Skinny Sesame Chicken & Quinoa

It's not a secret that I'm obsessed with Chinese food. Being able to make Chinese food that not only tastes delicious, but is also good for you is one of the reasons we started this blog in the first place. Eating healthy does not mean you have to give up your favorite foods! You just have to make some changes to make it better for you. 


If you've been keeping up with the blog, you already know my obsession with Skinnytaste and everything Gina makes. Well, it's time I introduce you to an equally amazing blog, Gimme Some Oven. Everything on there is so delicious. Not all of it is "skinny," but Ali creates a lot of healthy recipes.

My favorite?  Sesame Chicken with quinoa. It is absolutely amazing and is the perfect healthy meal for when I'm craving Chinese food. Sesame chicken from a Chinese restaurant is typically fried and drowned in salty and sugary sauce. In this recipe, the chicken in cooked in a pan, and topped with a sauce naturally sweetened by honey. I can honestly say that this version is better than what comes from a Chinese restaurant. It's lighter, more flavorful, and the quinoa is a nice substitution for fried rice. 

I didn't make too many changes to her recipe, besides doubling it and I left out the sesame seeds because I didn't have any on hand. I also added a bag of frozen broccoli. This recipe would be great with other vegetables like peppers, onions, edamame, or any other kind of vegetable you love!

-- Kristen

Sesame Chicken Ingredients:

24 oz. skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
4 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cornstarch

1 bag frozen broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Makes 5 servings

Nutrition: 1/5 recipe = 215 calories
Carbs: 17.5g Fat: 5g Protein: 25g

Quinoa Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup dry quinoa

2 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

Makes 5 servings

Nutrition: 1/5 recipe = 198 calories
Carbs: 8g Fat: 3g Protein: 8g

Quinoa Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in a strainer. Add quinoa and broth to a pot set on high heat. 

2. When broth begins to boil, turn the heat to medium and cover the pot.

4. Continue to cook for 15-20 minutes.

5. When all liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork and serve.

Sesame Chicken Directions: 

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper.

2. Set pan to medium-high heat, drizzle with olive oil. Add chicken, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.

3. While chicken is cooking, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.

4. In a separate pan, saute broccoli.

5. When the chicken is cooked through, add broccoli, sauce and green onions. Stir until sauce thickens.

6. Stir in sesame oil, remove from heat.

7. Serve over quinoa.