Author: Michael Hetrick

“This food will help out a lot.”

Kaprenai

“Nutritious food is important to have with young children,” said Kaprenai, who we met at an East Texas Food Bank distribution recently. “This food will help out a lot,” she told us.

Kaprenai has a busy household, with six children ranging from 4 to 14 years old. She said that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted her family.

“I’m not working right now and my husband is not working as much as he used to,” she said. “Our income just dropped suddenly.”

Kaprenai said that she was able to find out about the distribution by calling the East Texas Food Bank.

“They told me when it was and I plan to keep coming when I can,” she said.

Kaprenai is appreciative of the help she received, and wants to give thanks to those that help make the distributions possible.

“Thank you for coming out, helping the community, providing and giving back,” she said. “My family is grateful for it.”

To find the local food resources near you, click the orange “FIND FOOD” button at the top of this page.

If you would like to support our work, please click here to learn about the ways you can join the fight against hunger and provide one less worry for families like Kaprenai’s.

“We are just like everyone else right now.”

David

“We are just like everyone else right now,” said David who recently attended a food distribution.

“I’m currently on furlough at work and my wife just went back after a 2 month furlough.”

David said his family of 5 is doing “okay”, however they are feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Fortunately for their family, no one has been sick.

“When we go to the grocery store, we find supply issues,” he said.  “Then there are limits on the number of items you can purchase.”

Having nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables for his family is important to David.

“We try to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle,” he said.  “The produce we received is going to provide options for several meals in the next few days I’m sure.”

David said he appreciates the ability to pick up the items from the distribution and the work that the East Texas Food Bank is doing.

“I just want to give a big thank you,” he said.  “This is very much needed in the community right now.”

With 1 in 4 East Texans facing hunger due to COVID-19, our hunger-relief work is far from over. But thanks to the outpouring of support from the community, we can keep feeding more East Texas families like David’s.

Anyone seeking food assistance can click the “FIND FOOD” at the top of the page to find the closest resource to them.

To support families like David’s, click here to join the fight against hunger.

Black Bean Brownies

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Black Bean Brownies
Total Time
45 mins
 

Image Source/Recipe Source: www.cookingmatters.com

Keyword: Dessert
Servings: 16
Ingredients
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, or chopped nuts optional
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

  2. In a colander, drain and rinse beans.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil and vanilla with a fork. Add beans and mash with fork until beans are barely visible (this can take 5 or more minutes of mashing). Stir sugar and cocoa, and blend with a rubber spatula until mixed. Stir in chips or nuts if using.

  4. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Recipe Video

Mini Pizzas

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Mini Pizzas
Total Time
35 mins
 

Image Source/Recipe Source: www.cookingmatters.com

Keyword: Entrée
Servings: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 medium bell pepper (red or green)
  • 8 ounces button mushrooms
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 chunk part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 6 whole grain English muffins
  • 1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 can tomato sauce, no salt added
  • 12 slices Turkey Pepperoni slices
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

  2. Rinse bell pepper, mushrooms, and tomato.

  3. Remove core and cut pepper into thin slices. Slice mushrooms ¼-inch thick. Remove core and dice tomato into ¼-inch pieces.

  4. In a small bowl, grate cheese.

  5. Split English muffins in half. Place them on a baking sheet. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Prepare sauce while muffins cook.

  6. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add peppers and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes. If needed, use a colander to drain vegetables.

  7. Transfer veggies to a medium bowl. Add tomatoes. Stir to combine.

  8. Stir spices into tomato sauce. Do this directly in the can.

  9. When muffins are lightly browned, spoon 1 Tablespoon sauce over each muffin half. Coat evenly.

  10. Layer veggies evenly over sauce. If using pepperoni, place one slice on each muffin half. Top with shredded cheese.

  11. Bake muffins until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 6–8 minutes.

  12. Let pizzas cool for 2 minutes before serving.

Recipe Video

Chinese Veggie and Rice Stir-Fry

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Chicken, Veggie and Rice Stir-Fry
Total Time
30 mins
 

Recipe/Image Source: cookingmatters.org

Keyword: Entrée
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1/2 lb broccoli
  • 2 medium celery stalks
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 small jalapeño
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 6 ounces boneless chicken
  • 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Instructions

  1. Cook rice following package directions. Set aside. Cover to keep warm. While rice is cooking, make veggie mixture.

  2. Rinse and chop broccoli and celery. Peel, rinse, and chop carrots. Rinse and mince jalapeño. Peel and finely chop garlic.

  3. If using chicken, remove any skin. Cut chicken into small pieces.

  4. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Add 1 teaspoon of the minced jalapeño. Stir.

  5. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add ground ginger and stir. Add chicken or tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned and starting to cook through, about 2 minutes.

  6. Add chopped veggies. Stir frequently. Cook until veggies are tender and chicken is completely cooked but not dry, about 5–7 minutes.

  7. Add soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

  8. Serve over warm brown rice.