Durban Virtual Properties Introduces Comfort Foods on a Shoestring Budget

Are you thinking of entertaining but your house or apartment is too small to have more than 6 people in it at one time? AND of course, you would like to serve an excellent meal that isn't too pricey? Cooking a fancy dish does not have to cost an arm and a leg, especially if you are on a tight budget, one can buy items that are on special and stock up. This way, you can still entertain and maintain your budget.

My boyfriend and I recently had 4 guests over for dinner at our duplex in Morningside, Durban. After deciding what we would be cooking, we headed down to the market to purchase a few groceries.

We had decided on a really inexpensive way of making Chicken ala King that would serve 6 people:

SO, LET'S SLICE, DICE, CHOP AND PREPARE!!

Total cost: R51-00

Per portion: R8-50

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 large onion, halved and sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium sized green pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 punnet mushrooms, sliced

3 heaped TBSP margarine

3 level TBSP flour

1litre long life milk (or 750ml milk - depending on how thick you want your sauce)

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsps oreganum

250g uncooked rice

Method:

• Bring rice to the boil in salted water, reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 12 minutes.
• Strain, rinse and set aside.
• Gently fry the onions and green pepper till al dente.
• Add the cubed chicken, garlic and oreganum - fry on low heat for 5 - 7 minutes.
• Add the sliced mushrooms, reduce the heat, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Make a 'well' in the center of the chicken, add the margarine. When the margarine has melted, remove from the heat and add the flour. Mix to form a paste (this is known as a roux).
• Return pot to the heat and add the milk. Leave the sauce to thicken on low heat for 10 - 12 minutes, add salt and pepper. Stir occasionally.
• Switch stove off and leave to simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.

STIR, DISH AND ENJOY!

TIPS:

Green Pepper: Buy these in bulk, remove seeds and cut into 1/4's. Freeze them and when you want to use them, simply run under cold water for 1 second. Still fresh and crisp!

Onions: Buy these in bulk and cut into slices, freeze into packets and when ready to use, place in a colander or sieve for a few minutes to rid excess water.