Save Money, Cook at Home, Feed your Friends!

Everyone knows that the economy is not in good shape right now. One way to save money is to cook at home. Stay out of the fast food restaurants – they are expensive and not good for your health! The library has a book called College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends. It has bargain shopper tips and food trivia. A few of the recipes have tips on how to make it a vegetarian recipe. Check it out! You can find other cookbooks in the same area.

Here's a recipe that looked good to me from the book:

Beef Enchiladas

1 small onion
½ pound extra lean ground beef
2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning
2 cups salsa
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (15-ounce) can pinto or black beans
4 (6 inch) low-fat flour tortillas
½ c low-fat shredded cheddar or Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Peel the onion and chop into 1/4 – 1/2 inch pieces. Place the onion and ground beef in a sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until completely browned. Drain off any excess grease and add the Mexican seasoning, 1 cup of salsa, and the green chiles with the juice. Drain the liquid from the beans and stir into the mixture. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Spoon one quarter of the mixture into the center of each tortilla and roll them up. Place the enchiladas seam side down in the pan, cover with the remaining 1 cup of salsa, and top with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.