Soup Cans to the Rescue

When oil prices punch up grocery bills, home-cooked dishes become viable alternatives to pricey eat-out meals. As you cook pour in condensed soup for a smoother sensation to the palate, yum. Nowadays you can buy generic canned versions with low sodium or reduced fat. Health food stores have alternative canned choices for the holistic folks.
Think soup and be ready to cook and manga well on five, FAST recipes:

Chicken and Roasted Garlic Risotto
4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 Tablespoon butter
1 can (10 ¾ oz) low fat cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup*
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked rice
1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Heat butter in a skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken. Next add soups and water. Heat to a boil. Stir in rice and vegetables. Top with chicken. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until done. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Serves 4.
*If you cannot find the roasted garlic soup, then fry freshly cut garlic in the butter.

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and Rice
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless pork chops, ¾ in thick
1 can (10 ¾ oz) low fat cream of mushroom soup
½ soup can of milk
1 package of ranch salad dressing mix
Paprika

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the chops and cook until browned. Add the soup, milk, and ½ of the salad dressing mix. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes until done. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve with rice. Serves 4. To make the ranch style rice, add the rest of the salad dressing to the water, when making rice.

Grilled Chicken Celery Entree
4 boneless chicken breasts fillets
Shake of no salt seasoning for grilled chicken
1 can low fat cream of celery soup
½ cup of water

Grill seasoned chicken on indoor, covered grill, 4-6 minutes, until no longer pink. Heat the soup and water. Use as sauce. Great served over couscous or rice. Makes 4 servings.

Creamy Pork Chops
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion chopped
4 boneless pork chops
1 can cream of celery soup
½ cup of water

Cook pork chops in medium-high heated and oiled skillet, until browned. Add onions; cook till clear. Next add the soup and water. Cover and simmer until done, around 15 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Beef Taco Jose
( Instead of buns, try it over corn bread or over cooked brown rice.)
1 lb of ground chuck
1 can of tomato soup
1 cup salsa (as spicy as you like it)
½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

In a skillet brown the ground beef. Drain off fat. Return to pan. Next add the soup and salsa. Heat thoroughly. Top with cheese. Serves on hamburger rolls. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant season ran from August to October, but now the royal nightshade fruit is available year round. The skin has the miraculous phyto-nutrient, nasunin. Nasunin protects the lips in brain cell membranes, helping the brain cells be cleaner and healthier. Though its phenolic acids fight microbes, cancer growth, and viruses, they create the bitterness and brown color when the eggplant is cut. But agricultural scientists are working to keep the healthy value and make the eggplant tastier. Meanwhile take out these ingredients to bake a taste bud pleasing dish.*

One eggplant, cut into thin slices, leave on skin
1 Tablespoon sea salt
8 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces ricotta cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten or 2 egg whites
½ cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups of spaghetti sauce

Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Place slices in a colander, and place a dish underneath the colander to capture liquid that will sweat out of the eggplant. Allow to sweat for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farhenheit (175 degrees Celsius). In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg or egg whites, and basil.

Rinse the eggplant slices in cold water until all salt is removed. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Place one layer of eggplant in the pan; brown each side. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, using additional oil if necessary.

In a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, spread 1½ cups of spaghetti sauce. Place a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant layer with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly. Serves 4-6.

*Reference The World's Healthiest Food website. Picture from All Recipes