Skip the Takeout

Skip the takeout and get back to the basics by making Chinese cuisine in the comfort of your own kitchen. Conventional stir-fries can be high in fat, sugar and sodium. The recipe featured this week is a healthful version of a restaurant favorite. A medley of vegetables offers a broader range of phytochemicals, which laboratory studies have shown could reduce cancer risk. Added nutritional value comes from substituting brown rice, a source of fiber and B vitamins.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
with Brown Rice

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup apricot preserves
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 4 tsp. minced ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 6 cups frozen vegetable mixture
  • 1 can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Prepare rice according to package directions. Set aside. Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and apricot preserves in a small mixing bowl and set aside as well.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium – high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until starting to brown, about 2 additional minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil, ginger and garlic to skillet and cook over medium-high heat, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add frozen vegetables, reduce heat, cover and simmer under vegetables are thawed, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook vegetables.

Return cooked chicken to pan. Add water chestnuts. Whisk reserved sauce and add to skillet. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Simmer, stir occasionally until sauce thickens and chicken is heated through. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 490 calories, 9 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 66 g carbohydrates, 
33 g protein, 6 g dietary fiber, 470 mg sodium.