Soy Ginger Chicken with Sesame Snap Peas .... Make your OWN take out!

This recipe is a healthier version of chinese take-out :) Always go for the brown rice (Long Grain is better if you can find it!) Steer clear of sodium-high traditional chinese dishes by choosing this one! Here's what's on the grocery list:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy ginger sauce*

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

(I sliced my chicken very thin, the way they do in a Mongolian Dish or Cashew Chicken dish)

6-8 cups assorted fresh winter greens (Kale, collards, mustard, chard, bok choy)

2 T Olive Oil

2/3 cups julienned carrots

1/2 cup chopped scallions

(Make Carribean Turkey Burgers with leftover scallions!)

*The soy ginger sauce I found was at Whole Foods. VERY low calorie, low sugar, low fat. If you are going to a local grocery store, just look for a soy ginger asian sauce with acceptable nutrition for your family's diet*

Here's How I did it:

If you have time, its always best to marinate your chicken as long as possible. Even overnight if you can remember! The LONGER that sauce can be in contact with your meat, the BETTER flavor you'll gain. I sliced my chicken very thin, put it in a gallon zip lock bag, added the sauce, and put it in the fridge that morning to start marinating. GIVE IT AT LEAST 30 minutes if you forget to start it early!

Next, you want to wash your greens. Trim them and chop them up, roughly. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and place the greens in there for about 3-4 minutes. DRAIN IMMEDIATELY. You are just blanching them.
 

Now, have a bowl of ice water ready- you're going to throw them right in it to stop the cooking process! This will allow the leaves to retain that bright green color which means YOU retained the majority of the nutrients in the leaves! Once cool, drain, and set aside.

Time to WOK it up!

In a large saute pan, or wok, heat your olive oil over medium high heat and saute chicken for about 5 minutes until browned and cooked through

Remember: the thinner you slice the chicken, the quicker it will stir fry

Also, remember at some point along the way to start cooking your brown rice

Now, add your carrots, scallions, and cooked greens. Saute another 3-5 minutes, tossing to mix ingredients.

Once you are ready, serve this over brown rice with additional soy ginger sauce.

But wait! Now its time for your side dish! These easy Sesame Snap peas compliment the meal well. They were yummy, cheap, and best of all, EASY! I would recommend starting them as soon as you start to stir fry the chicken. They have a similar cook time!

What you'll need:

1 T Sesame Oil (I bought TOASTED sesame oil because its sounded yummy)

1/2 pound snow pea pods (About 2 cups)

1 T Sesame Seeds

1 Medium Red or Yellow Bell Pepper sliced thin

Those green onions go with the stir fry, don't be confused!

What to do:

-Heat your sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

-Add your pea pods and sesame seeds. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently at first to distribute oil.

Add in your red bell pepper, cover, and continue to cook 5-7 minutes, STIRRING FREQUENTLY until veggies reach desired tenderness. We kept ours pretty crisp. I kept them covered more to the 5 minute mark!

Serve alongside Chicken Stir Fry and Rice for a Chinese Take Out turned HEALTHY!


Enjoy :) We hardly had leftovers!

It just LOOKS healthy, doesn't it?!