Chicken stir-fry in a spicy peanut sauce

A stir-fry is an easy go-to dinner. To stir-fry means to cook foods quickly in a small amount of oil over high heat. The only real work and time is in chopping and slicing the ingredients. The spicy peanut sauce is the highlight of in today’s recipe with its mix of crushed red pepper and gingerroot. Adjust the sauce to your own taste. Serving the stir-fry on whole wheat angel-hair pasta is a nutrition boost, providing 4 grams of fiber per serving.

Chicken stir-fry in a spicy peanut sauce

Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked whole wheat angel-hair pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons pasta cooking water

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided

2 tablespoons dry sherry

12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons grated gingerroot

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sesame oil or canola oil, divided

1 1/2 cups carrots, julienned

1/2 cups red bell pepper, sliced

1 1/2 cups snow peas, halved

1 1/2 cups onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, optional

6 lime wedges, optional

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting the salt. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry and chicken strips; toss well to coat.

In a small bowl, combine remaining soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, gingerroot, garlic, red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water.

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast strips and saute 5 to 8 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Add carrots, red bell pepper, snow peas and onion; saute vegetables 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cooked pasta to the vegetable mixture; gently toss. Top mixture with the peanut butter sauce and gently stir to combine. Sprinkle with salt; stir to combine. If desired, top each serving with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.

(Created by dietetic intern Elizabeth Zanley for Heart Smart and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.)

Nutrition information per serving: 274 calories (26% from fat), 8 grams fat (2 grams sat. fat, 0 grams trans fat), 32 grams carbohydrates, 20 grams protein, 364 mg sodium, 36 mg cholesterol, 51 mg calcium, 4 grams fiber.