Ginger Sesame Chicken

Nutty toasted sesame seeds combine with fresh, aromatic ginger root to flavor this tasty Asian dish. The soy sauce and wine contribute to its savory profile, the maple syrup adds a subtly touch of sweetness and the Chinese Five Spice powder lends its five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty. All these tastes blend beautifully to create a meal that’s easy to put together and tastes fresher and better than take out Chinese! It’s better for you too, of course. I suggest serving this over ¾ cup of brown rice (per serving) as pictured, but I listed the P+ without the rice as well in case you have alternate plans. In addition to being delicious I also thought this meal was very filling and kept me satisfied for the rest of the evening after eating it. Add a vegetable like broccoli as a side dish (or double the recipe for the sauce and incorporate it right into the meal) to make it even more filling!

Ginger Sesame Chicken

Source: adapted from Healthy in a Year

Ingredients:
2 T sesame seeds
1 T water
1 T low sodium soy sauce
1 T light maple syrup
1 T dry wine (the original recipe used sherry, but I used Riesling because it’s what I had open)
 1 t fresh ginger root, minced
 1/2 t five spice powder (Asian spice blend)
 2 T flour
 1/2 t salt
 1/4 t black pepper
 1 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 t sesame oil
3 c cooked brown rice – optional*

Directions:
1.    In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sesame seeds until lightly toasted (2-3 minutes), shaking the pan frequently. Remove toasted seeds from heat and transfer to a dish. Set skillet aside for use in step 4.
2.    In a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, maple syrup, wine, ginger and five spice and stir together.
3.    Place the flour, salt and pepper in a Ziploc bag and shake to mix. Add the chicken pieces and seal. Shake until chicken pieces are thoroughly coated.
4.    Add the sesame oil to the large skillet and bring to medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and cook through, flipping the chicken to brown on all sides (about 5 minutes). Pour the sauce mixture from step 2 over the chicken and stir to coat. Cook for a few more minutes until sauce is thickened and coating chicken. Add toasted sesame seeds to chicken and stir to coat (or sprinkle seeds over top of each serving). Split chicken into four servings and serve over rice if desired.

Yields 4 servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus:  5 per serving without rice, 9 P+ with ¾ cup rice per serving* (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving (without rice) from myfitnesspal.com: 200 calories, 6 g carbs, 8 g fat, 26 g protein, 1 g fiber
Nutrition Information per serving (with rice) from myfitnesspal.com: 362 calories, 39 g carbs, 9 g fat, 29 g protein, 4 g fiber