Complete & Incomplete Proteins

Unless you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you most likely have not worried your head over complete & incomplete proteins. But if you, like many Americans, have found the belt on your food budget severely tightened, it may be time to get yourself educated. Many have found themselves challenged as they attempt to provide nutritious and varied meals on drastically reduced finances. 

We need protein for healthy bones, skin, hair, nails, muscles, blood, and organs. And ensuring adequate protein in the daily diet is most crucial for growing children and teens. Protein can be found in plants as well as animals. A complete protein has all the amino acids that our bodies need; whereas an incomplete protein does not. However, we can make sure we are getting all of the nutrients we need by pairing up complementary proteins. 

COMPLETE PROTEINS

• EGGS: Not only are eggs a great source of protein they are pretty inexpensive. Purchase small eggs to get the biggest bang for your buck. You can also separate the yolks from the whites and still receive all of the nutrition they pack. 
• SOY BEANS: One of only 2 plants that is a complete protein. Be sure to limit yourself to 2 to 4 servings a week.
• QUINOA: This is the other plant that is a complete protein; and it is a super food due to the vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes, phytonutrients, and antioxidants it also provides! It can be expensive but is well worth it for the nutrient punch it packs. I love eating quinoa in place of oatmeal for breakfast with brown sugar, nuts, butter, and dried fruit like golden raisins or dried cherries. One bowl will leave me full all morning and then seems to boost my lunch even further.
• DAIRY: Milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, and whey protein powder are all good sources of complete protein whether it is non-fat or full fat.
• MEAT & POULTRY
• FISH

INCOMPLETE PROTEINS

• GRAINS: Amaranth, Barley, Brown Rice, Brown Rice Bread, Brown Rice Tortilla, Buckwheat, Bulgur (Cracked Wheat), Corn Tortillas, Farro, Flaxseed, Grano, Kamut® Grain, Millet, Oats, Oat Bread, Oat Cereal, Oatmeal, Popcorn, Whole Wheat Cereal Flakes, Muesli, Rolled Oats, Rye, Sorghum, Spelt, Teff, Triticale, Whole Grain Barley, Wheat Berries, Whole Grain Corn Bread, Whole Grain Cornmeal, Whole Rye, Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Wheat Couscous, Whole Wheat Crackers, Whole Wheat Pasta, Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Whole Wheat Sandwich Buns And Rolls, Whole Wheat Tortillas, Wild Rice
• LEGUMES: Alfalfa Sprouts, Beans, Bean Sprouts, Dwarf Peas, English Peas, Garden Peas, Green Beans, Lentils, Peanuts, Snow Peas, Southern Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Wax Beans
• NUTS: Acorns, Almond, Beech, Brazil nut, Cashew, Chestnuts, Coconuts, Filbert, Hickory, Pecan, Hickory Nuts, Hazel, Kola nut, Macadamia, Pistachio, Walnut
• SEEDS: Chia seeds, Flaxseeds, Hemp seeds, Jackfruit, Poppy seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds
• VEGETABLES (HIGH PROTEIN): Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Dandelion Greens, Garlic (raw), Mushrooms, Okra, Potatoes, Spinach, Spring Onions, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini

In order to insure you are getting the complete nutrition from incomplete proteins, you must pair them correctly either in a meal or sometime during the day. Pairing a food product from the Grain list with any food product from the Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, or High Protein Vegetables list will assure that you are getting all the nutrition of a complete protein. 

Examples of pairing complementary incomplete proteins to obtain a complete protein:

• barley & mushroom soup
• whole wheat bread & peanut butter
• brown rice & black beans
• bulgur, asparagus & green bean salad
• whole wheat couscous & sauteed spring onions
• potato onion taco on a corn tortilla
• buckwheat pancakes topped w/pecans
• whole wheat crackers & almond butter
• oatmeal & walnuts
• caramel popcorn & peanuts
• whole wheat pasta & pasta sauce
• muesli & hemp seeds
• whole grain corn bread & beans
• polenta & tomato sauce
• whole wheat pita bread & hummus
• grilled veggie sandwich on a whole wheat roll w/portabella mushrooms, spring onions, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, & zucchini drizzled w/tahini sauce
• refried bean taco on a whole wheat tortilla
• wild rice w/pumpkin & sunflower seeds

Tahini

As I wrote about cooking Kale with Tahini, I thought, "how is tahini Po' Folk Food?" Well, I did a little research and it is Po' Folk food in other countries such as Israel where it is considered a staple food. I had the tahini in the cupboard for I like to make Hummus, which is easy to make and such a good source of protein! Plus adding tahini to brown rice, whole grain pasta, oats, wheat, cornmeal, bulgur, barley, buckwheat, or rye will give you a complete protein, which is essential for vegetarians or those who can't afford to serve meat on a regular basis. You can get a jar at a Greek, Indian, or Asian Market for under $5 and it lasts a good long time.

