So I grabbed some green chilies a few weeks ago when I was stocking up (and going over-budget, sigh!)…and I had plans to make a green chile chicken in the slow cooker…but decided to pound out the chicken and roll it around the green chilies instead.  I paired this with brown rice, corn kernels and green onions…plus some green beans from the garden.

I’m glad I changed my mind because this was terrific!  We all loved it.  I did have to push some of the green chilies to the side on the boys’ plates…because they were too spicy.  I wish we’d have had 2 more ingredients though…I think it would have been perfect to mix fresh chopped cilantro in with the green chilies, and I would have loved to give Steve a dollop of sour cream on his plate to dip the green chile chicken bites.

Or if so many of us weren’t dairy-free, I would have mixed the green chilies with some sour cream before “stuffing.”  If anyone tries that, let us know how it turns out!

Le recipe…

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice ($.40)
2 corn cobs ($.30)
3 green onions ($.20)
Salt and pepper

1 tsp garlic powder ($.05)
1 tsp ground cumin ($.05)
About 1/2 tsp salt and pepper each
3 chicken breasts ($3.04)
1 4 oz. can green chilies ($.59)
1/4-1 cup cheese, mexican blend or other variety ($.25-$1)

Green Beans from the garden

Directions

1. Start cooking brown rice as directed on the package.  Then shave off the kernels from 2 corn cobs (2 cups frozen or canned corn works too), and slice 3 green onions.  After the brown rice has been cooking for 20 minutes, slide these goodies in with some salt and pepper and let finish cooking over low heat. Fluff with fork before serving.

2. Set up your spice plate. Lightly toss the garlic powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper.  Spread out in a thin layer on a plate or shallow dish.

3. Pound out 3 large chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer or other pounding tool.

4. Place smooth side of the thinned out chicken breast onto the spices.  Add some green chilies (and some cheese if you so desire), and roll up.  Place in baking dish.  Top with any remaining green chiles and/or cheese.

5. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, or until chicken has cooked through and through. Let cool slightly before serving.

6. Wash and cut stems from the green beans. Steam or saute.

7. Serve Stuffed Green Chile Chicken with Corn-y Brown Rice and Green Beans.

Cost $4.88 – $5.63, depending on amount of cheese

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I dug some tilapia fillets out of the freezer. I bounced out to the garden to pick some fresh parsley from the garden, thinking I was going to do the same old Lemon-Dill Tilapia thing (that’s my fall back for when I’m feeling uninspired)…but of course, I opened the fridge to grab the lemon juice…and the garlic bulb practically jumped off the shelf!

Parsley, lemon juice, garlic…Scampi, of course!

Snatched the butter (dairy-free margarine, really) and off I went to make a little something to pour atop the tilapia fillets.

Ended up being fairly simple. And oh my heavens, tasty too!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown rice ($.60)
12 oz. bag frozen tilapia fillets ($2.99)
1/4 cup butter/margarine ($.25)
3 large garlic cloves ($.15)
2 Tbsp lemon juice ($.05)
Fresh parsley from the garden
Salt and pepper
12 oz. bag of peas ($.88)

Directions

Cook the brown rice as directed on package.

Put the tilapia fillets into a greased, glass baking dish.

Melt the butter/margarine.

Crush the garlic and add to the melted butter with the lemon juice and chopped parsley.

Pour over the fillets. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until fish is white and flaky in the middle. (Be warned…your house will smell uh-mazing while the scampi tilapia is baking!)

Cook the peas as directed on package.

Serve Scampi Tilapia Fillets with Brown Rice and Peas.

Cost $4.92

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Thought I’d replace the traditional beef in Stuffed Green Peppers with some black and red kidney beans instead.  And I’m glad I did!  The “filling” is so delicious and fresh…and it be great rolled up in a tortilla for lunch.

(That’s what I’ll be having for lunch tomorrow.)

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice ($.40)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped ($.30)
2 large tomatoes, diced ($1.20)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies ($.59) Substitute the fresh tomatoes and green chilies with 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 cups cooked black beans ($.40)
2 cups cooked red kidney beans ($.40)
1 tsp ground cumin ($.05)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 green peppers ($1.20)
Few pinchfuls of Shredded cheddar cheese ($.50)

1 bag frozen corn ($.88)

Directions

1. Cook the brown rice as directed on the package. (Takes about 45 minutes.) Substitute white rice if desired.

2. To the cooked brown rice, add the chopped onions, diced tomatoes, green chilies, cooked black beans, cooked red kidney beans, ground cumin and salt and pepper (to taste).

3. Slice the stem out of the top of the green pepper and place in a pot with boiling salt water for 5 minutes. Remove from water, then stuffed with the filling. Top with a pinchful of shredded cheese.

4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

5. Cook the corn as directed on package.

6. Serve Double Bean Stuffed Green Peppers with Corn.

(Note: I had a few extra smaller green peppers in the fridge…so I made Stuffed Bite Size Peppers for Steve to take to work for lunch!)

Top with some shredded cheese, then freeze.  Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat  in the oven long enough to melt the cheese before taking to work.

Cost $5.92 – With lots of leftovers for lunch!!!

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I made these the other night…I made an extra trip to the store to get the ingredients needed for this morning’s news segment…and spotted some $.99 whole mushrooms.  I see them often for $.99 in the mark down basket in the produce section. I found more this morning…sliced this time. I don’t typically buy extra food when I’m getting food for news segments, but I couldn’t pass these up!

(Gonna have to change the menu plan to incorporate some of the marked down goodies I found this morning!)

This is simple.

• Stew beef.
• Whole mushrooms.
• Green peppers.
• Steak seasoning.

That’s it!

Simple…but oh, so yummy!

Ingredients

About 1 lb. stew beef ($2.48) Manager’s Special
1 box whole mushrooms ($.99) Manager’s Special
2 green peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces ($.60) Part of the loot from the farmer’s market
Steak seasoning (free) Used $1 coupon with $1 sale price
1 large yellow squash ($.50) From the farmer’s market the other week
1 cup rice ($.20)

Directions

1. Wash and dry the mushrooms.

2. Cut the green peppers.

3. Skewer the meat, mushrooms and peppers. Sprinkle with steak seasoning. (Or marinate with a favorite beef marinade.) Grill for a few minutes on each side, or until beef is cooked to your liking.

4. Steam-saute the yellow squash.

5. Cook the rice as directed while the kebabs are chilling on the grill.

6. Serve Beef and Mushroom Kebabs over Rice with Steam Sauteed Yellow Squash.

Cost $4.77

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(Sorry about the funny photos this week…I posted them from our desktop and it does weird things to them?!)

Here’s what I love about this recipe. You can make a ton of the “filling” and use it so many different ways! The recipe for the filling that I will post below will easily stretch into 3 meals! You could…

• Stuff the filling into green peppers, or other bell peppers
• Eat the filling for lunch with chips
• Add the filling to some nachos with lots of melt-ey cheese
• Add it to some taco shells or tortillas with lettuce and tomatoes from the garden
• Eat it straight up

You could also freeze the unused portion and make any of the above items at a later time!

Versatility. At it’s best!!!

Ingredients

1 1/3 lb. ground beef or chuck ($1.93)
1 1/2 cup rice ($.60)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained ($.19) Sale, store promotion and coupon
1 6 oz can tomato paste ($.19) Used $1/1 coupon
1 cup frozen corn ($.40) Sale price of $.88/bag
3-4 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning ($.10) Depending on how much kick you want!
Salt and pepper to taste

2 poblano peppers, seeded and halved ($1) (4 if making for 4 adults…I know the kids wouldn’t go for the spice.)
1-2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese ($1.50)

Side salad with lettuce from the garden and homemade dressing ($.25)

Directions

1. Prepare filling: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, drain and return to skillet. Stir in the rice with 3 1/2 cups of water. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and frozen corn. Stir together and bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rise is done. Continue cooking to let any extra liquid cook off. Once it reaches the desired consistency, spoon into open peppers.

