Tag Archives: healthful diet

April 16, 2016 · 10:29 am

BBQ Beef & Beans

Here’s an easy, nutritious way to stretch a buck: BBQ Beef and Beans. I modified the recipe I got from my friend Chef Gary. If you take a little help from the grocery store (canned beans, rinsed and drained, and jarred barbecue sauce of your choice), you need only ten minutes to get this into the slow cooker. This is one of my favorites to take to a potluck dinner.

RECIPE

HASTY TASTY BBQ BEEF AND BEANS

I use the stainless steel Gourmet Slo-cooker by Americraft so everything is done in one pot. If you use a crockery slow cooker, you will need a skillet to brown your meat and onions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chuck, cubed
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 4 cans beans (your choice of type. I like variety so I mix 4 kinds of beans)
  • 12 ounces prepared barbecue sauce (avoid varieties containing high fructose corn syrup)
  • nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

  1. Spray skillet or pan with nonstick cooking spray. Salt and pepper the cubed chuck, add it to the skillet, cover, and brown over low heat.
  2. Open canned beans and drain, rinsing with cold water. Set aside.
  3. Add chopped onion to the browned chuck. Adjust heat to medium. Do not cover. Cook until all liquid has evaporated (about two minutes).
  4. In slow cooker pan or Crock-pot, add meat and onions. Slowly stir in the rinsed beans.
  5. Add barbecue sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and cook over low heat for at least four hours. Use lowest possible setting because all the food is cooked. Your only concern is infusing flavor.
  6. Serve warm.

Yield: 5 pints

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Enjoy either as a side or main dish. Remember, beans are a great source of fiber and nutrition yet without the saturated fat of meat.

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March 13, 2016 · 6:03 pm

Tossed and Well Dressed

As warm weather returns, so do the salads. A delicious salad topped with protein (boiled egg, grilled chicken meat, cheese) makes a filling meal that doesn’t heat up the kitchen. But salads are time consuming to make. Here are my shortcuts for hasty tasty salads.

  1. Chop, wash, and spin a big bowl of your greens. I usually buy Romaine because it keeps longer than other varieties of lettuce, but buy what you like.
  2. Make carrot ribbons from 2 carrots using a spiral vegetable slicer or a peeler. Toss with the greens.
  3. Chop 3 ribs of celery and mix with the lettuce and carrot ribbons. Seal and refrigerate.
  4. Boil 5-6 eggs, peel, and refrigerate.
  5. Cook 2-3 chicken breasts (I use the pressure cooker, but use whatever method works for you), chop, and store in a sealed container. Refrigerate. Or keep deli meats handy in the refrigerator.Your choice.
  6. Make a cruet of your favorite homemade dressing. I prefer a simple vinaigrette, but even mixing up a Good Seasons mix is better than buying a bottled brand because you choose your ingredients. Refrigerate.
  7. Grate a wedge of your favorite hard cheese (I like Parmesan) and store in the fridge.Already shredded cheese is fine, but freshly grated has better flavor.
  8. Wash several tomatoes and store in a basket in a cool, dry place in your kitchen. Do not refrigerate unless tomatoes get too ripe.
  9. Congratulations! You now have the makings of at least 5 chef salads you can pull together within minutes.

 

This is my salad, but you may use any variety of ingredients in yours. The secret to hasty tasty salad meals is advance preparation. Assembling the prepped ingredients into a tasty salad takes mere minutes. Enjoy!100_1354

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November 29, 2012 · 7:29 am

Cookbooks on Devices

HASTY TASTY RV MEALSHave you embraced technology like the iPad, Kindle Fire, or other tablet reading device? Are you ready to use a tablet in your kitchen? If so, I have news. Just in time for the holidays, HASTY TASTY RV MEALS is available from Amazon.com for your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or any device using the Kindle application (a free app from Amazon). You can have your copy with you as you travel without taking up additional space, always a plus for RVing.

For $2.99 you can download this cookbook or give as a gift. Just click on the book cover and it will take you to the purchase site. Merry Christmas!

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June 18, 2012 · 6:43 am

Cheri’s Granola

Recently I’ve been obsessed with making my own cereals. I like the total control over ingredients. I searched for granola recipes and quickly learned there are as many variations for granola as there are for chili. I want a granola I can eat in a bowl with milk or dry as a snack or yogurt topping. I want high fiber, natural ingredients, and my choice of nuts. I don’t want raisins!

Here is what I created, a recipe I call Cheri’s Granola. I encourage you to make your own version. It’s easy.

Cheri's Granola

Cheri’s Granola

RECIPE

Cheri’s Granola

Ingredients:

  • 1 box old fashion oatmeal
  • 8 oz. shredded coconut
  • 8 oz. pecan pieces or halves
  • 8 oz. slivered almonds
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • (optional) 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
    2. Spread oats to cover the bottom of a bar pan (approximately 10″ X 14″)
    3. Add nuts, coconut, and cinnamon. Using your fingers or a large spoon, toss to mix evenly with the oats.
    4. Drizzle the honey and oil over the mixture. Lightly toss.
    5. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and turn the granola, then bake for another 15-20 minutes.
    6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. (Wait till it cools to add optional chocolate chips!) Store in a sealed container¹ in a cool, dry cabinet.

¹I use a Tupperware cereal keeper, and this recipe fills it almost full.

There are endless variations for granola. You can add flaxseeds, or pumpkin seeds. Or after your granola cools, mix in some of your favorite dried fruits, chopped. You can switch out the coconut for shredded wheat or crisped rice cereal.  You can increase the amount of honey or add real maple syrup or molasses. You can mix granola with a little peanut butter and make your own granola bars.

Make it your own and name it after you!

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