Chicken and Zucchini Gratin

7-8 servings
Total price: NY $20.79 (including extra pasta and garlic for another use)
Price per serving: NY $3.46

Wow, doing the math for this one really brought home that its true that the price of produce is going up, and the price of meat is coming down! I’m kind of shocked that we spent almost twice as much on (admittedly out of season) zucchini as we did on chicken. Anyway, this is a great, flavorful dish that, though loaded with veggies, has enough in common with mac-n-cheese and other casseroles to satisfy comfort food cravings (and who isn't having those these days?).


Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken broth (NY $1.49)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (NY $0.59 for one head)
• 1 cup whole grain or regular tubettini, ditalini, orzo or similar pasta* (NY $2.99 for box)
• 1/4 lb. swiss cheese, unsliced** (NY $3.50 for Alpine Lace)
• 4 zucchini (NY $6.01)
• 1 large onion, such as Vidalia (NY $1.56)
• ½ pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (NY $3.72 for 0.52 1b.)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (staple)
• 2 tsps oregano (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)
• 1 tbsp grated or shredded parmesan cheese*** (staple)
• ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (NY $2.49)
• Optional: Unseasoned breadcrumbs**** (staple)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley***** (staple)

Directions
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then into ¼ inch thick slices. Slice the onion into ¼ inch slices, and mince the garlic.

Bring the chicken broth and one clove of garlic to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add pasta and cook until al dente, per package directions (approx. 8 minutes).

While pasta cooks, grate the swiss and mozzarella. (If you have sliced swiss instead of a hunk, just cut into small pieces.) Cut the chicken into 1/3 inch-wide slices.

In a large (as big as you’ve got!) skillet, warm the olive oil over medium high until fragrant. Add the onion (pop out the slices with your thumb so that the rings separate) and remainder of the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, just until the onion begins to color. (About 3 minutes.)

Add the zucchini, oregano, several grinds of pepper, a dash of salt and cook until the zucchini begins to soften, about 3 minutes. If you’ve got a really enormous skillet like we do, scoot the vegetables off to the sides of the skillet and add chicken into the center. Continue cooking approximately 5 more minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. If you have a smaller skillet, cook the vegetables until cooked through, and transfer to plate. Then throw a little more oil into the skillet, warm, and stir-fry the chicken approximately 3 minutes until just cooked. Then return the vegetables to the skillet.

Add the cooked pasta with the cooking liquid, grated swiss and mozzarella, and stir well to combine. In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and parsley (if using.) Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over top of dish. Broil until golden, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Alternate directions for those without broilers: We have a broiler, but its very narrow and not deep enough to broil anything without instantly setting it on fire. What we do have, however, is a Crème Brulee torch! (Only in NYC, right?) Here’s what we do: After combining the cheeses, leave the dish on the stove for a few more minutes, while stirring gently. Then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture across the top and break out the torch! Move the flame slowly and continuously across the top of the gratin, until the top browns.

Adapted from “Fast, Fresh and Delicious”, an actual Time-Life Book my mother gave me over a decade ago

* Whole grain can be hard to find in these shapes, so we ended up using regular pasta this time. Both work if you can find them (and like whole grain pasta).

** You can get this from the deli counter. If you live in NYC, the guy behind the counter will grumble about cutting off such a small portion, but will do it anyway. I’m guessing that if you live elsewhere, he’ll do it and tell you to have a nice day. Either way, you’ll pay less than you would have for a larger pre-packed quantity of swiss cheese, which you’d then have to use up.

*** We keep this in the freezer and it lasts for several months.

**** What we do for breadcrumbs is save the crusts from whole wheat bread, throw them into the food processor, then freeze. Healthier, tastier, and cheaper than the overpriced cartons of sawdust-like material you find at the grocery store.

***** We consider parsley to be a staple b/c we grow it in a herb pot. Some herbs work better than others in pots, but we’ve had great success with parsley on the window sill. Rosemary has turned out fantastically for us, but cilantro and basil were both a disaster. Have you tried this? What works for you? Any tips? Please share in the comments!
Nutrition Facts
Approximate amount for 1/7 of dish, using regular pasta and wholegrain breadcrumbs

Calories: 318.4	Vitamin A: 6.2 %	Iron: 10.0%
Total Fat: 13.1 g	Vitamin B-12: 12.9%	Magnesium: 8.2%
Cholesterol: 47.8 mg	Vitamin B-16: 14.5%	Magnesium: 8.2%
Sodium: 351.0 mg	Vitamin C: 12.9%	Niacin: 33.7%
Potassium: 350.8mg	Vitamin D: 1.8%	Phosphorus: 36.4%
Total Carb: 22.5 g	Vitamin E: 2.8%	Riboflavin: 18.2%
Fiber: 1.5 g	Calcium: 40.9%	Selenium: 20.5%
Sugars: 0.9 g	Copper: 6.6%	Thiamin: 19%
Protein: 26.1 g	Folate: 16.5%	Zinc: 11.7%

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Veggie-ful Black Beans and Brown Rice

4 servings
Total Price: NY $ 7.33/ NY $ 16.11
Price per serving: NY $1.83/ NY $4.03


So you probably didn’t need me to tell you that rice and beans are budget-friendly. And you probably have already figured out that subbing brown rice for the traditional white makes the whole works healthier. What makes this rice ‘n’ beans recipe a little different is the quantity of veggies that go into it. The result is a really tasty dish that is chock full of protein, fiber, vitamins and I’m guessing those phytochemical and antioxidant thingies one hears so much about these days. You can also throw in extra odds and ends veggies you happen to have on hand, like red pepper, carrots, even celery or zucchini chopped up kind of fine. The leftovers from this pack great for lunch: just put the rice on the bottom of your Tupperware, layer on the beans and tomatoes in the same container, and pop in the microwave at lunch time. It’s so simple my brother could cook it, and cheap, cheap, cheap! Everyone I’ve ever made this for or recommended it to has loved it. (Hmmm, or at least that’s what they tell me. . .) Here’s hoping you will too.



