Frugal, tasty food is sooo important. If you can cook food the whole family loves for a dollar or two per person, then you will significantly cut down on fast food expenses! I used to cook “frugally” with my wide array of Hamburger Helpers. We still ate out a lot. Gee, I wonder why. Staying at home with my babies this past year has given me the time I need to learn how to cook – and to cook cheaply!

Today I want to share a new recipe I’ve found that’s simply delicious:

Honey-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs vinegar
2 Tbs orange juice
4 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp corn starch
2 Tbs cooking oil
4 cups cut-up vegetables, such as broccoli, sweet pepper, onion, and/or mushrooms (Or be like me, and just buy the frozen stir-fry package for $1!)
2 cups hot cooked rice (make it brown rice for an even healthier meal!)

1. Cook the rice first. If you’re like me and use the old-fashioned brown rice, it takes 50 minutes! Can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten to the end of my recipe and found I’ve forgotten all about the rice!
2. Cut chicken into bite-sized strips; set aside. For sauce, in a small cereal bowl, whisk together honey, vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch; set aside.
3. Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking (I do!)). Heat over medium-high heat. Add vegetables to wok; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Add chicken; cook and stir for 3 or 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from the center of the wok. Stir sauce; add to center of the wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
4. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through. Serve over rice.
5. Oh, and I keep meaning to try this because I KNOW it will taste AMAZING, but go ahead and take a handful of sliced almonds and toast them – either by heating in a saute pan and stirring every minute or so until your kitchen is filled with a wonderful almond-aroma, or by heating in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Then sprinkle on top of the stir-fry. Let me know how this goes! Every time, I find the bag of almonds as I’m putting everything away after dinner has already been consumed. And I smack myself on the forehead and give an exasperated sigh.

I did the math tonight, and found that if I buy the chicken at $1.77/lb, like I did this week, and don’t count the things I have on hand (everything but the veggies and chicken), then this meal only costs $2.77 to make! And it feeds four people!

For more frugal tips, see Crystal’s site.

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And come back next Thursday to see What I Believe! Feel free to play along yourself!