Welcome 2011 !!

I must say, I am sad to see 2010 go. It was a year filled with so many exciting changes for Forrest and me and I know I will always cherish last year. In summary, we moved back to our hometown (where both of our families live), the best food city in the world:

Forrest got an awesome new job.

We built and moved into our first home and I got my dream kitchen (partial picture of said kitchen below):

And most importantly, we welcomed our most favorite foodie to the family:

As you can imagine, 2010 will be a hard year to top for my little family. But alas, 2010 is gone and 2011 is here to stay. We will focus on being thankful for our many blessings last year and are eager to see what the future holds. I have included a healthy take-out alternative for all of you who are looking to lighten up your fare in 2011. This was much quicker than ordering out and certainly easier on the waistline.

Kung Pao Chicken
Adapted from Cooking Light December 2010

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces all fat removed
  
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon, peeled minced ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

1. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan;

sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Being careful not to let it burn. Add chicken;

sauté 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.

2. Combine 3/4 cup water and the next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) in a liquid measuring cup,

stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture to pan;

bring to a boil. Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan;

cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts.

3. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe