Chicken Thighs with Garlic Sauce

After enjoying beef with garlic sauce at a Chinese restaurant a couple days ago, I decided to come up with a recipe to share with my friends. A quick Google search turned up this recipe

Bobby's Chicken in Garlic Sauce

But, I thought it could use some improvement. In particular, I like a variety of vegetables rather than just broccoli. Different colored vegetables add to the visual appeal and provide different nutrients. Also, some thinly sliced fresh ginger adds its flavor to the cooking oil and gives a little variety to the seasonings. So, here is my version.

If you'd like it a little less sweet, cut the honey in half.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into thin slices or small chunks
     (I skinned and boned about 3 thighs for the recipe)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 oz snow peas, rinsed
4 oz asparagus spears
         (trim off the bottom inch or so, then chop into 2 inch pieces or leave whole)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into slivers and then cut in half
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 ripe tomato, cut into chunks
4 thin slices fresh ginger

Step 1 

Combine the garlic, soy sauce, water, honey, 1 Tbsp of the oil, cornstarch, pepper and pepper flakes in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Be especially careful to break up any lumps of the cornstarch. Stir the chicken into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (I was in a hurry and marinated it for about 20 minutes, but more time gives it more flavor.)

Step 2

In a large wok, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the ginger slices and stir fry for about a minute, then quickly remove the ginger and set aside. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add the chicken to the wok. Stir fry for about 3 minutes or until done. Remove and set aside in a serving bowl.

Step 3

Add the ginger and all the vegetables except the tomato. Stir fry quickly for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Quickly remove and add to the chicken.

Step 4

Add the reserved marinade to the wok. Heat to a bowl and cook for a few seconds until it starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and pour it over the chicken and vegetables. Stir them together and serve over steamed rice.

ENJOY!!!

Makes about 4 servings.