TUESDAY - Brunswick Stew

After getting completely soaked in the New Jersey rain (which was, as always, a torrential downpour), this stew was the perfect warmer-upper.

What the Recipe Calls for:
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 C chicken broth, low-sodium
2 C diced and boned chicken or turkey
2 C tomatoes, canned or cooked
2 C lima beans, canned or cooked
2 C whole kernel corn, canned or cooked

Modifications I made:
I'm not a big meat eater, so I kept the chicken broth but left the chicken. Also, I somehow forgot to buy lima beans (whoops!), so I used pinto beans instead. My last major modification was to add to the list 2 cups of the egg noodles that I bought for the tuna casserole (egg noodles can go a long way!) During preparation, I boiled the egg noodles for about 3 minutes so that they were slightly undercooked. I drained them, then added them to the pot about 15 minutes into simmering the stew.

Prep:
- Heat oil in a large pan. Add onion and cook until tender [not exactly sure what qualifies as a TENDER onion,as they already seem pretty soft to me, so I just cooked them for about 2 minutes]
- Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer for about 30 mins on medium-low (and, if you like egg noodles as much as I do, add them about 15 minutes in to finish cooking them) - NOTE: Before adding the canned beans, wash them off in cold water to rid of excess salt. This is a good tip when using any canned goods, which often have ridiculous amounts of sodium and can increase your risk of hypertension. I definitely tasted the difference in salt content before and after washing the beans. They were less salty, but still tasted great

Notes & Thoughts
I really loved this stew! It was filling, and felt like a genuine, warm-your-soul kind of home-cooked meal. Plus, it only cost about $6.00! I personally thought the egg noodles were a great addition, and that no meat was required. SNAP-Ed says that this recipe serves 8, but I think it could comfortably feed 4-6 people. Also, despite using all low-sodium ingredients, I didn't feel the need to add salt. This isn't too surprising, as even the low-sodium broths can have up to 20% of the recommended daily intake of salt. For more information on the nutritional content and preparation of this recipe, visit http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/index.php?mode=display&rec_id=185

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my ingredients

tenderizing the onions and "pasta-cizing" the recipe

FRIDAY - Intro & Tuna Casserole

I'm a little late in the update, but last Friday marked the day I began my mission to prepare low-budget yet healthy meals taken and modified from the SNAP-Ed (food stamp program) recipe finder. To give a brief intro about what I'm doing, I'm interested in learning what it take (and how it tastes) to prepare meals that a) are low-cost (affordable for individuals living below the poverty-line, or for college students like me)and b) provide adequate nutrients while cutting out the excess fat, salt, and sugar one typically finds in cheap processed or fast foods. Check out and LIKE my facebook page called "Heather's Page - Pick Your Points, Make Them Healthy" to learn about this project. So, without further adieu (and I'm a bit OVERDUE with this one..sorry), here is my first recipe - TUNA CASSEROLE (pictures to be added at a later date due to technical difficulties)

What the Recipe calls for:
4 Cups Water
5 ounces wide egg noodles
10 ounces low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1/3 Cup Skim Milk
1 can (6.5 oz) tuna, packed in water, drained
1 cup frozen green peas
1 Cup fresh bread crumbs

Modifications I made:
I realized as I was preparing this that 1 cup of bread crumbs seemed like alot, so I cut it down to 1/2 cup instead.

Prep - Preheat over to 350 F
- Bring 1 qt of water to a boil in a large pot and cook egg noodles for 2 mins
- Cover the pot, remove from heat, cook 10 minutes
- Meanwhile, mix the soup & milk together in a bowl. Combine tuna and peas with the mixture and pour into a small (~1 qt) casserole dish
- Drain the noodles and combine with the mixture
- Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, and bake for 30 minutes


Notes and Thoughts:
SNAP-Ed indicates that the cost per recipe is $3.44 and serves 6. The price seems about right, but I definitely thought that the recipe could only comfortably feed about 4 people. I felt like I had the right amount of bread crumbs (1/2 cup), but the recipe was still a little bland. I added a pinch of shredded mozzarrella cheese to my portion, and that definitely seemed to help. Next time I would sprinkle about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese before putting the casserole in the oven. Overall, I give the recipe a 3 out of 5.

Why this recipe is great: Tuna is a good source of protein and good fats like omega-3's that are important for cardiovascular health. The egg noodles are enriched with iron and B vitamins, and the peas are a natural source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! For more information about nutrition facts and this recipe, visit: http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/index.php?mode=display&rec_id=946