Pasta with Chicken & Vegetables

Wow. I am amazed at how cheap this meal was. I suppose that's what happens when you use frozen vegetables. This is an all-round success. I didn't even mind the whole wheat pasta. It wasn't as bad as I remembered it. I suppose I should add a caveat to the dollar total here that I don't really know how much the pasta cost ... it's from a batch Trent bought at Costco eons ago that we still have a few boxes of because I thought I hated it.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Whole wheat pasta	Fiber (6 g/24%), Protein (7 g), Iron (8%).	$2
Boneless skinless chicken breast (poached)	Protein (27 g), Iron (5%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Phosphorus. Very good source of Protein, Niacin, Selenium	$3
Frozen red bell pepper	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (25%), Vitamin C (49%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.96
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (77%), Fiber (1 g/3%). Very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.	$0.50
Frozen sweet corn	Fiber (2 g/4%), Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (6%), Iron (2%)	$1
Frozen baby peas	Fiber (3 g/9%), Protein (3 g), Vitamin A (20%), Vitamin C (15%), Calcium (1%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Manganese. Good source of Niacin, Folate, and Phosphorous.	$0.75
Parmesan	Protein (11 g), Vitamin A (4%), Calcium (35%), Iron (1%)	$0.35
Total	Fiber (13 g/43%), Protein (50 g), Iron (22%), Calcium (36%), Vitamin A (128%), Vitamin C (70%).	$8.56

Cost per person: $1.90
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber and Calcium; Fair Iron. Lean protein. One serving whole grains. 

Recipe: Saute 2 diced chicken breasts in 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat until opaque. Add vegetables, 1 T water, 1 T white wine vinegar, and salt; cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cooked pasta and serve with plenty of shredded parmesan. Based on a recipe in this book. 

Turkey Goulash and Bread

I asked Trent what he wanted for dinner and he picked turkey goulash. I threw in some cabbage because I had it sitting around, and it fit in pretty well. The red peppers I had bought at Costco and froze, which seemed to work great, and they cost less than half as much as the red peppers at the grocery store right now. This recipe uses a ton of paprika, but I found a discount brand version at Albertson's for a buck, compared to the four bucks or so that the usual suspects in the spice aisle charge. Even without a whole grain--which I would have had if the bread had been homemade--I think this was good enough to rate an Excellent Nutrition. And it was well under budget! Nugget used to eat this, and everything in it is something he likes, but he wouldn't take a single bite tonight. Maybe next time. It's one of Trent's favorites, it's super easy, low-calorie and low-fat in addition to nutrition-packed, and I enjoy it. We will definitely be eating it again, and again.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Lean ground turkey (93/7)	Iron (10%), Protein (22 g). Good source of Niacin, very good source of Selenium.	$3.41
Fresh white onion	Vitamin C (3%).	$0.45
Frozen red bell peppers	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (25%), Vitamin C (49%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$1.93
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (77%), Fiber (1 g/3%). Very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.	$0.50
Fresh red potatoes (with peel)	Vitamin C (33%), Fiber (2 g/9%), Iron (4%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Potassium	$1.25
Canned organic tomato sauce	Vitamin C (7%), Vitamin A (5%), Iron (5%), Fiber (5%). Very good source of good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Potassium, and Manganese.	$0.64
Organic chicken broth	Good source of Niacin, Vitamin B12, and Selenium.	$0.92
Fresh cabbage	Fiber (1 g/6%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (47%), Calcium (4%), Iron (1%).	$0.32
Paprika	Vitamin A (21%), Vitamin C (2%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Potassium	$0.15
Caraway seeds	Fiber (2%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%).	$0 (part of a wedding present)
Nonfat plain greek yogurt	Vitamin A (5%), Vitamin D (5%), Calcium (8%), Protein (3 g). Good source of Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium, Zinc. Very good source of Riboflavin, Phosphorus.	$1.50
French bread	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (5 g), Iron (8%)	$0 (free with grocery purchase and coupon)
Total	Fiber (6 g/32%), Protein (31 g), Iron (33%), Calcium (13%), Vitamin A (134%), Vitamin C (141%).	$11.07

Cost per person: $2.21
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber and Iron; Fair Calcium. Lean protein source.



Recipe for turkey goulash here. I don't bother with the bacon--it wasn't even in the recipe I originally used in (now-defunct) Cookie magazine--and I throw in a lot more veggies than called for in this write-up.

