Monday, December 15, 2008

"Lighter" General Tsao's


DH loves General Tsao's (I'm positive I'm spelling that wrong...) so I thought we'd try this recipe at home.
But -- like every time I try Asian-anything at home -- it just isn't as good as getting it at a restaurant. DH liked this, but I could've passed on it.

I'm not a big fan of ginger, and it's a prevalent flavor in the dish, so that may be why.


"Lighter" General Tsao's Chicken
(Martha Stewart)

1 ¼ cups long-grain rice
¼ cup cornstarch
1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise (I used steamed broccoli instead for DH)
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated and peeled
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 large egg whites
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower (I used regular vegetable oil)

Directions
- Cook rice according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ½ cup cold water until smooth. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Lift half the chicken from egg white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and set aside (reserve skillet).
- Add snow-pea mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat.
- Serve with rice.

1 comment:

What's Cookin Chicago said...

This looks like a great recipe. You could even submit this to my Chef Spotlight Dinner blogging event featuring lighter, healthier recipes. Details are in my blog's left sidebar!