Chicken Edamame Bowl

It's Sunday night, we came home late from shopping. But that didn't deter me from cooking a proper dinner, and the next day lunch for OCT. Not to mention I have to catch up with my "to try list", from my subscribed cooking magazines and other library books. So, we have Sesame Chicken Edamame Bowl, stirfry spinach and broccoli for dinner.

Sesame Chicken Edamame Bowl reminded me of the rice bowls served in Yoshinoya, where they have chicken/beef/seafood served on a bed of soft, sticky sushi rice. One of my friends like it a lot, but I think they are over-priced for what they offer. Maybe I should get the sushi rice and top it with teriyaki chicken/salmon, and invite friends over for a Yoshinoya meal, just for fun.

Coming back to the Sesame Chicken Edamame Bowl. OCT said it's tasty, but he didn't like the edamame. Too bad. The dish had SO MUCH edamame that he was bounded to get some onto his plate. hehehe.... Though it's yummy,it was definitely not a "WOW" to me. I have cooked chicken stirfry with similar ingredients before, but not with edamame. Anyway, edamame didn't lend any assertive taste to the dish, but was sweet and nutty itself. It's a good addition, in term of nutritional value, but I think the dish won't suffer much without it. I guess the best part is all the ingredients come from the freezer. (Chicken breast, edamame, stirfry bell pepper) So, you can pull it out whenever you run out of fresh ingredients or time, or both.

Sesame Chicken Edamame Bowl

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh lemongrass
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
2 cups frozen bell pepper stir-fry mix
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (*I also added some dark soy sauce for colour*)
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut green onions
2 teaspoons dark sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add ginger, lemongrass, and garlic; sauté 1 minute or just until mixture begins to brown. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes.
Add edamame and bell pepper stir-fry mix; sauté 3 minutes. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan; cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Stir in green onions, sesame seeds, and salt. Serve over rice.

Yield: 6 servings (*I halved all the ingredients for just the 2 of us. Even that, it can easily serve 3/4 people if you have other dishes too*)