xoxo, glutie: homemade chinese "takeout:" honey sesame chicken.

as gluties, we rarely get to indulge in takeout foods because, well, they're unhealthy, full of questionable "stuff," and usually make us sick. at least, this is my experience. i think we can agree takeout food is up there with "comfort foods"-- super convenient, especially for working folk. but, trust me, this recipe is delish, fast, simple, and more cost efficient (who can afford takeout every night??). not to mention, healthier!

honey sesame chicken

1 to 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken (i used tenderloins, but you choose), cut into 1 inc. pieces

evoo (or if you're not looking at healthy, use "frying" oil of your choice)

batter: 

4 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup gf flour
1 teaspoon gf baking powder
½ cup water
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 organic egg1 organic egg white

mix batter ingredients in a bowl, add chicken pieces, and let sit while your oil heats.

i only used about 1/3 to 1/2 inc. of evoo in my pan for a crispy-saute (as i named it), but not a full-on, dunk, deep-fry. this keeps out the greasiness. another option is to bake the battered chicken at 400d for about 20 mins as in this recipe. 

crisp your chicken pieces for about 5-7 mins per side or until desired brownness/crispiness, and of course, make sure you chick is done. 

scoop chicken out of the pan in batches, and place on paper towels for cooling and de-oiling.

honey sauce:

1 tablespoon evoo
2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
3 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons honey (any fresh available? YES!)
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch-mixed with 1 teaspoon water

heat evoo in a small sauce pan. 

add ginger and garlic, and saute about 30 secs. don't let it burn. 

stir in a dash of sea salt, honey, gf vinegar (i only had apple cider vinegar, and it worked fine), and water. let simmer for a couple mins. 

right before serving, stir in a separate bowl small amounts of cornstarch and water, then add as a thickener to your sauce. let heat, then remove from heat.

note: i find if you let the honey with the cornstarch heat too long, it has a little bit of a burnt taste from the sugar in the honey-- think jams, candies, brittle, etc. 

return your chicken to the large, medium-warm "frying" pan, toss with sauce and a couple pinches of sesame seeds. 

serve with your favorite gf rice, and some sugar snap peas for the whole "takeout" experience.

and that, my friends, is how we do gluten free, soy free, healthy chinese "takeout!"

adapted from: http://blogchef.net/chinese-honey-chicken-recipe/