Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry

I have always wanted to make stir-fry like my Dad and I think I finally found the recipe that shows I am capable of it. This recipe was in the April issue of Glamour magazine and it called to me. It has two of my favorite ingredients in the title so I was sold. Since asparagus is in season right now I try to use it as much as I can. I like this recipe so much that I have made it twice in the past two weeks. The great thing about making it twice is that I learned from my mistakes the first time and remembered them! The first time I over cooked the asparagus and used too much ginger. I cut the cooking time and the amount of ginger this time around and it made a world of a difference. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!

Servings: 4 / Prep time: 70 min. / Cooking time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, tops reserved
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. cornstarch, divided
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 3 tbsp. peanut oil, divided
• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 3 tbsp. chopped roasted peanuts

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, toss chicken with the sliced scallions, half of the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, 1 tsp. cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and 3/4 tsp. salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• In a bowl, whisk together 1 tsp. cornstarch and 3 tbsp. water. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tbsp. peanut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the asparagus and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in remaining garilc and ginger, 3 tbsp. water and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir-fry until crisp and tender, about 2 minutes. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed, to keep skillet from becoming completely dry. Transfer veggies to a plate.
• Return skillet to stove top and warm the remaining 2 tbsp. oil. Add the chicken in it’s marinade and red peper flakes. Stir-fry until nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hoisin sauce and asparagus. Give the constarch slurry a quick whisk and add to the pan. Simmer stir-fry until thickened, about 2 minutes. Toss in peanuts Taste and adjust seasoning; serve over rice (I chose not to serve it over rice to save calories) and garnish with sliced scallion tops.