Resistant Starch and Gut Health: Pasta, Rice, and Potatoes Are Cool Again

Last fall, I discovered “resistant starch” and shared research about how eating cold potatoes was good for you because they contain this stuff.  See, “Resistant Starch: Potatoes are Good for You (Again).”

But silly me, I went off and forgot about it.  I had programmed myself against eating white stuff like bread and potatoes and rice for so long, I guess.  I skipped along, going my merry way, and never got on board with intentionally eating sources of resistant starch.

Big mistake.

Last month, I returned to investigating sources of “resistant starch” after the topic popped up in one of my research projects.  Turns out, I was including some forms of resistant starch in my diet (beans, for instance).  Good news.  But not enough, and not daily.  

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Gut Health Boosted With Cold Potatoes

For personal reasons I’m not sharing here, focusing on my gut health is very, very important to me.  Gotta do it. 

So, beginning in October 2017, I started making sure that every day I had some form of these short-chain fatty acids in my diet. 

I ate cold potato salad.  I added some cold beans to my salads.  I tried a green banana or two (yucky).

And I noticed a difference.  I felt better.  I had more energy.  Emotionally, I was peppy.

This month, I’m delving into cold brown rice and rye bread.  Reuben sandwiches, yum!!! 

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Brown Rice and Reuben Sandwiches

So, Dear Reader, if you want to do more for your intestinal gut health (and of course you do, it’s your “second brain” after all), then maybe you’ll like to eat more cold potato salad, too.

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For more information, check out:

9 Foods That Are High in Resistant Starch, by by Rudy Mawer, MSc, CISSN and published by Healthline on October 6, 2016;

Keenan, Michael J., et al. "Role of resistant starch in improving gut health, adiposity, and insulin resistance." Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal 6.2 (2015): 198-205.'

Sawicki, Caleigh M., et al. "Evidence Mapping: Resistant Starch Interventions and Health Outcomes." Diabetes 3 (2016): 5.

Walmart vs H-E-B Price Comparison: Guess Who Wins?

Where does your food budget dollar get the most bang for its buck?  Well, here in San Antonio, you're gonna find better prices at Walmart for most everything.  

I was surprised by this but after surfing around both their sites for my own grocery list as well as some products that just popped into my head (like Nutella; I never buy it), Walmart beat my local H-E-B chain hands down.  Wow.  Here's what I found:

Prices are from the online websites for Walmart Grocery and H-E-B Curbside Pickup as of September 28, 2017.  I started checking Amazon Prime as well, but it got ridiculous.  There’s no comparison (yet) on grocery prices between your local grocery chain and Amazon’s online service.  Amazon is WAY higher.

Fifteen products are listed.  Prices for each product appear from lowest price to highest price.  Only edible items are included here (no aluminum foil or parchment paper or toilet paper comparisons). 

Winner:  Walmart.  No contest.  

1.  Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) 32 oz.

•  Walmart  $5.98
•   H-E-B  $6.16

2.  Dannon Oikos Triple Zero Mixed Berry Four Pack

• ·         Walmart $3.47 
• ·         H-E-B $3.57

3.  Nabisco Triscuit Crackers Reduced Fat 8.0 oz.

• ·         Walmart $2.56
• ·         H-E-B $2.64

4.  Seedless Red Grapes, 1 Lb.

• ·         H-E-B  0.87 per pound
• ·         Walmart 1.88 per pound

5.  Dole Salad Spring Mix, 10.0 OZ (Clamshell Container)

• ·         Walmart $4.68
• ·         H-E-B $5.13

6.  Chicken of the Sea Chunk Style Pink Salmon In Water,5 oz

• ·         Walmart $1.22
• ·         H-E-B $1.26

7.  Smartfood Popcorn, Variety Pack, 0.5 Oz, 20 Ct

• ·         H-E-B $6.16
• ·         Walmart $6.98

8. DiGiorno Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza, 27.5 oz

• ·         H-E-B $5.47 and Walmart $5.47

9.  Stevia in the Raw Zero Calorie Sweetener Packets, 50 each

• ·         Walmart $2.77
• ·         H-E-B $2.85

10.  Sara Lee Delightful 45 Calories Healthy Multi-Grain Bread

• ·         Walmart $2.84
• ·         H-E-B $2.93

11.  Lactaid Reduced Fat 2% Milkfat Milk, 96 oz

• ·         H-E-B $5.84 and Walmart $5.84

12. General Mills Multi-Grain Cheerios, 18 oz

• ·         Walmart $3.28
• ·         H-E-B $3.48

13.   Nutella Hazelnut Spread with Skim Milk & Cocoa, 13 oz

• ·         Walmart $3.48
• ·         H-E-B $3.58

14.  Oreo Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate, 14.3 Oz

• ·         Walmart $2.98
• ·         H-E-B $3.07

15.  Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce,24 oz

• ·         Walmart $1.84
• ·         H-E-B $1.90

Resistant Starch: Potatoes are Good for You (Again)

Resistant Starch Helps Fight Inflammation and Does Lots More Good Things

Awhile back, I shared Bill’s Hash Brown Potato Salad recipe. Now, admittedly Bill likes to put hash browns in most anything. And he’s usually right. Hash browns combined with eggs and bacon in your morning breakfast taco? Nothing better, my friend.

