Now that the holidays are over, something light and flavorful is always a good option.  I have noticed that Rotel Tomatoes are available for around $1.00 a can and a lot of times less.  This is the quintessential pantry item that can produce quick and easy dishes loaded with flavor.  This recipe was inspired by my friends, Matt and Kelly, a definite hit at their get togethers.  It is a wonderful, light option using tofu.  A healthy, low fat choice to start off the new year!

1   pound of firm tofu, drained and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1   tablespoon cooking oil
2   cans of your favorite flavor of Rotel tomatoes
1   1 oz. package of your favorite taco seasoning mix
1   cup of frozen corn kernels

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat and add tofu cubes.  Saute, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.  Add Rotel tomatoes, taco seasoning mix and simmer until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the corn.   Serve with your favorite corn chips. Tastes great warm or at room temperature.   Makes 4 cups.  Enjoy!  
 

Raspberries are available right now for 1.00 or less per pint.  You simply need to refrigerate and rinse before using, no slicing or prep needed. This delicious low maintenence fruit is quick, convenient and full of vitamin C and antioxidants as well as fiber.  They are also high in ellagic acid, which is a compound  that may help prevent cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.  Raspberries contain a large amount of polyphenolic compounds that are known for their anti-cancer properties. They are wonderful by themselves or lightly sweetened in smoothies or with yogurt, not to mention on an amazing cheesecake.  For those of you who are fans of balsamic strawberries, you may be surprised to know that raspberries are beautifully paired with this sweet popular vinegar as well.  This recipe is simple and best made right before serving.  I used vanilla ice cream but many may like chocolate as well.  Either way, I hope you love it! 

1    pint (6 oz) fresh raspberries, rinsed and drained
2    tablespoons sugar
1 1/2    teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Your favorite vanilla or chocolate ice cream

Combine raspberries, sugar and balsamic in a bowl  and allow to sit about 8-10 minutes before serving.  Spoon over your favorite ice cream.  Makes 3-4 servings.  Enjoy!

We may all know zucchini as a vegetable.  However,  botanically, it is actually a fruit which may be surprising to a lot of us.  A good source of  vitamin A, potassium, folate, and manganese, it is a healthy option. Predominately available in the late summer and early fall, I am still seeing this for under $1.00 a pound in our local grocery stores.   When you need a quick appetizer or side dish, this is an easy recipe that offers the flavors of fried zucchini without the extra calories and fat.  It goes together effortlessly and is finished under the broiler.   

2    medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Italian Seasoning
1   cup of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping

Preheat broiler to high.  Place zucchini slices in a single layer on a 10 x 15 inch baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle a generous layer of parmesan cheese over slices.  Top with Italian seasoning.  Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts and is lightly browned.  Heat marinara to serve with zucchini slices.  Makes 4-6 Servings.  Enjoy! 

Stove Top stuffing mix is synonomus with quick and easy cooking. On sale for under $1.00 a box, it makes big family dinners easier and more economical.  If you like to make stuffings from scratch, go for it if time allows. If you like to save time and money, boxed or pre-packaged stuffing mixes are the way to go.  Fall of course is apple season, you can get them for right around $1.00 a pound or a little more.  Flavorful sauteed apples, celery and onions give this stuffing mix a unique flair that nicely complements turkey, chicken or pork.

1  -  6 ounce package stuffing mix such as Stove Top
1/4   cup butter or cooking oil
1/3   cup chopped celery
1/4   cup chopped onion
1   medium apple chopped, (about 1 cup)
2  cups water

In a medium sauce pan, over medium high heat,  add oil or melt butter and add celery, onions, and apple.  Saute for about 3-5 minutes or until crisp tender.  Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Add dressing mix, stir and cover.  Allow to sit for 5-6 minutes and fluff with a fork before serving.  Makes 4 Servings.  Enjoy!

This mac and cheese recipe has a bit of a kick to it. The combination with smoky, spicy peppers offers a bit of variety from everyday boxed mac and cheese.  It is fun served with your favorite grilled chicken or pork or on its own.  Chipotle peppers have gained popularity in the last few years.  A lot of us know them by the restaurant title of gourmet, made to order burritos.  These peppers are actually smoked jalapenos that are dried and have a wrinkled dark brown skin.  They can be found dried, pickled or canned in adobo sauce which is what I use in this recipe.  Adobo sauce from Mexico is made of ground chiles, herbs and vinegar.  It takes on the spicy, smoked flavor of the chipotle peppers once it is canned.  I rarely use a whole can at once.  I freeze the remaining in 1 chile portions with a bit of adobo in a snack sized plastic bag and then place the smaller bags in a container or freezer bag.  It is easy to just take out what I need.  I have found reasonably priced canned chipotles at Super Wal-Mart for about $0.85 for a 7 ounce can which has about 10-12 chiles per can.  So, you get a lot of flavor for a few pennies.  Feel free to double the chipotles in this recipe if you would like to.  I thought it was a nice amount of heat but go for it if you need more.

1   6 – 7.25 ounce package macaroni and cheese dinner, prepared according to package directions
2/3   cup additonal milk
1    cup or 4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese *
1/4   teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
1    tablespoon chipotle chile with adobo sauce,  finely chopped

Once the mac and cheese is prepared according to package directions, stir in the remaining ingredients.  Heat through until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.  Makes about 4 cups or 2-3 servings.  Enjoy!

*Shredded cheese can be expensive if it’s not on sale.  There are a couple of options here.  One, I buy it when it is on sale and freeze it.  For cooked, one dish meals like this, it works great.  The other option is to use the sliced cheese that you may have available, chop it up and while it may take a bit longer to heat through and melt, you can simply use what you already have on hand in the fridge.

