Kung Pao Chicken with Coconut Jasmine Rice

Total: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced ginger
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.

2. Combine 3/4 cup water and the next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper), stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 275

SaBrina Bone, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2010

Serve with Coconut Jasmine Rice: Combine 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice, 1 1/4 cups water, 1/2 cup light coconut milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer; cook 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat; fluff rice with a fork. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Yield: 4 servings. CALORIES 97; FAT 1.5g (sat 1.4g); SODIUM 155mg

Chicken Sate

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 skewers and 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients

• Saté:
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 8 strips
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 
  Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons natural-style, reduced-fat creamy peanut butter (such as Smucker's)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 
  Remaining ingredient:
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Prepare grill.

To prepare saté, combine chicken and next 6 ingredients (through 2 garlic cloves) in a medium bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the next 5 ingredients (through 1 garlic clove) in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Thread chicken strips onto each of 8 (8-inch) skewers. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Serve chicken with sauce.

Calories: 205

Thai Peanut Chicken

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tbs curry powder
about 1/2 cup canned coconut milk (Which they actually sell everywhere, don't worry!)
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs lime juice, preferrably, but not necessarily, fresh
1 1/2 pound boneless chicken thighs cut in large chunks
optional cilantro and lime wedges for garnish

You can cook these basically any way you want. You cant shish kabob the chunks and grill them on a moderately hot grill, broil on medium heat four inches from the heat source, or panini press/ George Foreman grill them. Preheat/Start the grill now.

1. Put peanut butter, curry powder, and enough coconut milk to make the mixture about the consistency of a milkshake into a small saucepan. Heat a burner on your stove quickly by putting it on high, then turn it down to low and cook the peanut butter mixture for five minutes, stirring continuously. Do not boil! Pull from heat and add soy sauce and lime juice

2. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for about five minutes.

3. Remove Chicken and grill/broil it for about ten minutes, maybe longer, until it's pretty brown and cooked through.

4. Serve sprinkled with lime juice and fresh cilantro. That said, it's not necessary and we rarely bother. It's best served with basmati rice.