Now, however, there seems to be medical research supporting eating those hash browns along with other kinds of potato fixings as well as other starchy stuff you thought was on the Bad Food List.

 It’s called “resistant starch.” Time Magazine covered the topic in its May 2016 article, “Eat This Carb and You Won’t Gain Weight.”

That’s right. That is the title – from an article in Time Magazine. 

Good news, right? You’re already thinking French Fries, aren’t you?

What is Resistant Starch? 

Resistant starch is found in potatoes, as well as beans, unripe bananas, brown rice flour, and more stuff. It’s found in lots of leftovers because cooking certain foods and then cooling them down helps to create it.

There are different types. All forms fight against being digested in the human digestive tract, which means that they help fight against weight gain as well as boost consistent blood sugar levels.

They are also supposed to help fight against bad bacteria in the gut (as in the evil Candida that causes so many problems).

From Today’s Dietitian: 

"As their name suggests, resistant starches are starches that resist digestion in the small intestine. Their definition is “the sum of starch and products of starch degradation not absorbed in the small intestine of healthy individuals.”2 Starch polymers are present in granules in plants and exist as either a straight chain (amylose) or a branched chain (amylopectin). The structure of both the granules and polymer chains affect the starch’s digestibility, making some more digestible than others. 
Resistant starches are classified according to structure or source, as follows2,3: 
• RS1 is physically inaccessible to digestive enzymes. Its sources include whole or partially milled grains, seeds, and legumes. 
• RS2 resists digestion because of the granule’s nature. Sources include raw potatoes, underripe bananas, some legumes, and high-amylose starches, such as high-amylose corn. 
• RS3 is produced in the cooking-cooling process. Sources include bread, tortillas, cooked and cooled potatoes, rice, and pasta. 
• RS4 is a chemically modified starch found in a wide range of products. 

Check out the full article from Today's Dietitian here.

Exciting news, isn’t it?

Read more in this May 2016 article by Samantha Olson published in Medical Daily, “How To Eat Carbs And Still Lose Weight: Resistant Starch Foods Improve Gut Bacteria.”

Super Fast Bean Recipe: Cold White Bean Salad with Onions and Tomatoes

Here's one of my favorite bean salad recipes that I just shared one more time, so I thought I'd post it here on the blog.

Toss all this stuff together in a big bowl:

2  (14.5 oz) cans garbanzo beans (chick peas)
2  (14.5 oz) cans white kidney beans
1  (14.5 oz) can green beans
1 (14.5 oz) can sweet corn kernels
1 small can sliced black olives

1  red bell pepper chopped (throw in a yellow bell pepper, too, if you like them) 

1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 celery stalks, chopped

Dressing:
Bragg’s Healthy Vinaigrette (1/2 bottle) (I'm including this product because it's what I use, not because I'm getting any compensation for it.  It's just yummy and good for you, too.)


Make sure that everything is stirred together really well and that the dressing has coated every tiny bit.  Then cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let this stuff chill in the fridge for several hours.  Overnight is even better.

Reba's Notes:  

This is so fast it’s ridiculous. Sure, you have to chill the stuff and that's a delay -- and the longer you can hold out while it sits in the fridge, the better it tastes.

Still, this is so easy that my dog can almost throw it together and I cannot tell you how really, REALLY GOOD this stuff tastes.

Having some sturdy and tasty corn tortilla chips along side never hurt anything, either.  Hint.

And, it's cheap, to boot.  Makes a big bowl for not much cash (even less if you opt out of the olives and make your own dressing).

Now, I know that canned beans are going to have that issue of coming out of a can and we’re being warned that canned food may be exposed to toxins in the can linings. 

That’s not good.

However, I don’t have it in me to cook up all these different varieties of beans from scratch and I’m risking it. (You can also buy BFA-free canned food, here's a list of those brands - example, Trader Joe's).

It’s like a bean salad addiction, I’m ignoring the dangers to get my fix. This stuff is that good, boy howdy.

Hash Brown Potato Salad Recipe

Take a bag of frozen hash browns (1 lb., or 16 oz. size) and add them to a pot of boiling, salted water.  Let them cook for around 5 minutes, then test for doneness.  Done?  Drain the potatoes.

