Six Sisters Honey Sesame Chicken

 Although I love coming up with my own recipes, I also cook thing from other blogs and cookbooks on a regular basis.  Now, I'm very guilty of rarely following those recipes to a tee - I make changes and substitutions based on preference and experience. Usually that works in my favor (although it backfires occasionally too!).

This recipe from Six Sisters Stuff looked too good to pass up on - and so simple to make! After perusing the comments and considering our own tastes, I made a few changes that are noted below. Overall, this recipe gets two forks up, and I know we'll be making it again.

I made the following changes to the ingredients:
- The recipe called for 4 chicken breasts (no weight given) - I used 1.5 lbs chicken tenders. Tenders worked really well, but in the future I would use 2 lbs or slightly more chicken.
- used light soy sauce instead of regular
- substituted tomato paste for ketchup
- reduced oil from 2 tbsp to 1 tbsp, and used toasted sesame oil instead of vegetable oil
- added 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
- omitted red pepper flakes
- topped with green onions and sesame seeds, served over brown rice

The directions worked well, with one exception.  I cooked the chicken on low for about 3 hours, which was perfect. After adding the corn starch, my crockpot would not get hot enough to thicken the mixture. This might be the fault of my machine - perhaps more powerful models could do this - but I had to transfer everything to a pot on the stove, over medium heat, until it thickened.  Not a big deal, but an issue to be aware of, so you don't stand around all day waiting for it to thicken. It needs to simmer to thicken, which was more than my machine could manage without a lot of time to catch up.

 This recipe makes plenty of sauce with the chicken, which we like a lot. There was enough sauce to stir in some steamed broccoli along with the rice, which is just how I like my sesame chicken!

I'm sorry I haven't been around in a while - I got a new job and have been quite busy with that. My goal now is to post a few new things a week - I've got some great things that I want to share with you! 

Like what you read? Subscribe to the feed in your favorite feed reader, or follow me on Twitter to keep up with new posts! And don't forget to like me on Facebook!! 

Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Shrimp

This meal uses one of our favorite pastas - soba noodles. Soba is a Japanese noodle, shaped a lot like spaghetti, made with whole-grain buckwheat flour. We bought ours at a Japanese market, but you can probably find them in the international section of your supermarket. Soba is considered a good pasta choice for athletes.

The noodles are coated in a creamy asian-influenced peanut sauce, and topped with grilled shrimp. The peanut sauce is one of Nick's favorite things, so we've made this, or variations, several times. We top the dish various proteins and vegetables, but these shrimp were one of the best versions.

This recipe yields two generous servings, each of which is packed with complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein. It's not diet food, but rather food designed to keep you fueled and energized. I especially like this meal on days where I had a long run or challenging workout.

Feel free to substitute chicken, tofu, slices of beef, or whatever other protein you like as a topping if you don't care for shrimp.

Soba with Peanut Sauce and Shrimp
Yield: 2-3 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 oz soba noodles
8 oz raw shrimp, thawed if frozen

Shrimp Sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh, finely chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

To garnish: (optional)
Sliced green onions
Sesame seeds
Sliced avocado
Lime slices
Cilantro

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine ingredients for shrimp sauce, and refrigerate for an hour or so to let the flavors meld.
2. Pre-heat grill for direct grilling over high heat. Place shrimp on skewers. Divide shrimp sauce into two containers; set one container aside. Brush shrimp on both sides with sauce.
3. Prepare soba noodles according to package directions. (I boiled them for six minutes in salted water.) While noodles boil, combine all ingredients for peanut sauce. Set aside.
4. Grill shrimp, 2 or so minutes per side, brushing with more sauce. When the shrimp are finished, place on a plate and pour the reserved sauce over them.
5. When the soba noodles are finished cooking, drain, then return to the pot and toss with the peanut sauce. Portion into bowls, and top with 3 to 6 shrimp per bowl. Garnish as desired. (Chopsticks optional.)

Like what you read? Subscribe to the feed in your favorite feed reader, or follow me on Twitter to keep up with new posts!