Lighter Sesame Chicken

Traditional Sesame Chicken calls for broccoli, but that is one of the vegetables that I really do not like. I don't know how long I'll manage to keep this blog up and running, but I can guarantee that you'll never see me cooking with broccoli! If you're able to tolerate it, Martha's original recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs of broccoli, steamed.  Instead, I used a mix of veggies that I had in stock - snow peas, green beans, red pepper, and carrots.  I topped the final product with some Sriracha sauce to give it some extra kick.  Enjoy!

Lighter Sesame Chicken
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
3/4 cup brown rice
1 1/2 lbs veggies (carrots, broccoli, snow peas, edamame, etc.)
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp sesame seeds
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package instructions.

2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally until they've reached the desired tenderness, about 10 minutes.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch in a large bowl.  Add the chicken; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

4.  Transfer cooked vegetables to a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm.  In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. If the skillet is large enough, cook all of the chicken until golden and opaque throughout, 6-8 minutes.  For smaller skillets, cook the chicken in two batches.

5. Make the sauce while the chicken cooks.  Combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic in a small bowl.

6. Return chicken to skillet, add the vegetables and sauce, and toss to coat.  Mix in the rice, or serve it on the side.