So after spending 5 nights at the hospital with my hubby and eating cafeteria food for just about every meal, I was definitely ready to eat real food. Not only was I ready to eat real food, I was really ready to cook real food. After deciding that our diet needed a major overhaul to get healthy, I knew of a blog I had to check out right away. PreventionRd is a great resource for healthy recipes and the thing I love about her blog is that it has really great recipes, not just carrot sticks and rice cakes. For about 450 calories this dish was pretty amazing. Even though he could only take a few bites after coming home from the hospital, hubby really enjoyed it. I loved it and was totally satisfied with the portion (MY WEAKNESS!) listed in the recipe.

*I was planning on adding zucchini at the suggestion of a reader, but the ones my store had that day weren’t that great looking. Change out the veggies to suit your tastes. Broccoli and snap peas were delicious though! (nutritional content subject to change with subsitution of veggies)

Enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes (if using brown rice, if not closer to 30)

General Tso’s Chicken  

(As seen on PreventionRd, Original source Food and Wine May 2011)

1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 large egg white
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup cornstarch, divided
1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp Chinese chile-garlic sauce (I used Sriracha)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh ginger root, grated
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
2 cups snap or snow peas
1 1/4 cup dry brown rice, cooked according to package directions

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, egg white, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp cornstarch. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, chile-garlic sauce, sugar, remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken to the pan and saute 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and peas. Saute an additional 2-3 minutes.

Whisk the broth mixture, then add it to the pan. Cook about 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and glossy, and the vegetables have softened. Serve with green onions as a garnish. Yield: 5 servings (about 3/4 cup rice served with 1 1/3 cups chicken/vegetable mixture).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 471 calories; 8 g. fat; 55 mg. cholesterol; 778 mg. sodium; 40.5 g. carbohydrate; 4 g. fiber; 35 g. protein