Chicken and Sweet Potato Stir Fry

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Chicken and SWEET POTATOES — in a stir fry?!! SEE, I read minds! Hahhah — kidding aside, these seemingly incongruous elements make for one of the most deliciously different low sodium stir-fries around. The recipe, adapted from Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Hermann Loomis, calls for Halibut (talk about incongruous!) but works equally well for all types of meat – chicken or pork, even thinly sliced beef, and would even taste great with pressed tofu. The faux soy sauce adds just the right touch of sweetness, complementing the natural sugar of the potatoes perfectly.

Yields 4 servings.

SODIUM CONTENT: 89 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. vegetable oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 x 3-inch pieces
1/2 c. water
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 med red onion, cut into 1-inch dice
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar (natural, unseasoned)
3 T. faux soy sauce (recipe below makes ~1/2 c. refrigerate extra for another use)
6 scallions, sliced – whites and greens kept separate
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. minced fresh ginger
1 t. sesame oil
1 T. cornstarch
freshly ground black pepper to taste

FAUX SOY SAUCE (adapted from Dick Logue’s Soy Sauce Substitute)
1/4 c. molasses
3 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. water
1 t. low-sodium or sodium-free beef bouillon granules
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

To make the faux soy sauce, measure ingredients into a small saucepan or microwave safe bowl and heat on low to combine.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat. Add the water and cover the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Remove the cover, add the chicken, the diced onion, rice vinegar, faux soy sauce and stir well to combine. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the whites of the scallions, garlic, ginger and sesame oil, and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the cornstarch. Stir well to coat & thicken sauce, cook one more minute, then remove from heat. Garnish with scallion greens and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, spooned over steamed rice if desired.