Sunday, April 29, 2012

Stuffed

Ugh. So, last week brought three days of business travel for me (i.e., way too much food and two sips of Grey Goose) and this upcoming week brings birthdays for both the kid and the hubs (i.e., big dinner out last night, oodles of cake and ice cream). The words "over-indulged" don't even come close to my state of being right now.

To be honest, I probably could have skipped eating today altogether, but we all know that's not the healthiest of choices. Instead, I selected a dinner that would be both appealing to the boys and not too heavy for all of us. Because obvs we need to save room for leftover cake from the kids' laser-tag shindig yesterday.

Szechuan Chicken Stir-Fry
Source: Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2012

Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp dark sesame oil
  • 1/2 c. chicken broth (used no-salt)
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp chile paste
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp salt (skip)
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 pound chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 c. snow peas
  • 1/2 c. sliced onion
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (used minced)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 c. rice
  • 1/4 c. slices green onions
  • 1/4 c. chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
Directions:
  • Combine 2 tsp sesame oil and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl.
  • Heat wok or large skillet over med-high heat. Add remaining 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp canola, swirl. Add chicken, stir-fry 2 mins. Remove chicken from pan.
  • Add remaining 1 tbsp canola, swirl. Add bell peppers and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); stir-fry 1 min. Add broth mixture; cook 30 seconds or until thick. Return chicken to pan; cook 4 mins or until chicken is done.
Yield: 4 (1/2 c. rice, 1 c. chicken mixture, green onions, peanuts)
Per serving: 420 cals; 16.7g fat (2g sat, 8.2g mono, 5.1g poly); 32.3g protein; 32.3g carb; 66mg chol; 478mg sodium

Reviews:
Mid-way through dinner, the kid gave me his very thoughtful review: The chicken and the peas went great together - the crunch of the peas and the chewiness of the chicken (is that good?); the rice just slipped down the throat and you didn't have to chew it (bonus?); and the sauce was awesome - not too much of it.

While I don't know if the kid's review would give me any sort of Michelin stars, in the "Kid Star" world this was a four forker. The hubs liked it a lot too - with the exception of the peppers. I thought it was good, but didn't quite taste as much flavor as the kid apparently did. This certainly fit the bill for a lighter meal.

Ranking:
Three Forks

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