If there were ever another “genre” of ethnic food that comes close to overtaking Tex-Mex in Muffin’s heart or mine, it would be “Chinese.” Notice that “Chinese” is in quotes. A lot of what Muffin (and I) adore about Chinese food is more Americanized Chinese.
Yes, I mean that we like it more than Italian (although Josh’s lasagna does challenge it a bit).
It’s one form of cooking where you can virtuously chomp on crunchy veggies and pretend you are eating really unhealthy food.
Think Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce. Or fried (in our case, not-so-fried) rice. Or stir-fried veggies.
The combinations of all are endless.
Of course, today’s catch-up post has (cough cough) no veggies, although I did stir fry some frozen broccoli (pretty much the only way to save frozen broccoli from becoming scary, limp, gray mush) with garlic and pepper flakes.
Today, I present you to that quasi-Chinese dish of mall “Chinese restaurants”: Bourbon Street Chicken. Our school district serves a version of this dish sometimes, but because they don’t want the students to associate it with alcohol, the district nutritionists have changed the name to “New Orleans Chicken.”
In reading the menus for weeks to my students, it took a VERY long time to figure out that they really meant Bourbon Chicken.
I found this recipe, well, this version, because it seems that many blogs have this recipe somewhere, on Life in the Lofthouse.
Bourbon Street Chicken
Adapted very closely from Life in the Lofthouse
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes (LitL calls for 4 chicken breasts, which to Albertson’s meat packers way of thinking, equates to 4 pounds instead of the pound I’m sure she intended)
2 tablespoons veg oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup apple juice (She says apple or pineapple, but we always seem to have apple in the house and rarely seem to have pineapple)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
In a large skillet containing medium-high heated oil, cook chicken pieces until no longer pink (stir-fry style). Remove chicken and pour out any juices. Return skillet to the heat. Add chicken back to pan.
Mix together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk until cornstarch is completely combined.
When chicken is golden, pour sauce into pan. Stir to coat chicken. Reduce heat to low and cover with the lid at an angle to allow steam to escape.
Simmer 20 minutes, stirring a few times.
Serve over rice with choice of veg.
Since this was served with “trees” (broccoli), this entire meal was Muffin Approved.