Let them cool.  Combine with your potato salad faves.  On Memorial Day 2012, we had:

mayo - couple of big spoon spoonfuls (say, 1/3 cup)
dijon mustard - 1 Tablespoon
salt
pepper

This stuff stirred together and then combined with the potatoes.  Let this set while you chop and do other stuff, say 20 to 30 minutes.

Salt in Your Coffee Can Be a Really Good Idea. Or Not.

I don't remember where I learned about putting a smidge of salt into your coffee before you brew it, but it works.  It makes cheap coffee taste better.  It makes any coffee taste better, actually, because it takes away the bitterness.

Nope, I'm not blowing smoke here.  It's actually grounded in science and you can go read about that here, if you know or care what salt's "Na+" means and what that does to coffee.

Problem is, you can't get heavy-handed with the stuff.  It's a very, very small step to go from a smooth cup of joe to a nasty mug of salty mess.  Very, very small. 

Which is what I had this morning, as I got a bit too friendly with the salt shaker while brewing a big pot of coffee to drink while waiting for the washer repairman.  (I don't own a Maytag.)

It did wake me up, though.  Shock therapy. 

P.S. Hat tip to Debra Bruce on Twitter -- she asked how much I use, so I went to my kitchen tool drawer and messed around with the measuring spoons.  This was easy, considering I was in the front of the house on my laptop, one eye on vigilant lookout for the repair guy.  Anyway, thinking that measuring spoons were better to use as a measurement than what I really do, which is shake till I see the right amount of white on the top of the brown coffee in the coffee brew basket, I figure 1/8 teaspoon per cup.  Might be less.

Shake for yourself, let me know.  (@rebakennedy)

Cheap Protein Sources to Consider When Planning Your Menu and Making Your Grocery List

For those living a voluntary simplicity lifestyle, being smart on the food budget is just part of maximizing the monthly disposable income.  However, in the years since I began living this way, I've seen more and more people that are simplifying their lives because they have to do it:  it's a financially necessity to live with less material stuff and a smaller budget.

These folk may not know how to cook, and they may be bummed that they have to cut back.  To them, I say - hey, there's a silver lining here!  There's fun in your future that you wouldn't have found if you hadn't had to start budgeting things.

Like learning all about cheap protein sources and using them in your menus.  There's some major good eating here as well as some very healthy things for you and yours, which someone who's eating out a lot or buying lots of prepackaged stuff or fast food take out is going to miss.

Cheap Sources of Quality Protein

The reason that you want to know cheap sources of protein is because protein can take the biggest chunk out of your monthly food budget.  Meat - beef, pork, chicken, fish - costs a lot and you buy it by the pound.  To get control of your food money for the month, it's a big target.

The silver lining is while you are buying protein options to beef, pork, chicken, fish that you are also getting some very nutritious stuff.  Stuff that can be lots better for you than the steak that you're not buying any more.

Black Beans and Rice Dish | Public Domain Image

Consider buying these cheap sources of protein (gram info from nutritiondata.self.com unless otherwise linked):

• Eggs - 4 grams per large, fresh egg
• Quinoa - 8 grams in a serving
• Whey Protein Powder - 19 grams per 1 cup
• Milk - 10 grams in a serving of nonfat, protein fortified
• Cottage Cheese - 28 grams in 1 cup, lactose reduced
• Greek Yogurt - 16 grams in 6 oz serving (I like Chobani Vanilla Nonfat with stevia added to it)
• Beans and Rice - 9 grams in 1 cup of rice and beans combo
• Soy Products  - 68 grams in 1 cup of soy nuts
• Tempeh - 31 grams in 1 cup
• Almonds 6 grams per ounce

And if you have to buy meat, then consider these two options before you go over to the Meat Department:

• Canned Tuna in Water - 39 grams in 1 cup of solid white tuna in water, drained
• Canned Mackerel - 44 grams in 1 cup of mackerel, jack, drained
• Canned Sardines - 23 grams in 1 can of sardines packed in oil, drained

Which are Complete Proteins?

Just because a food item has lots of protein in it, you're not done.  Another consideration is whether or not it has all NINE essential amino acids in it, which then makes that food a "complete protein."

Of the items listed above, only the canned meat, the soy stuff, and the quinoa are complete proteins.  Which doesn't mean that the others aren't great, too .. just something to consider.

And yes, you can combine things to make a complete protein.  Rice and beans together, as shown above, make a complete protein.  So does smearing almond butter onto toast.

Here's the Thing: This Stuff Tastes Great.

Almonds?  They're great.  Raw, in salads, pureed into butter.  Major yum here.  Red beans and rice, or what we have here in San Antonio, pintos and rice?  Great stuff.

The greek yogurt is addicting, at least for me, when you add some stevia for sweetness and some pumpkin pie spice to the nonfat vanilla flavor.  Better than ice cream for dessert and I am not kidding you or deceiving myself.  Try it for yourself.

