Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals

RECIPES

The following 40 recipes were developed for the 2 sample weekly menus. Many of them combine larger amounts of less expensive foods with smaller amounts of moderately priced foods. They also show how you can prepare tasty, healthy meals with less fat, sugar, and salt. Serve these recipes along with the other foods listed in each menu. You can also serve them in meals with other foods your family likes.

Each Recipe lists

• Ingredients and preparation instructions,
• the number of servings it will make,
• the size of each serving,
• the amount of preparation time,
• the amount of cooking time, and
• the calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium in a serving.

BAKED MEATBALLS

4 Servings, about 3 meatballs each, plus 4 servings for another meal

1. Preheat oven 400° F. Grease baking sheet lightly with oil.

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and onions to small skillet. Cook over medium heat, until tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Mix remaining ingredients together in bowl; add onions. Mix until blended, using a large serving spoon.

4. Shape beef mixture into 1- to 2- inch meatballs; place on baking sheet.

5. Bake until thoroughly cooked, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Note: Serve with spaghetti sauce and in the meatball sandwich.

BEEF POT ROAST

4 Servings, about 3 ounces beef each, plus 4 servings for another meal

1. Simmer onion until tender in 2 tablespoons water in heavy, deep skillet.

2. Add roast to skillet; brown on sides.

3. Combine beef bouillon cube with 2 cups hot water; stir until dissolved.

4. Combine orange juice, allspice, pepper, and beef broth. Pour over meat. Cover and simmer, about 2 hours.

BEEF- NOODLE CASSEROLE

4 Servings, about 3 cups each

1. Brown beef and onions in hot skillet; drain.

2. Place water in large saucepan; bring to rolling boil. Cook noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes; drain and set aside.

3. Combine soup, water, and pepper. Stir into cooked meat. Add cooked noodles to meat mixture. Stir gently to avoid tearing the noodles.

4. Spoon beef-noodle mixture into 9-by 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs over beef-noodle mixture.

5. Bake, uncovered, at 300° F, about 30 minutes.

PIZZA MEAT LOAF

4 Servings, abo1/4 loaf each

1. Lightly grease 9-inch pie plate with vegetable oil. Pat turkey into pie plate.

CONVENTIONAL METHOD
1. Place turkey n 350° F oven; bake until turkey no longer remains pink, about 17 to 20 minutes.

MICROWAVE METHOD
1. Cover turkey with waxed paper.
2. Cook on high; rotate plate 1/4 turn after 3 minutes.
3. Cook until turkey no longer remains pink, about 5 more minutes. Drain.

TO COMPLETE COOKING
1. Top baked turkey with spaghetti sauce, cheese, and vegetables.
2. Return turkey to either the conventional oven or the microwave oven and heat until cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

SAUCY BEEF PASTA

4 Servings, about 1-1/2 cups each

1. Place 1/ 2 cup of water in saucepan. Cover and bring to boil. Add green beans, lower heat, and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Place onions and ground beef in skillet. Cook over medium heat; stir occasionally. Cook until beef no longer remains pink, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain fat off.

3. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain.

4. Combine cold water and flour; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture and beef bouillon cubes to ground beef. Cook, stirring frequently until mixture has thickened and bouillon cubes have dissolved, about 4 minutes.

5. Add cooked green beans, cooked noodles, pepper, parsley flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder to ground beef mixture; stir to combine.

6. Place beef mixture in 8 by 12-inch baking pan; cover and bake in 350° F oven until thoroughly heated, about 15 minutes.

SOUTHWESTERN SALAD

4 Servings, about 1/ 2 cup beef mixture, 1/ 2 cup lettuce and cheese mixture each

1. Cook ground beef and onions in a large skillet until the beef no longer remains pink. Drain.

2. Stir chili powder, oregano, and cumin into beef mixture; cook for 1 minute.

3. Add beans, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Mix gently to combine.

4. Combine lettuce and cheese in large serving bowl. Port on lettuce and cheese onto 4 plates. Add 1 cup of beef mixture on top of lettuce and cheese.

Note: Garbanzo bean is another name for chickpea.

STIR- FRIED PORK AND VEGETABLES WITH RICE

4 Servings of pork and vegetables, about 1/2 cup each. 4 Servings of cooked rice, about 2 cups each

1. Heat broth and water to a boil in sauce pan; add rice and return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet. Add broccoli , carrots, onions, and garlic powder. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet. Add mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute and set aside.

3. Heat second tablespoon of oil in skillet. Add pork; cook until pork no longer remains pink. Drain liquid.

4. Add soy sauce and stir until mixed; add vegetables to pork mixture. Cook until heated, about 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Serve pork mixture over cooked rice.

Note: Sodium level can be reduced from 799 milligrams to 532 milligrams by reducing soy sauce from 4 to 2 tablespoons.

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