Healthy recipes that are easy on your budget!

One of the elements of our parent meetings is the sharing of recipes and healthy eating tips. Below are some of the recipes that we have shared with families over the years.

Chili Soup

½ pound ground meat (beef, turkey, etc.)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes, chopped
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans or pinto beans
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf

In a 4-quart pan over medium high heat, cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is browned and onion is tender.  Stir to break up the meat.  Drain off fat.  Stir in remaining ingredients, heat until boiling.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until flavors are blended.  Discard bay leaf.  Season with salt to taste.  Serves 6

Black Bean and Rice Soup

3 cans low sodium black beans
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable stock
1 ½ cups brown rice
¼ cup olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large onion, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
2 cups sour cream, low fat or fat free
4 green onions and tops, thinly sliced
1 ½ teaspoons each ground cumin & oregano leaves
Lime or lemon wedges

Combine beans and the 4 cups vegetable stock.  In a blender or food processor, whirl about 2 cups of the bean mixture until smooth; return to kettle.  Heat on simmer.

Meanwhile heat oil in 8-inch fry pan over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, ground cumin and oregano leaves and cook, stirring, until onion is soft.  Set aside.  Stir salt, onion mixture, cooked rice, and vinegar into bean mixture.  Cook over medium heat until soup is steaming.  Pass sour cream, green onions, radishes and lemon or lime wedges at the table.  Serves 6 to 8

Creamy Potato Soup

 3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery tops & leaves, chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ teaspoon each salt & pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 quart milk (1% is okay)
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed in ¼ cup water

In a large soup kettle, add oil, onion and celery tops.  Cook until onion is soft.  Add potatoes, salt and pepper, chicken broth and parsley, saving a little to put on top for garnish.  Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, but DO NOT BOIL!  Stir in cornstarch and water, heating slowly until thickened.  Season further if needed.  Sprinkle remaining parsley on top of soup.  Serves 8 to 10

Vegetable Lentil Soup

 2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
1 cup dry lentils
2 cans (14 ½ oz) chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ pound small red potatoes, diced in ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoons oil
1 cans (14 oz.)  Italian style tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small head collard or spinach greens
Salt and pepper to taste

About ½ hours before serving, heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat.  Cook carrots, celery, and onion until almost tender, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and stir until starting to brown.  Stir in stewed tomatoes with their liquid, dry lentils, chicken broth, and potatoes and 3 cups water.  Stir with spoon to break up tomatoes.  Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes.  While soup is cooking, thinly slice the greens.  Just before serving, stir in greens and cook until it wilts. 


Makes 5 two-cup servings.