"Take-Out" Chicken

Preparation for the CrossFit Open started this week... I am sore...that is all. :)

I am calling this "take-out" chicken because it reminds me of the fried sweet and sour/general Tso/orange chicken I always got at Chinese Restaurants or to-go when I was in college and dinner wasn't served on Sunday nights. It is actually a compliment because I loved that stuff. This chicken is pan-fried in avocado oil, which has a high smoke point making it pretty ideal for pan frying, and is delicious. People from the box said it was the best thing they had eaten that I have made (Rudy's birthday is tomorrow so maybe I can call it a present??) ...that may have been because they were hungry, but I'll take it. The eggs right before the frying make that fluffy coating you get at the restaurant. I burned some pieces but that was actually better because they were still so crispy out of the oven. I ate mine with brown rice, because like I've said before, I am not trying to lose weight and sometimes you just need the carbs.
Mara said it was a little spicy, so I have added a second version....

“Take- Out” Chicken 

Chicken: 

- 1 lb Chicken Breasts (3-4 breasts), cut into 1 inch cubes

- ½ Cup Arrowroot Powder

- 2 Eggs, whisked

- Salt and Pepper

- ¼ Cup Avocado Oil (or coconut)

 - 1 lb Broccoli, cut into florets

Sauce- Version 1- Spicy

- ½ Cup Coconut Sugar

- 1/3-1/2 Cup Hot Sauce (I used Frank’s)

- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

- ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes

- 1 Tbsp Water

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 482
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 18 g	27 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	4 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 158 mg	53 %
Sodium 783 mg	33 %
Potassium 433 mg	12 %
Total Carbohydrate 45 g	15 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	12 %
Sugars 26 g
Protein 32 g	65 %
Vitamin A	23 %
Vitamin C	173 %
Calcium	9 %
Iron	11 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Sauce- Version 2- Not as Spicy

- ½ Cup Coconut Sugar

- 1/4 Cup Hot Sauce (I used Frank’s)
- 1/3 Cup Pineapple Juice... plus extra pineapple chunks added to the dish if you want! 

- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

- ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes

- 1 Tbsp Water

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

1.       Whisk the sauce ingredients, set aside.

2.       Toss the chicken in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper and the arrowroot powder.

3.       Heat the oil in a skillet over medium (or medium high) heat, depending on how hot your stove gets. A few pieces at a time, toss the chicken in the egg mixture (I used my hands), drip off extra, and drop them into the skillet. Turn once or twice so they are puffed up and crispy on all sides (it doesn't have to be cooked through.) Remove from the pan and put them on a paper towel lined plate to catch excess oil.  I did my chicken in two batches so as not to over crowd my pan.

4.       Add the chicken to a large, greased baking dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. If the chicken loses its “crispy” use the broiler for a few minutes at the end.

5.       Cook the broccoli while the chicken is in the oven. I steamed mine, but roasted would be good too.

6.       Toss the chicken and broccoli in the sauce and enjoy.  

This was all that was left of mine, I was hungry.