Chicken & Broccoli Stir-fry

Who isn't looking for a delicious, flavorful and easy weeknight meal? I know that I'm always on the lookout for those kind of recipes. It doesn't get much easier than a stir-fry. So when I came across this Mother Thyme recipe on Pinterest, I knew I'd be making it in the very near future.  And for once, we actually had everything I needed to make this!

This stir-fry packs a ton of flavor - sweet, spicy, salty and tangy.  The Husband loved it and I loved how easy and quick it was to put together. 

The longest thing about this meal was the brown rice that I made to go with it.  But if you are really in a pinch, you could just use one of those quick rice pouches.

A quick note:
- I pretty much followed this recipe to a T, other than I used about 1 1/2 tbsps of Sambal instead of the 1/2 tsp the recipe calls for.  As always, it is just a heat preference.

Chicken & Broccoli Stir-fry

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground fresh chili paste (Sambal)

2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

1 pound chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound broccoli crowns

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

flax seed or sesame seed for garnishing (optional)

green onion or scallions for garnishing (optional)

In a medium bowl combine chicken stock, soy sauce, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, chili paste and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir until blended and set aside.  

Generously spray a large skillet or wok with non-stick cooking spray. Toss chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add coated chicken to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until chicken is cooked, no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, about 7-10 minutes.  

Add broccoli and garlic and cook until broccoli is slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in sauce, reduce heat to low and cook until sauce is heated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with sesame seed and/or scallions and serve.