Here are some affordable meal ideas to help you get dinner on the table each night without too much time or effort.

Casseroles
Casseroles are an all-time favorite comfort food and can be inexpensive one-dish meals. Here are two recipes that are crowd and wallet pleasers.

Classic Tuna Casserole:

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, minced
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 can cream of celery soup
3/4 cup milk
1 5-oz. can tuna in water, drained
3 to 4 cups flat egg noodles
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the egg noodles according to the package directions and drain in a colander. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft (about 4 minutes), and then add in the mushrooms and peas. Cook for another minute and turn down the heat to low. Mix the soup, milk, and tuna in a separate bowl and add to the skillet. Stir until blended together. Combine the noodles and the contents of the skillet into an oven-proof casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minute before serving.

Chicken n’ Rice casserole

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of milk
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
3 cups brown rice, cooked
1 package frozen asparagus, thawed and cut into 1″ pieces
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the soup, milk and Italian herbs together. Add remaining ingredients except ¼ cup of cheese with the soup and stir gently until combined. Spoon the mixture into an oven-proof casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minute before serving.

Friday Night Quesadillas
A quesadilla will turn plain leftovers into a great meal! Simply use leftovers as filling. Be creative use up leftovers and save money too!

Ingredients – for each quesadilla:
1/4 cup shredded cheese (Colby, cheddar, jack, or a mixture)
1 10 inch flour tortilla
2-3 Tbsp of leftover filling mixture
2 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions: Sprinkle cheese and filling over one of the flour tortillas. Leave a ½ inch edge empty all the way around the tortilla. Place the other tortilla on top of the cheese mixture, making a sandwich. Brush the top of the tortilla lightly with oil. Place the tortilla sandwich with the oiled side down in a non- stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush the top of the tortilla lightly with oil. Using a spatula, turn the tortilla over when it is golden brown (about 2 minutes). Brown the other side (about 2 minutes). Remove from pan and slice into pieces like a pie.

Leftover Filling Ideas: shredded/diced pork, steak or chicken, steamed vegetables chopped into small pieces, any kind of beans, avocado, tomato, pineapple or mango pieces.

Beans:

Beans (Navy, Black, Cannelini, etc) are a great substitute for meat or chicken and they are VERY inexpensive. Canned beans are super convenient to use. They are already cooked. Simply pour them into a colander, rinse them in cold water for one minute and add them to your recipe.

Black Bean Soup:

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (16 oz each) Mexican style tomatoes with mild green chilies (do not drain)
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions: In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onion is tender. In a blender or food processor, combine the onions, tomatoes, and beans. Process until smooth (this can be done in 2 batches, if necessary). In the medium saucepan, combine the bean mixture, broth, and cumin. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve the soup hot, topping each bowl with any or all of the garnishes below.

Have a “Soup Bar” for dinner! Spoon the soup into bowls and let the kids sprinkle their own toppings on the soup! Here are some suggestions:

Thinly sliced green onions
Chopped cilantro
Cubes of avocado
Sour cream
Bacon bits
Diced ham
Shredded cheese

If you think all cookware is the same, then you’ve never used a cast iron Dutch oven. Traditionally loved for long, slow cooking of roasts and stews, Dutch ovens are flexible enough to bake cakes and breads, boil sauces, braise meats and even flash-cook entire meals in record time.

Humans have a long history of cooking in Dutch oven-type vessels as cast metal pots have been used for cooking in Europe since at least as early as the late eighth century.

The term “Dutch oven” may originate from a Dutch casting process brought to England, and from there to the British colonies, in 1704 by Abraham Darby. Or, it could have been a nickname given to the Dutch immigrant traders who sold the pots in the new world, or possibly it referred to early Dutch immigrants in the Pennsylvania area who used the heavy, lidded pots.

However the name arose, the practical, versatile and durable vessels were the staple of the American pioneers and explorers, including Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition. The Dutch oven was popular because it could cook a wide variety of foods: plants and animals as well as staples such as flour, corn, and sugar. It could be used for boiling, baking, stews, frying, roasting, and just about any other use.

