Since we are only cutting off a couple heads at a time, we don't have tons to use at once. I dislike frozen broccoli, so I don't want to waste it by freezing it. Jamey was the first to suggest we make Bang Bang Chicken (yes, this is really it's name). We used to make it a lot when we bought supermarket broccoli, but it has been years since we've done that. Without success in the garden, we've been broccoli deprived.
The recipe comes from the Mennonite cookbook, Extending the Table...A World Community Cookbook. Many of it's recipes were submitted by Mennonites serving in other countries and the recipes are from those countries. Bang Bang Chicken is a dish from China. Along with the recipe comes this explanation, "In China this dish is sold by street vendors who traditionally summoned customers by banging two sticks together; hence, the name." So now you know.
We love this dish are so thrilled to be able to make it again, newborn and all.
Bang Bang Chicken (adapted from Extending the Table- the main adaptation I make is that we triple or quadruple the sauce part of this recipe because it's so tasty. I've tripled it for you below.).
Serves 4
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips (or the equivalent amount of cooked, shredded chicken)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp. ginger root or bottled ginger
1 scallion, chopped into 1 inch pieces or 1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup water
6 tbsp. soy sauce
6 tbsp. peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 cups broccoli florets or florets and spears
If using raw chicken, saute it in a few tablespoons of oil in a large pan until almost cooked through. Add garlic, ginger and scallions or chopped onion and cook until tender. If using cooked chicken, saute the onion until tender, add the garlic and ginger and saute 1-2 minutes longer, then add the cooked chicken.
In a small bowl, combine ingredients water through vinegar. Add to the chicken mixture and stir to coat the chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add the broccoli. Cover the pan and let the broccoli steam until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally to coat the broccoli.Serve immediately over brown rice.
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I have to tell you my thought process as I read this.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the title of this post and than read about your success with broccoli I thought you were going to give the chickens the credit for your great crop "Bang bang! Shoot the guns in honor of chickens" was the first thing that went through my head. That is until I got to the recipe. In fact, you probably should be giving them some of the credit. I suppose you are putting the manure from their pen on your garden. We used to live on a chicken farm and that garden got generous portions of chicken manure. We have NEVER since grown broccoli like the broccoli we grew in that garden. We have always given the chicken manure the credit. Our garden now is way to big for our few chickens to make a noticible difference.
Aunt V
Aunt V,
ReplyDeleteIt did not occur to us that the chicken manure we've been using on the garden (and that the chickens have been depositing on the garden) may have contributed to our broccoli success. We're so glad to hear it, though, because we've got lots of it:-). Thanks!
Oh my gosh...my mouth is watering! That looks delicious. I'll have to add broccoli to my garden repertoire for next year. AND I'm on my way to add some of those chicken droppings to my compost heap!
ReplyDeleteLooks very yummy. My broccoli will be ready next week...
ReplyDelete(An appropriate chicken dish for the Fourth of Bang-Bang July, no?)