2. ½ cup fat-free reduced-sodium
chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled
and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast,
cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts,
drained
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lightly salted peanuts,
coarsely chopped
2 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
Inasmallbowl,whisktogetherthebroth,hoisin
sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger,
garlic, and red pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skil-
let over medium-high heat. Add the chicken
and stir-fry until just cooked through, 3 to 5
minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Addtheremainingoiltotheskillet;thenaddthe
bellpeppersandsautéuntilcrisp-tender,about
3 minutes. Add the sauce and water chestnuts
and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1
minute. Return the chicken to the skillet, add
the scallions, and toss to coat. Transfer to a
serving platter and sprinkle with the peanuts.
Serve with the rice.
H
Kung Pao Chicken
You can cool down this traditionally spicy
dish by eliminating the red pepper; if you
like the hot stuff, add more.
Serves 4
By Meredith Deeds
HavingtakeoutChinesemayseemlikeagood
idea on a hectic weeknight, but it’s packed
with fat and sodium and, let’s face it, almost
nevertastesasgoodasitsmells.Guesswhat?
Authentic-tasting Chinese food is a lot eas-
ier to make at home than you think. With
some basic supermarket items, such as low-
sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, and toasted
sesameoil,adelectableChinesemealcanbe
on your table faster than it can be delivered
toyourdoor.
PhotographyJonathanHarper/FoodStylingSaraLevy
3. ¾ cup fat-free beef broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Pinch of crushed red pepper
¾ pound flank steak, trimmed of fat
and thinly sliced across the grain
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled
and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound broccoli, cut into small florets
2 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
You can find sweet-savory hoisin sauce, aka Chinese barbecue
sauce, in the Asian foods section of your supermarket.
Serves 4
In a medium bowl, whisk the broth and
cornstarch together until smooth. Add the soy
sauce, hoisin sauce, sherry, and red pepper
and set aside. Season the steak with salt
and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet
over medium-high heat. Working in two
batches, add the steak and sauté until
browned but still slightly pink inside, about
1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the
heat to medium; add the ginger and garlic
to the skillet, stir, and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in the broccoli and sauce, cover, and
cook until the broccoli is just tender, 4 to 6
minutes. Add the steak and heat through.
Serve with the rice.
Shrimp Fried Rice
For best results, be sure to use cold
leftoverriceforthisdish.Freshlymade
warm rice will stick to the pan and
become mushy.
Serves 6
Heat1½teaspoonscanolaoilinalarge
nonstickskilletovermedium-highheat.
Addtheshrimpandcookjustuntilpink,
about3minutes.Transfertoawarmed
plate and keep warm. Add the eggs
and salt and cook, stirring, until soft-
scrambled,about30seconds.Transfer
to the plate with the shrimp.
Heat the remaining canola oil, add
the carrot, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Stir in the scallions, ginger, garlic, and
peas and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in
the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add
the soy sauce, sesame oil, shrimp, and
eggs and cook, stirring, until heated
through.
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
and deveined
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of salt
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
½ cup scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled
and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup frozen green peas
4 cups cooked long-grain rice, chilled
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4. Regular contributor Meredith Deeds
is the author of several cookbooks, the
latest of which is 300 Sensational Soups,
which she wrote with Carla Snyder.
Sesame Noodles
Tahinipasteisnutbuttermadefrom
sesame seeds. It imparts a delicate
flavor to these delicious noodles,
which can be served cold.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons tahini paste or
peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium
chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce*
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut
into matchsticks
1 cup matchstick-cut or
shredded carrots
¾ cup scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
Toasted sesame seeds
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, broth,
vinegar, soy sauce, oil, sugar, ginger, chili sauce, and garlic until well blended.
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain
and immediately add to the sauce. Add the bell pepper, carrots, ½ cup scallions,
and sprouts and toss to coat. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Garnish with the
remaining scallions and the sesame seeds. Serve warm, at room temperature, or
chilled; toss before serving. BHL
*Available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.
Regular contributor Meredith
Deeds is the author of several
cookbooks, the latest of which is
300 Sensational Soups, which
she wrote with Carla Snyder.
