No Takeout or Delivery

 

Everyone loves Chinese food but we don't always have or want to spend the money for takeout. So here's a couple of recipes to have on hand to satisfy your craving: a crispy, savory sweet chicken and a fried rice with green and yellow squash instead of peas and carrots. **The chicken prep is a little labor intensive but so worth the delicious outcome.

Sweet and Sour Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup oil

The sauce:

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar (you may need more)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce

2 tsp honey

1 tsp of minced garlic

Sprinkle of sesame seeds

Prep

1. Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. 

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  

5. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. 

6. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish. 

7. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken.

8. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.  

Adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked jasmine rice

2 eggs

1/2 a yellow squash (chopped)

1/2 a zucchini (chopped)

1 small onion (chopped)

2 tbsp minced garlic

3 tbsp sesame oil

Soy sauce to taste

Green onion for garnish

Prep

1. On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  

2. Add the squash, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. 

3. Push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled.

4. Add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated.