Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp

 Start to Finish: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
Chicken bouillon cube
2 bay leaves, divided
1/8 + 1/4 tsp cayenne, divided
1/8 + 1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 + 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb 96% lean ground beef
salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 scallions, chopped

Directions:
1. Cook brown rice according to package directions in water along with a chicken bouillon, 1 bay leaf and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 each of salt, cayenne, paprika and thyme.
2. When the rice is almost done cooking, heat a large heavy saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the oil, onions, green pepper, celery, bay leaf and garlic. Sauté on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef, salt, black pepper, remaining paprika, thyme and cayenne pepper. Sauté until browned, about 10-15 minutes; add shrimp, cover and cook 5 more minutes.
3. When the rice is done, toss with beef and shrimp and combine well. Top with scallions and serve.

Notes: I had never thought of putting spices into the rice when it was in the rice cooker, but I really liked how it turned out and will use that trick more often. This meal had a lot of flavor and even though I am not a huge shrimp fan, it was good. Due to the shrimp, it was a little more expensive, but worth it for an occasional meal option.

Servings: 5 (1 serving equals 1-1/3 cup)

Estimated Price: $14.00

Source: skinnytaste.com
Nutrition Facts per serving: Calories: 346.6 • Fat: 5.9 g • Protein: 27.8 g • Carb: 44.2 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Sugar: 1.1 g  Sodium: 151.0 mg (without salt) 

Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger root

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups frozen sugar snap peas

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon sugar

2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)

3 cups hot cooked brown rice

1/4 cup salted roasted cashew halves

Directions:
1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and Ginger root; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.

2. Add broccoli, 1/2 cup of the broth and the pepper flakes. Cover; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring once. Add peas; cook 2 to 4 minutes longer, stirring once, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup broth, the soy sauce, vinegar, corn starch, and sugar; stir into chicken mixture. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice; sprinkle with cashews.

Notes: My four year old picked this out and helped me make it. It turned out really good. The sauce did not thicken for me, but it still had good flavor. It was easy to make and fed 6 (4 adults and 2 children), with leftovers.

Servings: 4

Estimated Price: $8.00

Source: Eat Better America
Nutrition Facts per serving: 452 cal., 11.9 g total fat (2.3 g sat. fat), 381 mg sodium, 60.8 g carbo., 3.7 g fiber, 24.5 g pro. Daily Values: 8% vit. A, 50% vit. C, 6% calcium, 17% iron

Easy Risotto

Start to Finish: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2/3 cup uncooked arborio rice or long grain rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
Dash black pepper
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:
1) In a medium saucepan cook onion in hot butter until tender; add rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in water, bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes (do not lift lid).
2) Remove saucepan from heat. If desired, stir in peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Rice should be tender but slightly firm, and the mixture should be creamy. (If necessary, stir in a little hot water to reach desired consistency.) Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Servings: 3 or 4 side dishes

Notes: This was great. It was creamy, tasty, and pretty filling as well.

Estimated Price: $4.00

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 179 cal., 6 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 10 mg chol., 571 mg sodium, 25 g carbo., 6 g pro. Daily Values: 5% vit. A, 21% vit. C, 12% calcium, 11% iron

Chicken Jambalaya

Start to Finish: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

28 oz. whole tomatoes with juice

1 large green pepper, chopped

6 precooked sausage links, sliced into pennies

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

1 c. uncooked long grain rice

2 c. broth

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

Saute garlic, onion, green pepper, and sausage in 2 tablespoons butter. Add tomatoes- chopped a little. Add chicken, broth, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

Servings: 8-10

Notes: This was really good. Not extremely spicy, but still good.

Variations: You can use pasta instead of rice.

Estimated Price: $10.00

Cookbook: Simply the Best Recipes (FW 5th and 8th Ward Church Cookbook)

Nutrition Facts per serving: 319 cal., 8 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 86 mg chol., 697 mg sodium, 22 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 31 g pro. Daily Values: 4% Vit. A, 17% Vit. C, 3% calcium, 12% iron

Fried Rice

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (1 stalk)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups cooked white rice
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)

Directions:
1) In a small bowl combine eggs and the 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
2) Pour the sesame oil into a wok or large skillet. Preheat over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and garlic; stir gently to scramble. When set, remove egg mixture from wok and cut up any large pieces. Remove wok from heat.
3) Pour the cooking oil into the wok or skillet. (Add more oil if necessary during cooking.) Return to medium-high heat. Stir-fry celery in hot oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4) Add cooked rice, carrot, and peas. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onion; cook and stir for about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Servings: 6 side-dish servings

Notes: This was quick, easy, and had good flavor. Served with pot stickers.

Variations: It's stir fry, you can really add or delete any vegetables you want.

Estimated Price: $4.00

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 141 cal., 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 71 mg chol., 418 mg sodium, 18 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 5 g pro. Daily Values: 31% vit. A, 8% vit. C, 3% calcium, 5% iron

Hawaiian Haystacks

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1 can corn
1 can chopped pineapple
Cheddar cheese
Chow mein noodles

Directions:
1) Cook rice according to package directions, or in a rice cooker.
2) Mix cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups together. Add one can of water and mix. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.
3) Cook corn in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling or heated through. Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.
4) Place rice on a plate. Top with soup mixture, corn, cheese, pineapple, and Chow mein noddles. Enjoy!

Servings: 6-8

Notes: This is a family favorite. Very juicy, delicious, and filling.

Variations: You can add grilled chicken to the soup mixture, but that is more expensive and we find it unnecessary.

Estimated Price: $6.00

Nutrition Facts per serving: 792 cal., 30 g total fat (16 g. sat. fat), 75 mg chol., 3360 mg sodium, 108 g. carbo., 7 g fiber, 27 g pro. Daily Values: 19% vit. A, 46% vit. C, 45% calcium, 15% iron