Thursday, December 2, 2010

Chicken Stir-Fry and....

Something else special...

But you'll have to read on for that one!

I made my first stir-fry in Japan last week! It was yummy. The chicken was moist and a little crunchy. This was the first time that I had experimented with cornstarch as a breading. I think that I am going to work with it more because I really liked the potential that it has to produce a crunchy yet moist product!

The sauce was a combo of sweet and savory pairing honey and soy sauce. Two of my favorites! And, to be healthy, there were veggies! I would like to add more next time, this is just what I had on hand...

Here is the recipe that I used:


~Crunchy Honey Chicken~
(Adapted from How Sweet Eats)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
2 egg whites
1/2 c. cornstarch (or flour)
1 c. broccoli florets
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 med. red onion, chopped
1-2 tsp. minced garlic
8 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. honey
Salt & Pepper

In two separate bowls, add the egg whites, lightly beaten, and the cornstarch or flour. Heat a large skilled over med-high heat and add 1-2 tbsp. olive oil. Add veggies and a pinch of salt and pepper and saute for 5 min, or until softened. Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 1-2 min. Remove from skillet and set aside.
With the chicken cut into cubes, season with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet over med-hight heat and add 3 tbsp. olive oil (or enough to evenly cover the bottom of the pan.)  Dip the chicken pieces first in the egg whites, then into the cornstarch making sure to cover all of the chicken. Shake off excess. Add to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 min. per side. I did mine in two batches, resting the chicken on paper towels. Once all the chicken is done add it too the pan, then add the veggies back into the pan. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine and heat the honey. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve stir-fry with white or brown rice. 


Next time I am going to add more veggies, maybe some sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, more peppers...who knows!

Hubby said that the chicken was yummy and moist! He liked the breading concept, but wished it was a little bit more flavorful on its own, if it were eaten without the sauce.

I'm learning here!

Now....on to the "something special!"


~Gooey Cocoa Brownies~
(Recipe From Honey & Jam - Who got it from someone else...)
10 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lg. eggs, cold
1/2 c. AP flour
2/3 c. walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Make sure your oven rack is in the middle or bottom third, then preheat oven to 325 F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8 in. baking pan with parchment paper or foil leaving an overhang on opposing sides. 
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a med. microwave safe bowl and micro for 1 min. 30 sec. Remove and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool. It will be gritty at this point, but it will smooth out!
When the butter and cocoa mixture is warm, not hot, stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs in one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat even more! About 40 strokes or so to combine it well. Stir in nuts, if using. Spread the brownie mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 min. or until a toothpick, inserted into the center of the brownies, comes out slightly moist, with a little batter. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting.

Note: I did not use nuts. I DO NOT like nuts in my brownies. I like nuts, don't get me wrong, and I like them in other baked goods, just not in my brownies...  I also baked these brownies for a little while longer, about 5-10 min or so. I used a glass baking dish, and these are really moist and fudgy brownies, I wanted to make sure they were done in the middle.

These were WONDERFUL! They are the perfect consistency that I like my brownies to be. Nice and fudgy but with a slight cake texture to them. Also chocolaty....tehehe. Hubby liked them as well, he'll eat anything I bake, but he likes his brownies a little "lighter", if you will, more like a dense cake.

Well, I now have an excuse to make more brownies! Any suggestions that are not from a box?

I hope you get a chance to try these recipes out! Especially the brownies....  ;-P 

ENJOY!

No comments: