Sesame Chicken and Snow Peas

Here is a great recipe for a weeknight dinner that fits my trifecta requirements: fast, easy, delicious. 

In fact, this is probably faster than making a trip to the neighborhood take out place; and it's a lot better for you. It's so fast that you need to get the rice cooking before you start the stir fry. And it's versatile - the original recipe called for broccoli but I changed it up to snow peas and we loved it. It would be great with broccoli, or bok choy, or any good stir fry vegetable. You could add onions, mushrooms, peppers - whatever you have languishing in the fridge.

The chicken and veggies get coated with a delicious semi-homemade sauce (you do need hoisin sauce from a jar). Don't overcook the veggies - you want a nice crunchy contrast to the chicken.

So get creative with your veggies choices, or don't, but add this to your dinner plans soon and receive the hearty compliments with humility. Ha!

Sesame Chicken and Snow Peas

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. cold water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce, or to taste
2 tsp. ground ginger
5 cups broccoli florets/snow peas/snap peas/bok choy
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Heat the olive and sesame oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until chicken is nearly cooked through.

Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, and stir to dissolve; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, and ginger; stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow mixture to bubble gently for 1 minute. After the mixture is boiling, add the cornstarch slurry, whisk to combine, and allow the sauce to boil and thicken for 2 to 3 minutes; whisking nearly constantly.

Push the chicken to one side of the skillet, add the vegetables to the other side, evenly pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and gently stir to combine and coat evenly.

Cover the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are as crisp-tender as desired.

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Averie Cooks