Grilled and Roasted Chicken Breasts and the Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Kroger has several things that are a good price if you buy “any five.” It’s really easy with a deal like that to buy something you don’t need to get in your five items. Don’t do it! You usually end up paying more than you would if you just bought the items you do need without the discount. At least that’s the way it works for me. Saving money can be really expensive! But on to their sales… Kraft salad dressings are 99 cents for a 16 ounce bottle. Kraft cheese is $1.99 for 5 – 8 ounce packages, which is a good price for 8 ounces but not for 5 ounces. Oscar Meyer lunchmeat is $1.99 for a 1 pound package. It’s going to be heavily processed, but it is convenient. All of these prices are assuming you buy “any 5” of the various sale items. They’re all $1.00 more if you don’t buy 5. There are also a few things that are on sale even if you don’t buy 5 items. Split chicken breast, drumsticks or thighs are 99 cents a pound. Cottage cheese and sour cream are $1.99 for 24 ounces. Butter is two pounds for $5.00, or $2.50 a pound, and you don’t have to buy two to get that price. These prices are good through Wednesday, March 26. There is also a four-day-only sale, with prices good only through Sunday, March 23. Among these sales items are five half gallons of milk for $5.00, or $1.00 each, or $2.00 per gallon. You don’t have to buy five gallons, and there is a limit of five gallons. Asparagus is 88 cents a pound.

Marsh has pork chops in the family pack for 99 cents a pound. Grapes – red, white or black seedless or red with seeds – are $1.48 a pound. Anjou and Bosc pears are $1.49 a pound. Jumbo cantaloupes are 3 for $5.00, or $1.67 each. These prices are good through Wednesday, March 26.

IGA has split fryer breasts for 99 cents a pound. Turkey sausage is $1.99 for a one pound package. “Jumbo size” lemons are two for $1.00, or 50 cents each. Ambrosia apples are $1.49 a pound. “Red ripe tomatoes on the vine” are $1.49 a pound. Some Kraft products are buy-one-get-one-free. Some cheeses $2.99 for two 5 to 8 ounce packages. That’s a good price for the 8 ounce packages, at $2.99 a pound, not good for the 5 ounce packages. Planters peanuts are $3.49 for two 1-pound jars, or $1.75 per jar, and peanut butter is $2.79 for two 15 – 16.3 ounce jars, or $1.40 each, also on the buy-on-get-one-free sale. These prices are good through Sunday, March 23.

We’re back to chicken breasts this week. IGA and Marsh both have split fryer breasts for 99 cents a pound. They’re bone-in and skin-on, so that’s something to consider when you see the price. By the way, I’ve been wondering how the price of split fryer breasts and boneless, skinless fryer breasts compare. The result of my little experiment was that it really is cheaper to buy the split fryer breasts and do the work yourself. Of course, the ones that are already boned and skinned are quicker and easier to use. I use both.

Figure that about half the weight of the split chicken breasts will be in the boneless, skinless portions, so if you need a pound of boneless skinless chicken, you’ll need to start with two pounds of split chicken breasts. Between 8 and 9 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast will yield a cup of diced, cooked meat. Let’s call it 8 ounces, so 1 pound of split chicken breast will yield about 1 cup of diced, cooked meat. More or less. That’s about 99 cents per cup of cooked meat this week, plus you get the bones, the skin, and some meat that’s left on the bones after you cut off the big chunks.

Twice as Nice: 25 Chicken Breast Recipes for Today and Later, by Sandra Liu, is one of the free books I found for the Kindle. (If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download Kindle for PC onto your computer. Unfortunately, the library doesn’t have Kindles and doesn’t have the Kindle software on their computers.) The idea behind the book is that you can buy chicken breasts when they’re on sale, grill or bake them, then cut them up and freeze them to have COOKED CHICKEN STRIPS available whenever you need them. They’re a lot cheaper that way than buying the precooked strips of chicken breasts. The book tells how to grill or roast them, how to cut them up, how to freeze them, and then gives 25 recipes using the cooked meat. 

To find recipes for the cooked chicken breast strips, I did a google search for “grilled chicken breast recipes.” One site that came up was the Tyson website, which included almost 90 recipes using their precooked chicken breast strips. I’ve included one of them. Of course, I adapted it to use your own home-cooked chicken breast strips instead of Tyson’s!

Let’s go back and start with the raw chicken breasts. Let’s start with six pounds of them, since you frequently have to buy them in the family packs to get the best price. First, cook them with the bone in and the skin on. (You could cut the meat off the bone before we cook it, in which case you’d pull the skin off, too. It comes out pretty much the same either way, and some people don’t like handling raw chicken.) Then you pull the nice crisp skin off of the meat and save it for a treat. Next, you cut the meat off the bones, trying to get it off in one big chunk, but not scraping the bones to get every bit of meat off of them. You put the bones in a pot of water with some vegetables and seasonings and make some soup for four people. And then use the meat you cut off in two main dish recipes for four people each. That’s twelve servings from $6.00 of split chicken breasts.

Let’s start with SIMPLE CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP, and its cousins, CREAM OF CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP, CHICKEN VEGETABLE EGG DROP SOUP. How much will this soup cost? It depends, of course, on what you end up putting in it. I figure that the broth and the meat and free, because I include the entire cost of the split fryer breasts in the cost of the chunks of meat that I cut off for other things. Let’s say 2 onions, 4 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 8 ounces of frozen peas, and 8 eggs. That’s going to be about $2.85 for four big servings of soup. Let’s call it $3.00, or 75 cents per serving, just because I like things that come out nice and even. You’d want to add a salad or something if you were having this for supper, but for lunch I just have a big bowl of this type of soup and call it good.

I figure $1.00 for breakfast and $1.50 each for lunch and supper, or $4.00 a day to keep my costs down to the average food stamp benefit per person received in Indiana. I don’t have the exact figure, but the latest I’ve seen is just under $1.40 per person per meal, or just under $4.20 per day per person. Since this soup is only about 75 cents per person for lunch, that leaves an extra 75 cents for other meals that might go a bit over $1.50 per person, or for special meals where you want to splurge a bit.

Now to a few recipes using those chunks of meat you cut off the bones in big chunks, and then sliced. I didn’t really intend to when I started today’s column, but I seem to have ended with Southwestern or Tex-Mex recipes. The cooked chicken breast doesn’t have to be used only in Tex-Mex recipes; it can be used plain, or in Italian dishes, or Thai dishes, or curries, or just about anything else. The recipes that I ended up using today just happen to be more or less Southwestern. 

Like SOUTHWESTERN FRITTATA. The frittata will cost about $4.00. Add half a cup each of sour cream and salsa to top it off (two tablespoons of each per serving) for another 60 cents. Serve it with a quick fruit salad of one cup of halved grapes and half a cantaloupe for $1.25 and you’ve got a good brunch or lunch or even a light supper for just under $6.00, or $1.50 per person. Or sauté a couple pounds of asparagus in butter with some garlic and serve that instead. Or serve salad. Or a salad and a pound of asparagus. There are lots of ways you can use that other $2.00 on side dishes to accompany the frittata.

LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE is different than I usually .give, with corn, beans and tortilla strips. The mixture of chicken, black beans, corn and cheese can be used in many ways. Add it to a salad, or to a wrap, or a burrito, or rice, or you could even make soup out of it. As a salad, it comes to about $5.50, not counting the tortilla strips. I have no idea how much they cost, though I do remember when I bought a big bag of plain corn tortillas for Mom they didn’t cost very much. You should be able to make plenty of TORTILLA STRIPS for the salad and stay under $6.00 for the meal, if you make your own. Making your own ITALIAN DRESSING helps keep the cost down, too. 

