~Sesame Chicken~

Much thanks to my sis-in-law Kelli who passed this recipe on. I'm not sure how she instinctively knew I was on an Asian cuisine kick of sorts lately. I am starting to broaden the food horizons in my kitchen! I want to learn to make sushi; I did try it once but I had very basic ingredients so it was sort of boring. If anyone has a good sushi recipe, send it to me!

That being said, this was a very tasty, easy and healthy meal to have for dinner. The combination of the sesame seeds and honey are matched perfectly with steamed broccoli and brown rice.

Begin by mixing the sesame sauce with honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds and garlic; set aside. Put the broccoli in a steamer basket with 1 inch of water below it; set aside.

Whisk 2 egg whites and corn starch together. Add the cut chicken breasts and completely coat the chicken.

Cook the coated chicken chunks in vegetable oil until cooked through.

Once the chicken is done, add the reserved sesame sauce and shrimp. Begin steaming the broccoli. Serve over brown rice.

To save money, buy sesame seeds in the Hispanic foods section where all those little spices hang in clear bags. I was going to buy sesame seeds from McCormick for $3.84 for a tiny little bottle, but I found them in the Mexican sections in a good-sized bag for 84 cents!

Serves 4

You'll need:

3/4 c. brown rice

3 Tbs. honey

2 1/2 Tbs. sesame seeds

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed with garlic press

2 large egg whites

1/4 c. cornstarch

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into 2 in. chunks

4 scallions, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced (or some shrimp)

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 1/2 lbs. broccolli, cut into large florets

Get busy:

Place a steamer basket in a large pot filled with 1 inch of water; set aside for broccoli. Cook the brown rice in a separate pot.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce and garlic; set aside. In a larger bowl, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Add the reserved sauce, scallions, shrimp and toss to coat.

Meanwhile, place saucepan with steamer over high heat, and bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, and cook until crisp-tender, about 4-6 minutes. Serve sesame chicken with broccoli and brown rice.

If you try it, let me know what you thought!