Sesame Mustard Chicken

My oh so very awesome mother bought me some goodies this weekend: Sriracha hot sauce (my fave!) and sesame oil. Sriracha hot sauce is slightly sweet and is a warm hot. Its addictive, especially on dumplings. Sesame oil is great for marinades and soup - it imparts a very distinctive scent and flavor even with a tiny drop. Tonight's dinner incorporates both.

Sesame Mustard Chicken
single serving, super quick (25 min)

4 oz chicken diced (equivalent to one chicken thigh, no skin or bone)
1.5 tsp mustard (regular American French's is fine!)
2 squirts honey
2 squirts Sriracha (big pinch of cayenne/paprika is fine)
1/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp cooking wine (again, I have leftover beer so that was used instead)
1 pinch ginger powder (or one minced ginger coin)
1 clove ginger, minced

(optional, 4-5 oz chopped spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli to make it stir fry. Served over half a bowl of white rice.)

1. I keep all my chicken pre-diced in the freezer in ziplocs. Toss all the ingredients into the ziploc bag with the chicken EXCEPT the garlic. If you forget, that's okay too.
2. Defrost the chicken - that's right. After you toss stuff in when its frozen, the liquids will help it unfreeze. I also popped mine in a bowl and then the microwave (one minute on 50% power) to speed the process along.
3. Come back in 10-15 minutes. The longer you let it marinate, the more flavorful it will be. A 10 minute time leaves a very light, sweet mustard taste, so if you're in a rush, no pressure. If you're making this stir fry, chop your veggies here. Or reheat your rice, do 50 crunches, or turn on the TV.
4. Take the chicken and make sure its defrosted enough so that the pieces are separated from each other. 
5. Take your skillet, heat it up on high, and toss in a teaspoon of canola oil (or other. Peanut would be yummy but its not something I usually have). Swirl your pan and coat it evenly with oil.
6. Toss in garlic, cook a minute until fragrant.
7. Use chopstick or a fork to scoop and drain the chicken from the bag and into the pan. Leave the rest of the marinade in the bag - you'll be using it in a bit. 
8. Saute the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. The marinade is watery compared to the oil in the pan, so the oil will pop. Don't freak, just wear long sleeves. As the chicken begins to stick, stir in a little of the marinade to deglaze the pan.
9. Turn the heat down to medium. Add veggies if you're stir frying.
10. Make sure your chicken is cooked through and serve!