Simple Spicy Shredded Pork

This is a simple, easy, delicious meat that can go into so many different recipes. And you may be surprised to learn it has the same amount of calories and saturated fat as shredded chicken breast. So go ahead and enjoy this pulled pork worry free.

Time: 15 minutes; 10-12 hours cooking

 

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloin roasts

4 tbsp taco seasoning (~2 packets)

1 small can of green or red enchilada sauce

1 small can diced green chiles

1. Place pork roasts in crock pot. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top. Place on low heat for ~10 hours.
2. Drain any liquid and shred the pork. Stir in the can of green chiles and the enchilada sauce. 
3. Serve on salad, in tacos or soups. The possibilities are huge. You can also freeze any left overs for future use for quick meals in a pinch.

Nutrition information per serving: 1 cup shredded pork
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
280	6	2	647	5	1	1	47

 And just to compare...

Nutrition information per serving: 1 cup shredded chicken breast
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
282	6	2	868	8	0	2	44

Cost of recipe (not including sales) – Costco, Walmart
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
Serving	$1.30	$10.36

Roasted Chicken

I am in love with this recipe. It is simple, affordable and very tasty. If you want a recipe where you are in the driver's seat and have control over what addatives are (or are NOT) in your food, give this one a try.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Yield: ~30 ounces or so (depending on the size of the chicken)

·         1 whole fryer chicken, giblets removed

·         2 tbsp. unsalted butter

·         2 tbsp. garlic, separated

·         1 onion, sliced

·         Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place chicken in an oven safe baking dish. Remove neck and giblets if applicable. Discard or save to make chicken stock.
2. Take 2 tablespoons of melted butter and mix with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Spread butter mixture over the outside of the chicken.
3. Take the sliced onion and 1 tbsp. garlic and place inside chicken cavity.
4. Roast chicken for 60 minutes at 400 degrees or until the minimum internal temperature is 165 degrees.
5. Serve with non-starchy vegetables (green beans, salad, etc) and fresh whole wheat bread.

Nutrition information per serving: 5 ounces of meat
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
304	14	5	515	0	0	0	41

Cost of recipe (not including sales)
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
Serving	$1.03	$6.20
Side steamed beans	$0.39	$2.34
Side starch (bread)	$0.03	$0.18
Total	$1.45	$8.72

Original recipe from Good and Cheap: Eat well on $4/day.

Hearty Beef Stew

When the weather cools off, this is one of my favorite recipes to pull out. Warm and deeply satisfying, serve with a side of whole wheat bread.

Makes 6 servings

·         1 tbsp. olive oil

·         1 lb. cubed beef stew meat

·         1 cup cabernet sauvignon

·         4 cups water

·         ½ large potato, cubed

·         2 carrots, cubed

·         3 celery stocks, chopped

·         1 cup onion, chopped

·         3 tomatoes, diced

·         ½ bunch of kale

 

·        1 tbsp dried parsley

·         ¼ tsp black pepper

·        1 tsp dried rosemary

 

·     2 tbsp. Ultra gel

 

 

1.      Brown the stew meat in the olive oil. Once the beef is seared, add all other ingredients except the kale and simmer until carrots and potatoes are tender when tested with a fork. Remember, the heat from cooking evaporates out all the alcohol.

2.      Once vegetables are desired tenderness, add the kale and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

 

3.   Add 2 tbsp. of ultra-gel to give stew a thicker consistency if desired.

4.      Serve with warm whole wheat bread.

 

Nutrition information per serving: 2 cups of soup
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
243	8	3	1061	19	4	5	20

 

Cost of recipe (not including sales)
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
Serving	$1.79	$10.72
1 slice bread	$0.03	$0.18
Total	$1.82	$10.90

 

Spaghetti- dietitian style

Pasta is delicious. I think this is universally accepted. And this is the reason it is so easy to overdo pasta. To keep portion size under control, use non-starchy vegetables to keep portion sizes filling while not filling up completely on pasta and sauce.

Consider: 1 cup of pasta, 1 cup of pasta sauce over a big bed of 1) lettuce, 2) cooked zucchini, 3) Spaghetti squash.

Even if any of these options seems a bit strange, give it a shot. Your taste buds and your waist line (not to mention your blood sugar) will thank you.

Makes 8 servings (1 cup pasta and 1 cup sauce)

·         1 lb. mild Italian turkey sausage

·         1 cup onion, chopped

·         1 tbsp. minced garlic

·         2 cans of tomato sauce

·         1 can of tomato paste

·         1 cup water

·         2 tbsp. brown sugar

·         1 tbsp. oregano

·         1 tbsp. parsley

·         1 tsp. crushed red pepper

·         1 tsp garlic salt (to taste)

·         16 oz dry whole wheat pasta

1.      Brown sausage in a pot, draining fat once cooked through. Add onion and garlic and brown for 1-2 minutes.

2.      Add tomato sauce, paste, water, sugar, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Serve with 1 cup whole wheat pasta over lettuce, spaghetti squash or cooked zucchini.

   **To improve cost effectiveness, immediately freeze half of this recipe and serve in the future. Will freeze well for up to 3 months.**

Nutrition information per serving:
	Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
1 cup sauce and 1 cup cooked pasta	352	6	2	854	50	6	11	22

 

 

Cost of recipe (not including sales) – Costco, Walmart
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
Pasta sauce	$0.96	$7.70
Pasta	$0.12	$0.96
Green beans (1 cup)	$0.39	$3.12
Total	$1.47	$11.78