2. Top the stuffed peppers with some shredded Mexican cheese and bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, until cheese has melted and peppers begin to soften.

3. Serve Stuffed Poblano Peppers with side salad.

4. Save or freeze leftovers for a “repurposed meal” a few days later.

Cost $6.56 (including the filling for 2 other meals!)

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Twitter knows everything. It even knows what you’re having for dinner tonight. (Well, only if you ask.)

It really does. It’s never let me down.

A recent tweet of mine: “Looking for a dinner idea for tonight that involves chicken and a grill…anyone?”

And I liked Carrie’s idea best. Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs it is!

Would someone please tell me how to spell KEBABS?!? Kabobs? Kebobs? Kababs?

(Perhaps it depends on what part of the country you’re in and the accent of your voice.)

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts ($1.75)
1/2 red pepper, seeded ($.50)
1/2 orange pepper, seeded ($.50)
1 yellow onion ($.30)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce ($.50)
3 Tbsp soy sauce ($.15)
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar ($.10)
Salt and pepper
1 cup brown rice ($.40)
1 bag frozen green beans ($.88)

Directions

(I thought I’d change up my cooking routine and took all the ingredients outside to prepare the kebabs. Since I don’t have a countertop outside, the ground would have to do.)

Cut the peppers, onions and dice the chicken into bite size pieces.

Thread it all onto kebab skewers.

(If your little people are around, turn it into a “patterns lesson”…talk through it as you add things to the skeweres and ask them what comes next in the pattern.)

Add the teriyaki, soy, oil and some salt and pepper to the marinating dish.

Let the kid with the really dirty and sandy feet whisk the marinade.

Place the kebabs in the marinade for about an hour.  Flip after 30 minutes or so, to all the marinade to cover the chicken.

Grill the Kebabs until chicken has cooked through…about 4 minutes on each side.  Time will vary depending on heat of the grill and thickness of the chicken pieces.

Prepare the brown rice and green beans as directed on package.

Serve Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs Kababs Kebabs with Brown Rice and Green Beans.

Cost $5.08

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Brown rice.

It’s my preferred rice.  We have white rice on occasion, usually when I’m running behind and forget to start the brown rice in time to cook (it takes at least 45 minutes to cook.)

But I have found that I only like brown rice “fresh.”  Therefore, I typically don’t make “extra”, unless I’m planning to make rice pudding for breakfast the next morning.  Last week the boys we not feeling well and were not eating their meals with gusto as they normally do.

So I was left with half a saucepan of brown rice. That needed to be repurposed. A fancy word for “Leftover-ized.”

Wait, maybe “leftover-ized” is better?!?

LEFTOVER-IZED: Verb. The art of transforming cold food from a previous meal into a fresh new meal.  Syn. Repurposed.

Think Webster would take it?!?

Anyhoo…leftover brown rice reheated with cooked beans and homemade salsa isn’t half bad!  Served over organic corn chips (the gluten and dairy free version) or rolled up in a tortilla with that little bit of leftover shredded cheese (the be thankful you don’t have food allergies/intolerances version!).

You’d never know the difference!

And I totally added some avocado slices on top. Because I *heart* avocados.

Leftover Beans and Rice Recipe – in “ish” form

2 cups-ish leftover brown rice
2 cups-ish black and red beans
1 cup-ish homemade or store bought salsa
Some cheese
Some chips
A few tortillas
Part of an avocado

Cost $ – What do leftovers really cost?!?  I’ve never been sure of how to calculate the cost of leftovers!  While the food is not free, the cost has been calculated from another meal.  Hmmm…

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So it’s almost 90 today here in Ohio. I’m sure it’s some sort of heat record. And if it’s not it should be. It’s making me tired. And cranky. And the bazillion little cottonwood seeds drifting through the air, and some other pollen are wrecking havoc on my allergies.  (I just took a Benadryl, so if the end of this doesn’t make sense, you’ll know why.)

