Chicken and broccoli

Hi Drunks!

Continuing on Shakour's asian theme, I wanted to post a recipe for Chinese-style Chicken and Broccoli (or you can easily substitute beef -- I've used Trader Joe's beef tips and it was great).  It's really good, fairly easy, and you can sub pretty much any meats / veggies you want.

Note -- some of these ingredients are probably not staples that you can just grab out of your cabinet, but all can be found (fairly cheaply) at TJs.  And if you don't have something you can just leave it out or substitute.

3 tips before I make you a delicious Asian surprise (does that sound dirty?): A) for easy clean-up and marination (word?) use one of those plastic vegetable bags that you get at the grocery store to mix the marinade and marinate the meat in; 2) use low-sodium soy sauce like it says, or dilute normal soy sauce with water because if you don't it will be salty!; and D) get yourself some cornstarch (seriously, it's like a dollar) if you want the sauce to work right

Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients:
   Meat and marinade

•  2 large chicken breasts (or ~1.5 lbs beef tips), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsbp corn starch
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp ground garlic
• 2 tbsp oil (canola, olive, or vegetable)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

   Veggies and sauce

• Veggies: 2 heads broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces (or one pre-cut bag), 1/2 small white or yellow onion, chopped into thin slices, 1 cup carrots, grated or chopped into matchsticks
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, + 2 tbsp water (no water if you omit cornstarch..but don't)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (can be left out)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Splash orange juice (~1 tbsp)
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes (can adjust to taste or leave out -- this will make it pretty hot!)
• Few shakes of black pepper
• 2 tbsp oil (for the stir-frying)

Instructions:
1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl (or plastic bag), add meat and marinate ~hour
2. Chop your veggies! Set aside
3. Whisk together all other sauce ingredients (soy sauce through red pepper flakes) until smooth
 

Kat's ingredients -- veggies, chicken, sauce

4. Add 1 tbsp oil to a large pan or wok and heat over medium-high heat
5. Add marinated meat, marinade, and ~1/3 of the sauce to skillet, cook for ~5 minutes until cooked through, stirring often
6. Remove chicken from pan, set aside
7. Add 1 tbsp more oil (carefully! pan will still be hot), ~2 tbsp sauce, and the veggies (broccoli, onion, carrots) and cook over medium until tender, ~6 minutes
8. Add back in chicken and remaining sauce, stir until incorporated and then remove from heat
9. Mailman, Asian style.  Soo much better than mystery meat Chinese food (which is also delish when I'm tired / hungover on Sundays)

Yummmmm

PS -- If you put most of these ingredients together and cook them in some way, they will probably still be delicious :)

Selfie!  I look scary in this photo...