1. Ok so I haven't had chinese food in years. I used to sail away into a post-msg coma everytime I did eat it, and I didn't realize what it was that gave me headaches and made me really tired until years later. Today's "Every Day with Rachael Ray recipes" (via email - yes, i subscribe. yes, i'm ashamed.) included a broccoli and chicken dish which used all natural ingredients and sounded great.
2. I have these two stalks of broccoli calling my name every time I open the refrigerator. I purchased them 10 days ago with the intention of making my usual ginger steamed broccoli, but salmon to complement the broccoli costs and arm and leg these days.
So perfect, I decided at the end of my work day to make chicken and broccoli. Now for the decision of what kind of chicken to purchase... FYI for my American friends - meat in Geneva, Switzerland is VERY expensive. I should have purchased about a pound of breast meat, but it would cost about $10. For that price, I decided to instead purchase a whole chicken with the intention of boiling it and pulling off the meat to use in the dish. The cost of the whole chicken (just under 3 lbs)? 13.45 in Swiss Francs, which is equivalent to about $13.00. Yikes!
In preparation, I boiled the whole chicken with garlic cloves, onion and peppercorns until the meat easily pulled off the bones.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken - thinly sliced OR 1 small whole chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1 bunch broccoli - broken into florets and stalks trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together half of the garlic, the soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch; season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss; let stand for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining garlic over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli stalks, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water and the broccoli florets, cover (i covered with a cookie sheet) and steam until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes; transfer the broccoli to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and heat until hot. Add the chicken mixture and onions and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through - about 4 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, then add the remaining cornstarch mixture. Cook until the liquid thickens, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and serve with rice. Yummy!
