Skinny General Tso’s Chicken

Skinny General Tso’s Chicken
Adapted from Coup De Pouce Magazine (as seen on Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, who saw it on La Table de Nana)
Makes 4 Servings

1/3 cup light brown sugar (5 tbsp + 1 tsp)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil
6-8 green onions chopped, plus more for serving
3 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
1/4 tsp each hot pepper flakes and sesame seeds (optional)
1 cup basmati rice, dry

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and water. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Dredge the chicken in the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Cook the chicken in the olive oil until browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Using a paper towel, wipe skillet clean. Add sesame oil, green onions and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture for 2 minutes, or until sauce thickens a bit. Add chicken back into the skillet, toss to coat with sauce, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds (if desired).

Nutritional Information: 441 calories, 65 carbs, 6 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Okay - yes, it's a bit high carb, but it made that thick, textured sauce you find in those little white square to-go boxes. Awesome. Plenty of sauce that went a long way - you could easily add your favorite Asain veggies - enough sauce to go around. I liked the extra breading, too - a little bit of cornstarch goes such a long way - good stuff! A new household favorite for sure - but next time i'll make sure to save some green onions for garnish - oopsie!

Sweet and Sour Chicken #2

Sweet and Sour Chicken #2
Recipe adapted from a My Kitchen Café Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken
Salt and pepper
½ cup cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp canola oil
2 cups white rice, divided
Sauce: ¾ cup splenda, 4 tbsp ketchup, ½ cup vinegar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp garlic salt.

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice. (1/2 cup per serving)

Nutritional Information: 450 calories, 61 carbs, 9 fat grams and 28 protein grams.

Review: We loved this - the fact that it was breaded pretty much meant that Austin was 100% about it. I loved that I made my own sauce - always better than jarred! Yes, it took a while which could be seen as a downside, but it would make it easy to make while pre-cooking (i.e. can cook something else while it's in the oven!) and honestly, it's worth it! I'm always looking for new Asian-inspired recipes and this one is DEFINITELY a keeper!

Close up of the chicken - definitely breaded and "legit" as Austin says

Classic Red Chili

Classic Red Chili
Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Café
Makes 10 servings

2 medium onions, diced
2 tsp salt
2 pounds 96/4 ground beef
3 large cans (29 ounces each) pinto beans, drained
2 46 oz. can tomato juice
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar

Brown the hamburger and onion in a large skillet with salt. Drain grease. In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup water with the garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin and brown sugar. In a large pot, combine tomato juice, beans, tomato sauce, and ketchup. Stir in hamburger and onions and seasoning/water mixture. Mix well. Stir in bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally (this can simmer for as long as 4-5 hours).

Nutritional Information: 423 calories, 55 carbs, 7 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Review: I actually didn’t follow the directions above – I slowcooked the whole thing raw beef and all. However, I wish I had because this BARELY fit in the slowcooker and took forever to cook! Haha So I’d follow the directions above. :) And don’t forget to drain those beans! I forgot to drain the first can so it was a little soupier than I wanted. SO all in all, regardless of my errors, it was STILL good! Hehe I really liked it, less smokey and more sweet. It has a lot of flavor and is definitely filling. I’m going to make this again – but by following the recipe above!

Szechuan Chicken and Rice

Szechuan Chicken and Rice
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from a Stephanie Cooks recipe (from Blog Chef)

16 ounces chicken
½ cup water
¼ cup ketchup
2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon minced ginger, jarred
1.5 tbsp canola oil
4 tsp minced garlic, jarred

3 cups white rice, divided

In a small bowl mix together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper flakes and ginger. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and toss to coat with oil. Heat for 3-4 minutes. While it’s still a bit pink, pour in sauce. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly, 3-4 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over white rice.

Nutritional Information: 457 calories, 66 carbs, 7 fat grams and 27 protein grams.

Review: Amazing. Seriously. Austin had one bite and said it tasted ‘for real restaurant style.’ High praise. It’s spicy, but not too spicy, and I loved how thick it was and how much sauce it made. I felt like if it had been jarred this way it would have had way more calories. The recipe originally called for shrimp, which I’m sure would be great too. It also called for green onions which I would have used had I had some on hand. Great recipe, will make this again for sure. Could reduce oil to 1 tbsp if you want to lower calories a bit. This seriously may be my best Asian-inspired recipe yet!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Recipe adapted from cooking light
Makes 2 Servings

8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chili powder
.75 tbsp. plus ½ tsp. brown sugar
.75 tbsp. plus ½ tsp. cider vinegar
.75 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp olive oil
Red pepper flakes, to taste

In large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil then chicken tenders and continue to cook until browned. Add paprika and chili powder to chicken mixture and cook through. Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks -- one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the pan. In small bowl combine tomato sauce, ketchup, cider vinegar, garlic powder and brown sugar. Add sauce to chicken and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes until sauce is warmed through and starts to thicken. Serve on whole wheat bread. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes.

Nutritional Information: 296 calories, 37 carbs, 5 fat grams and 33 protein grams. Without bread: 216 calories, 18 carbs, 4 fat grams and 28 protein grams!

Review: It was yummy and really filling! Next time I’m going to use less tomato sauce and add diced onions! To make it more low carb, I think it would taste good in a low-carb tortilla like La Tortilla Factory – next time I’m def going to wrap mine up.

in the pan

Bourbon Chicken

Adapted from Aggie's Kitchen

Bourbon Chicken

Makes 2 Servings

10 oz. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tsp olive oil
½ garlic clove, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tbsp apple juice
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ tablespoon cider vinegar
¼ cup water
6 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 cups white rice

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 496 calories, 6 fat grams and 61 carbs.

Review: We LOVED it – tasted very authentic and spicy but sweet. A new favorite fo sho. Yes, it's a little high on carbs! But this could easily be remedied by taking it down to ½ cup rice instead of ¾ cup – and maybe add some veggies. I think it would be nice with a side of broccoli or edamame!