Chinese Take Out But It's Not Taken Out You Made It At Home

Spicy sesame chicken and veggies w/ rice

    If you're like me nothing beats Chinese food after a LONNGGGG day at work or class or wherever. Something about the belly warming flavors transform the way you view your day. Those paper white boxes are iconic, and will stay in your fridge for days. My personal favorite spot is Gung Ho in Downers Grove, IL. Ever since I was young I can remember more than "pay-day" Friday was take-out night. And whenever I got the chance I would scream, "LET'S GET CHINESE FOOD". My family, being big eaters, have our order memorized at this point and we rarely stray from it. I love the fried foods, the sticky rice, and the crunchy veggies. The marriage of flavors in Chinese cuisine are so simple, but so effective. The sweet, spicy crunch is what captivates my taste buds. And I suspect many of us feel the same way. As a culture, Americans, love to have "their" Chinese place and will fight to the death proving theirs is the BEST. Which impossible, Gung Ho is superior and there's no argument to that. Regardless, we love the Cuisine and what it means to us.

    Now being fat AND eating Chinese is a dangerous process. While not inherently unhealthy it is super easy to overeat when getting this kind of take-out. Take-out is a social experience with sharing food across the table. The stories will last as long as those iconic white boxes are filled with MSG goodness. Personally, Chinese food is good in the moment, but regretful later. I would heavily over eat, focus on the fried portions, and load up on the rice. Hours later I would have a wicked stomachache and have trouble sleeping. But this experience of regret is super common for fat bodies. We are so engrained with the idea that fatness equals badness, that when fat bodies overeat the guilt is overwhelming. If we eat too much then that's why were fat, but if we don't eat enough then were not feeling full. But in reality regret and eating should never be used in the same sentence. Your body and your mind should never regret eating food if you wanted it. So this week I wanted to revamp the typical Chinese take out meal with an option that fuels your body, not wares it out. If you're craving Chinese food and the flavors it brings try out this "Chinese Take-Out at Home":

What you'll need:

3 chicken breast

Gojuchang sauce - 1/4 cup

Sriacha - 2 tbl

Soy Sauce - 3 tbl

Honey - 1 tbl

Chili garlic paste - 1 tbl

Garlic salt - 2 tsp

Black pepper - 1 tsp

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

Sesame seeds - to taste 

Veggies of your choice (I used broccoli and mushrooms)

Rice of your choice (I used combo of brown and white)

How to do it:

1. Cube your chicken into the desired sizes and season with salt and pepper. Combine flour, cornstarch, and seasoned salt on a plate until well combined. 

2. Coat your chicken cubes in the flour mixture and fry using any method (best are AIR FRY or Veggie Oil Pan Fry) until cooked through and crispy

3. Set chicken aside and cook veggies of your choice in a little bit of olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Cook until veggies still have a little bit of crunch but are not raw.

4. Mix together all liquid ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add in chicken and toss well until all cooked pieces are covered. 

5. Plate chicken with rice and veggies. Top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

    While this is no Gung Ho, this meal will for sure give you the same feeling as that iconic take-out. The veggies will  give you boost you need to take on the day or night, plus the longer you have it leftover in the fridge the better it tastes. Regret for food has no room at my table and hopefully now we can celebrate eating, not condemn it!

XOXO,

The Fat Foodie