Still Going Strong at the Farmers Market, and Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Happy October! Are you ready for Halloween yet? I hope not – it’s much too early, though it seems like the stores have been selling Halloween stuff for ages.

The best deal this week seems to be milk. Aldi has it for $1.69 a gallon, Kroger for 88 cents for a half gallon, which comes out to $1.76 per gallon, but is a better deal if you wouldn’t use a whole gallon before it goes bad. Marsh has Egg-Land’s Best Eggs two dozen for $4.00, which is a good price on that brand. When I was at Aldi on Wednesday, they had regular eggs for $1.29 a dozen. Kroger’s ad says that they have 5.3 ounce Greek yogurt for 29 cents each, if you buy four of them. Butter at Kroger is $1.88 a pound, cottage cheese and sour cream are $1.00 a pound (or pint or 16 ounce), and various kinds of cheese are $1.88 for 6 – 8 ounces. It’s a good price for 8 ounces, not so good for 6 ounces. Kroger also has fresh green beans for 99 cents a pound.

Pumpkins are on sale, too, and they’ll keep until Halloween. Until Thanksgiving and probably until Christmas if you don’t carve them. Marsh has pie pumpkins for $1.99. Aldi has regular pumpkins for $1.99 (I have no idea how big they are). And the Kroger store at the corner of Second and College has pumpkins for 99 cents each through Saturday. It’s part of their Grand Re-Opening sale, and it seems to be only at that store.

Not much on sale in the way of meat. Kroger has 73% lean ground beef for $1.97 a pound in three pound chubs, which cost $5.91 each, and pork chops and spareribs for $1.97 in the large value packs. Marsh has boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.97 a pound in the family size packs.

I’m going to give some more recipes for summer veggies this week. (And by the way, I’ll be serving samples of Moussaka, a Greek dish eggplant casserole) on Friday at the Hub, starting about 4:00 or so. I hope you’ll stop by my tasting table!) Summer veggies won’t last much longer at the Farmers Market. Eggplant was running $1.00 each last Saturday, or sometimes 75 cents each for small ones. I usually get the big ones. The seeds don’t bother me in casseroles. I’m told that the big ones don’t work as well, though, if you’re going to slice the eggplant, like you would for Eggplant Parmesan. Really big zucchini were also $1.00 each, and I could still get the big red bell pepper seconds for 50 cents each. Canning tomatoes were a bit more than they were last week, but still a good price. Check last week’s for more recipes using eggplant and zucchini.

I have tried eggplant over the years, and could never find a recipe that I liked. I kept trying, though, because so many people said it was good. Finally, when I was testing recipes for a cookbook by Judy Barnes Baker, I found a really good recipe. And since then, I’ve found more recipes that I like. Here’s that first “good” recipe, for MOUSSAKA. Moussaka is a traditional Greek casserole made with layers of eggplant and sauce, with a custard over the top. Kind of like lasagna, except it’s Greek instead of Italian, has slices of eggplant instead of noodles, has lots less cheese, and is topped with custard. It's more work than I really want to do most days, what with the slicing and salting and draining and frying of the eggplant and then making multiple alternating layers of the eggplant and the meat sauce. I came up with a SIMPLIFIED MOUSSAKA that has the same great taste but is lots easier and takes lots less time in the kitchen.

A batch of either version of Moussaka should cost about $6.00, and will make six generous servings, at about $1.00 each. Serve it with a salad and or some fresh veggies from the Farmers Market, and you’ve got a complete meal for less than $1.50 per serving.

I think that SAUSAGE SQUASH CASSEROLE is my favorite zucchini recipe. It’s not for calorie counters, but it’s good and it’s inexpensive. And it freezes well, which is important since I like to make lots of squash and eggplant casseroles in the summer and then freeze them. Assuming the sausage is $3.00 and the zucchini is $1.00, this recipe costs about $6.05 and makes six servings at just over $1.00 each. (Aldi’s regular price on mayo is $1.99 for 30 ounces, and their regular price on Cheddar is $1.79 for 8 ounces if you shred your own.) There’s not much texture to it, so you’ll want to add either a salad or some tender-crisp vegetables to it. Another complete meal for under $1.50 per serving.

