Celebrate Warm Mexican Flavors With This Budget Dinner for 2

This budget dinner for two includes a smoky elote salad, chicken tacos with homemade flour tortillas and individual flans. It cost less than $15. Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

By Gretchen McKay From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

February is still showing its cold, true colors and according to Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow on Feb. 2, winter weather isn’t going away anytime soon.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t heat things up with a meal that not only evokes the sunny, warming flavors of Mexico but doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket.

This budget dinner for two featuring homemade chicken tacos costs way less than what you'd pay for a comparable meal at Taco Bell. It’s certainly more healthful in that it’s packed with fresh veggies and fruit juices.

What really makes the menu shine are the homemade flour tortillas. They taste so much fresher than mass-produced, bagged tortillas, and they’re fun and super-easy to make with the simplest of ingredients—flour, water, salt, and shortening.

If you’ve got kids, they'll love getting their hands sticky in the dough, which is a cinch to roll out and takes only 2 minutes to cook in a hot skillet.

The meal also includes elote, a healthful and nutritious Mexican corn salad that’s popular in summer, when local corn hits farm stands. It’s probably better on the cob but even made from frozen corn, the dish is bright and creamy, with exactly the right amount of spice from chilies.

And can we just talk about dessert? When is the last time you treated yourself to a creamy, caramel-y flan? It’s surprisingly easy (and cheap) when you make it in individual ramekins, though after one bite, you‘ll wish you’d made an entire pan so you'd have something delicious for breakfast.

As always in this feature, I raided my pantry and refrigerator before I went shopping, and planned my menu around everyday ingredients that are easy to find in most grocery stores. Items I didn’t add to the budget because I had them on hand include the various spices, mayonnaise, garlic, cooking oil and a lemon I grated a little zest off of for the flan.

I also took advantage of what I found on sale in the produce section, which in the dead of winter can seem shockingly expensive—a 1-pound container of golf ball-sized cherry tomatoes from Mexico for $1.50, a huge bunch of cilantro for 99 cents, and a bag of 10 Minneola oranges (tangelos) for just $2.50.

No surprise that chicken was the most expensive thing on my shopping list. Then again, at $3.79 a pound for thigh, it broke down to only $1.90 per serving. I dare you to find anything on a fast-food menu that’s not full of fat and sugar that comes anywhere even close.

Eggs are still sadly on the rise (and not going down anytime soon), but I needed only two for the showstopper flan dessert. It takes some time and a little extra effort—you have to chill the custard to room temperature after baking and then again in the fridge before serving. But it was so good, I know I will make it again and again.

This menu assumes three tacos per eater, so if you have a smaller appetite, you might get lunch the next day from the leftovers. Best of all, it shows that even in tough economic times, it’s possible to get a good dinner on the table even on a tight budget.

Elote Salad

PG tested

Serves 2.

Elote, which means “corn cob” in Spanish, is usually made with fresh corn on the cob, but this time of year it’s OK to use frozen, bagged corn. Feta is less expensive than cotija, but similar in taste and texture, so that’s what I used to keep on budget.

You can use either mayo or yogurt (less calories) as a binder. Fresh lime juice and zest makes the salad bright, while ancho chili powder adds a touch of smoky heat.

It can be served as a salad, a dip for tortilla chops or simply pile it on top of your taco.

• 1 bag frozen corn, thawed
• 1 tablespoon mayo or plain yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ancho or regular chili powder
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• Generous pinch of sea salt

In a large bowl, combine corn, mayo, garlic, lime zest, and juice.

Add scallions and stir to coat. Add cheese, cilantro, chili powder, and jalapeño. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.

Elote made from frozen corn can be served as a side, as a dip with tortilla chips or be piled on top of tacos. Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

Recipe by Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Chicken Tacos

PG tested

Makes 6 tortillas.

This handheld meal comes together so quickly, especially if you follow my lead and make home tortillas. They taste so much fresher than store-bought tortillas.

