No more Chinese take out

Ok so to be honest my family is way to "frugal" to spend money on Chinese take out more than once every YEAR or two. So saying that this recipe is why we don't have to order Chinese take out anymore isn't quite accurate but it is one of the reasons we can live when we decide not to go out for our beloved Chinese dinner once a week.

My favorite Chinese Garlic Chicken
(This makes enough for 4-5 adults, we love leftovers but you could easily half the recipe)

Ingredients 
2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 egg white
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 can of sliced water chestnuts
2 small cans of sliced mushrooms
2-3 cups uncooked white or brown rice

Brown Sauce Ingredients 
2 cup beef broth
1 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2  teaspoon fresh minced ginger
4  teaspoons minced garlic


Ok so one of the reasons this recipe is so amazing is that it uses a Chinese cooking technique in stir-frying called velveting chicken. Do not skip this part, it is a must. 

• Start prep by mincing your garlic and ginger, straining your water chestnuts and mushrooms
• Cook your rice according to directions. (We use a rice cooker, easy peasy)
• Slice your chicken breast into thin strips. 
• Place chicken in a large bowl or ziplock baggie add 1 egg white and mix. Add 3 tbs of cornstarch and mix 
• Add chicken to a large pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes to blanch it. Give it a slight stir to break up the sticky chicken pieces.
• Dump chicken into a large colander to strain water
• Add chicken, water chestnuts and mushrooms to a large skillet/wok on low heat
• Make your brown sauce in a med. saucepan by adding broth, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic. Whisk in the cornstarch last. Heat over med-high whisking often. The sauce will get darker and begin to bubble, turn down to med-low for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour sauce over chicken/veggies and heat for 3-4 minutes over med heat to combine flavors
• Serve over rice.

I adapted this garlic chicken recipe from this website http://cookingwithcarrie.blogspot.com/2009/03/chinese-chicken.html