Take-Out Fake-Out: It’s Chicken, like Velvet

By Katie Barreira

My favorite part of working in a test kitchen (okay, besides the eating) is learning something new about food. It could be cooking with an ingredient I’ve never used before or an innovative twist on a traditional dish. This week, I was introduced to an age-old culinary technique that changed the way I look at good old chicken.

I love the idea of making signature takeout fare at home, especially Chinese food. I’ve got the brown sauce down pretty well, but I had no idea what went into those clean and translucent, but rich white sauces served with stir-fried chicken.

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Don’t Let Your Shrimp Dawdle

Shrimp, snow peas and bell pepper: three simple ingredients that cook quickly to create sweet, crunchy, salty, tender goodness. Swap out the vegetables if you prefer. Try zucchini or boy choy.

Keep it simple but be certain not to overcook the shrimp; keep them moving until they just turn tender and pink.

This easy, one-dish meal takes about 20 minutes to make (10 to prep and another 10 to cook) so you can be out of the kitchen in no time.

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