I turned the A/C on this week. We can normally hold out until the first week of July. But not this year!

All this to say, I have a new obsession with my grill. Or is it Steve’s grill. I say it’s mine. He says it’s his!

And a new love for cooking outside. Dreaming about an “outdoor kitchen”…or at least some sort of countertop where I can put my plates and ingredients that I need when cooking on the grill.

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts ($2.53)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar ($.25)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil ($.40)
Salt and pepper
1 cup brown rice ($.40)
4 ears corn ($.80) Yeah for $.20/ear sale…looking forward to the days of $.10 ears!

Directions
1. Marinate the chicken breasts in the shallow baking dish or plastic freezer baggie with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and some salt and pepper. I placed the chicken into freezer baggies with the marinade and then froze the chicken. Just remember to pull it out early and let it thaw in the fridge…best way to marinate!!!
2. Cook the brown rice as directed on the package.
3. Boil the corn for 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t want to heat up your kitchen, grill your corn!
4. Serve Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Brown Rice and Corn.

Cost $4.38

(Someone recalculate that for me…I’m starting to feel sleeeeeeeppppppyyyyy.)

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We’ve talked about adding beans to taco meat to stretch the protein out a little further. But now, it’s time to take it even further. To “three bean” tacos.

So my idea for “three bean tacos” turned into a “two bean” taco!  If you look close enough, you’ll notice that there are only 2 beans in these tacos. Only the black beans and pinto beans made the cut.

I accidentally grabbed the bag of just pinto beans from the freezer.  Last time I made a batch of dried beans (how to cook dried beans here), I froze some red kidney beans with some pinto beans in the same baggie…knowing that I’d be using them for this recipe.

BUT.

Since I grabbed the wrong bag…you’ll just have to image some red kidney beans in there.

And this meal is just the beginning of my new love affair with avocados.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground chuck ($1.79)
3 cups cooked beans, pinto and black in this case! ($.60)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained ($.29) Bought on sale with coupon and store discount
3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning ($.10)
8 hard shell tacos ($1) Bought on sale with store discount
Handful or so shredded lettuce ($.05)
1 cup rice ($.20)
1 avocado, sliced ($1)
Couple drops of lime juice ($.01)

Directions

Brown the ground chuck and drain.  Return it to the skillet and add the cooked beans, diced tomatoes, and homemade taco seasoning.  Let simmer for 5 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, slice the avocado. (How to select and cut an avocado. You can’t always believe that “Ripe for Tonight” sticker!)

And cook the rice as directed on the package.

Squeeze gently so the slices pull away from the avocado.

Assemble the tacos with the lettuce and taco meat. (I left out cheese, but my all means, sprinkle some on top.)

Place the avocado on top of the rice and add a few drops of lime juice. Divine.

Serve Three Two Bean Crispy Tacos with Avocado-Lime Rice.

Cost $5.04…This easily made enough taco meat for 8 adults!

And here’s my leftovers idea for you…

Leftover meat and a tortilla, warmed…with a few avocado slices.

(There’s that avocado again. Must be true love.)

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So I looked out the kitchen window and noticed that the cilantro had almost reached the height of the child rabbit fence around my square foot gardening planters. I knew cilantro grew quickly, but didn’t think it would really grow THAT quickly.

Quick…how can I start using this up. And pronto!!!

How about mixed into brown rice with some lime juice for a little extra flavor?!?

(I’m leaving you with just this for tonight…a complete meal with this lip smackingly delicious rice…coming soon to a frugal food website near you.)

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked brown rice ($.40)
2 Tbsp lime juice ($.10)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
1 teaspoon garlic powder ($.05)
Cilantro, use your discretion (free from the garden)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add the brown rice, lime juice, olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Return to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until rice is tender.

2. Chop cilantro.

3. Once the rice has cooked, add the garlic powder, chopped cilantro and more salt and pepper to taste. Fluff with a fork before serving.
4. Serve Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice with favorite Mexican dish.

Cost $.65

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