Spice cookie steel cut oats

As far as taste and cost go, you cannot beat steel cut oats for breakfast. It's perfect, especially on chilly mornings.

The problem most people run into: they do not factor in the amount of time this recipe takes to simmer OR they don't add enough water and the end product is inedible.

My solution to problem number one: I either start the oats as soon as I wake up, then go about getting ready for work. By the time my family is up and dressed, the oats are ready to eat. Once you get steel cut oats going, no babysitting is required.

As far as insufficient water, steel cut oats are NOT the same as rolled oats. They have a 4:1 ratio of water to steel cut oats. Rolled oats have a 2:1 water to oats ratio. So if you try to cook steel cut oats like rolled oats...yikes. Hopefully this chart helps:

Servings	Water	Steel cut oats, dry	Salt   *optional*
1	1 cup	¼ cup dry	¼ tsp
2	2 cups	½ cup dry	½ tsp
3	3 cups	¾ cup dry	¾ tsp
4	4 cups	1 cup dry	1 tsp
5	5 cups	1 ¼ cup dry	1 ¼ tsp
6	6 cups	1 ½ cup dry	1 ½ tsp

Time: 35 minutes
Serves 6

• 1 1/2 cups steel cut oats, dry
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• sprinkle of ground nutmeg
• sprinkle of ground ginger
• sprinkle of ground cloves

1. In a large pot, add salt to water and bring to a boil.
2. Once the water is boiling, stir in oats and reduce to very low simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Stir in spices and serve. Add additional toppings as desired. I recommend natural peanut butter (gives an AMAZINGLY rich and creamy taste), preferred sweetener (1 tsp stevia/sugar blend OR liquid stevia OR small amount of brown sugar). If you are watching your carbohydrate intake, unsweetened vanilla almond milk goes wonderfully with this recipe.

Nutrition information per serving: 1 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp PB
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
211	4.6	1	690	35	4.1	0	6

Cost of recipe (not including sales) Costco, Winco, Frys
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
Serving	$0.39	$2.35

Tomato Basil Chicken

If the chicken is defrosted, this recipe is as easy as 1-2-3, so make sure you plan ahead and have your chicken thawed out.

Time: ~50 minutes
Serves 6

• 6 chicken breasts (~5-6 oz each)
• 6 roma tomatoes, sliced
• 6 tbsp. pesto sauce (homemade is best)
• 1 1/2 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

1. Lay out chicken breasts in 9x13 baking dish. Spread1 tbsp. of basil pesto over each breast.
2. Slice the tomatoes and place 2-3 slices on each breast. Sprinkle each with ¼ cup mozzarella cheese.
3. Bake at 400 ° for 40 minutes. Serve with vegetables and whole wheat bread if desired.

Nutrition information per serving: 1 chicken breast with cheese and tomato
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
397	17	5	1146	7	1	3	53

Cost of recipe (not including sales)
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
Serving	$1.44	$8.64
2 cup vegetables	$0.64	$3.84
1 pc whole wheat bread	$0.03	$0.18
Total	$2.11	$12.66

Original recipe from: Buzzfeed 4 ingredient chicken bake

Simple pasta

For when time and budget are especially pinched, simple pasta is a nice go to. Containing a serving of protein (even without any meat) and paired with a big portion of steamed non-starchy vegetables like green beans or broccoli, pasta can be a satisfying meal.

Serves 5

·     10 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta

·         Olive oil and pepper:

o   2 tbsp. olive oil 

o   1 tsp fresh ground salt

o   ½ tsp fresh ground pepper

·         Pesto: 

o   3 tbsp pesto sauce (homemade or storebought)

 

1.      Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper OR pesto sauce. Serve with side of vegetables.

Nutrition information per serving: 2 ounces pasta
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
(Olive) 233	6	1	352	35	4	1	7
(Pesto) 224	5	1	126	36	4	1	7

 

Cost of recipe (not including sales)
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
(Olive) 233	$0.20	$1.00
(Pesto) 224	$0.28	$1.42
Green beans	$0.39	$0.39
Total	$0.67 OR $0.59	$1.81 OR $1.39

 

Mozzerella and roma tomato pizza

In my home, at least twice a month Friday night is pizza night. My kids love to make homemade pizza and play board games. The best way to make this delicious and cost-efficient recipe quick and easy is to make a big batch of dough ahead of time and freeze in smaller portions. A couple of days before you want to make pizza, put the frozen dough in the fridge and allow it to thaw completely. When dinner time comes around, roll out the dough (we like to do it by hand), add sauce, toppings and bake for a few minutes. In no time you have delicious pizza.

Dough:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp quick-rising yeast (1 packet)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water (120-130°)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Toppings:

• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. onion or garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tomato, sliced thinly

1. Combine warm water and oil in measuring cup.
2. Combine both types of flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a mixer with a dough paddle.
3. With the motor running, pour the water/oil into the mixer until the dough forms a sticky ball. The dough should be soft. Add warm water to soften and flour to thicken as needed, just 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface to rest for 10-20 minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with pam over the dough to keep it from drying out.
5. Place a pizza stone or flipped over baking sheet on the bottom oven rack. Preheat oven to 500°. Separate the dough into 4 equal balls and roll to desired thickness (about ¼ inch).
6. Top with sauce, cheese and additional toppings if desired. Take any extra sauce and freeze in individual containers (~1/2 cup) and defrost when making future pizzas.
7. Bake for 10-14 minutes until the bottom is golden and crisp.
8. Serve with side salad (1/4 head of lettuce, chopped)

	Nutrition information per serving: 1/5 dough, 2 tbsp. sauce, ¼ cup cheese, ½ tomato
	Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
Dough	195	4	0	466	35	4	1	6
Sauce	14	0	0	106	3	0	2	0
Cheese/ tomato	105	6	3	185	8	1	4	8
Salad	19	0	0	14	4	1.5	3	1
Total	333	10	3	771	50	6.5	10	15

 

Cost of recipe (not including sales) - Costco, Winco
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
1 small cheese pizza	$0.55	$2.76
¼ head of lettuce, chopped	$0.24	$1.20
Totals	$0.79	$3.96

Chicken Chili

Great recipe for using up left over chicken. I even let my 4-year-old daughter help me toss ingredients in the pot and mix before I turn on the heat. This recipe also freezes well so consider freezing your left overs and using later to avoid left-over burn out and safe time in the future.

Time 10 minutes
Serves 6 (2 cup servings)

• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (~24 oz)
• 1 - 28 oz can of diced tomato
• 4 cups of any kind of beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups corn or 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Add more water for a thinner consistency if desired. Top with lowfat cheese, light sour cream, chives or 1-2 crushed tortilla chips if desired.

 

 

Nutrition information per serving: 1 cup
Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium	Carbs	Fiber	Sugar	Protein
224	1	0	613	21	7	5	24

 

Cost of recipe (not including sales)
	Per serving	Entire Recipe
Serving	$0.92	$5.52
Side Salad	$0.37	$2.22
Salad dressing (2 tbsp)	$0.15	$0.90
Total	$1.44	$8.64