Kitchen Budget Tips

Chicken Dollar StretcherHere we have 3 chicken breast halves that feed 3 people. We came up with a delicious strategy to stretch them for 6 or 7 people!Here’s how:1. Cut the chicken breast horizontally as pictured below. You should get 3 flat cutlets from each chicken breast.2. The cutlets are assembled on a plate; then they are dredged in flour seasoned with paprika, garlic, black pepper, thyme and rosemary.3. We measured 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large flat pan and lightly sauteed the chicken, turning it over when browned.4. On the 2nd side we allowed it to cook briefly and then added lemon juice, parsley and chicken broth. The chicken finishes cooking in liquid so you don’t need a lot of fat to keep it from burning.5. Once the breast cutlets are done you can assemble in a glass baking dish for service.6. Serve with brown rice, whole grain pasta, potatoes or yams and plenty of fresh vegetables.LEFTOVERS: the best thing about these cutlets is that they make great leftovers the next day - you can use them in sandwiches and many other dishes. They disappear very quickly.Deep Dish Fruit Pie - Budget CaloriesHere is a fruit pie that is thick and delicious but without all the calories from too much crust.What we did: we doubled the fruit and halved the crust.Here’s how:1. Cut 8-9 peaches or apples into wedges and place in a mixing bowl. Add a little cinnamon and about 1.5 tablespoons of corn starch; toss well and place in 10 inch deep dish pie pan or casserole dish.2. Top with prepared crust and pinch the edges and make cuts with a knife for steam.3. Place into preheated 375F oven and bake for one hour or until very bubbly. Allow to cool.4. Cut into 12 and serve warm or cold.The end product looks great served in a bowl with a little whipped cream and more fruit for garnish. This is a great way to use apples and peaches that are in the market now. Per slice (1/12th) 120 calo- ries, 5 g fat - compare to 340 calories and 27 g of fat for 1/8th of a double-crusted fruit pie!