Welcome to our weekly series called Texas Health-y Home Cooking!

As you continue to do your part to social distance, you may be relying on your pantry for a lot of your meals. Many have turned to social media for recipes from their favorite television chefs, such as Food Network veteran chef, Alton Brown.

But we were inspired to take a look in our own backyard and asked some top chefs/restaurant owners and dietitians in North Texas for their recommendations on healthy meals that can be prepared with items you likely already have on hand — think canned beans or tomatoes, whole wheat pasta, or the fresh or frozen produce chilling in your fridge. 

Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry with Coconut Sticky Rice

Asian food tends to be high in sodium. If you’re craving take-out, try this Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry recipe from Kaylee Jacks MS, CSSD, RD, LD, a sports dietitian at Texas Health Sports Medicine. Cooking at home is a great way to control your salt intake, add additional nutrients to a meal, like green vegetables, and save money!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

8 oz chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tablespoon avocado oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 large bell peppers, yellow and/or red, seeded and thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, very thinly sliced
4 green onions, green and white parts only, thinly sliced
8 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

For the coconut sticky rice:
1½ cups short-grain brown rice
2 cups cold water
1 can lite coconut milk
Salt to taste

For the stir-fry sauce:
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1½ tablespoons honey or maple syrup
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Directions

To make the coconut sticky rice:

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the rice, water, and coconut milk to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is cooked through and sticky, about 45 minutes. Add salt to taste.

To make the stir-fry sauce:

Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oils. Add the chicken breast and stir until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and chile and stir until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and green onions and stir until the sauce coats all of the ingredients, about 1½ minutes longer. Fold in the basil last.

Heap the coconut rice onto plates and top with the stir-fry. Sprinkle with additional basil leaves and serve warm.

Remember, now is an opportune time to get inspired, try something new, and expand your culinary skills. So grab the apron, open the pantry, ask the kids to help out, and enjoy some family cooking time!

Looking for some soul-soothing chicken soup? Head to our last installment featuring a recipe for caldo de pollo from Chef Abraham Salum.