Let's get a little crazier!

It was easy for me to forget that my schedule had actually been in a bit of a lull over the past three weeks - what with me being busy about every single second, and all. But in reality, Gin was on a break from cheerleading practice because of maintenance at the gym, and I haven't been going to workouts because of excessive work and illness.

Break time's over.

Last night marked Gin's return to cheer practice (so, I leave work half an hour early to race home to get her then run her back to practice). I sat through that for an hour, because I'm still not quite up to full health. There was a parents' meeting afterward. We went over the competition schedule, which will have me driving her all over the state over the next several months. We also got into fundraisers and upcoming parties - all of which mean more dates in my calendar and fewer hours in my days. 

Somehow, after the parent meeting I still managed to come home and make the honey garlic chicken I'd planned. It turned out GREAT! Many yums received from the girls!

Awesomeness!

Sorry I don't have a real recipe for it, since I kind of threw it together, but here's the basic process:

Honey Garlic Ginger Chicken

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 1-inch cubes

Vegetable oil

Toasted sesame oil

Seasoned salt (Lawry's is best)

Honey

Soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended, always. Their low-sodium is VERY good too.)

Ground ginger

Garlic powder

Fresh ground black pepper

Small can of water chestnuts, drained 

Cornstarch

(I'll note that I wanted to add roasted cashews, but the girls don't like those. I think it'd be AWESOME!)

Instant rice

Saute the chicken in a large skillet or wok in a small amount of vegetable oil until nearly cooked through. You don't want it QUITE done, because it's still got some cooking left to do. Sprinkle lightly with a little seasoned salt while cooking.

In a separate pan, cook rice according to directions ( I made a total of three cups: 1 1/2 c. each of rice and water).

When chicken is about finished, drain most of the liquid. Sprinkle in a few drops of toasted sesame oil. Add water chestnuts and stir to warm. Generously sprinkle with garlic powder (probably about a teaspoon or so). Add a good portion of ground ginger (also probably a teaspoon or so). Generously drizzle with honey (I'd guess it was maybe a third of a cup...ish). Generously drizzle with soy sauce (but don't overdo it and make it too salty - I'd guess I used less than a quarter of a cup. Aim low and add if you need more.). Add a couple twists from the pepper mill. Stir together.

Taste test the liquid and tweak to your liking. When it comes to a jolly boil, mix about a teaspoon of cornstarch with about a quarter cup of water in a cup and stir until there are no lumps. Pour into skillet and stir quickly and thoroughly to mix it with the liquid. Let it return to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the sauce thickens and clarifies - just a couple of minutes.

In the mean time, add a little garlic, ginger, soy sauce and honey to the rice to LIGHTLY flavor it. Not too much. 

Serve the chicken mixture over the rice and top with some crispy chow mein noodles.

Tonight's dinner was tacos. You don't need a recipe for that, right? :)