New Food Finds To Start the New Year off Right

Tis the season to be oinkers. Food is everywhere this time of year. If it's not sitting right in front of you at the table, it's shoved in your face from just about every direction you turn. Now that it's almost over, people are recovering from their food induced coma. Many of them with guilt lying on their shoulders. Those pants didn't get tighter by themselves buddy! So to ease the recovery process and help slim that tummy back down for the new year I thought I'd post a series of healthy recipes to get you back on track without feeling like your missing out on good food.



If you love takeout Chinese food, then have I got the healthy alternative for you. I stumbled upon this recipe recently and tested how good it really is and all I can say is that it comes pretty close to the real thing. It comes courtesy of a website called Hungry Girl. It's really a good site for replacing some of the most calorie ridden foods with healthy alternatives. So here's the latest mock takeout recipe for their sesame chicken:

HG's Sweet 'n Sticky Sesame Chicken


Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe, about 1 cup
Calories: 288
Fat: 4g
Sodium: 815mg
Carbs: 24g
Fiber: 2.25g
Sugars: 6g
Protein: 37g

Ingredients:
10 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour, divided

1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup

2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar

1 tbsp. ketchup

1/2 tbsp. lite/low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. sesame seeds

2 tbsp. thinly sliced scallions

Optional: crushed red pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.

Place chicken in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and cover with egg substitute. Toss to coat and set aside.

Place 2 tbsp. flour in another bowl. Use a fork to transfer half of the chicken to the flour bowl, allowing excess egg substitute to drain back into the egg bowl. Thoroughly coat chicken with flour, and then transfer to the baking sheet. Wipe the bowl clean, and then repeat with remaining flour and chicken.

Bake chicken in the oven until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine broth with cornstarch in a small nonstick pot and stir to dissolve. Add syrup, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix well and bring to medium heat on the stove. Stirring often, cook until thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 - 3 minutes. Set aside.

Place cooked chicken in a bowl, top with sauce, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. If you like, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

What sold me on this was it's not fried like regular sesame chicken which saves a ton of calories. Best of all, the real takeout sesame chicken is almost 400 calories per serving and this recipe is less than 300 so you're saving over 100 calories a serving! So you can eat this and give yourself a pat on the back at the same time because you're on your way to a slimmer New Year! Keep a lookout for my next New Year food find in the series. Take care




-Mr. Crafty