Honey Chicken Stir Fry

There is nothing more satisfying than making Stir Fry dishes at home.  Don't get me wrong, I love Chinese take out but when you can make delicious dishes like this at home, skip the take out and serve your family a healthier, tasty meal.  

Chicken is a regular staple in my house.  But, I'm always wanting to try different chicken recipes.  Different flavors and cooking methods is what keeps things fresh and interesting.  Honey Garlic Chicken is one of my family's favorite  Chinese take out meals.  I found this Honey Chicken Stir Fry recipe on the food website Tasty Kitchen.  We all really enjoyed this dish.  I increased the recipe to  6 servings for the 4 of us and there was just enough left over for my husband to take for lunch the next day.  

***There are so many recipe resources and places for inspiration.  For more chicken recipe ideas, check out Reader's Digest chicken recipe section.***  

Honey Chicken Stir Fry

Recipe by HowSweetEats on Tasty Kitchen

Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 large egg whites

2/3 cup cornstarch or flour (I used cornstarch)

3/8 cup olive oil (I used about 1/3 cup total)

1 1/2 - 2 cups broccoli florets

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas (snow peas can be substituted)

1/8 cup soy sauce (I used 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 - 2 lbs thin sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup honey

salt and pepper

Preparation

Prepare and slice vegetables.  Place 4 egg whites in a small bowl and beat lightly. In another small bowl or plate, add cornstarch.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add vegetables to skillet and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Saute vegetables for about 5 minutes until softened.  Add soy sauce and garlic to veggies and stir until coated, about 1 minute.  Remove veggies from skillet and set aside.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper.  Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil to coat pan.  Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch.  Add chicken to the skillet in batches and let brown 2-3 minutes, then flip and brown other side.  When chicken is cooked, remove to plate and continue in batches until all the chicken is cooked.  Add some more olive oil to pan with each batch.

Once all the chicken is cooked place the chicken and the vegetables back in skillet.  Add honey and mix thoroughly to combine.  Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce, if needed.  Serve with rice.  (I used Jasmine Rice)

(Click here to print original recipe). You can change the serving size to your needs.

Disclosure:  This is a compensated post from Reader's Digest to highlight their chicken recipe site and to share their link with my readers.  All writings are my own thoughts and opinions.

Saute some healthy vegetables...broccoli, red pepper and sugar snap peas

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  This dish has a couple of steps to it but you can make it easier on yourself. Cut your vegetables, measure your liquids and have your chicken cut up and coated before you begin the cooking process.  I try to have everything in the order I'm going to use them.  Stir frying is a pretty quick  cooking method so prepping ahead is always a good idea.

  

Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice........The Kids Cook Monday!

I was feeling under the weather and the last thing I wanted to do was cook.  But I had some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the fridge that needed to be cooked.  So, I thought my daughters (age 14) could make this simple chicken dish and I would just stand by and give them instructions. 

They made the rice.  Mixed in the sliced scallions.  Cooked the chicken in the skillet.  Made the sauce with apricot preserves, fresh ginger, soy sauce and garlic.  Cooked the sauce and coated the cooked chicken thighs in the sauce.  Placed the rice on a plate and put the glazed chicken thighs on top.  Added some string beans.  Dinner served.  Delicious.

Since this past August, my daughters have been helping me in the kitchen as part of The Kids Cook Monday program.  And I have seen some real changes in how they look at food.  They ask questions, they want to help and do more in the kitchen.  And the real plus is that they are trying more healthy and varieties of foods.  I could really get used to this Sous Chef thing.

For ideas on getting your kids to help more in the kitchen and to eat more family meals together, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.

My family wants to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the time and food with your family, friends and loved ones. 

Click here for the printable recipe of Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice on Myrecipes.com

Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice

Recipe by Cooking Light, November 2010, Slightly adapted

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs, about 1/2 cup rice, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

4 servings of long-grain rice
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Drain; fluff rice with a fork. Gently stir in green onions.

2. While rice cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Season chicken with a little salt and pepper.  Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add preserves, grated ginger, soy sauce, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil. Cook sauce 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with sauce.  Serve with rice.

Note: Original recipe calls for 1/2 cup ginger preserves.  You can substitute 1/2 cup apricot preserves plus 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  If you need minced garlic in a recipe, a quick way is to run the peeled garlic clove over a Microplane Zester.  This was an easy and safe way for my daughter (or anyone) to mince the garlic needed for the ginger soy sauce. 

Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl

I can't believe it's already August.  I know time is flying by when it's another month of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club.  My four other Supper Club friends want to share another great menu with you this month.  The theme for August is, "A Visit to Chinatown".  

Making Asian-style food at home always tastes so good and flavorful.  Who needs take-out when you can make these dishes at home.  I made Cooking Light's Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl.  What a satisfying and comforting meal.  Really delicious.

