Recipies for Saving Time, Money, Health or All Three

• Tomato and Chickpea Curry
• Mexican Beef and Beans

When fasting I usually give up meat, sometimes just beef or sometimes all meats. Other times I decide I just want to take a break from all the cholesterol for awhile. I used to find myself eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while hubby and the kids ate the dinner I cooked because I didn't want to get into making another one just for me. Besides the time and effort involved in cooking a separate meal, have you ever tried to cook Vegetarian out of one of those Vegetarian cookbooks? It's outrageously expensive! The recipies call for lots of wierd ingredients that are hard to find in a normal grocery store and are priced like gold! Over time I've made up or adapted some recipies that not only are healthy but take about 20min. to make and are cheap too!

This recipie is a little bit like something I had in an Indian restaurant one time. I can't remember what it was called, or even if it was a curry! But it had chickpeas and tomatoes in it and was spicy so I just experimented from there!

• 1 tsp olive oil
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion
  
• 1 can diced tomatoes
  
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
  
• 1 tsp or more curry powder
  
• 1/4 tsp or more garlic powder
  

Cook the onions in the olive oil in a skillet or saucepan (preferably non-stick) for about 5min. or however long it takes for them to start looking soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer about 5 minutes. Taste and add more curry powder, garlic powder, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Serve over brown rice and you've got a complete meal!
Here are some ideas for variations:

• While simmering add just a small pinch of baking soda and stir till the foaming stops. Then stir in about a Tbsp of powdered milk.
  
• Add some crushed red peppers or a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce for spicier curry.
  

• 1 lb. ground turkey or beef or combination
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 1 cup salsa or chunky picante
  
• 2 cans black beans
  

Cook the meat and onions in a skillet or saucepan till meat is done. Drain the fat well. Stir in the salsa and beans (undrained) and cook 3-5 min. till heated through. It's that simple!
You can use this in tacos, wrapped in flour tortillas, in burritos, quesadillas, whatever! My daughter (2yo) just likes to eat it out of a bowl!
If you like you can also make this recipie with no meat at all, just add more beans. Oor use TVP instead of some or all of the meat. In that case soak it in water for 1/2hr then add it to onions that you've sauteed for a few minutes and proceed with the recipie from there.