Sweet Pepper Chicken with 5-Spice
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked to package directions
- 2 tablespoons high-temp cooking oil, such as peanut or canola
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
- Salt and coarse black pepper
- 2 sweet bell peppers, seeded and cubed into bite-size pieces
- 1 onion or 2 large shallots, sliced
- 1 inch ginger root, grated or minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons 5 spice powder, half a palmful
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
- 1/4 cup Tamari sauce, eyeball the amount
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
Start rice and when its about mid-way through cooking time, start the chicken.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat in nonstick skillet and add chicken seasoned with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Stir-fry chicken until browned and remove to a plate.
Add another tablespoon of oil and allow to heat until it ripples and begins to smoke. Then add peppers, onions or shallot and stir fry 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and 5 spice powder and season vegetables with a little more black pepper. Add sherry and shake pan for 30 seconds, then add honey or agave, Tamari and stock. Stir corn starch into a little water to dissolve, then add to sauce and thicken 1 minute. Slide chicken back in heat through a minute more.
Serve chicken with rice and garnish with chives.