Light Lemon Chicken

  I have been looking for a chicken stir fry type of dish for a while now. This type of meal is not among Bettie’s or Lyle’s favorite things to eat, but it is one of mine. This recipe in The Pillsbury The Best of Classic Cookbooks, caught my eye, as it was not overly sweet and had only a few ingredients that we all like. None of us are fond of the baby corn or pea pods that are common in stir fry. I did cut back on the amount of soy sauce as it can always be added at the table.

  The lemon flavor was a big plus. Bettie liked it, though she would have preferred it sweeter, Lyle and I both thought it was excellent. With sweet and sour sauce to add to hers, Bettie liked it also.

  As with all dishes of this type, have everything ready to go before you start fixing it on the stove. The timing the recipe used worked out right. The chicken was tender and the vegetables tender crisp. Serve it with the type of rice of your choice and fried chow mein noodles if desired.

  I also used just one whole boneless chicken breast. They are so much larger now than when this book was written. There was plenty for the three of us and enough left for one for lunch tomorrow.

Light Lemon Chicken

4 cups cooked white rice (one cup raw rice)

2 lemons (if not using for a garnish, one lemon is enough)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons dry sherry (or chicken broth)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into ¼ inch strips

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

6 green onions, cut diagonally into 1 ½ inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼ inch strips

1 (4.5 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained

  While rice is cooking, cut ⅛ inch strips of lemon peel from half of one lemon. Slice other half and use for garnish. Squeeze second lemon for the juice. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and sugar. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, broth, sherry and soy sauce; blend well. Set aside.

  Heat oil in large skillet, medium high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep warm. In same pan, add onions, bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook and stir 1 to 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice mixture, stirring it first, to the vegetables. Cook and stir till thickened; about 3 minutes. Return chicken to pan, add lemon strips and heat for 1 minute. Serve with warm rice, garnish with lemon slices if desired.