A great recipe that I have been eating a lot of lately....cheap and only 1 pot

[djpandemic]

Hi all,
So I am not very active here but having lived in a van full time for 3 years I thought some of you might appreciate a very simple chicken dish that goes a long way. One thing I ran into was eating crap food on the road (packaged noodles, canned food, etc.) and if I were to do it again (which I might) I would definitely try to eat better. Enjoy....

Cuban Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trim the fat) 5$
2 cups of low sodium chicken stock 3$
olive oil 3$
organic carrots (1/2 bag chopped to 1") 2$
organic celery (4-5 stalks chopped to 1") 2$
Cuban seasoning (good on everything) available in the spice aisle 3$
dried oregano 2$
1 juicy orange 1$
hot pepper flakes 1$
either a can of black beans and a cup of white rice or a Vigo brand Cuban Black Beans and Rice 3$

Step one...Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet (prefer cast iron) and add the chicken breasts adding the hot pepper flake, oregano and Cuban seasoning (2 tablespoons) and browing both sides. cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice in and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes.

Step 2...when the chicken is cooked almost through remove and set aside. Add chopped carrots and celery to the pan and saute for a few minutes then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil adding the vigo black beans and rice. let this simmer for a few minutes while you cut the chicken breasts up into 1" squares. Add the chicken back to the pot and a little water if needed and simmer until the beans and rice are done.

I do this in a 12" skillet and it makes about 6 huge portions. There is some sodium and carbs in the black beans and rice but the portion sizes of the package is stretched from 3 to 6 (I think) and the rest is pretty good for you.

Of course you need to be able to store leftovers so having a fridge is crucial but this could feed you for 3 or 4 days and costs about 22 dollars (about 3$ a portion) with a ton of leftover oil, celery, carrots and seasonings .

TIP! Get a jar of good organic Salsa and use the leftover celery instead of corn chips.....Delicious!!

---

....you may want to add a little black pepper and some salt. I am trying to cut my sodium back but a pinch in the dish wouldn't hurt anything!

 

[VanFan]

This sounds so good I'm making it tonight--only downsized for two. I saw smaller packages of the Vigo rice mixes on the dollar shelf at Albertson's (Texas) the other day and picked some up for the stash. Like you, I'm trying to cut back on salt, but sometimes convenience wins.

About the Cuban seasoning: Do you mean something like McCormick's? There are a lot of different mix recipes out there and I'm easily 'fused.

Vickie

 

[djpandemic]

Hi Vickie,
That's the one. A dash of that ends up on about everything I cook. Try sauteing some fresh baby spinach in olive oil and garlic with a touch of it too.....really good. I am going to post some more 1 pot meals that i used to do in the van soon. I had some great ones that went a long way with little mess and little effort..perfect for van living.

 

[VanFan]

Thanks for the quick reply. Looking forward to more one pot goodness!
Vickie

 

[djpandemic]

Here's a good one...
Chicken Yakatori...street chicken. This one goes on the grill.
In a ziplok bag combine boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 cup of pineapple juice, .5 cups of soy sauce, teaspoon of hot pepper flake, some chopped green onions, a chopped up bell pepper, and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (you can adjust these as much as you like). Shake the bag and marinade in the fridge for a few hours. Grill these over hot coals and serve over sticky rice.....awesome. Don't marinade the chicken for more than a day though....the flavor stays good but the texture of the chicken gets sort of "hammy". You can also bring the remaining marinade to a boil, simmer for a bit and make a dipping sauce out of it.

 

[decodancer]

Boil water add egg noodles and cook until al-dente. Drain and add one can of cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 can of water. Add a can (or bag) of drained tuna and a small can of drained peas. Total cost under $4 and makes several servings. If you want to make it even tastier, add seasoned bread crumbs, French fried onions, or crumbled up Fungions to the top. Super easy and delicious comfort food.

 

[VanFan]

Apparently I'm in the wrong neck of the woods to put my hands on McCormick's Cuban seasoning. I checked three major grocery chains with no luck. It's in my cart for the next Amazon order though! (Had to eat the avocado and mango I had planned to have with the chicken. Oh well...)

Decodancer: Yum. (Sure wish they sold half cans of soup, etc.)

Vickie

 

[spd2918]

Apparently I'm in the wrong neck of the woods to put my hands on McCormick's Cuban seasoning.

Vickie- You can make your own. It is mostly onion flake, oregano, and cumin with a little citrus.

 

[djpandemic]

Funny,
I went to buy a bottle of the seasoning yesterday and they stopped carrying it..