Guest guest Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Okay, so I started writing a response to the Compromise post and was almost done and of course that was just when my one year old decided to unplug the computer. I don't have enough time to re-write everything I had before, but I would like to share a couple of recipe ideas for beans and rice. Before I included how to make the dishes as well, but I'll have to forgo that for now. /, if you are interested in how I actually make the following recipes, let me know and I'll include all the steps. First, let me say that we are also meat eaters. I have found that meat keeps my sugar level much more in balance and I don't suffer from those sugar high and lows. I also avoid pork, but will occasionally indulge. Bacon is yummy! I loved the book Maker's Diet and would recommend it to anyone looking into ways on how to eat more healthy. I figure the Lord created us, then by all means He should know what is best for us to eat! Right?! Anyways, back to the beans and rice ideas. First, I try to make a good amount of beans at the beginning of the week, then I can add them to any dish I want throughout the week. Beans make a great meat substitute or help fill out a dish if you have to use less meat. Rice works great as well. Breakfast Ideas: * Add beans to your scrambled eggs. It's delicious and you can use less eggs. Also, try adding some tomatoes and/or onion and peppers too. This is a delicious scrambler, takes no time to make and goes great on toast. My Husband takes egg sandwiches like this to work almost everyday and his co-workers just drool over his desk as they watch what he is eating. He actually brought extra sandwiches one day, just to share! (If you do make egg sandwiches, don't use tomato or at least not much because it can make the eggs have a little to much liquid for the bread.) * Eggs and beans also make a great breakfast quesadilla, just add cheese and a tortilla and bake in the oven for a little bit. NOTE: If you puree your beans, you can then spread them on bread or the tortilla just like mayo or hummus. Works great and still tastes delicious. * Use rice as a cereal or oatmeal. Put a serving of hot rice in a bowl, pour over some milk and add a little sweetener (maple syrup is my favorite, but stevia and honey work great too. Lunch and Dinner: * Probably one of our favorite ways to eat rice is mixed together with hamburger, tomatoes and cheddar cheese. You brown your hamburger (1lb+) first then sprinkle 1-2 cups of uncooked rice on top. Add as many fresh tomatoes as you want (you can also use canned tomatoes or tomato soup.) I usually add 3-4 cups worth if I have 1 lb of hamburger. Add enough water to just cover the ingredients, put a lid on top and allow to simmer until rice is cooked. Depending on how much water you added, you will likely have to add more, just add a cup or two at a time until the rice is close to being done. Once the rice is done, add 1-2 cups of shredded cheese and salt to taste. If you don't use cheese, no big deal, this just adds a little extra flavor and helps the ingredients to stick together. Pile this yummy mixture onto a hamburger bun, eat it by itself or stuff it into green peppers and bake in oven till peppers are cooked. Also try adding sliced peppers of any type to the hamburger mixture as it's cooking. This is delicious. You can't go to wrong with this dish. Add more or less of any ingredient and it will still turn out just great. This dish also freezes well if you have left overs but kids gobble it up very quickly! Note: If you use brown rice, this recipe take anywhere from 50 - 75 minutes to cook. If you use white rice, it takes normally 30-40 minutes. * Stir Fry, Stir Fry, Stir Fry... We love stir fry and rice works great as a filler. We combine any vegetable that sounds good and mix it with rice. Add a lightly scrambled egg to the mixture and mmmm mmmm good. Obviously, there are quite a few steps to making stir fry, if you want to know how we do it, just let me know. * Try cooking your rice in your favorite broth, bone broth is especially good, instead of water. When cooked this way, it's a much more satisfying side dish. * Black bean soup. This is one of those dishes you can make with almost no ingredients at all or add onions, carrots, etc for that much more flavor. Just cook your black beans till nice and soft in water or broth, add salt to season, and with a submersion blender (or an upright blender works too) puree the beans until silky smooth. Add more water/broth to make the soup the consistency you want. I don't know that this sounds particularly appealing, but it does taste great and goes excellent with a thick slice of sourdough bread and butter! For those meat eating people, they won't be left needing more, this dish is very filling. * Chili! Who doesn't like chili on a cold day. It's even better when you put a scoop of it on top of spaghetti, sprinkle with some cheddar cheese and add a dollop of sour cream. This was a favorite dish of mine when I was a kid and I still love it today. It's also extremely filling and works great as leftovers. * Spanish Rice. Add a couple tablespoons of oil to a 2 quart pot. Brown 1-2 cups of uncooked rice in the oil. Add the appropriate amount of water or broth for the type of rice you are using. Add 1-2 fresh tomatoes diced up. Simmer rice till done. Add desired amount of salt for flavoring. Browning the rice adds delicious flavor! Oh, another thought on trying to save money at the store. If you have never looked into trying a CSA out, I would. We share a membership with another couple and it works wonderfully. You get your organic food at such a cheaper price, it's to good to pass up. Just make sure to do your research so you end up with a good one. Steward Co-op has a little CSA fuction in the spring. A bunch of CSA's come and you can meet them and ask them any questions you may have. Therese A. > > I would be interested in knowing what you make with this- if you are able to share. My husband is a " meat eater " and his yearly Buck helps some (even though it isn't cheap, 100+ for the license and 100+ for the processing... and of course all the new hunting goodies he justifies because he is " supplying meat for our family " LOL) he basically requires meat at every meal (substitute proteins just don't cut it). I am thinking if I make beans and rice- and put a little bit of meat in there it could make our chicken, venison or beef last a bit longer. We don't eat pork (for reasons given in the Makers Diet book) or shellfish- so we are limited to fowl, Bison/Cow, and game. > > I do appreciate everyone's encouragment. I went 100% Organic/natural when I did the makers diet 9 months ago- and have slowly had to compromise in some areas because of financial and practical reasons (I wish I lived in FL or CA where I could get cheap fresh fruits at the Farmers Markets- have you ever tried their fruits there? Amazing.) Sigh. I am not planning on giving up- I just want some layman's veiws on what is acceptable to " compromise " on and what is considered NO WAY JOSE. I know the top 10 fruits/veggies, and I am aware of the preservatives/MSG's etc. in boxed foods... but is there anywhere else that I can get by without hindering my walk/health etc? I am trying to freeze things when I find a good price- but that is VERY RARE. Even the Warehouse (forgive me Will) isn't that cheap when you put it in the grand perspective. I did get a membership because I am excited at the opportunity to get things there that I can't get elsewhere- but overall I > need to skim the budget and cut things out/down. I do know that buying healthy WILL be more expensive- and I am willing to pay more to feed my family well- but I am just bummed with how MUCH more it is. What a crazy world we live in! Doesn't it COST more to put pesticides on the food? Sheesh. > > On a side note Will: I would love a class someday on how to eat healthy on a budget at the Warehouse. I am sure there are those out there who have all the tips/tricks down pat and could teach us all a thing or two. > > Jean- I totally hear you on the " feeding the kids " thing. And I only have TWO. My youngest eats like a bird... but she loves the " good stuff " like raw nuts and churned butter. They both crave good veggies- like asparagus and corn and fresh breads. That stuff ain't cheap (imagine me using the word " ain't " after learning how improper it is during our English lesson today LOL). My teenage son eats like a horse- but how can I deny him his Spinach and Fruit Smoothies with real yoghurt and fresh milk? > > Anyways- just sharing some things that have been on my mind lately. Thanks again everyone for your ideas. ;0) > Meg > > > Luckily beans and rice aren't to bad for you, > because they make the bulk part of our meals now! I have become very > creative with what I can make with those two ingredients! (: > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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