Sweet and Sticky Sesame Chicken

Since chicken and rice seems to be our no brainer week night go to meal, I decided to try a new recipe, just to keep things interesting. I came across a restaurant recipe make over on Hungry Girl. The recipe was based on an average sesame chicken dish you could order at a Chinese restaurant. What I loved about this recipe is that chicken was crispy, without frying it! Dipping the chicken in egg and then flour, then baking it made for a crispy, crunchy outside. The sauce was sweet, but not too sweet. When I make this again I will probably double the sauce. There was enough sauce to generously coat the chicken, but I do love my sauces, and I would have liked more to put on the rice. I made just a few adjustments from the original recipe. The ingredients I used are below, click the link for the original. I love a healthy, quick, week night meal.  Hungry Girl has a few more recipe make overs that I'd can't wait to try.

Ingredients:
10 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour, divided
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tbsp. lite/low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. sesame seeds
2 tbsp. thinly sliced scallions
Optional: crushed red pepper 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.

Place chicken in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and cover with egg substitute. Toss to coat and set aside.

Place 2 tbsp. flour in another bowl. Use a fork to transfer half of the chicken to the flour bowl, allowing excess egg substitute to drain back into the egg bowl. Thoroughly coat chicken with flour, and then transfer to the baking sheet. Wipe the bowl clean, and then repeat with remaining flour and chicken.

Bake chicken in the oven until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine broth with cornstarch in a small nonstick pot and stir to dissolve. Add syrup, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix well and bring to medium heat on the stove. Stirring often, cook until thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 - 3 minutes. Set aside.

Place cooked chicken in a bowl, top with sauce, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. If you like, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Source: Hungry Girl