3 ways to use Ground Beef, GLUTEN FREE to-go!

Most of the time we use or see ground beef being used it's for something you wouldn't label as "healthy." The thing I have grown to love about making great things with not much is the meals I have to invent for changing my families health. When I was growing up ground beef was used for burgers, meat loaf, and pasta sauces. A lot of friends houses showcased ground beef in "Hamburger Helper." < --- Something that never graced my table as a kid. Secretly I will admit as an adult I have consumed said "Helper," and secretly enjoyed it.

About two months ago, when The Hunebee and KATvonVAPURE started their diets, we had to adjust meal plans for both girls. With The Hunebee's Tryptophan allergy, and need for low-fat meat proteins, we put our heads together and used low-fat high quality ground beef to spice up her week. Using an Organic, Certified, 15% fat Ground Beef I was able to make a few variations to her weekly menu as to not cook the typical beef stews, sautees, or roasts.

For all three dishes I used a spiced ground beef. It was easiest for all three to use the same beef and add other vegetable components.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minnutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients: (for the Ground Beef)

1 lb. Organic 15% (fat) ground beef
1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
1/3 cup of green bell pepper, diced small
salt and pepper
sprinkle:
garlic powder
ginger powder
SMALL dash of cumin

Set the beef aside. For the rest you can use any vegetables you prefer. Below are a couple ways we chose.

(for The Hunebee)
Ingredients:

1/2 cup slightly steamed broccoli
1/3 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/3 cup "Spiced" ground beef

A dash of Soy and Oyster sauce made this a kind of "Beef and Broccoli."

Price: $2.25

Ground Beef and Broccoli with Sprouts

(for Kuizzy)

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh spinach

1/2 cup of "Spiced" ground beef

1/4 cup fresh bean sprouts

top with fresh cilantro

Price: $3.00

Spinach, Ground Beef bowl with Sprouts and Cilantro

(for The Hunebee)
Ingredients:

1/3 cup green beans, sauteed with grape tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced zucchini, pan fried
1/4 cup bean sprouts
1/3 cup spinach, sauteed
1/2 cup "Spiced" ground beef

Price: $4.00

Spiced Ground Beef with Green Beans, Zucchini and Spinach

It really is that easy to prepare lunch or dinner on a budget to go. These are low calorie, GLUTEN FREE, filling, EASY and healthy choices.

ENJOY!

Simple, RAW Pesto for 4 under $3

There is no need for cooking such a fragrant sauce. Again this is a cilantro improvisation for Kuizzy and Lazyflip's Monday Menu. It's really easy with only 6 ingredients and the 6th is cilantro. I have also made this sauce with JUST basil or basil and parsley. This is one of those meals that if I'm missing one component I can't easily adjust as long as the herbs are fresh. Usually pesto calls for "Parmigiano Reggiano" (Parmesan) but the Queso Fresco worked quite nicely. For all the Vegans, cheese can be left out completely, or you can use a vegan "cheese." Lazyflip (Angelo) is allergic to nuts so I never use them when cooking for him. pine nuts, walnuts even cashews would also work great and heavy cream can be added to make it a really rich and creamy sauce.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0
Servings: 4
Cost (including pasta): $2.64

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
2 whole cloves garlic
1/4 cup "Queso Fresco" cheese (in place of Parmesan)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth. Set aside and cook pasta, mix then serve.

ENJOY!

8 Easy Gluten Free Salads!

I love salad! All kinds of salad, but I don't always want lettuce. There are so many ways to jazz up a salad night whether you make it the main dish or a side to an awesome meal, and sometimes just to snack on. Whether they are full of vegetables, fruits, fish, meat or pasta they can be quick, easy, healthy and Gluten Free. Here is a list of 8 that the "bunch" love along with friends and family alike. There is one more thing we do quite frequently here....re-using leftovers. I hate wasting food, and as long it is still "good" then I try to integrate:) Hence the Orzo in salad number 1.