I used a nonstick pan for both the tortillas and chicken, but the recipe can also be made in a cast-iron skillet.

For tortillas

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
• 6 tablespoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Combine flour and salt in medium bowl. Using your fingers, rub shortening into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until combined.

Transfer dough to counter and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Divide dough into 6 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each. Roll each into a smooth 1-inch ball between your hands.

Transfer to plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Cut 6 6-inch squares of parchment paper. Roll 1 dough ball into 6-inch round on lightly floured counter. Transfer to parchment square and set aside. Repeat with other dough balls, stacking tortillas on top of each other with parchment squares between.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Wipe out skillet with paper towels, leaving thin film of oil on bottom,

Place 1 tortilla in skillet and cook until surface begins to bubble and bottom is spotty brown, about 1 minute. Flip and cook until spotty brown on second side, 30-45 seconds.

Transfer to plate and cover with clean dish towel; repeat with other tortillas. (Cooled tortillas can be wrapped in plastic and stored in fridge for up to 3 days.)

Recipe from “Baking for Two” by America’s Test Kitchen

Makes 6 tacos.

For filling

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped or sliced
• Juice and zest 1/2 orange, or more to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, or more to taste
• Dash of paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder
• Pinch of oregano (preferably Mexican)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For pico

• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 finely chopped jalapeño, deseeded
• Squeeze of lime juice

For sauce

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional
• Salt

Combine chicken, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, chopped onion, orange zest and juice, and spices in a large bowl, and stir to combine well.

Heat a large pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook chicken, stirring constantly, until it is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat to a bowl.

Prepare pico. Combine the chopped onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice in a small bowl.

Make cilantro sauce by combining 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 2 tablespoons minced cilantro. Season to taste with a pinch or two of salt.

Assemble tacos by dividing chicken into the 6 tortillas. Top with a few tablespoons of the pico and a drizzle of cilantro sauce. Serve.

Stuffed into homemade flour tortillas, these tacos scrafted with boneless chicken thigh and warm Mexican spices are both easy to make and easy on the pocketbook. Fresh pico de gallo goes on top. Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

Recipe by Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Flan for 2

PG tested

Serves 2.

Who knew such a decadent dessert for two could be so inexpensive? Flan has Spanish roots, but is popular in Latin American countries such as Mexico. Eggs might seem like a luxury these day, but they give the flan the perfect rich flavor and tender texture. Sweetened condensed milk makes it rich and creamy.

Be gentle when unmolding the flan—I wasn’t and one of my desserts was especially wobbly (but was still delicious.)

• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• Pinch of grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place dish towel in bottom of 8-inch baking pan. Grease 2 6-ounce ramekins and place them on the towel, not touching.

Pour 3 tablespoons water into small saucepan, then pour sugar into center (don’t hit sides). Gently stir sugar with clean spatula to wet it thoroughly.

Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until sugar has dissolved completely and liquid has a faint golden color, about 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until caramel has a dark amber color, 1-2 minutes.

Carefully pour caramel evenly into ramekins and let cool until hardened, about 5 minutes. Bring kettle of water to boil.

Whisk egg and egg yolk in medium bowl. Whisk in milk, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon zest until combined. Pour custard evenly into ramekins. Set pan on oven rack.

Taking care not to splash water into ramekins, pour enough boiling water into pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake until centers are just barely set and register 170-75 degrees F, 25-30 minutes, checking temperature about 20 minutes in.

Carefully transfer ramekins to wire rack and let custards cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

To serve, run thin knife around ramekin to loosen custard. Place inverted serving plate over top and quickly flip custard and plate together. Gently remove ramekin, drizzling any extra caramel sauce over top. Repeat with remaining ramekin.

This decadent (but super-easy) custard dessert is deliciously rich and creamy, with a golden caramel topping. Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

Recipe from “Baking for Two” by America’s Test Kitchen.

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