Chicken and Broccoli

So it's getting towards the end of the week, and the shelves in the fridge are starting to look sparse. After rummaging around, I came up with chicken breasts and a head of broccoli. So I thought to myself, "Self! What can I make with chicken and broccoli?" I tossed around ideas like a savory chicken and broccoli bread pudding, or perhaps a reinvented shepard's pie with roasted chicken pieces. And then the obvious dawned on me: chicken and broccoli! I couldn't believe it took me so long to come to that conclusion, but in any case, I hurried over to the grocery store to pick up just a few more ingredients to spice up this Asian-inspired meal.

I began by heating up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a wok. If you don't have a wok, don't fret! A deep pan will work just as well! Personally, I prefer slices of chicken, as opposed to chunks of chicken in my chicken and broccoli, so I sliced up a couple of chicken breasts and cooked them up in the wok with plenty of salt and pepper. I removed the chicken from the wok with a slotted spoon and set to the side. Also, I pour all of the olive oil and chicken drippings into a large measuring cup. Into the measuring cup, I added some soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and slices of scallions. Scallions are also known as green onions if you happen to be confused at the moment. Additionally, I whisked in a bit of cornstarch to help thicken the sauce.

I chopped up a head of broccoli and tossed the pieces into the hot wok with slices of onions and minced garlic. I also added slices of fresh ginger. I really enjoy utilizing fresh ginger when cooking up Asian dishes. Ginger brings a flavorful warmth to the dish. If you've never worked with ginger before, it's really quite easy. Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section of your local super market. Snap off a piece about the length of your middle finger, and you should be good to go for the recipe. Peeling this root often looks like a task, but I simply remove the peel with a spoon. The peel of the ginger is incredibly thin and comes off quite easily. Additionally, I like to cut the ginger into long, thick slices for easy removal before serving. While I love the flavor of ginger, I do not enjoy chewing on fibrous pieces of this root while eating my chicken and broccoli.

Once the broccoli was heat through, I poured the soy sauce mixture over the vegetables and tossed in the chicken. In a separate pot, I boiled water and cooked off lo mein noodles. I usually like to serve chicken and broccoli with some type of starch to soak up the delicious sauce. While some favor a bed of rice, I usually opt for noodles. Take your pick and make this dish your own!

Finally, I tossed the cooked lo mein into the chicken and broccoli. If you'd like, feel free to garnish the dish with a sprinkling of green onions. Additionally, you could toss in some matchstick carrots or bell peppers and transform this dish into an Asian stir-fry. You could also substitute thin slices of beef for the chicken. It is ultimately easy to make this recipe your own to please all the palettes in your home.


Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 large head of broccoli, chopped
• 2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
• 8oz lo mein noodles

 Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in wok over med-high heat. Sautee chicken in wok until cooked through. Remove chicken pieces and reserve. Pour any chicken drippings into a large measuring cup. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice to the measuring cup. Whisk in cornstarch. Add scallions. In wok cook onions, garlic, broccoli, and ginger until onions are translucent and broccoli is heated through. Pour soy sauce mixture over the broccoli and toss in the cooked chicken. Cover and cook for several minutes until the chicken is heated through. In a separate pot, boil water and cook lo mein noodles according to the package instructions. Toss the noodles with the chicken and broccoli.

Serves 4