Supper Savings- A Quick and Simple Meal for During the Week

Tags: Family Dinner recipe, Dinner under $50, Under 1 hour recipe

This is the first edition of my weekly series that I will title Supper Savings. Since the pandemic the is a marked increase in food prices that can be unbearable at times to see. With this in mind, my series will be designed to help you save money, whilst still having amazing flavorful food. I remember a time when I was looking to make a quick dinner and what I anticipated being a $20 meal turned out to be upwards of $50. This felt absolutely ridiculous to me, so since then I have set out to find loops holes in this system that drains my bank account over dinner.

In todays post, we will explore a recipe for $25 before tax. It is set up for limitless potential to help one save and also not be stuck with the same meal option all the time. This is also a simple meal for during the week that someone can just whip up in less than an hour. It is a pan-sear chicken (or any other protein), a starch (I used rice), and some vegetable (I used green beans). This is because with any combination of seasoning you can go the Asian inspired route, French, Southern, or anything you feel is worthwhile. I live by the moto that the kitchen is where you get to explore with flavor, spice, and combinations of foods. I get some inspiration from Smitten Kitchen, which is another blog where Deb will talk about her own experimentation in the kitchen to further show the limitless potential in cooking. 

This idea can also be scaled to feed larger families and I will show a way to help stretch chicken breasts to get more portions out of a single breast. In, this recipe, I only set up to make two portions, but normally I use this combination in feeding a family of four. Although at the time of cooking this recipe, there were only two people to feed, hence the reduced portions you will see. 

Lets break down these three categories of what we will be cooking today. All my ingredients I purchase from a local Meijer. I find they have a great variety of produce and tend to have meats that are not overly priced. 

We will start with preparing our protein:

Here I am using a two pack of chicken, but there is a trick to making one chicken breast be enough to feed two people. What you want to do is slice the breast in half over its length. This will give you two slightly thinner pieces of chicken, but still an ample sized portion that can be presented beautifully. 

I will make a note about the sizing of the two slices of chicken. This breast was a little more awkwardly shaped so it resulted in one breast being longer than the other, but they are both the similar in weight in the end. The more "short" one on the left just appears smaller. So, in the end do not worry about someone feeling like they are missing out on portions of food due to one breast being sliced into two. 

Now onto seasoning the sliced chicken:

This is where you can truly experiment with flavor combinations with chicken, or any protein for that matter, but this sort of thing works best with chicken. Here I am using a variety of herbs like thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley. I find fresh thyme tastes far superior than the dried variety, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. I am going for a more lemon vibe with this chicken, so there is also lemon pepper and a fresh lemon. The fresh lemon I will zest into the chicken and use the juice from about half of a lemon as well. 

When it comes to measurements I am big on stopping when your heart says to, but a good start will be: 

1&1/2 teaspoons of : oregano, basil, parsley, lemon pepper, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder

1 teaspoon of : salt, lemon zest

~1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

These spices can be swapped out for whatever spices you do have at hand. For this recipe at a minimum you would need one lemon, thyme, and salt and pepper. 

I like to let those seasonings marinate with the chicken and about a quarter cup of olive oil for around 30 minutes. Which is great because it gives us time to prep the other two components.

We will jump into the veggie option next:

Here I used fresh green beans (that I forgot to include in the photo of everything laid out, but these are the ones I used from Meijer). Yet, there are so many other wonderful options that you can use, such as, brussels sprouts, asparagus, carrots, or corn, to name a few. If there are any recipes on veggies you would be interested in let me known in the comments below. I have various recipes for roasted brussel sprouts, asparagus, and broccoli. Just because vegetables are a side does not mean they do not deserve to shine in their own right. 

The green beans I hit with:

1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder

1 Tablespoon of butter and olive oil.

Now lets prepare our starch:

Here I am using basmati rice. A kitchen staple ingredient is rice, so I buy it in bulk to help save in the long run. Dry goods like this are shelf stable for months, which means I can buy a larger amount and use it over the course of a few months. With rice it is important to think about how much it will puff up as it cooks. There is a rule of thumb with rice that it will triple in size once cooked. This means that one cup of uncooked rice will become three cups. So, when gauging how much to use for portions is important. When I cook a portion for 4 people I will use around one and a half cups of rice. For 2 people I tend to use about a cup of rice. 

