Rachael Ray's Sesame Chicken

I can't help but laugh at myself whenever I attempt to make a stir fry. It's never right. The sauce is always too salty, not enough balanace of salty and sweet so Steve and I end up drowning it in soy sauce. Not this time. I finally found a stir fry recipe that works for me! I followed the recipe exactly, although I am not sure how many chicken breasts a pound would be. I only used two since I buy mine frozen in portions and Steve and I only eat one breast each. The recipe does say it serves four so maybe one more chicken breast and yes it would be perfectly portioned for four. I had rice left over an some chicken and veggies but it's mostly rice.

I would only make two changes next time. The recipe calls for cooking the rice in chicken broth. I did that but after putting the delicious sauce over it I realize that it was unnecessary, plain white rice with scallions added would be just perfect. The second change would be the scallions. I would add less of the white part of the scallion since they are raw and was a little strong for my taste. The green part seems to be milder so I would use all the green and some of the white so the scallion flavor isn't as strong.

That's it. This was absolutely the best homemade stir fry I have ever had. Not only does it taste great but the vibrant colors make it so visually appealing.



This recipe can be found in Rachael Ray's Magazine "Everyday with Rachael Ray" or on her website www.rachaelraymag.com .


Devilish Sesame Chicken with Green Beans and Scallion Rice

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
August 2008

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
Salt
1/2 pound green beans
1 pound chicken breast, chicken cutlets or chicken tenders, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tamari (dark soy sauce)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted


Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the rice; toast, stirring, for a minute or two. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 17 minutes.

2. In a medium skillet, bring enough water to reach a depth of 1 inch to a boil, salt it, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water.

3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 2 turns of the pan, over high heat until rippling. Add the chicken and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook until just softened, 3 minutes. Add the green beans and cook, tossing, for 1 minute.

4. In a bowl, mix together the tamari, honey, hot sauce, mustard and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables; toss. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chickenal.

5. Stir the scallions into the rice and fluff with a fork. Serve the chicken over the rice and top with the sesame seeds and pepper. Cover to keep warm.