General Tso's Chicken

Source: Generation Y Foodie

New year, new resolutions – right? That’s the way life goes sometimes. My New Year’s Resolution was to post something again. Four months of guilt is simply too much for me to handle. So without further adieu, I present the latest recipe: baked General Tso’s Chicken.

Gather your ingredients. All of them should be available in your local grocery store, though you might need to look in the ethnic/Chinese aisle for hoisin sauce and sesame oil.

Dice the chicken into about 1″ cubes and coat with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

Line a 9×13 pan with foil, lightly spray with cooking spray, and spread out the chicken. I baked my chicken at 375 for 12 minutes and then shut the oven off to keep the chicken warm since my sauce wasn’t ready yet.

Speaking of sauce, combine garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in a pan and saute until garlic is slightly browned. I used ground ginger instead of fresh so mine didn’t take long to start sticking to the pan. Add other liquids – soy sauce, broth, vinegar, honey, tomato paste and hoisin sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring until the paste and hoisin sauce are fully incorporated.

Dissolve 1 teaspoon cornstarch in about 1/4 cup of cold water and stir until well-mixed. If you try to add cornstarch or other thickener to a hot liquid, it will clump and not dissolve. Trust me on this one. Add cornstarch and water to sauce and simmer until thickened slightly.

Once sauce is thickened to drops off the spoon and not a stream of liquid, remove from heat. Place chicken in a bowl and coat with sauce. Toss chopped scallions (about three) and toasted sesame seeds on top.

My recipe:

Meat:

• 1 pound chicken tenderloin, diced to 1″ cubes
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (I omitted by accident and it turned out just as tasty)
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Garnish:

• 3 scallions, sliced
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375. Toss died chicken with 2 tbsp corn starch in gallon-sized bag. Cover 9×13 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Spread chicken chunks into a single layer and bake for 12-15 minutes.
For sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine garlic, ground ginger and sesame oil and saute for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to brown. Add soy sauce, broth, vinegar, honey, tomato paste and hoisin sauce. Simmer on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, making sure to completely incorporate tomato paste and hoisin sauce. Dissolve 1 tsp of cornstarch in 1/4 cup of cold water. Add cornstarch to sauce mixture, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Remove chicken from oven and toss with sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds and scallions for garnish. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables for a full meal.
If desired, double the amount of sauce and use half for coating steamed or stir fry vegetables.

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Tagged: baked not fried, chinese, dinner, ETHNIC, food, general tso chicken, healthier, healthy takeout, takeout alternative