1. This is a GF Tortellini and Orzo salad. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. three cheese tortellini cooked, drained and cooled (gluten free)

1/4 cooked orzo, (left over) (gluten free)

2 medium vine tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup chopped parsley, fresh

1 Tbs. minced fresh garlic

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Gluten Free Tortellini and Orzo Salad

2. Here is a shrimp salad that I do many variations of, and this week I chose fresh pineapple, red onion and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of raw large shrimp, flash boiled and cooled in an ice-bath

1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup minced red onion

1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

Dressing:

Juice of 4 medium sized lemons

1 tsp. honey

salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp Salad

3. Cauliflower, artichoke, tomato, braised mushroom and black olive New Years salad. This New Years was a fancy BBQ dinner! We had sausages, BBQ chicken, fun salads and a bunch of informal, great eats.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, steamed, drained and cooled (it releases a lot of water so make sure you drain it thoroughly, or it'll water down your dressing while it marinates)

1 14 oz. can of black olives, drained

2 14 oz. cans of water packed artichoke hearts 

2 oz packages of mushrooms (braised in beer from earlier)

1 cup of grape tomatoes sliced in half

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1/2 Tbs. ginger power

salt and pepper to taste  

Cauliflower, Artichoke, Tomato, Mushroom and Olive Salad

4. Caprese salad, ugh has to be one of my most favorite! Who doesn't love those fresh little Buffalo Mozzarella Balls! This we had Christmas Day with a cold cuts platter and smoked salmon. Dreamy:)

Ingredients:

2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half (long ways)

1 16 oz. container of buffalo mozzarella balls, drained

fresh basil leaves torn, and a couple whole for garnishing

Dressing:

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. I would say about 3 Tbs. of each

and salt to taste. 

Caprese Salad

5. Gluten Free rotini pasta salad. This was made for The Hunebee and KATvonVapure.

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Gluten Free pasta (Rotini)

1/8 cup of oven roasted red bell peppers, diced (home roasted)

5 large fresh basil leaves chopped, rough

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup minced carrot

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. dried basil 

salt and pepper to taste

Gluten Free Pasta Salad

6. Red Cabbage, Tomato, Celery, Green Onion Italian slaw. 

Ingredients:

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded

1 cup thin sliced celery with leaf

2 medium vine tomatoes, diced large

2 green Oonions chopped (whole onion)

Dressing:

1/3 cup of olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Red Cabbage Slaw

.

7. Pineapple, Celery, Red onion and Green Onion Salad.

Ingredients:

1 can of diced pineapple (large)

1/3 cup of celery sliced thin

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup sliced red onion

Dressing:

1/8 cup pineapple juice from the can

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 Tbs. ginger powder

salt to taste (would've been great with pepper)

Pineapple, Celery Red and Green Onion Salad

 8. Ok one more Slaw salad this one is really great if you love pickled beets and grapefruit!

Ingredients:

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup of garden fresh, home pickled beets
1/2 a Red onion sliced
1 whole pink Grapefruit, sliced and diced into thin pieces

Dressing:

1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. mustard powder
salt to taste

Red Cabbage, Beets, Grapefruit and Red onion Slaw

So here it is a great list of ideas to follow, improvise and add to. ENJOY!

Carrot salad

There was so much response to my Facebook post that I decided to give the people what they want! ;)

I bought an already shredded bag of carrots, it's just easier that way, and the 1 lb. bag cost a $1.00! I only used half the bag, a grapefruit from The Hunebee's Mom's house, cilantro and fresh ginger. Making the whole bowl of salad came in at a cost of $2.00, and I think out of that you could get 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1/2 bag of shredded carrots (1 lb.)

1 small pink grapefruit (diced small)

1 tsp. of minced fresh Ginger

1/4 cup cilantro

Dressing:

1/3 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. powdered ginger

salt

ENJOY!

Not my Gramma's Aglio e Olio!

