Remember the stuffed, uncomfortable feeling you got after consuming too much General Tso chicken and pork fried rice? Sure, takeout Chinese food is great sometimes, but when it comes to a healthy meal that will still please your tummy, it’s good to know what’s going into what you’re eating. Put down that menu and dust off your frying pan, because here’s an alternative that is both stress free and satisfying.

Asian-marinated chicken with snow peas and rice

Serves: 2

Total time: 2 to 4 hours marinating, about 1 hour preparation/cooking

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs (skinned, if desired)

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup fresh snow peas

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup white rice

1. Clean and trim chicken of excess fat. In a large, sealable plastic bag, mix ginger and garlic into 1/2 cup of soy sauce. Pepper both sides of the chicken liberally and place in the bag, coating well with the sauce. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2 to 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium-size frying pan over medium heat. Remove chicken from the marinade with tongs and place in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove from heat.

3. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle parsley over top and bake for 40 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, honey and cornstarch. Transfer to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes, until slightly thickened into a glaze. Pour over cooked chicken before serving.

5. For the snow peas, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Have a bowl with ice water nearby. Cook the snow peas in the boiling water about 5 minutes, and then quickly transfer to the ice bath.

6. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Toss in the cooled snow peas and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside chicken and prepared rice (boil 1 cup salted water and add rice; cover and cook about 15 minutes, until all water is absorbed).

Published on January 30, 2007 at 12:00 pm