Posted by organicmommy under
Receipes 1 Comment
As a stay at home mom I am constantly trying to find ways to cut our grocery budget since its the one bill that we have some control over monthly. I know alot of people are struggling with the higher prices of everything lately and its a shame that we have to pay more to eat healthy and organic. But at least for now this is the case so if you are trying to start eating organically but are fearful of the high grocery bills that might go along with it then I would like to share with you some of my favorite receipes.
Specifically for meat I just have to buy hormone and antibiotic free meats now that I know what is in the “regular” brand meats that come from large industrial farms. I could eat vegetarian and be happy ( I did it for ten years) but my husband is a meat and potatoes kinda guy and I do want my son to eat some meat until he is old enough to decide what health choices he wants to make. So with that being the case I still have to buy some meat and that can get really expensive when trying to eat organically.
My best advice is to buy the cheaper cuts of meat that you can use in a variety of ways organically or at least hormone and antibiotic free. I would rarely buy a ribeye steak that is organic unless its a special occasion. For beef I stick to london broil, flank steaks, and ground beef mainly and the brand I find in most stores is the Black Angus Natural. For chicken I usually buy thighs and sometimes drumsticks. I can use some for dinner and then use the leftover meat for chicken salad for lunch. Below are my favorite receipes that I rely on for speedy (yes, I have a one year old!) and healthy dinners. I put what I usually buy organic but if you cannot afford that then use the regular. I try to base what I use organic as to how much pesticide is retained in the produce. For more on this please look at my post http://organicmommy.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/full-list-of-worst-pesticide-offenders/
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef (hormone and antibiotic free)
- 1 onion
- breadcrumbs
- 1 organic egg
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Mix this all in a bowl and form small meatballs. Saute in a pan until the outside is cooked, about five minutes. Take the meatballs out and start the sauce below. Once all the ingredients are in the sauce then put the meatballs back in and let them simmer.
For my sauce I saute an onion and one clove of garlic. Once that is soft I add a large can of crushed tomatoes with salt, pepper, and some basil or rosemary from my garden. Let it all simmer for at least an hour but the longer the better in my opinion.
My version of hamburger helper:
- 1 lb ground beef (hormone and antibiotic free)
- 1 box pasta (whatever you like)
- 1 block organic cheddar cheese
- 1/2 block organic montery jack
- flour and butter to make a roux
- organic milk
Start to boil water in large pot for pasta. In large saute pan brown ground beef until no longer pink. Remove ground beef from pan and take out all oil left in pan. Add three to four tablespoons of flour and about three tablespoons of butter. Let the flour cook for a minute or two stirring with the butter. Once the butter is absorbed into the flour and clumpy start to whisk in milk. You have to just see how this goes as to how much you need but you want to keep slowly adding milk and then whisking until its about the consistency of pasta sauce. Add salt and pepper and slowly whisk in the cheeses. When its all melted together add the ground beef back into the sauce. Add this to the drained pasta and voila you have a healthy version of hamburger helper cheeseburger mac. You can add veggies to this also or just serve on the side.
Chicken and peppers:
- 1 package of organic chicken thighs (or antibiotic free)
- 1 large organic green pepper or two small
- 1 onion
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup organic crushed tomato sauce or leftover pasta sauce
In a large pot saute the chicken thighs. After both sides have cooked for a few minutes then add the sliced peppers and onions. Add garlic and salt and pepper. Allow veggies to become soft then add the tomato sauce. Add the wine and mix all together. Let the whole pot simmer for at least 1/2 hour but I think the longer the better. The meat will fall off the bone and be so tasty. I serve over brown rice.
Curry chicken salad:
- leftover organic chicken thigh meat (or boil two thighs in water with a bay leaf or rosemary and save the stock afterwards for soup!)
- 1 organic apple diced
- 1/2 cup raisins
- curry spice aprox. 2 Tbs (use as little or much as you like)
- mayo (use as much as you like to your consistency)
Take the chicken meat and shred it with a fork. Add the curry and salt/pepper. Add the diced apple and raisins. Mix in the mayo to the consistency you prefer and enjoy. This is great for lunch and is wonderful on whole wheat toast or on a bed of greens.
I hope to see some comments with your favorite receipes too!
www.theorganicmommy.org
