ECONOMY DISHES

 IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE PURSE STRINGS HAVE BEEN STRETCHED TO THEIR UTMOST WITH CHRISTMAS TREATS AND ALSO  THE SALES.


Also pay day at the end of January is a long way off and it means being a bit more careful on the food budget for the next 5 weeks.

Cooking with pulses ( peas, beans and lentils) is a good way of economising while providing that all important protein, iron, zinc and fiber.

Many people do not know how nutritious and delicious dishes which include pulses can be. I feel sad to see occasionally that cans of pulses are discarded by people from food parcels. When I mention how easy it is to cook with these items people are totally unaware of this.

So I have adapted the recipe below for one from an American one.

Easy Supper Casserole Recipe

200g (1/2lb) ( pound lean beef mince
1 teaspoon oregano, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
100g ( 1cup) dry macaroni or other pasta cooked according to the instructions on the pack
2 1/2 cups tomato juice
400g can Pinto beans or other white beans like butter beans or black eye beans-drained
100g grated Cheddar cheese

400g can chopped tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
1. Brown the mince in a large frying pan . Drain fat. Add chopped onion to hamburger; cook until onion is clear. Turn heat down; add cooked pasta, beans, tomatoes and spices, stirring to combine. Cover pan and simmer mixture for 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir, and sprinkle grated cheese on top of mixture. Cover and let stand until cheese melts.

YIELD: Serves 6
TYPICAL NUTRIENT INFORMATION PER SERVING: 333 Calories; 35g. Carbohydrate ; 18g. Protein ; 13g. Fat  

HAPPY NEW YEAR