Quinoa?  I cook this in the microwave after learning about this on a Melissa D'Arabian show and it works great.  (Try her recipe which has 100 five star reviews at the time that I inserted this hyperlink for her lentil quinoa salad.)  And you can buy this seed, it's not a grain, made into all sorts of pasta shapes at World Market, among other places.  Elbow.  Spaghetti. 

You get the idea.  Simple living is just filled with all these discoveries.  You really do say "wow" a lot, and I'm still doing it after all these years.  It's fun!

Poached Eggs: Cheap, Fast, and Easy to Cook

First things first, eggs have their critics but ignore them right now because poached eggs are a good thing to know how to cook.  And poached eggs are a great thing to have in your family menu plan. 

They are cheap.  They are easy. And poached eggs can be used in so many ways: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Here’s the thing:  they can be hard to do.  Some say.  I haven’t had a big problem – but I do a couple of things that help.  First, I never think I am so clever at cooking that I can just dump an egg into the water.  I always use a little cup to gently lower the egg into the pool.  One at a time.  Slowly.

Also, I don’t let the water boil … I let the water get just … about … to boiling, then the eggs go into the bath. 

And, I’ve done it without vinegar.  It will work if you don’t have vinegar handy.  (I’ve also used rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, whatever was in the pantry, and things turned out fine.  You so have a taste difference, but that’s not a bad thing.)

Here’s the deal.  Eggs are cheap. Poaching means no fat to cook them.  And the runny centers are KEY to how these things can spark up a salad or a sandwich. 

For more:

Here’s step by step instructions on poaching.

Here’s a recipe for a great salad using poached eggs.

As for sandwiches, I like a runny sandwich (wet, to coin a famous author of murder mysteries).  I like to take great bread, homegrown tomatoes, thinly sliced cheese, some dijon mustard or yes some Miracle Whip or both, lotsa romaine lettuce, and get all that ready for a poached egg to set on top.  Smush together.  The egg oozes.  It’s hot, it’s oh so good.  And doesn’t cost much. 

Yum. 

Really Easy, Really Cheap, Really Fast, and Really Good Recipes - No. 1: Cheese Dip

Easy, fast, cheap, and good food.  That you make at home.  It's possible.  Here, my first in a series of recipes with instructions for those on a budget, who hate to cook but are tired of fast food:

Chili con Queso

This isn't very healthy in its simplest form but there are lots of ways to make it better for you.  It's never going to make Dr. Mercola really happy, but it will sure make everyone around the TV happy on movie night, or game time, etc.

Basic version (and the one that my ex-husband swore made him fall for me):

• 1 box of Velvetta (the box about the size of a textbook cut in half lengthwise)
• 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (canned diced tomatoes with hot chili peppers)
• chips of some sort

Cut the Velvetta into little squares so it heats up faster and easier.  Throw in the canned tomatoes.  Heat until the cheese melts (in the microwave, in a pot, on a campfire, wherever) and stir.  Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos, whatever you like.


Other ways to eat this stuff:

You can add cilantro to this.
Take away the canned tomatoes and use fresh Pico de Gallo instead (cut up tomatoes, onion, and chili peppers, usually jalapeno or serano)
Use real cheese instead of the Velvetta, add a little milk as needed as it melts
Add beans and use less cheese
Add chili and use less cheese
Pour this stuff over lettuce and eat cheesy salad
Pour over grilled chicken
Pour over sliced avocado

Angel Food Ministries Is No More - And There's No Ready Replacement

Angel Food Ministries did a great service for a lot of people all over the country, and it's sad to learn that Angel Food has stopped operations.  They provided great, restaurant-quality food to folk at a very reasonable price, no questions asked. 

I personally saw Angel Food make a difference in the holiday meals of several families when I worked with abused and neglected kids at the local CPS Children's Court.  Single moms were particularly happy with the chicken nuggets, as I recall -- the kids loved them.  Loved them.  And, another great thing about Angel Food is that distribution routed all around town, via local churches and a network of volunteers, so it was never that difficult for the moms to get to the monthly pickup with their baskets and Styrofoam coolers. 

There was a pride thing, too.  Angel Food didn't ask for income information or stuff like that -- if you wanted to participate, then you were welcome to do so.  For example, I knew of several school teachers that took advantage of the Angel Food packages as times got tight and tighter, especially their holiday packages. 

I swayed more than one CPS teen mom to try Angel Food after sharing that they wouldn't be asked money questions and that they might be in line next to a teacher.  No, not all these CPS parents are strung-out druggies: some are just young, uneducated, alone, and overwhelmed, and with some pride to protect.  Angel Food was top of the line stuff, at about half the price of retail. 

So, today, I'm sad to hear that Angel Food is no more and I'm hopeful that something just like it will pop up to serve the community; Angel Food wasn't the same as the food bank,  it would have been much more difficult to get those teen moms to go to the food bank than to the local church for Angel Food. 

There's talk of another organization filling this gap:  One Harvest Food Ministeries.  They are planning on starting food distribution akin to Angel Food next month (November 19th) and hope to go national within the year. 

Let's hope and pray that One Harvest Food has great success. 

Juicing for Health: Carrot Beet Apple Spinach Juice Tastes Good. Really.

I've had a great juicer for years - high powered motor, easy to clean - but I had stored it in a cabinet awhile back and just forgotten about it. And juicing.

Then, I was surfing around and there was this discussion about the nutrients that are available in raw vegetables and fruits, things that get lost by the time they get into bottles or cartons or cans or bags. That's right, I remembered: I own a really nice juicer - why aren't I using that thing? (Slap of forehead.)

So, this week I pulled that puppy out and went to the store and bought organic beets, carrots, Fuji apples, and baby spinach. Some cilantro, too - but I also made pico de gallo, and the cilantro escaped the juice machine.

Today, I'm back in a routine of juicing daily and I feel the better for it. I've posted on this before (Food as Medicine: Juicing) and you can find links for lots of detailed information there. Right now, I just want to share how easy and fun this is, and here's my recipe (and a couple of tips):

Reba's Daily Raw Carrot Apple Beet Spinach Juice

8 small carrots or 6 regular/medium size
2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves (don't skimp)
2 medium sized Fuji apples
1 medium sized beet (about the same size as one of the apples)

Wrap the spinach around the carrots to juice, it works better (the leaves can be hard to juice). Keep your working area clear and clean as you go: that beet juice will stain stuff (including your tee shirt).

I drink this over ice and with a straw. It's a pretty purple color.

For more on what this provides, read the links given with the ingredients above.

Great Non-Dairy, Natural Sweetener Banana Smoothie (Stevia Recipe)

This is a fast and cheap recipe for a smoothie that tastes great.  Really great.  Doesn't cost much, doesn't take much time, and it uses up all those bananas before they go bad.  Bananas are so cheap, I like finding different ways of using them (like this post).

Reba's Banana n Stevia Smoothie

Night before: 
Break up bananas into chunks, about the size of a water bottle cap, and freeze them (a Ziploc works well here, because they tend to freeze into a blob, and you can bang that freezer bag on the counter to break the pieces apart).  These will last awhile in the freezer, so I have started storing a big bag of banana bits - just for this smoothie recipe.

Ready to go:
Take your Magic Bullet (or blender, whatever machine you prefer) and for a single serving put about 1/2 a banana's worth of frozen banana pieces into the container - it's best to put in the bananas first
Next, fill up the container with Unsweetened Almond Milk
Add a generous helping of Pumpkin Pie Spice (I always buy too much of this stuff, so it's great to find ways to use it up)
Add stevia to taste (I always use the KAL Organic brand).

Whirrrrr that thing until you've got pure liquid.

Drink up!  It's just soooo good, the almond and the banana and the spices.  No sugar, no dairy, just good stuff.

Five Tips for Breaking the Fast Food Habit

Fast food, as general rule, is bad for you and yours - we all know it, and still you drive by any fast-food joint, and there is at least one car there at the drive through window.  Not to mention those cars setting in the parking lot, with families inside eat bad stuff.  Again. 

Simplifying your life means changing your life style, to live more abundantly at less expense in time and money.  One way to do that is to cut that fast food habit.  Here are five tips to help you do that:

1.  Limit Where You Will Buy Fast Food

Some fast food is healthier than others.  El Pollo Loco, Bill Miller BBQ, Luby's Cafeteria are three local options that include healthy and fresh items on their menus. 

Avoid the golden arches and their progeny -- which reminds me, check out this May 2010 Happy Meal Rotting Experiment by a Chinese college student, where the meat did succumb to mold but the french fries simply hardened into something akin to petrified wood?  Check out how the fry is holding up the free weight, wow.

2.  Declare Fast Food to be a Weekly Treat, Give It a Theme

Make Friday night family time, lotsa folks do this already.  It's the end of the week, the beginning of the weekend.  Perfect time to have fast food for dinner: but return it to its origins of yesteryear. 

In decades past, fast food was not part of the daily menu; instead, families looked at fast food as a special time.  Mom didn't have to cook that meal, kids got to get little toys or play in the playyard. 

Get the pizza.  Extra thin crust and lots of veggies, you aren't going to be doing too badly nutrition-wise.  Get Chinese, ask that they skip the MSG.  You get the idea. 

