The Whole World Did Melt!

That was Ember's (age 2) response to the sudden spike in temps this week. It is in the 40's, maybe the 50's today! The kids can finally see everything they left in the grass before the snow fell. We'll still have a good covering of snow in the backyard for at least another couple of weeks. Ember left a voice message on my blog. Double click on her name in the voice message box and give a listen!

Tonight I am making General Tso's Chicken. It requires a large number of ingredients but it is worth the effort!

General Tso’s Chicken
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
5 TBSP dry sherry
1 TBSP + 2 tsp cornstarch
1 TBSP oyster sauce
2 TBSP water
2 TBSP reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp canola oil
1 TBSP minced, peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 green onions, chopped
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Combine chicken, 2 TBSP sherry, 1 TBSP cornstarch and the oyster sauce in medium bowl. Marinate 5 minutes.

Combine 3 TBSP sherry, water, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and remaining 2 tsp cornstarch in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture. Stir-fry until lightly browned. Add ginger, garlic, scallions and crushed red pepper; stir-fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add celery and bell pepper; stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in sherry mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens and chicken is just cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice.