Pasta with Chicken & Vegetables

Wow. I am amazed at how cheap this meal was. I suppose that's what happens when you use frozen vegetables. This is an all-round success. I didn't even mind the whole wheat pasta. It wasn't as bad as I remembered it. I suppose I should add a caveat to the dollar total here that I don't really know how much the pasta cost ... it's from a batch Trent bought at Costco eons ago that we still have a few boxes of because I thought I hated it.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Whole wheat pasta	Fiber (6 g/24%), Protein (7 g), Iron (8%).	$2
Boneless skinless chicken breast (poached)	Protein (27 g), Iron (5%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Phosphorus. Very good source of Protein, Niacin, Selenium	$3
Frozen red bell pepper	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (25%), Vitamin C (49%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.96
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (77%), Fiber (1 g/3%). Very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.	$0.50
Frozen sweet corn	Fiber (2 g/4%), Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (6%), Iron (2%)	$1
Frozen baby peas	Fiber (3 g/9%), Protein (3 g), Vitamin A (20%), Vitamin C (15%), Calcium (1%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Manganese. Good source of Niacin, Folate, and Phosphorous.	$0.75
Parmesan	Protein (11 g), Vitamin A (4%), Calcium (35%), Iron (1%)	$0.35
Total	Fiber (13 g/43%), Protein (50 g), Iron (22%), Calcium (36%), Vitamin A (128%), Vitamin C (70%).	$8.56

Cost per person: $1.90
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber and Calcium; Fair Iron. Lean protein. One serving whole grains. 

Recipe: Saute 2 diced chicken breasts in 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat until opaque. Add vegetables, 1 T water, 1 T white wine vinegar, and salt; cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cooked pasta and serve with plenty of shredded parmesan. Based on a recipe in this book. 

Edamame and Vegetable Fried Rice

 

While visiting my brother for Thanksgiving, we went to a sushi restaurant, where my brother's kids, aged 3 and 18 months respectively, fell upon the edamame and tofu like it was candy. Nugget not so much. But after observing his cousins for a while he did come around to the edamame and ate a ton of it. So when we got home I quickly set about capitalizing on this new source of nutrition. It carried over, even though I bought shelled edamame -- next time he wants it in the pod. The fried rice he wouldn't touch, but while helping me make it he ate a lot of the vegetables (even the broccoli! and it was still frozen!), so it didn't really matter. Brown rice should put this meal up into excellent territory, as soon I get through my five pound bag of jasmine ...

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Frozen Edamame (shelled)	Fiber (5 g/20%), Protein (14 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (21%), Calcium (11%), Iron (10%). Good source of Vitamin K, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper; very good source of Manganese.	$1.96
Frozen broccoli	Fiber (1 g/3%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (6%), Vitamin C (19%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate and Manganese.	$0.49
Frozen red bell pepper	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (25%), Vitamin C (49%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.96
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (77%), Fiber (1 g/3%). Very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.	$0.50
Jasmine rice	Good source of Manganese and Selenium.	$0.88
Eggs	Protein (17 g), Vitamin A (15%), Calcium (10%), Iron (10%). Good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, and Phosphorus; very good source of Selenium.	$0.63
Total	Fiber (8 g/29%), Protein (32 g), Iron (22%), Calcium (22%), Vitamin A (125%), Vitamin C (89%).	$5.42

Cost per person: $1.55
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Fair Fiber, Iron, and Calcium. Vegetarian. No whole grains.

Basic recipe for fried rice here

Smoked Salmon, Carrotash, and Buttermilk Cornbread

I modified my succotash recipe last night to accommodate a bean-hating guest; I used carrots instead of lima beans. It was still delicious. With a quick pan of buttermilk cornbread and a smoked salmon I pulled out of the freezer the day before, it was an easy meal that was cheap and offered some good nutrition. Oh -- and it was really yummy.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Smoked salmon	Protein (18 g), Vitamin A (2%), Calcium (1%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Protein, Vitamin B12, and Selenium. Good source of Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Phosphorus	$3*
Frozen sweet corn	Fiber (2 g/4%), Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (6%), Iron (2%)	$2
Canned organic tomatoes	Fiber (1 g/4%), Vitamin A (10%), Vitamin C (20%), Calcium (2%), Iron (2%), Selenium (50%), Folate (5%)	$0.96
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (266%), Fiber (2 g/9%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin C (5%), Iron (1%), Calcium (2%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Manganese; good source of good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, and Potassium.	$0.50
Corn meal	Fiber (2 g/6%), Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (2%), Iron (4%), Thiamin (10%), Riboflavin (4%), Niacin (6%), Folic acid (10%).	$0.68
Buttermilk	Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin D (4%), Calcium (5%).	$1
Eagle Mills’ blend of white and whole grain flour	Fiber (2 g/8%), Protein (4 g), Iron (4%), Thiamin (6%), Riboflavin (2%), Niacin (4%), Folic acid (2%)	$0.21
Total	Fiber (9 g/31%), Protein (29 g), Iron (18%), Calcium (10%), Vitamin A (284%), Vitamin C (31%).	Salmon: $0.35/person Carrotash: $0.49/person Cornbread: $0.20/person

* The smoked salmon only cost us the fuel to smoke it; explanation here. 
Cost per person: $1.04
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A; Fair Fiber, Iron, and Vitamin C; Poor Calcium. Partial serving of whole grains. Fish as protein source.
 
Succotash recipe here (substitute a few T of olive oil for the butter; I used carrots instead of limas here)
Buttermilk cornbread recipe: Combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup corn meal, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk, 1 beaten egg, 1/4 cup canola oil. Bake about 20 minutes at 400 degrees in greased pan.

Tuna Salad with Carrots and Sunflower Seeds, Bread, Apples

A light and easy dinner before trick-or-treating. Cheap, but not as nutritious as I'd like. And unfortunately not very filling. I was starving and scarfed down some cheese a few minutes ago. Guess I should have included cheese in the meal, as I considered. Would've helped my calcium grade. I meant to put cabbage in the tuna salad, which would have added Vitamin C, but forgot. I was very happy with the tuna salad though. I've been searching for a way to make tuna salad without the crunch and moisture of celery, which Trent dislikes, and this fit the bill. I'll have to make it again with the cabbage.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Chunk white albacore tuna canned in water	Protein (26 g), Iron (5%), Vitamin D (12%), Niacin (60%), Vitamin B6 (20%), Vitamin B12 (20%), Selenium (180%)	$1.50
Fresh organic baby carrots	Fiber (1%), Vitamin A (30%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.25
Sunflower seeds	Fiber (1 g/5%), Protein (2 g), Calcium (1%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Vitamin E.	$0.33
Light mayonnaise made with olive oil	Vitamin A (1%)	$0.25
Homemade bread (with Eagle Mills’ blend of white and whole grain flour)	Fiber (2 g/8%), Protein (4 g), Iron (4%), Thiamin (6%), Riboflavin (2%), Niacin (4%), Folic acid (2%)	$0.27
Jonagold apples	Fiber (4 g/17%), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (14%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%).	$0.91
Total	Fiber (7 g/31%), Protein (32 g), Iron (29%), Calcium (2%), Vitamin A (33%), Vitamin C (14%).	$3.51

Cost per person: $1.40
Nutritional Goals: Good Vitamin A; Fair Fiber, Iron, and Vitamin C; Poor Calcium. One serving of whole grains. Fish as protein.

