spicy peanut chicken
this has become one of the most requested recipes in our house, so I share in case anyone else is curious. it's quick. it's simple. it's so tasty.
first is listed the actual recipe as written. after that is information about how we actually make it.
Spicy Peanut Chicken
(from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook)
Prep: 20 min; cook: 5 min
Makes 4 servings, about 1 cup each
Fresh gingerroot can be covered tightly and frozen for up to four months. Grate it straight from the freezer as needed if you don't use it very often.*
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar [we use rice vinegar]
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 green onions, sliced
1. Mix broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper.
2. Heat wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add oil; rotate wok to coat side. Add chicken, garlic and gingerroot; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
3. Add bell pepper to wok; stir-fry 1 minute.
4. Add cornstarch mixture to wok. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Stir in peanuts. Garnish with onions.
***
How we make it.
Ingredients
Double the recipe for the sauce (broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar). Cayenne should be adjusted according to taste. David and I usually go with half the suggested amount, but we're wimps.
Use at least two peppers of whatever color you have on hand. Red and yellow are great, but green are just fine, too. Also, instead of green onion, chop up "about enough" other onion you have on hand. We use vidalias almost exclusively these days.
Carrots are a great addition to this. Celery is fine if you like it. Really, any vegetable you have in the fridge you want to use up, probably would be fine. I particularly liked the snow peas, though David wasn't a big fan of that. No matter how much of an overabundance of veggies I think we have, and I usually have more than will fit into an 8oz Cool Whip container, it never really seems like that many when all is said and done.
Double the peanuts, or thereabouts.
We do not typically increase the chicken, and sometimes only use 12 ounces. This never seems to be a problem.
Preparation
Mix the sauce as above, making sure to whisk long enough that the sugar gets well incorporated. You'll have to whisk it again a little bit before adding it to the pan. [Don't omit the sugar completely, though it probably could be reduced. We omitted it once, on accident, and it didn't taste right.]
Heat oil in pan over high heat, then add chicken, garlic, and ginger - as above - cooking for 3 or so minutes.
Add all veggies [including onion] and cook until slightly before crisp tender. Depending on the size of your pan and the strength of your burner, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sauce, and allow it to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in the peanuts.
Serve over rice. It's good with any kind of rice you might like, though we've been doing Jasmine and that's quite nice. David likes to garnish his with pineapple tidbits.
***
*Or, what I do is peel and chop my fresh ginger very fine using a food processor, then freeze into usable portions using an ice cube tray. Once frozen into little cubes, pop out and store in a freezer bag.
first is listed the actual recipe as written. after that is information about how we actually make it.
Spicy Peanut Chicken
(from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook)
Prep: 20 min; cook: 5 min
Makes 4 servings, about 1 cup each
Fresh gingerroot can be covered tightly and frozen for up to four months. Grate it straight from the freezer as needed if you don't use it very often.*
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar [we use rice vinegar]
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 green onions, sliced
1. Mix broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper.
2. Heat wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add oil; rotate wok to coat side. Add chicken, garlic and gingerroot; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
3. Add bell pepper to wok; stir-fry 1 minute.
4. Add cornstarch mixture to wok. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Stir in peanuts. Garnish with onions.
***
How we make it.
Ingredients
Double the recipe for the sauce (broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar). Cayenne should be adjusted according to taste. David and I usually go with half the suggested amount, but we're wimps.
Use at least two peppers of whatever color you have on hand. Red and yellow are great, but green are just fine, too. Also, instead of green onion, chop up "about enough" other onion you have on hand. We use vidalias almost exclusively these days.
Carrots are a great addition to this. Celery is fine if you like it. Really, any vegetable you have in the fridge you want to use up, probably would be fine. I particularly liked the snow peas, though David wasn't a big fan of that. No matter how much of an overabundance of veggies I think we have, and I usually have more than will fit into an 8oz Cool Whip container, it never really seems like that many when all is said and done.
Double the peanuts, or thereabouts.
We do not typically increase the chicken, and sometimes only use 12 ounces. This never seems to be a problem.
Preparation
Mix the sauce as above, making sure to whisk long enough that the sugar gets well incorporated. You'll have to whisk it again a little bit before adding it to the pan. [Don't omit the sugar completely, though it probably could be reduced. We omitted it once, on accident, and it didn't taste right.]
Heat oil in pan over high heat, then add chicken, garlic, and ginger - as above - cooking for 3 or so minutes.
Add all veggies [including onion] and cook until slightly before crisp tender. Depending on the size of your pan and the strength of your burner, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sauce, and allow it to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in the peanuts.
Serve over rice. It's good with any kind of rice you might like, though we've been doing Jasmine and that's quite nice. David likes to garnish his with pineapple tidbits.
***
*Or, what I do is peel and chop my fresh ginger very fine using a food processor, then freeze into usable portions using an ice cube tray. Once frozen into little cubes, pop out and store in a freezer bag.