My son loves to try different ethnic dishes.  I saw this recipe on Pinterest for Kung Pao Chicken from Winner Dinners and thought it would be easy to make and filling for a quick weeknight dinner.

As with all my dinners I adapted the recipe to my family’s tastes.  I added broccoli and carrots which is not in Kung Pao Chicken but helps bulk up the meal and gives them added vegetables while eliminating the hot chilies of the original recipe as my children like spice but will not eat anything too spicy.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 pounds of chicken breasts, cut in small pieces, chopping while slightly frozen may be easiest
• 3 tablespoons Canola oil, divided
• 1/2 cup – 2/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups of steamed broccoli
• 1 16 oz bag of baby carrots cut in half and steamed
• hot cooked rice

COOKING SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. In a bowl, stir together water, cornstarch, and salt.  Add chicken and stir to coat.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil and let marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare cooking sauce by stirring together all ingredients; set aside.
3. Steam broccoli and carrots together until fork tender.
4. Place a large deep pan over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant 1-2 minutes.   Then add the chicken mixture.  Increase the heat to high.  Stir-fry until meat is no longer pink in center (about 3 minutes); cut to test.  Add peanuts and vegetables to pan.
5. Stir cooking sauce and pour into wok; stir until sauce boils and thickens.
6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

This was a hit for us.  Though you can add chiles and ginger my family did not need it to enjoy the meal.  My son, our little food critic, rated this a 3 (on a scale of 1-10) for visual appeal but an 8 for flavor.  I rate it an 9 for ease of preparation especially if you can have all the ingredients prepared – veggies cut, chicken cut – before arriving home to prepare dinner.