This year has been an exceptionally good year for fresh cantaloupe.  This fruit is loaded with vitamins A and C.  A cantaloupe is ripe if the outer rind is no longer green and it is slightly soft.  To peel and  seed, cut a thin slice from one end of the cantaloupe.  Place the flat end on a cutting board and slice off the peel in strips from top to bottom rotating the melon to remove all of the skin.  Cut the melon in half and remove the seeds with a spoon.  At this point, you cut slice it, cut into wedges or chunks.  It will last covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.  It is so delicious on its own but this simple soup gives some variety and a healthy light meal or dessert.  This is also tasty garnished with peach yogurt if you wish!  

1   large ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and chopped
1-2   tablespoons sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1/4  teaspoon salt
1     teaspoon vanilla
1/4   cup toasted almond slices* for garnish

In a blender or food processor,  puree cantaloupe, sugar, salt and vanilla.  Chill until service.  Garnish with toasted almond slices.  Makes 3 cups or 3-4 servings.  Enjoy! 

*Toasting Almonds:  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place almonds on a baking tray in a single layer.  Bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden. 

It seems that people who are avocado fans are really avocado fans!  Now, they are readily available for a very decent price like $1.00 each or even less on sale. It wasn’t so long ago, depending on the part of the country you were from, that avocados may have been a sometimes treat or just semi attainable. I grew up in the mid west, my only experience with avocados was in guacamole, now a definite favorite, even though it took a while to appreciate. Health officials are promoting avocados are one of the healthiest sources of monounsaturated fat. I like them because with a little boost of lime juice and salt, they are great in salads, with a grilled steak or chicken or just by themselves. Feel free to experiment with this quick preparation method, for example, you can use garlic salt in place of regular salt, or your favorite vinaigrette.

The easiest way to tell if an avocado is ripe is to press gently on the skin, if it is soft and indents slightly, they are ready to go. Typically, it takes about 3-4 days to ripen once they are purchased. To slice or dice, cut in half lengthwise, twist the halves apart. Place the half containing the pit face up on a cutting board. Keeping your fingers out of the way, whack the pit with the blade of the knife and twist the knife to lift out the pit. Bang the pit on a cutting board and it will release from the knife. (This is great if you are frustrated!) Then, gently slice or dice the avocado in the skin being careful not to cut through the skin. Scoop slices out with a serving spoon.

2  avocados, sliced or diced
1  tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2  teaspoon salt (I use kosher, it is my favorite)

I like to toss all of this together and allow to sit for about 5 minutes and serve. To save even more time, cut your lime in wedges and squeeze over avocado and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy!

While eggplant season used to only be in summer, we are seeing these amazing vegetables available in our grocery stores now and at incredible prices, sometimes on sale for a $1.00 a piece, which fits nicely into our budgets. Most of us are aware of Eggplant Parmesan, a classic Italian dish. Preparing this dish requires frying the eggplant and a long bake time. It is the ultimate comfort food if you have the time. However, eggplant simply sauteed can be a delicious addition to your evening meal of pasta, beef or chicken. Delicious sprinkled with parmesan cheese too!

Eggplant is actually quite perishable and ideally should be used within a couple of days of purchasing. To make sure you have the best quality eggplant, choose the heaviest one with taut skin and no mold around the stem. Press gently on the flesh and if it is ripe, it will spring right back. If you can’t use it immediately, store at room temperature as refrigeration will cause eggplant to perish more quickly.

1/4  cup olive oil
2  tablespoons butter
1  whole eggplant
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon pepper
1/4  teaspoon garlic powder
1/2  teaspoon Italian seasoning
Parmesan Cheese for serving (optional)

Heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat in a 12 inch saute pan. To prepare the eggplant, you may peel it if you wish, however the skin adds tremendous flavor. Remove the stem off and cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges. Cut the wedges into 1/2 ” pieces. When the oil and butter are heated, add the eggplant to the pan. You will notice that it absorbs the oil quickly. It will still cook down nicely. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Turn heat to medium and allow to cook until browned stirring occasionally.  Makes 4 Servings.

Eggs are on sale on a regular basis. They are always a great way to stretch your food dollars. This crustless quiche is light and flavorful. It goes together quickly and reheats beautifully in the microwave. It also freezes well, so feel free to double the batch and have an extra quiche on hand. Delicious served with lightly warmed flour tortillas!

4  tablespoons butter, melted
6  large eggs
1/4  cup flour
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1  teaspoon chili powder
1  small can diced green chilies (4 oz.)
1  cup of cottage cheese
8 – oz. shredded nacho and taco cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine melted butter and eggs. Whisk until blended. Add remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly. Pour into a lightly oiled or sprayed pie dish or 9 inch round pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 6 Servings. Enjoy!

Tips: For a little extra flavor, serve with sour cream and your favorite salsa. Also, if you like super spicy, then substitute jalapenos for the green chilies.

If you prefer a meatless entree, this soup goes together quickly and is quite satisfying with a salad and some wonderful bread. What I like really like about this recipe is that the main ingredients are staples that you can pick up on sale and keep in your pantry. This is a budget item that offers variety. The flavors may seem a bit unusual but they blend together beautifully. I think that you will be surprised and delighted. It also reheats nicely as well.

1/2  cup chopped onion
2  tablespoons butter or olive oil
2  teaspoons ground cumin
1/2  teaspoon garlic powder
1  – 15 oz. can of pumpkin
1 – 14 oz. can of coconut milk
1 – 15 oz. can of black beans (not drained)
1  teaspoon salt
2  limes, cut into wedges for garnish (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, saute the onion in butter or olive oil until lightly golden. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until flavors blend. Squeeze fresh lime wedge over each serving if desired. Makes 3-4 Servings. Enjoy!