In my never ending quest to get healthy, (in preparation of Obamacare destroying my medical coverage and forcing me to pay more for my pills then for my mortgage) I have been creating recipes that are low calorie, low sodium, low cholesterol and mst importantly, cheap.
I found a farmers market near my house. The veggies are inexpensive and grown locally.
This recipe I brought in for under $2.00 a person and less than 200 calories a serving.
Chicken and Mushrooms
1 lb chicken breast, boneless and fat trimmed $2.50 at Price Choppers
1 lb whole wheat rotini, $5.00 from the farmers market
1 onion $.25
1/2 lb mushrooms $1.00
1 sprig parsley $1.00 got whole bag, only need a bit
1 12 oz can evaporated milk $1.75
1 tsp corn starch
Olive oil, I added a couple of cloves of garlic to mine. Get good flavor from it
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat pan, add olive oil, sliced onions and cook till opaque (love that)
Slice up chicken and add to pan. Add a bit of water to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add mushrooms. Stir a couple of times then add 1/2 can of evaporated milk. Add cornstarch to other half of can add stir till smooth. When liquid is about 1/2 way cooked down, add the parsley and stir. Add other 1/2 can and cook till thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Poor over cooked rotini.
Since it is just me, I made 5 bags, dated them and tossed them in freezer. When I am ready to use them I toss them in boiling water for a few.
Desert is now frozen strawberries and blackberries with whipped cream. I buy them by the 2 lb box, wash them, cut them and freeze them in individual packets. They are sweet, gives you some crunch and are low in sugar and calories. 12 services for about $.45 a serving.
Enjoy
Your recipe sounds good. With a little planning ahead you could make it for even less per person.
I pay .99 cents per pound for Chicken breasts with the bone in them. I cut them off the bone myself and throw the bones in a separate freezer bag to use for making soups another time.
If you watch for boxed pasta to go on sale at your local grocery store, you can often pick it up for $1.00 lb. or less. Add a coupon and double it when you can and sometimes you can get it for free!
Stock up on onions when they are on sale cheap. Onions are 10. cents each or less when I buy them this way.
Evaporated milk is on sale a lot too, I never pay more than .99 a can for it, and often less if I have a coupon for it.
Just doing those four things would save you at least $6.42 off the cost of the entire dish.
Your recipe sounds delicious, but I would like to offer one caution. If you add garlic to your olive oil be sure to refrigerate it. Garlic can introduce botulism to the oil and it will grow at room temp. You won’t know it until you need the Obama care, as it will taste fine, and cooking doesn’t kill the toxin from botulism.