The recipes in this section have been written for those of you who are used to dining out but have decided to cut back on your food budget. They include recipes for an entire gourmet meal, and assume that you know your way around the kitchen, have the cookware and gadgets you need and are willing to spend some extra time cooking these dinners. Our guest writers have developed these recipes with wonderfully fresh and nutritious ingredients and there is a price list at the end of the article. Bon Apatite!
Meals #1 and 2: One shopping trip… two gourmet meals!
Do you feel like you buy perishable ingredients for a nice meal, only to let the unused parts go to waste? Shop once for two meals and make your ‘gourmet dollars’ stretch. Try these recipes to make an impression on your guests.
Gourmet Meal #1
- Citrus-Herb Baked Chicken
- Farro with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola
- Green Beans with Slivered Almonds
Citrus-Herb Baked Chicken
One whole chicken
One container of herbs for poultry
2 Tbs. olive oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1 orange, cut in wedges
1 lemon, cut in wedges
½ head garlic
2 white onions
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Rinse chicken with cool water, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs in half. Finely chop one half and keep the other half whole. Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the finely chopped herbs on top of the bird. You can stuff some of the finely chopped herbs under the skin for extra flavor. Place some of the orange and lemon wedges under the skin and stuff the cavity with the remaining lemon, orange, garlic, one onion, and the herbs. Place the chicken, breast side up in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, and roast for about 1 hour, or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
To make the gravy, skim off as much fat as possible, leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and stir the solid pieces into the drippings. Remove about ½ cup of the drippings, add flour and stir until well blended. Carefully blend back into the drippings to thicken into gravy. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly and prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
Squeeze the oranges and lemons from the cavity over the meat, and then serve.
Farro with Gorgonzola and Prosciutto
Impress your guests by serving a deliciously uncommon grain. Farro is a whole grain with tremendous healthful properties. It is commonly used in Italy and is growing in popularity in other parts of the world. Farro is rich in protein, B-vitamins and fiber, so it makes a good grain choice. You can buy farro at your local health food or gourmet grocery store or through Bob’s Red Mill. A tube will cost about $5.00, but you get two meals out of it and you’ll find it very satisfying. If you can’t find farro, you can substitute whole spelt grain.
Approx. 3 cups chicken broth
1 ½ tsp. olive oil
Red onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup farro
1.5 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbed
1.5 – 2 oz. prosciutto, finely chopped
A handful of minced chives
In a heavy, medium sized pot, warm oil over medium heat. Add leek and cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add farro and stir to coat.
Add broth, ½ cup at a time until each portion is absorbed and farro is tender. Farro should be a bit chewy when done.
Remove skillet from heat. Stir in half the cheese until melted and creamy; season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, cook and stir prosciutto for 6 minutes; or until crispy. Before serving, sprinkle farro with remaining gorgonzola, prosciutto and chives.
Serve with stir fried green beans sprinkled with slivered almonds. Watch that you don’t overcook your green beans! If you serve them al dente, it helps preserve the nutrients and improves the presentation.
Gourmet Meal #2
- Salmon Loaf with Almond Caper Sauce
- Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Quads
- Rice Blend
- Spring Mix Salad with Apple Chunks and Gorgonzola Cheese
Feel your wallet expand when you use left over ingredients to make Salmon Loaf with Almond Caper Sauce. Canned Salmon is very nutritious and a fraction of the cost of cuts of whole salmon. Sockeye salmon is usually used for canning, a variety which tends to be lower in mercury. Canned salmon is higher in calcium because it usually contains small particles of bone. This recipe is so easy; you can make it on a week night! Mix the ingredients the night before and pop the loaf in the oven when you get home. While the loaf is in the oven, you can prepare the asparagus, rice and salad easily.
Salmon Loaf with Almond Caper Sauce
1 16-oz. can salmon, drained
½ cup dry bread crumbs
½ cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp chopped fresh dill
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
Almond Caper Sauce:
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
¼ cup whipped salad dressing (mayonnaise)
2 Tbs capers, drained
3 Tbs sliced almonds
¼ tsp salt
Lemon wedges and dill sprigs to garnish
For salmon loaf:
Combine salmon, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, celery, parsley, dill, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Mix well. Pack lightly in to a greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 inch loaf pan and bake in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Meanwhile, prepare Almond Caper Sauce:
Melt butter in a medium-sized heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add milk and whisk until blended. Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Simmer 1 minute, stirring frequently and reduce heat to low. Whisk in whipped salad dressing, capers and reduce heat to a simmer. Remove from heat and add almonds and salt.
Loosen salmon loaf edges from pan and turn out to a warm platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and dill sprigs and serve with sauce.
Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus Quads
Use the left over prosciutto from the farro dish to create a simple, elegant accompaniment to the salmon. Slice a piece of prosciutto in half lengthwise and wrap around four asparagus spears. Bake alongside the salmon loaf, but only for 15 minutes. Can be paired with a rice blend and spring mix salad with apple and left over gorgonzola, also from the farro dish. Cut the apple in chunks, but leave the skin on to retain optimal health benefits.
Bonus meal!
Now that you have left over chicken, take the cooked carcass and make a simple chicken soup. Boil the left over chicken in water until the broth is tasty and the meat is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to use the reserved oranges and herbs to savor those fabulous flavors. When the broth is flavorful take out the carcass and add any vegetables you have in the refrigerator. You can use carrots, onion, peas, corn, tomatoes… be creative. Serve with a salad and crusty bread.
Cost (based on a California grocery store):
| Item |
Cost |
| chicken |
$5.00 |
| Fresh herbs for poultry |
$1.99 |
| Orange |
$0.70 |
| 2 Lemons |
$1.00 |
| Garlic |
$0.75 |
| 4 onions |
$1.60 |
| 3 cans chicken broth |
$4.77 |
| Dry sherry |
$1.00 |
| Farro |
$2.50 |
| Gorgonzola cheese |
$2.00 |
| Prosciutto |
$3.29 |
| Green beans |
$2.99 |
| Slivered almonds |
$1.40 |
| 16 oz canned red salmon |
$3.49 |
| Bread crumbs |
$0.99 |
| Celery |
$1.00 |
| Parsley |
$0.50 |
| Dill |
$0.50 |
| Whipped salad dressing or mayo |
$0.50 |
| Capers |
$1.00 |
| Asparagus |
$2.99 |
| Spring mix salad |
$1.89 |
| Apple |
$0.50 |
| Rice |
$1.50 |
Total Cost (not including staples like milk and flour): $43.35!
Recipe submitted by Donna Soo. Find her online at healthawarenesssite.com.
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