Sesame Chicken (dinner 9.20.10)

This evening, as I was rummaging through the cabinets trying to figure out what I could make for dinner, I came across toasted sesame seeds. It reminded me of my favorite sesame chicken recipe, and since I hadn't had it in so long, I decided to make it. It's quick and simple, but has a lot of flavor. Now when I say sesame chicken, I don't mean the saucy kind you get at Chinese restaurants. This is a more basic recipe with a unique toasted sesame flavor, rather than a deep fried sweet & sour flavor.

• To start, I cut a chicken breast into small bite size cubes. I then poured a small amount of olive oil into a non stick skillet and turned the heat to medium-high. Next I added the chicken pieces to the skillet and mixed them around until they were coated in the oil. Then I poured some toasted sesame seeds on top of the chicken and again mixed it around until the chicken was coated and the seeds were sticking. I also added some salt. After that I let it cook for a couple of minutes on high heat, adding a very small amount of water when needed (If the pan got too dry). Adding water also helped spread the browning flavors and cooked the chicken in it's own juices, giving it more flavor. Cook the chicken until they are lightly golden brown & cooked through. Cooking the chicken on high heat (so that it sizzles) helps the browning process. I like to then use the chicken to scrape the bottom of the pan to collect any extra flavor or sesame seeds, and then enjoy!

With the chicken I had Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Vegetable Harvest Ready Rice. This flavor was a mixture of brown rice, carrots, barley, bell pepper, lentils, herbs & spices. I would normally make brown rice the naturally long way, rather than in the microwave for 90 seconds, but I had it in the cabinet and I wanted to try it. I also had some Rancho Fiesta frozen mixed vegetables which is a blend of broccoli, carrots, white beans, red beans, garbanzo beans, green beans and red bell pepper. I would've preferred fresh vegetables, but all I had in the fridge was broccoli and I had that last night. For such an easy, quick meal, it was quite flavorful!