Three Meals, Four People, $10 : Spicy Savings

For less than $9, it is possible to feed four people a day’s worth of Mexican food, including a good tortilla-and-cheese casserole with green enchilada sauce.

Favorable prices at Tianguis on 3rd Street near downtown Los Angeles made this possible.

Essentials such as beans, rice and dried chiles are sold in bulk at this market, so you can buy only what you need. The beans, and also tomatoes, were priced at three pounds for a dollar on the day I shopped. Onions were 25 cents a pound. And although garlic was 99 cents a pound, I could choose from several partial heads that cost just a few cents each.

I had to buy certain products in bulk, which made the day’s menus even more economical. The Caldo de Pollo, a chicken soup planned for lunch, required just six chicken thighs, leaving four from the family pack for another day.

The casserole recipe calls for a dozen tortillas, but the shelves held only packages of three and five dozen. Fortunately, the smaller packages were on special at two for $1, down from 89 cents each. So I made them do double duty as an accompaniment to the soup as well as the foundation of the casserole. And I still had a dozen left that could be cut into strips, fried and mixed with sauce, and possibly the extra chicken, cooked and shredded, to make chilaquiles the next day.

I had to eliminate most frills, like packaged soft oatmeal cookies or individual cups of three-layered Mexican-style gelatin desserts. Although I had planned on pan dulce for breakfast or, at least, buttered and toasted bolillos (French rolls), I had to settle for ordinary bread, which was cheaper. My solution was to make it more appealing by preparing cinnamon toast. And I had plenty left over for sandwiches or for toast another day.

I did, however, insist on a traditional breakfast beverage, atole , made with hot milk and a flavored mix called Maizena. However, this came to only about 7 cents extra per serving, and I figured the “splurge” was worth it. I think a tasty hot drink starts the day more comfortably than a glass of chilly milk.

With the money saved on this shopping trip, I could have added extras such as an avocado to dice into the soup, or cilantro, another tomato, onion and chiles for salsa. I could also have bought a couple of dried chiles to simmer with the beans.

The highest-priced item I bought was a nine-ounce package of Jack cheese for $1.99. Canned fruit juices were too expensive, so I selected bananas for breakfast. No quart-sized cartons of whole milk were available, so I bought low-fat milk for 79 cents. The dishes that I made for just over $9 may be basic, but they offer satisfying flavor and good nourishment.

ATOLE DE MAIZENA

1 cup water

1 packet cornstarch-based atole mix

1 quart low-fat milk

Sugar

Place water in 2-quart saucepan. Add atole mix and stir until blended. Add milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Sweeten with sugar to taste. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Maizena-brand atole mix comes in various flavors--chocolate, vanilla, nut, coconut, strawberry, cinnamon, pineapple.

CALDO DE POLLO

6 chicken thighs

6 cups water

1/4 onion

1 clove garlic

Salt

Few black peppercorns, optional

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 zucchini, diced

2 Anaheim or poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into strips

1 ear corn, cut into 4 chunks

Place chicken thighs in large saucepan. Add water, onion wedge and 1 clove garlic. Season to taste with salt. Bring to boil, cover loosely and simmer 45 minutes. Remove chicken. If desired, strain broth. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and discard. Shred meat.

Meanwhile, cook potato and carrot in broth until just tender. Add zucchini and chiles and cook until zucchini is just tender. Add shredded chicken and corn and simmer 5 minutes. Serve in broad soup bowls, adding corn chunk to each. Accompany with hot corn tortillas. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

305 calories; 160 mg sodium; 86 mg cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 45% calories from fat.

CAZUELA DE TORTILLAS EN SALSA VERDE (Tortillas in Green Sauce)

1 dozen corn tortillas, quartered

1 large onion, chopped

1 (8- or 9-ounce) block Jack cheese

1 (28-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce

Make layers of tortilla quarters, onion, cheese and enchilada sauce in 2-quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 45 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

ARROZ CON JITOMATE (Rice With Tomatoes)

1 cup rice

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Place rice in bowl. Cover with hot water and squeeze with hand to wash well. Drain in sieve. Cover with fresh cold water and wash again. Drain. Repeat once more. Drain rice well and spread out in platter to dry.

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add rice and saute until rice starts to change color. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender but not browned. Push rice to 1 side, add tomato and cook until tender, then stir into rice. Add water and salt. Cover and bring to boil. Boil until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Steam over very low heat 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Note: For richer flavor, add 1 chicken bouillon cube to water, but this will stretch budget.

Each serving contains about:

237 calories; 595 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; .4 gram fiber; 28% calories from fat.

FRIJOLES (Beans)

1/2 pound pinto beans

2 cloves garlic

1/2 onion

Salt

Wash beans well. Cover with hot water and soak overnight. Drain beans. Add fresh water, garlic and onion and bring to boil. Boil, loosely covered, until skins loosen. Add salt to taste and continue boiling until beans are tender. Makes 4 servings.

Note: For refried beans, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet. Add beans and some of liquid and mash. Continue to cook, adding liquid as needed to produce thick but moist consistency. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

83 calories; 76 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.8 grams fiber; 3% calories from fat.

Hansen Menu

BREAKFAST

Sliced bananas

Hot Atole

Cinnamon toast

LUNCH

Caldo de Pollo (Chicken Vegetable Soup)

Hot corn tortillas

DINNER

Cazuela de Tortillas en Salsa Verde

Arroz con Jitomate

Frijoles

SHOPPING LIST

Purchased at Tianguis

1 Maizena-flavored atole mix packet: .29 1 quart low-fat milk: .79 1 1/2 pounds bananas at 3 pounds for $1: .50 1 loaf store-brand white bread: .79 1 package of 10 chicken thighs: $1.23 1 pound onions at 25 cents per pound: .25 1 russet potato at 3 pounds for $1: .15 1 small carrot at .33 per pound: .09 1 zucchini at 50 cents per pound: .25 1 ear corn at 3 ears for $1: .33 2 green chiles at .99 per pound: .25 3 dozen tortillas: .50 1 (28-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce: $1.17 9 ounces generic Jack cheese: $1.99 1/2 pound rice at .39 per pound: .20 1 small tomato at 3 pounds for $1: .10 1/2 pound pinto beans at 3 pounds for $1: .17 TOTAL: $9.05 Staples: oil, sugar, salt, peppercorns (optional), garlic