Dinner on a Budget

By / Food / January 11th, 2011 / 2

Does your credit card bill look a little scary? Perhaps one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to save a few extra dollars here and there. Despite your best efforts, it seems that the price of food keeps increasing. So, what is a food lover to do? How best to enjoy amazing food without breaking the bank, especially if entertaining friends and family is on the horizon?

Cooking gourmet fare is totally possible on a budget. The key is to carefully select some ingredients at a discount, while splurging a bit on other ingredients. Craft a menu that utilizes a lot of the basics you already have in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Then, put out a bit more money on the parts of the recipe that really stand out, like good quality vegetables.

Roasted Chicken Teriyaki
Serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp anise seed
3 Tbsp each orange juice and soy sauce
1 Tbsp each sugar and dry white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 (4 lb) roaster chicken

1. In a large pan set over medium heat, stir oil with anise seed until hot. Add orange juice, soy, sugar, wine, garlic and ginger; set aside.
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry; reserve giblets for other uses. Put chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Coat generously with sauce. Pour remaining sauce into cavity of the bird. Roast, uncovered, in a 375°F oven for about 1-1/4 hours. After chicken has roasted for 30 minutes, add 1/4 cup of water.
3. Drain juices from chicken cavity into pan, then put the chicken on a platter and keep warm.
4. Stir juices to free browned bits in the pan. Measure the juices; if there’s more than 2/3 cup, place pan on high heat and boil until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Keep warm.
Serve over spaghetti squash with a chilled glass of Gewürztraminer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Mantini has always loved words. When she isn't working as the Associate Editor at Tidings Magazine, she's helping others achieve their writing dreams, and sometimes she even relaxes with a good book and a glass of wine.

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