Instructions: Okay, I was reading my new Mens Health (Oct 97) issue today and they have an article in the nutrition section about getting in and out of the grocery store in a decent amount of time, with only 10 items, and enough food to feed one (or two) for 5 dinners. Wanted an opinion as to the menu and some clarifications on cooking techniques (Im still learning, and this looked like a neat way to cook for me and my roomie and get us out of the rut weve been in food-wise, and it looked to be pretty cheap :). So, heres the shopping list first:
1. Whole roasted chicken - medium sized ($4)

2. Red Potatoes, 5lb sack ($2)

3. Baby carrots, 2lb bag ($1.50)

4. Salad in a bag, 2lbs ($2.20)

5. Can of black beans ($1.10)

6. Rice, 2lb box ($2.20)

7. Jar of Salsa ($3)

8. Low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded, 8oz bag ($2.20)

9. Flour tortillas ($1.50)

10. Frozen mixed vegetable, 16oz bag ($1.50) and the "recipes" (many of which seem pretty ambiguous as to cooking times, etc, so any commentary on suggested amounts/cooking times would be helpful! Oh, and the recipes give a nutritional analysis that puts the meals under 22% CFF each):
Monday: Roasted chicken with skin-on mashed potatoes and carrots Chicken is bought ready made
Carrots get zapped in the microwave (perhaps with a bit of brown sugar or a few shakes of dill) or eaten raw.

Potatoes: Scrub 8 potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (leave the skin on, saving time and nutrients). Microwave them in a deep dish until theyre fork tender. Then add up to 2/3 cup hot skim milk as you mash the potatoes until you reach the desired consistency. Can add garlic, horseradish or chives if desired.

Keep the leftovers for later, wrapped and refrigerated.

Tuesday: Chicken hash with mixed veggies and green salad (22%CFF)

Cut some of the remaining white meat into bite-sized cubes. Combine the leftover mashed potatoes into about a 2:1 ratio (for extra firmness, add an egg white if you happen to have one.) Saute burger sized patties over medium heat in a non-stick pan. When golden brown, flip and cook until hot throughout. Meanwhile, prepare a serving of mixed veggies according to package directions. open the ready-made salad and go light on a low-fat dressing.

Wednesday: Chicken and vegetables over rice (17%CFF)

Prepare the rice (make enough for leftovers!), then microwave whats left of the white meat with some frozen veggies. Cover the rice with the chicekn-vegetable mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Microwave again until the cheese melts.

Rinse and drain the beens and heat them. Wrap the beans and cheese in a tortilla along with some salsa and some of the leftover salad remnants.

Heat up any leftover rise and serve on the side.

Slice remaining tortilla into wedges and heat them under the broiler until theyre toasted. Remove from oven. Heat the remainder of Thursdays bean/cheese mixture and spoon it on top of your fresh-baked tortilla chips.

Add salsa to taste, throw in whatever rice is left.

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