Older Dutch ovens often sported three legs and a hinged bail handle for hanging the pot over a fire; more modern styles are legless with side handles for easier lifting. Some have flanged lids for holding hot coals in a campfire, while others have flat or rounded lids. Some even have dimples on the insides of their lids.

Called a French oven or a casserole by some modern companies, Dutch ovens can be enamel-coated cast iron for a rust-proof, non-stick, dishwasher-safe surface, or simply raw, uncoated cast iron. You may even find Dutch oven-shaped pots made of stainless steel, aluminum, or non-stick materials with a glass lids. While these may be familiar in shape, they lack the cooking powers of cast iron and may not function as well in Dutch oven cooking methods.

Regardless, all Dutch ovens share some basic characteristics: a flat bottom (not conical or otherwise sloped), vertical sides (not convex or concave), and an inner lip around the lid that allows the lid to provide a closed seal when seated correctly.

Dutch ovens are making resurgence and appearing on cooking shows, in department stores and in kitchens everywhere.

Pictured above: Rachael Ray 7 Quart Dutch Oven

It seems as if the school year begins earlier and earlier each year. Politicians would have you believe that as long as kids are in the classroom, they are learning. In truth, there is so much more to learning than simply showing up: eating the right foods helps, too.

Studies have shown that malnourished children have a harder time staying focused in the classroom. Many of the foods that make up a Standard American Diet –fast food, packaged snack foods, and refined grains – are low in nutritional value per calorie. They are literally designed simply to fill us up in the least expensive way possible, using the cheapest or even completely synthetic ingredients. The brain just doesn’t function as well without the nutrients it needs.

Let’s send our kids to school this year with the best chances for success by feeding them real, whole foods that nourish their bodies and their minds. Cooking whole foods doesn’t have to mean hours of time and effort in the kitchen: try this easy infused one-pot meal for a handy time-saver. Its mild flavors and separated ingredients stem complaints from picky eaters, and you can even use all frozen ingredients without changing the cooking time.

Plain Jane Chicken
Serves 4-5

• 4-5 pieces chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12-16 new potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, quartered
• 4 cups carrot medallions
• 8-10 mushrooms, washed, thickly sliced
• 4 cups frozen peas

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray inside and lid of 3 ½- or 4-quart cast iron Dutch oven with canola oil. Set chicken pieces into pot, trying not to overlap. Lightly season with salt and/or pepper. Add quartered new potatoes and carrots. Lightly season again. Scatter mushrooms into pot. Pour in peas.

Cover and bake for about 50 minutes, or 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully-cooked meal escapes the oven.

Tips
For a bit more flavor, drop a few peeled and halved garlic cloves underneath and around the chicken. Or consider drizzling 4 Tbsp. of your favorite Italian salad dressing over the chicken instead of salt and pepper for a totally different and extremely tasty meal.

Believe it or not, today’s mothers spend more hours focused on their children than the mothers of the 1960s did. While we like to hark back to the Leave It To Beaver halcyon days of mothers greeting kids after school with milk and cookies as an ideal for raising happy children, the reality, according to a University of Maryland study, actually looks better these days.

Based on detailed time diaries kept by thousands of Americans, mothers in 1965 spent 10.2 hours a week focused on their children in activities such as reading with them, feeding them or playing games. While the number of hours dropped in the 1970s and 80s, it began rising in the 90s and is now higher than ever at almost 14.1 hours each week.

But ask those same moms how they feel about it, and at least half will say they don’t have enough time with their kids.

The study shows how these extra hours spent with kids have been stolen from time spent on housework, cooking, meal cleanup and laundry. Oh, and sleep!

What I found most interesting was that moms almost halved the time they spent in cooking and meal cleanup. Unfortunately, this might suggest that we’re relying more on take-out, fast food or prepackaged frozen meals. Along with the cost of convenience, we’re also paying for undesirable amounts of sodium, additives, fats and calories.

I firmly believe that meals don’t have to be time-consuming to be healthy; that you don’t have to face an hour of cleanup after dinner in order to serve delicious, home-cooked food.

Here is a quick and easy kid-friendly recipe that can be easily adjusted for using fresh or frozen foods, depending on your rush level and how recently you’ve been to the grocery store. Regardless, you can feel good about serving it, and it won’t eat up important time better spent with your kids!

