First of all, please accept my
apologies for being unable to share with you many of the costs involved
with the preparation of this particular dinner. Much of the time
when Lauren and I will be shopping and see an item -- or several items
-- marked down or clearanced out , we buy it... only to throw it in the
freezer or pantry to be used later when we run out of ideas for dinner.
This is one such meal. I can tell you the cost of the chicken,
because we froze it and the label was still on the package, but that's
about all I know. The corn meal and chicken stock used for the
polenta, the veggies, and even the wine were purchased long enough ago
that the receipts have all been tossed. I will tell you however,
that the meal is not expensive to make. The ability to cut up a
whole chicken into pieces can make things even less expensive.
This is dinner for two, but with the amount of polenta created and some
extra veggies, it can easily feed four. That said, let's get
started!
shopping list:
2 boneless, skinless
chicken breasts
Mexican marinade (see
below)
1 Cup white or yellow
corn meal (I used white)
1 32-oz container chicken
stock
1 small onion - 1/2 of it
chopped and the other half thickly sliced (~ $0.25)
1 clove garlic - finely
chopped
~ 2 oz parmesan cheese -
grated
fresh Cilantro
Garden Salad made with
romaine (I estimate the cost at ~
$0.50 per person)
Optional: 1/2 bottle Sauvignon Blanc
from Trader Joe's ($4.99 per bottle or ~ $1.25 per person)
1 quartered and sliced
zucchini
~ 1/2 Cup sliced Shitake
or 4-5 sliced button mushrooms
~ 1-2 tablespoons olive
oil and 2-3 tablespoons butter
We'll make the polenta first,
since it needs time to cool after cooking. To a pre-heated, heavy
aluminum pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Add the garlic and onion and sauté (some say "sweat") them until
translucent -- about 3-4 minutes -- over medium-high heat. Add the
corn meal and continue to heat approx 5-6 minutes while making certain
to continue to stir the mixture so it won't burn. The corn meal
will immediately pull in the oil and butter -- don't be afraid to add
another tablespoon of butter -- and begin to attain the consistency of
gritty flour. Once the mixture begins to turn a light almond
color, add the chicken stock, while continuing to
stir. The corn
meal will tend to cake, so use a whisk or potato masher to get those
lumps out. Once the mixture is smooth, either remove from heat and
place into a 325-degree oven for about 35 minutes or simply continue to
heat and stir for about another 5-7 minutes, then cover and let rest for
about 30 minutes. Either way, finish by blending in the remaining
butter and parmesan and turn mixture into a glass pie dish or
rectangular baking dish and let cool for later use.
Now marinade the chicken breasts
in either a homemade sauce consisting of olive oil, crushed clove of
garlic, chili powder, cumin, chopped cilantro and ground coriander...
or... just take the easy way out and marinate them in some Archer
Farms (Target) Chilies & Lime sauce -- for at least and
hour, preferably longer. Grill them over med-hot coals, 4-6
minutes per side or until well-browned on both sides. Caution:
don't over-cook them, as the skinless meat will cook more quickly and
dry out more easily than that with skin on it!
While the chicken is grilling,
sauté the remaining onion with the zucchini and mushroom in a bit of
live oil and butter just until tender. Cut triangles of the
polenta and sauté them just to crisp the outside; top each with one of
the chicken breasts and serve with the veggies. (Note: I simply
squeezed fresh lime juice over the finished chicken for additional
flavor. If you wanted to get fancy, you could make some
hollandaise sauce, add some lime to it and put a puddle of it under the
polenta...) Garnish the plate
with a sprig of cilantro, add a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy!
First of all, please accept my
apologies for being unable to share with you many of the costs involved
with the preparation of this particular dinner. Much of the time
when Lauren and I will be shopping and see an item -- or several items
-- marked down or clearanced out , we buy it... only to throw it in the
freezer or pantry to be used later when we run out of ideas for dinner.
This is one such meal. I can tell you the cost of the chicken,
because we froze it and the label was still on the package, but that's
about all I know. The corn meal and chicken stock used for the
polenta, the veggies, and even the wine were purchased long enough ago
that the receipts have all been tossed. I will tell you however,
that the meal is not expensive to make. The ability to cut up a
whole chicken into pieces can make things even less expensive.
This is dinner for two, but with the amount of polenta created and some
extra veggies, it can easily feed four. That said, let's get
started!
We'll make the polenta first,
since it needs time to cool after cooking. To a pre-heated, heavy
aluminum pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Add the garlic and onion and sauté (some say "sweat") them until
translucent -- about 3-4 minutes -- over medium-high heat. Add the
corn meal and continue to heat approx 5-6 minutes while making certain
to continue to stir the mixture so it won't burn. The corn meal
will immediately pull in the oil and butter -- don't be afraid to add
another tablespoon of butter -- and begin to attain the consistency of
gritty flour. Once the mixture begins to turn a light almond
color, add the chicken stock, while continuing to
stir. The corn
meal will tend to cake, so use a whisk or potato masher to get those
lumps out. Once the mixture is smooth, either remove from heat and
place into a 325-degree oven for about 35 minutes or simply continue to
heat and stir for about another 5-7 minutes, then cover and let rest for
about 30 minutes. Either way, finish by blending in the remaining
butter and parmesan and turn mixture into a glass pie dish or
rectangular baking dish and let cool for later use.
consisting of olive oil, crushed clove of
garlic, chili powder, cumin, chopped cilantro and ground coriander...
or... just take the easy way out and marinate them in some Archer
Farms (Target) Chilies & Lime sauce -- for at least and
hour, preferably longer. Grill them over med-hot coals, 4-6
minutes per side or until well-browned on both sides. Caution:
don't over-cook them, as the skinless meat will cook more quickly and
dry out more easily than that with skin on it!
While the chicken is grilling,
sauté the remaining onion with the zucchini and mushroom in a bit of
live oil and butter just until tender. Cut triangles of the
polenta and sauté them just to crisp the outside; top each with one of
the chicken breasts and serve with the veggies. (Note: I simply
squeezed fresh lime juice over the finished chicken for additional
flavor. If you wanted to get fancy, you could make some
hollandaise sauce, add some lime to it and put a puddle of it under the
polenta...) Garnish the plate
with a sprig of cilantro, add a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy!