Copycat

Since my oldest son is allergic to tree nuts--especially cashews--that means going out to a Chinese restaurant is out. If we want to eat Chinese food as a family, it has to be made by me. My family growing up had a tradition of having Chinese food on New Year's. So, I made some Chinese food at home for us to share that night. Here's a new and great recipe I found.

Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
Ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 (5.6 oz) packages refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles, any flavor (found in the produce section of the grocery store)
2/3 cup diagonally chopped celery
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped cabbage

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Set aside.

Remove Yaki Soba noodles from packages and discard flavor packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.

Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes, or until onions start to become soft and translucent. Add cabbage and saute until wilted and softened.

Toss Yaki Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.

Source: Favorite Family Recipes. You can find it here.

Notes: Holy cow, this was spot on. It tasted just like the chow mein from Panda Express. It makes a ton, but the leftovers were great too.

I had never bought Yaki Soba noodles before, so I was confused in the grocery store when I didn't find plain noodles. They come in different flavors. Just grab any flavor and discard the flavor packets. The noodles are all the same.

Also, excuse the darkness of the pictures. Blasted winter lighting! It is so hard to take a good picture when it is pitch black outside...and when I am by no means a professional photographer!

Since I Can't Take My Boys

 

My oldest son is allergic to tree nuts, so we can't take him out for Chinese food because of the possibility of cross contamination (since most Chinese restaurants make Cashew Chicken or Honey Walnut Shrimp). Before we realized that this was just too much of a risk to take, my son developed a love of fried rice and Chinese chicken. So, I have been hunting down recipes that I can make at home to satisfy that craving (for all of us!).

I just made this, and it is fantastic. I can't wait to try more of (and eventually all of) the Asian inspired recipes on Chung-Ah's site!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 teaspoon of bottled minced garlic)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

To make the sauce, whisk together sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic powder in a large bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cornstarch and gently toss to combine. Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.

Add chicken to prepared baking dish. Top with sweet and sour sauce. Place into oven and bake until the sauce has thickened, about 55 minutes, turning over every 15 minutes to evenly coat the chicken.

Serve immediately.

Source: You can find it here. It was inspired by this recipe which is slightly different.


Notes: Holy cow, this was so good! I can't believe how much it tasted like something you would get in a Chinese restaurant. I chose this recipe simply based on the ingredients I had on hand (it was a last minute decision to make this). However, now I can't wait to try other recipes on this site!

Another Chinese Chicken Recipe

This one sounds a lot like the very last recipe that we posted (Lemon Chicken), but it is totally different in flavor. I loved this! I'm thinking that Chinese chicken over rice is one of my new go-to dinner staples.

Sweet, Sticky, and Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I opted to use 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes instead)
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch strips (and dredged in 1/4 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper, see notes)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and hot sauce in a small bowl.

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by kate. You can find it here.

Notes: I doubled the sauce. You know me. I like things saucy. I also took a note from the last recipe (Lemon Chicken) and decided to coat the chicken in flour to give it a nice browned and breaded texture (as well as to help thicken the sauce).

The Type of Ingredient You Get Handed to You on Chopped

 

I love to watch the T.V. show that's on the Food Network called "Chopped."  It's fascinating to see chefs handed something that's outside of the box.  This recipe has just that type of ingredient and it worked better than I could have imagined.

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into chunks

1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

Coarse salt

2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan (preferred brand: House of Tsang)

1 tablespoon (a splash) white or rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth or stock

8 ounces (1 cup) prepared lemon curd

1/4 cup hot water

1 lemon, zested

2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions:

Coat the chunked chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt.  Heat a large skilled or a wok-shaped nonstick pan over high heat.  Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pan and return pan to heat.  Reduce heat to medium.

Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up any drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through. Remove the pan from heat, add the scallion or chives and zest, and toss chicken pieces well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce. Serve other rice.

Rachel Ray's cooks notes: Wok oil infused with ginger and garlic is usually available on the International Foods aisle in many markets. Lemon curd is sweet lemon spread available in most markets. It is on the jam/jelly isle.