Garlic Fish and Potatoes
Serves 4

• 16 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 1 – 1 1/2 lb. filets of white fish, such as flounder, tilapia or sole fresh or frozen
• 2 russet potatoes or 16 oz. frozen hash browns (loose, not in patties)
• 4 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
• 4 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups sliced carrots, fresh or frozen
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray inside of 3 1/2- or 4-quart cast iron Dutch oven and lid with olive oil.

Drop whole, peeled garlic cloves into Dutch oven. Scrub and cube potatoes and place in pot; or shake frozen hash browns in (break apart hash browns so that they are not frozen in a single mound). Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and pepper, if desired. Set fish filets in next, in a single layer as much as possible. With thinner filets, it is ok to have multiple layers as long as the filets are not frozen to each other. I find it easy to separate frozen fish filets using the tip of a knife as a lever and applying a little pressure.

Tuck carrots into the crevices and follow with corn and broccoli until pot is full. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and pepper.

Cover and bake for 40-53 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fish. Note: using frozen foods WON’T necessarily increase cooking time! You’ll know its ready 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal wafts from the oven.

Notes
Your kids won’t eat fish? Although the fish species suggested here are very mild flavored and a great way to introduce more fish to non-fish-eaters, try substituting 4 pieces of chicken for a different meal.

Don’t be nervous about the amount of garlic! Although it may seem like a lot, when the cloves are left whole they impart a milder, nutty flavor.

Nutritional Analysis per serving, based on 2 servings and using flounder, fresh potato and carrots and frozen corn and broccoli.
Calories 326
Protein 33g
Carbs 53g
Fat 2.8g
Cholesterol 54mg
Sodium 150mg
Fiber 11g

Elizabeth Yarnell is the inventor and author of Glorious One-Pot Meals: A new quick & healthy approach to Dutch oven cooking. Visit www.gloriousonepotmeals.com for more information on this unique, patented cooking method and to sign up for Elizabeth’s newsletter.

Stephanie, a vice president for a venture capital firm in Denver, makes it a priority to get home in time to have a family meal with her husband and 1-year old son.

“I put a lot of energy into my job and then I get into my car at 5pm and realize that I have no idea what I’m going to feed three people for dinner in an hour,” she says. “That’s when a one-pot meal is just perfect.”

One-pot meals can be the solution to quick and easy cooking when no one really has the time to cook. While one-pot meals come in various forms, they all have the common concept of putting a variety of ingredients into a single vessel and cooking them all together. There’s no fretting about getting the timing right so that your broccoli is perfectly steamed at the same time as the pot roast comes out of the oven medium-rare and the rice is ready to fluff, which is a boon for all those who aren’t wizards at culinary planning. And, perhaps best of all, rather than a sink full of dirty pots and pans to scrub after dinner, there is only one pot to clean.

One-pot meals include everything from light stir-fries to hearty skillet meals to heavy casseroles made with cans condensed cream-of soup. Typically each forkful contains a little of each ingredient in the meal, whether it’s in a slab form or bite-sized pieces. Crock-pot cooking, where all the ingredients are placed in a crock-pot along with some liquid and then simmered at a very low heat for 6-8 hours until everything has disintegrated into a stew, is another popular method of creating of one-pot meals.

The only downside to each of these methods is that they are usually not a complete and balanced meal in and of themselves. Since the definition of a complete, healthy meal includes protein, carbohydrates and vegetables, stir-fries are typically served with rice, skillet meals with pasta, casseroles with a salad, and crock-pot stews with bread.

Infuse it
To have a truly complete and balanced one-pot meal consider “infusion” cooking. Infused one-pot meals are made by layering whole foods into a closed container– either a foil or parchment pouch or a cast iron Dutch oven—and then baking the container in the oven at a very high heat for under an hour. These dinners can contain everything needed for a full and balanced one-pot meal without having to prepare rice or a salad separately.

Low in fat and high in nutrition, almost any ingredients can be added to an infused one-pot meal to meet personal dietary preferences. Infused one-pot meals prepared in a Dutch oven can even accept frozen elements without any change in cooking time or flavor.

“I love that I can make my infused one-pot meal up in advance,” enthuses Stephanie. “I put it all together in the morning, keep it in the fridge, and then pop it directly into the pre-heated oven when I get home from work. Instead of fussing over a hot stove, I get to play with my kid while our dinner cooks. And they’re so healthy and tasty that my husband loves them too!”

For the answer to the age-old question of “What’s for dinner?” consider an infused one-pot meal for a healthy, quick and easy way to feed your busy family. Here is a great recipe to get you started!

California Chicken

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup cous cous, dry
2-3 pieces chicken
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
1 avocado, firm-ripe
2 tomatoes, cored, wedges
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded, cut in wedges
1/2 cup olives, small, ripe, pitted, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. basil, dried
1/4 tsp. marjoram, dried
1 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 2-quart cast iron Dutch oven and the lid with olive oil.

Pour dry couscous into pot. Add 1/2 cup water and evenly distribute grains across bottom. Arrange the chicken atop the couscous. Season lightly with salt and lemon pepper.

Add layers of green peppers, tomatoes and olives. Again, season lightly with salt and lemon pepper.

Halve, pit and peel the avocado. Then, layer it in slices or cubes on top of everything. In a small bowl, combine the onion, celery salt, basil, marjoram, sherry, and lemon juice and pour into pot over everything.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Tips
Be certain that your oven temperature is accurate and your oven is fully pre-heated before putting the pot inside it. An oven thermometer can help ensure your oven is on target.

For light and fluffy couscous, fluff it with a fork when serving and let sit for a few minutes before eating.

Per serving:
Cal 566
Pro 36g
Carb 54g
Fat 24g
Chol 75 mg
Sod 1465 mg*
Fiber 11g

*More than half of the sodium in this recipe comes from the celery salt. To reduce the sodium, omit the celery salt and add one sliced rib of celery at the same time as the green pepper. This will bring the sodium down to 683 mg.

About the author: Elizabeth Yarnell is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and the author of Glorious One-Pot Meals: A new quick & healthy approach to Dutch oven cooking, a guide to a guide to preparing quick, healthy and balanced one-pot meals. Visit Elizabeth online at www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com to subscribe to her free newsletter. The Glorious One-Pot Meal cooking method is unique and holds US patent 6,846,504.

What child doesn’t love pizza? Here’s a healthy way to give them a different snack alternative… mini pizzas!

* use a healthy cracker (like Kashi) or a whole wheat bagel as a base
* add sugar-free jar tomato sauce – we like ‘Garden Style’ Colavita brand
* sprinkle 2% milk shredded mozzarella on top
* optional: add dried oregano
* heat in the broiler or toaster oven

Enjoy!

Chilean Avocado Spread

Ingredients:

* 2 avocados
* lime juice from 2 limes (1/3 cup)
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* ½ teaspoon sugar
* ½ teaspoon tarragon
* salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
* 1 clove of garlic

Puree all ingredients in blender or food processor. Serve with toasted bread, pita or crackers.

Bunuelos

Ingredients:

* ½ cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* 1 package 8 inch tortillas
* 4 tablespoons margarine/butter

Heat oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Cut tortillas into triangles or strips. Lay pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with melted margarine or butter and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture. Bake 10-15 minutes or until barely browned. Repeat with remaining strips. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. Sprinkle ice cream with a little bit of the cinnamon mixure as a garnish.

Hot Crab Dip

Ingredients:

* 2 – 8 oz. packages 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 cup grated cheddar
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
* ½ teaspoon lemon juice
* 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 pound lump crab meat (or imitation)

Combine all ingredients in electric mixer. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Top with extra cheese last 5 minutes. Serve with crackers, crostini, or sliced toasted French bread.

Pumpkin Spread

Ingredients:

* 2 – 8 oz. packages 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
* 1 – 15 oz. can pureed pumpkin
* 2 cups powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ginger

Combine all ingredients in electric mixer. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, graham crackers (for kids), sliced fruit.

