Healthy Cooking on a Budget: Week 2 Recipes!

Here are the recipes from my 2nd class of the “Healthy Cooking on a Budget” Series! We enjoyed each of them. We actually used Turnips instead of Collards for the greens recipe, since Wal-Mart didn’t have frozen collards. Just an example of how you can alter any recipe to meet your needs.

Image by In Praise of Sardines via Flickr

I really just see these recipes as “procedures”. Like the frozen veggies, you should be able to cook just about any frozen vegetable in the same way. Try it out with your favorite and let me know how it works!

Collard Greens with Red Onion
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• ¼ medium red onion, chopped
• 1 package frozen chopped collard greens
• 1 can low- sodium chicken broth (14.5 oz)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp salt

Recipe:

1. Place olive oil on skillet. Cook onion 3 minutes on MEDIUM heat until slightly brown and soft.
2. In
   the same skillet add the collard greens, chicken broth and garlic. Set
   on HIGH heat and bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Cover skillet and
   set on LOW heat; simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Turn heat OFF and add in crushed red pepper and salt. Mix well and serve.

Note – I made this at home with fresh collards. I added the red pepper in the beginning and it was quite spicy. In a good way!

Grilled Orange Chicken Fingers
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe:

1. Cut chicken crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips.
2. Whisk mustard, orange juice concentrate, honey, sesame oil and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to combine.
3. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare grill or preheat the broiler. Oil the grill rack or coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.
5. Remove the chicken strips from the marinade, discarding remaining marinade. Grill or broil the chicken until no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and serve.

5 Minute Starch: Peas, Corn, Carrots

Ingredients:

• 2 T canola or peanut oil
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Large bag of frozen peas, corn and carrots
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Mince garlic and chop onion
2. Heat oil in pan, add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
4. Add frozen veggies and cook until heated through
5. Salt and pepper to taste

Next week, we’ll be using leftover chicken (stored in the freezer) to make grilled chicken on salad!

Enjoy!
– Julie