Dinner for 4!

YourCatalyst429

:flowerforyou: Alright so theres only two of us but my b/f always bring leftovers to work with him and its easier to cook for 4 then 3. We are also on a very tight budget....poor college kid here! I need dinners that are healthy, low cal, and cheap. Is that possiable? I hope so!:flowerforyou:

sabrinafaith

roast a seasoned chicken (that is cut into quarters) at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes (until it browns a little)

Bake 4 scrubbed sweet potatoes or yams for 60 minutes at 400 degrees

Steam one bunch of rinsed and cut asparagus in the microwave for 2 minutes

This should cost about $10

summersk

Good News, pretty much anything you make at home is lower cal than fast food! Beyond that it all kind of depends on what you guys like to eat and where you shop at. If you have a Aldi's close to you I would recommend shopping there as much as possible. I currently feed a family of four on around $300 a month simply by shopping at Aldi's. I love that place and they have really good food in there as well. Also you can check out the Campbell's website at campbellskitchen.com they have some really good recipes on there. Hope this helps you out a little bit. And way to go to your boyfriend for taking leftovers to work with him, that always helps with money!

SaraTN

One of the best things you can do is roast a chicken. The leftovers can be pulled off the bone and repurposed into another meal. For example I will top it over some polenta with red sauce that I make from scratch. I also use it for chicken tacos, chicken salad (I make with Greek Yogurt instead of mayo).

Here are a couple of simple recipes using seasonal ingredients:

Summer squash and white bean soup
4 medium size summer squash, chopped
2 T of olive oil
2T butter butter
1 large white onion chopped
1 can of white beans
1 box (32 oz) of low sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp of dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in Olive Oil and butter, salt and pepper for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add chicken stock, squash, tarragon, cover and simmer for 25 minutes (until squash is tender). Add beans. Use an emulsion blender to puree until smooth (or this can be done in a blender in batches). Note: You can add some chicken to this to make it more hearty. I add a couple pieces of lunchmeat (Iike Boars Head Rosemary Sundried tomato ham). This soup freezes well so its a great idea to make a lot now while the veggies are cheap.

A variation of the above can be done with zucchini and watercress. Replace squash with zucchini. Replace beans with watercress. This soup is so light and refreshing. Its good cold too!.

Simple red sauce
2 cans of plum tomatoes
4-5 c loves of garlic
2 Tbsps Olive Oil
1 medium onion chopped
Fresh or dried basil.
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, break up with a wooden spoon. Let simmer 40-60 minutes over low/medium low heat, add basil. Simmer 10 more minutes. Note: When tomatoes are fresh and cheap use them and freeze the sauce.