Thailand. The Philippines. Malaysia. Cambodia. China.
Five months in five different Asian countries. From November 2011 to the end of March 2012, I spent my time spread across those five Asian countries as part of my World Race route. And let me tell you, I absolutely loved the food.
I've always loved Asian food, but never cooked much of it. I am completely inspired by the fusion and boldness of the flavors of Asian food. And let me tell you, when I was traveling with the World Race, Asian food was like a gift of heaven. It was full of flavor, which is what I'm all about- bold flavor.
Lately I have been wanting to get into cooking different Asian dishes and try my hand at those unique flavors. So the other night I whipped up and experimented with Sesame Chicken. And let me tell you, it was a winner!
Here's the digs on this delicious recipe inspired by the exotic flavors of Asia!
Sesame Chicken
Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
10 Tbsp. soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of corn starch
2 cups of water
2 cloves garlic, minced
To taste: garlic powder, pepper
Optional: ginger and sesame seeds (I did not have either, so I didn't use, but it would compliment the dish well)
Optional:
4 servings of brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked rice cooked in 2 cups of water)
4 servings of cooked snap peas
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 and place chicken in a baking dish.
2. Mix 2 Tbsp sesame oil, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and a generous pinch of garlic powder and pepper. Pour over chicken, and bake chicken about 20 minutes until mostly cooked through. Don't overcook because you will be putting the chicken on heat with the sesame sauce.
3. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp of sesame oil in a large skillet (a deeper skillet is best for this), over medium high heat.
4. Mince garlic, lower heat to medium and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together soy sauce, water and corn starch until blended, and mix into sesame and garlic mixture. Add honey in right after.
6. Heat through until it starts to thicken a little.
7. Take your chicken out and chop into smaller pieces, then place in the sauce.
8. Note, if the sauce starts getting too thick, you can thin it out with more water.
9. Let the chicken and sauce blend together and cook over medium about 5-10 minutes.
10. Season with garlic powder (I used about 2-3 teaspoons, but I love garlic), and black pepper. You can also add more soy sauce if you like the flavor. If you are using ginger and sesame seeds, add at this point.
11. Serve over a bed of rice with snap peas, and enjoy!
Taken in Beijing, China
Five months in five different Asian countries. From November 2011 to the end of March 2012, I spent my time spread across those five Asian countries as part of my World Race route. And let me tell you, I absolutely loved the food.
Me out on the Great Wall of China!
Market in Bangkok, Thailand
Lately I have been wanting to get into cooking different Asian dishes and try my hand at those unique flavors. So the other night I whipped up and experimented with Sesame Chicken. And let me tell you, it was a winner!
Here's the digs on this delicious recipe inspired by the exotic flavors of Asia!
Sesame Chicken
Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
10 Tbsp. soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of corn starch
2 cups of water
2 cloves garlic, minced
To taste: garlic powder, pepper
Optional: ginger and sesame seeds (I did not have either, so I didn't use, but it would compliment the dish well)
Optional:
4 servings of brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked rice cooked in 2 cups of water)
4 servings of cooked snap peas
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 and place chicken in a baking dish.
2. Mix 2 Tbsp sesame oil, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and a generous pinch of garlic powder and pepper. Pour over chicken, and bake chicken about 20 minutes until mostly cooked through. Don't overcook because you will be putting the chicken on heat with the sesame sauce.
3. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp of sesame oil in a large skillet (a deeper skillet is best for this), over medium high heat.
4. Mince garlic, lower heat to medium and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together soy sauce, water and corn starch until blended, and mix into sesame and garlic mixture. Add honey in right after.
6. Heat through until it starts to thicken a little.
7. Take your chicken out and chop into smaller pieces, then place in the sauce.
8. Note, if the sauce starts getting too thick, you can thin it out with more water.
9. Let the chicken and sauce blend together and cook over medium about 5-10 minutes.
10. Season with garlic powder (I used about 2-3 teaspoons, but I love garlic), and black pepper. You can also add more soy sauce if you like the flavor. If you are using ginger and sesame seeds, add at this point.
11. Serve over a bed of rice with snap peas, and enjoy!
What's your favorite Asian dish? Share below, I love learning new recipes!
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