You can use any other starch like potatoes (mashed or any other variety). Comment below if you are interested in my mashed potato recipe. It is one of my Thanksgiving staples that I get loads of compliments on. 

With preparing rice you want to make sure to rinse the rice until the water runs clear. There is always debate on whether or not to wash rice and I find it to be important. There is loads of loose starch on rice when it is in its packaging, which is not inherently bad, but when it is left on during the cooking process you can get  clumpy rice. The starch will act as a thickening agent that will make all the rice stick together after it is cooked. This means you will have a harder time fluffing the rice and seeing those individual grains. So, just wash your rice.

Rice needs to be steamed as it cooks, but also cook off all the water in the process. This is a fine balance to maintain. For basmati rice you want around one and three quarters of a cup of liquid to every cup of rice. The liquid can just be plain water and you will get perfect rice, but you can elevate the rice by using a stock/ broth of some kind. Chicken stock is a great way to do a simple elevation. 

In addition to need rice + liquid, you need to season your rice as well. Everything you ever cook should be seasoned in the process. When using rice you can go the route of following suit of the rest of the seasoning like I did here. I used lemon zest, lemon juice (that I factored into the 1 &3/4 cup measurement), and all the seasonings from the chicken. You can also do something that will accent the protein. I have a recipe for a honey glazed salmon that pairs wonderfully with a lemon-zesty rice. I also have a recipe for a smokey chipotle grilled chicken that is divine with cilantro lime rice. 

Time to Start Cooking:

Once my rice is rinsed, in the pot with its liquid, and any seasonings, I will start cooking this first as this will take the longest of everything. I start the rice on high heat until I see the bubbling to beginning, then I switch the heat to medium-low for around 20 minutes or until I just barely see some bubbles popping through the rice. At which point I will switch it to low for 5 minutes, then off for 5 minutes with keeping the pot on the heat. After all this time you should have tender rice that you can fluff with a fork.

During the rice cooking you can start the vegetable and the protein. I tend to start these right after I switch the heat to medium low on my rice. To start the chicken you want a pan with a glug of olive oil over medium high heat. You know the pan is hot enough to add your chicken when the oil moves freely across the pan and does not do its slow drizzle. Once the pan is hot, you then want to add the chicken. Lay it down on the side you want face up in the end. As you lay the chicken down make sure to lay it away from you to avoid burning yourself.

Once the chicken is in the pan do not touch it in the slightest for around 3-4 minutes. This will ensure a cook sear and great color. After these first few minutes have passed I turn my green beans on a medium heat. 

You can now use some tongs to peak at the chicken and get a look at its color, if there is a nice golden brown you can flip the chicken. Let this side cook for a few minutes more. After this is where you can do something called butter basting. It helps accomplish two things:

1st- it helps ensure an even cook on the chicken to make sure there are no raw spots.

2nd- the more impactful is that the chicken will be imbued with a little extra flavor and elevate this dish even more. 

A butter bast can be simply butter in the pan, but it can be flavored as well. In this dish I added some sprigs of fresh thyme and two garlic cloves. This impart their flavor into the butter, which then is added to the chicken. 

To do a proper butter bast you toss in around two tablespoons of butter and whatever you want to add to the pan. Once added let the butter melt for a little bit, then take a spoon and tilt the pan towards you. Use the spoon to scoop and pour the butter over the chicken. Do this for around 30 seconds to 1 minute for the best results. Then lay the pan back down on the heat. The chicken should be almost fully done at this stage and throughout all this, keep an eye on the green beans with a stir every now and again. At this point in the cooking process it should also be time to flick the heat to low on  the rice. This is the only part where you have to do a little juggling.