Dill Dip

Ingredients:

* 2/3 cup light mayonnaise
* 2/3 cup light sour cream
* 1 tablespoon parsley
* 1 teaspoon dill
* ½ teaspoon celery seed
* ½ teaspoon onion powder
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire

Combine all ingredients. Chill 3-4 hours for maximum flavor. Serve with crackers or vegetable tray.

Dairy Dip

Ingredients:

* 1 – 8 oz. package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
* ½ cup light sour cream
* ¼ cup sugar
* ¼ cup brown sugar
* 1 – 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine all ingredients. Chill. Serve with fresh fruit.

Caramel Dip

Ingredients:

* 1 – 8 oz. package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
* 1 cup brown sugar

Combine. Serve with variety of apples.

Spiced Nuts (sweet or savory)

Ingredients:

* Nuts: 4 cups (1 pound) unsalted mixed nuts; ¼ pound (1/2 stick) margarine or butter, melted

Sweet:

* 2 teaspoons cinnamon
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon cloves
* 1 teaspooon ginger

Savory:

* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Place nuts in a large bowl. Pour butter over. Spread in baking pan. Bake nuts in oven. Stir occasionally for 20 minutes or until nuts are golden and smell toasted.

Combine ingredients for mixture of choice in a small bowl. Sprinkle over nuts. Toss to mix.

Bake for 5 more minutes. Let cool on pan.

When I was in school our lunches consisted of appetizing school-prepared delicious meals including meat dishes, homemade soups, pasta dishes and more. Now school menus look more like something from the fast food front counter. The food is nearly always prepared and frozen prior to any children arriving at school. Many schools actually have fast food restaurants as their food service. (Clever Parents Editors’ Note: This should come as no surprise to any of you who have seen the documentary Super Size Me.) Another major problem is variety. At my childrens’ school we literally have one type of fried chicken product per week: chicken fingers, nuggets, and patties, and the like. As a shocking side note, did you have any idea that ketchup can be considered a vegetable?Whether you have a child at home, school, or daycare the following tips should aid in easy lunchtime preparation. As you read through my ideas think of ways that you can make lunchtime packing easier for yourself. If you do most of the work on the weekends you can quickly and easily prepare healthy nutritious lunches for your children and save tons of money in the process.

The Good Old PB&J: Many schools (including my daughter’s) are now peanut-free zones. I understand the danger of this wonder legume to some allergic children so if your school has a policy, please stick to it. My son’s preschool does not have a peanut policy so I am all about the PB&J! For the most nutritious sandwich use natural peanut butter with low or no sugar jelly on whole grain bread. These sandwiches can easily be prepared the night before or you can even make a few on the weekends and freeze them for super easy lunchbox packing! For kids who despise crusts, purchase one of those sandwich round makers (available from Clever Parents’ own Pampered Chef, Emily Frye) to make the circle pouch sandwiches.

Veggies and Dip: Most children will eat nearly anything as long as they can dip it! On the weekend clean and cut some vegetables and pack them into individual serving sized bags. Inside the baggie, slip either a folded napkin or paper towel to prevent the veggies from becoming soggy (the moisture will be absorbed into the paper product). Next, make up your favorite low fat dip. Our favorite dip is a packet of dry ranch mix and a container of low fat sour cream; sometimes I add a box of frozen, thawed and drained spinach to the mix, too. Place a serving of dip into small containers. Some favorite veggies in our house are cucumber sticks, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, broccoli and cauliflower.

Muffins and breads: Last week I talked about how many quick bread recipes taste even better after being frozen. Toss a frozen muffin in the lunchbox and by the afternoon your child will have a yummy sweet treat!

Say goodbye to prepared pasta cups: On the weekend prepare some type of pasta (noodles, shells, wheels, etc). Chop up different vegetables including carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, and toss in some cherry tomatoes. Next, add some protein such as cheese and ham chunks. Mix together with low fat Italian dressing and you have a yummy and nutritious pasta salad. Place in small serving sized cups.

Popcorn: Can we even find a cheaper snack food than popcorn? Make up a large amount on the weekend and place in serving sized bags. Popcorn adds a nutritious crunch to the meal!

Make your own cracker snack meals: Place in a bag some small bite sized pieces of meat and cheeses. In another bag place some whole grain crackers. A definite child pleaser!

Fruit: The best way to get my children to eat fruit is by sticking it in gelatin! Simply make your gelatin recipe and add fresh fruit per the box instructions. Pour directly into single serving containers. Just remember to remind your children not to throw these containers away!

Say goodbye to pre-packaged lunch cakes: While these tasty treats are quite popular they tend to be expensive and not at all nutritious. I have not become clever enough to invent a cake without sugar or calories, so this trick is more focused on the economical part and not the nutritional part. Place your cake batter in greased muffin tins without the cupcake papers. Once cooled, slice horizontally and place your icing on the inside and then pop the top back on. This makes it super easy to wrap your cupcake without getting icing all over the plastic wrap. As a side note, you can take your favorite cake recipe and lighten it somewhat by using applesauce instead of oil.

These tips all involve one thing, planning ahead. If you take a little time on the weekend you can save yourself a lot of time and stress on the weekdays. Also, get your children involved in the process. Have them choose a veggie of the week. Ask them to help prepare some of these foods. Have fun and enjoy preparing healthy, nutritious and inexpensive meals for your family!

Betsy

Don’t have a lot of spare time? Chop up several types of veggies (carrots, broccoli, peppers) at the beginning of the week. During the week, toss those fresh veggies in salad one night, in stir fry another, or sauté and add to buttered pasta a third night.

Ingredients:

* 1.5 lbs lean ground beef or ground turkey
* 1-2 cloves minced garlic
* 3 large cans red kidney beans drained
* 2 small cans tomato sauce
* 2 cans diced tomatoes
* 2 tsp. basil
* salt to taste
* pepper to taste
* 4 tsp. chili powder

Brown the meat and garlic, drain. Put all of the ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10-30 min. (You can also cook this recipe in the crockpot.)

Serves 6 (with leftovers)

Ingredients:

* 4 salmon filets (6 oz each)
* 1/3 cup reduced fat tomato and basil feta
* pinch of salt
* 2T olive oil
* 8 Kalmata olives (optional for garnish)

Preheat broiler. Line broiler pan with aluminum foil. Coat salmon filets with olive oil and lightly sprinkle salt on both sides of the filets. Broil filets on one side for 3 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven. Turn the filets over. Top the salmon filets with the feta and broil another 3 minutes until done (may take longer for filets thicker than one inch). Garnish with olives, serve hot and enjoy.

Looking for fast healthy meals that really taste good? Try these recipes out… you’ll get hooked!

I’m not one to buy from telemarketers. In fact, I’m usually the one who cuts them off (nicely enough) and says good-bye. Something about the one who called me a few weeks ago kept me listening. Maybe it was that he was calling on behalf of Cooking Light magazine that I subscribe to, at any rate I bought his wares and received the book soon after the call.

The book is from Weight Watchers and is called ‘5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook.’ The most surprising thing about it? The title is correct – easy, fast meals that are healthy. The part they don’t say? The meals taste REALLY good. Like the Grouper Athenian (grouper, spinach, tomato, feta and Greek seasoning) that cooks in 9 minutes, or the mouth watering Balsamic Pork Chops made with lemon-herb seasoning, balsamic vinegar, chicken broth and pork chops that my husband loves. It’s easily my favorite cookbook and the one that I actually use to plan my grocery trips. I can’t say enough good about it. You can look for the best price and buy the book through www.fetchbook.info.

Having trouble figuring out what to have for dinner? Break the meal into three parts: meat, starch, vegetable.

Usually I have one of each on hand, either fresh or frozen. I keep several meats (e.g. chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, fish fillets, etc) in the freezer along with frozen veggies for just these types of instances.

For example, make the starch (e.g. couscous – cooks in 5 minutes!), saute a chicken breast, steam some frozen broccoli with a sliver of butter and salt and a tablespoon of H20 in a covered bowl in the microwave, and make a quick pan sauce out of the drippings from the chicken using broth or wine.

Place the chicken on the couscous, cover with the pan sauce, put the broccoli on the side, and voila – a quick, easy, vaguely-fancy weeknight meal that didn’t require a trip to the grocery store!