Yummy Chinese Inspired Recipes

bla115 · January 2008

I made this delicious meal for dinner and it was a big hit! I was craving a Chinese meal but knew that getting take out from the local place down the street could prove very unhealthy. I tried this meal instead and was satisfied. Hope you and your family like it as well :flowerforyou: I have also entered in the nutrition information into the food log under the recipe names.

Grilled Soy and Sesame Chicken Breasts - Serves 4
1 tablespoon brown sugar ( I used Splenda brown sugar substitute)
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (make sure it's low sodium, otherwise I think it would be way too salty)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a shallow dish and mix well. Add chicken, turning to coat.
Cover and marinade in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Remove chicken from marinade.

Place remaining marinade in a small saucepan and heat to a boil, then cool. Place the chicken on the grill over hot coals until chicken is done and juices run clear, approximately 7 to 10 minutes per side.
**** It's way to0 cold here in VA to grill so I cooked my chicken with the remaining marinade in a large skillet or you could use a grill pan***

Turn and baste frequently with reserved marinade.

Per Serving: 161 calories, 3g fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 28g protein, 4 carbs, 68mg cholesterol, 528mg sodium

Serve with:

Broccoli with Black Bean-Garlic Sauce - 4 servings (3/4 cup per each serving)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup water, divided
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons black bean-garlic sauce (found in the Asain ingredient section of your grocery store or at the Asain market)
2 teaspoons canola oil ( I used olive oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups broccoli florets

Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Tranfer to bowl to cool.

Mix 1/4 cup water, vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add black bean sauce and stir until smooth.

Heat oil in a large skillet or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and stir to coat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water, cover and steam just until broccoli is tender crisp, 1 to 3 minutes. Push broccoli to the sides and pour the sauce mixture in the center. Stir until sauce begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Stir in the broccoli to coat. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the sesame seeds.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 53 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 saturated fat, 2 grams mono. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbs,
2 g protein, 2g fiber, 133 mg sodium

bla115 · January 2008

I made this delicious meal for dinner and it was a big hit! I was craving a Chinese meal but knew that getting take out from the local place down the street could prove very unhealthy. I tried this meal instead and was satisfied. Hope you and your family like it as well :flowerforyou: I have also entered in the nutrition information into the food log under the recipe names.

Grilled Soy and Sesame Chicken Breasts - Serves 4
1 tablespoon brown sugar ( I used Splenda brown sugar substitute)
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (make sure it's low sodium, otherwise I think it would be way too salty)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a shallow dish and mix well. Add chicken, turning to coat.
Cover and marinade in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Remove chicken from marinade.

Place remaining marinade in a small saucepan and heat to a boil, then cool. Place the chicken on the grill over hot coals until chicken is done and juices run clear, approximately 7 to 10 minutes per side.
**** It's way to0 cold here in VA to grill so I cooked my chicken with the remaining marinade in a large skillet or you could use a grill pan***

Turn and baste frequently with reserved marinade.

Per Serving: 161 calories, 3g fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 28g protein, 4 carbs, 68mg cholesterol, 528mg sodium

Serve with:

Broccoli with Black Bean-Garlic Sauce - 4 servings (3/4 cup per each serving)

1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup water, divided
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons black bean-garlic sauce (found in the Asain ingredient section of your grocery store or at the Asain market)
2 teaspoons canola oil ( I used olive oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups broccoli florets

Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Tranfer to bowl to cool.

Mix 1/4 cup water, vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add black bean sauce and stir until smooth.

Heat oil in a large skillet or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and stir to coat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water, cover and steam just until broccoli is tender crisp, 1 to 3 minutes. Push broccoli to the sides and pour the sauce mixture in the center. Stir until sauce begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Stir in the broccoli to coat. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the sesame seeds.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 53 calories, 3 grams fat, 0 saturated fat, 2 grams mono. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbs,
2 g protein, 2g fiber, 133 mg sodium

icandoit · January 2008

I am a sucker for Chinese food. Thank you so much!!

bla115 · January 2008

You're welcome! I am actually eating a bowl right now as I chat on the site

I added 1/4 a cup of brown rice to the mix and it only added 75 more calories. For some reason the rice gives it even more of that Chinese flavor.

dakoda · January 2008

I've been trying to find a low-sodium soy or teriyaki sauce, but I haven't been able to! I have stopped using the regular one as a condiment all together because the sodium is so high, but I used to love it on vegetables and rice.

What brand are you using and where did you find it!?

Thanks

bla115 · January 2008

I actually found a low-sodium version at the my local grocery store. It was just the regular Kroger brand. It's called Lite Soy Sauce and has 50% less sodium than regular soy sauce so it's well worth it!

wibrown · January 2008

My family loves Chinese I can't wait to try out this recipe. Please feel free to share more delicious ones with us. I am always looking but never really sure where to look.

bla115 · January 2008

My family loves Chinese I can't wait to try out this recipe. Please feel free to share more delicious ones with us. I am always looking but never really sure where to look.

I found the chicken recipe at www.lowfatlifestyle.com and the broccoli one at www.eatingwell.com. They both have good recipes and I have more that are on my list to try. I"ll let you know what other tasty ones I come across. My new years resolution was to cook more instead of eating frozen dinners etc. so I'm all about trying new recipes right now! :happy: