Chili-Mango Chicken

All of us have those stressful, rushed days when the last thing you want to do is spent a lot of time standing in the kitchen slaving over dinner.  But even on my most stressful days I'm more inclined to root through my cabinets than order take out.  Enter this recipe.  It has all the comforts of Chinese take-out, but is cooked up quicker than delivery would take, with the added satisfaction of having made a meal from scratch.

I first perused the recipe in one of Ross' Men's Health magazines and made a mental note of it should I want a quick, but impressive dinner.  The article boasts fridge to plate in 19 minutes.  Including time to cook the rice and a secret trick that makes the chicken silken and ridiculously tender, my dinner was on the table in less than thirty minutes.

adapted from Short Order Cook in Men's Health, October 2011

serves 4

The Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1/2 to 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (I used Huy Fong)
Black pepper to taste

The Process:
Prepare rice as per your preference.

To tenderize the chicken combine the meat with baking soda in a medium bowl.  Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.  Thoroughly rinse the chicken and pat dry.

Combine the chicken, cornstarch, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a mixing bowl and let sit for additional 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the peanut or canola oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the green pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Add the chicken, along with its marinade, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the meat begins to brown. Add the mango, 1/2 T chili garlic sauce, and black pepper.   stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the mango has softened into a near sauce-like consistency. Add additional chili garlic sauce until the desired heat is achieved.

Serve with rice.

The Review:
I may have been a little zealous with the chili garlic sauce on my first pass with this recipe.  Be sure to know your audience before dosing your dish with too much heat!  That being said, I loved the simplicity of the process and the ingredients.  The recipe is ridiculously quick and lends itself to many variations of meats and vegetables.  A spicy beef-broccoli, a  gingery shrimp with a kick, maybe a few cashew for extra crunch.  The marinade is simple enough to not over power the other flavors (unless of course you really pour on the chili garlic sauce) and will certainly compliment a wide range of ingredients.  The dish is filling while still being light.  And did I mention how simple it is?

And trust me on the baking soda marinade.  The step only takes another 10 to 12 minutes but it is the only method I have come across that creates that incredibly silken texture found in Chinese take out.

Added bonus for a dish truly from scratch...try making your own chili garlic paste

Mango and Black Bean Salad (with Avocado and Shrimp)

A huge thank you to my sister for providing today's recipe. I remembered her serving this tasty dish at family gathering and wanted to try it out for an upcoming potluck.


adapted from Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light MARCH 2008
with shrimp, avocado and hot sauce additions from Nichole

serves 6

The Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled ripe mango (about 1 large)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup cooked wild or brown rice
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp roasted tomatillo or fresh salsa
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can organic no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large ripe avocado, peeled pitted and diced
1/2 pound cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp
hot sauce to taste

The Process:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix.

My Modifications:
I doubled the recipe to feed a larger crowd...easy enough to do with this recipe! I used a combination of brown rice and wild rice. In a grocery list snafu I had forgotten to pick up enough green onion for last night's roulade AND today's salad. As a substitute I added finely diced vidalia onion.

The Review:
Pending tonight's gathering