Our chicken should be just about done now, you can either give it a poke to get a feel for its doneness, it should have some give, but not feel overly squishy. You can also use a thermometer. Chicken needs to be cooked to 165*F to be considered safe to eat, but if you get it to that temperature in a pan then it will be over by the time you plate it. So you want the chicken around 160*F when you remove it from the pan. We will rest the chicken on the cutting board for around 5 minutes or so and during this time there is carry over heat that will bring us to the 165*F. 

Onto plating:

With our chicken resting on the cutting board our green beans should be done enough to turn the heat off and turn the rice burner off as well. I like to keep the green beans on the hot burner with it off to help it all stay warm. Now is when I will gather my plates and pour any drinks for dinner. It is also a good time to get the table set. We have a quick 5 minutes before we have to worry about plating. This can also be a good time to clean what dishes you can.

Now that our 5 minutes have past I will fluff my rice and give it a taste to see if it is fully done. Ideally the rice is done, but for some reason if it is now I will add just a splash of water and set it on the burner on medium low for another 5 minutes. If the rice is not done we can handle the other components of the plating, but ideally plating the rice is done first.

I like to fill a little bowl with the rice to help shape into a cute little mound on the plate, but it is not required at all.

Now that the rice is plated I will slice my chicken. You want to slice it diagonally and against the grain to give a more pleasing appearance. You can place the kitchen on the place next to the rice and then add the green beans nestled between it all. 

Finishing touches:

The last step is any sort of garnish you want to add. Here I took my kitchen shears and cut some small rings of chive over it all and served it with a slice of lemon to add some additional lemon flavor. Gordon Ramsey has a rule that any you put on the place is meant to be eaten in some way shape or form. It eliminates any confusion with your food and shows how everything you put down can impact flavor. 

We are now complete! Sit back with a glass of pinot grigio to enjoy this dish or whatever you so choose. I would be glad to make a post talking about wine pairing with dishes as well. When it comes to dinner parties a great gift to bring is wine, but you have to bring the right bottle to pair with dinner.

I would love to hear what you think about this dish or something you would want to see in future postings.

All images Copyright of Ethan McGrath 2024

Let's Cook Quality Food Together

Tags: Home cook,  gluten allergy, college student,   

When it comes to being a home cook, people tend to think less of the quality when compared to a restaurant. I find this to be blatantly false as I know many people who can cook quality food on their own. I have been a self-taught home chef for the past seven years and do not limit myself with what I can cook. As a home cook I live by the moto that there is always pizza just one call away. 

Through my trials and tribulations of learning to cook has taught me valuable skills in the kitchen that professional chefs use in their everyday career. I have found a love of French and East Asian cuisine in my own practice and find the skills transferrable to other types of cuisine. 

I also have experience changing recipes for a gluten allergy. My partner of three years has a gluten allergy, yet this has not stopped me from making tender chocolatey cupcakes or from making breaded buttermilk chicken tenders. With this in mind there will always be some substitutions for those with such allergies,  such as using King Arthur brand of gluten free flour over the normal all-purpose. 

Through this blog we will explore tips and tricks for newcomers to the kitchen and some recipes of my own design that I have perfected over my years of experience. There will also be a focus this within the realm of a college student income food budget to accommodate the ever-increasing food costs. Many "fancy" appearing dishes and desserts can be made with simply priced items and result in marvelous food.  For those of you new to cooking, this is a great place to start, and I look forward to this journey with you.

I will also show where inspiration for recipes come from. I often do not follow a set recipe, but I love to be inspired by fellow chefs out there. I also do love to follow professional recipes of new dishes to me. For example, a baker I come back to time and again is Claire Saffitz who has many glorious recipes that I love and we will mostly likely explore one of her recipes through this blog. 

As a preview of coming attractions to this blog here are recent dishes I made. Which include a broccoli cheddar egg soufflé, a pan seared chicken on a bed of rice with green beans and a compound butter, and gluten free buttermilk chicken tenders with fresh French fries and fried pickles. 

In the end, this blog will hopefully help you along your journey to finding your home in the kitchen and not fearing experimentation. The kitchen opens you up to a multitude of opportunity of flavor and through it all I am looking for your input on the recipes and what interest you have in content. I have so much I cannot wait to share, and I look forward to interacting with you all.