Well hello there, how was your weekend? :)
Besides meeting friends for an impromptu wild Friday night out (oy,) finally watching The Vow on Saturday afternoon (omg what a horribly sad movie, right?!) and witnessing the Hawkeyes get spanked (SPANKED) later that night, there actually isn’t too much to report on from the home front!
The past couple of weeks have been kind of stressful, what with deadlines, projects, presentations, and visualizing a happy ending to a large foodie event I’m involved in a few weeks down the road (details to come,) so I welcomed the chance to zone out and recharge the batts, if you will.
As Luca Spaghetti said in the film Eat, Pray, Love (which I also watched this weekend):
“Americans. You work too hard, you get burned out. You come home and spend the whole weekend in your pajamas in front of the T.V.”
Touche, Signor Spaghetti!
Enough of zee whining though, I got another Take-Out Fake-Out recipe for ya’ today! Lighter Sesame Chicken.
It’s a fact that Sesame Chicken is my all-time favorite Chinese dish. Especially Hy-Vee’s Sesame Chicken, which I ordered then inhaled during every lunch break when I worked there sacking groceries as a 14 and 15 year old.
It was…everything you imagine it to be. The chicken too! All fried, and sugary, and, well, fried, and sugary.
That is to say, while candied chicken tastes good on the tongue, it doesn’t look so good on the hips, which is why I was ecstatic to try a lightened up version from Martha Stewart for dinner last night.
This Sesame Chicken is just sweet enough, and you’ll flip over the faux-battered technique that gives each piece of chicken a nice and delicate crunch. Furthermore, you can make this recipe in under 30 minutes, and I bet you have most, if not all, of the ingredients already on hand. Go check. We’ll wait!
Oh, right, you probably need to see the recipe first…
Start by making the lightly-sweetened sesame chicken sauce. Combine 2-1/2 Tablespoons gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce) and 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds in a bowl.
Then add 1/4 cup honey. Drizzly, thick, and golden yellow.
I used to hate honey, by the way, and suppose I still do in its raw form, but over the past couple of years I’ve discovered just how delish honey can be in anything from sauteed dishes, where it gets nice and caramelized, to drinks, where it provides a naturally sweet flavor. That is to say, I like honey now.
Finally, add 1 minced garlic clove, stir everything up, then set the sauce aside.
Next get to work on zee chicken. Pat dry, then season 2 small chicken breasts (about 12oz) cut into 2″ hunks with salt & pepper.
Add the chicken pieces to 1 egg white whisked with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl, then toss to coat. THIS is the faux-batter I was talking about! It’s amazing how foamy the egg white and cornstarch become almost like tempura batter. So cool.
Time to cook! Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet, then add the battered chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes a side, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
Turn off the heat, remove the skillet from the burner, then add the pre-made sauce and 2 chopped green onions, and toss everything to combine.
Or use a spatula, lest you fling sizzling, honey-coated sesame seeds all over yourself and the floor. Cough.
Finally add 2 cups steamed broccoli into the skillet, and stir again to combine.
Serve the Lighter Sesame Chicken over cooked brown rice (directions and timing for cooking the rice and broccoli are in the recipe) for a super-satisfying, quick and easy, take-out fake-out dinner!
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Lighter Sesame Chicken
Description
Lighter Sesame Chicken satisfies my craving for Chinese take-out, without all the calories that usually come along with it. Gluten-free, too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 Tablespoons gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 egg white
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 small chicken breasts (12oz), cut into 2" pieces
- salt & pepper
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 cups broccoli florets
Directions
- Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine honey, sesame seeds, Tamari or soy sauce, and garlic together in a small bowl then set aside. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together egg white and cornstarch until smooth. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper then add to egg white mixture and toss to evenly coat.
- In a small saucepan, steam broccoli until crisp tender then set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then carefully add chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Turn off heat and remove skillet from burner. Add prepared sauce and green onions then toss to combine. Stir in broccoli, then scoop mixture into bowls over cooked rice.
Notes
Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Mmmm, just look at that caramelized honey! This dish comes with all the flavor of sesame chicken, just without the ridiculous amounts of calories and fat.
