Sesame Honey Chicken! It’s Good, Good, Good!

Years ago when our kids where young, we all loved going out for ‘chinese’.  I so remember our daughter about 5 kneeling on a chair in a nice chinese, local restaurant, and poking around her food with chopsticks the server had nicely fastened together with rubber bands so she could use them. Her comment, ‘where’s the meat?” Ahhh, the good old days! Over the years we all came to enjoy those dinners out at the Chinese restaurant.  Sizzling rice soup, wontons, beef & broccoli, sesame chicken, all became standards when we ate out. And do not forget the fortune cookie our kids knew were specifically, personally written just for them! At some point we discovered our local grocery had added a Chinese kitchen in the deli area and we would so often get take-out to bring home.  Once the kids could drive Chinese take out would be a routine, favorite, supper on Sunday nights, especially if the Packers were playing late.  But yet I still had the urge to make my own, especially the sesame chicken.  Why I do not know.  You can easily buy enough good, sesame chicken for far less than you can make it. I think it’s the idea of knowing where my food was, what is in it, who shared air space with it, ingredient quality, etc., etc., etc.!  So the quest began for a good, no delicious, from ‘scratch’ sesame chicken.  Finally I think I have come close.  Usually the chicken wasn’t coated enough, or crisp enough. Now it is! Oh, I have come close before but never with sauce made myself too. I do love a food challenge. Enjoy the Sesame Honey Chicken.  Not quick, but good, and made by your very own hands! The only thing missing is the little take-out boxes!

Sweet Chile Sauce – I like to make a double batch as this is so good for dipping chicken tenders, drizzling on salmon prior to baking, lots of uses!

½ c honey

½ c agave syrup

1/3 c lite soy sauce (this is low sodium)

½ c salt-free ketchup

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 ½ tablespoon minced, dried onion

3 drops Mongolian fire oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon fresh grated black pepper

1/2 teaspoon grated garlic

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Mix ingredients together and set aside.

 Chicken – now the work begins!

2 lbs, skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 ½ inch pieces.

Marinade – Mix together 2 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/3 cup lite soy sauce. Add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. Place chicken pieces in mixture. Stir to coat, and allow to rest 15 minutes. This marinade provides the crispy element but also tenderizes the chicken.

Heat large sauté pan or wok on medium high.  Add 3 tablespoons canola oil.

Remove a few pieces of the chicken at a time, allowing excess coating to drain.

Add chicken to oil so no pieces are touching.  Cook until golden, turn and cook until both sides are golden and crispy.

Remove and place in 325-degree oven on rack above baking sheet. Be sure and spray rack.

In clean pan sauté in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 large carrot, sliced thin, one small onion sliced.  Add chicken and reduce heat to medium.  Add prepared sauce.

Stir in ½ cup frozen or fresh peas. Stir gently to coat all ingredients evenly.

Heat through on low. Serve with brown rice. This is where I put my rice cooker to work for perfect, fast rice.  After all the work of sesame chicken, easy, perfect rice is a plus.  Check out Tools of the Trade for information on rice cookers!