Chinese food is one of America’s most popular cuisines, but it can be high in sodium, fat, sugar, and a lot of AGEs. Have you ever thought how much oil they use and how high heat they use to cook? Most of people have an impression that Chinese food is a healthy alternative to fast food. If it was authentic, old Asian cuisine, it would be. But American-style Chinese food is just as bad for you as any other fast food.

So, hold on your chopsticks and follow me for a healthy way.

Healthiest Chicken with Broccoli

3 cups broccoli florets
3 pieces chicken thigh
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 medium size onion, sliced
2-3 carrots, sliced

1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Sesame oil , salt

First, cut broccoli and rinse well in cold water. Try to get organic products as much as you can but if you can’t, mix cold water with a couple of teaspoons of vinegar in a bowl, and leave the broccoli in there for about 15 minutes to get rid of  pesticide residue. This will also remove some other residue.

I used chicken thigh but you could make it with chicken breast too. I like chicken thigh because it’s softer after cooked. But it has some fat so you need to trim it.

Cut the chicken thigh.

Marinate with garlic, ginger, Msg free Mirin, and salt. You can add some black pepper but I usually don’t care for it. Leave it for 15 minutes.

Slice onion.

Slice carrots…it doesn’t have to be yellow or purple…whatever you have in your fridge.

Now the fun part starts..

In a saute pan, preferably 5-layer or 7-layer pan, toss some sliced onion.

Then carrots.

Then broccoli

Finally add marinated chicken.

Add soy sauce mixture and cover a lid. Cook it over medium low heat for about 10-15 minutes.

Stir it.

Mix cornstarch and water, add it as you stir and adjust the thickness. Turn off the heat. As you already noticed and might wonder why I didn’t add any oil. That’s  because I wanted to minimize AGEs as much as I could. Some oil is actually good for you if it is not heated. So if you want to add oil, you can add right after you turn off the heat. I recommend sesame oil. Season with salt.

Serve immediately.

Very healthy and yummy.

I often make this dish and I substitute with beef, pork, or shrimp. Also you can add any mushrooms and vegetables you like but potatoes don’t go well with this dish but you still might want to try it and let me know.

Cooking Tip:

If you want to have your vegetable crispy cut it into larger size and cut your meat smaller size so that meat can be done before the vegetables get mushy.