Sometimes, it is easy to get bored with chicken. This recipe infuses the flavors of sage and lemon into chicken, creating an intriguing flavor that is earthy yet bright. Green onions and lemon give this dish a taste of spring before most spring vegetables are available. Sage, along with pasta and broccoli, keep the dish hearty and savory while the weather is still chilly. In Spring, basil and asparagus would be good substitutions for the sage and broccoli.

Sage & Lemon Chicken w/ Broccoli

4 bonesless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage  
1 lemon
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 cups uncooked orzo or other small pasta
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large ziplock bag, combine chicken, garlic, and sage. Zest lemon into bag, then cut in half and squeeze half of the juice into the bag, reserving the other half. Arrange chicken on wire rack and bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes until pasta is al dente and broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain and toss with olive oil.

In a small amount of olive oil, saute green onions in a large skillet over medium heat until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add broccoli and pasta to skillet and squeeze remaining half of lemon juice on top. Season with pepper.

Remove chicken breasts from oven and place over broccoli mixture. Serve immediately.

Frugal Breakdown:
4 chicken breasts: $3.20
salt and pepper: negligible
2 garlic cloves: negligible
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage : $0.75 
1 lemon: $0.60
1 head broccoli: $1.67
3 green onions: $0.25
2 cups uncooked orzo: $0.75
olive oil: negligible
TOTAL: $7.22

Verdict: An easy success, considering the deal I found on chicken breasts. Most of the other ingredients are pantry staples, so this was not an expensive dish to make.

Last week, I purchased chicken tenders for the bargain price of $3.00 for about a pound. Remember, Veganomics is not about vegan eating, but rather a healthy lifestyle on a healthy budget that’s also good for the planet. Sometimes it is hard to hit all three, but I think this recipe comes close.

The sauce for this recipe was inspired by Giada De Laurentiis from Everyday Italian. Her original recipe was Balsamic BBQ, and you know how much I love balsamic vinegar. I did adjust some of the amounts though. Rather than traditional grilled BBQ Chicken, I created a stir-fry for an all-in-one meal.

Above: Looks better than take-out. Careful, it’s hot!

BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 large head of broccoli, cut or broken into small pieces
1 small onion, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped
4 green onions, green and white parts, chopped
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard 
3/4 tsp salt, divided 
1/2 tsp black pepper

To make BBQ sauce: In a small saucepan, combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Whisk together and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes, until it has reduce by half.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet or wok on high heat. Saute onions for 3-5 minutes, until translucent and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove onions and set aside.

Toss chicken pieces with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and cornstarch. Arrange in a single layer in hot skillet. Saute 3-5 minutes, until chicken is almost done. Pour half of the BBQ sauce over chicken, tossing to coat. Set the other half aside.

Return onions to skillet along with broccoli. Cover and steam broccoli for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Toss to coat all ingredients. Add more BBQ sauce if necessary (sauce will thicken and reduce as it cooks, it will also thicken slightly when it cools).

Serve immediately, over steamed rice or quinoa. Pour remaining BBQ sauce in a bowl to serve on the side for dipping.

Economically Friendly: Now is the time to scout for sales in the meat department. Purchase meat close to the “sell by” date for a reduce price and freeze immediately, then thaw when you are ready to use. We did not use the dipping sauce, so I have another batch to make another dish with, which will save me time and money.

Ecologically Responsible: By cutting meat into smaller pieces, it stretches farther in a dish, meaning you use less. Adding hearty vegetables such as broccoli helps round out the meal without straining resources.

Excellently Healthy: Boneless, skinless chicken is the way to go. Add more vegetables, such as sugar snap peas, peppers, or carrots to increase the flavor and nutrition. Don’t be afraid to improvise with this recipe.

Here is a simple sauce, perfect for tossing with pasta, veggies, and chicken. The recipe originally came from Simply in Season, was a few tweaks courtesy of Jenn. I added red onions, mushrooms, and chicken breasts to turn this into a full meal. Be careful not to overcook the sauce, it could start to solidify.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz linguine pasta
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
2 tbsp butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp fresh dill
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and cook 2 minutes longer or until tender. Drain.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, red and green onions, and lemon peel and saute 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add chicken breasts to pan with lemon juice and turn heat to high. Cook about 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through.

Meanwhile, add onion mixture to pan with pasta and snap peas. Beat milk and eggs together and to pan. Cook over very low heat until mixture is slightly thick, do not boil. Stir in dill, salt, and nutmeg. Toss cooked chicken breasts with pasta. Serve immediately.

I love the art and simplicity of one-dish meals. It can be difficult to balance meat, vegetables, and a starchy side all in one pan. This dish was inspired by the first small zucchini of the season, which was very exciting to find. Paired with mini-bella mushrooms, which have a bit more taste then white mushrooms, this dish was earthy yet fresh. White mushrooms would be a fine substitute, or shiitake if you are ambitious. Here is another adventure in Spring Fever!

1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 oz mini-bella or white mushrooms, sliced
4-5 large green onions, green parts chopped and whites discarded
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
8 oz wide egg noodles
1 tsp salt
3 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 lb (12 oz) sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
bean sprouts, optional

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt and egg noodles. Boil 7-8 minutes, until just tender. 

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil over high heat in a large skillet with tall sides or a wok. Saute onion 1 minute, add mushrooms and saute 3-4 minutes. Add a little water if skillet is too dry. Add green onions and saute 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Dredge pork in cornstarch mixed with chili powder. Add to hot skillet, cook for 2 minutes without turning. Add 1 cup water and turn pork, scraping pan to loosen any browned bits. When liquid begins to simmer, add onion mixture back to pan and toss with pork. Add zucchini and sugar snap peas. Turn heat to medium, cover pan and let simmer 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Drain egg noodles and add to skillet. Toss well, coating with sauce. Remove from heat and stir in pepper. Serve topped with bean sprouts, if desired.

I also served a side of roughly chopped radicchio tossed with 1 tsp dark sesame seed oil and 1/8 tsp black ground pepper. About half of a small head is plenty, though the radicchio was rather bitter and not as big of a hit as the rest of the meal.

From Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, a tasty dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. This recipe calls for trimmed boneless steak and you can either cut it yourself or look for pre-cut beef strips meant for stir-fry to save some time. Serve with rice of your choose, such as plain white, brown, or flavored such as Vigo’s Yellow Saffron Rice. This one is being added as one of James’ favorite.

3 oranges
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs trimmed, boneless sirloin or rib-eye steak, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 to 2 tbsp oil
6 green onions, green parts only, cut into 1 inch pieces
rice, for serving

In a small bowl, finely grate the zest of one orange and squeeze the juice. Add minced garlic and soy sauce and mix.

With a sharp paring knife, peel the remaining 2 oranges. Slice the oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick and halve the slices. Remove any seeds.

In a medium bowl, toss the meat with the cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil as needed), brown the beef on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Pour the orange juice mixture into the skillet and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return beef to the skillet and add the orange slices and green onions. Toss until well coated and heated through. Serve hot, over rice.

Shown below, with yellow rice and Indian-Style Asparagus: