Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

photo courtesy of Google Images

I enlisted my family into my Recipe Challenge by asking them one thing they would like to eat this month.  If we each pick one meal, that will be my four new recipes per month. 

My son, age 5, wanted to go first and made the food selection from his favorite restaurant - HuHot Mongolian Grill.  He wanted me to make stir fry with just the right combination of sauces like he gets at HuHot, and he wanted pea pods as his main vegetable in the stir fry.  Good luck to me!

I pulled a cookbook, "Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook", off the shelf and found this recipe on page 174. 

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tsp. olive oil, divided
3 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt (optional as I do not usually add salt to recipes)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 16-ounce package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
     (I used fresh broccoli, green and red peppers, sliced mushrooms, pea pods)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
Hot Cooked Rice (I used brown and white rice mixed together)

*In a large nonstick skillet, stir-fry chicken and garlic in 2 tsp oil.  Add honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

*In same pan, stir-fry vegetables in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until tender.  Return chicken to the pan; stir to coat.  Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into chicken mixture.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened.  Serve with rice.

Review:  I LOVED this recipe and will make it again!  My son did not think it was as good as HuHot, but he ate it.  My husband likes his stir-fry spicy hot so he added red pepper flakes to his portion before eating, and could do without the honey next time.  My daughter, age 3, ate most of it, although she does not like peppers or mushrooms and insisted she have raw carrots on the side. 

The final verdict:  We will use this recipe again!  I also consider it a bonus that they all ate brown rice - another goal of mine, to add more fiber and whole grains to their diet!