Sweet 'N Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (cubed)
1 t. cooking oil
1 t. apple cider vinegar
4 T. Essential Sauce (Gluten Free or Regular)
4 T. Pinapple-Yaki Sauce
1/2 T. cornstarch (to thicken sauce)
Cooked brown or white rice

Cooking Instructions:

• Heat wok or stir-fry pan on medium to medium-high heat.  Add cooking oil to coat pan.
• Add chicken to heated pan and saute for 3- 5 min.
• In a small bowl combine Essential Sauce, Pineapple-Yaki Sauce, vinegar and cornstarch.  Mix well.
• Add the sauce mixture to the chicken and continue to cook for another 3 -5 minutes (until chicken is cooked and sauce has thickened to desired consistency).
• Serve hot over cooked rice.

*Add your favorite vegetables to this dish (carrots, water chestnuts, celery, bell peppers, snow peas, etc).  Cut veggies into bite size pieces and add to pan when sauce mixture is added.  

**The chicken can also be marinated in the Essential Sauce and Pineapple-Yaki Sauce.  Cube the chicken and pour sauce over it.  Place in an air tight container and store in fridge.  When chicken is halfway cooked, add your cornstarch (move chicken to the side and stir cornstarch in with the liquid).

Easy Pineapple-Yaki Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large Chicken Breasts (cut into 2 in chunks)
3 T MIM Pineapple-Yaki Sauce
1 T MIM Essential Sauce (Gluten Free)
Cooked Rice

Cooking Instructions:

• Place cut chicken, Pineapple-Yaki & Essential Sauce in bowl.  Cover bowl and let meat marinate in the fridge for 60 min. 
• Heat a wok or stir-fry pan on medium- high heat.
• Add in chicken and sauces.  Saute the meat for 5 - 6 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
• Serve over cooked rice with a side of vegetables.

This is a very simple recipe, but tasted great.  My kids loved it.  This is what Meals in a Minute is all about - gourmet made simple!

*I combine my chicken (or other meat) and sauces in a ziploc bag and put it in the freezer with a label.  The sauces freeze great as a marinade with the meat.  I am able to just pull out a bag in the morning and I'm ready to go.  It works really well and helps make life a little easier.

Kaffir Lime Kabobs

2 - 3 Chicken Breasts (cut into 1 1/2 in wide and the length of the chicken breast strips)
3 Tbsp Kaffir Lime Sauce (plus extra for dipping)
1 Tsp Lime Juice
Bamboo skewers (for grilling)


Cooking Instructions:

• Place chicken strips in a reclosable bag with Kaffir Lime Sauce and Lime Juice.
• Let chicken marinade for 3 or more hours (overnight is best).
• Thread chicken in an "S" shape onto the skewers.
• Grill on med to med-high for about 3 - 4 minutes per side.  (Try to only turn the meat once during grilling.)
• Drizzle extra Kaffir Lime Sauce over top of chicken kabobs for extra spice.
• Serve with a side of fried rice and an egg roll.

These kabobs turned out nice and tender.  They definitely had some kick to it, but  the lime juice helps to balance it out.   My kids don't like "spicy" things, so I used the Chicken and Pineapple kabob recipe for their chicken.  

Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs

2 -3 Chicken Breasts (cut into 2 in cubes)

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp Essential Sauce (Gluten Free)

4 tbsp Pineapple-Yaki Sauce

Fresh Pineapple (cut into chunks)

Bamboo sticks or kabob holders*

Cooking Instructions:

• Place chicken pieces, oil, Essential Sauce, and Pineapple-Yaki Sauce in a large reclosable bag.
• Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for 6 or more hours.  Shaking and mixing the bag several times during the time period.
• Slide chicken pieces onto bamboo stick or kabob holders so that chicken pieces are touching.
• Place a pineapple chunk after every 3 or 4 pieces of chicken.
• Place kabobs on heated grill and cook until done.  Try to only turn the kabobs once during cooking - this helps retain the juices in the meat.

Optional - Add some bell pepper, onion, or mushrooms to the kabobs for a vegetable option.

*If you soak the bamboo sticks in water for 30 minutes, the ends will not burn off while grilling.

Cashew Orange Chicken

1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
3 Tbsp Zesty Orange Sauce
1/2 lb Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1 Clove Garlic (minced)
1/4 Cup Essential Sauce (Gluten Free or Regular)
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
1/4 Green Bell Pepper (cut into bite size pieces)
1/4 Red bell Pepper (cut into bite size pieces)
1/4 Yellow Onion (chopped)
1/4 Cup Cashew Nuts
1/2 Cup Mandarin Oranges
Pinch of ground black pepper or white pepper

Cooking Instructions:

• Place cut chicken pieces in a reclosable bag with Zesty Orange Sauce.  Let marinade for 2 - 3 hours.
• Heat oil in wok or stir-fry pan on med-high.
• Add chicken and cook until 1/2 done (1 minute).
• Add in garlic.
• Add Essential Sauce and chicken stock.  Stir frequently.
• Add bell peppers and onion.
• Cook until chicken is fully cooked.
• Toss in mandarin oranges, cashews, and white or black pepper.  Stir for about 30 seconds.
• Take out of pan and serve with rice.

 Enjoy!  If you don't have time to marinade the chicken in the Zesty Orange Sauce, you can add the Zesty Orange Sauce in when you add the Essential Sauce and Chicken Stock.

Recipe adapted from Meals in a Minute.

Grilled Essential Chicken Marinade

1/4 Cup Essential Sauce (Gluten Free or Regular)
1/3 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp Parsley
1 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Ground Mustard
4 - 6 Chicken Breasts


Cooking Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients (except the chicken) and mix well
• Place chicken in large reclosable bag or marinade container with tight fitting lid
• Pour marinade over chicken
• Let meat marinate overnight or at least 6 hours, shake bag or flip container 3 - 4 times during marinating time
• Grill or broil chicken until cooked all the way through (about 7 minutes each side)