Eating Cheap

Just back from Northern Nevada where the living is frugal because no one has much money.

Chicken and rice: the day after I returned, I was busy with unpacking, bills, mail, laundry, well, you know, a million and one things which did not yet include grocery shopping.
Found two nice boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces in the freezer. Halves from the look of them. While they thawed, I got out the rice and put some dried tomatoes to soak. Chopped up 3/4 of a red onion and some garlic.

When the breasts were thawed, I cut each in half and sauteed them in a mixture of butter and canola oil. For the yin and the yang as it were. Removed the chicken from the skillet and dumped in the onion and garlic. Once that was softened I added the tomato and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and another pinch of Herbes de Province. Cook the seasonings for a minute them dumped the rice in and sauteed that. Opened a carton of low-salt chicken broth and measured out the correct amount for the rice, minus what the tomato water would add. Dumped the broths in and set the breasts back on top of the rice/veggie mixture. Put a tight-fitting lid on the skillet and put the whole business into the oven for 20 minutes.

Served with a can (79 cents) whole green beans. This was really tasty and we made two meals out of it which made it even cheaper. The second night I served carrots and a salad along with the chicken dish.

Today, I found some pieces of pot roast in the freezer and made beef and barley vegetable soup. This will also make two meals. Browned onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until limp. Added some thawed peas and a handful of grape tomatoes. Paprika, salt, pepper, and some cilantro and dill thinnings from the garden. Poured in the barley and added the leftover chicken broth from the previous meal along with a carton of mushroom brother from the Ocean State Job Lot ($1.50). Are you getting the idea? This meal cost next to nothing. We had a salad and some bread sticks also from the Job Lot.

I hope you keep barley, beans, lentils, rice, couscous, pasta and grains around. They are cheap, nutricious and filling. I always have onions, garlic, carrots, celery and tomatoes, and frozen peas in the freezer. Chicken vegetable, beef barley, the soups practically make themselves. Keep herbs on hand or better yet, grown your own.

Plan your meals around the grocery store's specials. And learn to make your own pizza. We can buy the dough for $1.59 and enjoy experimenting with various meats, veggies and cheeses. When tomatoes and basil are in season, you can't go wrong.

The Cheeseparer