Brown Rice Benefits

When making Beef Choufleur I purchase beef round steak when it is on sale. I check out my weekly grocery fliers making it easier to prepare economical and healthy recipes each week. This recipe actually came from my mom, who prepared it when I was a child. I remembered it after a trip home recently, and thought I would share it with you.

The recipe is easy and quick, but I would like for you to consider using brown rice, instead of white. Find some of the health benefits to using brown rice below:

• Key nutrients include: B vitamins, maganese, selenium, iron, and fiber.
• Disease prevention
• Boosts immune system
• Lowers cholesterol and reduces risk of many other health ailments
• Brown rice is 100-percent whole grain. One cup of whole grain brown rice supplies 2 of the 3 recommended daily servings of whole grains.

Tips on cooking rice from the U.S. Rice Federation:

• Accurately measure rice and liquid.
• Set timer to prevent under or over-cooking.
• Keep lid on pot during cooking to prevent steam from escaping.
• Rice triples in volume. Use cookware appropriate for the amount of rice you are preparing.
• Do not stir. Stirring releases the starch, resulting in rice that is sticky.
• At the end of cooking time, remove lid and test for doneness. If the rice is not tender or liquid is not absorbed, cook 2 to 4 minutes longer.
• When rice is cooked, fluff with fork or slotted spoon to allow steam to escape and keep the grains separate.

For those who plan ahead, soaking brown rice overnight cuts the cooking time dramatically. Soak the rice in the measured amount of water you will need to cook it, and cook it in the same water, adding more water if necessary. DO NOT drain the rice after soaking it, nutrients will be lost.

There are some aromatic brown rices available that smell really good when they are being cooked. Try one with this dish. I hope you enjoy Beef Choufleur and include it as one of your family recipe favorites!

Enjoy and eat healthy!

Dee Lee

Breakfast Pizza

Looking for something warm and tasty yet quick and easy during these cold winter months for breakfast? Breakfast Pizza is definitely a favorable choice for my family when we are together during cold weather. The one dish wonder doesn't take long to fix and is very kid friendly. When mashing the crescent rolls together to form the crust is a great way for kids to be involved in making the meal. Not only will they help lay the foundation of the dish but they will also have fun playing in the ewwwy ohh so fun doughy texture of the crust.

Breakfast Pizza is a great dish to pack on the go when you are traveling on vacation, sports events and any other over night travel. You can freeze this dish and reheat it in an oven, toaster oven or microwave so you don't have to worry about preparing a breakfast dish while on vacation. A friend of mine has grown accustom to preparing several breakfast pizzas, freezing them and then taking them with her on skiing vacations over spring break. They hold up great and and taste great even after traveling.

This recipe can also be spiced up with a few fun changes to keep this dish exciting.
Cheese - You can use any type of grated cheese to top the pizza. If you would like to add some spice make it pepper jack or if you want intense cheddar go for the sharp cheddar. Just remember any cheese will make a great topping.
Seasoning - The recipe calls for Cajun seasoning but if you would like to prepare a pizza with a little different flavor try mixed Italian seasoning, steak seasoning, chicken seasoning, fajita seasoning, taco seasoning or any seasoning mix that is your families favorite.
Meat - Ground turkey sausage is my favorite to use but any breakfast meat will taste great on this pizza. Turkey bacon, pork bacon, maple sausage, sage sausage, hot sausage, link sausage ect. If you are trying to make the dish a little more heart healthy use half a pound of sausage instead of a whole and use the leanest of meat possible. *Don't forget to drain your meat. Even if you buy the leanest meat it is very important to drain your meat to remove unwanted fat and protect your arteries. *
Garnish - The recipe calls for salsa but there are so many different kinds of salsa on market shelves today. You could serve any type of tomato based salsa with this dish and even plain slices of tomato or cilantro. Fun new salsas such as a mango chutney can be used to add a new and unique twist to such a tasty original.

This dish has become a family tradition for my family for cold weather occasions such as Christmas morning. Every time my family smells Breakfast Pizza in the oven smiles form on every ones faces. I hope that when you prepare this dish for your family they will not only love it but continue to love it every time you make it for them.

Hearty and Satisfying!

There is nothing like a solid stand-by recipe you can rely upon time and time again that provides your family with a quick, nutritious and tasty meal. This is how I feel about this week’s recipe, Hearty Two-Bean Minestrone. While I have prepared and tried several other tasty minestrone recipes, I have never found one as full of flavor, easy to prepare, or as budget-friendly as this one.

Because this recipe uses low-sodium beans, the sodium content in this recipe is much less when compared to many other soup recipes. This is important because too much sodium in a person’s diet can contribute to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. I also think the whole wheat pasta and kale or Swiss chard options make this soup extra satisfying. They provide extremely flavorsome sources of fiber, texture and vitamins. This is, again, very important to consider because diets that include whole grains and a variety of dark green and orange vegetables have been shown to help lower a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer, as well as protect against Type 2 diabetes. What a win-win situation!

The next time you need an easy, crowd-pleasing recipe, I recommend Hearty Two-Bean Minestrone. My only warning...you may want to consider doubling the recipe. People are bound to want seconds (or thirds!) and soup is always a great left-over.

Texas Two-Step Chicken

Being a working mom I am always looking for quick fix healthy recipes. Not to mention that I search for economical recipe as well. The recipe turned out to be a hit with the family.

The Texas Two-Step Chicken recipe makes a wonderful recipe for the entire family. This recipe can be made a head of time. You want to make sure you thaw your chicken breast ahead time. The different ingredient really give the dish a great flavor. The brown rice really complement this dish. If you looking for a quick healthy delicious meal I hope this meal will be satisfying to you and your family.

Smoked Chicken and Spinach Calzone

It is not all that often that I prepare a quick, healthy and economical recipe that pleases my whole family, especially when it includes green vegetables! As it turns out, the whole family raved over this recipe and they continue to request this one be on the menu week after week.


The Smoked Chicken and Spinach Calzone recipe makes a wonderful family meal. It includes foods from all of the food groups on the United States Department of Agriculture's food guidance system, MyPyramid and the preparation is easy enough to allow your children to play an active role in helping prepare and serve this meal. If you have school age children, talk about the 5 color bands on MyPyramid and help them identify which color band each of the foods in this recipe would fit into. For older children and teenagers, consider talking with them about eating a variety of different foods from all of the color bands. Explaining why this recipe would benefit them personally is also important to older children and teens. For example, you could explain how eating foods from the milk group, like the mozzarella cheese in this recipe, helps keep our bones strong, the vitamins from the spinach and tomato keep our skin looking healthy and the protein from the chicken is full of protein which is good for strong muscles. Most of all however, use the time you spend in the kitchen preparing meals to communicate with your children and enjoy your time as a family together!


This recipe is a wonderful addition to your list of healthy family recipes and I hope that your family will enjoy it as much as mine does!