Fresh Ginger in Kung Pao Chicken

Now that I had purchased my little knob of fresh ginger, it was time to make some re-vamped Kung Pao Chicken.

I wanted to capture the flavor of the ginger and not the texture of it in the Kung Pao Chicken, so I decided to grate it rather than chop or slice it. I peeled the outer skin, gave it a clean end from where I had broken the knob off the larger piece at the store, and grated it using a hand grater. Although the recipe called for only 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, I added an extra teaspoon so that the dish would really take on the flavor.

Having made this recipe several times before I could tell a big difference in the flavor with the fresh ginger versus the powered stuff.

Recipe for Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of canola oil (I use extra light olive oil)
4 cups of broccoli florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger (I added one extra teaspoon)
2 tablespoons of water
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch strips
½ cup fat free, less sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped peanuts
White or brown rice

Directions:

• Cook the rice while preparing the Kung Pao Chicken.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli florets and 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger to the pan; sauté 1 minute. Add water and cover. Cook 2 minutes of until broccoli is tender. (Do no overcook broccoli). Remove broccoli from pan, keep warm.
• Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the pan. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
• Combine next five ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.
• Serve over white or brown rice.

Total Cook Time: About Thirty Minutes