For my friends who cannot stomach the thought of chicken sausage (delicious and flavorful), here is a more mainstream offering from my new collection of Save the Planet Recipes. It is really easy thanks to using a bottled Asian sauce. You can find several types (Sesame, Kung Pao, General Tsao’s, etc) right next to the soy sauce in most grocery stores. This recipe is planet-friendly because the meat has a low carbon footprint and the entire menu is otherwise plant-based. It also qualifies for this designation because the cooking method is extremely energy-efficient, thanks to my Instant Pot. You can do this on the stove top if you must but, hopefully, Santa will bring you an Instant Pot.

 

Menu

Asian Chicken Thighs

Brown Rice

Steamed Green Beans

Peeled, Sliced Oranges

Almond Milk

 

Recipe for Asian Chicken Thighs

4 servings

 

1 pkg boneless thighs ( about 1 lb or 8 small thighs)

1 bottle sesame cooking sauce (Asian aisle)

¼ cup sesame seed

½ cup frozen peas

1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

 

Place trivet in electric pressure cooker pot. Add water to the bottom of the pot. Lay whole chicken thighs on top of the trivet. Set pressure cooker for 8 mins on high pressure. Manually release and set chicken aside. Clean pot, which you will need again for the rice.

Alternative method: Saute whole chicken thighs on stove top until thoroughly cooked (approx 10 minutes)  

Cook rice in an electric pressure cooker, using rice cooker setting for 14 minutes.

Alternative method: on stove top according to package directions.

While the rice cooks, place peas in a small bowl or pan, just cover with water. Place bowl in a microwave (quite energy efficient by the way) for 2 mins (less for powerful units) or simmer in pan on the stove top for a few minutes.

Also while the rice cooks: saute, simmer, or steam whole green beans. Set aside, reheat in microwave before serving

Coarsely chop the cooked meat. Mix peas and chicken mixture. Add half the bottle of sesame cooking sauce, stir, add more if needed. Sprinkle in the sesame seeds and serve over rice. Serve the green beans and oranges on the side.