Had a nasty shock when I clambered on the bathroom scales this morning (God knows how two measly Belgian chocolate eclairs could have made me put on 3lbs over the weekend) and so I went in search of low calorie recipes and came up with this one. Was very good served with steamed pak choi. I used fresh chilli instead of chilli flakes just to add a flash of vibrant red.

Healthy Lemon Chicken

Ingredients serves 4
4 smallish chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 medium egg white
2 tsp cornflour
Tbsp vegetable oil
2 spring onions, sliced to serve

For the sauce:
100ml chicken stock
Juice of 2 lemons
Tsp caster sugar
Tbsp light soy sauce
Tbsp rice wine (aka mirin)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Half tsp chilli flakes
Half tsp cornflour
Few drops sesame oil

How to prepare
Put chicken into a bowl. Whisk together egg white and cornflour, making a smooth paste. Pour this over the chicken strips and mix thoroughly. Chill for 20 mins in fridge.
Heat the oil in a wok or large deep frying pan until it starts smoking, then add chicken. Toss the chicken around until it is golden brown and completely cooked (should only take a couple of mins). Remove from wok and set aside.
Lower heat and add stock, lemon juice, sugar, soy, rice wine, garlic and chilli flakes to wok. Season well and bring to the boil, then turn heat down and simmer for one minute.
Mix the cornflour with few drops of water until you have smooth paste. Add to sauce and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly. Put chicken back in wok and simmer until it has warmed through. Add a few drops of sesame oil and let chicken rest for a few minutes (really improves the depth of flavour). Sprinkle with spring onions.

 

From The Hairy Dieters: Good Eating by Dave Myers and Si King: