Holy cow, we dominated the 60s today! Tapped out at 68 – can you believe it?! IT’S FEBRUARY!
Remember when it was popular to blame every weather phenomenon on El Nino? Who do we blame thank now? 
My co-workers and I took advantage the picture-perfect weather and warm sunshine this afternoon, and had ourselves a nice picnic-lunch outdoors. The ground was muddy but the breeze was warm, and nothing was going to keep us inside. I hit the ground running as soon as I got home from work for a quick run around the ‘hood too!
3 miles of dodging puddles and others – the sidewalks were packed with runners, strollers and kids eager to ditch the indoors. Just like me! The 1.5 mile loop I usually take around my house is super hilly and my hamis were wretchedly tight from my run yesterday, but I couldn’t in good conscience stay indoors on a day like today. It was fabu! 
I was absolutely famished by the time I got home and couldn’t get dinner on the table fast enough. Luckily it was a quick one – 30 Minute Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken – MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
Last week when Ben and I hit up Hy-Vee for dinner, I opted for the All You Can Eat Salad Bar, while Ben opted for what I really wanted – greasy Chinese.
It’s a fact that Hy-vee (a Midwest grocery store chain) has THE best Sesame Chicken I’ve ever tasted. Yep. Grocery store Chinese. Behind that counter where the food seems to sit untouched for hours. It’s true.
The breading is thin & crispy, the chicken chunks are big and all white-meat, and THAT SAUCE. Thick, sweet and totally worth a couple extra miles on the treadmill!
Ben, being the kind soul that he is, knows how much I adore that Sesame Chicken, so he saved me a couple of his best pieces for “dessert”. I’m telling you, I was drooling before the piece even touched my lips. PERFECTION.
Now unfortunately, fried, heavily-sugared Chinese food tastes unbelievably delicious, but it doesn’t do a body so good. Fortunately, I have this recipe that, ok doesn’t do a body super good, but it does it a lot better than the alternative! Jenna’s Sesame Chicken fakeout aka Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken!
Chicken breasts that have been seasoned with flour, paprika and salt are sautéed in vegetable oil before being removed to an oven-safe dish.
Fresh lemon juice deglazes the pan and makes a yummy sauce to drizzle over the browned chicken.
See?
Finally, the piece de resistance is piled on top…
Brown sugar babyyyyyyyy!!!
A quick sesh in the oven renders the chicken tender, juicy…
and dripping with golden, flavor-packed sauce.
SO FREAKING DELICIOUS and tastes JUST like Hy-Vee’s fried Sesame Chicken!!!There’s something about the lemon and sugar that mixes into one, absolutely luscious sauce. I’m so in love with this dish.
Instead of the quintessential fried rice that usually accompanies most Chinese take-out entrees, I placed my sweet & lemony chicken over a serving of fluffy Lemon Israeli CousCous.
It’s actually the recipe I use in my Chili, Lemon & Basil Shrimp with Israeli CousCous, and the flavors went perfect with the chicken!
First you toast some couscous pearls in a drizzle of olive oil, then you add in the juice of half a lemon.
Add in chicken broth and cook while the chicken’s in the oven. Easy!
The sweet flavor from the chicken’s sauce melted down into the couscous and I nearly died.
In between mouthfuls, Ben thoughtfully whispered “I DO love this preparation of chicken, baby.” and then we both nearly died of laughter. He said it so seriously. As if he were 100 years old, too.
Ohhh that boy. Love him so much. 
Thursday night means it’s television done right – at least in this household! Office, 30 Rock and Outsourced, here we come (can’t get into Community or Parks & Rec no matter how hard I try! As if I need another show to become addicted to anyways… )
Tomorrow’s FRIDAY! See ya’!
~~~~~
Do you watch a lot of tv? What are your must-sees every week?
I wouldn’t say I watch a TON of tv, but I have my NEED TO SEE shows, for sure! Let’s see here… The Bachelor, Teen Mom, Top Chef, 30 Rock, The Office, Jersey Shore (I know) and Real Housewives of WHEREVER – except NYC. No.
I love the NBC Thursday line up, too! But I LOVE Community and Parks and Rec. Such great characters!
I hardly have any shows that I HAVE to watch EXCEPT….
Modern Family! Love that show!
And I have a major addiction to Israeli cous cous – it’s the perfect grain
My sister lives in Kansas and LOVES the Chinese food from Hy-Vee! I have to say, now that I live in California, I do miss Hy-Vee!
I try not to watch much TV, but we do watch about an hour a night to unwind (although sometimes we don’t watch at all). My must-sees are American Idol, Biggest Loser, Modern Family, Mike and Molly, and Better with You. I also heart HGTV.
I am shamefully addicted to Teen Mom!
I am so glad that I am not the only one not into Community!
Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken is one of my FAVORITE meals!
I love the bachelor, modern family and how I met your mother. So good! I used to like the office, but it seems to be sliding down hill for me.
We ditched our satellite a couple of years ago, and while we have a Roku player (which streams Netflix, Amazon On Demand, and Hulu Plus), I’m out of the habit of watching TV regularly. When I can, I’ll have my evening snack with Teh Husband while watching something that doesn’t demand too many neurons—30 Rock, or The Daily Show now that it’s back on Hulu. And during the Snowpocalypse a couple of weeks ago, I watched ridiculous amounts of Man vs. Food.
And yes, HyVee Chinese rules. I was sad, though, when they reformulated the Beijing chicken so that it’s no longer a “healthy” option.
I really need to get my hands on some of that Israeli CousCous. It looks awesome.
I’ve made this lemon chicken before too, and you’re right, it’s so good!
As far as TV goes, I usually watch:
The Office, Pawn Stars, How I Met Your Mother, and Mike and Molly.
I adore TV on DVD, and am working my way through King of Queens.
However, my current TV obsession is Policewomen of Cincinnati, gotta represent the hometown heroes.
Then get totally freaked out when you realized your marathon training took you through a lot of of those neighborhoods!
I’m officially hungry. Thank you.
I NEED to see: The Biggest Loser, Jersey Shore, Top Chef, and Real Housewives.
I miss Hy-Vee, too! I’m going to have to try this recipe.
My must-sees: Top Chef, 30 Rock, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Parks & Rec, Modern Family, SNL, Jeopardy, Community, Glee, Amazing Race and the Daily Show. Yikes, that sounds like a lot. But it’s only half as much time when you watch it on the DVR! (And I think I might be liking Mr. Sunshine, too.) Gaaaaaah.
We got rid of cable almost 2 years ago (and we had satellite!) We watch stuff on hulu or netflix or on channel websites, streamed to the tv. I love The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, Dexter, Californication, Perfect Couples, Always Sunny in Philadelphia…we are definitely not hurting for tv shows!
That chicken looks SO freakin good! I will have to make that sometime soon
The office is one of my favs, I hope this is one of the WIll Ferrell episodes!
I agree–I LOVE Hy-Vee’s Sesame Chicken. My hubby usually gets the General Chicken b/c he likes things a lot hotter & spicier than I do, but the past 2 or 3 times we’ve gotten take-out, he’s gotten the Sesame Chicken too. I’m going to have to test out the Lemon Brown Sugar chicken!
We don’t have cable, or satellite, nor do we even have a converter box, so all we get is NBC out of Sioux Falls. The only 3 shows I watch during the week are “Biggest Loser,” “Dateline,” (Fridays only–the Sunday episodes are usually boring, or I forget about them) & “Meet the Press.”
I must watch any dance competition shows that are on (So You Think You Can Dance mostly) and Idol, The Sing-Off, Bachelor, Bachelorette, Kardashians, Real Housewives and Kendra.
Love them all! I don’t know how I get anything else done
I love when you make this recipe. I always want to try it on fish. I think it would be fantastic on some Halibut or Tilapia.
I don’t watch a ton of TV, but I love the Bachelor and Glee. I tend to watch episodes of house hunters mindlessly while I’m blogging, too!
Looks yummy. My shows are the bachelor, modern family, the office, and parks and rec. I am surprised you do not like parks and rec, but like outsourced. To me that is by far the weakest link of the line up.
Love Modern Family and the Amazing Race!
I never used to watch a lot of tv but somehow this season has really been sucking me in! My biggies are House, Bones, Castle, and Modern Family.
Whoa you had temps just like ours today in VA, wasn’t it glorious?!?!? I have a few shows that are must-sees each week and they def includes The Bachelor, Jersey Shore, American Idol and Grey’s!
We love Parenthood!!! And Mad Men when it comes back on!!!
Chicken looks good! I hate being in college and cooking for one, I feel like a meal like that is so out of reach for one person. I guess there are always left overs!
Let’s see…The Bachelor (although I hate Brad), Glee, White Collar, Modern Family, Greys and Gossip Girl. I’m originally from NJ so I refuse to even watch one episode of Jersey Shore!
I actually halved the original recipe for just Ben and me. You could totally quarter it!
Chicken looks awesome!! My must-see shows are Bachelor, Glee, Biggest Loser, Modern Family, The Office, and Jersey Shore. When I have some free time, I like to get Kardashians and Real HW ondemand.
HyVee Chinese is awesome. I don’t have a favorite entree but I have to splurge on a crab rangoon (or 3!) every time. Mmmmm! Taste of China in Beaverdale is pretty darn tasty too. Now I’m craving Chinese!
