Cooking Demo Lessons: Mexican Skillet Rice

I just finished testing this recipe to prepare for my demo tomorrow - it actually turned out really well, I would even say it exceeded my expectations!

 I learned about the "Simply Cook" online cookbook from a fellow dietitian, and former classmate. The cookbook is kind of like a dietitian's dream come true - it includes cooking basics, nutrition education, food safety and storage information, and most importantly, recipes! The recipes are even designed to focus on food staples found in many food pantries!

 I chose the Mexican Skillet Rice for the demonstration for tomorrow because previous participants asked for one-pot meals that were affordable and easy to make. This recipe was a little vague on some details, so I added amounts for the tomato and cheese. I also recommend cooking the onions prior to adding the turkey if you want them to brown well. I estimated that the recipe would produce four portions, but they are very large portions, and are proportionately higher in calories in fat. A more healthy option may be to decrease the portion size. Additionally, half the portion size means half the cost - it would be only $1.75 for 1/8 recipe. I am still getting the hang of combining education and discussion during the demonstrations, but I hope to talk about:
- Use of beans to replace some or all of meat in a recipe
- Rinsing off canned beans to reduce sodium
- Trying to replace white rice with brown rice in recipes
- Cooking rice and chopping onion the night before to speed up the cooking process 
.
Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium chopped onion
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
3 cups cooked rice (I used Texmati Brown Rice)
16 oz can drained pinto beans
2 4 oz cans of diced green chiles
2 chopped tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions
In a large skillet cook 1 lb. ground turkey, 1 medium chopped onion and 2 tbsp. taco seasoning for 5 minutes, or until onions are softened. Mix in 3 cups cooked rice, 1 (16-oz.) can drained pinto beans, and 2 (4-oz.) cans diced green chiles. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Top with chopped tomato and shredded cheese.


P.S. After preparing this recipe again, I think it makes closer to six servings, so I included both divisions for the nutrition information below.

Allergens: Milk, Soy? (taco seasoning) 
Nutrition (1/4 recipe): 665 calories, 21 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 875 mg sodium, 720 mg potassium, 71 g carbohydrate, 13 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 48 g protein, 32% vitamin A, 22% vitamin C, 33% iron, 28% calcium
Approximate Cost (1/4 recipe): $3.50

 Nutrition (1/6 recipe): 445 calories, 14 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 87 mg cholesterol, 584 mg sodium, 481 mg potassium, 48 g carbohydrates, 0 g sugar, 9 g fiber, 32 g protein, 21% vitamin A, 15% vitamin C, 22% iron, 19% calcium
Approximate Cost (1/6 recipe): $2.33

Recipe From: http://meijercommunity.com/community-needs/hunger-relief/simply-cook/

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