How to Make Almond Chicken

The combination of succulent white chicken, fresh vegetables and wholesome almonds makes a mouthwatering entrée that's heart-healthy when served over a bed of steamed green beans or rice. You can use your favorite flavors and vegetables to make almond chicken your signature dish.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Boneless chicken breast
• Blanched almonds
• Fresh vegetables
• Chicken broth (or water)
• Cornstarch
• Cooked rice or green beans
• Seasonings
• Vegetable oil (for cooking)
• Wok or large non-stick skillet

1. Cube fresh chicken and remove excess fat with a sharp knife. A good size for chicken cubes is between ½ inch and 1 inch in diameter. Alternately, you can cut the chicken in long thin strips for quick cooking.
2. Prepare your vegetables by washing and cutting into bite-size pieces. You may use as many varieties as you like or just one. Try a combination of broccoli, julienne carrots, water chestnuts, sliced mushrooms, snow peas, bamboo shoots and brightly-colored pepper strips.
3. Combine the liquid with the cornstarch at a ratio of ½ cup of liquid to 1 tbsp. of cornstarch for every 4 servings you are preparing. Stir and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Test the oil to see if it is hot enough by dropping a small piece of chicken into the skillet. The chicken should immediately begin to sizzle. However, do not heat the oil so much that it smokes.
5. Put the almonds in the skillet first, stirring with a heat-safe spatula. The almonds will sizzle and plump up slightly. Continue stirring for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the fresh cubes of chicken to the skillet, stirring constantly until chicken browns nicely. As soon as the chicken is ready, add your vegetables and stir for another minute.
7. Pour in the liquid and bring the mixture to a simmer. At this point, you're ready to add your choice of seasonings before serving on a bed of cooked rice or green beans.
8. Experiment with popular flavors by adding a little honey if you like a sweetened taste and a combination of ginger, soy sauce, teriyaki flavoring or just salt and pepper to allow the natural taste of your almond chicken to shine.