General Tso's Chicken

I know it's been a while (a few months) since there was a new post on here, but life has really gotten in the way of cooking anything more than mac-and-cheese and trying tasty recipes.  That doesn't mean that I haven't been on the lookout for deliciousness.  Recently, while filling in for a high school librarian, I was looking through Martha Stewart's magazine, and aside from realizing that I want to become her decided to go through her website for nifty craft ideas.  While searching, I came across her recipes, and found one that I thought would get hubby to actually eat chicken hubby might like.  After a week of life taking over, and putting it on the back burner (so to speak), we finally got around to trying it, and y-u-m.  Thank you, Martha.

So, without further pomp-and-circumstance, the recipe:

Martha's General Tso's Chicken

Makes: 4 servings, approximately
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes

1 1/4 cups long-grain brown rice We used white rice.
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise I used frozen green beans, which I would have steamed for a few minutes to cut back on cooking time.
4 garlic cloves, sliced I used garlic powder, just a few sprinkles of the bottle was all we needed.
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated and peeled I used ginger powder.  The same amount, which was a bit much in my opinion, but hubby liked it.
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes I subbed cajun seasoning and it worked out fine.  Again, just a few sprinkles from the bottle worked well.
2 large egg whites I used the whole egg.
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower 

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Lift half the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and set aside (reserve skillet).
4. Add snow-pea mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice. 

We shared a simple bottle of Riesling with our dinner.   All in all, it was a tasty and simple meal.   One that will definitely be repeated in the future.