Kung Pao Chicken

I bought quite a few new ingredients to make this dish, so I definitely tried something different! This was my first attempt at making official sticky (a.k.a. sushi) rice like I had during my trip in Tokyo. Usually I think of rice as filler food, but the sticky rice in Japan was so good I could eat it as a meal. I am so proud of my first attempt, it turned out great! Luckily, last year I took a sushi making class at a local grocery store and learned some good tips that I could apply. I'm not sure if it would be sticky enough for sushi because I didn't try to roll it up or anything, but it seemed pretty close to me! I bought a huge bag of it because I am planning to use it on sushi rolls and some other dishes I loved in Tokyo and want to try making here!

I found this recipe on the Cooking Light website so it was healthy but I was very impressed with the flavor. The sauce made with sweet hoisen sauce was balanced nicely with soy sauce and lots of garlic, and given a kick from red pepper. I cooked the broccoli perfectly, with a little crunch and it didn't get too mushy in the sauce because I added it back in at the very end. Genius :) I also added sliced baby carrots, and cooked them with the broccoli.

RECIPE:

4 cups broccoli florets

1 tbsp ground fresh ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp cornstarch

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Heat 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 until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm. Heat more oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 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. Makes 4 servings. (per serving: 240 cals, 8g fat, 31g protein, 11g carbs)