Do you like Sausage and Peppers? I usually don’t, because the peppers are always way overcooked, at least for my taste. I prefer them tender-crisp, like in a stir-fry. So here are two recipes - ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS for the traditionalists among you who like your peppers really soft, and STIR-FRIED ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS for those like me who like their veggies to still have a bit of bite to them.Take your pick. A lot of people must like the overcooked peppers, because that’s the way most recipes say to cook them! A recipe of either one would cost about $4.50, assuming $3.00 for the Italian sausage. It makes 4 servings, so each serving would be about $1.15. A good sized spaghetti squash is $2.00 at the Farmers Market now and would serve four generously, at 50 cents per serving. The Italian Sausage and Peppers over spaghetti squash would be about $1.65 per serving.

A similar dish from a different part of the world is Fajitas. Since I don’t eat grains, I serve the fajita meat and veggies on a bed of lettuce for FAJITA SALADS, instead of serving it in tortillas. You can add whatever toppings you want. I’ve included the cost for sour cream, shredded cheddar and salsa, but you could also add jalapenos, olives, guacamole, etc. If you’re not going to eat all six servings immediately, put aside the extra meat and veggie mixture before you put it on the lettuce or add the toppings. Then, when you’re ready to eat it, just heat up the meat and veggies, and continue with making the salads. Without the sour cream, etc., this costs about $8.00 for six servings, assuming boneless skinless chicken breasts are $2.00 a pound and allowing $1.00 for all of the seasonings, which is likely quite a bit more than it really is. You could use fajita seasoning instead of all of the individual seasonings, or use taco seasoning instead. Let’s say $1.35 per serving. Two tablespoons each of shredded Cheddar and sour cream would be another 15 cents. Aldi has jars of salsa for (I think – I haven’t checked recently) about $1.20 each, so say another 15 cents for salsa. That would bring the total up to about $1.65 per serving. And these would be BIG servings! 

Salsa Chicken

Just season some chicken (taco seasoning is easy, or sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin) and then cook it either on top of the stove or in the oven until the chicken is done. Pour some salsa (you pick the heat) over the top of the chicken and sprinkle some shredded cheddar over the salsa. Cook it for about 10 minutes more or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Southwestern Roasted Carrots

(from a recipe in Top 30 Tex-Mex Vegetarian Recipes in Just and Only 3 Steps, by Annie R. McNeeley)

4 large carrots (8 ounces)

2 T olive oil

1/4 t chili powder

1/4 t cumin

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Julienne the peeled carrots. (Cut them in matchstick-shaped pieces, about twice as thick as matchsticks and about twice as long.) Toss the carrots, oil and seasonings until the carrots are evenly coated with the seasonings. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast them at 350 for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and toss the carrots again, spread them out in the pan and put them back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Take them out and toss them again, spread them evenly in the pan, and roast them for a final 15 minutes. Check them after the second 15 minutes. The carrots should be soft and may not need the final 15 minutes.

Spicy Mexican Coleslaw

(based on a recipe at low-cholesterol.food.com)

3 c shredded cabbage (about 8 oz)

1 carrot

1 tomato, seeded and diced (about 4 oz)

1 minced seeded jalapeno

1/4 c chopped cilantro

2 T lime juice (bottled is fine)

2 T orange juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T sugar

1/4 t ground cumin

Combine the cabbage, carrot, tomato, jalapeno, and cilantro and mix well. In a small bowl or jar, combine the lime juice, orange juice, garlic, sugar, and cumin and mix well. Toss the dressing with the vegetables. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If possible, let it sit for at least a couple of hours so the flavors can blend.

Chicken with Chipotle

(based on a recipe at allrecipes.com)

4 chicken leg quarters

3/4 c milk

1/2 c sour cream

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (they come in cans in the ethnic area of the grocery store)

1 T chicken bouillon granules

1 T butter

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Roast the chicken legs until the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. (It takes longer than that with the leg quarters I get at Walmart. I guess they’re bigger than usual.) Meanwhile, puree the milk, sour cream, chipotle pepper and chicken bouillon granules in a blender until smooth. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Pour in the chipotle puree and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and season to taste with salt. Add the cooked chicken legs and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the chicken has absorbed the flavor of the sauce.

Chicken Casserole with Green Chilis

(adapted from lowcarbfamily.com, where it was based on a recipe from Jennifer Elloff)

8 cups cooked and shredded chicken (from about 8 leg quarters)

1 onion, finely diced

1 c mayonnaise

1-1/2 c sour cream

7 ounce can of green chilis, drained

3/4 t salt

Pepper to taste

1/2 t cumin

8 oz pepper Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 c Colby jack or cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute onion in olive oil until soft and carmelized. While the onion is cooking, combine mayo, sour cream, chilis, salt, pepper and cumin in a large bowl. Add sautéed onions, cooked chicken and pepper Jack and mix thoroughly. Spread evenly in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with Colby Jack or cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Easy Mexican American Chicken with Chicken Chips

(from a recipe at allrecipes.com plus the reviews there)

½ c Mexican-style hot sauce (such as Valentina)

1 T paprika

1 T cayenne

1 T brown sugar, or more to taste

4 chicken leg quarters, skin removed but saved

Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400. Grease a baking dish. Mix everything but the chicken in a bowl and stir until the mixture is well mixed. Roll the skinned legs in the sauce, coating them thoroughly, then place them in a single layer in the greased baking dish. Pour any remaining sauce over the top. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the chicken is done and the sauce has thickened (which may not happen, but don’t worry about it) and started to brown, another 30 minutes or so.

Chicken Chips

Cut the skin into pieces about 2” square and spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with another baking sheet so the skin is squashed between the two sheets. Put something heavy like a cast iron skillet on the top sheet to hold it down. (Be sure to leave the hot pad over the handle on the skillet when you take it out so no one accidentally tries to pick it up or move it! It will be hot!) Bake for about 25 minutes with the chicken. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and pour off the grease. (I save the grease and use it for cooking.) Take the Chicken Chips off of the baking sheet; you may need to use a metal spatula to free them from the sheets. Salt, if desired, and serve. Best eaten right away. 

New World Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup

(based on a recipe at lowcarbdiets.about.com)

2 c pumpkin puree, or one 15 oz can of pumpkin

10 oz fresh (Mexican) chorizo, or substitute other spicy sausage

1/3 c minced onion

3 cloves garlic, put through a press or minced fine

1/2 t pepper

1 t mild ground chilies, such as ancho, or a small amount of a hotter chili

1 t dried oregano

1 T olive oil

1/3 c dry white wine (optional)

1 c half and half

2 c chicken broth or equivalent chicken flavoring such as a base

1/2 c minced cilantro, and extra leaves for garnish

Put onion in saucepan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and break it up. Cook until the sausage is browning. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add pepper. Add wine or some of the broth and stir to loosen everything up. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro, ending with the chicken broth. Add as much broth as you need to make it the thickness you want. Salt to taste. Just before serving, stir in the minced cilantro, and put a few leaves on each bowl of soup for garnish.

Chorizo and Eggs

10 oz chorizo

12 eggs

1/4 c cream

Brown the chorizo and drain off some or all of the grease. (Save the grease to cook eggs in the next time.) Meanwhile, beat the eggs and cream together. When the chorizo is almost done and you’ve drained it, add the eggs and scramble it all together.

Taco Salad

20 oz chorizo, either pork or beef

1 head lettuce

1 lb fresh tomatoes

2 c shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby jack, pepper jack, whatever)

1 c sour cream

Brown the chorizo and drain the fat. Save the fat to cook eggs in later. Or anything else that needs a kick of flavor. Meanwhile, chop, tear, or shred the lettuce and chop the tomatoes. Divide the ingredients among four bowls, in whatever order you like. I’d make it lettuce, meat, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream, but do it however you like. These are going to be huge salads. You can probably get six salads out of this if you want to.

Cinco de Mayo, and Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Nothing great when it comes to sales again this week. As frequently happens, the best deals are at Aldi on fruits and vegetables. Which is nice, and we need fruit and vegetables, but I keep waiting for a good price on something different in the meat department. Like filet mignon for $1.67 a pound. I’ll be sure and let you know when that happens! In the meantime, here’s the sales for this week.

Aldi has avocados for 69 cents each. Mangoes are 49 cents each. Strawberries are $1.49 a pound and cantaloupe are $1.49 each. Eggs were $1.19 when I was there on Thursday but were $1.89 when I was there on Wednesday.

Marsh has ten-ounce packages of jalapeno peppers two for $4.00, or $2.00 each. I have no idea how many peppers are in a bag. Three bunches of fresh cilantro are $2.00, or 67 cents each. The flier shows Mexican ingredients like taco shells, Mexican cheeses, etc., but I have no idea how good the prices are.

Kroger has cantaloupe and “personal size” watermelons two for $5.00, or $2.50 each. Five-pound bags of Idaho potatoes are $1.77, or about 35 cents a pound. Purnell breakfast sausage is two one-pound rolls for $5.00, or $2.50 a pound. Roma tomatoes are 99 cents a pound. Chicken leg quarters are 69 cents a pound in ten-pound bags, or $6.90 a bag. Sweet corn is ten ears for $3.00, or 30 cents an ear. Green beans are 99 cents a pound. And Kroger’s flier includes some Mexican ingredients, too.

As I said, there aren’t any great deals on meat this week, so we’re back to Walmart’s chicken leg quarters for $6.90 for ten pounds, or 69 cents a pound. Or Kroger’s chicken leg quarters for $6.90 for ten pounds, or 69 cents a pound, if you prefer. It’s the regular price at Walmart and a sale price at Kroger.

You know by now that you can take the leg quarters apart and do different things with different parts. Like pull the skin off and roast it to make CHICKEN CHIPS or GRIBENES. And cut the leg quarters into drumsticks, thighs, and bits of back. That way you can fix the drumsticks one way and the thighs another and you don’t have so much chicken that’s all the same. And save the backs and the bones to make bone broth. I’ve talked about all that several times now (or at least it seems that way to me) so I won’t tell you how to do it again. You can scroll through old columns on the website to get instructions.

Cinco de Mayo is Monday, so I’m going to give some recipes that are at least vaguely Mexican or at least vaguely Tex-Mex. Avocados and cilantro are on sale, and a lot of prepared “Mexican” ingredients and we might as well take advantage of them while we can.

This first recipe, EASY SPICY MEXICAN AMERICAN CHICKEN, calls for half a cup of Mexican-style hot sauce and a tablespoon of cayenne for just four thighs! Yikes! I looked online for a price for the brand recommended in the recipe, and it looks like it’s something different than I was expecting. I was thinking hot sauce like Tabasco sauce, and two tablespoons of that per thigh, plus almost a tablespoon of cayenne would be explosively hot! The Mexican-style hot sauce comes in 12 ounce bottles, though, instead of the 2 ounce bottles that Tabasco sauce comes in, so I’m assuming it’s not as potent. At any rate, use as much or as little as your taste buds demand. It was interesting reading the reviews of the original recipe. Apparently it makes a huge difference what kind of hot sauce you use. If you use Frank’s hot sauce and the full tablespoon of cayenne, you’d better have a cast-iron mouth and gullet. Adjust the heat to suit your own taste. Someone suggested dipping the chicken in ranch dressing to cool it down a bit, and a few other folks said that the chicken reminds them of Buffalo wings. I’m saying to remove the skin from the chicken, because several reviewers said that the fat from the chicken made the sauce too runny. Leave it on or take it off; it’s up to you. Just be sure to make CHICKEN CHIPS if you do remove the skin!

There are usually ten chicken leg quarters in a ten-pound bag from Walmart (I think they were a bit smaller when I got them from Kroger a year or so ago, so a few more in the bag) so they’re about a pound each. That’s 69 cents per leg or $2.76 for the four of them. Let’s figure $1.00 for the seasonings; it will depend on what brand of hot sauce you use. That’s $3.76 for the whole batch, or 94 cents each.

Let’s have a salad (half a head of lettuce and four ounces of Roma tomatoes) and a cup of ranch dressing to put on the salad and to dip the chicken in. That’s another $1.70. You can finish it off with a diced avocado or wedges of cantaloupe. The avocado brings the total to $6.15, or $1.54, which is 4 cents per person over my goal of $1.50 per person. Maybe the hot sauce will be cheaper than I'm estimating. A third of a cantaloupe, cut in four wedges, instead of the avocado will bring it to $5.96, or $1.49 per person. Or have corn on the cob to go with it. Four ears will be $1.20. The corn plus the chicken will be $5.00, and you can have an avocado and some ranch dressing for dipping the chicken and still keep it to $6.00 total.

I’m counting CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH GREEN CHILIS as quasi-Mexican because of the green chilis and the cumin. At any rate, it’s more Mexican than the tacos Mom used to make for us back in the 60s and 70s. The filling, as best I can remember, was a mixture of canned chili and corned beef hash! But it was served in taco shells with lettuce and cheese so it was Mexican. That was way back in the days when about the only “ethnic” food was chop suey or Italian spaghetti and pizza. We are so lucky these days to have so much ethnic food available, some of it authentic and a lot of it more influenced by than real.

I have to guess at how much the chilis cost. Using a cost of $1.00 (and it seems to me that I looked into that some time ago and they were pretty cheap), this will cost about $6.85 and will make eight servings, or about 86 cents per serving. Let’s call it 90 cents, shall we? That makes it $3.60 for four servings. How about a pound of frozen broccoli to go with it, for another $1.00, and two avocados for $1.40. That comes to a total of $6.00 for four servings, or $1.50 per serving. Or one avocado, thinly sliced so everyone gets three or four slices, and half a head of lettuce, a sliced tomato or two, and some dressing. That’s still right about $6.00. Or some cantaloupe instead of the broccoli or salad, which still keeps it about $6.00. Or corn on the cob.

The introductory info on the recipe for CHICKEN WITH CHIPOTLE says that it is “a true Mexican chicken recipe,” for whatever that’s worth. It sounds good, though, regardless of how true it is. The chicken will cost about $4.15, or about $1.05 per serving for four servings. Serve it with SPICY MEXICAN COLESLAW for a total cost of about $6.00, or $1.50 per serving.

I have to be really vague about the cost of the coleslaw, because I don’t buy jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice or orange juice. But I’m pretty sure it will cost less than $2.00. I guessed at the prices and came up with $1.55. Will you let me call it $1.85 so that the coleslaw plus the chicken comes to $6.00 for four servings? Thanks!

Here’s another side dish, SOUTHWESTERN ROASTED CARROTS, you could serve with any of these chicken dishes. It’s cheaper than any of the sides I’ve suggested so far. A batch of these will cost about 60 cents.

And a final recipe. Or more of an idea than a recipe. You’ve probably heard of this or some variation on it. There are lots of recipes for SALSA CHICKEN. Basically, you just season some chicken (taco seasoning is easy, or sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin) and then cook it either on top of the stove or in the oven until the chicken is done. Pour some salsa (you pick the heat) over the top of the chicken and sprinkle some shredded cheddar over the salsa. Cook it for about 10 minutes more or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Assuming four leg quarters, a cup of salsa and a cup of cheese, you’re looking at about $4.20 for four servings.

