Rustic chicken stew with white beans and kale
Takeout $37.40
At home $16
If you have onions and carrots on hand, this dish costs less than $4 per person, even with the relatively high cost of the whole rotisserie chicken ($7.50, in our research). Buying a 10-ounce package of shredded carrots makes prep even faster.
Adding some of the bones to the pot contributes flavor. Substitute fresh spinach for the kale, but add it at the last minute. Smoked sausage can stand in for the chicken.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
"To our minds, there is no greater saving grace for the time-starved cook than a supermarket rotisserie chicken," write Jeanne Besser and Susan Puckett in "The 5:30 Challenge: 5 Ingredients, 30 Minutes, Dinner on the Table."
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped
2 cans (15 ounces) each: chicken broth, rinsed cannellini or Great Northern beans
1 bag (6 to 8 ounces) chopped kale or Swiss chard
Salt, if needed
1. Remove the chicken meat and skin from the bones. Place the skin, bones, wings, carrots and onion in a Dutch oven; cook over medium heat until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop or shred the chicken meat; set aside.
2. Add broth and beans to the Dutch oven; heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to a simmer; cook 15 minutes. Remove and discard the skin and bones. Add kale and reserved chicken meat; cook until kale is tender, 5-10 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls.
Nutrition information per serving: 695 calories, 39% of calories from fat, 30 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 156 mg cholesterol, 39 g carbohydrates, 63 g protein, 1,309 mg sodium, 11 g fiber.
Spanish potato omelet (Tortilla de patata)
Take out $25.56
At home $9
If tapas are your favorites, here's how to make the classic Spanish potato omelet called a tortilla in Spain.
A single wedge of tortilla Espanol costs $4.25 at one downtown tapas place; the ingredients for a whole tortilla to serve six cost just less than $9.
A salad on the side turns this into a meal, and you may already have all the ingredients in the house.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
"This dish more closely resembles a frittata, and is so sturdy that it is often eaten out of hand," wrote Meredith Deeds and Carla Snyder in "The Take-Out Menu Cookbook."
Ingredients
1 large baking potato, peeled, diced
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, trimmed, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, seeded, diced
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
7 eggs
2 Tbsps. chopped chives
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Steam the diced potato in a steamer basket over simmering water until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 Tbsps. of the olive oil. Add the onions and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium; add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic is softened, about 1 minute. Add the tomato, 1 tsp. of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until tomato juices have reduced, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl containing the potatoes; mix well. Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel.
3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with chives and remaining 1/2 tsp. of the salt and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Move an oven shelf to the second-highest rack; heat the broiler. Heat the skillet over medium heat; add remaining 3 Tbsps. of the olive oil. Add potato-onion mixture; spread evenly in the pan. Pour the eggs evenly over; cover. Cook over low heat 10 minutes. Uncover the skillet; transfer to the oven. Broil until eggs are set, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Slide the tortilla onto a serving plate; garnish with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.
Nutrition information per serving: 235 calories, 64% of calories from fat, 17 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 247 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 670 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.
from the los angeles times
Spinach soup
Total time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 (1-cup) servings
Adapted from "Chez Panisse Cooking" by Paul Bertolli. "Garnish the soup with garlic butter," Bertolli writes, "or swirls of crème fraîche thinned to the consistency of the soup and chopped nasturtium petals." He also suggests serving it with grated Parmesan, small buttered garlic croutons and extra-virgin olive oil drizzled over the surface. "Puréed spinach will turn a dull army green color within 20 minutes, so this soup should be blended, seasoned and served immediately."
Ingredients
4 Tbsps. butter
1 large carrot (4 ounces), peeled and diced
1 stalk of celery (2 1/2 ounces), diced
1 medium yellow onion (6 ounces), diced
2 to 3 bunches (1 pound, 2 ounces) spinach, de-stemmed, washed and drained
Salt, pepper
1. Melt the butter in a wide stainless-steel pot (at least a 5-quart capacity) over medium-low heat. Add three-fourths cup of water and the carrot, celery and onion. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to cook at a low simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Add 4 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach and boil for 1 additional minute, stirring until all of the spinach is well-wilted. Do not cover the pot: Volatile acids, which are released when the vegetable is heated, will condense on the lid, fall back into the pot and cause discoloration.
3. Purée the entire mixture using an immersion blender, or pour into a blender to purée, and transfer the soup immediately to a hot tureen. Do not strain the soup. Season with 1 1/2 tsps. salt and a pinch of pepper, or to taste, garnish as desired and serve immediately.
Each serving: 73 calories; 2 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 6 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 15 mg. cholesterol; 489 mg. sodium.
from real simple
Apricot Trifle
6 dried apricot halves, chopped
2/3 cup sweet wine, such as sherry, Marsala, or Muscat
1 box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups apricot jam
3 3/4 cups prepared instant custard
Heat oven to 375° F. In a small bowl, soak the apricots in 3 tablespoons of the wine and set aside. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil, along with the amount of water called for by the package directions. Beat until well combined. Evenly spread the batter into the pan. Place in oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Total time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 (1-cup) servings
Adapted from "Chez Panisse Cooking" by Paul Bertolli. "Garnish the soup with garlic butter," Bertolli writes, "or swirls of crème fraîche thinned to the consistency of the soup and chopped nasturtium petals." He also suggests serving it with grated Parmesan, small buttered garlic croutons and extra-virgin olive oil drizzled over the surface. "Puréed spinach will turn a dull army green color within 20 minutes, so this soup should be blended, seasoned and served immediately."
Ingredients
4 Tbsps. butter
1 large carrot (4 ounces), peeled and diced
1 stalk of celery (2 1/2 ounces), diced
1 medium yellow onion (6 ounces), diced
2 to 3 bunches (1 pound, 2 ounces) spinach, de-stemmed, washed and drained
Salt, pepper
1. Melt the butter in a wide stainless-steel pot (at least a 5-quart capacity) over medium-low heat. Add three-fourths cup of water and the carrot, celery and onion. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to cook at a low simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Add 4 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach and boil for 1 additional minute, stirring until all of the spinach is well-wilted. Do not cover the pot: Volatile acids, which are released when the vegetable is heated, will condense on the lid, fall back into the pot and cause discoloration.
3. Purée the entire mixture using an immersion blender, or pour into a blender to purée, and transfer the soup immediately to a hot tureen. Do not strain the soup. Season with 1 1/2 tsps. salt and a pinch of pepper, or to taste, garnish as desired and serve immediately.
Each serving: 73 calories; 2 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 6 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 15 mg. cholesterol; 489 mg. sodium.
from real simple
Apricot Trifle
Heat oven to 375° F. In a small bowl, soak the apricots in 3 tablespoons of the wine and set aside. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil, along with the amount of water called for by the package directions. Beat until well combined. Evenly spread the batter into the pan. Place in oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Unmold the cake. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds from it. Use a serrated knife to split each round in half horizontally. With a pastry or basting brush, brush each of the 24 rounds with some of the remaining wine. To assemble a single serving of trifle, place one round into an individual serving dish. Top with a spoonful of the jam, then 2 tablespoons of the custard. Top with another layer of cake, jam, and custard. Sprinkle with some of the wine-soaked apricots.
Each serving: CALORIES 472(0% from fat); FAT 16g (sat 4g); PROTEIN 7mg; CHOLESTEROL 98mg; CALCIUM 194mg; SODIUM 393mg; FIBER 1g; CARBOHYDRATE 74g; IRON 1mg