“Cravings are hell. Even the most dedicated clean eater experiences cravings for something that strays from their plan. The desire to enjoy an entire pint of ice cream in a single sitting, a big slice of pizza from the local delivery place, or a loaded bacon cheeseburger is inherent in everyone. The biggest pitfall for the two of us is Chinese takeout. So when the latest craving hit, I challenged myself to make a General Tso Chicken dish that hit all the spots to satisfy the cravings and to make it a healthier option to not distract us from our goal of a lighter lifestyle.
Some of the most obvious changes necessary are the frying of the chicken and the vegetables that, generally, are lacking every time we get our takeout container. We swapped out the unknown cut of chicken from the restaurant for a protein packed chicken breast and added shiitake mushrooms, green peppers, and a generous amount of broccoli to the mix. We swapped out the rice for soba noodles. The thin, spaghetti-like buckwheat noodle has a great taste that usually goes into soups, but are versatile enough to go into non-broth-based dishes and they can be found at almost every grocer. Healthier, yes. Delicious, absolutely.
This recipe serves four for dinner.
A quality cutting board will last a lifetime if properly cared for and will make your life in the kitchen that much more enjoyable. We bought our wooden cutting board as a wedding gift to ourselves and it has lasted eight years. Lots of space for you and your knife to work. Just make sure you have a damp cloth underneath it to prevent it from slipping around while you are cutting.” – Joe
Ingredients
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1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast – large diced
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1 medium yellow onion – medium diced
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2 clove garlic – minced
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1 green bell pepper – seeded, medium diced
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1 large crown broccoli – cut into bite sized florets
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8 shiitake mushroom caps – stem removed, sliced
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0.25 cup General Tso Sauce
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3 tablespoon tamari
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1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce
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1/3 pack soba noodles
Directions
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In a large skillet set to medium high heat, add two tablespoon of organic olive oil and the chicken.
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Cook the chicken until golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
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In a 3-quart sauce pot, bring salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the soba noodles and cook until soft (for about five minutes) or as per package directions.
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Once the noodles are cooked, drain and toss with olive oil to coat.
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Turn the heat on the skillet to medium and add all the vegetables to the pan. Continue to cook the veggies until soft and translucent.
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Add the chicken back to the skillet and add all the liquid ingredients, bring to a simmer.
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Plate the noodles into a bowl and the chicken and veggies over the top.