Leftover Chicken Sante Fe Several Ways

LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE SALAD, is different than the recipes I usually .give, with corn, beans and tortilla strips. It just sounded too good to skip, and it can be adapted so many ways. Leave out the tortilla strips and put it in taco shells instead for LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE TACOS. Spread the salad in tortillas or wraps for LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE WRAPS. Wrap it up in tortillas for LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE BURRITOS. Leave out the lettuce and add the rest to some cooked rice for LEFTOVER SANTA FE CHICKEN, BEANS AND RICE and serve the salad on the side. And so on. You get the idea.

LEFTOVER CHICKEN SANTA FE SALAD

(based on a recipe at food.com)

1/4 c Italian dressing (creamy or regular)

1/4 c chunky salsa (hot or mild)

2 T lime juice

2 c cooked chicken

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

4 c salad mix (lettuce, cabbage and carrots), or shredded lettuce

1/4 c (4 T) sour cream

2 oz shredded Cheddar cheese (1/2 c)

tortilla strips 

Mix the Italian dressing, salsa and lime juice together in a large bowl, big enough to hold the whole salad. Add the chicken, beans, corn and lettuce and toss to coat. Divide the salad on four plates and top each serving with a tablespoon of sour cream and two tablespoons of shredded Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle a few tortilla strips on each serving.

Tortilla Strips

To make your own tortilla strips, cut corn tortillas in strips about 1/2” wide and 2” long. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake them at 350 for 6 minutes. Use a spatula to turn them over (don’t worry if not all of them get turned over, just try to get most of them), sprinkle them with salt, and bake them another 6 to 9 minutes or until they just start to brown. Remove them from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle with more salt to serve.

You can make tortilla strips in the microwave, too. Cut the corn tortillas into strips like above, and spread them out in a single layer, not touching on a paper towel-lined plate. Nuke them until they are crisp but not burnt. Check them after 30 seconds, though it may take up to a minute and a half. How long it will take depends on your microwave. Sprinkle with salt to serve.

Mexican Chicken Soup

(adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mexican-chicken-soup-recipe/index.html )

3 cups of cooked, diced chicken

2 T olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped onions (1 onion)
1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1 cup chopped carrots (2 carrots)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the chicken, chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and cilantro. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Top with sour cream or diced avocado, if desired. 

Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken

(based on a recipe at allrecipes.com)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds total)

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/2 t cumin

1-1/2 c salsa (half of a 24 oz jar)

1 c shredded Cheddar cheese (preferably sharp) (or use pepper jack)

1/2 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine garlic powder, salt, pepper and cumin and rub over the chicken. Place the chicken in a 9” square baking dish and top with the salsa. Bake for about 30 minutes, then add the Cheddar cheese and bake another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Let each person add his/her own sour cream.

Fajita Salad

Sort of like a taco salad, but made with fajita-cooked meat and veggies. You can add whatever toppings you want - sour cream, shredded cheddar, salsa, jalapenos, olives, guacamole, etc. If you’re not going to eat all six servings immediately, put aside the extra meat and veggie mixture before you put it on the lettuce or add the toppings. Then, when you’re ready to eat it, just heat up the meat and veggies, and continue with making the salads.

(based on a recipe at tasteofhome.com)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 sweet red pepper, julienned

1 green pepper, julienned

1 medium onion, halved and then thinly sliced

1 head iceberg or other lettuce, roughly chopped or shredded

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Toppings – sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, salsa, etc.

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice and seasonings; add the chicken. Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.

Discard marinade. In the same skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Return pepper mixture to pan; heat through.

Put a pile of lettuce on each of six plates. Top with the chicken and pepper mixture, then with the tomatoes. Add the toppings, or pass them and let each person add his/her own.