Ingredients

• 1 14.5 oz can black beans (NY $1.79)
• 2 tomatoes (NY $2.70)
• 1 large green pepper (NY $0.95)
• 2 medium onions (NY $1.30)
• 2 cloves garlic (NY $ 0.59 for one head)
• Balsamic vinegar (staple)
• White cooking wine (staple, or NY $3.29 for 16 oz.)*
• Oregano (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)
• Olive Oil (staple)
• Cooked brown rice (staple, or NY $5.49 for 36 oz.)

Directions
Chop and saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in 2 tbsps olive oil, until tender. (About ten minutes.) Add the can of beans with their liquid. Add 2 tbsps or so balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsps or so wine, 1.5 tsps oregano, black pepper and a little salt. Add some water if its looking dry or if you like your beans soupy. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Serve over brown rice, topped generously with seeded, chopped raw tomato.

Very loosely adapted from the black beans and white rice recipe that was on the back of the Goya can about 10 years ago

* A note on cooking wine: Yes, this recipe uses it. If you don’t know, cooking wine is an shelf stable product available in the grocery store, made by adding salt to wine as a preservative. Its an inexpensive product that some folks get truly virulent about. There are many who will tell you that if you wouldn’t drink a wine, you shouldn’t cook with it either. Now, there are some dishes for which that is undoubtedly true, but rice ‘n’ beans really isn’t one of them. And its not the most wallet-friendly of philosophies in any event. Unless you were going to cork open a bottle anyway (and, though tempting, something we’re trying to avoid these days, emphasis on trying) its silly to do so just to dump a few glugs into your beans. However, if you’re really stuck on avoiding cooking wine but still want to cook with wine, here are some other ideas. You can save leftovers from a bottle you haven’t quite finished drinking (note: this does not happen frequently in my house), freeze them in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a zip-top baggie and store in the freezer for future cooking. Just toss the cubes into the pot while cooking, or defrost first if the temperature drop would mess up your recipe. Another idea is to pick up minibar size bottles of el cheapo wine at the liquor store, and use those for cooking. For this recipe which only calls for about 2 tbsps, however, you’d end up with extra Sutter Home. And tell me, oh wine snob who didn’t want to condescend to use cooking wine in the first place, do you really want to drink that? Another tip is to substitute dry vermouth, which is shelf-stable even after opening, for the wine in your recipe. All tips and tricks worth trying for different purposes. But really, for rice and beans? Go on, just shell out the $3.29 for the cooking wine. I won’t tell.

Nutrition Facts
Approximate values per serving, assuming ½ cup brown rice

Calories: 334	Protein: 11.8 g	Iron: 16.3%
Total Fat: 8.5 g	Vitamin A: 13.4 %	Magnesium: 30.1%
Cholesterol: 0	Vitamin B-16: 20.9%	Niacin: 13.6%
Sodium: 20.7 mg	Vitamin C: 52.4%	Phosphorus: 24.5%
Potassium: 54.3g	Vitamin E: 8.4%	Riboflavin: 8.2%
Total Carb: 54.3 g	Calcium: 5.2%	Selenium: 16.4%
Fiber: 11.4 g	Copper: 19.8%	Thiamin: 26.5%
Sugars: 1.2 g	Folate: 39.7%	Zinc: 12.0%

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

"French" Lentil Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit, Dec. 2006
6 generous servings
Total Price: NY $17.14
Price per serving: NY $2.86


Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil (staple)
• 3 garlic cloves, diced (NY $ 0.59 for one head)
• 3 medium onions, chopped (NY $1.99)
• 5 organic celery stalks, chopped (NY $3.49)
• a handful of baby carrots chopped (NY $ 2.00 for one bag)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (NY $ 4.99 for organic)
• 1 ¼ cups lentils, rinsed and drained (NY $ 1.89 for one bag)
• 1 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes in juices (NY $ 2.19 for one can, organic)
• Salt and pepper (staple)
• Balsamic vinegar (staple)

Directions
Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Saute until vegetables start to brown (softening, but still firm), about 15 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes in juice and lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Cook until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

Once cooked, puree about half of soup either using a stick blender or by transferring several cups to a blender and pureeing. Return puree to pot. If desired, thin soup with a few tablespoons water. Season with a healthy splash of balsamic vinegar, several grinds of pepper, and salt to taste.

Garnish with celery leaves, serve and enjoy! Like many soups, the leftovers are even better once the flavors have a chance to meld.

Nutrition Facts
Approximate values per serving

Calories: 201	Vitamin B-6: 10.8%	Manganese: 18.4%
Total fat: 7.1 g	Vitamin C: 46.3%	Niacin: 4.5%
Cholesterol: 0g	Vitamin E: 5.8%	Phosphorus: 11%
Potassium: 401.8 mg	Calcium: 10.6%	Riboflavin: 4.1%
Carbs: 28.9 g	Copper: 8.1%	Selenium: 2.7%
Fiber: 7.5 g	Folate: 24.1%	Thiamin: 8.4%
Protein: 5.5 g	Iron: 13.5%	Zinc: 5%
Vitamin A: 99 %	Magnesium: 6.6%

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump