Tasty tip: Create some fake-out take-out dinners

Next time you're out at your favorite restaurant, pick up one of its to-go menus. Go home and try to recreate your favorite dish for half the price and none of the waiting.

Thanks to the ever descriptive menu writers, you will have the basic game plan at your fingertips. Tinker with the ingredients a bit, reducing the amount of fat usually found in your dish.

Besides, people have already concluded that eating at home costs less than eating at restaurants. Plus, it's healthier.

Whenever I have a strong Chinese food craving, I reach for this Asian Glazed Wings recipe from Rachael Ray. The glaze is good on chicken breasts, beef, vegetables, pasta and rice. If your kids don't like heat (it's not that hot, really) you can reduce the amount of red pepper flakes you use.

Asian Glazed Wings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
12 whole chicken wings, drummers and tips
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup plum sauce
1/2 cup orange juice, eyeball it
2 inches ginger root, peeled
3 tablespoons tamari, dark soy sauce, eyeball it
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, medium heat to extra spicy
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Preheat a large oven safe skillet over high heat with the oil. Liberally season the chicken wings with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is screaming hot add the wings in 1 even layer. Brown the wings for 3 minutes per side.

While the wings are browning, assemble the plum glaze: in a small pot over high heat combine the plum sauce, orange juice, ginger root, tamari and hot pepper flakes. Bring up to a simmer and lower the heat, reserving it until the wings are done browning. Remove ginger from glaze.

Pour the simmering plum glaze mixture over the browned wings. Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, flipping the wings once half way through the cooking time.

Remove the wings from the oven, if the glaze is not syrupy and thick, place the skillet of wings on the cook top and turn the heat on high, allow the glaze to reduce for about 1 minute. Toss the wings around in the glaze and finish with the fresh cilantro and basil.

Serve hot or room temperature.