Foodie Alert: General Tsao's Kiwano Chicken

Ready for a KILLER recipe? Using a fruit that looks like a torture device?

I bet you have seen a Horned Melon in the grocery store andthought, “What the heck is that?” One weekend, my husband and I were groceryshopping and looking through the produce aisle. As I am meandering through the crowdat Whole Foods, I hear him ask at a distance from behind me, “Can we buy this?”I turn around to see him holding this spiky, radical looking…thing. I wasn’tsure if it was a fruit or vegetable, but I’m always up for trying new things.So, in the cart it went and I started researching.

Then, I came across this video on how to make a version of General Tsao’schicken using this melon. (My apologies for the bada** comment and annoying noises...)

For those that know my husband and I, you alreadyknow of our affinity for anything Asian. This one was a no brainer... had to make it.

However, I found that this could be modified to make ithealthier without compromising taste. Although I baked my chicken instead offrying it, I found a trick to really getting a crunchy coating… and I can’twait to share it! I’d go as far to say that this might be the best recipe I’veever made. So run to the store right now and grab one of these horned melons! 

Grab it gently… they are really spiky, after all.

General Tsao’s Kiwano Chicken (modified)

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 Horned Melon

1 T. cornstarch 

1/8^th cup of water

2 T fish sauce

1/4^th cup chicken broth

1 inch piece chopped ginger

½ cup agave nectar

1 tsp. peanut oil.

1 Package boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Rice Noodles

Cilantro (optional)

Sriracha (optional)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


2.     To cut open the horned melon, wash the skin and place on a cutting board. Using a chef's knife, cut lengthwise. You will be pretty surprised by the inside of this weird melon...

Next, squeeze out the fruit and seeds into a finestrainer over a small mixing bowl. I recommend using a knife to carve off the spikes before you start squeezing this thing, unless you enjoy pain.

Use a spoon, spatula, or your hands to mashthe fruit until the jelly and juices are strained leaving the seeds behind.

3.    Make a slurry using 1 T. cornstarch and 1/8^thcup of water. Mix into melon juice with 2 T fish sauce, 1/4^th cupchicken broth, 1 inch piece chopped ginger, ½ cup agave nectar,  and a splash of peanut oil. Mix well.

4.    Cut some boneless chicken breast into cubes. And here comes my trick to getting a crunchy coat on your baked chicken... first, soak the chicken in 1/2 cup fat-free milk for 10 minutes. Next, toss chicken in a separate bowl with 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Return the chicken to the milk gently. You may have to add more milk in this step, which is fine. Try to not remove the bread crumb coating when you add the liquid. Toss the chicken a second time in the panko bread crumbs. The trick is the bread the chicken pieces twice. However... this will NOT work well if the bread crumb mixture gets too wet. Make sure that you're careful not to transfer too much milk when you remove the chicken. Once you've got the chicken breaded, place on a pan coated with cooking spray and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip chicken pieces and bake longer if not fully cooked. Set aside.

5.      Cook melon mixture until it starts to bubble all over.Will begin to reduce and become clear. Once it is clear, add chicken andcompletely coat.

6.     Cook about 1/2 package of rice noodles according to directions. No need to add seasonings to this, although you could toss the noodles in 1-2 tsp. peanut oil for a little extra flavor. I found that the sauce from the chicken seasoned the noodles perfectly and provided my tongue a little break from all the spice! 

Make a bed of 1/2 cup of rice noodles in the bowl and place chicken on top with a heaping spoon of sauce. Top with some fresh chopped cilantro and sriracha sauce (if it's not already spicy enough for you). This is very impressive and super easy to make!



The Nutritionals (per serving):
343 calories
43 gm carbohydrate
8 gm fat
30 gm protein



This dish is high in protein, low in saturated fat, and VERY filling! With less than 400 calories per bowl, this is an Asian dish that will not affect your waistline. Make sure you stick to your serving sizes though! So to all my foodie friends, try this out and let me know what you think!