Add a movie or a game, and presto, it's Family Movie Night, the Gang's Game Night:  a good family tradition and you've put fast food back in a corner.  (Though it's like bamboo, you gotta keep cutting it back, because it will always want to take over.)

3.  If you gotta buy fast food, skip the drinks. And the fries.

If you gotta have your burger / taco / chicken fix, then don't let them push the combo (much less the super-sizing of the darn thing) upon you.  You can buy just the sandwich, just the tacos, just the chicken.  The fries and the soda aren't mandatory.  Skip them.  There's nothing good in there for you.  Get bottled water, take the food home and drink the tea you've made and stored in the fridge. 

4.  Cook at Home, But Use Paper Plates, Plastic Silverware, Disposable Glassware

No, this isn't the greenest idea - but it's a good tip for transitioning away from a fast food habit.  Breaking down the fast food dependency sometimes means that avoiding clean up after a long day is just as enticing as the idea that you're avoiding cooking. 

Over time, maybe you will wean yourself from the disposable option; until that happens, buy the biodegradable stuff and forgidaboutit.  And don't ponder that you're spending a little more here that is unnecessary since you've got glasses and plates and things.  Sure you do; but this isn't a recommendation to swear off your pretty stuff. 

I'm recommending using disposable stuff as something you tell yourself you get to use when you're driving home and you're tired, and the drive-thru is oh so tempting.  Plus, if you keep on hand the plates and things with your kid's favorite movie theme or cartoon character (bargains here at DollarTree and PartyCity) then you may get your picky eater to eat a bit more veggies if he's got a special plate. 

5.  Have 2-3 Meals That are Five Minutes or Less to Get on the Table Always Ready to Go

Know in advance that you are gonna want to buy fast food, and prepare for battle.  If you're buying fast food because you don't want to cook, and well, it's just plain FAST, then there's the key. 

You need a few fast and easy at home meals ready to go.  Here's a couple of suggestions - all from stuff you should keep on hand, once you go to the grocery in preparation for your Fast Food Fight:

a.  Breakfast at Dinner - I have a friend who is a single mom and this is one of her standbys.  She scambles some eggs, pops toast in the toaster, lets the kids slam their own jam on the toast (big deal for these little ones), and she has dinner on the table in five minutes.  Literally.  Almond milk to drink, and she's done.

b. The Tray - The goal of a meal is to get nutrition - FUEL - into your body.  No one says that it has to be a formal June Cleaver dinner every time.  Get a platter and remember the Italians are so, so smart.  Have your own version of antipasto (cheese, meat, bread or crackers, olives, pickles, etc.) as your meal.  Or have a fruit and cheese selection.  Throw some nuts in there, and you're all set.

c. The Smoothie - Forget forks and go for the liquid meal.  Juice stuff together. Blend protein powder and whatever.  Yogurt, fruit, whatever.  You've probably got stuff in your kitchen that you can pulverize into a nice frothy drink right now.  Fast, tasty, and good for you.

McDonalds' Frappe vs Starbucks' Frappuccino

I've tried both the Frappe and the Frappuchino and you know what?  Driving thru McDonalds and getting a treat for half the price as what Starbucks offers me - well, I'm sold.  I'm buying the medium Frappe these days instead of the Grande Mocha Frappuccino at Starbuck's.  Unless it's time for a special treat, where I'm gonna spend some time at the coffee house -- then I'm gonna go with the Frappuccino. 

For atmosphere, I imagine you'll agree: Starbuck's has McDonalds beat hands down, assuming that you're over 7 years old.  Of course, last week I saw an elderly gentleman carrying his Tom Clancy hardback into the McDonalds on Broadway and I had to wonder.  Maybe things are changing inside the Mickey D's more than I realize. 

Here's what I'm thinking:

Price.  It's a factor.  McDonalds is cheaper, by around half.  Sometimes, you need a treat.  Paying around three bucks for one is a good thing. 

Taste.  If I'm really wanting something special, then Starbuck's is the place.  They've got the new campaign "however you want it," and that means tons more selection than the Caramel or Mocha options at McDonalds.  There's Tazo Green Tea Creme Frappuccino Blended Beverage.  There's Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino Blended Beverage.  You can pick soy or skim milk, whatever you want. 

Container.  Unless you're a snoot about carrying around a "McCafe" label, there's no real diff here.

Decide for yourself.

For more on Frappuccinos, check out:

5 Tips for Getting Work Done at Starbucks
Fake Out Recipe No. 1: Bottled Starbucks Fraps

Reba's Thai Peanut Pasta

There are times when you need to cook something up and you don't have time - or the desire - to run to the store. Company's coming and it's not part of the weekly menu/budget plan.

If you keep a stocked pantry (see earlier posts on that), then you can have the thrill of being able to throw something together that tastes great from the stuff you find on your shelves, and in your fridge. Plus, you get that amazing feeling of creating something ... and a mysterious appreciation for the Iron Chef America competitions.

