Pseudo Chinese Food from the Crock Pot

Faux-Tso’s

Originally uploaded by alfagee

I’ve been trying to eat healthier, but still crave Chinese food. What’s a girl to do? No, not dial the local delivery joint and suffer through some steamed bean sprouts in no sauce.

The correct answer is: Invent a recipe that tastes like the real thing, but isn’t breaded, fried, loaded with grease, and heavy.

This version of General Tso’s chicken takes a little prep work and time before it goes into the crock pot, but then it’s smooth sailing. All the ingredients can be found in your run-of-the-mill supermarket.

Faux Tso’s

(serves 4-6)
Marinade
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 tbsp cornstarch

In the crock
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 small yellow onion, cut into chunks
1/2 bunch scallions (white and light green parts only), sliced
1 lg red pepper, cut into strips
3 tbsp dry sherry
1 tbsp lite soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2-3 tsp. spicy Szechuan sauce (the one I bought was from Ka-Me; feel free to substitute any Asian chili sauce, crushed red pepper, or a couple of small hot peppers)
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Add chicken to marinade ingredients, and marinate for 1-3 hours.
2. Remove chicken from marinade and toss with cornstarch. Discard marinade
3. Brown cornstarch-coated chicken lightly on all sides.
4. Add onions, scallions, and sliced red pepper to crock pot. Top with browned chicken pieces.
5. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
6. Cover the crock and cook on high for 4 hours.
7. If the sauce is thin, remove 2 tbsp of sauce to a small bowl and stir in 1 tbsp cornstarch. Add this back to the pot, stir, and let cook for another 10-15 minutes.
8. Before serving, mix in a 16-oz sack of frozen stirfry veggies that have been nuked to warm. Serve over rice.

**Notes:  You can do the marinating and browning of the chicken ahead of time, and refrigerate over night. Don’t marinate the chicken over night, or it will fall apart in the crockpot.