Light Sesame Chicken

I love sesame chicken. I love the traditional form- all deep fried and covered in a thick, sugary sauce. Ohhh yes- it's good. But it's also somewhat horrible. First off all I find they often use the less-than-stellar pieces of chicken to make sesame chicken since it's so battered and coated. Then there's the fact that the dish is probably more calories than what should be eaten in the course of a day. Combine those two and I don't even remember the last time I ordered sesame chicken- maybe 6 years ago?! It was before I lived with John, I know that.

Needless to say I was excited when I saw this recipe. I knew it wouldn't be a true replica of my lovely deep fried-sugar laden sesame chicken, but I figured it was healthier and would be tasty. Well, I was right. It was tasty and definitely healthier! The chicken was so tender, I really liked this method of using the cornstarch mix but cooking it with simply cooking spray. It gave it some texture but not a "fried" taste. It was also very lightly sauced so if you like your dishes more saucy I'd double or even triple the sauce, but it was perfect for us. I will be making this again for sure.

Source: Slightly adapted from Alida's Kitchen
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
4 cups steamed broccoli

Directions:
1- Combine the honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and garlic in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
2- In a bowl combine the egg whites, corn starch, and some salt and pepper.
3- Add the chicken, tossing until evenly coated.
4- Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the chicken and allow to brown on one side, flipping and allow to brown on the other. Add the sauce and cook until it begins to thicken and chicken is cooked through. Toss with broccoli. Serve with rice.