cost per serving is less than $2.50

Menu for the Road

It's time to start planning summer vacations.  If your family is like mine, your two biggest concerns while eating out are the cost and the nutritient value of food prepared outside of your home.

Last year, we took the kids on a road trip to Florida for a conference that Alan and I needed to attend.  While our company paid for our expenses to travel, it didn't pay for the children.   Our budget hadn't prepared for a family vacation in Florida, either.  However, we had an incredible opportunity to take our children to a great vacation destination with part of the cost being paid by the business trip.  We needed to find a way to control our costs so that we could splurge a little on Disney World and Universal Studios.

We spend money on food regardless of whether it was at home or in Florida, so clearly, here was an opportunity to avoid the costs associated with eating out.  It worked so well, that I'm beginning to plan our trip this year with the same goals in mind.

Here's what I did:

I packed a few cooking supplies to get us through until we arrived at our destination.  Since 5 of us were riding in a 5 passenger car, space was limited.  I took a cooler and two recyclable grocery bags full of food that needed little to no refrigeration.  When we arrived at our final destination, I found the nearest grocery store and loaded up for the next three days at the hotel.

What I packed:

• A ricecooker/slow cooker.  Presto makes a great one that you can buy at walmart for $20.00
• A hotplate, if you already have one then great, but if you travel often you should think about investing in one.
• A small iron skillet
• A few cooking utensils, some paper plates and bowls, plastic cutlery
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Turkey cheese sandwiches
• Reduced fat pringles
• Capri sun coolers (flavored waters in pouches take up less space)
• String cheese (doesn't have to be kept super cold)
• Apples, oranges, pears
• Rice noodles
• canned bean sprouts
• fresh broccoli crowns
• baby carrots
• TVP (textured vegetable protein, you could use canned chicken if you preferred)
• Oreo 100 calorie packs (my kids like a treat after dinner and these were easy to pack)
• Packets of soy sauce
• Zip lock bag with a little cornstarch
• Not Chick'n cube (bouillon from health food store that I love to use)
• Small amount of dawn dish soap
• Zip lock baggies (loose, the box wouldn't fit)
• Small scrubber

Meals

• Day One Breakfast on the road - Peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, waters
• Day One Lunch at a park on our route - Turkey cheese sandwiches, pringles, fruit
• Snacks - baby carrots, leftover pringles, fruit
• Stir Fry - First hotel night.  I cooked the broccoli, bean sprouts, baby carrots leftover, and tvp.  I used the small coffee pot in the room to make the broth.  I added a little cornstarch and poured over the cooked vegatables.  I served the stir fry over the packaged rice noodles.   Since I packed the dawn, cleanup was pretty easy.  Once the hot plate cooled down, everything was packed bag in the bags for the morning.
• Day Two Breakfast - The hotel included a free continental breakfast.  We stay away from the sugar since it will make everyone miserable within 2 hours.  We focused on oatmeal and milk or eggs.  We always balance carbohydrate with protein so that we don't have sugar spikes or feel hungry again soon.
• Day Two Lunch - Taco bell burritos.  This was part of the plan.  We knew there were Taco Bells on the route.  You can buy 5 fresco burritos for under $7.00.  For the two "men" with us that wasn't quite enough calories, so we supplemented with string cheese and fruit.
• Day Two Dinner - This is the night we arrived.  It was also one of the days on the plan to splurge since I knew we would be tired.  We ate at a sushi restaurant but we had rules.  Water to drink, if the portions were going to be huge, then split something with someone.  It was a very nice dinner in a nice atmosphere.
• Day Three Breakfast - Instant oatmeal and milk
• Day Three Lunch - Turkey sandwiches with tomatoes and lettuce (by now I had been to the grocery store)
• Day Three Dinner - Lentils and Rice cooked in the slow cooker all day.  This was wonderful and there were no leftovers.  I used a package of Knorr vegetable soup mix for seasoning.  It's a bit high in sodium, so adjust what you're eating the rest of the day.
• Day Four Breakfast - Boiled eggs that I cooked in the slow cooker.  Our room had a tiny refrigerator so we were able to keep a few things there.  We didn't have to mess with the cooler.  I also heated water in the slow cooker for instant grits or instant oatmeal.
• Day Four Lunch - At Disney World.  This was part of the trip budget
• Day Four Dinner - At Disney World
• Day Five Breakfast - The same as day four
• Day Five Lunch - Tuna sandwiches and chips
• Day Five Dinner - At Universal Studios
• Day Six Breakfast - Peanut butter granola bars, V8 juice, milk as we headed out early towards home.
• Days Six and Seven were travel days so I repeated Days One and Two.
• By Day Seven dinner we were in our own home

If this is your first time attempting to "cook" while travelling, here are a few tips.