I just noticed I used "Not" in my last posts' title also...oh well, this time it was more of a play on that show title, "My Grandmother's Ravioli," with Mo Rocca. Yesterday for Monday Menu Madness I made two different kinds of pasta for the boys. I'm only sharing one today and it's Kuizzy's. He doesn't have any real food allergies, but we take it easy on the dairy and since the other sauce I made was a cream on cream on cheese I chose a Kui version of something I grew up with. A traditional "Aglio e Olio" is a very basic sauce but jammmm packed with flavors and very easily modified...which I love since my cooking is a-my-take-on-your-food approach. The sauce is basically olive oil, garlic, and parsley. Kuizzy loves, LOVES, LLOOVVEESSS cilantro, so if you see a reoccuring theme of cilantro being where you might not think it should go BLAME him;)

This is for 1/2 pound of pasta, I used linguine. Again this recipe is modified for Kui since I have 4 bushelllllls of cilantro and love to improvise. Don't judge me Terracciano's!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves fresh garlic

1/3 cup cilantro

salt and pepper

Directions:

In a saucepan "quick" fry the fine chopped garlic and parsley add salt and pepper. AND quick cause garlic burns fast. Have your pasta drained and waiting for the sauce. And thats it, quick easy healthy and you can use Gluten Free, quinoa, or rice noodles if you can't have the regular. ENJOY!

Thank you Nena<3

Meals Under $5 Healthy, Gluten Free, Fresh!

Here are some of the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks I've been making over the last 6 months. They all come in at the $5 dollar mark per Jar. Because the "bunch" works so much and have no time for cooking, let alone shopping, I've put this together to show everyone how easy and cheap it can be to stay healthy on a budget. These meals are great for on the go people who eat at work, in their car, or on their way to a busy day!

This is what I used to send KATvonVAPURE before she started her diet. From the left we have plain oat meal with a little added cinnamon. On top is a medley of home made trail mix consisting of walnuts, dried pineapple, cherries, cranberries and banana chips with a drizzle of honey. Next to that is low fat cottage cheese with canned pineapple, cranberries and basil. These two are around $4.00 a jar and enough for one serving of breakfast, AND are both GLUTEN FREE!

These are Low-Carb high protein breakfast jars for The Hunebee, KATvonVAPURE and Kuizzy. Inside is 1/4 cup of fresh avocado, 3 small maple sausage links and one medium boiled egg in half. These FABULOUS Breakfasts-for-the-ride come out to $2.00 a jar!!! YES just $2. They are also GLUTEN FREE and great for energy. I add a little pepper once everything is in place and thats it!

Here is a picture of what my fridge ends up looking like on Mondays. This is a small portion of what I could send for lunches. From the left is 2 jars of chicken salad with green onions, cilantro, cranberries, and Greek Yogurt instead of mayonnaise they cost around $1.75 a jar (smaller jars).  Next is a sandwich in a Jar with sesame Gluten Free crackers, persian cucumbers, and sliced carrots. I used Boar's Head Roast Beef and Roasted Turkey, both GLUTEN FREE, and cost about $3.75/jar. In the small jars is an egg salad, pretty basic with a little salt, fresh cracked pepper, paprika and again Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise which will run you about $.35/jar. Quite a change from the price and health of a "normal" lunch for someone on the go. Fast food, even sit down restaurants charge an arm and a leg for "bad for you" food. 

Here we have Tomatoes two ways. The Top is a Bruschetta that KATvonVAPURE is eating with sesame Gluten Free crackers. Inside is chopped vine tomatoes, onion, garlic, and fresh basil. Add a little sprinkle of sugar and red wine vinegar, let it marinate and eat! And at $3.00 a jar it's even better! The bottom is a salsa that The Hunebee eats on top of her cottage cheese. It's just sliced grape tomatoes, jalapenos, and LOTS of cilantro, a little salt and lime (or lemon). This will come to about $2.00/jar. 

So here, these are 8 meals or snacks that are healthy, cheap, GLUTEN FREE and tasty!!