Sometimes, it is easy to get bored with chicken. This recipe infuses the flavors of sage and lemon into chicken, creating an intriguing flavor that is earthy yet bright. Green onions and lemon give this dish a taste of spring before most spring vegetables are available. Sage, along with pasta and broccoli, keep the dish hearty and savory while the weather is still chilly. In Spring, basil and asparagus would be good substitutions for the sage and broccoli.

Sage & Lemon Chicken w/ Broccoli

4 bonesless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage  
1 lemon
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 cups uncooked orzo or other small pasta
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large ziplock bag, combine chicken, garlic, and sage. Zest lemon into bag, then cut in half and squeeze half of the juice into the bag, reserving the other half. Arrange chicken on wire rack and bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes until pasta is al dente and broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain and toss with olive oil.

In a small amount of olive oil, saute green onions in a large skillet over medium heat until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add broccoli and pasta to skillet and squeeze remaining half of lemon juice on top. Season with pepper.

Remove chicken breasts from oven and place over broccoli mixture. Serve immediately.

Frugal Breakdown:
4 chicken breasts: $3.20
salt and pepper: negligible
2 garlic cloves: negligible
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage : $0.75 
1 lemon: $0.60
1 head broccoli: $1.67
3 green onions: $0.25
2 cups uncooked orzo: $0.75
olive oil: negligible
TOTAL: $7.22

Verdict: An easy success, considering the deal I found on chicken breasts. Most of the other ingredients are pantry staples, so this was not an expensive dish to make.

Pasta night is a regular in my kitchen, usually with a box of pasta and a jar of pre-made sauce. It’s a pretty frugal meal, especially when I can catch a sale. This dish takes that concept and gives it a little pizazz and more balance, albeit for a slightly higher cost. What I liked most about this dish is that it is hearty and satisfying, and makes enough servings for leftovers.

The original recipe called for ziti pasta, but any small, shaped pasta will do. Elbow macaroni, rotini, small shells, or gemelli (my favorite) are all good choices. I think rice would be great in this dish as well. Use what is already in the pantry.

• Gemelli pasta is not a well known shape, though I have no idea why!

Baked Pasta w/ Sausage, Tomatoes, & Cabbage
adapted from Cooking Light

1 box (1 lb) uncooked small, shaped pasta
3/4 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage 
1  onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cabbage, sliced thinly (about 1/4 head)
1  tbsp tomato paste
1/4  tsp salt
1/4  tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans (14.5-ounce) petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 13×11 baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water (use about a tbsp) to a boil and cook pasta 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and keep warm, tossing with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and break apart with a wooden spoon. Saute until browned and add cabbage, cook until slightly wilted. Stir in tomato paste, salt, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes with liquid to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Combine sausage mixture, pasta, and basil. Pour into prepared baking dish, using wooden spoon to smooth the top. Bake for 10 minutes. Whisk together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of pasta and bake an additional 10 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.

•   The breadcrumb topping creates a tasty crust.

Frugal Breakdown:
1 box pasta: $0.50
3/4 lb Italian sausage: $2.21 
1  onion: $0.50
2 garlic cloves: negligible
2 cups sliced cabbage (about 1/4 head): $0.40
1  tbsp tomato paste: $0.30
1/4  tsp salt: negligible
1/4  tsp cayenne pepper: negligible
2 cans diced tomatoes: $2.10
1/4 cup fresh basil: $0.75
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs: $0.33
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese: $1.54
TOTAL: $8.63

Verdict: Success, and a tasty one at that. There are easily 8-10 servings with this recipe, making each serving about $1.

The original recipe called for 2 cups of cheese, which aside for being expensive is not something I had on hand. I added some cabbage to the dish, not because I think cabbage is a substitution for cheese, but to add some more vegetables and to use it up before it went bad. Because I added the cabbage, I was able to reduce the sausage from 1 pound to 3/4 pound., which left some sausage to jazz up leftovers from a different recipe.

When we moved, pasta was on sale 2/$1 and we bought about a dozen boxes. I still have a couple left, but I am always on the look-out for another good sale. Even without a sale, a box of pasta is usually under $1.

From Sunset magazine, this recipe for Blood Orange Sauce is simple and flavorful. Blood oranges, named for their ruby-colored flesh, taste very similar to regular oranges, but with a hint of raspberry. Regular oranges or orange juice can be substituted, but blood oranges are currently in season so now is a good time to take advantage. The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.

• Above: Blood oranges add interesting color to the plate.

Chicken w/ Blood Orange Sauce
adapted from Sunset

1 1/2 cups  blood orange juice or regular orange juice (about 6-8 oranges)
1/3 cup  sugar 
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
4 cups dry egg noodles
1 blood orange, halved

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet.

In a 10- to 12-inch skillet over high heat, mix orange juice, sugar, garlic, ginger, salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes; stirring often.

Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on wire rack. Brush both sides of chicken with prepared sauce. Cook 10 minutes. Brush another coat of sauce on both sides of chicken. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

Meanwhile, bring a large stock pot of salted water to boil. Add egg noodles and cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender and noodles are tender. Drain and return to pan. Squeeze one half of reserved blood orange over noodles and broccoli. Cut remaining blood orange half into slices.

To serve: divide noodles and broccoli among four plates. Slice chicken breasts and place over noodles. Place orange slices on plates.

•  The blood orange season is relatively short, so take advantage!

Frugal Breakdown: 
10 blood oranges: $4.00
sugar: negligible
garlic: negligable
salt: negligible
crushed red pepper flakes: negligible
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts: $3.20
1 head broccoli: 1.67
egg noodles: $0.89
TOTAL: $9.76

Verdict: Success, but pretty darn close. The major expense was blood oranges, and the lot I bought were rather small so it took more to get 1 1/2 cups of juice (even though it was 5/$2 regardless of size).

With the chicken breasts, I found an excellent deal. I bought a family size package of 9 boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.99/lb. Most of the chicken breasts still had good sized tenderloins, so I trimmed each piece and placed in freezer safe bags, then trimmed and cut up the tenderloins, which yielded about half a pound. Overall, I got 10 servings out of that one package.

Want a easy, weeknight dinner (and who doesn’t)? Try making some Baked Chicken Tenders and turning them into Jenn’s Shortcut Chicken Parmesan! It is incredibly easy. James and I have tried this with basic marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce, both were very tasty.

If you would rather use whole chicken breasts, increase the baking time to 20-25 minutes. Save time by preparing breading ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Jenn’s Shortcut Chicken Parmesan 

Preheat oven to 450F and place a large pot of water over high heat.

Prepare chicken tenders and bake 12-15 minutes.

While chicken tenders cook, add pasta to water and cook according to package directions.  Empty a jar of pasta sauce into a medium saucepan and slowly heat over low heat.

By the time the chicken is done baking, the pasta and sauce will be ready. Drain pasta and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place pasta and chicken tenders on a plate and spoon sauce over both. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately and enjoy! Steamed veggies or a green salad on the side completes the meal.

The latest edition of Everyday Food magazine featured a recipe from a reader in Grand Rapids, Michigan for Baked Chicken Fingers. The recipe called for ground flax seed and wheat germ, items I usually have on hand for smoothies. I was excited to try the recipe because it came from a local cook and chicken tenders are one of my favorite foods, but it becomes a little pointless to use lean, skinless chicken breast when its also battered and deep-fried. At least this breading has some good-for-the-heart omega-3 fortified flax seed and also wheat germ, which is a super grain to use.

Unfortunately, these are both fairly expensive items and I would not recommend purchasing unless you are committed to using them in multiple recipes. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup unprocessed bran, which I do not use and deciding to increase the breadcrumbs from 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup instead. Below is my version of the recipe, but feel free to adjust the proportions to suit your needs.

Baked Chicken Tenders
adapted from Everyday Food

1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tbsp shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt or powder
1/2 tsp onion salt or powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (about 15-16)
bbq or sweet & sour sauce, for dipping (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet.

In a food processor, combine wheat germ, breadcrumbs, flax seed, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined. Add olive oil and pulse until ingredients are slightly moist. Place breading mixture in a shallow bowl.

In another shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs with a fork. Dip chicken tenders in egg, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge in breading mixture, patting slightly to adhere breading to chicken. Arrange chicken tenders in a single layer on wire rack and place in oven.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until cooked through completely and breading is golden brown and lightly toasted (place under a broiler for the last minute of cooking time for a crunchier breading). Serve immediately with dipping sauce, if desired.