Sesame seeds are a must in here too, and next time I might go the extra step in toasting them first. I got a big jar at Trader Joe’s (originally for my chewy granola bars.) They aren’t expensive, and are nice to have on hand. Very versatile!
Well…enough on sesame seeds. This dish is a real winner, and definitely satisfied my craving for a sweet Chinese food fix. Hope you’ll give it a try!
~~~~~
zolzetka 11.15.2012
I have made it the other day and hubby loved it :) and I loved it to ! Yeay! I hope you do not mind that I posted it to my blog : http://polish-ed.blogspot.com/2012/11/sesame-broccoli-and-chicken-fakeout.html
:) thank you again for posting this great recipe
Dean 11.11.2012
Hi Kristin. Found this recipe on pinterest and made it tonight. Was excellent, Thanks!
Ellen 11.11.2012
Made this tonight and we LOVED it! I used sesame oil to cook the chicken in. Thank you!
Emily 11.10.2012
Yum!! This was really, really good. I added about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a teaspoon of sesame oil, and a dash of cayenne. Sooo good! Thanks for sharing!!
Stephanie @ LiveCookLove 11.07.2012
I made this tonight for dinner because I already had everything on hand, and it was fantastic! I will definitely be saving this recipe for a quick weeknight go to meal! This was done in 15 minutes flat. Thanks for another healthy and delicious recipe!
Lucy 11.04.2012
Yum, this was seriously great and so quick! Everything I have made of yours so far has been a hit, keep it up :)
Weekly Roundup | 11.03.2012
[…] cooking some of our takeout faves at home: Baked Crab Rangoon with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce and Lighter Sesame Chicken from Iowa Girl Eats along with some quick fried brown rice. I am […]
Val 11.02.2012
Thank you for posting this. I made it this week and the whole family loved it. No leftover for me to take to work the next day. :-(
Sue 11.01.2012
I made your Lighter Sesame Chicken for dinner tonight and my family just RAVED over it!! I was SO thrilled…I love giving them foods they really enjoy! I paired it with some ginger carrots, and it was a wonderful meal. Thank you so much for this delicious, easy recipe!
Halloween weekend | 10.31.2012
[…] cast! Civic duty done. Most of the rest of the day was filled with errands and cleaning. I made Iowa Girl Eats take out fake out sesame chicken. Very tasty and easy to make. Next time I might add a little fresh ginger and some […]
Honey Sesame Chicken 10.30.2012
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Vinnie 10.29.2012
This is a definite winner… I am going to give this a shot with expectations of a great meal! Thanks for posting and sharing this!
Monica 10.28.2012
One-pan, easy, tasty…can’t lose! This is definitely a keeper.
Julie 10.28.2012
Just made this for dinner and the husband gave this two thumbs up! Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Matt 10.28.2012
We just made it and had it for dinner! IT WAS AWSOME!
This cornstarch-batter is the killer. We drizzled a little more honey on top when we sat at the table because we measured not enough honey in first place, I think. Then it was a little salty. Or maybe we have to try a different soy sauce brand, we used Kikkoman classic here.
The weekly menu | Destination Declutter 10.28.2012
[…] Oh- and something that I have decided to add to my “weekly menu” post is the best thing from our previous week’s menu. Last week it was something that wasn’t even on our menu (whoops!) The roommate had Chinese food one night which reminded L that he was really in the mood for Chinese-style food. So instead of our skillet chicken parm that we planned on making, we used a different Iowa Girl Eats recipe for sesame chicken. […]
Starred & Shared (2) 10.27.2012
[…] always love her “Take Out Fake Out” posts and this sesame chicken one is no […]
Carol S. 10.27.2012
I just fixed this meal for dinner and they loved it!!! The cornstarch batter was amazing!! Thanks for making dinner easy and healthy tonight :)
Brown Butter and Cinnamon Apple Bread « Halite and Pepper 10.27.2012
[…] know I haven’t posted a dinner in ages. I made this sesame chicken dinner last night, and it was so freaking good. I also realize that every other dinner I post is […]
Rachel 10.27.2012
Made this tonight and it was great! I added a squirt of sriracha to the sauce and didn’t have any broccoli on hand so we went without, but it is going into the regular rotation! My hubby gave it a “delicious” when he is normally an “its ok” type of guy. :)