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.