Pre-Vacation Dieting

 

We just got back from an awesome family vacation.  Rex is at a really good age for air travel and we chose a destination that was full of activities to keep him busy during the day.  We had two flights followed by a two hour drive and he was so well behaved and adaptable throughout the entire journey.  I was so proud of him and he acted far better than I expected.  The trip was great and we all had sooooo much fun. 

Since I knew I would spend most of the vacation in a swimsuit, I really buckled down with the healthy eating and exercise for a few months before we left.  This was one of our dinners during that pre-vacation cut back.  Dishes like these kept me feeling satisfied, but were still smart dinner options.  I served this over rice noodles for Forrest (as pictured), but I ate just the chicken and veggie mixture and it was still very filling. 

 

 

Stir-Fried Lemongrass Chicken
Adapted from Cooking Light January 2013

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 4 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon sliced peeled fresh lemongrass
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper 
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots
• 8 ounces haricots verts, trimmed 
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced 
• 1/3 cup unsalted cashews 
• 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced

 

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Stir with a whisk.

2. Heat a large wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add lemongrass and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds.



Remove from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a small bowl. Add bell pepper, shallots, and haricots verts to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes.



Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; add to lemongrass mixture. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken in a single layer; cook 2 minutes or until browned. Add cashews and chile to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes or until chicken is done.



Stir in stock mixture

  
 and vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until sauce begins to thicken. Serve immediately.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe