Orange Pineapple Torte

Not only did this cake look good, it also tasted really good with a nice light fruity flavor. It was impossible for us to eat just a little bit, and I feel bad to say that we ate nearly all of it in one night. It is really inexpensive to make. If you make it, plan on about two hours for the finished product due to the cooling time for the cake after it comes out of the oven before you can put the topping and frosting on.

Cost: About $5.00 ($0.42 per serving) - Pineapple ($1.15), Oranges ($0.69), Pudding mix ($0.66 x 2), Cake mix ($0.91), Light Whipped Topping ($0.99).

Prep: 25 minutes

Bake: 25 minutes + cooling (about 30 minutes)

Yield: 12 servings

• 1 package (18 1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
• 2 packages (1 ounce each) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix, divided
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cold fat-free milk
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, well drained
• 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained, divided
• Fresh mint (optional)

1. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, one package of pudding mix, egg whites, water, oil and baking soda. Beat on low speed for 1 minute; beat on medium for 4 minutes.
2. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. For filling, combine milk and remaining pudding mix. Whisk for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups pudding mixture with pineapple and half of the oranges.
4. Slice each cake layer in half horizontally. Spread pineapple mixture between the layers. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Garnish with remaining oranges and mint if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition: (1 slice) 335 calories, 9 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, Trace cholesterol, 516 mg sodium, 58 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Down-Home Pot Roast

We’ve tried lots of different types of pot roasts, and this one ranks up there with the best. We used a 1.84 pound Sirloin Tip Roast, which was plenty for us. I cut off the fat before preparing, and there was very little fat on the finished product. The vegetables had a nice taste with the seasonings used on the roast beef. The gravy was okay. The meal made plenty of leftovers.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 2 hours, 35 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

• 1 boneless beef sirloin tip roast (3 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges
• 4 medium potatoes, quartered
• 2 medium onions, cut into chunks
• 3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cold water

1. In a Dutch oven, brown roast on all sides in oil over medium-high heat; drain. Add broth. Pour vinegar over roast. Sprinkle with garlic, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2hours, turning roast occasionally. Add water if needed. Spoon off fat.
2. Add vegetables to pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until vegetables and meat are tender. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter and keep warm.
3. For gravy, pour drippings and loosened browned bits into a measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 2 cups drippings. Return drippings to pan. Combine flour and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with meat and vegetables.

Nutrition: (One Serving) 258 calories, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 61 mg cholesterol, 235 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 25 g protein.

Ham and Apple Skillet

The ham and apple skillet didn’t really turn out for us. We thought it was too moist. It had a lot of liquid in it that made the eggs a little soggy. I had microwaved the potatoes to thaw and then patted them down with paper towels. For the recipe, I used a large granny smith apple, 1 small onion and an 8 oz package of J. Morrell 96% fat free diced ham. I don’t know if cooking it a little longer would have taken more of the moisture out, or if it is naturally moist because of the apple and vegetables, the potatoes and the 1 1/2 cups of milk.

Cost: About $8.00 ($1.37 per serving) - Jumbo Green Apple ($1.07), Ore Ida Potato O’Brien ($3.49), Schnucks 2% mild cheddar finely shredded cheese ($1.67), J. Morrell Diced Low Fat Ham ($2.00)

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

• 3 cups frozen O’Brien hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped (about (1 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup diced fully cooked lean ham
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Press potatoes between paper towels to remove moisture; set aside. In a nonstick ovenproof skillet, cook the apple, onion and sage in water over medium heat until apple and onion are tender. Stir in potatoes and ham; heat through. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Remove from the heat.
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk and salt; pour over potato mixture (do not stir). Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until center is set and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Nutrition: (1 cup) 211 calories, 7.0 g fat, 2.9 g saturated fat, 172.2 mg cholesterol, 780.3 mg sodium, 20.2 g carbohydrate, 2.4 g fiber, 9.3 g sugars, 17.3 g protein.

Tangy Pork Barbecue

Since we live in the pork barbecue capital of the world, it’s hard to make pulled pork sandwiches that live up to the quality that you can get around here. However, this recipe turned out pretty good and everybody enjoyed it. It makes a lot, so there are plenty of leftovers. It takes three hours to cook, which is quicker than if you did it in a slow cooker. School and work was canceled on Friday because of an ice storm, which gave me plenty of time to make it for our dinner. I was a little bit worried when the main sauce ingredient is ketchup, but the barbecue sauce came out flavorful and sweet.. We couldn’t find no-salt added ketchup, so we just used the regular version. The only boneless roast that our grocer had was a rib end roast, which was already split in half. We also used No Salt in place of the salt. We found some oversized hamburger buns made by Lewis Bakery that were inexpensive and worked great for the barbecue pork.

Cost: About $20.00 ($1.68 per serving) - 3.45 pound pork loin boneless rib end roast ($14.80), 28 oz Hunts Tomato Ketchup ($2.59), 12 Lewis Large Hamburger Buns ($1.39x2)

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 3 hours

Yield: 12 servings

• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 bottle (28 ounces) no-salt added ketchup
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, optional
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 boneless pork loin roast (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut in half
• 12 sandwich buns, split

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt margarine. Stir in flour until smooth. Add the ketchup, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic and seasonings; bring to a boil. Add roast. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is very tender.
2. Remove meat; shred with two forks. Skim fat from cooking juices; return meat to pan and heat through. Serve with a slotted spoon on buns.

Nutrition: (1 sandwich) 524 calories, 13.6 g fat, 3.8 g saturated fat, 82.4 mg cholesterol, 1430.7 mg sodium, 58.4 g carbohydrate, 1.3 g fiber, 23.0 g sugar, 35.0 g fiber.

Salisbury Steak with Gravy

The Salisbury Steak and Gravy was really easy to throw together and was inexpensive. The drawback is that it does take about 50 minutes for it to cook. I wasn’t a big fan of the gravy. I thought it had too strong of a tomato taste from the ketchup. The meat patty wasn’t bad.

Cost: About $6 ($1.48 per serving) - saltines ($1.25), ground beef ($2.97), Heinz 12 oz fat-free savory beef gravy ($1.69)

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 50 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 14 fat-free saltines, crushed
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 jar (12 ounces) fat-free beef gravy
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, saltines, onion and parsley. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
2. Shape into four patties. Place in an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl, combine gravy, ketchup, Worcestershire and pepper; pour over patties. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Nutrition: 281 calories, 11.0 g fat, 0.0 g saturated fat, 0.0 mg cholesterol, 682.4 mg sodium, 19.3 g carbohydrate, 0.1 g fiber, 3.6 g sugars, 26.4 g protein.

Beef Minestrone

Packed full of vegetables. A light tasting soup that may need more seasoning added. The soup is low in calories and sodium.

Cost: About $11.20 ( $1.12 per serving) - 90/15 extra lean Ground Beef ($2.97), potatoes – 10 lb bag ($1.99), tomatoes ($1.23), cabbage ($1.50), carrots ($1.00), celery ($1.00), long grain rice ($1.50).

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 1 hour

Yield: 10 servings

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 6 cups water
• 3 cups cubed peeled potatoes (about 3 medium)
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (about 1 medium)
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
• 1/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 5 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender; drain.
2. Add the water, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, celery, rice, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon of Parmesan.

Nutrition: (1 cup) 169 calories, 4.7 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 0.7 mg cholesterol, 29.6 mg sodium, 15.8 g carbohydrate, 1.7 g fiber, 1.5 g sugars, 11.2 g protein.

Chipotle Bean Burritos

Another great vegetarian Mexican dish that is flavorful despite not having any meat. Makes six large burritos. We’ve never put green onions on our burritos, but it really added a lot of flavor. We also bought the chipotle chile powder instead of using regular chili powder, and the taste is significantly different and better. The cost was pretty high for a meatless meal, but you could cut it down by using regular lettuce and bottled salsa.

Cost: About $14.50 ($2.40 per serving) - organic kidney beans ($1.09), organic black beans ($1.09), fresh salsa ($3.49), flour tortillas ($1.49), cheese ($2.79), tomatoes ($1.07), romaine lettuce ($1.99), green onion ($0.50), sour cream ($0.89).

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 burritos

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained
• 3 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa
• 6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 cup (4 ounces) 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
• 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 3)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 6 tablespoons light sour cream

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.
3. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Nutrition: (1 burrito) 361 calories, 10.3 g fat, 3.8 g sat fat, 3.1 g mono fat, 2 g poly fat, 16.8 g protein, 52.2 g carb, 11.4 g fiber, 19 mg chol, 3.3 mg iron, 735 mg sodium, 395 mg calcium.