Sesame Chicken with Brown Rice
So remember when I said I like chinese food? Well, to be more specific, I LOVE chicken and broccoli. It is the only chinese food I order when getting take-out. Sometimes, if we are ordering for a larger group of people, I get the crab wonton's too. But I know how fattening and addicting asian food can be. And eating it more than once a week is not a good idea. So I went in search of recipes to make it healthier at home. And this is what I found. From Everyday Food on Martha Stewart's website comes Sesame Chicken. The recipe cuts back on some fat and calories but keeps it flavorful with fresh ingredients and natural not artifical means.
Here's the cast of characters. Chicken, Green onions, Eggs (only whites will be used), garlic, soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds and corn starch.
I started by mixing the sauce. Honey, soy sauce, garlic and sesame seeds. Set aside.
Then mix the egg whites and cornstarch together. I put them in a plastic ziplock bag and then added the chicken. Less mess for me to clean up. And belive me, that is what I am all about. LESS MESS FOR ME!
Then I heated the oil and added the chicken from the egg white/cornstarch mixture, but only half at a time, and fried it till golden. I removed it from the pan and added the second half and fried it the same way.
Put the first batch back in the pan and add the green onions and the sauce I made earlier. And just a note: I steamed broccoli in a steamer bag in the microwave while the chicken was cooking.
So I added it here and tossed to coat everything.
Ta da! All done. From beginning to end this took me about 20 min. It will depend on how big the chicken pieces are cut, but it should take about 6-8 min per batch for them to brown. Then everything else is just thrown in. Oh, and BTW, I used Birds Eye Brown Rice Steamer Bags. I popped one in the microwave after the broccoli was done and it finished cooking by the time the chicken was done. One more way to make my life easier. I'm all for that! This had great flavor and was very filling. And I felt better for eating this version than the regular take out kind. Try it, you'll like it.
Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 3/4 cup brown rice
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed with a garlic press
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into large florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced
Directions
- Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and fill with 1 inch water; set aside for broccoli. Cook rice according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until golden and opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and chicken. Return all the chicken to skillet; add reserved sauce and scallions, and toss to coat.
- Meanwhile, place saucepan with steamer basket over high heat; bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve sesame chicken with broccoli and rice.