Challenge Recipe Numba Three!

To get an idea of what Uncle Sam thinks is an appropriate meal, I consulted his favorite temple of food and plant related knowledge: the USD of A.  Their Food and Nutrition program offers a Child and Adult Food Care Program found here that outlines meal recommendations depending on the eater and the meal being eaten. (2013)  I went with the "Adult Supper" guidelines that informed me of the recommendation that a given individual include 1 cup of two different kinds of fruits and veggies, 2 servings of corn bread (among other options), and two ounces of meat (among other options).  The task seemed simple enough, so I strolled over to Tim and Tom's Speedy Market on the corner of Como and Doswell.  I was able to buy 1 green bell pepper, 1 sweet onion, 1 yam, 2 chicken breasts, a packet of corn bread mix (made with the USDA recommended whole wheat flour as the primary ingredient) and lastly a bottle of my favorite condiment behind Sriracha: Tabasco's Smokey Chipotle hot sauce for just over $11, but if you consider my limited use of the hot sauce the total for the meal was indeed under the $10 mark.

With these ingredients I set about making something I've had in my arsenal for quite some time now, a delicious hash!  I basically chop up all the veggies into dime sized cubes and cook them in a super hot cast iron pan with some oil, salt and pepper.  According to the guide I needed two cups but after cutting all three vegetables I had over a quart...so I tried to put about half in and left the rest of the cut veggies for another time.

While this was happening I also had muh corn bread baking in the oven.  Being that it was the cheapest available mix I guessed it would be quite dry so I melted a tablespoon of butter and stirred it into the mix before cooking.  It turned out...dry.  So I'm glad I at least did that.  Regardless, it was a nice sweet starch to host my hash and chicken! 

I ought to develop a less conspicuous method of testing to see if my bread is done...

Lastly, the beloved poultry!  I was able to pick up two breasts for like 3 bucks which I was surprised by...and slightly concerned.  Trying to ignore all the Peta propaganda whirling through my head as I unpacked my questionably sourced bird breasts, I set about cubing and marinading the meat in a mix of salt, chipotle tabasco sauce, lime juice and pepper.  The tabasco really adds a deep, sweet, smokey and spicey flavor combination that alliterates as well as it makes food more delicous!

Lastly, I took the American approach and served up a cube of corn bread roughly equal to 2 servings according to the label and piled on in a pseudo artistic fashion my hash and chicken.  It tasted delicious and I had so much leftover (not to mention a good deal of uncooked chopped veggies) that I'll be set for the next day or two.  Not bad for 10 bucks!


My one and only source:

Meal Patterns. 22 January 2013. Child and Adult Food Care Program.  Food and Nutrition Service.  United States Dept. of Agriculture. 
Accessed on 25 March 2013.  Found at:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/programbasics/meals/meal_patterns.htm