Monday, April 16, 2012

"Chipotle" on the cheap




Since I'm pregnant, I'm craving Chipotle all.the.time!  It's killing my budget, though.  So I went searching on the web for Chipotle recipes.  I found this website, and it was a great starting point for some awesome food!  I used Rayma's recipe there for Cilantro Lime rice and it has turned out perfectly 2 out of 3 times.  I was trying to get a more fluffy rice one time, and ended up with rice that was a little bit crunchy...so don't be shy with your heat--I haven't had a batch get even close to burning yet.  Considering I got the rice for free, I only paid about $0.50 for 5 servings of cilantro-lime rice (yay!).  I actually pick through the corn salsa at Chipotle because I don't like raw onions or the jalapenos.  So, starting with their Chipotle Corn Salsa recipe, I crafted my own salsa with the ingredients I like.  So, here goes:

Chipotle Corn Salsa (Mild Version)
1 poblano pepper (~$1)
1 lb. bag of corn, thawed (10/$10)
1/2 vidalia onion (~$1)
2 T. cilantro paste (in the produce aisle--$0.50 per tablespoon {$3.50 per tube})
1 T. lime juice (I used the one in the plastic bottle *gasp* and that's $0.19 per tablespoon)
salt to taste

Slice the onion into 1/2 in. slices.  Roast onion and pepper in 400 degree oven until onion is soft and slightly browned--about 30 minutes (I've also done this on the stove top and it worked fine.  You can roast your corn too, but I like the taste of "fresh" corn.).  Put pepper in a brown paper bag for a few minutes to steam off the skin (it should already be bubbly) while you finish chopping onion into "corn-sized" pieces.  Peel skin off of poblano and chop.  Combine cilantro paste (or fresh minced cilantro--2 T.) and lime juice in medium bowl, add pepper, onion, and corn, mix well.  Refrigerate salsa until chilled (an hour is plenty).  Serves 6 ($0.70/serving)


I also doctored up a can of black beans ($0.75) with 2 t. of chili powder, 1 c. of water (since I drained the liquid off) and 3 T. minced onion.  I let that simmer while my rice was cooking and it tasted really good.  Between the rice, corn salsa and black beans, my "Chipotle" meal costs $0.90/serving, which is great!  If you're a "meatatarian" or like sour cream and cheese (I've learned that I can't taste them) with your dish, you could be looking up toward $1.50/serving (these are coupon prices, mind you), which is still a great deal, considering it's $8 in the store (plus, I like mine better ;D).  What's your favorite way to eat Chipotle?  Do you go for a chicken burrito or a steak salad?  Do you ever make your own take out?

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