With the costs of fuel, food and accommodation set to get even higher, Logan families are feeling the pinch more than ever, so we’ve decided to put together a ‘feed your family for under $15’ recipe series to help you eat on a budget.
This week’s recipe comes from meal prepping queen, Diana Cosovan.
“I have a family of five and I try to keep all of our family meals under $20, but they still have to be healthy and nutritious for my family – it can be done on a budget, you just have to plan ahead,” she said.
“For fruit and veggies I suggest going to your local fruit and veg shop and look for the bargains, they often do cheap boxes of veggies and it’s much cheaper when you buy in bulk.”
“I also look for end of the day sales and clearance items in supermarkets; you can find a lot of delicious items on markdown. You can also opt for the generic brands and add more flavour with herbs and spices.”
Mrs Cosovan’s delicious Baked Feta, Chicken and Veggie Pasta recipe for a family of 5, comes in under $15.
Baked Feta, Chicken & Veggie Pasta
Ingredients
150 g (1¼ cups) chopped zucchini
430 g chicken breasts (cut into 2.5cm cubes)
230 g (1¾ cups) cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
Black pepper
¾ tsp dried oregano
25 ml (1½ tbsp) olive oil
120 g (1 cup) feta cheese
150 g whole wheat pasta
150 ml (⅔ cup) water (reserved from cooking pasta)
150 g (1¼ cups) peas, frozen
Steps
Preheat oven to 200°C. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Chop zucchini and cut chicken into 1″ (2.5cm) cubes.
Add chicken, zucchini and tomatoes to a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano and oil, which you may already have in your pantry. Toss the chicken and veggies to evenly coat.
Transfer the chicken and veggies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing out as much as possible to ensure vegetables don’t go soggy (use a second baking sheet if you need to).
Leaving the feta in one chunk, add it to the baking sheet as well. Transfer to oven and roast for 18-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are golden and tender.
Meanwhile, add whole wheat pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Before draining, use a measuring cup to scoop out pasta water and set aside. Drain the remaining water and return the pasta to the pot. Add peas, roasted chicken, veggies, baked feta and cooking juices from the roasting pan to the pot with the pasta. Stir to break up the feta so it melts to coat the pasta. If the pasta looks dry, add some of the reserved pasta water as needed to thin out the sauce.
If you want, set aside a serving to eat straight away or portion remaining servings into meal prep containers for later.