I keep extra grocery sacks for cleanup since there is no garbage disposal in the room.  The last thing I want is the hotel to have a reason to complain so we are very responsible in the cleanup leaving no trace of last night's dinner in the cans for the maids to deal with.  We do leave the trash all tied up neatly in bags.  I wipe out the sinks after doing the dishes. 

Take advantage of every "free" resource the hotel offers, but be careful about the offering.  I don't care if junk food is free.  I wouldn't consider it a benefit.

Take a small spray bottle of febreze with you.  If you cook something like broccoli, the smell may bother you in such a small space. 

I took a lot of inspiration from this article in Yoga Journal.  I hope to post an even more inspiring menu from this summer's trips. Namaste :-)

Sprouting Project Kickoff

A couple of months ago I mentioned the discovery of "The Marche Method" on the Seeds of Sustainability website.  I've been sprouting on a small scale for about 6 months now.  I had early failures but now I'm quite comfortable in producing small amounts of sprouts in a corner of my kitchen.

The problem is that the method I'm using takes too long and doesn't produce the volume that I need to maximize the impact on our diet and our budget. 

If you're new to sprouting then I recommend spending about 15 to 20 minutes "googling" "why sprout."  You'll see why I am so interested in sprouting.

I'm also very interested in the concept behind the Green Fire Foundation.  I reached the conclusion independently that sprouts and living oils may be the best way to deal with world hunger.  I was encouraged to find an organization already committed to the cause.  My plan is to spend more time researching the organization to see if we are truly like minded before I commit resources to the cause.

My curiosity is whether or not sprouting is compatible with the busy American mom's schedule. My heart goes out to so many women juggling of their responsibilities while trying to serve their families healthy food with the little time and money that they have to work with.

It looks easy for hippie tree huggers with lifestyles that afford them the extra time (I say hipppie tree hugger with great affection).  And yogis whose recipes in Yoga Journal are indeed inspiring, but what are REAL MOMS to do when we have to get up at 3:00 in the morning just to have time enough for quiet thoughts?

So my project is to determine if sprouting is a solution to obesity in America that comes from the lack of resources to provide food that is low in unhealthy fat and sugar, absent added hormones, and rich in nutrients.

I've decided to launch a sprouting project that achieves the following goals:

1. Create meals for a family of five for less than $10 a meal.  That's $2.00 a person.  

2. The meals must leave everyone satisfied. I have teenagers and a triathlete in my house so the challenge will be providing something that they perceive is tasty and filling.

3. Meet our needs while traveling.  There are several times throughout the year where we spend days away from home without a kitchen.  I need to be able to prepare these foods from a hotel room without the benefit of a full kitchen.

For the next 8 weeks, I will introduce sprouts into our weekly meals.  I'd like to say daily, but I am still searching for enough recipes for a week.  My hope is that this project will help me locate and produce enough recipes that I can have daily benefit from the sprouts.

I'm sure my family will think I've gone off the deep end on this, but my great passion for cooking as well as optimal health is driving me towards a solution for our nation's obesity.  Now that summer is here we'll be able to use (hopefully) items from our garden.

My next step: Gathering Supplies

Subway's Breakfast Offerings: Morning Sandwiches Just Got Better

My husband and I decided to try Subway's new breakfast menu this morning.  We had seen the advertisement when we were buying lunch the other day and thought we'd found the answer to a big problem.

We travel a lot.  Grabbing a quick breakfast sandwich has been a problem since our traditional choices have violated our preferences:

• No pork (this is me more than my husband who will eat the occasional ham or bacon)
• Real dairy products (no imitation cheese)
• Nothing deep fried or fat laden (croissants are terrible)

We usually end up choosing the lesser of all evils, Egg McMuffin which violate two of my requirements (ham and fake cheese) yet has a tolerable calorie count.  I will often strip off the piece of muffin with the fake melted cheese and discard it.

Today, we tried Subway.

When we walked in at 7:15 there were two women in front of the counter and the clerk was scrambling to set up.  (I guess the young man didn't realize the Subway promotion during the Biggest Loser would cause a lot of traffic this morning.)

I ordered the egg white and cheese on flatbread.  I added jalapeños and tomatoes and didn't add any dressing.  The nutrition information for these sandwiches isn't posted on their site.

