I love take-out. I love food in general! Whenever I have the opportunity to make a "take-out" or restaurant favorite, but healthify it, (healthify (v): to improve the nutritional composition of something, while still making it taste damn good!) I'm all over it.
This is one of our recent favorites. It's inspired by a sweet and sour chicken and fried rice dish, but made at home. The original recipe that I tweaked is for several people/a family. I just alter the amounts I made based on the amount of meat I'm using. So, for example, if the original recipe calls for 3 chicken breasts and I'm only going to use one, I will divide all the remaining ingredients by 3 to determine how much I'll need for the smaller portion. I'm going to give you the recipe we use for just the two of us, but feel free to multiply it as necessary for more people or leftovers! We really enjoyed this; hope you do too.
Sweet and Sour Chicken and "Fried" Rice
serves 2
adapted from Life as a Lighthouse
1 boneless chicken breast
salt and pepper
1/3-1/2 cup ground flax seed (you can use cornstarch, I just think we get enough corn in our diets as it is - corn oil, corn starch, corn syrup, etc. - and the flax seed is way more nutritious and delicious!)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs olive oil
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs cane sugar
1 1/2 Tbs ketchup
2 1/2 Tbs white vinegar (apple cider would also work)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt (or 1 clove finely minced garlic)
Preheat the oven to 325. Rinse the chicken breast and then cut into bite-sized chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over mediumish heat. Dip the chicken pieces into the flaxseed to coat, then into the egg. Toss your coated chicken pieces into the skillet and cook until the chicken is browned slightly, but not cooked through (just a few minutes). Place the chicken in a loaf pan (if you're making more chicken, use a larger pan, as necessary. You basically want the chicken to be in one, single layer on the bottom of the pan. So, for 1 chicken breast, I like a loaf pan, for 2, I would probably use an 8"x8", 3, a 9"x13"...).
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for about an hour, turning/mixing/tossing the chicken every 15 minutes or so. At first, the sauce will look like it's never going to thicken up; it will, promise! Just keep gently turning the chicken and baking until it becomes thicker and forms a yummy, gooey coating. Meanwhile... prep your rice ingredients.
Rice
enough for two
1 cup cooked rice (I used brown; cooked is best for this recipe, so a great "leftover" meal. You can also use part quinoa)
1 Tbs sesame seed oil
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce, or more, to taste
Over medium heat, heat the oil in a large skillet (you can even use the one you cooked the chicken in!). Add the onions, peas, carrots, and garlic. Stir fry until slightly tender. Lower the heat and push the veggies off to one side. Pour in your egg on the other side and quickly scramble. Add your rice and soy sauce and mix. Cook until heated through and smelling delicious! Feel free to mess with this, adding other random veggies that sound good, beans, lentils, etc.
Dish out your rice and top with delicious, gooey chicken! Who needs take-out when you've got this?!
Sweet and Sour Chicken and "Fried" Rice
serves 2
adapted from Life as a Lighthouse
1 boneless chicken breast
salt and pepper
1/3-1/2 cup ground flax seed (you can use cornstarch, I just think we get enough corn in our diets as it is - corn oil, corn starch, corn syrup, etc. - and the flax seed is way more nutritious and delicious!)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs olive oil
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs cane sugar
1 1/2 Tbs ketchup
2 1/2 Tbs white vinegar (apple cider would also work)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt (or 1 clove finely minced garlic)
Preheat the oven to 325. Rinse the chicken breast and then cut into bite-sized chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over mediumish heat. Dip the chicken pieces into the flaxseed to coat, then into the egg. Toss your coated chicken pieces into the skillet and cook until the chicken is browned slightly, but not cooked through (just a few minutes). Place the chicken in a loaf pan (if you're making more chicken, use a larger pan, as necessary. You basically want the chicken to be in one, single layer on the bottom of the pan. So, for 1 chicken breast, I like a loaf pan, for 2, I would probably use an 8"x8", 3, a 9"x13"...).
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for about an hour, turning/mixing/tossing the chicken every 15 minutes or so. At first, the sauce will look like it's never going to thicken up; it will, promise! Just keep gently turning the chicken and baking until it becomes thicker and forms a yummy, gooey coating. Meanwhile... prep your rice ingredients.
Rice
enough for two
1 cup cooked rice (I used brown; cooked is best for this recipe, so a great "leftover" meal. You can also use part quinoa)
1 Tbs sesame seed oil
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce, or more, to taste
Over medium heat, heat the oil in a large skillet (you can even use the one you cooked the chicken in!). Add the onions, peas, carrots, and garlic. Stir fry until slightly tender. Lower the heat and push the veggies off to one side. Pour in your egg on the other side and quickly scramble. Add your rice and soy sauce and mix. Cook until heated through and smelling delicious! Feel free to mess with this, adding other random veggies that sound good, beans, lentils, etc.
Dish out your rice and top with delicious, gooey chicken! Who needs take-out when you've got this?!