Honey brings a sweet taste to this stir-fried chicken. I like crisp stir-fries (not steamed), and TV chef Martin Yan gave me some tips. He said it’s important to let the ingredients sit for about a minute when added to the hot wok before tossing them. This allows the wok to regain its heat after the cold ingredients have been added.
A small amount of dry sherry is called for in the chicken recipe. If you don’t have sherry on hand, use an extra teaspoon of soy sauce and rice vinegar and add a teaspoon of sugar to the marinade. You can also buy small bottles or splits of sherry at most liquor stores.
Helpful Hints:
— You can use white vinegar diluted with a little water instead of rice vinegar.
— You can find minced garlic in the produce section of the market.
— For easy stir-frying, place all the prepared ingredients on a cutting board or plate in order of use. You won't have to look at the recipe once you start to cook.
— Make sure your wok is very hot before adding the ingredients. You can use a large skillet instead of a wok.
Countdown:
— Place a large pot of water for the noodles to boil.
— Prepare all the ingredients.
— Cook noodles.
— Make stir-fry.
Shopping List:
To buy: 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 bottle reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 bottle rice vinegar, 1 small bottle or split dry sherry, 1 container minced garlic, 1 bottle honey, 1 bottle sesame oil, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small bok choy, 1 container corn starch and1 box angel hair pasta.
Staples: salt and black peppercorns.
———
HONEY STIR-FRIED CHICKEN
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
2 cups sliced bok choy (white part and leaves)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Mix soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, garlic and honey together in a bowl. Add chicken and let marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add sesame oil. Remove chicken from marinade and reserve liquid. Add chicken to the wok and stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add onion, red bell pepper and bok choy. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water together and add to reserved marinade. Add marinade and chicken to the wok and stir-fry 2 minutes with the vegetables. Remove from heat.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 398 calories (21% from fat), 9.4 g fat (1.7 g saturated, 3 g monounsaturated), 126 mg cholesterol, 42.1 g protein, 30.6 g carbohydrates, 3.1 g fiber, 645 mg sodium.
WOK-FLAVORED NOODLES
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1/4 pound angel hair spaghetti
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside until needed. When the chicken has been removed from the wok, add the sesame oil and raise the heat to high. Add the noodles. Let them rest for a minute. Toss 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide between two plates and add the stir-fried chicken on top.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 251 calories (19% from fat), 5.4 g fat (0.8 g saturated, 1.9 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 7.4 g protein, 42.6 g carbohydrates, 1.8 g fiber, 3 mg sodium.