Below is a Tahini Sauce Matrix for various variations. Just throw all the ingredients in a row in a blender and blend til smooth. One recipe makes about 1 cup. You can drizzle the sauce over salads, steamed vegetables, meats, fish, or in sandwiches. You can also use it as a dip. Drizzle it in a veggie sandwich with whole grain bread or use corn tortilla chips as dippers and you have a complete protein!

Enjoy! Please take time to review. Thanx!

Tahini Sauce

Traditional Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. water	Juice of 1 lemon	1 peeled garlic clove	½ tsp cumin	Salt & pepper to taste
Anchovy Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. water	Juice of 1 lemon	1 peeled garlic clove	½ tsp cumin	Pepper to taste	1-2 anchovies
Coconut Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. coconut milk	Juice of 1 lemon	1 peeled garlic clove	½ tsp cumin	Salt & pepper to taste
Curry Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. water	Juice of 1 lemon	1 peeled garlic clove	2 T. curry powder	Salt & pepper to taste
Mint Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. water	Juice of 1 lemon	1 peeled garlic clove	½ tsp cumin	Salt & pepper to taste	1 C. fresh mint leaves
Roasted Garlic Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. water	Juice of 1 lemon	1 head roasted garlic	½ tsp cumin	Salt & pepper to taste
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. water	Juice of 1 lemon	1 peeled garlic clove	½ tsp cumin	Salt & pepper to taste	1 roasted red pepper
Yogurt Sauce	½ C. tahini	½ C. yogurt	Juice of 1 lemon	1 peeled garlic clove	½ tsp cumin	Salt & pepper to taste

ROASTED GARLIC: Slice the pointy top off of 1 head of garlic. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until soft.

ROASTED RED PEPPER: Take a red bell pepper and blacken over high flame on a gas stove or broil on high until blackened. Place in a bag for a few minutes, then peel the black off under running water. Make sure to remove the seeds and stem before throwing in the blender.

Leftover Sausage

Last night, I decided to make something with the leftover Polish sausage from earlier this week. 
1) So I sliced up some yellow onions and sauteed them in oil over medium heat until softened.

2) I sliced up the leftover Polish sausage and sauteed them with the onions for a few minutes.

3) When the onions began to brown, I transferred the entire mixture to a pie plate. Then I sauteed some sauerkraut until browned a bit and the liquid had evaporated. I transferred the sauerkraut out.

4) I added a little more oil, then sauteed finely chopped garlic until golden brown.

5) I roughly chopped all of the kale I had left over and stirred it in with the garlic. 

6) I stirred in about 2 T. of sesame tahini, 1/2 C. of water, and 1/2 tsp. of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base and cooked it until the kale was tender and the liquid became saucy. (

7) Then I boiled about a half of a bag of egg noodles for 8 minutes then I drained them into a bowl and topped them with 2 T. of butter.

Voila! Dinner!

It was unbelievable how rich the sesame tahini made the Kale! Make sure to buy it at a Greek or Indian market for it is much cheaper.

Trekking Through the Garden Omelets

Made Vegetable Omelets for breakfast this morning. I usually put meat in my omelets but I didn't have ham, bacon, or sausage. So I diced up some kale, yellow onions, green bell peppers, yellow squash, and white mushrooms and sauteed them in canola oil over medium heat until softened. Took 2 eggs (one of them brown-why is the yolk yellower than white eggs? freaks me out) and whisked them with a little half-n-half (my indulgence for the coffee my sister and mother gave me). I set a clean skillet over medium-low heat with about 1 T. of canola oil. Poured the egg mixture into the skillet and shake, shake, shake...shake, shake,shake...shake that skillet...shake that skillet (to the tune of "Shake Your Booty). I kept shaking and swirling the egg mixture until set enough to flip over. As soon as I flipped it over, I sprinkled shredded Colby Jack cheese all over the omelet, then dice tomatoes and the sauteed vegetables on one side, flipped one edge over the other to form a half moon shape and got that baby onto a plate! DO NOT LET IT BROWN! YEW! YUCKY! Makes it tough. I served it with the very ripe strawberries we got from the food pantry, buttered whole wheat toast, and coffee. Very yummy and filling with all of those veggies. 

Don't tell the bunny!

Correction for Beef Stir Fry

The measurement for the Better Than Bouillon Beef Base is 1/2 tsp. not 1/2 C. Sorry about that ya'll! 

