Here’s a frugal and delicious new recipe ds10 made for us a couple of nights ago – this is a main dish recipe that serves ten.  (See cost breakdown below.)

Chicken Chickpea Chili

• 2 T. coconut oil or rendered chicken fat
• 1 c. chopped onions, leek, or scallions (I used chives from my garden)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 t. cumin
• 2 lb. ground chicken/turkey, cooked (can also use cubed soup chicken)
• 1 lb dried chickpeas, cooked (soak these the night before or even further in advance if you want to sprout them – you can also use 4 cans of cooked chickpeas)
• 6 c. chicken broth
• 4 – 8 c. kale, chopped (optional – I have this in the garden right now but you can leave it out)
• 2/3 c. barley (optional – if you leave this out you can either decrease the broth or enjoy this recipe as a hearty soup; I left it out)

If your chickpeas aren’t cooked when you begin, put them up to boil while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Saute the onions and garlic in oil for about 5 minutes, until translucent.  Stir in cumin, mixing in thoroughly.  Add chicken, chickpeas, broth, and kale.  Bring to a boil and cook until the barley is soft, if you’re using it.  Otherwise, cook until the kale is soft.

This is a really quick recipe to put together if you have cooked chickpeas, broth, and cooked chicken on hand – which I did.  I prepared (ie soaked, sprouted, and cooked) the chickpeas in advance since I knew I’d be making this, had broth in the freezer, and had canned ground chicken in my pantry.

My cost breakdown:

1. organic scallions – free – from garden
2. organic garlic – .10
3. ground chicken – 1.29 lb x 2 (bought a lot on sale and canned it)
4. dried chickpeas – .59 lb
5. broth – free (made with turkey bones I got free)
6. organic kale – free – from garden

Total cost for our family of 11 – $3.27/.33 per person (which included more than one serving each) – as I’ve often said, eating well doesn’t have to cost a lot!

(This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday and Fight Back Friday.)

Avivah