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INGREDIENTS:

* 1 Small Flank Steak (cut into bite size pieces) $1.89
* 2 Bags Steamfresh Brown Rice $0.20 each after coupons
* 1 Bag Steamfresh Broccoli Florets $0.40 after coupon
* 1 Small Can Water Chestnuts $0.97
* 2 Large Carrots Shredded (I finely shred them in a small food processor) $0.20
* 1/2 Cup Frozen Peas (about 1/4 of the bag) $0.40
* 2 Cloves Garlic Crushed $0.20
* 2 Eggs Scrambled $0.25
* 1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce $0.20
* 1/4 Cup 365 Organics Soy/Ginger Sauce (from Whole Foods) $0.50

DIRECTIONS:

** I have found the best method for making fried rice or stir-fry is to have everything ready. Once you put the meat in the pan, this recipe goes very quickly so my directions are in the order that I do it.

1 – Cook the rice and broccoli in the microwave according to the package directions and set aside.
2 – Cook the eggs and set aside.
3 – Rinse the frozen peas with hot water and set aside.
4 – Open and drain the water chestnuts and set aside.
5 – Heat one tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the beef and one tablespoon of the low sodium soy sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through.
6 – Turn the heat way down (I use a medium-low heat at this point), add the garlic and carrots and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
7 – Add the broccoli, water chestnuts, peas, rice, eggs, remaining soy sauce and soy/ginger sauce.
8 – Stir constantly until ingredients are mixed well and heated through.
9 – Taste and adjust for seasoning. Salt, pepper or more sauce…whatever you like.
9 – Serve immediately.

Total cost: $5.41 made a huge pan. More than enough for dinner and lunch the next day!

My family loves fried rice so I am always making these ‘unfried’ versions and no two are ever the same. I really like using the different oriental sauces to change it up and frozen microwavable veggies eliminate the need for all the chopping. Super quick. Super healthy and very affordable! Who says eating healthy isn’t easy AND affordable?? BTW I was able to get the flank steak so cheap because my meat manager had just marked them down…so I bought them ALL!

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This is more of an idea than a recipe and I have to give credit to Romano’s Macaroni Grill.

I had one of the yummiest pasta dishes in my life this weekend while dining at Romano’s. I LOVE the combination of beef and tomatoes and they have a new dish called Antonio’s Beef Rigatoni that is TO DIE FOR!! It seems like it would be pretty easy to recreate, and since I have a ridiculous amount of canned tomatoes, it would also be a good recipe for the Cooking From My Stockpile series. It was rigatoni pasta with caramelized onions and braised beef in a rich tomato sauce with fresh basil and Parmesan…YUM. I could use up at least 4-5 cans of my tomatoes since the braising process would be done in the oven and be cooked low and slow. The beef and tomato portion would also freeze well. My life is crazy right now so I don’t know when I will actually be able to get in the kitchen to make this BUT I will post back with some pictures when I do. 

If you want to bypass the cooking and just go treat yourself to an UH-MAZING pasta dish (maybe for Mother’s Day), you can save $5.00 when you sign up for the Romano’s Mailing List

Click HERE for more recipes from the Cooking From My Stockpile series.

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What do you do with 50+ packages of tuna? Why Tuna Casserole of course! A few months ago I traded some formula coupons for 100+ tuna coupons, which at the time, made it free at Kroger (actually free with overage). Tonight I used the recipe I posted last year, but in an effort to ONLY use things from my pantry, I didn’t do the panko topping. I also replaced the three cans of tuna with 4 envelopes (pictures above). I replaced the panko with crushed Ritz crackers.

To see past Cook From My Stockpile Recipes click HERE

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 One of the biggest struggles I have had since my son and husband left has been food! I have WAY too much of it! My daughter and I can only eat SO much and I have a huge stockpile. Throwing away food feels like throwing away money. It makes me cringe and is just not an option.  I decided I have to do something about this and the first thing on my list is to use up the food I have before buying more. This is going to require some creativity but I am up to the challenge. Tonight I made a quick and easy bean soup with what I have on hand. The ham cost me about $3 and all the canned goods were nearly free after coupons. It was healthy, cheap and we have plenty of leftovers! 

A Little Bit of Everything Bean Soup 

* 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 1  Ham Steak - Fat trimmed off and cubed
* 1/2 Bag Recipe Beginnings (frozen pre-chopped onion, carrot, celery)
* 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
* 1 Can Garbanzo Beans
* 1 Can Light Kidney Beans
* 1 Can Black-Eyed Peas (yes I said Black-eyed Peas…stay with me)
* 1 Quart Chicken Broth
* 3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
* 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
* Salt and Pepper to taste

** WaterIn a 5-quart pot, brown the ham in the olive oil until it was a little crispy and has good color, add the veggies and the garlic, cook for about 5 minutes and then add all remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper. Let simmer on low for about an hour to an hour and a half. Bean soups can get very thick, so add water a cup at a time as needed. It is up to you how thick/thin you want it so the amount is up to you. I also had some ciabatta rolls I needed to use so I made a quickie garlic bread. I spilt them in half, sprinkled them lightly with garlic powder, salt and pepper, spread them with Fat Free I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (which is my new favorite thing) and broiled them until they were lightly browned. 

This was one of THE best bean soups I have ever made. It has never crossed my mind to add tomatoes to a bean soup. Pasta Fagioli maybe, but not a ‘ham and bean’ soup. We LOVED it. These ‘throw everything in the pot’ kind of meals are always the best. This was a great start to using up my stockpile :-)

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