Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

Introduction

This dish gets nearly all its flavor from the sauce. When cooking bland ingredients such as boneless and skinless white meat chicken as we do here, I prefer to use a pungent sauce such as black bean sauce. Same goes for tofu.

The organic chicken tenders are simply cuts of chicken breast, which I used to concoct this recipe. Feel free to use any finger-sized pieces of chicken.

Salt is not required for this dish. The black bean sauce provides enough.

The poblano provides a bit of spicy "zing." If you use an ordinary green pepper, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Feel free to add more spice.

Broccoli is a great addition to this dish. The florets soak up the liquid and act like "flavor sponges." If using broccoli, add it with the onions and peppers. Feel free to add liquid if the pan seems dry. Bok choy is another addition to consider, but it cooks quickly so add it with the mushrooms.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. It also will stain your cutting board, knife, fingers, etc. I use Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to clean my knife.

Black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin. Pre-ground black pepper can harbor mold; using fresh cracked pepper avoids this toxin.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup EVOO Light
• 1.6 lb organic chicken tenders
• 1 onion
• 1 turmeric piece, finger-sized
• 1 poblano (or green bell pepper and pinch of cayenne pepper)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms (such as Woodstock frozen)
• 1/4 tsp ground black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp black bean sauce

Steps

• Pre-heat large cast iron skillet to medium high
• Peel onion, turmeric, garlic
• Dice onion, red pepper (and poblano) to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size
• Finely chop turmeric and garlic
• Set garlic aside
• Coat skillet with EVOO then add the diced / chopped ingredients, except for the garlic
• Saute for about five minutes or until onions start to be translucent
• Push vegetables to edge of pan
• Add more oil and then add chicken to the center of the pan; separate into "fingers"
• Brown chicken on both sides for about two minutes each side
• Add garlic on top of chicken
• Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about ten minutes
• Add mushrooms
• Mix pan ingredients gently, ensuring any raw portion of chicken gets contact with the pan
• Add black pepper and black bean sauce
• Mix pan ingredients again, cutting "fingers" into bite-size pieces, checking for doneness
• Turn off stove, allow juices to soak into chicken as it cools