Macaroni & Cheese with Quinoa and Peas; Spring Green Salad with Cucumber, Orange, and Sunflower Seeds

I pretty much stopped buying salad greens when I started making one meal for the whole family. It seems really unrealistic to me to expect a preschooler to eat lettuce. Maybe that's just an excuse for Trent and I not to have to eat salads ... But my mother-in-law left a big container of spring mix greens at our house, so I felt obliged to eat it. It was a good complement to the macaroni & cheese casserole I made for Nugget. I gave him a bowl of chopped cucumbers with a few leaves of lettuce, and counted it a success that he ate one leaf. It is probably good for him to see us eating salad. Sigh. And in fact it was quite good, for a salad. I dressed it with the juice of 1 lemon, a dribble of olive oil, splash each of white balsamic vinegar and OJ, and a pinch of sea salt, and tossed the greens along with some chopped cucumber, roasted sunflower seeds, and chunks of orange. My casserole, with the quinoa and peas, turned out really well. I loved the nutty taste and creamy texture the quinoa added, and even my pea-hating husband thought the peas were a good addition.

 

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Enriched white flour pasta (Garofalo Rotini)	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (4 g), Iron (5%), Thiamine (18%), Riboflavin (8%), Niacin (10%), Folic acid (18%)	$1
Organic Quinoa	Fiber (3 g/13%), Protein (6 g), Iron (12%), Riboflavin (50%), Phosphorous (23%). Very good source of manganese, good source of magnesium.	$1
Aged extra sharp white cheddar (Tillamook)	Protein (14 g), Vitamin A (12%), Calcium (40%), Iron (4%).	$4.06
Skim milk	Protein (4 g), Vitamin A (5%), Vitamin C (1%), Calcium (15%), Vitamin D (13%).	$0.44
Frozen baby peas	Fiber (3 g/9%), Protein (3 g), Vitamin A (20%), Vitamin C (15%), Calcium (1%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Manganese. Good source of Niacin, Folate, and Phosphorous.	$1
Fresh spring mix salad greens	Fiber (1 g/2%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (40%), Vitamin C (13%), Calcium (4%), Iron (3%).	$0
Fresh cucumber (no peel)	Fiber (1 g/3%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (5%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin K. Good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese.	$0.89
Roasted sunflower seeds	Fiber (1 g/5%), Protein (2 g), Calcium (1%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Vitamin E.	$0.33
Fresh Valencia orange	Fiber (1 g/6%), Vitamin A (3%), Vitamin C (49%), Calcium (2%).	$0.53
Fresh lemon juice	Vitamin C (21%)	$0.59
Total	Fiber (11g/42%), Protein (35 g), Iron (29%), Calcium (64%), Vitamin A (81%), Vitamin C (104%).	Mac: $1.40/person Salad: $0.94

Cost per person: $2.34
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C; Good Fiber; Fair Iron. Partial serving of whole grains. Vegetarian. 


Casserole Recipe: Melt 5 T butter in large pot over low heat, adding 3 T flour and whisking; pour in 2.5 cups warmed milk and whisk over low heat 3 minutes; add 6 cups shredded cheddar and remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups (as measured when dry) cooked pasta, 1 cup (as measured when dry) cooked quinoa, 1 cup steamed peas. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Turkey Chili, Bread, and Oranges

This might be the first time I've hit my budget and awarded an "Excellent Nutrition." Plus both Trent and I loved it. I've made this chili recipe before and we liked it, but I tweaked it a little this time and it was especially good. Of course, Nugget refused to eat any. But he'll come around. He's eaten chili  in the past, and he will again. I'll be serving this again for sure.

I am kicking myself right now for not freezing a supply of fresh red peppers while they were cheap. They get ridiculously expensive for most of the year, and they are such a go-to vegetable for me. They've got huge amounts of both Vitamin A and C, they work well in many of the recipes I regularly make, and Nugget will eat them. Weirdly, I've never seen them in the frozen foods section. Maybe I can find them at Trader Joe's. But that's an hour and a half drive for me ...

