This past Christmas, I received everything that a chef would indulge on. I got a KitchenAid mixer, cookbooks, and books on becoming a chef! I didn't really want any clothes in boxes or fancy purses, but I don't mind the occasional shirt or a pair of pumps. Anyways, back to the subject at hand, I got an amazing cookbook: Rachael Ray's look + cook. I love this cookbook and I use it all the time! So I decided to do a chinese dish and bring out the chopsticks that my parents brought home from Hong Kong:) And if I do say so myself, I finally have mastered the art of chopsticks:) This recipe is amazing and I hope that you enjoy this fake-out take-out meal as much as I did. Here is the recipe for this easy, go-to meal:Ingredients:
3 tbsp canola or vegetable (I used stir-fry oil that has garlic oil, sesame oil, ginger oil, and soybean oil for more of a stir-fry taste)
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs(or you could substitute tofu if you are vegetarian)
Salt and Pepper
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2-inch dice
1 onion, chopped into 1/2-inch dice
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 inch of fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated or finely chopped (I used a little less ginger than 1 inch, but how much you like the pungent flavor of ginger will depend on how much to use)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce( I did use not hoisin when I made this chicken. Ingredients can be expensive, so sometimes you may have to alter recipes to fit your budget or with what your local grocery store carries)
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons tamari (aged soy sauce) (You can use regular soy sauce if you don't have tamari in your pantry at home)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup honey-roasted cashews (I used honey-roasted peanuts)
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias (used for garnish)
Recipe:
1. Place a large skillet over high heat with about 2 tablespoons of the oil (just eyeball it).
2. When the pan is hot, add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until golden
brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve it on a plate.
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger to the
skillet and stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, orange marmalade, hot sauce, tamari, and
stock.
6. Return the chickn to the skillet and pour in the sauce.
7. Add the cashews, toss to coat, and continue cooking until the sauce thickens up, about 1
minute more. (Due to the fact that I did not use hoisin sauce, my sauce did not thicken up
that well, I mixed a little flour and water in a jar and added it, while whisking it at the same
time. This method worked beautifully.)
8. Serve the stir-fry with brown rice and garnish with the scallions (The garnish of scallions is
used for crunch, flavor, and simply eye-appeal).
If you get sick of using plain brown rice or white rice, do a coconut milk rice, like I did.
I made enough rice for 6 servings, just because I knew that people would definetely be coming back for seconds of chinese chicken!
Here is the recipe:
Follow the directions on the box of rice of your choice.
For 6 servings of white rice, I used: 3 cups of rice
2 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1. Bring water and coconut milk to a boil.
2. Stir in rice; cover pot. Remove from heat.
3. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until water and the coconut milk is absorbed. Fluff with fork.
4. Not all of the coconut milk will be absorbed so you might have to remove some of the milk
once the rice is done cooking. (or you could experiment with the ratios of rice: water/milk)
This rice is not that different from original, plain rice, but it does bring a sweet (but not totally sweet) flavor to this dish! Enjoy!
So there you have it, a fake-out take-out dinner that takes some prep work, but is 100% worth it when it comes time to sit down after a long, hard day of work or play with our loved ones!
In the words of my idol, Julia Child, "Bon Appetit!" Until next time, farwell my fellow foodies!!
*So.....get in your kitchen, put your apron on, and let's get Cookin' with Cassie!*
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