Food profile: Sweet Potatoes (yams)

Why limit sweet potatoes to just Thanksgiving and Christmas?  This yummy and relatively cheap vegatable is loaded with nutrition that can be bought and served year round!  Sweet potatoes come in two different varieties:  moist-fleshed (orange and naturally sweet) and dry-fleshed (ivory).  Yams are loaded with beta-carotine (vitamin A) and is also a great source of magnesium, and potassium.  They are super easy to prepare.  I usually buy a bunch on sale, bake them up, scoop them up, mash them up and serve them up!  They can also be easily prepared in the microwave:  just pierce with a fork,  and heat them on high (approximately seven minutes, though times may vary slightly).  My kids (and baby) just love them!

Black Bean Salad

Black Bean Salad:

Ingredients:
Cooked Black Beans
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Shredded Co-Jack Cheese
Organic Corn chips (I get these at Walmart--Corn, sunflower oil and sea salt)

Spread chips on plate, top (in any preferred order) with the warmed beans, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. This is surprisingly yummy! I had my doubts when I first tried it, but my entire family (including my picky toddler) devoured it! Serve with fruit slices and you got a complete meal!

Make your own Broth

Here's a fun tip on how to save $$ from having to buy Chicken broth--make your own!  Don't discard the bones when you buy bone-in Chicken.  After you have cooked the chicken, place those bones in a slow cooker (or big dutch oven).  Cover with water.  Simmer for hours and hours.  I usually simmer mine for about eight hours.  THEN discard the bones.  Spoon the broth into icecube trays and freeze.  Then pop the frozen broth cubes into freezer bags.  When you need broth, just melt as many as you need for your recipe!

Chicken Noodle Soup

With colds and runny noses, we've made this in our house a lot over the past few days!  It is very yummy and easy to make!  This is a recipe adapted from the Campbell's Collection cookbook.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

2 Cans (14.5 oz each) Chicken Broth

Generous dash of pepper

1 medium carrot, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup uncooked medium egg noodles

5 oz cooked chicken, cut into small pieces.

In a medium saucepan mix broth, pepper, carrot and celery.  Over medium-high heat, heat to a boil.  Stir in noodles.  reduce heat to medium.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring oftern.  Add chicken and heat through.  Serves 4.  Double as needed for larger families.

Delay

Due to vacation and family illness, there (have not and) will not be any posts until next Monday--February 23, 2009.  Tune in, then, to read about home made Chicken Noodle Soup!

~NutritionCents

Repeats

To stretch out those dollars, try (for a month) a scheduled menu.  On Mondays and Tuesday, serve Beans and Rice (or similar) for dinner, on Wednesday and Thursday a Chicken and rice dinner, do a homemade pizza on Friday night, then let Saturdays and Sundays be open for suggestions from your family.  It sounds a little bland on paper; but there are many ways to slightly vary those meals, it keeps planning and grocery shopping easier and it will also save a few dollars too!

Honey Milk Balls

A yummy and nutritious snack aid!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter*

1 cup dry milk solids

1 cup uncooked rolled oats

Mix all ingredients well, then kneed until blended.  Shape into small balls.  These taste best cold!

*even better to use natural peanut butter