Food Literacy Students
I chose the pesto chicken and vegetables recipe because it allows you to get your daily amount of vegetables through an actual dinner meal. The DRI for vegetables is 2-3 servings per day. I feel like oftentimes when I go about trying to eat my veggies daily, I eat cucumbers or carrots as a snack with ranch. This recipe allows vegetables to be implemented into an actual meal. This recipe provides a good way to implement vegetables without going out of your way. The recipe also tasted very good and the pesto added a great flavor to the vegetables and chicken.
Cost Breakdown
| Ingredient | Amount | Unit Cost of Ingredient | Recipe Cost of Ingredient |
| Red Bell Pepper | One each | $1.38/each | $1.38 |
| Zucchini | One each | $0.60/each | $0.60 |
| Yellow squash | One each | $0.50/each | $0.50 |
| Red onion | 1/2 red onion | $0.38/each | $0.19 |
| Chicken | 1.3 lbs breast | $6.99/2 lbs | $4.54 |
| Frozen green beans | 1 cup | $1.34/12 oz | $0.90 |
| Pesto | 1/3 cup | $2.84/6.5 oz | $1.31 |
| Parmesan cheese | 1 Tbsp | $2.79/5 oz | $0.28 |
| Cooking oil | 2 Tbsp | $2.98/48 oz | $0.06 |
| Salt | 1/8 tsp | $0.48/26 oz | $0.01 |
| Pepper | 1/8 tsp | $3.19/6 oz | $0.20 |
| Total Recipe Cost | $9.79 | ||
| Cost per serving (4 servings) | $2.45 |
About the Recipe
In order to make this recipe more budget friendly you could use cheaper vegetables that would fit well into the stir fry mix. You could also ask to use someone else’s salt, pepper, and cooking oil or just use the ingredients that you already have at home. In order to make this recipe more budget friendly you could also grow the vegetables yourself or buy the vegetables that are currently in season. If needed, you could also use canned chicken breast where it is cheaper.
The Snac Pantry supplies canned corn, canned green beans, canned diced tomatoes, and fresh celery sticks all which could be implemented into this recipe in place of other vegetables.
With some vegetables being more in season than not, I chose to use different vegetables than the recipe called for. I added mushrooms, peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, and celery to my veggie mix. This is a typical stir fry mix. All the vegetables tasted very good with the pesto sauce. I especially recommend adding mushrooms into your dish as they absorb the sauce very well.
Overall, I loved this dish and I would cook it again! It also stores and reheats very well! I had leftovers and ate them the next day and they tasted just as good as freshly cooked! This recipe gave me my daily vegetables and gave me a good way to incorporate vegetables into a meal rather than just a snack occasionally.
Pesto Chicken and Vegetables
Description
This recipe is a quick and easy way to add in delicious cooked veggies and protein into a meal. The pesto sauce with parmesan cheese adds a bright and herbaceous flavor.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Chop the bell pepper, yellow squash, and zucchini, and slice the red onion.
- Cube the chicken breasts into ½-inch pieces.
- Add the cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high. Once the skillet and oil are very hot, add the chicken and sauté until the chicken pieces are opaque (3-5 minutes – the chicken will continue to cook as you add vegetables).
- Add the green beans to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes more, or just until thawed.
- Add the bell pepper and red onion to the skillet. Sauté for 1-2 minutes more. If water is beginning to pool in the skillet, turn the heat up slightly. It should be hot enough that the water released from the vegetables evaporates quickly.
- Add the yellow squash and zucchini to the skillet and continue to sauté 2-3 minutes more, or just until the squash softens slightly.
- Turn the heat off, add the pesto to the skillet, and stir until everything is coated. Give the vegetables a taste and add salt, pepper, or more pesto if desired. Top with a light sprinkle of Parmesan just before serving.
