Day 5: Two Hours in the Kitchen

I might be sick of cooking by the end of this challenge. ;) I spent two hours in the kitchen today, and I still have to make my sandwich to take to work. First, I blanched some summer squash that was given to me by a coworker. I think they might have overcooked a little even though I only boiled them for 2-3 minutes. They are in the freezer now, and hopefully they will be okay. I still have two sitting raw on the counter that I may fry sometime this weekend. I may change the Sunday meal plan from pizza to a veggie supper if I can find a good deal on some corn on the cob.

My second hour in the kitchen was spent thawing chicken and chopping veggies to make a Szechuan Chicken stir fry from a Kroger seasoning packet. A friend of ours introduced me to this, and it is very yummy. Aside from all of the chopping, it's pretty easy too. We had that for lunch over some rice, and we'll each do our own thing for dinner. I plan to make a turkey sandwich, and hubby will probably have some leftovers or Chef Boyardee from the stockpile.

Here is the recipe for the chicken stir fry, with prices in parentheses and items from the stockpile (i.e. not purchased this week) denoted with an asterisk:

Szechuan Chicken & Veggies

1 packet Kroger Szechwan seasoning mix ($0.55)*
3/4 lb chicken breast, cut into strips or cubes ($1.75)*
1 tsp sugar*
3 tbsp soy sauce*
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp oil*
1 medium onion, sliced ($0.33)*
2 carrots, sliced ($0.25)
1 bell pepper, sliced ($0.95)
3 cups prepared rice ($0.80)*

In a small bowl, combine seasoning mix, sugar, water, and soy sauce. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet; add meat and cook until browned. Add veggies and stir fry. When veggies are cooked to desired tenderness, add sauce and stir fry until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve over rice.

$$ Spent Today: $0.00
$$ Remaining: $7.57