We all love chicken and mushrooms. This dish however is particulary tender and tasty! We enjoyed it over a recent family gathering and couldn’t get enough of it.

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 2 half breasts)
½ pound medium size fresh white mushrooms (about 14 to 15 pieces)
2 cloves garlic
1-½ tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Marinade:
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation:
Slice the 2 half chicken breasts lengthwise in half then crosswise cut into ¼ inch thin pieces. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Wash the mushrooms and trim the stems (not necessary to remove the stems). Slice the mushrooms into ¼ inch thin pieces. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic.

To Cook:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick wok or a large fry pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken into wok. Cook and stir for approximately 3 minutes until the chicken almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Add ½ tablespoon oil into wok. Brown the garlic for a few seconds. Add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper to wok. Cook and stir the mushrooms for about 1 to 2 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Add the cooked chicken back into the wok. Mix well with mushrooms. Add sesame oil, stir-fry for a few seconds longer. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

What can I say…an American favorite!

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 2 half breasts)
½ pound fresh broccoli
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
¼ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil

Preparation:
Slice the 2 half chicken breasts lengthwise in half then crosswise cut into ¼ inch thin pieces. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Wash and cut broccoli into small florets. Peel tough outer membrane of the broccoli stems and slice into ¼ inch thin bite-size pieces.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken into wok. Cook and stir for approximately 3 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl.

Add broccoli and ¼ cup of chicken broth into wok. Stir-fry until the broccoli is cooked but still crunchy for approximately 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken into wok, mix well with broccoli. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon sugar to wok. Stir-fry for another minute longer. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

You can never have enough Chicken recipes! Chicken makes for an easy, everyday meal. As an alternative to the oven, try grilling the marinated chicken breasts.

4 pieces boneless and skinless half chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

Marinade:
2 or 3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce*
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 tablespoons rice or cooking sherry wine

Preparation:
Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel and finely grate the ginger root. In a medium size bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Add chicken breasts to the bowl and coat each piece with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.

To Cook:
Preheat oven to broil. Line a large flat pan with tinfoil (for easy cleanup). Arrange marinated chicken breasts in pan and pour remaining sauce over the chicken breasts. Place the pan in the oven on the top rack. There should be approximately 4 inches of space between the heat and the rack. Leave the oven door ajar, about 3 inches. Broil the chicken breasts for 8 minutes on one side then turn the chicken breasts over. Broil for another 7 to 8 minutes. The chicken breasts should be light brown on the outside, tender and juicy inside.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 15 to 16 minutes

*Hoisin sauce is a sweet brown sauce made from soybeans.  Sold in jars or bottles at the Asian section of most supermarkets.  After opening it can stored for several month in the refrigerator.

In Cantonese style restaurants a whole chicken is boiled with soy sauce and spices. I have always thought that the chicken skin was too fatty. At home, baking the chicken in the oven makes for a crispy skin with the same great flavor.

1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
4 cloves garlic
2 scallions, including the green top
1 oz. fresh ginger root
Canola oil or Pam cooking spray

Sauce:
½ cup soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
½ cup water
¼ cup rice wine or cooking sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons red hot chili oil

Preparation:
Trim excess fat from chicken. Rinse with cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Crush, peel the garlic. Wash and trim the green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces. Peel and thinly slice the ginger root. In a small bowl mix soy sauce, water, wine, sugar, sesame oil, chili oil and set aside. Stuff the chicken cavity with the crushed garlic, onions and ginger root.

To Cook:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For easy clean up, spray cooking spray onto a 9×12 baking dish. Place the stuffed chicken breast side down. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Bake uncovered, breast side down for 40 minutes. Turn the chicken over, breast side up, and continue to bake for another 40 minutes until the chicken is in golden brown color. Using a large spoon or a brush, baste the chicken with the sauce from the pan a few times while baking. Remove chicken from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before cutting the chicken into pieces. Remove any excess fat floating on the surface from sauce in pan. Pour the sauce over chicken pieces to serve. The sauce will enhance the flavor.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This is an American favorite! Sweet and Sour Chicken also happens to be my very favorite dish growing up. I often request it in advance when headed home for the holidays. You may also substitute the chicken with pork.

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
3 cups canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a frying pan)

Batter:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 can of pineapple chunks (8 oz., including juice)

Preparation:
Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Cut green bell pepper into 1 inch squares and onion into 1 inch chunks. In a large bowl, mix the batter ingredients together until smooth. Add chicken cubes to batter, coating each piece well and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside. In another small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and set aside.

To Cook:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 3 cups of oil in a wok or deep fryer. When the oil is hot, drop in one piece of chicken at a time. Deep-fry about 1/3 of chicken cubes at one time until light brown. Transfer onto a cookie sheet and keep hot in the oven for up to 15 minutes. The chicken will continue cooking and become crisp. Be cautious not to over bake, otherwise the chicken will become too tough.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick wok over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add green peppers and onions. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add the dissolved cornstarch. Cook and stir until the sauce has thickened and becomes clear. Remove the chicken cubes from the oven and add to the sauce and vegetables. Stir and mix well. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Who doesn’t love lemon or sesame chicken? We combined the two for a tasty dish. Not intended to have a ton of sauce all over the chicken but rather a lightly coated sweet and sour lemon sauce with sesame seeds.

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts
3 cups canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 tablespoons sesame seed

Batter:
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
½ cup water
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ large size lemon)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)

Preparation:
Cut chicken breasts into1 inch cubes. In a bowl, mix the batter ingredients together until smooth. Add chicken cubes to batter, coating each piece well and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.

To Cook:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 3 cups oil in a wok or a deep fryer. When the oil is hot, drop one piece of chicken at a time into wok. Deep-fry approx. 1/3 of chicken cubes at one time until light brown. Transfer to cookie sheet and keep hot in oven.  After frying all the chicken pieces, keep them hot in the oven for up to 15 minutes or until crisp.

Use a wok or a medium size pot over medium heat. Add the sauce, cook and constantly stir until the sauce has thickened and becomes clear. Remove the crisp chicken cubes from oven and add to sauce. Quickly stir and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds over chicken. Mix well. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ever wonder what “Kung Pao” is exactly? Besides being one of the most popular dishes in a Chinese restaurant, it’s a classic Szechuan dish named for a 19th century governor of the Sichuan province in China. So there’s the history lesson for the day but all you really need to know is, Caution! Do not to eat the dried red peppers as they are extremely hot. And if you have ever eaten one by mistake, you know exactly what we mean

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 small green bell pepper
½ small yellow onion
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
4 dried red chili peppers
½ cup dry roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce*
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Marinade:
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil

Preparation:
Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. In a bowl, combine chicken with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Wash, discard stem and seeds from green pepper and cut into 1 inch squares. Chop onion into ½ inch squares.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Break each of the dried chili peppers in half and add to wok. Cook the peppers for 1 to 2 minutes until darkened. Add chicken cubes and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked through. Add green peppers, onions, dry roasted peanuts, hoisin sauce and white vinegar. Stir-fry for another 1 to 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes

*Hoisin sauce is a sweet brown sauce made from soybeans. Sold in jars or bottles at the Asian section of most supermarkets.  After opening, it can be stored for several months in the refrigerator.