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Lean ground turkey	Protein (22 g), Iron (10%). Good source of Niacin, very good source of Selenium.	$3
Frozen bell peppers (green/yellow/red)	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (17%), Vitamin C (60%), Iron (1%)	$1.12
Canned organic tomatoes	Fiber (1 g/4%), Vitamin A (10%), Vitamin C (20%), Calcium (2%), Iron (2%), Selenium (50%), Folate (5%)	$0.96
Fresh cilantro	Vitamin A (5%), Vitamin C (2%)	$0.50
White onion	Vitamin C (3%).	$0.62
Canned organic tomato paste	Fiber (1 g/6%), Protein (2 g), Vitamin C (3%), Vitamin A (10%), Vitamin C (10%), Iron (4%)	$0.50
Canned beef broth	Protein (1 g), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%). Good source of Niacin.	$0.75
Aged extra sharp white cheddar (Tillamook)	Protein (7 g), Vitamin A (6%), Calcium (20%), Iron (2%).	$0.35
Homemade bread (with Eagle Mills’ blend of white and whole grain flour)	Fiber (2 g/8%), Protein (4 g), Iron (4%), Thiamin (6%), Riboflavin (2%), Niacin (4%), Folic acid (2%)	$0.55
Fresh Valencia oranges	Fiber (3 g/12%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (6%), Vitamin C (98%), Calcium (5%), Iron (1%). Good source of Thiamin, Folate and Potassium.	$1.05
Total	Fiber (8 g/33%), Protein (37 g), Iron (25%), Calcium (28%), Vitamin A (55%), Vitamin C (193%).	Chili: $1.86/person Cheese: $0.14/person Bread: $0.11/person Oranges: $0.42/person

Cost per person: $2.53
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin C, Vitamin A; Good Fiber; Fair Calcium and Iron. One serving of whole grains. Lean protein source. 

Turkey Chili recipe here. I swapped in extra bell peppers (all colors) for the zucchini (I hate zucchini); used the whole 6 ounce can of tomato paste; added about a half cup of chopped fresh cilantro (when I added the paste and broth); and left out the salsa, chile peppers, green onions, and sour cream. 


Recipe for "artisan bread in five minutes a day" (this site may change your life)

Quinoa Casserole and Apple Blueberry Pie

Another episode in my quest to find a quinoa dish that Nugget will eat.  A casserole of potatoes, eggs, cheese, leeks, and bell peppers, with a cup of quinoa. It was good that way -- I think I will add a cup of quinoa to any casserole I make from now on. It would work well in a macaroni and cheese casserole. Not sure I will make this again, it didn't wow me. Although Nugget ate several bites, even after I admitted that there were eggs in it.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Leeks	Fiber (1 g/2%), Vitamin A (9%), Vitamin C (6%), Calcium (2%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Folate, and Manganese.	$2.10
Frozen bell peppers (green/yellow/red)	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (17%), Vitamin C (60%), Iron (1%)	$1.12
Red potatoes (with skin)	Fiber (2 g/9%), Protein (3 g), Vitamin C (16%), Calcium (1%), Iron (6%).	$1
Organic quinoa	Fiber (3 g/13%), Protein (6 g), Iron (12%), Riboflavin (50%), Phosphorous (23%). Very good source of manganese, good source of magnesium.	$1
Eggs	Protein (17 g), Vitamin A (15%), Calcium (10%), Iron (10%). Good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, and Phosphorus; very good source of Selenium.	$1.10
Aged extra sharp white cheddar (Tillamook)	Protein (7 g), Vitamin A (6%), Calcium (20%), Iron (2%).	$0.21
Frozen blueberries	Fiber (1 g/5%), Vitamin C (2%). Good source of Manganese; very good source of Vitamin K.	$2
Jonagold apples (no peel)	Fiber (1 g/5%), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (7%), Calcium (1%).	$1.37
Frozen pie crust	Protein (1 g), Iron (2%)	$0.77
Light vanilla ice cream	Protein (6 g), Vitamin A (8%), Vitamin C (4%), Calcium (20%)	$1.75
Total	Fiber (9 g/37%), Protein (40 g), Iron (36%), Calcium (54%), Vitamin A (56%), Vitamin C (85%).	Casserole: $1.87/person Pie: $1.18/person

Cost per person: $3.05 
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Calcium; Good Fiber and Iron. Partial serving of whole grains. Vegetarian. 

Quinoa casserole recipe here. I used red potatoes instead of Peruvian.
See my 10/30 post for the pie recipe.

