Spicy Peanut Chicken (Easy)

This is a much loved meal in my home at dinnertime. If there are any leftovers, they are gobbled up the next day. I like to make a lot of this so there are leftovers. I double the sauce with this meal because it is sooo good over the brown rice. I use about 11 boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed of their fat as well; this meal serves 4 quite nicely. I steam some fresh broccoli to serve on the side to balance the meal out and add more color.

http://www.yum-o.org/recipe.php?id=466

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup brown or white rice, prepared according to package directions (I made 3 cups and cooked it in my rice cooker)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or other high-temperature cooking oil, divided (I used olive oil)
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced into small, bite-size pieces (I used 11 boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1-inch piece of ginger root, grated or minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter or reduced sugar creamy peanut butter (I find that using even 1/4 cup peanut butter is too much and that is when I double it, I use one heaping tablespoon instead for this recipe doubled)
• 1/4 cup Tamari (dark soy sauce) or reduced sodium soy sauce (I used soy sauce and doubled it)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (I used 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon chili paste (I used one heaping tablespoon instead of 2 for the doubling)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil ( I used 4 teaspoons)
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts (8 ounces), drained (I just used one can)
• 1 bunch scallions, whites and greens chopped on angle into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts (I omitted these altogether, do not like the strong peanut taste especially when peanut butter is already in the recipe, to each their own)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start the brown or white rice.(I like brown rice here, the texture and taste really go well with this dish) 10 minutes before it's done, begin your stir fry.
2. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes more. Remove the chicken and pepper to a plate and add 2 tablespoons more oil to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic and stir fry for 15 seconds, then add in the peanut butter, soy sauce, chicken stock, chili paste and sesame oil and stir to combine into a sauce. Add the water chestnuts and scallions and toss for 1 minute, then add the chicken and peppers back to the pan with the peanuts and turn to coat in the sauce. Serve over the rice.

approximately 11 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

sauteing the chicken thighs

once chicken is cooked; red bell pepper added in

Once the chicken and bell peppers have cooked, remove from pan, add garlic and grated ginger root to some olive oil  and stir fry for about 15 seconds.

then add all these ingredients to frying pan

There you have it, the finished dish! I like a lot of sauce for my rice and as you can see here, there is plenty to go around.

My dinner plate, very colorful and oh so yummy!