"U.S. Janet B." > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 5 Nov 2017 00:56:34 -0700, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>>I need ideas here. I am not necessarily going to eat this food myself so
>>what I like or can/can't eat doesn't matter. The person I am cooking for
>>thinks they are getting sick. Perhaps just a cold but is wanting to get
>>maximum nutrition. The cheap part comes from me because this person either
>>has a really voracious appetite or just plain likes my cooking. The
>>Chinese
>>tomato beef that I made tonight was a big hit. I could have boosted the
>>nutritional value by using brown rice but white would be traditional so
>>that's what I made. As for the cheap, the cut of meat I used was fairly
>>cheap and so were the veggies it used. I did use dry Sherry but only the
>>initial outlay for that was not so cheap. This is a well loved dish so
>>that
>>bottle will make many more meals.
>>
>>This person does know that brown rice is better but prefers the taste of
>>white. I did get some light brown. Am going to try that, perhaps mixed
>>with
>>some beans and other veggies and maybe some meat. Cheese on top.
>>
>>I'm thinking vegetable soup would be a good choice. Perhaps a mix of
>>chicken
>>broth and tomato or V8 juice. All kinds of veggies including beans.
>>Perhaps
>>a toasted cheese sandwich on the side or whole wheat cheese biscuits. I
>>have
>>a ton of cheese.
>>
>>White Castle Casserole is cheap but not sure how well it stacks up in the
>>nutrition dept. It uses Crescent Rolls which to me are rather like junk
>>food. Has a layer of ground beef and onions in the middle. Can put cheese
>>in
>>there too. That's always a winner in the "yum" department and it cheap,
>>especially this time of year when Crescent rolls are cheap. Perhaps tomato
>>soup and a really good tossed salad on the side?
>>
>>I've already been making a lot of stew.
>>
>>What else? What am I overlooking? Thanks.
>
> what about red beans and rice? You can use brown rice. The bean part
> can come from a can or you can cook the beans from scratch. The bean
> mixture is made with both red and green bell pepper as well as
> tomatoes and celery. You can make the dish vegetarian or add sausage
> to it. This is generally how I have made it into a skillet dish, but
> there are other versions. But you get the idea.
>
> RED BEANS AND RICE
> SKILLET DISH
>
> 1 cup uncooked rice
> 2 Tbsp. butter
> 1 cup celery, chopped
> 1 cup onion, chopped
> ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
> ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
> 2 cloves garlic, minced
> 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
> 1 can diced tomatoes
> 1 bay leaf
> 1 teaspoon basil
> 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
> 1 rounded teaspoon chicken base
> 2 cups liquid (liquid from diced tomatoes plus enough water to make 2
> cups)
> 2 or 3 Louisiana Red Hot links, cut into ½ inch coins
> ____________________
> In a large skillet, saute rice in the 2 Tbsp. butter, add celery,
> onion, peppers and garlic and cook until softened.
> Add the 2 cups of liquid, the tomatoes, bay leaf, basil and cayenne,
> and the chicken base.
> Stir in the kidney beans and sliced Hot Links.
> Cover, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
> Cook for about ½ hour or until the rice is tender and liquid is
> absorbed.
> Janet US

Thanks for the recipe but doubt I would make that. Have no chicken base and
that's not something I would ever buy. Not sure I could get hot links here
either and not sure that something spicy like that would be good for a
person who isn't feeling well. I do have all sorts of bean and rice recipes
that I already make. Those do fill the bill for cheap. It's the maximum
nutrition part I am mainly interested in.