Cost-Cutting Favorites

   Many of us are keeping a closer eye on our bank balances these days, and a    relatively painless way to save on household expenses is to tighten the food    budget. That doesn't mean you skip meals-it means making wise choices at the    grocery and stretching expensive ingredients (like meat and seafood) further.    You can do all this without sacrificing good taste and nourishment. Check out    the following recipes, and maybe they'll inspire you to make a few penny-   pinching substitutions in your typical weekly fare as well.

		Vietnamese Ground Pork
		Country Fried Beef Steak
		Black Bean Soup
		Ajinomoto's Turkey Spinach Meatloaf

Vietnamese Ground Pork (From the St. Cloud, MN Times 12/3/2007) 1 pound ground pork 1/4 cup bottled fish sauce 1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate 1 tablespoon sugar Sliced fresh garlic Sliced fresh ginger root Cooked rice In a small amount of oil in a skillet, over medium heat, fry the garlic slices until fragrant, then add the pork and stir until well cooked, making sure to separate the meat as finely as possible (no big chunks). Add sugar and fry until meat is darker brown in color. Add the monosodium glutamate and fish sauce, then taste. Add black pepper, if desired. Add the ginger slices and 1/2 cup of water; turn the heat down and let simmer until the water is nearly evaporated. Remove the sliced garlic and ginger and serve the pork over plenty of cooked rice. Enjoy!!! top   Country Fried Beef Steak (From the Peshtigo, WI Peshtigo Times 1/9/2008) 4 beef cube steaks (about 4 ounces each) 1/2 teaspoon seasoned meat tenderizer 1 large egg, slightly beaten 3 tablespoons milk 1/3 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional) Gravy: 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper Dash of Accent or monosodium gltutamate (optional) Sprinkle meat with the tenderizer on both sides and pierce with a fork all over. Beat the egg and milk together in a shallow dish until well blended. In another shallow dish combine the flour, salt and black pepper. Dip the meat in the egg wash, then into the flour mixture, turning to coat both sides. Let them sit while you heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet. Put in two of the steaks an cook five to six minutes, or until no longer pink in the center, turning once. Remove these steaks and keep warm. Add the next tablespoon oil and cook the two remaining steaks in it. You may need to turn the heat down to keep the meat from browning too much before it's cooked through. Keep all steaks warm while you make the gravy. Melt the butter in the skillet and stir in the flour and seasonings, then add the milk all at once. Stir constantly and scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir until gravy bubbles and thickens (gravies should always simmer about 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.) Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve the steaks with the gravy poured over them. Mashed or boiled potatoes are good with this, or serve with biscuits. Enjoy!!! top   Our black bean soup recipe was adapted from one by the American Dietetic Association and American Diabetes Association. It's lower in sodium than their version, yet has all the flavors you expect from a hearty soup such as this. Black Bean Soup* *Modified from The American Diabetes Association and The American Dietetic Association Family Cookbook Volume II,1984. 1 pound dried black beans 2 quarts water 1 3/4 t. salt 2 T. olive oil 2 cups chopped onions 1 cup chopped green pepper (optional) 2 t. minced garlic 1 t. ground cumin 1 t. oregano 1/4 t. dry mustard 1 T. lemon juice 3/4 t. monosodium glutamate 1.   Presoak beans in water overnight or use quick-cook method on package. 2.   After soaking beans, add salt and bring to a boil; cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours. 3.   Heat oil, add onions, and sauté about 5 minutes. Add green pepper and saute until onions are tender. 4.   Stir in remaining ingredients. Add about 3/4 cup hot bean liquid, cover and simmer 10 minutes. 6.   Serve with rice, if desired. Makes 8 1-cup servings Enjoy!!! top   A Ajinomoto original recipe Ajinomoto's Turkey Spinach Meatloaf 1/2 pound fresh spinach 1 cup minced onion 3 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 cup non-fat yogurt 2 egg whites 1 cup plain breadcrumbs 1/2 t. pepper 1 t. nutmeg 1 t. monosodium glutamate 2 pounds ground turkey Preheat oven to 350. Wash and de-stem spinach. Steam until just wilted; cool and squeeze dry; chop spinach coarsely. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except turkey. Mix well. Add ground turkey and mix until well combined. Lin a baking sheet with foil and form mixture into a loaf, or pat mixture into a non-stick loaf pan. Bake turkey loaf until juice run clear when loaf is pricked in the center, about 35-40 minutes. Serve with mushroom sauce, if desired. Makes 10 slices Each slice approx: 190 cal., 8 g fat, 445 mg sodium. Enjoy!!! top

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