We know how it goes. Conscious eating can be intimidating, especially if you are working with a budget. Comparing the cost of a Tostinos Frozen Pizza to 1 pound of Organic Chicken just pisses me off. I remember the first time I bit the bullet and went for the Chicken. I had no idea how to cook it and instead of calling Mom, I just went for it. No lie, it looked decent. I spent my meal budget on the Chicken, so I had Cheetos for a side. I bit into the chicken and it was so overcooked that it disintegrated in my mouth. End of the story is that I had Cheetos for dinner and it took me until Pinterest became a thing to try cooking Chicken again.
Your body is a vessel. Let’s look at some easy, healthy, affordable recipes that’ll leave you looking forward to leftovers.
Before we dive into recipes, let’s talk about some kitchen staples that you may want to consider purchasing next time you are grocery shopping.
- Sunflower Oil. This is a great alternative to the expensive Olive Oil.
- Jar of minced Garlic.
- Salt and Pepper.
Again, Chicken is a tough place to start. A couple of these recipes call for chicken, but I selected these specific recipes because a good ol’ rotisserie chicken will do the trick.
1. Italian Sausage Scrambler.
Ingredients:
1 lb italian sausage
1 large yellow onion
1 bag of mini peppers
1 spoonful of minced garlic (chefs discretion)
6 oz can of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat sunflower oil over medium heat in large skillet. Dice peppers and onion and add to skillet. Once sauted, add Italian sausage and garlic. Once sausage is browned, drain access oil. On low heat, add tomato paste and stir until evenly mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste, let simmer for 5 minutes and serve!
2. Healthy Ramen.
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
2 noodled zucchinis
6 cups chicken broth
2 eggs
1 cup green onion
1 spoonful garlic
1 jalapeno thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro
1 cup carrots
salt, pepper, sugar and sriracha can be added for additional flavor
Directions:
Chop all veggies as desired. In a medium saucepan, add chicken broth, zucchini noodles, chopped vegetables and bring to a bowl. Let bowl on high heat for 10 minutes. Add chicken and let simmer. In a small skillet, scramble 2 eggs. When serving, add eggs on top of the dish.
3. No Guilt Pasta.
Ingredients:
1 box gluten free or veggie noodles
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 cup baby spinach
8 oz can diced tomato
1 cup parmesan or mozzarella cheese
for additional taste: salt and pepper,
red chili pepper flakes and garlic
Directions:
Bowl noodles in the appropriate size saucepan. Once cooked, drain and pour back into saucepan. Keep on low heat. Add garlic, spinach, tomatoes, salt and pepper, red chili pepper flakes and stir until blended. Once spinach is cooked, add cheese and watch it melt deliciously.
4. Taco Casserole.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
6 corn tortillas
1 cup Mexican blend cheese
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup cilantro
8 oz can corn
8 oz can of black beans
1 pre-made packet of low sodium taco seasoning
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and prep baking dish with a light drizzle of sunflower oil. Chop green onion and green peppers to desired size and In a medium skillet, begin to sauté for 10 minutes. Add ground beef to skillet with a tablespoon of water to finely break up meat. Once cooked, drain and return to skillet. On low heat, drain canned corn and black beans. Add corn, black beans and desired taco seasoning to skillet and mix thoroughly. We are ready to build to casserole! Lay 3 corn tortillas at the base of your baking dish. Scoop a portion of your taco concoction and layer evenly on base layer of tortillas. Top your first layer off with a handful of cheese. Repeat with your last 3 corn tortillas and pour the remaining skillet ingredients on top - don’t forget the cheese! Gently toss your casserole in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Once browned, remove from the oven and let your casserole cool. Top with cilantro and enjoy!
