On Mon, 6 Nov 2017 16:33:14 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
>"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.

Make it vegetarian as I said above. You've said you are a good cook.
You substitute all the time. So use chicken broth or beef broth or
skip it altogether. Cayenne is optional and leave out sausage of any
kind.
So what's indicated is some veggies, tomatoes, beans and rice and
some herbs. That ought to be exactly what you like to cook with.