McKinnonNEWS

MATHS

VCAL NUMERACY: THE $20 MEAL CHALLENGE

In VCAL numeracy, the Year 12s completed a unit on consumer maths. Within this unit, they completed activities about budgeting. 

 

They were set the challenge of creating a recipe that would feed six people for around $20. It also needed to be filling and healthy. They investigated the cost of each ingredient using the Coles or Woolworths website and provided a total cost and a cost per serve. 

 

Many different recipes were submitted, such as burgers, schnitzels, parmas, stroganoff and pasta dishes.  

 

Below is one of the recipes submitted: 

 

Chicken and Pea Risotto by Tomer Singer (Year 12)

 

Ingredients:

Arborio rice 1kg

Chicken breast 4

Brown onion 1

Garlic clove 4

Peas 500g

Oil, enough to cook with

Parmesan 100g

Chicken stock 1 L 

 

Feel free to finish off the risotto with some heavy cream to add some more creaminess.

 

Method:

  1. Set your pot of chicken stock to boil (it needs to be at least 90 degrees to work properly but the hotter the better). You can also replace it with veg stock if you don't eat meat).
  2. Cut your onion and garlic as fine as you can and saute them in a large hot pan with enough oil to cover the pan completely.
  3. Once your onion is slightly brown (make sure you don't burn them) you can add your rice. Mix the rice around the pan until it's all coated in oil.
  4. While doing this you can cut your chicken breast into small cubes and fry them in another pan (make sure you clean everything that touched the raw chicken, including your hands).
  5. Once your stock is hot you can slowly add it to your rice. Start off with 3 small ladles full and mix until the rice has absorbed everything (have your pan on a medium high heat).
  6. Slowly add one more ladle at a time to your rice until it's cooked.
  7. When your rice has expanded a bit, slightly changed colour and thickened you can try a couple of grains. You are looking for them to be soft but still having a bit of resistance (al dente).
  8. Once your risotto is cooked you can add your peas, chicken and cheese and mix through over a low heat then serve.

Total cost of recipe:  $ 22.25

Total cost per serve: $ 3.70

 

Mrs Jess Dixon

Mathematics teacher