Note:  I used more beef than the recipe called for, a little over a pound.  I also couldn't find udon noodles in my grocery store so I used dried lo mein noodles which I found in the Asian section of my store.  Spaghetti can be substituted as well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Click here for the Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl recipe on Myrecipe.com   

What did my other Cooking Light buddies bring to our Chinatown menu?

Sandi (Whistlestop Cafe Cooking) made Asian Turkey Cabbage Cups

Val (More than Burnt Toast) brought Salt-Baked Chicken

Shelby (The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch) made Ma Po Tofu

Patsy (Food, Family and Friends) made Pork & Stir Fried Veggies in Spicy Sauce

Jamie (me from Mom's Cooking Club) made Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl

Hope you enjoyed this month's menu.  I'll be back soon with more recipes and don't forget to check back in September for another meal with the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club.   

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Udon Noodles are thick wheat flour noodles and are very popular in Japanese cuisine and used often in hot soup. 

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce

I present to you another great meal from Cooking Light. This dish brings 2 things together I love.....seafood and stir fry. This dish was easy to make and it cooks up very quickly. I decided to serve it with Lo Mein Noodles (found in Asian section of grocery store). It has a slightly sweet, slightly spicy flavor. Was it good? Let's just say we all went for second helpings. I will definitely save this recipe for my "keeper" list.

I did make one change to the recipe. It calls for Chile Paste with garlic and I couldn't find that ingredient in my grocery store so I used 1/2 tsp of Sriracha Sauce instead. This is a hot and spicy-sweet sauce found in the Asian section of your store. I may add a little more next time for more spice or you could also use a large pinch of red pepper flakes.

Click here for recipe

Look at that beautiful shrimp!

What a healthy meal: seafood, vegetables & fruit

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson: I normally buy my shrimp with the shells on and just peel and devein them at home. But sometimes, when I want a quick dinner or I don't want to take the extra time to peel them, I have my husband (he works near our seafood market) buy them already peeled and deveined. This cost only about fifty cents more per pound. Minimal cost for the convenience. So, for a quicker and more convenient dinner, buy your shrimp already peeled and deveined.

Honey-Teriyaki Chicken

Simple, simple, simple....but so much flavor! I knew when making the sauce for this chicken it was going to be good. It smelled great. The chicken turned out so moist and we loved the honey-teriyaki flavor. The recipe called for 8 chicken thighs. I used 4 thighs and a package of drumsticks. I happened to have a box of Rice-a-Roni Chicken Teriyaki rice in my pantry(perfect match). Along with some green beans and my family had a well balanced and delicious meal.

Honey-Teriyaki Chicken

Recipe by Everyday Food Magazine May 2009

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, mix honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Transfer chicken and sauce to baking sheet.

Bake chicken, skin side up, basting occasionally with pan juices, until well browned and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.

A great all-around family meal

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson: Fresh ginger gives such a bold flavor to this dish. I usually find large pieces in my produce section, so I break off a reasonable size piece which keeps it more affordable since it's priced by the pound. Ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks if left unpeeled or stored unpeeled in the freezer for up to six months.

Cooking Light Week - Day Two: Kung Pao Chicken

This is going to be a special week of cooking. I have paired up with my sister-in-law, Aggie, from Aggie's Kitchen, to do a week of recipes from Cooking Light. We are both subscribers of Cooking Light magazine and have chosen recipes from the magazine and on-line. Aggie will post recipes on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. I will post recipes on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. We both will post a dessert recipe on Sunday. It has been so much fun searching for and trying new recipes. I've learned so much from Aggie and it has been fun doing this week of recipes with her.

My first recipe is Kung Pao Chicken. I love making Asian-style food at home and the best part is my family loves it too. This is so good! We loved the spicy sauce and the peanuts in it. My daughter, Mariah, said, "It's spicy mom but a good kind of spicy". I know something is a hit when my 2 daughters go for second helpings. They both took a 2nd trip on this dish.

My daughters don't like broccoli but I still cook with it. One of them is starting to like it (a little) so I keep introducing it to them. This Kung Pao Chicken is a great way to have your kids eat a vegetable they may not love.

Kung Pao Chicken
Recipe from Cooking Light


Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided (I grated a piece of ginger)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts (I used lightly salted roasted peanuts)



Preparation
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

I love my wok pan! Perfect for this recipe!

Enjoy!

Now, don't forget to check out Aggie's Kitchen on Wednesday for another great Cooking Light recipe.

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson: Have you noticed how thick boneless chicken breast pieces are these days. I always pound my chicken using a meat mallet before I use it. This makes the chicken more uniform and helps make it more tender. It's an extra step but it's worth it.

Another quick tip: Prep your food before you start cooking. This recipe cooks up quickly so it's easier to have your ingredients chopped and measured before you begin.