But, if you compare it to the veggie delite on flatbread with swiss cheese you are at 147 calories (using the calculator at the site) and add three egg whites (might be two) you are still at 198 calories.

My husband ordered the Western with swiss cheese on flatbread.  He added jalapeños and tomatoes and added honey mustard.  Using the calculator at the site, that's 225 calories.  Then if you add two eggs, his total comes to 405 (that's assuming his eggs were fried).  I think that they might have been microwaved and that would put his total closer to 330 for the sandwich.  For his body weight and activity, these are low calorie breakfast options.

What about the taste?  It was pretty good.  What would make it better is if they actually toasted the flatbread (like Quiznos) instead of putting it in the warmer.

Still, I will take this option over Egg McMuffin every day when given the option.  Especially if you consider that you can add vegetables or dressing to change it up now and then.  Subway, consider me a fan.

Sprouting Project

I've recently begun to experiment with sprouting for the many benefits it offers:

• Seeds, nuts, and grains are essentially dormant plants with the potential for life.  That "potential" offers us a rich source of high quality protein 
• Sprouts are better for your digestive system than the whole grain, seed, or nut.
• Sprouts provide an affordable source of protein and nutrients for those on a limited budget.

The down side is the rinsing and activities involved in sprouting.  The reality for busy people is that they just don't have time.

A couple of weeks ago I was soaking some buckwheat grain because I wanted to put it in some bread.  I use a bread machine regularly and the next loaf was going to be honey wheat bread. 

I sprinkled some grain in a seive, rinsed it well, then dumped it into a pyrex ramekin.  I covered it with water and set it on the counter.  The next day I was too busy to make the bread and the dish continued to sit there.  I noticed that the grain had soaked up most of the water in the dish.  The next day, again, I was too busy to deal with it, but I knew that the grains would likely have to be thrown out.  I noticed they were starting to sprout but I hadn't rinsed them.  So I rinsed them and put them back in the dish.  The next day, the sprouts had grown, and I was ready to make my bread.  I added them to the mix.

My point is that with very little effort and really no attempt to place them out of sunlight, these grains had sprouted.  My usual method with a sprouting jar is a little more difficult.

Today, I found some information by Robin Marche that may make our transition to sprouting and raw foods an easier one.  I'll undertake a sprouting project using the information I get from the video.

My two primary reasons for doing this?

• increasing the value of the quality of the food my family eats
• lowering our food budget

Who doesn't love Whole Foods?  It's too easy to spend a small fortune there, though.  With my love of cooking and my family's interest in a variety of foods and flavors, I'm hoping this project will help me achieve my goals.  I will keep you posted!

Lentil Stew

While the travel conditions appear to be improving, I'm spending my Saturday working on work projects and not really interested in going out.  It feels like a soup day but I know my supply of vegetables is running low.  A search of the pantry uncovers a bag of lentils.  I searched for a recipe for lentil stew and found one that looks similar enough to some of the ingredients I have.

My Modified Recipe:

1/2 large onion diced
1 bag of lentils
1 cup of baby carrots diced
1 stalk celery
4 cups of fresh baby spinach
3 large bouillon cubes of (Not Chik'n)  - They sell these at Wild Oats and they are great!  1 cube = 2 cups
2 Tbsp olive oil

The recipe calls for a large can of diced tomatoes.  I didn't have any but I had a handful of dried tomatoes and a jar of homemade salsa!  I think I'm on to something because the recipe called for a bit of red wine vinegar before serving and I know that the salsa had lemon juice and vinegar in it.

I sauteed the onions in olive oil in a large saucepan.  Then I added the fresh spinach and sauteed until it was wilted.  I added 8 cups of water, the bouillon cubes, and the rest of the vegetables.  Then I added the lentils.  I planned to add the salsa after the lentils were cooked.  Once it was boiling, I reduced the heat and covered to keep the moisture in while the lentils and vegetables cooked.

I didn't really time the cooking time, I just checked on the lentils.  I think it was at least 25 minutes before I got the texture I wanted.  I turned the heat to very low and added the salsa, stirring to make sure it was thoroughly heated through.

The recipe I read mentioned serving the stew over rice but I substituted quinoa.  It was wonderful.  I think the stew could stand on its own or have been served with cornbread. 

When I added the cost of all of the ingredients it came to about $6.00 when you price in the quinoa.  It might have been less with cheaper bouillon, but I am confident in the nutrional value of the ingredients I had.  It made 6-8 servings depending upon whether you serve it with rice or quinoa.  For $6.00?  I'm making this again.