My Favorite Kung Pao Chicken

Over the last 5 years I have grown a lot in terms of what I eat.  My cooking used to consist of baked chicken, boxed rice pilaf/pastas, pre-made spaghetti sauce and roasted or boiled vegetables.  If I went out for Chinese food I would get 1 of 2 dishes, Chicken and Broccoli or Vegetable Fried Rice.

Then, 5 years ago I started working on campaigns and became significantly more outgoing.  I met Gilbert and he introduced me to lots of different foods and bought me my first cookbook, Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Ever since then, I've been boldly trying new foods and cooking more challenging flavorful dishes.

The first time I attempted making an Asian dish, I made Kung Pao Chicken.  It's continued to be one of my favorite meals.

Kung Pao Chicken

I'm going to be honest, my knife skills leave something to be desired, so Asian dishes take me a lot more time to make than most people but it's totally worth the effort.  The best advice I could ever give someone is to make sure everything is chopped and ready to go before you put the first thing in the frying pan, otherwise you're screwed!

What was the first Asian dish that you made?


Ingredients:
Marinade:
2 tbs Rice Vinegar
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
2 tbs Soy Sauce
2 tbs Hoisin Sauce
2 tbs Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Salt

Sauce:
5 tbs Chicken Broth
2 tbs Soy Sauce
2 tbs Rice Vinegar
1 tbs Hoisin Sauce
2 tsp Sugar
1 tbs Cornstarch

Stir Fry:
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
1 lb Chicken Breasts, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 tsp Ginger, smashed
1 1/2 tbs Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
3 Scallions, sliced bottom and top parts separated
1 (8 oz) can Bamboo Shoots, drained
1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1/3 cup Unsalted Roasted Cashews (or Peanuts)

Directions:
1) For the Marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the chicken strips and the ingredients for the marinade.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

2) For the Sauce: Meanwhile, combine 3 tbs chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce and sugar in small bowl; set aside.

3) Combine the remaining 2 tbs chicken broth and cornstarch in small bowl, whisking to combine; set aside.

4) For the Stir Fry: Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.  Add the crushed red pepper and chicken, discarding the extra marinade.  Cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.

5) Add the scallion bottoms, red bell pepper and bamboo shoots.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6) Stir in the chicken broth/soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken broth-cornstarch mixture, stirring until the sauce boils and thickens.  Add the cashews and stir to coat.

7) Remove from the heat and garnish with scallion tops.