Hello friends! How’s your 2012 so far? It’s amazing we are already more than half way done with January, so far I am still sticking with my New Year’s Resolution of “Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments”, hope you are doing well with your resolution also!
My fellow foodie friend Kath from My Funny Little Life recently posted a blog of some of her favorite things, in there she included a MP3 player, it got me thinking that maybe I can incorporate music into my week night cooking routine also. Normally I listen to “Vocal Trance” from Digitally Imported while working, don’t laugh, I know it’s ridiculous that I listen to dance club music while designing, but it’s been going on for years, and it really gets the creative juices flowing, or at least the beat keeps me productive. I’ve recently downloaded their app onto my iPhone, so now a days when it’s time to cook, the headphones are plugged in, and I feel so happy prepping and cooking away! Do you have any routine that helps with making everyday chores fun?
OK, let’s talk about today’s recipe! A few months ago I re-organized our bookcase, when my hubby was doing most of the cooking, the gourmet in training that he is purchased every single cookbook there is along with every single spices one would ever need. The spices have come in very handy, though the cookbooks got buried with the rest of our stuff. Now everything’s organized, I’ve pulled out the Asian ones and study them from time to time. The Chicken in Lemon Sauce is from “The Asian Kitchen” by Lilian Wu, it’s a beautiful hard cover and with detailed step by step photos. I received many praises from the family about this (there’s a slight modification from the original recipe), hope you will give it a try also!
Ingredients:
4 skinned chicken thighs, flattened and cut away fats, then cut into 1/2 inch stripes
1tbsp light soy sauce
5 tbsp cornstarch
3 stalks of green onions, cut into 3 long sections per stalk
1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine
2/3 cup chicken stock
4 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions:
1. Toss chicken strips with soy sauce, then cover with 4 tbsp of cornstarch
2. Peel the lemon, remove lemon zest and cut into fine strips, reserve aside.
3. Juice the lemon, , mix with sugar, rice wine, chicken stock.
4. Mix remaining corn starch with some water and blend well, reserve aside
5. Heat the oil and cook the chicken in small batches for 3-4 minutes, remove and drain on paper towel
6. Add the green onions sections and garlic to the pan, stir until fragrant
7. Add the reserved ingredients (lemon juice mix, corn starch mix and lemon zest) bring to a boil, add the chicken pieces back into the pan and toss with sauce to coat evenly, enjoy with white rice.
Weeknite Meals 
Hi Cindy! This looks wonderful! I defrosted chicken today but didn’t use it. I’d love to try this for tomorrow dinner. I used to listen to techno/dance music all day when I was working. I was making a digital map so I didn’t have to talk to anyone and I could listen to it all day long…. Your story kind of reminded me of that. Maybe because I listened to it often when I was pregnant with Enzo, he really loves the same kind of music I love… Looking forward to tomorrow’s dinner already!
Hi Nami! Thank you, I would love to hear your review if you decide to use the recipe!
Oh I had no idea you made digital maps, that sounds so complicated and detail oriented! I love that you listen to techno/dance music also, I play this type of music around Trinity and she doesn’t seem to mind, but then again she likes pretty much all types of music (country, dance, pop, soft rock, just not heavy metal). Got any big plans for the weekend? It’s kinda grey and humid at Houston, so we will probably just do the usual “Mall Walk”. Hope you have a good one!
I meant to email you or stop by here sooner but I didn’t have a chance till now. So sorry! I made your chicken and it was really good! Hope you are doing well. Any plan for superbowl? We have 5 family get together, which moms end up watching kids while dads just watch with beer in their hand… not so looking forward to it besides eating some food…but or forgot I’m on diet. heheh. Speaking of which, I’m measuring rice now too! Thanks for the idea! 😉
Yay, I am so glad you liked the chicken!
Oh man your Superbowl party doesn’t sound like much fun! We are invited to go to a friend’s house, the kids are all pretty grown now, so they play amongst themselves while the adults hang out. No worries, before you know it your children will be like this also! We are all suppose to bring a dish, but I don’t feel like cooking, might make Jon bake some hot wings, the men seem to really like that! The rice measuring really works right? I never knew how much I was eating until we started to watch our carb intake. I hope your diet is going well, remember as long as we watch our portions, we can eat anything we want. Haha!
Jeno, it looks and sounds terrific. A perfect meal to liven up a bit the gloomy Friday we are having. I must check if I have lemons (my fridge is hardly closing but sometimes I lack such basic things as lemons).
It’s so funny that you listen to this cub music when working. I must say I love working in silence when I have to concentrate on the content, but I love listening to music when I’m doing technical things (layouts etc.).
I think that a glass of wine substitutes music when I cook 😉
Hi Sissi! Weren’t we just conversing on your site earlier? 🙂
Thank you for the compliment, I hope you do have some lemon in that abundant fridge of yours, if you do test out the recipe, please let me know whether you like it!