I moved 2 1/2 hours from HyVee… and I’ve actually driven back just for sesame chicken! Thank you for a recipe that I can try and will make my husband stop quetioning my sanity
Hehehe – that is Sesame Chicken dedication!
I like to keep up on certain shows but we don’t have cable. I watch everything on hulu. I really like watching Glee, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and my guilty pleasure…90210 (so embarrassing!!).
HAHA – no shame. I rock the CW as well.
I would DIE for Chinese food right now!! Homemade is such a cheaper and healthier alternative, sounds right up my alley:)
That looks delicious! The shows I have to watch are House, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Those are definitely my shows!
hy-vee sesame chicken is my FAVORITE! so thanks for this (healthier) alternative. NBC thursday night line up = is fabulous. i think it’s 99% of the reason why thursday is my favorite day of the work-week.
This looks great! I just started following your blog, and I love it!
As for TV, we DVR all of our shows and watch them on Friday! My shows are: How I Met Your Mother, Glee, Greys Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and Off the Map. AKA: The Geek Line up!
That chicken looks SO good, I love making take-out fake-out Chinese, we usually do homemade orange chicken or un-fried fried rice. I think I’ll try your recipe this weekend! I’ve also never thought to make couscous instead of rice, love it
I am the same – I have my must see shows and our DVR is chock full of them right now, so I see lots of TV time in my weekend future
I think global warming is affecting the weather patterns and causing extremes all year long–winter and summer.
I love using Israeli couscous now instead of rice!
The only show I actually watch is The Bachelor. I just don’t have time for anything else!
Yum, your dinner looks AMAZING! Good idea on the Chinese take out recreation…getting it from a Chinese counter can cost you who knows many calories.
My favorite TV shows are The Office and a new one called Bored to Death. We catch the office every time there’s a new episode on, and since Bored to Death only has 2 seasons so far, we’re just waiting for them to come out with more. We REALLY like it though. So funny and witty.
Nighty night!
MODERN FAMILY is our main obsession. My hubby and I have serious Wednesday night depression when it’s a re-run. We also watch Grey’s, Tosh.0, Pawn Stars and Storage Wars. Other than that, it’s pretty much just sports (FL Gators football and Rays baseball baby!!!).
We LOVE that Hy-Vee Sesame Chicken .
Oh…I’m really excited to make this dinner. 
I don’t watch any tv anymore…
BUT…I miss The Bachelor & I will be making arrangements to watch So You Think You Can Dance when the next season comes along.
I can’t believe no one mentioned the Mentalist, i love that guy and of course Greys.
Grey’s’ Prison Break, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters
I just made a similar crispy chicken recipe using bread crumbs, so good!! I went to Iowa State, btw. Great to see a healthy girl in the land of pork chops and gravy!!
xo
Watching TV with my boyfriend is very fun and relaxing,although we do tend to end up chatting more than actually watching the shows.
Our favorites at the moment are:
The Office,Family Guy,Criminal Minds and old school shows like The Simpsons and Seinfeld (I’m a HUGE Seinfeld fan).One of my ultimate indulgent shows,is Lock Up.I love me some real life prison drama.
we made that last week! soooo delicious!!
Aww this looks SO GOOD. And I’m a Fringe, Castle, and 30 Rock fan
This. looks. incredible. Must make!
My shows are Gossip Girl, How I Met Your Mother, & Fringe. Random, I know! I’m also a big fan of Bethenny Getting Married . . . can’t wait for Bethenny Ever After in a couple weeks!
That chicken looks great! I’m a huge fan of couscous! I think everyone needs a little couscous in their lives
I watch a lot of tv shows. Some of the ones that I watch are 90210, Gossip Girl, The Bachelor, Teen Mom, Pretty Little Liars, My Fair Wedding, Better With You, Grey’s Anatomy, etc…I watch a lot of tv! Haha!
The Bachelor is my must see right now! That chicken looks delic. I love HyVee chinesse I must admit.
I could not agree with you more on the sesame chicken from Hy-Vee! I moved out of state three years ago and miss it so much! People don’t believe me when I say the best Chinese food is from a grocery store in Iowa
Hope it’s warm where you are today too, it’s going to be 63 in Boston …I’ll take it
The cous cous looks amazing. It’s on my menu for next week, along with the chicken. Maybe my boyfriend will actually eat this instead of ordering chinese takeout and eating a zillion chicken fingers!!
Bachelor and Real Housewives of anything are two of my faves…along with the new American Idol. Can’t get enough this season!
I have chicken thawing in my fridge right now..I’m totally making that recipe tonight!
Shows I don’t miss–I never actually get to watch the show when it’s on, but I DVR Young and the Restless, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Teen Mom, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. It takes me forever to catch up, but it’s nice knowing they are there when I am able to watch them!