Here's what I brewed up over the weekend, and it was lick the bowl good:

Reba's Thai Peanut Pasta

1.5 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 T soy sauce
4 T water (play with this, you don't want it too thick or too runny)
Tabasco or red pepper flakes to taste (whichever is in the pantry)
1 T minced ginger (fresh is good, I used the crystalized ginger from the fridge because that's what I had)
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped leaves
2 chopped scallions
pasta that you've got on hand (I used wide fett noodles b/c that was in the pantry)

Mix all this stuff together except for the peanuts, 1/2 of the cilantro 1 of the scallions, and the pasta. When you're ready to serve the stuff, cook the pasta al dente, heat the peanut sauce, toss them together. Scatter the held-back cilantro and scallions along with the peanuts over the top. Yum.

(This peanut sauce is good over chicken too, cut up the cooked chicken, toss with the sauce, use the same toppers (the peanuts and such) and serve over a bed of rice.)

You Can Buy Coca-Cola Made With Sugar NOT High Fructose Corn Syrup: Buy Kosher Coke

Here in San Antonio, we're lucky to be close enough to the Mexican border that we can get our hands on Coca-Cola made in Mexico, where they don't put high fructose corn syrup in their product. Yep, in Mexico they use sugar -- just like our good old American cokes had in them until the 1980s. (Locals, you can get Mexican Coca-Cola anytime at Central Market.)

However, during Passover, everyone in the US gets a break. Because Coca-Cola actually distributes a Kosher version of Coca-Cola that is made with sugar, not HFCS. Here's how you can tell which bottles are with sugar, and why you should care.

Cheap Eats and Frugal Recipes: Beer Biscuits

The biscuits in the tube are cheap, and it's fun to bang them against the counter to open 'em up, but what if you want to try your hand at cooking some the old fashioned way?

If you're new to baking, or don't have much time, then try drop biscuits (because you don't have to roll out the dough and cut out the little circles with a cutter) and start your trek using biscuit mix instead of buying all the separate ingredients (you'll move up soon enough, this stuff is fun).

You'll still need a nice baking sheet, a good hot oven, and a few ingredients - but not much. Here are two of my favorites -- they are so easy, and they taste great.

Paula Deen's Beer Biscuit Recipe

Here, Paula credits her brother Bubba for the recipe. All you need is a can of beer, a pat of butter, a 1/4 cup of sugar, and a box of Biscuit Mix (you'll need 4 cups) and you're ready to go. You stir all this together, dump them in muffin tins (I just spoon blobs onto a cookie sheet), and bake till golden in a 400 degree oven.

How easy is that?

And what's great here is all the ingredients can be on hand in your pantry, when you're ready - assuming that you keep butter in the fridge. It's the only perishable here. If you're stocked up, then you're not running to the store for a darn thing.

There's a recipe over at Cajun Recipes that makes it even simpler than this. And that's saying something, right?

They're taking 3 cups of biscuit mix, that same can of beer (it's your leavening agent), and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Period. Mixing all that together, and shaping the dough into biscuits, baking 'em at 375 until golden brown.

Wow, that's easy and fast.

Cheap Eats and Frugal Recipes: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Okay, another recipe. Because it's cold out and this tastes great. Really, really great. Soup for breakfast great.

Rebecca's Chicken Tortilla Soup

3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cans Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
2 poblano peppers, chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
5 medium plum tomatoes, quartered
3 T garlic (I like garlic)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can tomato paste
1 T comino
1 T chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
water
2 bunches fresh cilantro, chopped
shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend (Kraft)
corn tortilla chips

In a Dutch oven (mine is a 5.5 qt Le Creuset, woo), combine all the ingredients except 1 bunch of the cilantro, the cheese, and the chips. (I know many say never add fresh herbs till the end, but I like to put fresh cilantro in this soup while it's cooking.) Add water as needed to cover the ingredients, you want a good amount of liquid. It'll boil down.

Simmer for 1-2 hours, till done. Remove the chicken breasts, take fork and shred them. Return the shreds into the soup. Add the remaining chopped cilantro.

Serve in bowls with crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheese on top. Some folk add sliced avocado and/or globs of sour cream. You choose - I didn't miss them.

Cheap Eats and Frugal Recipes: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

We've all have them, we all love them, and there's lots of memories we all share about the All American Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Here's what I recommend as your jumping-off board for a Great Grilled Cheese:

1. It's GRILLED. None of this throwing the bread into a toaster and then slapping the cheese between the toasted slices and nuking it in the microwave. That's just sad. Don't try the toaster oven, either. Suck it up and get your frying pan out. You've got to use the stove top for this one.

2. Get your butter. Not fake butter - no Country Crock here. The real stuff. Throw a tablespoon into your frying pan, or onto your griddle, and let it melt.

3. Take two thick slices of bread and throw them onto the hot, buttery panface. Here, you can play with flavors and textures as time goes by: a pumpernickel grilled cheese can be decadent, a rye can be nice, and a traditional white bread can be scrumpious. Around here, it's usually a 12-grain baked by the local grocer.

4. Slap some mustard and some mayo onto those slices as they are toasting up. I suppose you could do this before they hit the heat, but it can be messier that way. And, yes -- one of the big secrets here is a little bit of both: mustard and mayo.

5. Now, carefully place your cheese slices on the bread. A little on each toasting slice. Once again, play with the flavors. Swiss with the rye and some German mustard versus american on whole wheat with dijon - you get the idea.

6. Using a spatula, take one of your slices and carefully place it atop the other. Voila! A magnificent, tasty, and cheap meal for you!

For more information:

Alton Brown's Big Cheese Squeeze (he grates his cheese, and opts for olive oil instead of butter)

Emeril's Baby Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (he uses cream cheese combined with mascapone, and adds chives to the mix)

Sandra Lee's Grilled Cheese and Crab Sandwiches (yep, she adds canned crab to shredded Gruyere)

Julia Child's Grilled Cheese and Onion Sandwich () she uses English Muffins, thinly sliced raw onions, and Parmesan cheese).

Cheap Eats and Frugal Recipes: Rice

Rice is great for a food budget. First, rice is cheap. Once cooked, it feeds a lot - you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Plus, rice is easy to prepare and to store. You can also freeze rice by itself, along with most rice recipes (depends on the other ingredients). It can be savory or sweet; a side dish or an entree or a dessert.

Brown rice, or whole-grain or wild rice is very nutritious - much more so than the more familar white rice versions. Put rice with beans, and you create a complete protein, too.

Basic Rice Recipe -- How to Cook Rice

1. Rinse your rice 2-3 times before it goes into the pot. This gets rid of excess starch on the kernels, helping to prevent sticky rice as well as rice stuck and burned on the bottom of the pan.

2. If you have time, soak your rice in some water. Makes it plumper on the plate. This is really a must for whole grain (brown) rice -- soak it for a couple of hours, makes a big difference.

3. Don't use that Minute Rice or Precooked stuff. You don't need it, it doesn't taste as good, has less nutrition, and costs more.

4. Use a pot that has a tight fitting lid (steam is crucial to cooking rice) and a nice heavy construction. Me, I like my ceramic-covered cast iron pot ....

5. Some say not to salt or butter the rice while it's cooking. I ignore them. I salt the boiling water, and I add a couple of tablespoons of butter, or olive oil, for taste. I might throw in a garlic clove on a whim. You get the idea. Depends on what I'm using the rice for -- olive oil, for example, isn't really good if I'm going for a dessert if you know what I mean.

6. Older rice takes longer to cook than fresh rice. It's doable, though, just needs more time in the pot. Best if you've stored your rice in a tight jar in the pantry (air tight).

7. How much water? Put in 1.5 cups of water (one and a half cups) for each cup of white rice, 2.5 cups for wild rice. Yes, you can substitute stock for this - chicken, pork, whatever.

8. Put the rice and water on the stove and bring it to a boil over medium heat. (Some folk put whole grain rice into a hot, dry skillet and let it "fry" for a bit before combining it with the water - I might do this if I have time, and I always do this if I'm making Spanish Rice because it adds a little crunch to the dish.)

9. Add the butter and salt.

10. Turn the heat down to low and put the lid on tight.

11. After about 15 minutes, check the white rice. If it looks done, there's no liquid in the pot, and there are little holes that have popped up on the surface, you're done. Whole grain, or wild rice, takes a lot longer because it hasn't had its outer covering stripped away. It's going to take about 45 minutes to cook.

12. Remember, it's not criminal to pop up that lid and check on things - particularly when you're just getting started here. Sure, steam will escape but that's not going to be the end of the world. Stir the rice around, check your liquid levels -- if it's even hinting at burning on the bottom, you've got the heat too high.

13. Key to rice: low heat and patience.

14. Cheap, frugal rice dishes? Chicken and Rice, Broccoli Rice Casserole, Chicken Fried Rice, Spanish Rice, Rice Pudding, Rice-Stuffed Bell Peppers, Rice and Bean Cakes, and any sort of Chinese Stir Fry with veggies on hand come to mind ... rice is used a lot around here.

15. For more rice recipes, surf around these sites and see what tickles your fancy:

Recipes.LovetoKnow.Com - Rice

All Recipes.Com - Rice

16. Don't forget the chop sticks!!! Rice is the great excuse to use them - makes for a fun meal.