General Bee’s Chicken

OMG a recipe for real people food! Occasionally I actually eat things that aren't classified as desserts. This is one of those things.

The first time I went to P.F. Chang's was with my family. We were in Vegas for my mom and step-dad's wedding. I remember ordering something god awful (I have a real knack for picking the crappiest thing on a menu and ordering it.) Out of love and pity my step-dad gave me some of his General Chang's spicy shrimp. I was cautious because I wasn't too fond of spicy things. I cut a small piece off one of the shrimp and ate it.

I fell in love. That night changed my life. I became more adventurous with the food I ate, and I learned that spicy wasn't a bad thing.

This recipe can be used with shrimp, chicken and maybe pork (never tried it). I'm going to use chicken because I'm a poor college student. This recipe has two parts, chicken and sauce. The best side dish for this recipe is rice.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
3 green onions (sliced)
3 eggs (beaten)
½ cup cornstarch
oil (for frying)

Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Step 1: Chicken. In a medium mixing bowl combine cornstarch and beaten eggs. Mix well to create a batter. Add chicken bits and coat thoroughly. The easiest way to do this is to mix the eggs, stir in the corn starch, and then add the chicken. If your cooking less chicken half the recipe. For healthy alternatives, skip this step.

Step 2: Sauce. In a small bowl combine rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside. I often double the recipe because this sauce is the bomb! For healthy alternatives, replace sugar with artificial sweetener, use light soy sauce and substitute cornstarch for whole wheat flour.

Step 3: Chicken. Grab a regular-sized skillet and fill it with oil about 1/2 inch deep. Deep frying is easier, but I can't bring myself to waste all that oil. Fry chicken bits in batches. The easiest way to do this is holding the bowl close to the skillet, and slowly scooping chicken out. Spread the chicken out evenly so there are no over lapping pieces.
WARNING: OIL SUCKS! Wear gloves when doing this and be super careful. I totally burned the hell out of my hand, and it totally sucked. Don't be a hero, play it safe and wear gloves. For healthy alternatives, cook chicken bits in a skillet with 1-2cup(s) chicken broth or water.

Step 4: Chicken. Drain on paper towels. I use about 2-3. For healthy alternatives, skip this step.

Step 5: Sauce. Heat sauce mixture in a skillet pan and cook over medium heat. Stir the mixture regularly until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly. It will smell so freakin good.

Step 6: Plate chicken and spoon desired amount of sauce over chicken. Garnish with green onions, and serve with rice.
My friends went gaga over this. It's really the bee's knees! (haha!) Seriously though, I could live off of this stuff. It reheats great and the healthy recipe reheats the best in a microwave. When I had back to back classes and couldn't sit down and eat, I'd microwave this and eat while walking between classes.

General Tso’s Chicken
Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
3 green onions (sliced)
3 eggs (beaten)
½ cup cornstarch
oil (for frying)

Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl combine cornstarch and beaten eggs. Mix well to create a batter. Add chicken bits and coat thoroughly.

Step 2: To make the sauce- in a small bowl combine rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.

Step 3: Grab a regular-sized skillet and fill it with oil about 1/2 inch deep. Fry chicken bits in batches. Drain on paper towels.

Step 5: Heat sauce mixture in a skillet pan and cook over medium heat. Stir the mixture regularly until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly.
Step 6: Plate chicken and spoon desired amount of sauce over chicken. Garnish with green onions, and serve with rice.
(Makes about 2 servings)