Healthy Sesame Chicken Take Out Fake Out

By now you have probably noticed my affinity to Take Out Fake Out.  You can see some examples here and here and here and here and here and here.    Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE fan of take out but everything is fried and well, fried food goes to my hips...and thighs, and arms and I could go on but you get the drift.  Enter Take Out Fake Outs, all of the flavor while being wayyyyy healthier.  

This one comes from my blog friend Laurie over at Simply Scratch.  I saw it a while ago and did what everyone does these days, I pinned the heck out of it and decided to make it later.  I was stumped on what to make the other night and sifting through my Pins this gem came up and I knew I had to make it.  I'm so glad I did, this is one fabulous dish.  Thanks Laurie! 

Start by making the sauce, the base is honey

And soy sauce

With some toasted sesame seed oil

Garlic

And sesame seeds.  Easy peasy.

Give it a quick stir and set aside for now

Then get to work on the veggies, red pepper

And green onions.  Give them a quick chop and set aside for now

Then work on the "coating" egg whites and corn starch

Mix with a fork.  This stuff is kind of weird but it will be okay, I promise.

Next cut up some chicken in small bite sized pieces and season with quite a bit of salt and pepper

Toss them in the egg white mixture.

Preheat a large skillet or wok with a little coconut oil (or canola if you don't have coconut).  Once the pan is very hot, add the chicken in batches, be sure not to crowd the pan or you will steam the chicken rather than sear it.  Also, I let the egg white mixture drip of the chicken a bit before putting it in the pan.

Once the first batch is done, remove it to a plate and add the second batch and so on...this is what you are looking for golden brown chicken baby.

Once all of the chicken is cooked, add the veggies and give them a quick stir fry.

Once the veggies have had a few minutes to cook, add the chicken back to the pan

And pour in the delicious sauce.  Give it a quick toss and heat through and that's it! 

Serve over rice white, brown, Jasmine whatever you have on hand.

Top with additional green onions

And try not to lick the plate.

Healthy Sesame Chicken Take Out Fake Out

1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated on a Microplane
2 egg whites
4 tablespoons corn starch
3 medium sized chicken breasts, chopped in small bite sized pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
4 green onions, chopped finely + 1 for garnish
Rice for serving

Start by combining the honey, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, sesame seeds and garlic in a small bowl.  Mix well and set aside.

In a larger bowl, combine the egg whites and corn starch.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and the bite sized pieces into the bowl with the egg whites and corn starch.  Toss to coat.

Add the coconut oil into a large skillet or wok on high heat.  After it is preheated, add the chicken in batches, just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet/wok without touching each other.  Let cook on all sides until golden brown. Once the first batch is cooked, remove it and place on a plate.  Repeat until you have done this with all of the chicken.

With the skillet/wok still on high heat, add the vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes or so.  Then add the chicken back to the skillet/wok.  Turn the heat down to medium and pour the sauce into the skillet/wok.  Give it a good toss to coat everything and let bubble for 2 minutes or so.

Serve over rice and garnish with the additional green onion.

Enjoy!

Very slightly adapted from Laurie's version at Simply Scratch

Baked Bang Bang Chicken and Sweet Ginger Garlic Green Beans

A few weeks ago Thai Kitchen sent me a few products to try.  One of the products was their Sweet Red Chili Sauce and I knew I had to make Bang Bang Chicken.  If you are a Pinterest user, I am sure you have seen Bang Bang Chicken several times.  What I could gather is it is a combination of red chili sauce and mayo.  Sounds weird but is utterly delicious.  I didn't want to fry the chicken to keep it a little healthier so I used my old stand by baked chicken nuggets recipe and it turned out great! 

I served the chicken over a bed of the Thai Kitchen's Jasmine Rice which I love since it cooks up so quickly!  Along with the Bang Bang Chicken I quickly whipped up some roasted green beans with the Sweet Ginger Garlic seasoning.  These were absolutely delicious as well and took about a minute to prepare.  Let's do it to it. 

Start by cutting two boneless skinless chicken breasts into chunks.