Food Pantry List

Last Saturday, Hubby went to our local Food Pantry and came back with these items:

• 1 loaf of smashed Wonder white bread (maybe I can make something with bread crumbs)
• 1 pkg of Hawaiian hamburger buns (I already have frozen whole wheat buns, so I threw these in the freezer as well)
• 1 pkg instant mashed potatoes (I guess I can look for a recipe to use this)
• 2 half-pint containers milk
• 2 pkgs of frozen, boned chicken thighs (we thawed out one pkg & it was spoiled- the wretched smell stayed in my nostrils for hours)
• 2 cans chicken
• 1 pkg shredded Iceberg lettuce (used it to top of the nachos I made on Saturday)
• 1 container Pico de Gallo (also used as a topping for the nachos)
• cans of beets (I'm the only one in the house that likes them)
• cans of corn (yay! ubiquitous corn)
• 2 small containers of Fage (my fave brand) Greek yogurt with honey
• 1 box Peanut Butter Bumpers breakfast cereal (oh, good, everyone else in the house consumes breakfast cereal day & night. I'm trying to get them to eat it only for breakfast since it's so expensive.)
• 1 bag white rice (yay!)
• 1 bag egg noodles (good)
• 1 box of flavored couscous
• 2 boxes of macaroni & cheese
• 1 frozen pkg of bologna (only I eat this)
• cans of pasta sauce
• 3 fresh tomatoes
• 1 bag of small potatoes (excellent! they look very good.)
• 1 turkey brining bag (ok, I can use this for Thanksgiving)
• brown eggs (yes!)
• strawberries
• overripe grapes (the bunny will be so happy!)
• chocolate chip shortbread
• Jasmine tea 

Slim pickings. This particular Food Pantry is beginning to run low on supplies for we usually get more than this. Oh, well. It is God that I look to for provision not a food pantry. 

I plan to soak some pinto beans tonight so I can cook them tomorrow. Then we can have beans, rice, and cornbread. Oh, yeah, I have that Kale that I got for 88 cents at HEB. I had originally bought it for the bunny since it was so cheap. But he turned his nose up on it so I used some of it in a beef stir-fry, which is a great way to stretch meat, and it was yummy! 

BEEF STIR FRY

1/2 bunch kale

1/4 C. oil

2 T. minced garlic

1 T. grated or minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 medium onion, halved then sliced
1/2 C. sliced white mushrooms

1-2 lb. round steak, thinly sliced

2 T. soy sauce

Salt & black pepper

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. Better Than Bouillon Beef Base

1) Blanch the kale for 2 mins. in a pot of boiling water. Rinse under cold water, spin it dry in salad spinner, and slice in 1" strips.

2) Pour 2 T. of oil in large, deep skillet over high heat. Swirl oil and add half of the garlic and ginger and all of the red pepper flakes. Stir a few times, then add the onion and mushrooms, and stir to evenly coat all onion with oil. After about a few minutes add the kale and cook for a few minutes more.

3)Lower the heat to medium and take out the vegetables. Pour T. of oil into the skillet and add the remaining garlic and ginger. Stir and add the beef, raise the heat to high and cook until browned.


4)Add the cooked vegetables to the pan and stir. Add the soy sauce, salt, pepper, water, and beef base. Cook and stir until the liquid is reduced some. Serve with rice.

Migas

I decided to make Migas for a very late breakfast today. Okay, you might as well as call it lunch. In any event, Migas make very good Po' Folk Food because you can pretty much use what you have on hand and stretch the eggs with less expensive ingredients. Migas consists of mainly eggs, corn tortillas, cheese and tomatoes. 

MIGAS

1) In a skillet over medium heat, I sautéed diced yellow onions and minced serrano peppers in olive oil for a few minutes. 
2) Then I added minced garlic, gave it a stir and added 4 corn tortillas cut in 1/2" strips and browned it. 
3) After a few minutes, I stirred in diced fresh tomatoes until the tomato juices cooked down. 
4) I turned the heat down to medium-low and cracked 4 eggs into the skillet and folded them into the mixture. 
5) I stirred in shredded Colby Jack cheese, turned off the heat, and covered the skillet and the cheese melted.

Vegetables: You can add other hot peppers or bell peppers, green, red, or yellow. My mother likes to add scallions.

Corn tortillas: You can fry the tortillas until crisp or use corn tortilla chips as my sister does. I like to use 2 corn tortillas per person.

Tomatoes: Instead of fresh tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes or tomato sauce.

Eggs: You can use more eggs than I do. I like to use 2 eggs per person.

Cheese: Colby Jack is my favorite shredded cheese but you can use any cheese you like, even leftover Chilé Con Queso.

Garnishes: When I have them I like to top them off with chopped cilantro and sliced avocado. You can also top them with sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, or salsa verde.

As you can see, I served my Migas with Texas-shaped corn tortilla chips and Salsa Verde from a restaurant that my housemate's parents treated us to. You can also serve them with black or pinto beans or fold them into a warmed flour tortilla for a taco. They're great for brunch, lunch, dinner or late at night, as well as for breakfast.