If you happen to live in Austin you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Between J and I, my parents, and my brother’s family we have tried nearly every Chinese restaurant in the greater Austin area.  Still, we all come up empty handed.  The only restaurant even close is P.F. Chang’s.  Which is very tasty, I agree.  Just a little out of the price range from your hole in the wall Chinese restaurant down the street.  I thought they were supposed to have the best Chinese food.  Apparently Texas missed that memo.

This all leads back to a reader request: P.F. Chang’s Spicy Green Beans.  Initially I thought, that might be hard to recreate, but after finding this recipe I was quite surprised.  They were spicy.  We’re not talking a little spicy, we’re talking “my lips are on fire, call 911″ spicy.  Now I’ll admit I’ve never had P.F. Chang’s spicy green beans, but these were quite tasty.  I decided to pair them with my version of these and made my own honey sesame dipping sauce.  If I can’t go out for Chinese food, I’ll bring it to my kitchen.

Crispy Chicken Skewers (adapted from How Sweet It Is)
yields 2-3 servings

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees while wooden skewers soak in water.  Also lay out a wire rack on a baking sheet and spray it with non-stick spray

In a small bowl lightly beat egg white with a fork.  In another bowl combine panko breadcrumbs, flour, and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper.  Season chicken cubes with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper.  Dip one chicken cube into egg whites, turning to coat.  Then dip cube in panko mixture and skewer. Repeat for remaining chicken cubes, putting 3-4 pieces on a skewer.  Place skewers on wire rack.  Spray both sides of chicken skewers with olive oil or non-stick spray.

Bake skewers for 10-12 minutes on one side, then turn pan and flip over skewers and cook for 10-12 more minutes.  Serve with honey sesame dipping sauce(recipe below). Enjoy!

Honey Sesame Dipping Sauce
yields 1 cup sauce

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon white or rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Combine ingredients in small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Fiery Green Beans (adapted from Scribd)
yields 4-6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons minced green onion (you will end up with mostly juice, that’s okay)
  • 2 tablespoons minced white onion (you will end up with mostly juice, that’s okay)
  • 2 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoon canned diced green chilies, drained and rinsed
  • 5 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 5 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
  • 3 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons safflower or canola oil
  • 1 pound green beans, washed and ends snapped (haricot vert, preferably)

Combine the onions, garlic, diced chiles, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Cover and store in your refrigerator for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible.

Heat oil in a wok pan over medium-high heat.  Once oil is translucent and thin add your green beans.  Saute green beans for about 3-4 minutes, until beans begin to brown in spots.  Add your sauce and continue to saute for an additional 5-6 minutes.  Beans should still have a slight snap, but still soft.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!