Sichuan-Style Chicken with Peanuts - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast fillets, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 tsp rice wine
- 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 cups sugar snap peas
- 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 slices 1/2" thick slices ginger, smashed
- 1 medium scallion, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Combine chicken, rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, cornstarch and garlic in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly.
- When stir-frying chicken, always spread the pieces in the wok and let them cook undisturbed for 1 minute before stirring. This allows the chicken to sear and prevents sticking. To smash the ginger, use the side of a cleaver or chef's knife.
- Heat a 14" flat-bottomed wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl oil into the pan, add ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
- Carefully add the chicken mixture, spreading it out. Cook until the chicken begins to brown, about 1 minute.
- Using a spatula, stir-fry for 30 seconds. Spread the chicken out again and cook for 30 seconds. Continue stir-frying until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add snap peas and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir the Sichuan Sauce, swirl it into the pan and stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Transfer to a platter (discard the ginger) and sprinkle with peanuts and scallions. Serve immediately.
- Note: Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing) is a seasoned rice wine. It is available in most Asian specialty markets and some larger supermarkets in the Asian section. An acceptable substitute is dry sherry, sold with other fortified wines in your wine or liquor store. (It is preferred to the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets, which can be surprisingly high in sodium.)
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Sichuan-Style Chicken with Peanuts contribute to your health goals:
- Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
- Ginger: May help reduce menstrual pain and inflammation in PCOS
- Garlic: May help reduce cholesterol levels often elevated in PCOS
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and anti-inflammatory spices that target the chronic inflammation underlying PCOS. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Sichuan-Style Chicken with Peanuts can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Chicken Breast, Nuts.
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