Pasta with Chicken, Carrots, & Green Beans

 

Menu/Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Enriched pasta	Fiber (2 g/8%), Protein (7 g), Iron (10%), Thiamine (35%), Riboflavin (15%), Niacin (20%), Folic acid (35%)	$1
Parmesan	Protein (11 g), Vitamin A (4%), Calcium (35%), Iron (1%).	$0.35
Boneless skinless chicken breasts	Protein (27 g), Iron (5%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Phosphorus. Very good source of Protein, Niacin, Selenium	$3
Frozen green beans	Fiber (2 g/8%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (6%), Iron (2%), Calcium (4%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Manganese. Good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Magnesium, and Potassium.	$0.50
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (266%), Fiber (2 g/9%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin C (5%), Iron (1%), Calcium (2%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Manganese; good source of good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, and Potassium.	$0.50
Fresh Bartlett pears	Fiber (7 g/29%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (16%), Calcium (2%), Iron (2%)	$1.28
Total	Fiber (13 g/54%), Protein (54 g), Iron (21%), Calcium (43%), Vitamin A (273%), Vitamin C (27%).	$6.63

Cost per person: $1.89
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Fiber and Vitamin A. Good Calcium. Fair Iron and Vitamin C. No whole grains. Recommended protein source.

Trent is out of town, so I aimed for an easy and non-confrontational dinner. It was easy to make, but there was still plenty of confrontation -- although every element was something that Nugget likes. Budget-wise it was a great meal. In terms of nutrition, I would have been better off using whole grain pasta. I knew that, and I had some, but I didn't do it. The Barilla whole grain pasta we have -- because my husband bought like 8 boxes of it at Costco -- just isn't very good. I'm willing to give another brand a try once we get through what we have. Which could be never, since I avoid using it and keep buying Garofalo white pasta. At Costco. But the Garofalo is enriched! 

Update: When I reheated the leftover pasta I added corn and more green beans--the corn at Nugget's request, and the green beans because I thought the proportions were off: too much pasta. 

I added the parmesan while heating everything on the range, and the result was delicious. A huge step up from the somewhat bland dish I'd originally served. Unfortunately sweet corn doesn't add a whole lot of nutrition. But still. Serve over whole grain pasta with some sliced oranges, and you have a perfect meal: cheap, tasty, and nutritiously balanced.

Recipe: Saute 2 diced chicken breasts in 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat until opaque. Add 1 c. diced carrots, 1 c. cut green beans, 1 c. sweet corn kernels, 1 T water, 1 T white wine vinegar, and salt; cover and simmer until cooked through. Stir in 3 c. cooked pasta, 1 T olive oil, and 1/2 c. shredded parmesan, and cook on medium-low heat another 5 to 10 minutes. Based on a recipe in this book.

Smoked Salmon, Potatoes, Carrots, and Lots and Lots of Butter

I sort of feel like I'm cheating on this one. We often get free salmon from Trent's employer, so the protein in this meal--usually the biggest expense--is a big fat zero. Trent smoked it in the backyard with salt and pepper. I suppose I could count the cost of the charcoal and wood? Assuming $3 in charcoal and wood, that bumps my per person cost of the meal from $0.84 to $1.50. Still a smokin' deal, pun intended. It would have been less, but I accidentally used more than twice as much butter on the potatoes as I intended. But did you know that butter has Vitamin A? A lot of Vitamin A. Olive oil, my usual choice for cooking, does not. Maybe I should cook with butter more often. I used it this time -- a lot of it -- because I just got back from 10 days of my mom's cooking, and now I remember how good things taste when cooked in butter. Why yes, I did just cook 5 potatoes in a whole stick of butter ... and god damn it tasted good.

Menu/Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Smoked salmon	Protein (18 g), Vitamin A (2%), Calcium (1%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Protein, Vitamin B12, and Selenium. Good source of Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Phosphorus.	$3
Potatoes (stewed in butter)	Vitamin C (28%), Fiber (4 g/15%), Protein (4 g), Iron (10%), Calcium (3%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Potassium.	$1
Butter	Vitamin A (11%)	$1.77
Carrots (braised in butter)	Vitamin A (266%), Fiber (2 g/9%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin C (5%), Iron (1%), Calcium (2%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Manganese; good source of good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, and Potassium.	$0.99
Total	23 g Protein, 24% Fiber, 16% Iron, 279% Vitamin A, 33% Vitamin C, 6% Calcium.	$6.76

Cost per person: $1.50 - outstanding!
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A, Good Vitamin C, Fair Fiber and Iron, Poor Calcium. Fish protein. No whole grains.