SHRIMP STIR FRY

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!  I hope and pray that today has been as pleasant for you as it has been for me.  I'm on vacation today and I have been a total bum but I've loved every minute of it.  First of all, before I get into today's menu, let me say "Thank You" to our military personnel all over the world for their courage and their sacrifice.

As for the menu, being that it is Memorial Day, I would normally be stretched out on my sofa after having eaten my fill of barbecued ribs and baked beans but today I thought that I would do something a little different.  I love Chinese food and I've always wanted to learn how to make it so when I ran across this recipe, I just knew that I had to try it.  This recipe comes from the April 2011 edition of the All*You magazine and it's called "Stir-Fry Your Way."  It's fast; it's simple and the best part is that it's only 427 calories per serving.  (Whoo Hoo!)

Special Notes:  The actual recipe calls for boneless chicken breasts but I chose to use shrimp instead.  Also, I have to admit that I cheated a little and bought some pre-cut stir-fry vegetables.  It's so much cheaper than buying all of the vegetables separately and it saves a  lot of time.

Final Thoughts:  Surprisingly enough, it didn't occur to me that the sauce would be somewhat sweet but Duh, it has pineapple and brown sugar in it.  Nevertheless, I loved it.  I served mine over white rice.  It has a sort of sweet and sour flavor but if you prefer a more salty taste, you could always leave out the pineapple and brown sugar.  Also, the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of cornstarch as a thickening agent but I would definitely increase that to tablespoons instead.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

4 cups of your favorite vegetables (broccoli cut into bite-size pieces, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red bell peppers, chopped onion or thin green beans)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, canned in juice, drained, optional

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp. cold water

2 cups cooked brown rice or whole-grain noodles

  
Directions:
1. Preheat a wok or large skillet on low. In a bowl, combine chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar. Turn heat up to high. Pour in 1 Tbsp. canola oil and, once hot, add half of chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Repeat with 1/2 Tbsp. oil and remaining chicken.

2. Add vegetables and 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil to wok; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.

3. Return chicken to wok; add pineapple, if desired. Pour in chicken broth mixture and stir well. Add cornstarch and stir until sauce thickens and becomes shiny. Serve over brown rice or whole-grain noodles.