Grilled Cheese, Succotash, and Oranges

"That grilled cheese was so good. Did you do something different?"
"I used butter."

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Frozen baby lima beans	Fiber (5 g/20%), Protein (6 g), Vitamin A (3%), Vitamin C (11%), Iron (10%), Calcium (3%). Very good source of Manganese.	$1
Frozen sweet corn	Fiber (2 g/4%), Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (6%), Iron (2%).	$1
Canned organic tomatoes	Fiber (1 g/4%), Vitamin A (10%), Vitamin C (20%), Calcium (2%), Iron (2%), Selenium (50%), Folate (5%)	$0.96
Whole grain multigrain bread (Dave’s Killer)	Fiber (10 g/36%), Protein (12 g), Calcium (4%), Iron (14%), Thiamin (24%), Riboflavin (6%), Niacin (14%), Folic acid (6%), Vitamin B6 (7%), Vitamin K (2%), Zinc (10%), Manganese (90%), Copper (14%), Phosphorous (20%), Selenium (46%), Magnesium (18%), Pantothenic acid (4%)	$1.03
Aged extra sharp white cheddar (Tillamook)	Protein (21 g), Vitamin A (18%), Calcium (60%), Iron (6%).	$0.50
Fresh valencia oranges	Fiber (3 g/12%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (6%), Vitamin C (98%), Calcium (5%), Iron (1%). Good source of Thiamin, Folate and Potassium.	$1.57
Total	Fiber (21 g/76%), Protein (42 g), Iron (35%), Calcium (74%), Vitamin A (39%), Vitamin C (235%).	$6.06

Cost per person: $2.42
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin C, Fiber, and Calcium; Good Vitamin A and Iron. Two servings of whole grains. Beans as protein source. Vegetarian. 


Succotash recipe here (I use 2 or 3 T of olive oil instead of the butter)

p.s. Can you tell I bought a gigantic box of oranges at Costco? I think I won't do that again ...

Turkey Carrot Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Spinach, Oranges

 Trent was pleased when I told him I'd be making meatloaf today. It's one of his favorite foods. I didn't mention that it would be turkey-carrot meatloaf. 

But as it turned out, he liked it. Or a least, he liked it more than the spinach. Poor Trent. I don't think he is as enthusiastic about my new nutritionist hobby as I am. And even I didn't care for the spinach. I sauteed it with a little olive oil, garlic, and feta, which sounded good in theory but the result was a little too ... spinachy.

Nugget ate virtually nothing. I planned the meal on the assumption that he'd eat the mashed potatoes and oranges, but he has been fickle about mashed potatoes lately, and tonight they were tantamount to monkey brains. On the other hand, he actually ate a few bites of meatloaf. Generously doused in ketchup, but still.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Lean ground turkey	Protein (22 g), Iron (10%). Good source of Niacin, very good source of Selenium.	$3
Fresh organic baby carrots	Fiber (2%), Vitamin C (1%), Vitamin A (61%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.25
Fresh parsley	Fiber (1%), Vitamin A (17%), Vitamin C (22%), Calcium (1%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese.	$0.35
Fresh white onion	Vitamin C (3%).	$1.03
Potatoes (with skins) (mashed with butter, buttermilk)	Fiber (4 g/15%), Protein (4 g), Iron (10%), Vitamin C (28%), Calcium (3%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Potassium.	$1.13
Butter	Vitamin A (9%)	$0.59
Buttermilk	Protein (1 g), Vitamin C (1%), Calcium (4%). Very good source of Riboflavin. Good source of Vitamin B12, Phosphorous.	$0.60
Frozen spinach (sauteed with garlic and feta)	Fiber (5 g/18%), Protein (6 g), Vitamin A (366%), Vitamin C (14%), Calcium (20%), Iron (16%). Very good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and Selenium.	$1
Feta	Protein (7 g), Vitamin A (6%), Calcium (10%). Good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, and Phosphorus.	$1.40
Fresh valencia oranges	Fiber (3 g/12%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (6%), Vitamin C (98%), Calcium (5%), Iron (1%). Good source of Thiamin, Folate and Potassium.	$3.04
Total	Fiber (13 g/48%), Protein (41 g), Iron (40%), Calcium (43%), Vitamin A (395%), Vitamin C (167%).	$12.39

Cost per person: $2.07
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber, Calcium, and Iron. 

Turkey carrot meatloaf recipe here