Recipe: Lighter General Tso’s Chicken

 Another fabulous recipe I found here.  Kelly, from No Thanks To Cake only posts the best recipes, and I have to say, there hasn't been one I've got from her site that I haven't enjoyed immensely!  I have a hard time eating regular Chinese food since having bariatric surgery.  I think they must add too much fat to it, I am not sure, but it makes me sick as a dog!  So, I have found some lighter alternatives to it and boy does it taste better too!  I think the only thing I will change (for my daughter's sake) is use a smaller amount of red pepper flakes, it was too spicy for her.  I used the full 1/2 teaspoon.  My husband & I loved it spicy, but when cooking for the family, I will tone it down a notch so she'll eat it.  I made rice for the family, but you really don't even need it with all the extra veggies giving it so much volume. DELICIOUS!  You need to try it...super easy!

Lighter General Tso’s Chicken

Adapted From No Thanks To Cake

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup cornstarch (1TB of it for sauce, the rest (3TB) for chicken mixture)
• 1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 3 cups of broccoli cuts
• 1 small onion
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated and peeled
• 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2 large egg whites
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, (I tried using PAM Spray but it kept sticking and added a TB of oil for each batch of chicken)

Directions

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce & red-pepper flakes, set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Lift half the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and set aside (reserve skillet).

Add onion to skillet and cook until cooked, then add snow-pea & broccoli mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a min or two.  Stir in sauce mixture. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice for the family.

Enjoy! ~ Mara