Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

3 lb. skinless boneless chicken

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon water, divided

1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon ketchup

2 teaspoons sesame seed

1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tablespoons sliced scallion

Dash ground red pepper

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:

1. Spray a 5 quart sauce pot with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium heat.

2. Add chicken parts and cook, turning until chicken is browned on all sides, about 4-6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

3. In a small mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup water with the juice, soy sauce, scallion, ketchup, sugar, garlic and red pepper, mixing well. Pour into pot.

4. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low.

5. Put chicken back into pot. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Remove the chicken from the pot and keep warm, reserving liquid in pot.

7. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining water and add to liquid in pot. Cook until sauce is thickened (3-4 minutes).

8. Pour sauce evenly over chicken and sprinkle with sesame seed.

 IMPORTANT NOTE:

This sesame chicken recipe will satisfy your taste for take-out Chinese Sesame Chicken. It's almost guilt-free since the chicken is not deep fried, which is a plus if you want all the take-out taste without the added pounds.

The sauce thickens to a beautiful dark brown, making presentation with fluffy Jasmine rice a true delight. If you like less heat in your Chinese food, omit the red pepper, but the sweetness of this dish really does balance out the spice perfectly.You can adjust the heat level by substituting with varying amounts of chili paste or even red pepper flakes. This is a wonderful restaurant-quality dish you can easily make at home.