Source: Rachel Ray, found on Food Network. You can find the recipe here.   

Notes: I made it too! This was posted by my mom, but I tried it too (both of us made it independently of the other, without the others' knowledge). I just HAD to try this. I mean, it sounded so intriguing! Could this really taste like Chinese lemon chicken with so few ingredients, and while using such an interesting ingredient like lemon curd? Well, do you know what? It totally works. I loved this. It was so tasty!

Oh, and I didn't find lemon curd on my jam and jelly aisle. For my grocery store, it was on the baking aisle by the pie filling.

Recipe Share

I always love to get recipes from other people. It's fun to see what their favorites are, what their kids like to eat, what their favorite quick and easy meals are, etc. There tends to be a good amount of recipe sharing that goes on in Relief Society. So today, I am sharing a recipe that was shared at one of my Mom's Relief Society functions...that she then shared with me! That's a lot of sharing going on!

Oh, and I never have understood the mentality of not wanting to share a recipe because it is a secret family recipe, or something like that. Do you know what happens to secret family recipes? If they don't get shared, the recipe disappears when the recipe creator or makers pass on!

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Chicken

Ingredients:

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
2/3 cup white vinegar
3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground pepper

Directions:

Place the chicken in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Top with brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar and pour in the soda. It will bubble.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

The chicken is done when it is can be easily shredded with a fork.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of broth.

Source: I don't know who, specifically, shared this recipe at that Relief Society activity.

Notes: I really liked this. It was very simple, and very tasty. Just basic, good food.

Lazy Days

Sometimes you just don't have the energy to cook. You want something easy and healthy to make...so what to make?

I found this new alternative for a quick and easy meal. Fried rice. Why should it only be a side dish? Huh? It's a great way to use up leftover rice (in fact, fried rice works better with leftover rice than with freshly made rice).

It hit the spot for me. It was easy and it was a fun and different way to use up my leftovers.

Ham-and-Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 thick slice ham (8 ounces), cut into 1/4-by-1-inch strips
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, separated and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/4 cups cooked white rice, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 large eggs

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add ham, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add rice, scallion greens, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Divide fried rice among four serving bowls.

Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. gently crack eggs into skillet; season with salt, and cook until whites are set, 2 to 4 minutes. Top each bowl of rice with a fried egg.

Source: Everyday Food recipe, published April 2009. You can find it here. 

Notes: Here are the changes I made: I used sliced Canadian bacon instead of thick sliced ham. I also added broccoli and peas. You could definitely add diced cooked carrots, or snow peas, or a ton of other favorite vegetables. I also scrambled my eggs. I added them separately, however, because my youngest son is allergic to eggs. So, I just topped everyone else's portion with some scrambled egg and left his egg-free.

Above: January 2014 update: I made this for our New Year's Eve dinner (along with some store-bought frozen Chinese dishes). My youngest son has grown out of his egg allergy, so we just mixed the scrambled egg right in. This time, we opted to use diced Canadian bacon, diced carrots, and frozen peas. It was really yummy!

Pow! That Packs a Punch!

Sometimes, nothing is easier than doing some sort of Chinese chicken over rice.  It's usually easy to have the ingredients on hand and if you cook the rice while making the chicken, it all gets done at the same time.  It's an easy method for dinner, that's for sure.

I'm going to share two favorites that just so happen to fall into the lighter/healthier for you category.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Directions:

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add broccoli and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; saute 1 minute.  Add water.  Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.  Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken.  Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk.  Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.  Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Nutrition information: 239 calories, 7.9 g fat, 30.9 g protein, 11.4 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 66 mg cholesterol, 1.8 mg iron, 389 mg sodium, 60 mg calcium.

Source: Cooking Light, December 2005, found here.

Notes: I like a lot of sauce (more than a recipe usually calls for).  So, I made one batch of sauce and threw it in with the stir fry.  I made a second batch of sauce to spoon extra onto my rice as needed/wanted.  I also skipped the peanuts since one of my sons is allergic to them.  Finally, I simply sauteed the broccoli in the water and ginger (without covering it).  I removed the broccoli while I cooked the chicken and then added the broccoli back in once the sauce was added.  I did this because otherwise, I have a tendency to overcook the broccoli and end up with mushy veggies.

Weight Watchers General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:

3/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp peanut oil
2 medium uncooked scallions, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cooked white rice for serving

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger; set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add scallions, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.  Add chicken; saute until browned all over, about 5 minutes.

Add reserved sauce to pan and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice.  Top with additional sliced scallions, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.  8 WW points.

One serving is about 1 cup of chicken with sauce and 1/2 cup rice.

Source: Weight Watchers (from an email newsletter), can be found here.

Notes: I usually double this because that serving size isn't enough for my husband.  In addition to that, I often increase the sauce.  Because as I said above, I like my rice saucy!

I am going to be making this for dinner tomorrow night and I'll post a picture of it then!

I like to serve this with a side of stir-fried broccoli.  Found here.

Above: I have seen this spelled two ways: "General Tso's" and "General Tsao's."  So, spell it however you want!  I have served it with Stir-Fried Broccoli.

Broccoli? Yes. Broccoli.

Broccoli is one of those great vegetables that sadly, I don't really think about unless I have to.

I've mentioned before that I do the cooking and grocery shopping for my in-laws while my family is living with them. Every now and then, my mother-in-law will go to Costco to stock up on some things. When she does, she always comes back with a huge amount of produce (I mean, who could resist? The produce at Costco is always so great and well-priced). After a few of these trips, she has brought home some very large bags of fresh broccoli florets originally intended for snacking purposes. The problem with that is that my in-laws really don't eat raw broccoli (and they don't usually have the time to cook it for a snack either). The first few times they bought broccoli, I left it alone because I didn't know if they had any plans for it...but nobody touched it and it simply went bad after sitting in the vegetable crisper for a couple of months.

After that, I decided to give my in-laws a little time to eat the broccoli as a snack (as they intended when they purchased it), but after a little grace period, I started building meals and side dishes around the broccoli to use it up before it went bad. I've made some really good recipe discoveries as a result!

One of them, I've already posted on this blog. It is a super easy recipe that features couscous, broccoli, and chicken with lemon as the main flavor. You can check out that recipe here. (I need to make it again so that I can take a picture of it...and eat it again, of course!)

The majority of the recipes are Asian-influenced. Broccoli just soaks up Asian marinades so well!

First, I am sharing a very easy recipe for sesame noodles. Next up is an easy crustless quiche that features a surprise spice--nutmeg. The nutmeg adds such a subtle and savory punch to this dish. Then, I'm sharing two versions for beef and broccoli. Finally, I'm adding a simple Chinese broccoli side dish that is really flavorful.

I used fresh broccoli in all of these recipes, but frozen broccoli will work just as well. We should all think about broccoli more than we do!


Lighter Sesame Noodles

Serves 4

Whole-wheat spaghetti complements the zesty sauce while adding fiber. A little less peanut butter plus a lot more vegetables make this a no-guilt meal.

Ingredients:

Coarse salt
12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti 3 minutes less than al dente. Add broccoli, bell peppers, and onion. Cook until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender, 3 minutes more. reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta and vegetables.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add hot pasta and vegetables; toss to coat, thinning sauce with a little pasta water, if necessary. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: I didn't make any changes to this. I thought it was a great and easy recipe.



Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiches

Serves 4

Breakfast (or brunch or a light dinner) for one? In these individual quiches, broccoli gives the creamy cheddar and egg a nice crunch; eliminating the crust cuts down on baking time.

Ingredients:

Butter, for ramekins (see notes)
Coarse salt
1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli florets
6 large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
Ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
Crusty bread and mixed salad (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 9 inch pie dish); set aside. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 1 minute. Drain well; transfer to a cutting board, and blot dry with paper towels. Chop coarsely.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in broccoli and cheese.

Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Ladle broccoli mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and a mixed green salad, if desired.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe, found on the Martha Stewart website.

Notes: The cheddar cheese called for in the recipe tends to make the eggs take a little longer to set up. I would suggest testing the quiche with a toothpick or a knife (like you would a cake) to make sure that the eggs in the center have completely set up. I made some of this in 4 ounce ramekins (since I didn't have 8 ounce ramekins) and I made the rest in a 9 inch pie plate. The ramekins were perfectly set up...the 9 inch pie plate needed more time than 40 minutes to be completely done in the middle. Also, I used whole milk rather than half and half because that's what I had on hand. If you wanted to lighten up this recipe, you could use 3 large whole eggs and 3-5 egg whites, or the equivalent amount of egg substitute (1/4 cup of of egg substitute is the equivalent to one egg). Also, you could even get away with using skim milk. It would still taste great. Finally, I used cooking spray instead of butter for the ramekins and pie plates. It worked great and saved calories.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
Ground pepper
1 1/4 pounds flank steak, cut diagonally across the grain into 1/2 inch by 3 inch strips
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 head broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch rounds, florets separated into bite-size pieces
Coarse salt

Directions:

In a large, shallow bowl, mix soy sauce, apple juice, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add meat; toss to coat. Let marinate 15 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate; reserve marinade.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat. In two batches, cook meat until lightly browned, turning once, about 2 minutes per batch. Remove meat. Add 1/2 cup water to pan; stir up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour into marinade; whisk in cornstarch.

In same skillet, fry broccoli in remaining teaspoon oil over high heat until bright green and crisp, tossing often, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until broccoli is tender, 6-8 minutes.

Stir marinade, add to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 30 seconds. Return meat to pan; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: I LOVED the flavor of this beef and broccoli stir fry. It tasted just like what you can get at a great Chinese restaurant. However, it didn't have nearly enough sauce for my tastes. I made this awhile ago, but if I remember correctly, I actually tripled the sauce/marinade for the original recipe. This can be served over Chinese noodles, or white or brown rice. Also, if the flank steak is still slightly frozen, it is much easier to slice thinly.


Slow Cooker Easy Beef and Broccoli

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound beef boneless top round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 jar (4.5 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1/2 cup condensed beef broth (from 10 1/2 ounce can)
3 tablespoons teriyaki baste and glaze (from 12 ounce bottle)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, if desired
2/3 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
(1-2 teaspoons Ground Ginger, optional, see notes)

Directions:

Mix beef, mushrooms, onion, broth, teriyaki baste and glaze, sesame seeds, and sesame oil in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours.

About 35 minutes before serving, cook rice as directed on package. Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch in small bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture and broccoli into beef mixture. Cover and cook on low heat setting 30 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Serve over rice.

Nutrition information: 335 calories, 5 g fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 880 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 32 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: After tasting this prior to serving, I felt like something was missing flavor-wise. I added some more teriyaki baste and glaze which helped, but it still wasn't quite right. That's when I realized that I was missing the taste of ginger. So, I added some ground ginger, to taste. I would suggest at least 1-2 teaspoons of ground ginger--though I added more than that because I really like ginger (or you can add fresh, minced ginger, if you have it). Also, I thought it would be more authentic to have sliced beef rather than cubed--however this was a mistake. The beef gets so tender in the slow cooker that when it was sliced, it pretty much just broke apart when I stirred the mixture together. Cubed beef would have held it's shape a lot better. While I prefer this recipe in a stir-fry form, it is nice to have this really quick and easy version to throw together on nights when you just don't have the time to whip up a stir fry.

Stir-Fried Broccoli

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium heads of broccoli, cut into florets
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp superfine sugar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
Pinch of hot chile flakes
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Directions:

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil until almost smoking. Stir-fry the broccoli for 4-5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, ginger root, garlic, and hot chile flakes. Add the mixture to the broccoli. Cook over gentle heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Source: Perfect Chinese cookbook, published 2007. ISBN 978 1-4054-7365-1

Notes: This was soooo good. I was really surprised at how tasty and authentic this tasted for how simple it was.

Above: Stir Fried Broccoli served with General Tsao's Chicken over rice.