Yes, the techno/trance music while working has been an on going joke between my ex-coworkers, I don’t know why it helps, but the beat really gets me going. I know some people like to have the TV on while they do things, but somehow that noise drives me crazy, which is why I bought my husband some wireless headphones, so he can hang out in my office without disturbing my thought process.
Oh that glass of wine sounds wonderful, but we only treat ourselves to some adult beverage on the weekend, in fact I will be having some tonight, yay!
Have a good weekend!
Jeno, I have just popped in to say I have had your lemon chicken for lunch today!!! I did found a lemon and the resuly was extraordinary! (I did it with a breast, my favourite part 😉 ). It was one of the most surprising flavour combinations I have ever had in an Asian dish. Although I think I have seen a lemon chicken recipe on Nami’s blog, I have never really associated such a taste with Asia! In general, I think the taste was very original. Nothing to do with a sweet and sour dish (I have always hated this, especially with canned pineapple). It did bring some sunshine at least to my palate and nose 🙂 The lemon zest aroma was amazing!
Unfortunately it’s raining all day; no sun, no light, so I am afraid my photos are not postable, but I shall see if Photoshop can help a bit 😉 Otherwise, I’m sure I will make it soon anyway! Thank you so much for this easy and original recipe! Have a lovely weekend!
Oh WOW Sissi! I am so excited you gave this recipe a try, and I just love how you describe the taste! You are right, growing up at Asia, I do not remember ever eating Lemon Chicken, in fact the Sweet and Sour dishes they serve here in the US is very foreign to us, I had no idea what that weird red sauce was!
Hope you have a great weekend, can’t wait to hear how your infused vodka turns out!
I must try this one out too… your presentation of the Chicken in Lemon sauce makes me so very hungry!!
Hi Malli, welcome and thank you for visiting!
Thanks for the compliment, I am learning everyday on how to present the dishes and how to photograph them. adding music to cooking has made this hobby even more fun!
Aww, thank you for the shout out! 🙂 I love having music when walking around, grocery shopping, cooking, and I currently listen to music as well. 😉 Believe me, I sometimes listen to club music even when working on my studies stuff, haha. Usually, I prefer it when walking outside or when I feel I have to get my spirits a little more into action.
The recipe looks very good! Not a way to make chicken I think I’d ever have come up with! Whee! And it’s gluten-free! Means I can try it! 😀
You are very welcome Kath, your posting has inspired me to incorporate music with cooking, and it’s made a world of difference! I don’t think Americans are as open to trance/techno music, that’s why I got made fun of, but whatever works right? 🙂 If you do give this gluten free recipe a try, please let me know how you like it!
Yum love chicken and anything with lemon just sounds appetising to me 🙂 and I think the citrus acid makes me want to eat more hehe ~ lovely recipe!
Thank you Daisy! I’ve made a lemon chicken dish before, but this is definitely the better recipe! The flavor combination seem to work better even though it’s pretty easy to make. Hope you have a great weekend!
I love how the chicken are perfectly glazed with the lemon sauce. Must taste very flavorful and the aroma right after it’s cooked must be wonderful! Have a nice weekend, Cindy!
Hello Ray! Thank you for the compliments! I was surprised at the complex flavor these simple ingredients brought together! You have a wonderful weekend also!
Happy 2012, Jeno! I only listen to the radio while driving and from my computer occasionally while going online. I’m totally the opposite from you. I can’t concentrate and think of anything if listening to trance music! LOL 😛
Your lemon chicken looks very tasty and I like it that you cut the chicken in long strips instead of the usual cubes/bite-sized. 😉
Wishing you and your family a Happy CNY! 新年快乐！万事如意！心想事成！Enjoy your festival holidays! 😀
Hi Lyn! Happy Chinese New Year to you and your lovelies also!
I bet there are lots of fun festivities happening right now, Houston is still very quiet, though next weekend should be pretty fun, Asian businesses are willing to pay the fire departments heavy fine just to have fireworks going off. There will be dragon and lion dancing all over town, and we usually take Trinity to the temple to wish for a whole year of happiness and health! Are you cooking all kinds of yummy food for the guests? Can’t wait to see some photos on FB!
Hi Jeno! Chicken + lemon (in fact anything + lemon) is one of my favourites. I am so with you about the beauty of small moments, too! Happy CNY too.
Thank you so much Jenny! Happy year of the dragon! I am glad you hear you are a lemon lover, if you do give this dish a try, please let me know your honest opinion. One of my Foodie Friend from France made it last Friday for lunch, and she was so happy with the result, which really made my day!
saw sissi making it and decided to come over ! I love this! chicken and lemon are brilliant (: that, topped over some steamed rice and i would be very very happy.
Hi Shuhan! Thank you! This really was an enjoyable dish, I was surprised at how complex the taste came out with such simple ingredients, hope you will give it a try and let me know your take on it!