Taco Stand Chicken Tacos.

The Logic Cheap. Most of the cost is the chicken and you can always substitute thighs for breasts. Cilantro and onion are dirt cheap. Limes are like 3-5/ a dollar at most decent markets (not Meijer, don't by produce at meijer, ever). The spices are cheap at any market too (seriously, a small jar of Cumin Seed is like $5 at meijer or $1.50 at a market - don't shop at Meijer. .). Corn Tortillas (the rubbery ones) are about 1/3 the price of flour and are a hundred times better as long as you heat them on a burner - like $3 for 50. Sour cream is fairly cheap, and unnecessary, likewise with cheese since an 8oz package is enough, more than enough, for all the tacos. Making the salsa is a little extra work, not much, and is also cheaper/better than buying jar salsa. 

Probably $25. Feeds a family of 5 for at least 3 days. Aprox .50 per taco.

6 chicken breasts.
2 bunches Cilantro.
4 table spoons Cumin Seed (not cumin powder).
2 table spoons Mexican Oregano.
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.
1 Lime.
8 oz Salsa. (or, better, make salsa out of diced salted tomatoes, peppers and onions with garlic and cayenne).Sriracha hot sauce. Salt and Pepper (duh) 

Cut chicken breast into strips. 

Heat a skillet to medium cumin seed to toast, add a little canola oil. Add in chicken strips and cook covered. Add in garlic and oregano. Add in several generous pinches of chopped cilantro before finishing. Remove chicken slices, transfer remaining liquid to another container. Cut chicken slices into small (1/8 -1/4 in cubes) pieces using a pair of kitchen scissors. Add canola oil to pan, heat to high. Add chicken chunks to pan, add salsa after a minute. Cook, moving chicken to one side of the pan and adding a little more canola, then move ir back over. Cook like this until there is a little crispiness to the chicken. Add sriracha for heat, salt and pepper. Take chicken stock you removed and add into the chicken chunks 1/2 at a time to deglaze pan. Add the juice of a lime while deglazing.

If you find your chicken is too dry, try spooning some warn chicken broth in it while it cooks. 

Serve on corn tortillas (lightly charred on a burner), with chopped cilantro, onions and lime wedges. A little sour cream is good, a little cheese can be too (esp for kids) - but don't add a ton as it ruins the flavor. 

This chicken is very close to Vincente's Pollo ala Diabla (Chicken of the Devil), my favorite food of all time. I'm pretty sure if you stew it in a tomato based sauce instead of cooking it in a pan it's on the way. Less lime, and a different hot pepper, with mushrooms, onion and peas and butter it should be really close to their Diabla. 

Red Pepper Red Wine Ragu.

Red Pepper Red Wine Ragu.

(#Vegan, #Clearance Veggies, #Red Wine, #Italian#, #Pasta)

The Logic: Red Peppers. They are the healthiest most delicious thing I've ever eaten. Normally they're expensive as hell, but those golden moments when you see huge bags of them seeing on the Veggie Clearance rack make this recipe viable. The art of cooking for the collective on the cheap is more like being a hunter and gatherer than a modern day consumer. Leave your lists at home; it's about what's abundant, not what sounds good - although I assure you, this is always delicious.

Makes ~25 servings. Cost: ~$30.



1 Bottle cheap Cabernet.
Like 20 Roma tomatoes - or 4 cans of crushed tomatoes if that's a better option for you. 
No less than 10 Red peppers, a few orange or yellow too if they're on sale or mixed bags.
2 Onions. 
2-4 cartons Mini Bella Mushrooms. 
2 Carrots. 
Olive Oil. 
Oregano and Basil. 
2 Heads Garlic.

Shave down two carrots. Cut 1 onion into paper think slices.
Put in a pot over low heat, add in some olive oil.
Sweat Onions and Carrots.
Add Tomatoes, chopped into irregular chunks.

Cook over medium-low.

Julienne the peppers by quartering and cutting length wise (this is the best way, because in the end, like 2/3 of the pepper cooks off, and you're left with pasta like strands of pepper).
Julienne an onion, a little thicker.

Toss into pot with 1 head chopped garlic.

Add 3/4 bottle of Cabernet.

Cut Mushrooms into 1/4's and 1/3's, nice big chunks.
In a sauce pan, add the mushrooms (rinsed, and yes, rinsing mushrooms is fine). Add in remaining cab, cook over low heat until mushrooms are done. Strain Cab/mushroom sauce into pot. Add in Mushrooms during the last 1/2 hour.

Season with Oregano and Basil to taste. Reduce until thick, not runny at all, this will likely take all day (low heat). A Crock Pot might be a better option here.

During last half hour, add 1 head chopped garlic and the mushrooms.

If you're cool with it not being "pretty much the healthiest thing ever" or Vegan, add some butter for body.

Serve on pasta, toast or eat by it's self.