30 Days to a Food Revolution- Penny Pinching Epicure

30 Days to a Food Revolution- Penny Pinching Epicure Welcome to the continuation of our wildly successful 30 Days to a Food Revolution.  There were so many blogs with such great information to share that we couldn’t fit them all, in just 30 days.  So the plan is every Tuesday, as long as I have people who want to guest blog, will be our Food Revolution day.

Today’s guest blogger is Rella. Rella has been dairy free for almost 4 years and gluten free for 1. She started a her blog as a way to share recipes and tips on how to make delicious, gourmet food but still stay on a food budget–something that isn’t so easy, especially with food allergies.

Rella’s Recipe:  Indian-Spiced Chicken Smothered in Onions

Rella’s Tip: Experiment with new flavors

30 Days to a Food Revolution- Penny Pinching Epicure I keep a pretty tight food budget, so I limit the kinds of foods that I buy, and I get things in bulk when I can because it’s frequently cheaper.

What does this mean? I eat a lot of the same base ingredients (starches, protein, fruits and vegetables) all the time. I also have a number of food allergies, so that further limits my options. To make sure I don’t get sick of what I’m eating, I have to get creative.

The secret is in the flavor profile–I can use the same basic ingredients, but vary the flavors in such a way that I don’t feel like I’m eating the same thing two nights in a row! Not only do I switch up the salt, sweet, spicy and savory flavors, but I’ve recently started experimenting with new spices from a variety of cultures and regions (lately, I’m on an Indian kick)–smoked paprika, whole coriander, mustard seed, fennel seed…it’s amazing what you can do. Spices also help me add lots of deep flavor and richness without adding sugar or fat.

Note: I like to buy spices that are preservative free, like those here.

Here is a simple chicken recipe that is guaranteed to knock your socks off (and anyone you care to share your dinner with :)). I use garam masala, an Indian spice blend that includes pepper, coriander, cumin, cloves, anise; different blends will vary in flavor depending on their ingredients. I also deglaze the pan to make sure I get up all the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

For more budget friendly recipes, check out my blog at Penny Pinching Epicure. For all of my chicken recipes, follow this link.

30 Days to a Food Revolution- Penny Pinching Epicure

Indian-Spiced Chicken Smothered in Onions

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, quartered and sliced

4 garlic cloves, cracked and peeled

2 Tbsp garam masala

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp ketchup
4 boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup white wine or vegetable stock

Directions:

  1. Heat oil over high flame in a large skillet or dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and saute until browned, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 4-6 minutes more.
  2. Combine spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of chicken, rubbing to adhere.
  3. Add chicken to pan and brown 1-2 minutes on each side. Combine wine or stock with ketchup and use to deglaze the pan, stirring all ingredients to combine, then cover and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
  4. Serve over steam basmati rice or quinoa with a side of steamed broccoli.

The cost:

onion: .45

garlic: .15

garam masala: 2.39

chicken: 10.99

rice/quinoa: 1.99

broccoli: 1.99

Grand total: $17.96; serves 4 ($4.49/person)

5 Responses to 30 Days to a Food Revolution- Penny Pinching Epicure

  1. WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.