Most Americans have become familiar with a style of Chinese food that bears only a mild resemblance to what diners in China eat every day. While American-style Chinese food may not always be authentic to the flavors of China, it is an opportunity to introduce our families, especially children with developing palates, to flavors they may not experience every day.
Despite our best efforts, kids aren't always open to trying new foods, so in this recipe for Chinese Take-Out Chicken and Broccoli, we offer an easy and familiar dish to teach an essential technique in Asian cuisine: stir frying, in which most ingredients can be used interchangeably, like shrimp or pork instead of chicken.
Once you have the hang of stir frying, you can begin to experiment with other ingredients.
This recipe already uses fresh ginger, green onion and soy sauce, but your family might be surprised to learn that they love sesame oil, hot chiles, Szechuan peppercorns and oyster sauce (a very common Chinese ingredient that acts more like a seasoning than its own flavor).
Chinese Take-Out Chicken and Broccoli
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons cider or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups (1 bunch) broccoli florets, broccoli rabe or broccolini
In a large saute pan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, stirring the chicken occasionally to cook it evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the garlic, ginger and green onions to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In a medium-size bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, chicken stock or water, and the cornstarch. Mix with a whisk until there are no clumps and set aside.
Add the broccoli to the pan. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir to coat the broccoli.
Stir in the chicken, cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil, and cook on medium-high heat until the broccoli is bright green and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 270 calories, 30 g protein, 8 g fat, 19 g carbohydrate (7 g sugar), 83 mg cholesterol, 552 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 1 1/2.
Food on 03/22/2017