Simple Sustenance- Apricot Chicken

We all know how difficult it is to keep meat dishes on budget. This week I created a healthy chicken dish complete with a tasty side for under $5 per serving. The ingredients are minimal, but the dishes are definitely not lacking in flavor.

First, I made a sauce for the apricot chicken. I mixed 6 tablespoons of apricot preserves, 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons of EVOO, 1 large garlic clove, a tiny dash of red pepper flakes and a little fine sea salt. I put the sauce on the stove over med-low heat with a little cornstarch until it became a little bubbly and thicker. Then, I used my tried and true trick for perfect baked chicken. I preheated the oven to 375, put a little sauce over the top of each chicken breast and baked for 30 minutes. Perfection and still tender!

For the side, I used Jennifer’s idea of cauliflower mash. I used 1 head of cauliflower which I steamed for about 8 minutes. Then I decided to add 1 cooked potato (boiled) to add more substance to the dish. I then mashed the cauliflower (using immersion blender or masher) with the cooked potato, 1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter, few tablespoons of whole milk, and some parmesan cheese. It turned out great and is super easy to do. Cauliflower is perfect for simple sustenance week because its CHEAP and you can generally get it anytime of the year.

Apricot Chicken

Prepare sauce as shown above. Preheat oven to 375. Spray an oven safe casserole dish lightly with cooking spray. Place 4 chicken breats in dish and pour about 1/3 of sauce over chicken. Bake for 30 minutes. About 10 minutes until done, spoon a little more marinade over chicken (about 1/3). When chicken is done, pour the leftover sauce on top and EAT!

Using store brand preserves is a great way to pump up your meat dishes and add an unexpected fruity flavor

Also, I used frozen green peas to boost the nutritional content. Although I love to buy fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables are still very good for you as they are frozen at the peak of perfection versus some stores where vegetables can lose their nutritional value by sitting for a long time. So, don’t feel guilty about picking up those frozen veggies!

Here’s the math scrolldown

Chicken:
apricot preserves (2.29, used 1/3 of can): $0.76 cents
chicken (7.99 for six chix breasts, used 4 breasts): $5.32
EVOO: discretionary
red wine vinegar ($1.29, used about 2 servings): approximately $0.03 cents!
cornstarch & red pepper flakes: discretionary

Cauliflower side:
cauliflower: $2.99 for a head
1 potato: $0.65
butter: discretionary amt
few tablespoons of milk: discretionary amt.
parmesan cheese ($7.34 for cheese, used 1/5) : $1.46

Peas: $1.34 (used 1/2 bag): $0.67 cents

Total: $11.88
Divided by 4 servings = $2.97 per serving!!

I have to say that doing Simple Sustenance every Wednesday has really shown me how much you can save by cooking at home!

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