Cicero: Ginger makes chicken sauce soar

The Healthy Choice honey ginger chicken frozen dinner has a delicious sauce. I've tried many recipes, but none of them come up with a similar sweet and spicy taste.

- Rosalind, Huntsville, Ala.

I'm a fan of this line for both its ethnic flavor choices and nutritional value, but it obviously is not an economical way to feed a family. I fiddled with my old recipe for honey garlic chicken to come up with a sauce/marinade recipe I think you'll like. The bite comes from using fresh ginger liberally; ground dried ginger doesn't cut it.

Honey ginger chicken stir-fry

Marinade:

2/3 cup honey

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup peeled, minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoons lemon juice or rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 to 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (optional)

11/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

For the stir-fry:

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1 cup shelled raw edamame

1 bell pepper cut in thin strips

2 carrots cut in thin strips

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

To serve:

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

2 green onions, green parts only, sliced into thin rings

Combine honey, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and zest in a gallon-size plastic bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag and shake to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight, turning bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil and tilt skillet to coat. Add chicken and stir-fry until opaque, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the edamame, bell pepper and carrots. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Add the reserved marinade to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thick, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more soy sauce if needed. Serve over hot brown rice, garnished as desired with sesame seeds, cilantro and green onion. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 481 calories (18 percent from fat), 9.9 g fat (1.7 g saturated,

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