As the chief cook in our house, I usually make the
executive decision as to what’s for dinner.
It used to be easier. When our
children were small, they ate what was put in front of them, with just a few
exceptions.
One of them was buckwheat. We still laugh over the night I served this
ancient grain as a rice substitute. They
took one bite and hated it. I encouraged
them to give it a chance—until I sat down and ate a spoonful myself. It was probably the worst-tasting side dish
that I ever made.
Years passed. Homemade
pizza became a Saturday night staple, which meant only six nights a week did I
have to figure out our menu. These are
the dishes that likely popped up during the week: Spaghetti and Clam Sauce, Hamburgers
(which evolved into Turkeyburgers), Roast Chicken, Chicken Salad, Pork Chops or
Lamb Chops, Lentil Soup, Sloppy Joes, Thai Pasta Salad and an occasional steak.
We still eat some of these a few times a month, but now I
avidly search for new taste treats.
Quiche, Salmon, Cod and Tilapia Filets, Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce and
Pork Roast appear frequently, as does Shakshuka.
Last night I tried something new—Chinese Lemon Chicken--a recipe from an old
friend. Maybe it will become a new old
favorite.
Chinese Lemon Chicken – serves 2
1 large egg
1 large boneless chicken breast (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch + more for coating chicken
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil + more if necessary
1-2 cups cooked rice
Beat the egg in a medium bowl and set aside.
Cut the chicken breast in half and then slice through the
middle of each half, creating 4 separate mini-breasts. Tear off two 12-inch-wide sheets of wax paper. Lay one sheet on the counter and place one
mini-breast in the middle of the paper. Lay
the second sheet on top. Using a rolling
pin, hammer or heavy can, pound the breast until it flattens to 1/4-inch
thickness. Place that breast into the egg mixture and repeat the process until
all 4 breast pieces are flattened. Stir
gently to coat the pieces and set the bowl aside.
Combine the water, lemon juice, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon
cornstarch, ginger, salt and black pepper in a small pot. Stir thoroughly to make sure the cornstarch
has dissolved and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the
mixture comes to a boil and has thickened.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil to a large frying pan and begin heating over medium heat.
To coat the chicken, sprinkle 1 tablespoon cornstarch on
a large plate and gently place a breast piece on top of the cornstarch. Then sprinkle another tablespoon cornstarch on the top of the chicken piece. Quickly
transfer the coated chicken piece to the frying pan and repeat the process
until all the pieces are in the pan. Add more oil if needed. Cook each chicken piece for 3-4 minutes per
side, or until both sides of the piece have begun to brown. Cook the chicken in two batches if necessary.
While the chicken is cooking, reheat the lemon sauce over
low heat.
When the chicken has finished cooking, transfer the
breast pieces to a serving dish. If you
like, slice each breast piece into 1/2-inch slices but keep the slices
together. Pour the lemon sauce on top
and serve with rice.
For more recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"
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