Add the chicken to a bowl and pour in a little buttermilk.

Give it a quick toss and pop it in the fridge for a few hours.  I think you can skip this step however, it does lead to very moist chicken which, let's be honest, dry chicken is gross.

Next you can get your green beans set up.  Cut the ends off and give them a good rinse.

Drizzle a little canola or olive oil over them

Here is the seasoning I was talking about.  Wow, seriously amazing stuff.  I kind of want it on everything.  Just a quick sprinkle on a grilled chicken breast would even be amazing.

For this recipe I just sprinkled a good amount of seasoning on the beans and gave them a toss.

I lined a baking sheet with tin foil because I'm lazy and don't appreciate cleaning things.  Look at all of that seasoning! Set the beans aside for now.

Then get to work on the breading for the chicken.  I added flour, Panko bread crumbs (which to me are essential and add that extra crunch)...

Garlic salt

Paprika

And lots of black pepper

Give it a good stir

Whisk together a few eggs and you are good to go.

Set up your assembly line with the chicken, eggs, breading and cooking sheet (clearly lined with tin foil--ya, I'm lazy) and a cooling rack.  That is essential as it allows the chicken to crisp on all sides.

Start by taking each piece of chicken and adding it to the eggs

Flour mixture

Flip it over and press the mixture onto the chicken so it sticks

Back into the eggs, and into the flour mixture.  That will give you super crunchy chicken.  I like super crunchy chicken, don't you?

Pop them onto the cooling rack.

This is a method I learned from Jessica at How Sweet It Is.  Give each nugget a "spritz" as she says, of cooking spray.  Yes, I understand that it looks like I'm drenching them but you try to take a picture while "spritzing" a chicken nugget left handed.  Just try.  Okay, sorry I blew up.  Pop these little guys in the oven.

Now, to work on the sauce.  It could not be easier.  Add some mayo, I used light mayo.

And the Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce.

Like so.

That's it.

Cook up the rice as well.  Typically I would start this earlier but like I said, the Thai Kitchen Jasmine Rice cooks up really fast!

Half way through the cooking process, remove the chicken, give it a quick flip and spritz the bottom that is now the top.  Does that make any sense at all? But you want to make that powder go away so it's super crunchy.

Oh yeah, and pop the green beans in for a bit.  Look at those babies! I could eat a whole pan.

That is it!  Packed with serious flavor yet healthy and delicious! 

Both would make a perfect appetizer for a party

But also come together for a quick and healthy meal!


Baked Bang Bang Chicken

2 bone-less skinless chicken breasts, cuts into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-pupose flour
1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 eggs
Non-stick cooking spray
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 Sweet Red Chili Sauce

Add the chicken and buttermilk in a large bowl, cover and place in the fridge for about 2 hours or so.

When the chicken is marinating, combine the flour, Panko, garlic salt, paprika and black pepper on a large plate.  Give it a good stir.

Crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil and place a wire cooling rack on top of that.

Set up an assembly line with the chicken, egg then flour mixture at the end.  Take each piece of chicken and coat it in the egg, flour mixture, egg and back in the flour mixture.  Give it a little pat so the breading sticks.  Place the breaded nuggets on the cooling rack and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes.  After that time, remove from the oven, flip the nuggets over and spray again with the cooking spray.  Bake for an additional 7-8 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, prepare your rice (if serving over rice) and combine the mayo and Sweet Red Chili Sauce.

When the nuggets are cooked, lay on a bed of Jasmine Rice and drizzle with the Bang-Bang Sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: How Sweet It Is


Sweet Ginger Garlic Green Beans

1 bunch of green beans (3 cups or so)
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning

Cut the ends of of the beans and wash.  Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the seasoning.

Lay on a tin foil lined baking sheet and bake at 450 for 7-8 minutes.  After that time, give them a good toss and place back in the oven for 7-8 minutes again.

Enjoy!

Recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz


FYI: This sponsorship is brought to you by Foodie Blogroll who we have partnered with for this promotion.  However, the ideas are my own and like always, you can't by my love, baby.