Sunday, February 22, 2009

Sunday Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry!


I
guess you could say that we aren't your typical family
that has Roast and potatoes for Sunday dinner.
In fact, for years to keep Sunday simple we would just have grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for Sunday dinner and our big meal would be on Monday before Family Home Evening.

However, Tracy has created the most fabulous stir-fry that has become a family favorite and that is what we had this week and most Sundays.
This is very economical and tastes better than any Chinese takeout I have ever eaten, PLUS, it doesn't have all of the extra sugar, MSG
and deep fried meat that most Chinese Sweet and Sour has in it.
******************
Our kids really look forward to our Sunday dinners
and this dish tastes even better the 2nd day.

Sunday Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry
(this is often our Sunday meal , instead of doing a roast like most families do.
We look forward to having the leftovers in our lunch on Monday!)


2 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 onion
2 Tbsp olive oil

Cut up chicken into bite sized pieces and coat in soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Sauté meat along with chopped onion in olive oil until chicken is browned.
Add ½ cup water and simmer covered for 10 minutes stirring twice.


(sauce)
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 bouillon cube in 1 cup water)
1-1/2 Tbsp corn starch
¼ tsp garlic powder

(veggie mixture—cut all veggies thin)
5 carrots
3 stalks celery
1 bell pepper

Add sauce to veggies and then add this to the chicken mixture. Return to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes stirring often.

Add in 1 cup pineapple and ½ to 1 cup cashews until heated through.
Serve over rice.


(optional veggies: broccoli, zucchini, fresh corn, summer squash, etc….)

RICE:
(white rice)
2 cups of rice into 4 cups of boiling salted water. Cook 20 minutes

(brown rice)
2 cups of rice into 4 cups of boiling salted water. Cook 45 minutes.
******************************
How Frugal is this meal?
The chicken cost $1.50
The sauce cost about .30
Onion cost .19
Carrots and celery .75
Bell Pepper .69
Pineapple .39
Cashews $1.00
Rice .66

TOTAL---$5.48

This meal fed 4 people 2 dinners and 3 people 1 lunch

This means each meal we ate cost about $1.82.
WOW! I would sure rather stay home and eat Chinese
than go and spend over $20.00 on 1 meal,
PLUS
, this has a minimal amount of sugar in it (compared to how much sugar is in Sweet and Sour chicken at a Chinese Restaurant), no MSG and it doesn’t have deep fat fried chicken in it either..

***********************************

NOW, what to do with all that extra leftover rice you have...
another favorite of ours..."Rice Pudding".
Rice Pudding
1 cup Rice
2 cups water

Put on stove and cook until almost dry.
Add 2 cups milk (I use POWDERED MILK)and
cook at lowest heat about 1- ½ hours.

Beat
1 egg, ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ½ cup raisins.
Add to boiling rice and milk.
Cook for 2 minutes and then take right off heat.

***************
(this great to make up and night
and then eat it in the morning for breakfast!)
***************

1 comment:

Ann Marie said...

I saw this picture and my mouth watered. Seriously.
It looks sooo good, and I may have to make it this week..

Rice pudding.. So yummy! I love it with homemade strawberry jam mixed in... Yummy! Thanks for sharing!