General Tsao’s Chicken (Better than the Restaurant)

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Sauce:

Ingredients: ½ C cornstarch, ¼ C water, 1 T minced fresh garlic, 1 ½ tsp ginger (or fresh grated), ¾ C sugar, ½ C soy sauce, ¼ C white vinegar, 2 ¼ C chicken broth, 1 tsp salt

Instructions: Put all ingredients in a jar, shake and set aside (or refrigerate).  Just shake again when you are ready to use it.

Chicken:

Ingredients: 2- 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks, ¼ C soy sauce, 1 egg beaten, 1 C cornstarch, oil for deep frying

Instructions: Mix chicken and soy sauce. Stir in egg. Add cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated. It’s pretty gooey and nasty looking. Deep fry until golden brown then drain.

Combine Sauce and Chicken:

Ingredients: 1 C sliced green onions, hot peppers to taste

Instructions: Sauté 1 cup sliced green onions and hot peppers in a bit of oil.  Add sauce mixture and cook until thick.  Then add chicken until rewarmed.  If desired, throw some broccoli crowns in with the chicken and it will cook to perfection while the chicken warms.

Serve with rice. 

Please let me know if you try this recipe!!   I would love to hear what you think! 

Top 5 Cooking Epiphanies, 2010 Version

5.  In my kitchen, cookbooks just take up space (don’t shoot me)!  I rarely use them and prefer tried and true recipes from friends or highly rated recipes at Allrecipes.com.  Now that I realize that, I’ll stop carting them around the globe! 

 

Here are a few of my favorites from All Recipes: JP’s Big Daddy Biscuits, Jay’s Signature Pizza Crust, Baked Teriyaki Chicken, Rhubarb Strawberry Jam (my kingdom for some rhubarb right about now!) and One Bowl Chocolate Cake.

Bottom Line: I stick with the tried and true and that is ok!

4.  Grating an onion doesn’t make you cry like chopping one does.  I am also less likely to injure myself with a grater than I am with a knife.  :) Not to mention the fact that my kids and onion hating brother-in-law are less likely to notice onions in this form!

Bottom Line: Am I the last person on the planet to figure this out??

3.  I can make it!  Whether it is rolling out a flaky pie crust, frying up some down home chicken or making Crispy and Creamy Donuts, it’s possible.  To me those foods seemed complicated and like they took special skill, but I finally just tried them!  Sure I’m not famous for any of these things (yet, lol) but but no one is complaining!   

Bottom Line: No more saying, “I don’t know how to make that!”  Just give yourself plenty of time and try it!

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2.  General Tsao’s Chicken made at home tastes JUST as good as the restaurant!  My husband and every single person I have made it for wholeheartedly agree!

Bottom Line: You want the recipe, right?

1.  Cooking is holy work!  My new mantra is “I don’t feed bodies, I feed souls!” and I think I’m going to paint that on the wall of my kitchen for those times when I forget that the heart of my work in the kitchen is NURTURING and LOVING my precious family and friends! 

Bottom Line: If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some souls to feed!

What have you learned about cooking in 2010?  I’d love to hear!