Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

marinade

1 TBS sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cornstarch

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1 tsp sesame seeds

sauce

1/4 cup water
1 bouillon cube
1 TBS sesame oil
1 TBS honey
1 tsp white rice vinegar
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup frozen peas

Directions...

1.   Prepare marinade.  Combine marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl or large Ziploc bag.  (sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, cornstarch)  Mix well, add chicken tenders.  Refrigerate a minimum of 20 minutes.

2.  Toast sesame seeds.  To toast the sesame seeds, use a small DRY skillet.  Toast for approximately 1-2 minutes until seeds begin to brown.  Set aside to cool.

3.  Combine the sauce ingredients (water, bouillon, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice vinegar, chili flakes, cornstarch) in a small bowl or measuring cup.

4.  In a HOT skillet, add oil and garlic and begin to stir-fry.  Moving the garlic quickly - add the chicken tenders and continue to cook until no longer pink.  Next top the chicken with the peas and cook for about a minute before adding the sauce blend.  Allow the ingredients to simmer and thicken.

5.  Serve with rice or noodles, top with toasted sesame seeds.

HINT: Next time we will use sugar snap peas instead of regular peas.  The additional or removal of the red chili flakes can be adjusted for personal preference.  Here, we like it hot!  Enjoy!!

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2 TBS cornstarch

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 TBS vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1 cup roasted peanuts

5-6 green onions, diced

(rice noodles)

* In a large zipper bag, cover chicken breast tenders with teriyaki sauce. Add to the bag cornstarch, red pepper flakes, ginger to marinate prior to cooking. 30 minutes - 4 hours in the refrigerator.

* Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside while cooking the chicken.

* Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet or wok over medium heat, empty chicken and marinade into hot skillet and cook 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

* Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet or wok, stirring until the sauce begins to thicken.

* Add drained prepared rice noodles to skillet or wok, and remove from heat. Stir gently until well combined.

* Stir peanuts and green onions into the chicken and noodle mixture right before serving.

Hints: I use kitchen shears to cut the rice noodles before I soak them. Makes them a little more manageable for me. Don't like rice noodles? Or have rice noodles? Serve over regular rice or angel hair spaghetti noodles. If your family likes milder dishes, decrease the amount of red pepper added. Enjoy!

Thai Spiced Chicken Patties

Last week we made Thai Spiced Chicken Pitas for dinner. The chicken patties used in that recipe can easily be made ahead and frozen to be used as needed. With grilling season quickly approaching, this is a recipe I will be referring to so that I can stock our family's freezer.

Assemble ingredients for chicken patties:

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lb ground chicken

1 TBS fresh ground ginger root

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp Thai seasoning (I used Spice Islands Thai Seasoning blend)

1/2 tsp salt

* Combine in a medium bowl, shape into patties and place between sheets of wax paper before freezing. Place patties in wax paper in a freezer safe container, or freezer bag. (I like the freezer bags.)

* Pull out frozen chicken patties to use as desired, and grill on low heat until fully cooked. (Internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F)